In the blink of an eye, five days had passed. On the morning of the sixth day, Ye Tian opened his door and happened to see Wu Dao stepping out as well. The two exchanged smiles.
"The assessment is about to begin. Are you feeling nervous?" Ye Tian inquired with a grin.
"Nervous?" Wu Dao chuckled before nodding, "Given my level of cultivation, I certainly feel some tension. As for you, I imagine there's no need for concern. By the way, if we happen to cross paths during the assessment, do show some mercy!"
"Of course!" Ye Tian responded with a smile, feeling an inexplicable fondness for the person before him, as if he were subtly drawn in by an unusual aura.
"Let's go!"
"We need to gather at the arena!"
The two departed the inn together.
Inside the inn, numerous young cultivators, armed with their weapons, made their way toward the arena.
Many faces were etched with gravity, clearly having read the assessment rules and understanding the severity and brutality of the upcoming challenge.
With over forty thousand participants, only five thousand would ultimately succeed, making the competition's harshness evident.
Of course, some formidable individuals appeared indifferent, either exuding arrogance or smirking; they felt no fear of elimination and bore no pressure.
Soon, they arrived at the arena, a vast square teeming with people, the gathering of over forty thousand participants creating an imposing spectacle.
At one end of the square, forty massive ships were lined up, each large enough to accommodate thousands, their sheer size striking awe in the hearts of onlookers.
All eyes were drawn to the colossal vessels.
Ye Tian was no exception.
"These ships are spiritual artifacts capable of flight, and they travel at impressive speeds. They are essential tools for major sects to transport goods and disciples!" Wu Dao remarked quietly, displaying a clear familiarity with these ships.
Ye Tian looked at him in mild astonishment, further convinced of his extraordinary nature.
"Everyone, please form an orderly line, board the ships one by one, refrain from making noise, and do not wander off. Otherwise, you will be disqualified from the assessment!" A booming voice echoed throughout the arena.
The crowd instinctively glanced skyward, gasping in surprise.
An elderly man, hands clasped behind his back, gazed down coldly at the cultivators below.
"An elder of the Shenxing Sect, at least at the Martial Sovereign level!" Wu Dao commented.
Ye Tian nodded, sensing a vast aura emanating from the elder—one that could not belong to a mere Martial Spirit.
"A Martial Sovereign!"
Ye Tian marveled, recognizing this elder as perhaps the most powerful warrior he had encountered thus far.
Reflecting on his days in Blood Jade City, he realized how limited his perspective had been; only by stepping outside could one grasp the vastness and splendor of the world.
"One day, I shall leave the Great Yan Kingdom and explore the true Divine Continent!" A brilliant light ignited in Ye Tian's eyes.
Before long, the lines were formed, and the participating cultivators boarded the ships one after another.
The deck of the ship was exceptionally flat, unlike the vessels found in rivers, resembling a small plaza suspended in the sky.
Ye Tian and Wu Dao boarded one of the ships and stood amidst the crowd, surrounded by fellow cultivators, with only the azure sky visible above.
"Set sail!" The elder's stern command resonated through the heavens.
Boom!
With a series of thunderous roars, all forty ships ascended simultaneously.
Instantly, Ye Tian and the others noticed a massive green shield enveloping them, specifically surrounding their vessel.
As the ship soared swiftly, the shield protected them from the fierce winds generated by their rapid flight, ensuring that the cultivators aboard felt no discomfort.
Ye Tian felt the ship tremble beneath his feet, and after approximately ten minutes, it came to a halt.
The ship gradually descended, stopping about ten zhang above the ground.
"Everyone, pay attention! Disembark immediately; the assessment officially begins!" shouted a disciple from the Shenxing Sect who controlled the ship.
Simultaneously, the protective shield surrounding the ship was lifted.
"Take care!"
"Be safe!"
Ye Tian exchanged a glance with Wu Dao, both nodding in agreement before breaking from the crowd and leaping off the ship.
The cultivators participating in the assessment all possessed at least seventh-level martial skills, so a ten-zhang drop was inconsequential; they leaped off without a hint of hesitation.
Some cultivators, upon landing, immediately dashed into the surrounding forest.
Beneath the ship lay an endless expanse of woodland, and within moments, they vanished from sight.
With so many participants, Ye Tian soon lost track of Wu Dao. He chose a random direction, shouldering his Xuan Tie battle sword, and strode forward.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, the air was filled with the sounds of explosions and the furious roars of combat.
The battle had commenced!
The brutal assessment had begun!
