Chapter 13: Second Assessment

In the valley, Shen Chen lay on the ground, panting heavily, his body feeling as if it were falling apart, with thin streaks of blood seeping through his skin, making him look like a blood-soaked figure. However, at this moment, a look of wild joy appeared on Shen Chen's face!

On the other side, Wang Yue's face was deathly pale, his legs trembling, and his face drenched in cold sweat.

Just a moment ago, the large mouth of the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa was just a little bit away from swallowing Wang Yue whole. The stench of its breath still lingered in Wang Yue's nostrils, and the cold, venomous fangs had pierced his skin, causing intense pain!

It was just a hair's breadth away from death!

This was the first time in Wang Yue's life that he had come so close to death!

Wang Yue glanced back at the massive, motionless, and thoroughly dead purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, which was several dozen meters long, and took a deep breath before walking over to Shen Chen.

"Brother Chen, are you okay?" Wang Yue shouted anxiously when he saw Shen Chen lying on the ground.

"I'm fine! I won't die! Hahaha! We finally killed this beast!" Shen Chen laughed wildly.

"Right! We finally killed it! This beast is at least a peak third-stage spirit beast!" Wang Yue sat down on the ground, his face also filled with excitement.

A peak third-stage spirit beast is equivalent to a sixth-level Blood Fusion Realm warrior! For Shen Chen and Wang Yue, who were only second-level Blood Fusion Realm warriors, to kill it was something no one would believe unless they saw it with their own eyes!

This was mainly because the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa was still in its juvenile stage, with its intelligence far from mature. Additionally, Shen Chen, through the memories of the old man in his mind, knew the vital points of the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, which allowed the two second-level Blood Fusion Realm warriors to kill a third-stage spirit beast by chance.

If it were another third-stage spirit beast, Shen Chen and Wang Yue would have only met their end in sorrow.

Of course, Wang Yue also played a crucial role. His absolute trust in Shen Chen and his firm adherence to Shen Chen's instructions to distract the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, exposing its vital points, gave Shen Chen the opportunity to strike and kill the beast! Through this battle with the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, the trust between Shen Chen and Wang Yue increased significantly, and their relationship became even closer, as they had truly shared life and death together.

"Quick, go and take out the snake's gallbladder. Its skin is high-quality material for making leather armor. Also, the meat of the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa can increase blood and qi, and enhance physical strength!" Shen Chen hurriedly instructed.

"Alright! Brother Chen, leave it to me!" Wang Yue smiled, stood up, and drew the steel knife from his waist, walking over to the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa.

Killing a third-stage spirit beast was something Wang Yue might never achieve in his lifetime, but following Shen Chen, he accomplished this feat, which he had never even dared to imagine!

Although there were many dangers, and he almost lost his life!

But it was all worth it!

Being able to follow a big brother like Shen Chen, Wang Yue felt very fortunate.

As Wang Yue began to cut up the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, Shen Chen, with great effort, stood up and walked towards the Yin-Yang Grass he had seen earlier.

Because of this Yin-Yang Grass, Shen Chen had almost become a snack for the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa. Now that the beast was dead, the Yin-Yang Grass was finally in his hands!

Shen Chen took out a small jade bottle from his chest and carefully pulled out the inch-long Yin-Yang Grass, placing it gently inside the bottle and sealing it.

In the jade bottle, the spiritual energy of the Yin-Yang Grass would not dissipate quickly, and its medicinal effects would remain at their best.

After securing the Yin-Yang Grass and collecting all the useful parts of the purple-eyed golden-crowned boa, Shen Chen and Wang Yue each took a few Body Tempering Pills they had taken from Liu Yong, quickly restoring most of their strength. They then left the small valley filled with the stench of death.

Just as the two had walked away, an old man wrapped in a black robe, with only his sinister eyes visible, suddenly appeared in the valley.

"Hmm? The smell of fresh blood! And it's at least the blood of a fourth-stage spirit beast. Judging by the withered wild grass in the valley, it must be a venomous spirit beast... These bones, most likely, are from a purple-eyed golden-crowned boa! Who could have killed a fifth-stage purple-eyed golden-crowned boa without anyone knowing? Could it be that an elder-level expert from another sect has come to Blackstone Ridge?" The old man in the black robe's eyes flashed with a cold light, and he let out a cold snort. Then, he leaped suddenly, using his light body technique, and quickly disappeared.

In the valley, a cold wind blew, and the wild grass swayed in the wind, as if nothing had ever happened.

...

Three days passed quickly.

Outside the Purple Mist Hall of the Flowing Cloud Sect.

Hundreds of outer sect disciples gathered there. Unlike their spirited and confident demeanor three days ago, most of the hundreds of Flowing Cloud Sect disciples now looked dejected and disheartened.

A few outer sect disciples, covered in injuries, glared resentfully at a few others who held spirit beast skulls, clearly indicating that the skulls that should have been theirs had been taken by others.

A first-stage spirit beast skull was the task for passing the first assessment, but Blackstone Ridge was only so large, and there were only so many spirit beasts. How could every outer sect disciple of the Flowing Cloud Sect obtain a first-stage spirit beast skull?

Some were happy, some were sad. On the square, fewer than a hundred outer sect disciples still wore excited smiles, each holding a bloody spirit beast skull, eagerly waiting for the inner sect elder, Green-faced Wolf, to announce the content of the second assessment.

After a while, Green-faced Wolf Lu Hao, accompanied by many outer sect officials, slowly walked out of the Purple Mist Hall, his sinister eyes scanning all the outer sect disciples present.

"Very good! Your performance has been excellent! Although many of you did not obtain a first-stage spirit beast skull, we have seen your efforts. Therefore, on behalf of the sect leader, I announce that each disciple participating in the inner sect entrance assessment will receive three Body Tempering Pills!" Green-faced Wolf Lu Hao declared loudly.

"What? Three Body Tempering Pills! That's a month's supply!"

"Great! With these three Body Tempering Pills, I can try to advance to the next level!"

"Next time, I will definitely kill a first-stage spirit beast!"

...

The originally dejected outer sect disciples of the Flowing Cloud Sect immediately showed signs of joy, discussing loudly.

The nearly a hundred outer sect disciples holding spirit beast skulls, however, looked tense, waiting for Green-faced Wolf Lu Hao to announce the content of the second assessment.

"Hmm..." Green-faced Wolf Lu Hao cleared his throat.

The previously excited outer sect disciples immediately fell silent, no longer daring to make a loud noise.

"As for the outer sect disciples who passed the first assessment, after a day of rest, the second assessment will begin. The second assessment involves selecting the bottom twenty inner sect disciples. Those who passed the first assessment can choose one of these twenty to challenge. The victor will pass the assessment and be admitted to the inner sect, while the defeated inner sect disciple will return to the outer sect." Green-faced Wolf Lu Hao announced loudly.

"What? Challenge inner sect disciples!"

"Heavens! The weakest inner sect disciples are at the third level of the Blood Fusion Realm!"

"How can we possibly compete?"

...

The nearly a hundred outer sect disciples who passed the first assessment immediately looked at each other in dismay.