Chapter 69

This time, the journey was very peaceful, and almost everyone walked to their living quarters in silence. It was a large area of houses built with bamboo, warm in winter and cool in summer, nestled against the mountain. However, it was on the outskirts of the Tianling Academy, which was still much better than resting in the square.

Each person was assigned a room, and they could focus on cultivating there for the next two days.

Night soon fell, and even in the darkness, the Tianling Academy remained brightly lit. Countless disciples moved about, and some even went out late at night, while others returned to the sect, presenting a scene of prosperity that many outer court disciples aspired to.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Someone knocked on Ye Feng's door.

Putting on his shoes and getting up, Ye Feng reached out to open the bamboo door and found two mentors standing outside.

Seeing Mentor Li frown, Ye Feng seemed to sense bad news and quickly stood up to let the two mentors in.

"What happened to bring both mentors here at this late hour?" Ye Feng asked hurriedly.

"It's not good news!" Mentor Li's brows were tightly furrowed, and the mentor beside him sighed.

"Is the assessment canceled?" Ye Feng asked in confusion.

"Not exactly. I've received word that this assessment will be strict, and someone might try to sabotage us secretly. They might tamper with the examiners, which would be very disadvantageous for us," Mentor Li said helplessly.

"Such a thing, is the inner court assessment not fair?" Ye Feng was angry.

"Fairness doesn't exist in this world. As long as it's not too obvious, no one will interfere. One of the chief examiners this time is Meng Zhonghai's brother, Meng Zhongliang. We received the news as soon as possible, so we came over," Mentor Li said helplessly.

"How can this be? Do you want us to give up the assessment?" A hint of killing intent flashed in Ye Feng's eyes. If it was because he slapped Meng Zhonghai in the morning that everyone couldn't participate in the assessment, Ye Feng would definitely kill someone, at least Meng Zhonghai.

"That's not necessary. I came to discuss this with you. They don't have the right to deprive us of the assessment. They will just increase the difficulty or obstruct us during the assessment, but they won't be too obvious, after all, there are multiple examiners," Mentor Li continued, seeing the killing intent in Ye Feng's eyes.

"Other disciples have no grudges against him, so they probably won't deliberately make things difficult. We are most concerned about you. I hope you are prepared to avoid any extreme reactions during the assessment. Focus on the assessment, and with your abilities, there should be no problem. Don't let external forces interfere with you."

The other mentor added, "We came to inform you in advance so you can be prepared and avoid any resistance during the assessment."

"Don't worry, I know what to do," Ye Feng thought for a moment and said.

"That's good. As long as you join the inner court, no one will dare to do anything to you. Your strength is such that ordinary innate realm cultivators can't threaten you, so you don't need to worry for now. Focus on improving your strength and strive to advance to the inner court as soon as possible."

Mentor Li was very pleased to see Ye Feng's determined eyes and lack of emotional fluctuation. It seemed that nothing could shake Ye Feng's resolve, and his age and maturity were completely mismatched.

"I will definitely work hard and not let you down!" Ye Feng understood the feelings of Mentor Li and the others. Every year, they were mocked, and this made Ye Feng understand the concept of the strong ruling and the weak being preyed upon. In the Divine Martial Continent, the law of the jungle prevails, or you can only survive in the cracks.

"That's all we can do. Here are twenty True Spirit Pills. Take them; they might come in handy during the assessment." Mentor Li took out a porcelain bottle from his chest and handed it to Ye Feng.

"How can I accept this?" Ye Feng didn't take it. He had heard of True Spirit Pills before. They were used by innate realm cultivators, and only those in the Immortal Martial Realm could refine them by drawing in spiritual energy from the void and condensing it. Some people used magical tools to absorb spiritual energy and then condensed it into True Spirit Pills. Each one was extremely precious.

"Take them. These True Spirit Pills are also a token of our goodwill. We hope you will shine in the assessment, bringing us glory. In the future, our status in the inner court will also rise," Mentor Li pushed the True Spirit Pills into Ye Feng's hands.

The two mentors even told Ye Feng a lot about the inner court, what to avoid, and who to be cautious of, as well as the details of the realm divisions.

Ye Feng had some understanding of the realm divisions, but it was all vague. Now, with Mentor Li's explanation, it was as if a huge door had slowly opened before him.

Above the innate realm was the Earth Martial Realm, and above that was the Heaven Martial Realm. Above the Heaven Martial Realm was the Immortal Martial Realm, which was very rare in the Southern Domain of the Divine Land. Only the headmaster and some grand elders of the Tianling Academy had reached this height, capable of moving mountains and seas, stepping on the void, and soaring through the sky.

This information wasn't much different from what Ye Feng already knew, but Mentor Li provided many detailed explanations, unlike the vague understanding Ye Feng had initially. Even the changes in each realm were described in detail, and although they hadn't reached those heights themselves, they had collected a lot of information for Ye Feng, showing their deep concern.