"Already starting?" Ye Tian cast a fleeting glance at the distant skirmish but chose to ignore it and continued on his way.
It was merely the beginning, and with so many participants gathered, drawing attention could easily lead to being besieged—particularly disadvantageous for the strong.
Thus, Ye Tian decided against revealing his strength at this moment. After all, he had an entire month to collect contribution points.
However, while his strategy was sound, the forest proved less than suitable for it.
Swish!
A figure leaped down from a nearby towering tree, landing with such force that the ground trembled beneath him.
It was a burly man wielding a massive axe. When he set his gaze upon Ye Tian, a sinister grin spread across his face. "I'll start with you... my first prey!"
Boom!
Before the burly man could finish his sentence, he surged forward with incredible speed, each step causing the earth to quake. His giant axe sliced through the air, creating a path of torn wind aimed directly at Ye Tian.
"My first prey? Hmph!" Ye Tian scoffed, making no attempt to evade as he charged forward to meet the attack.
"Let's see who truly becomes the first prey!"
With a cold smirk and a glint of determination in his eyes, Ye Tian did not even draw his sword. Instead, he unleashed a powerful palm strike, a torrent of true essence erupting from his body, surging forth with great momentum.
The sudden brilliance momentarily blinded the burly man, causing his pupils to constrict in shock and disbelief.
Boom!
Ye Tian's palm struck the massive axe, sending a tremendous force surging through it and knocking the burly man back, causing him to spew blood as he was sent flying.
Swish!
Before the burly man could hit the ground, Ye Tian swiftly appeared before him, delivering a fierce kick to his chest.
The impact sent the burly man crashing heavily to the ground, trembling violently.
"Pfft—"
The burly man stared at Ye Tian in utter disbelief, his face a mask of shock as he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
"It seems you are my first prey after all!" Ye Tian said coldly, and amidst the burly man's awestruck gaze, he seized a contribution point from him.
Simultaneously, Ye Tian's identity token displayed the number—11.
"Hmph!"
Casting a cold glance at the frightened burly man, Ye Tian stowed away his identity token and strode away into the distance, quickly disappearing into the forest.
"Whoa!"
"Impressive!"
"He's at least a tenth-level martial artist!"
Shortly after Ye Tian departed, three figures emerged, landing before the burly man. They marveled at Ye Tian's strength before turning their wicked grins toward the burly man.
"Heh heh, hand over your contribution points, will you?"
The burly man felt utterly despondent; in his prime, he could have escaped even against three opponents, but now he had no choice but to relinquish his contribution points.
"Consider yourself fortunate!" The trio took the contribution points without further incident, then vanished into the forest.
Having lost four contribution points in an instant, the burly man dared not linger any longer and hurriedly fled, disappearing into the woods.
Meanwhile, elsewhere, fierce battles continued to spread throughout the Meteor Mountain Range.
However, as numerous cultivators entered the forest, the frequency of battles diminished. In the following days, Ye Tian rarely heard the sounds of conflict.
Of course, this did not mean that battles ceased; rather, the cultivators had spread far apart within the Meteor Mountain Range, making any skirmishes less noticeable.
...
Within a magnificent palace of the Shenxing Sect, several powerful figures donned in silver starry robes gathered, observing the assessment through a massive mirror.
In the mirror, Ye Tian had just decisively defeated the burly man and was now turning to leave.
"This young man is quite remarkable!" An elder squinted, his eyes gleaming with interest as he admired Ye Tian in the mirror.
"Indeed, his minimum strength is at the half-step Martial Spirit level, but I suspect he is even more capable!" a beautiful woman remarked with a light laugh.
"That iron box he carries exudes the aura of a spiritual artifact. If this young man were to wield it, he could easily claim the top spot in this assessment," a middle-aged man furrowed his brow.
"This might pose a challenge for our assessment!"
"Should we temporarily confiscate his spiritual artifact?"
...
Several others frowned in agreement.
"No need!" the elder interjected with a smile, casting a look at Ye Tian's retreating figure. "I believe this young man won't utilize that spiritual artifact."
"Is Elder Zang perhaps intrigued?" someone chuckled.
"Elder Zang hasn't taken a disciple in quite some time; could he be considering an exception?" another exclaimed in surprise.
"Heh heh!"
The elder chuckled lightly, gazing at Ye Tian in the mirror before ultimately shaking his head. "This young man possesses considerable potential, but he may not be able to inherit my legacy, even if he secures first place in this assessment."
"Unless—"