"Oh? That young man below?"
Bai Yunfei looked down at Ye Tian, momentarily taken aback, before narrowing his eyes, a glimmer of cold light flashing within.
"To stand against the Seventh Prince as a half-step Martial Spirit is indeed remarkable!" Bai Yunfei remarked with a smile, though the smile was frigid, tinged with hints of jealousy and malice.
Ye Tian stood silently, casting a cold gaze at the two young powerhouses in midair, tightly gripping the blood blade in his hand.
The Seventh Prince furrowed his brow and turned to Bai Yunfei and Wu Ding, his voice icy as he demanded, "What brings you here?"
"Just here to watch the spectacle!"
"Merely passing by!"
Wu Ding and Bai Yunfei replied in unison, both chuckling.
"Hmph!" Upon hearing their responses, the Seventh Prince snorted coldly, a flicker of brutality flashing in his eyes. He then turned to Ye Tian and declared, "This battle will be postponed. When the arena contest occurs, I shall ensure you lose convincingly!"
With that, the Seventh Prince strode away, disregarding Wu Ding and Bai Yunfei hovering above.
Though domineering, he was not a fool; in this situation, even if he were to defeat Ye Tian, he would ultimately fall prey to Wu Ding and Bai Yunfei.
"Why is the Seventh Prince in such a hurry? Are we not continuing the fight?" Bai Yunfei exclaimed in surprise.
"Indeed, does this mean you concede, Seventh Prince?" Wu Ding taunted coldly.
As top geniuses of Nanlin County, they were rivals, constantly vying against one another.
"In the arena contest, I will ensure each of you falls beneath my fists!" The Seventh Prince turned back, his words dripping with arrogance, his gaze frigid and sinister, evidently incensed by Wu Ding and Bai Yunfei's remarks.
"Is that so? I shall wait and see!" Wu Ding retorted with a chilling smile.
"Your confidence is admirable; perhaps I should concede in advance!" Bai Yunfei said with a hint of self-mockery, yet his eyes brimmed with self-assurance.
The Seventh Prince snorted again, choosing not to waste further words, and departed.
Wu Ding and Bai Yunfei redirected their attention, gazing down at Ye Tian.
"Young man, what is your name?" Wu Ding inquired with an air of arrogance.
Bai Yunfei's expression also revealed a hint of curiosity.
Clearly, they were both astonished that Ye Tian could contend with the Seventh Prince.
However, Ye Tian, indifferent to the lofty demeanor of Wu Ding and Bai Yunfei, merely shot them a cold glance before sheathing his blood blade and walking toward Lin Fei.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! Did you not hear me?" Wu Ding's expression darkened as he called out sharply.
Yet, Ye Tian continued to walk away, his back turned to them, heading toward Lin Fei without a word.
Bai Yunfei couldn't help but chuckle mockingly, "It seems he doesn't recognize you, Young Master Wu!"
Wu Ding's face darkened significantly, his gaze fixed on Ye Tian's back, his voice chillingly cold: "Do you know what the consequences of offending me are?"
The only response he received was Ye Tian's retreating figure.
Bai Yunfei erupted into laughter, clearly mocking Wu Ding, which only deepened Wu Ding's scowl.
"You're courting death!" Wu Ding finally exploded in fury, his body trembling in midair before he appeared behind Ye Tian, striking down with a powerful palm.
Boom!
A torrent of true essence surged forth like a raging flood, cascading from Wu Ding's hand toward Ye Tian, causing the very heavens and earth to tremble.
Swish!
Anticipating the attack, Ye Tian swiftly turned, his cold eyes radiating a sharpness akin to a blade. For some inexplicable reason, a chill gripped Wu Ding's heart at the sight of those icy orbs.
"Boom!" In the next instant, Ye Tian swung his blade downward, unleashing the power of 460 acupoints simultaneously, his profound true essence rising like a colossal wave from the ocean, surging toward Wu Ding.
The two forces collided violently, producing a thunderous roar that reverberated through the surrounding space.
Ye Tian's gaze sharpened as he felt the immense force; his body sank heavily, his feet sinking into the ground, while the earth around him cracked, spiderweb-like fissures radiating outward.
"Hmm?" Wu Ding's pupils constricted as he sensed Ye Tian's terrifying power; the razor-sharp blade light nearly shattered his protective true essence barrier, sending him staggering backward.
"Impressive!" Bai Yunfei, observing from a distance, couldn't help but narrow his eyes in disbelief at the unfolding scene.
Initially skeptical of Ye Tian's equality with the Seventh Prince, he was now utterly astonished by Ye Tian's formidable strength.
"This boy's talent..." Bai Yunfei's heart surged with jealousy, his cold gaze flashing with a hint of murderous intent.
Nearby, Lin Fei and the others were equally taken aback; having seen Ye Tian match the Seventh Prince and now clash head-on with Wu Ding, it was evident that Ye Tian's prowess vastly exceeded their own.
"Ah..." Wu Ding seethed with rage but ultimately restrained himself. He glared at Ye Tian, his eyes filled with malice as he declared, "Boy, I will remember you. In the arena contest, I shall make you kneel before me in front of everyone."
Lin Fei couldn't help but smile wryly for Ye Tian; the arena contest hadn't even begun, yet Ye Tian had already made two formidable enemies.
