Chapter 66

"Regardless of what happens, I still thank you, Miss Shangguan."

Lin Xi said.

"Call me Yaoxue. ——I didn't do this without a purpose. I hope Brother Lin can take good care of me later."

Shangguan Yaoxue said with a cunning smile.

"My martial arts are just average, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you much."

Lin Xi said without showing any emotion.

Shangguan Yaoxue just smiled, not revealing anything.

At this moment, a large number of martial artists had already entered the trial gate. It was soon their turn.

Lin Xi took a deep breath, raised his head, and stepped into the trial gate. The moment he stepped in, layers of light flickered, distorting the surroundings, followed by a pitch-black darkness.

When Lin Xi came to his senses, the scene before him had changed. A hazy sky covered above, with neither sun nor moon. Underfoot was a stretch of fine white sand, with some exposed giant beast bones scattered on the ground. Further ahead lay a range of undulating, majestic mountains.

The entire space exuded a desolate, ancient, and mysterious aura.

"Is this the trial space?"

Lin Xi muttered to himself.

He looked up at the sky, clearly sensing that this space was not the same as Shenxiao Mountain, even the air was different.

In an instant, passing through a gate, he had entered another isolated world. This kind of technique was something Lin Xi had never imagined before.

However, the only thing that reassured him was that the trial gate behind him still stood in this space. As long as he passed through the trial gate, he could return to Shenxiao Mountain.

"Never mind, I'll go and obtain the items needed for the assessment first."

Lin Xi, who had experience in the Fierce Beast Mountains, quickly calmed down.

Those who could come to Shenxiao Mountain were all martial artists with extraordinary willpower. They could quickly accept such situations. The moment they came to their senses, many people were thinking about how to obtain as many task items as possible.

Swish, swish, swish!

In the blink of an eye, the martial artists in front of the trial gate leaped up, turning into black dots that quickly disappeared into the sky. Lin Xi aimed in a direction and leaped up, heading towards the distant mountains.

Swoosh!

Just as Lin Xi disappeared, the arched light gate flickered, and Shangguan Yaoxue in a pink dress immediately emerged.

Shangguan Yaoxue glanced around, her gaze immediately stopping in the direction Lin Xi had disappeared.

"Hmph! Trying to fool me? Average? An average martial artist can carry a Dharma sword?"

Shangguan Yaoxue pursed her lips, revealing a cunning smile.

Among so many people in the Immortal Dao assessment, she only favored Lin Xi and spoke up to help him, not on a whim.

An average martial artist could never participate in the recruitment of the Immortal Dao world at seventeen or eighteen years old. An average martial artist could also never carry a Dharma sword at the tenth level of martial arts.

Shangguan Yaoxue recognized the Dharma sword on Lin Xi's body at first sight. Of course, it was also possible that some skilled swordsmen might carry ordinary divine weapons, but such weapons refined by Qi Cultivation realm experts might fool others, but not her, Shangguan Yaoxue.

A Dharma sword of the Qi Cultivation realm was not something everyone could have!

Buzz!

Shangguan Yaoxue's body flickered, and she immediately rushed in the direction Lin Xi had disappeared.

On Shenxiao Mountain, the stone gate was quiet. After everyone had entered the trial gate, about half a cup of tea later, a man with a powerful aura suddenly walked to the trial gate.

This man had a cold expression and did not speak. He threw a token, which immediately flew to the Immortal Dao disciple responsible for the assessment.

Seeing the token, the previously calm Immortal Dao disciple's expression changed dramatically:

"It's Senior Sister's..."

Suddenly, he stopped speaking and waved his hand: "Go in."

A flash of light, and the cold-faced man immediately entered the trial gate.

...

...

The mountain gate emitted a strange aura.

At this moment, over eighty martial artists were scattered throughout the space, far apart from each other, invisible to the naked eye.

Lin Xi delved deeper, feeling the silence in these mountains was terrifying.

On the way, there were no fierce beasts attacking, but he saw many white, skeletal remains scattered throughout the deep mountains.

"These giant beasts, each with considerable strength, how could they all be killed?"

Lin Xi stopped in front of a huge skeleton.

This white, skeletal frame was enormous, ten times taller than Lin Xi. He examined it closely, and the shape of the bones clearly indicated that they were trying to escape something before they died.

Lin Xi recalled the strange heart in the Immortal Dao disciple's hand when he entered. He did not think the Shenxiao Sect would act without reason.

Since they were let in, there must be prey for them to hunt. However, so far, Lin Xi had not seen any prey, either they were hiding, or he had not reached the right place.

With a thought, Lin Xi immediately moved forward.

Not long after Lin Xi left.

"What a strong human scent!"