When the sky turned a fish-belly white, the two mentors left Ye Feng's bamboo house, giving him time to cultivate and adjust to his best state.

The day passed quietly, with no one disturbing him. At the designated time, a servant disciple delivered food to them. Everyone was cultivating, and the Three Dragons and One Phoenix came over once to exchange experiences and absorb each other's knowledge, benefiting Ye Feng greatly.

The two days passed quickly, and soon it was the day of the assessment. Early in the morning, Mentor Li gathered everyone and headed to the assessment square.

Looking at the sea of people in the square, about ten thousand people were participating in the assessment, with outer court disciples making up about half. There were also some who came for the reputation and some with connections, hoping the next generation would join the Tianling Academy.

Ye Feng and the others found a relatively spacious spot. It didn't matter where they were, as they would all be called eventually.

Time passed quickly, and after a short while, a group of over ten people flew from a distance and landed on a high platform in the square, drawing gasps of amazement from the crowd.

"Quick, look, the examiners are here!" A voice in the crowd screamed. It was the annual assessment, and passing it would give them a chance to join the Tianling Academy, improving their family status and position.

A powerful aura descended from the sky, and the dozen people emitted overwhelming energy, making everyone in the square feel suffocated. This was the power of the Heaven Martial Realm, capable of instantly killing enemies with their realm alone.

Innate realm cultivators couldn't even lift their heads against this aura, let alone the after-birth disciples. Some felt their legs give out, and a sense of reverence made them want to kneel.

Ye Feng felt a heavy pressure pressing down on him, but his body instinctively released a force of star power, neutralizing the pressure, rendering it ineffective.

Having cultivated the first transformation of the Divine Demon Nine Transformations to a minor success, Ye Feng's body had formed several small stars, which, though not capable of containing everything, could absorb the overwhelming aura.

The pressure quickly dissipated, and the scene returned to calm. Many people found their backs drenched in sweat, their faces red, while innate realm cultivators were slightly better off, and after-birth eighth-stage cultivators were drenched.

"The assessment begins now. The first round is the strength test. Those who cannot achieve the power of one flying dragon will be eliminated!"

The voice, though not loud, echoed throughout the square. The first round was simple, just a test of strength. Those who couldn't achieve the power of one flying dragon would be eliminated.

Under normal circumstances, after-birth ninth-stage cultivators couldn't achieve the power of one flying dragon, but the Tianling Academy selected only the most talented disciples, the best of the best. The assessment was to eliminate those with less potential, ensuring the survival of the fittest.

A huge stone tablet suddenly appeared in the center of the square, ten meters high and three meters wide, with markings to measure strength. The highest was ten flying dragons, and the lowest was fifty oxen.

Many people started to try, eager to pass the first round.

Although the first round seemed simple, it was estimated to eliminate about a third of the participants. Not everyone could achieve the power of one flying dragon, and performance on the spot was a significant factor. Once nervous, they might not even use half their strength.

"Ye Feng, I know you've been hiding your strength, but I'm telling you, don't hide during the assessment. The more powerful you show, the more attention you'll get from the inner court, and you'll have a better chance of being prioritized for cultivation. Those with ill intentions will also be more cautious."

Mentor Li was afraid Ye Feng would hold back and only show his mid-level strength, which would be detrimental to his development. In the inner court, the most valued were the geniuses. The more powerful you showed, the more attention you would get from the academy.

If Mentor Li hadn't mentioned it, Ye Feng would have just aimed to pass the assessment without striving for the highest level. Since Mentor Li brought it up, Ye Feng decided to change his approach.

"Iron Plate, one flying dragon, pass!"

As Ye Feng was talking, the assessment had already begun. The first man achieved the power of one flying dragon and passed.

"De Yangsheng, one flying dragon, pass!" One by one, people appeared before the stone tablet. Soon, over ten people had gone up, and only one failed to achieve the power of one flying dragon and was eliminated. Most were around one flying dragon.

"Mu Feng, ninety-nine oxen, fail. Hua Yun, ninety oxen, fail. Dong Yan, three flying dragons, pass... Cui Jian, four flying dragons, pass. Ouyang Dian, five flying dragons, pass..." The voices on the field were continuous, and soon hundreds of people had gone up, with more and more being eliminated.

After half an hour, about half the people had gone up.

"Yi Buqiu, seven flying dragons!" The square suddenly buzzed with excitement. An innate realm cultivator had shown their strength, breaking Ouyang Dian's record of five flying dragons.

A large space opened up in front of Ye Feng. Those who had been eliminated had already left, and Ye Feng and the others began to go up. Looking at the huge stone tablet, Ye Feng took a deep breath and gently pushed out his fist!