"Silence!"
Elder Zhao shouted at the group of excited disciples who were still reeling from Li Yun's performance, even after he had stepped down from the platform.
"Now, the final segment of the assessment will begin. It will be a combat test, assessing your overall strength."
The disciples gathered around the platform clenched their fists when they heard the announcement.
Unlike the potential and talent tests, the strength test was where they felt confident. Bone frames and comprehension abilities were mostly fixed at birth, so one couldn't change them. But strength was different—it was earned through days and months of dedicated cultivation.
This was also their last chance to earn a substantial number of points and aim for a better rank in the assessment.
After all, the rewards of the assessment would be distributed based on the points gained during the three phases, so a disciple with higher points would achieve a higher rank and, consequently, better rewards.
Li Yun also clenched his fists when he heard the announcement, but not out of excitement—rather, out of peer pressure.
Combat was the area where he had the least experience.
Neither on Earth nor in this world had he ever fought or even attempted to fight anyone. Since arriving in this world three months ago, all he had done was hole up in his hut, trying hard to reach the 1st level of Qi Training or selling pills all day to make a living. Because of this, he had almost no experience in fighting.
And because of this, the 15-point difference between him and Li Hua seemed like a chasm beyond his reach.
At that moment, Elder Zhao's voice reached his ears.
"Follow me to the place where the combat assessment will take place."
All the participating disciples, along with a few senior outer and inner disciples, followed Elder Zhao through the sect until they arrived at the entrance of a cave.
The entrance was covered in lush, thick vines spreading from the inside out, extending their tips in every direction.
"This cave is called the Cave of Beginners. Every year, the combat assessment takes place here, and this year is no exception. The beasts in this cave only possess strength in the early stages of Qi Training, making it an ideal place to test your strength," Elder Zhao explained the significance of the cave before moving on to the main topic.
"Like the first two tests, this one also includes points distribution. A core from a 1st level Qi Training beast will give you 30 points, 2nd level will provide 60 points, 3rd level will award 90 points, 4th level will give you 120 points, and the final 5th level will grant a total of 200 points. But keep in mind, while the number of beasts in the cave isn't limited, there is only one 5th level Qi Training beast."
The disciples understood the nature of the combat assessment—it was about killing beasts and obtaining their cores, making it a perfect test for measuring one's strength.
Li Yun also sighed in relief when he heard the details of the test. He believed that fighting beasts would be much easier than fighting humans in a combat assessment, but it would also be riskier.
The part Elder Zhao mentioned about there being only one 5th level Qi Training Realm beast in the cave made his mind whirl with possibilities.
Li Yun contemplated for a moment before nodding seriously to himself.
'If I play my cards right, then there's a chance I can...'
A solemn expression appeared on his face as a plan began to form in his mind.
"Now, I will tell you the rules of the test," Elder Zhao said, looking at the disciples gathered around him. "The only rule is—no killing."
"..."
"..."
The disciples were speechless when they heard the 'rule' of the test, but they didn't complain. It also gave them more freedom, along with different ways to gather as many cores as possible.
Everyone understood the implications of having only one rule, which made the atmosphere among the disciples tense. They all looked at each other warily, trusting no one but themselves.
Li Yun's expression changed slightly when he heard the rule, but he was fine with it.
"You have 24 hours in the cave to gather as many cores as possible. Once the time is up, you will be teleported out. Now go in."
Elder Zhao waved his hand toward the entrance of the cave.
All the participating disciples entered the cave as soon as they heard Elder Zhao's command. Li Yun also followed them and disappeared into the cave.
***
Not long after, they all found themselves in a forest lush with green vegetation. Trees as tall as clouds in the sky surrounded them, with bushes and shrubs filling the ground, making the entire forest a good place for hunting beasts.
Once the disciples had a sense of the terrain, they all went their separate ways, keeping an eye on their backs to see if anyone was following them.
Seeing them disperse, Li Yun pondered for a moment before heading in a random direction.
But only a few minutes had passed when a beast blocked his path.
It had the body of a tiger, though somewhat smaller than an actual one. Green patterns covered its body, and two tusks like those of an elephant could be seen at the entrance of its mouth.
"A Fierce Tiger, 1st level Qi Training beast. Just what I need."
Li Yun smiled when he saw the beast and took out his sword. It was the weakest beast he could find in this place and was perfect for him to test his strength and gain some combat experience.
The beast growled at him and charged, intending to stab him with its pointy tusks.
Li Yun took a stance and sidestepped just as the beast's attack was about to hit, then swung his sword.
A faint sound of rumbling thunder followed as the beast was sliced in two at the waist.
Li Yun was surprised by how easily he had killed the beast.
'It seems even the 3rd layer of Thunderclap Dragon Slash is strong enough for these 1st level Qi Training beasts,' he thought.
Feeling satisfied with the technique, he proceeded to extract the beast's core.