A groan, as if from someone who had been hungry for a long time, suddenly sounded. On a cliff near the skeleton, some vines suddenly loosened, and a head emerged from beneath the vines.

It was a human woman's head, with an alluring face, slightly pale. However, the woman's eyes were not black but a strange blood red.

"It's been a long time since a human has come here. I'm so thirsty!"

The woman's face showed a look of ecstasy as she sniffed the air.

"Ah!"

She made a hungry sound, her lips parting to reveal two three-inch-long, sharp fangs.

Swish!

A flash of light, and the woman suddenly emerged from the cave behind the vines, gliding through the air and flying towards Lin Xi.

At this moment, it was clear that this was not a human but a humanoid monster. It had the alluring body of a human woman, naked, with snow-white breasts, round buttocks, and a slender figure. However, it had bat-like wings and a long tail.

This was why it could fly in the air!

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared.

"Vampire demoness!"

Farther away, Shangguan Yaoxue saw the gliding monster and her face showed fear. She bit her lip and quickly hid.

...

...

Lin Xi did not know a monster was following him. Although he had not seen any fierce beasts on the way, the sense of unease in his heart grew stronger.

This place made him very uncomfortable.

"Screech!"

Suddenly, a sharp howl came from underground. A large piece of ground in front of Lin Xi cracked, the earth shook, and a giant crocodile, as big as a small mountain, burst out of the ground. It opened its huge mouth, spewing a torrent of yellow poison water, and with a powerful leap, the crocodile with hundreds of sharp teeth bit at Lin Xi.

The giant crocodile's mouth was both large and long, capable of holding twenty to thirty human heads.

"Ground Crocodile!"

Lin Xi's eyes narrowed, recognizing this monster. Ground Crocodiles were very rare, capable of moving underground, with immense strength, and their spewed water was highly toxic, making them very difficult to defend against.

If it were before, Lin Xi would have had to put in a lot of effort, but now it was different.

"Come on!"

Lin Xi's body flickered, turning into a blurry shadow, instantly dodging the poison water spraying in all directions. With one jump, he immediately flipped onto the top of the Ground Crocodile.

"Down with you!"

Lin Xi's right leg kicked hard. His current strength was immense, far beyond what this hundred-thousand-pound Ground Crocodile could withstand.

Boom!

The kick was like a meteor falling to the ground. The massive Ground Crocodile, in pain, almost bit its tongue off. It was directly kicked by Lin Xi from mid-air into the ground, smashing into the earth.

"Ghost King Claw!"

A dark green ghost claw burst through the air. With one strike, it tore through the Ground Crocodile's body, pulling out a mass of flesh. A huge heart flew out of the flesh, floating into Lin Xi's palm.

"Not this."

Lin Xi frowned. Although the Ground Crocodile's heart was powerful, it was not the item Lin Xi needed to complete the Immortal Dao assessment.

"What kind of creature's heart is that?"

Lin Xi frowned, recalling the heart in the Immortal Dao disciple's hand.

The Ground Crocodile was quite strong, but its heart stopped beating a few seconds after being removed. However, the heart in the Immortal Dao disciple's hand continued to beat even after being removed.

Such a powerful life force was unheard of.

Swish!

Unable to find an answer, Lin Xi simply stopped thinking about it. The Ghost King Claw grabbed again, pulling out a beast core from the mass of flesh.

The Ground Crocodile's beast core was dark red, and a tenth-level beast core was extremely rare. The only regret was that due to Lin Xi's increased strength, and the Ground Crocodile's strength being relatively low among tenth-level fierce beasts, it provided very limited help to Lin Xi. It could only increase his strength by about a thousand pounds, which was better than nothing.

Lin Xi closed his eyes, activating the "Overlord Stance" to absorb the energy from the beast core.

Cackle!

Suddenly, a strange laugh echoed through the air. A blurry figure, as fast as lightning, rushed towards Lin Xi.

"What is this!"

Lin Xi was startled and hastily turned to strike with a palm.

Bang!

A massive force surged over. The opponent's strength was incredibly powerful. Lin Xi's body shook, and he was immediately sent flying, sliding more than ten yards on the ground before stopping.

In front of Lin Xi, the humanoid female monster tumbled in the air, her bat wings spread, quickly stabilizing her form.

"Hehehe, humans, such wonderful creatures!"

The bat-winged naked woman hovered in the air, her bat wings spread and slowly flapping. She inserted her long, sharp nails into her mouth, a trickle of blood flowing from the corner of her mouth, her face showing a look of ecstasy.

"Hmm?"

Lin Xi felt a chill on his arm and noticed five deep claw marks. The skin was torn, revealing the flesh underneath, and blood was gushing out.