"Perhaps it will be you who ends up on your knees!" Ye Tian retorted coldly, his aura unwavering, causing Lin Fei and the others to momentarily pause in surprise.
Wu Ding cast Ye Tian a penetrating glance, a flicker of ruthlessness in his eyes before he departed, unwilling to let Bai Yunfei reap the benefits.
Bai Yunfei shot Ye Tian a glance, offering a gentle smile before turning to leave.
Thus, with the departure of the three Martial Spirit powerhouses, the tension in the air of the area finally dissipated.
Ye Tian reunited with Lin Fei, shouldering the mysterious iron war blade, and resumed his journey.
"That was quite fortunate; those three were wary of one another, which prevented them from fully engaging you," Lin Fei remarked with a smile as he caught up.
"Even if we were to fight, I would not fear them!" Ye Tian replied nonchalantly.
"Yes, I believe so. However, as we are only in the second round of assessments, there is no need to reveal our full strength too soon. When the arena contest arrives, it will be the appropriate time to showcase our complete abilities. With the esteemed elders of the Divine Star Sect observing, one might even be fortunate enough to catch the eye of a certain elder and be accepted as a direct disciple!" Lin Fei remarked with a smile.
Ye Tian nodded, harboring similar intentions; after all, the essence of his blade intent was his most crucial trump card, best kept concealed.
With ample time remaining before the arena contest, he resolved to condense a few more false acupoints. While he did not expect to advance to the Martial Spirit realm just yet, he at least aimed to enhance his strength further.
With this in mind, Ye Tian dedicated the ensuing time to seizing contribution points from his senior brothers while simultaneously condensing false acupoints.
As time passed, the atmosphere within the Meteorite Mountain Range grew increasingly lively; everyone understood that the second round of assessments was of utmost importance, determining who would gain entry into the Divine Star Sect.
Consequently, both the participating warriors and the senior brothers vying for contribution points became utterly frenzied, leading to fierce battles erupting throughout the Meteorite Mountain Range.
Ye Tian's contribution points surged dramatically, yet he still lagged behind the four prodigies of the four great families and the Seventh Prince, ranking sixth overall.
Lin Fei held the eighth position, while the Thirteenth Prince occupied seventh.
As the month-long assessment concluded, jubilant cheers echoed throughout the Meteorite Mountain Range, celebrating the five thousand warriors who had successfully passed. Even Ye Tian and Lin Fei wore expressions of delight.
They had finally succeeded in gaining entry into the Divine Star Sect.
Five massive ships set sail, carrying the five thousand warriors who had triumphed in the assessments, heading deeper into the Meteorite Mountain Range.
In the depths of the boundless forest, a ripple appeared in the void, and Ye Tian and the others were astonished to discover a fissure materializing before them, revealing a misty world beyond.
"That is the small world where the Divine Star Sect resides!" Lin Fei whispered in awe, standing beside Ye Tian, his face aglow with wonder.
Upon entering this small world, they beheld a landscape shrouded in mist, a vast expanse of land that felt as solid as the ground beneath their feet, resembling a grand prairie. At the center of this prairie stood a towering peak, soaring into the clouds, piercing the heavens.
Upon this majestic peak were countless structures, magnificent palaces radiating a soft golden light, resembling a celestial palace.
Ye Tian was awestruck by the sight before him; truly, the headquarters of the Divine Star Sect, the foremost sect of the Great Yan Kingdom, was nothing short of spectacular and grandiose.
As the ships approached the peak, they realized that it was far more colossal than they had imagined, ultimately docking at a vast plaza.
Everyone disembarked, lining up neatly to undergo inspection by an elder of the Divine Star Sect.
This elder, clad in a black robe, had the strength of a Martial Zong. In the Divine Star Sect, those who wore black robes were ordinary elders at the Martial Zong level.
Only elders of the Martial Jun rank were entitled to don silver star robes, symbolizing their esteemed status.
"I am the elder responsible for receiving you, the new outer disciples of the Divine Star Sect," the black-robed elder proclaimed, his resonant voice echoing across the plaza, compelling everyone to listen intently and refrain from speaking.
The elder surveyed the five thousand warriors before him, nodding in satisfaction. "First and foremost, I wish to congratulate you. From this day forth, you shall be members of the Divine Star Sect. From now on, the glory of the Divine Star Sect will be your glory. At this moment, the brilliance of the Divine Star Sect will depend upon your efforts to uphold it."
As his words fell, the crowd erupted in cheers, many overwhelmed with excitement.
Even Ye Tian felt the thrill; after two arduous months of assessments, was this not the day they had all strived for?
They had finally succeeded.
"Do not celebrate too prematurely. As outer disciples, if you fail to advance to the Martial Spirit realm within three years, you will be expelled from the Divine Star Sect, just like the senior brothers you encountered earlier!" The elder swiftly doused their enthusiasm with a bucket of cold water, plunging the plaza into silence.
Indeed, entering the Divine Star Sect was merely the first step; they now had to elevate themselves to the Martial Spirit realm within three years to become official disciples of the sect, thereby gaining entry into the inner circle.
Only by becoming inner disciples could they receive the true teachings of the Divine Star Sect and earn the title of genuine disciples.