Trial in the Myriad Beast Mountain Range

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

As the morning bell of the assessment day echoed throughout Cloud Creek City, thousands of young men and women who had passed the initial screening surged towards the inner plaza of Cloud Creek Academy like streams flowing into a river, coming from all directions of the city.

Unlike the open and noisy outer plaza, the inner plaza was more solemn and majestic. The ground was paved with white jade as smooth as a mirror, and it was surrounded by hundred-meter-tall statues of great scholars, each exuding an aura of wisdom and authority. In the center of the plaza was an enormous circular magic array, inscribed with complex and mysterious runes, emitting faint spatial fluctuations.

Lin Xiao smoothly entered the plaza with his bronze token. He immediately spotted Shi Lei and Su Yue, who stood out in the crowd.

Shi Lei's burly physique, like a small mountain, made him stand out among the generally slender cultivators. As for Su Yue, the beloved daughter of the City Lord's Mansion, she was naturally surrounded by many young masters from noble families trying to curry favor with her, but her ethereal and refined temperament still made her the center of attention, like a moon surrounded by stars.

"Lin Xiao, over here!" Shi Lei waved his arm excitedly.

Lin Xiao walked over, and Su Yue also smiled and nodded at him, naturally distancing herself from the "flies" around her.

Their combination immediately attracted the attention of many people around them.

Shi Lei, the genius of Iron Rock City, was known for his innate divine strength. Su Yue, the pearl of the City Lord's Mansion, possessed both talent and beauty. And Lin Xiao was the dark horse who had amazed everyone with a single punch three days ago, his origins mysterious.

These three standing together undoubtedly formed a powerful team that could not be underestimated.

"Hmph, three guys who don't know their place, getting together. Do you really think you can win?"

Not far away, Wang Chen, accompanied by a few followers, glared at them venomously and said sourly. Beside him stood a young man in ornate robes, whose arrogant expression and aura were even stronger than his.

[System Notification: Scanning Target: Li Mo]

[Realm: Body Refinement Fourth Level]

[Background: Collateral descendant of the Royal City Li Family]

Clearly, Wang Chen had found his backer.

Lin Xiao and the other two chose to ignore these malicious gazes.

Just then, the space on the high platform at the front of the plaza distorted, and three elders in moon-white robes appeared before the crowd silently.

They did not exude any powerful aura, appearing like three ordinary grandpas next door. However, the moment they appeared, the entire noisy plaza fell silent. Everyone felt a pressure originating from their souls, an absolute suppression at the level of life itself.

"Silence!"

A white-haired elder at the forefront spoke slowly. His voice was not loud but clearly reached everyone's ears.

"I am Chu Tianxing, the Vice Dean of the Outer Court of Cloud Creek Academy. I will be presiding over your entrance assessment today."

"I believe you already know that the assessments at Cloud Creek Academy have never been simple tests of strength. We are looking for true talents who possess wisdom, courage, strength, and teamwork."

"Therefore, your first round of assessment will take place in a small secret realm controlled by our academy – the 'Myriad Beast Mountain Range'!"

As soon as Chu Tianxing finished speaking, he waved his hand.

The space behind him rippled like water, and a massive light screen unfolded. The screen displayed a vast, boundless primeval mountain range, with dense forests, rushing rivers, and the faint figures of countless demonic beasts appearing and disappearing within.

"The Myriad Beast Mountain Range is inhabited by tens of thousands of demonic beasts ranging from first to third tier. Your mission is to survive there for three days. At the same time, you must hunt demonic beasts and obtain the 'Beast Cores' within them."

"Each first-tier low-grade Beast Core is worth 1 point. Mid-grade is 2 points, high-grade is 5 points. Second-tier low-grade is 10 points, mid-grade is 20 points, high-grade is 50 points. Third-tier low-grade is 100 points, mid-grade is 200 points, high-grade is 500 points."

"After three days, we will rank everyone based on their total accumulated points. Only those whose total points rank in the top one thousand will be eligible for the next round of assessment."

"In the mountain range, you can form teams freely or go solo. We do not prohibit competition between students, meaning... you can snatch others' Beast Cores. But remember one thing: killing is strictly forbidden! If anyone is found to have caused a death maliciously, they will not only be immediately disqualified but also have their cultivation crippled and be imprisoned for life! The tokens you each carry can not only record your points but also be crushed to teleport you out when you are in mortal danger. Of course, crushing it also means you are eliminated."

The cruel rules made the complexions of many young men and women present turn pale.

No prohibition on snatching meant they not only had to face the threat of demonic beasts but also guard against ambushes from their own kind!

A flicker of excitement flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. This chaotic jungle law was like a fish in water for him!

"Alright, the rules have been announced." Chu Tianxing glanced at the giant magic array in the center of the plaza. "Now, according to your token numbers, one hundred people per group will enter the teleportation array in sequence!"

Following his command, the magic array shone brightly.

"Numbers one to one hundred, enter the array!"

The first batch of one hundred students stepped into the magic array with trepidation. With a flash of light, their figures disappeared from their positions.

"Lin Xiao, Su Yue, we're in the same group, that's great!" Shi Lei exclaimed excitedly, looking at his token and then at Lin Xiao and Su Yue. Their numbers were between seven hundred and eight hundred.

"It seems the academy intentionally grouped people with similar strength or those who registered nearby together, making it easier for them to form teams initially," Lin Xiao analyzed.

Soon, it was their group's turn.

"Numbers seven hundred and one to eight hundred, enter the array!"

Lin Xiao, Shi Lei, and Su Yue exchanged glances and stepped into the brilliant light without hesitation.

A slight sense of dizziness washed over them, as if their souls were being pulled from their bodies and rapidly traversing a colorful passage.

The next second, they felt solid ground beneath their feet.

The rich scent of plants and the damp smell of earth instantly filled their nostrils. Unfamiliar bird songs and beast roars could be heard.

They had arrived at the Myriad Beast Mountain Range.

This was a vast primeval forest. Towering ancient trees blocked out the sun, and giant vines coiled like dragons. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. The concentration of spiritual energy in the air was several times higher than in Cloud Creek City.

"Is this the secret realm? It feels so real!" Shi Lei looked around curiously.

"Everyone be careful, it's full of danger," Su Yue said, much more cautiously. She drew a soft sword from her waist and vigilantly observed her surroundings.

The one hundred people who had teleported with them were now scattered in this area. Some immediately gathered in groups of three to five, while others quickly chose a direction and disappeared into the depths of the jungle.

"What should we do?" Shi Lei looked at Lin Xiao, unconsciously treating him as the backbone.

Lin Xiao didn't answer immediately. He closed his eyes, his powerful mental energy spreading out like radar. Simultaneously, a simple 3D topographic map was rapidly constructing on his system panel.

[Scanning surrounding environment...]

[Water source detected: A stream is located 300 meters to the front left.]

[Monster pack detected: Approximately twenty low-grade first-tier monsters, 'Iron Claw Monkeys,' are located one li to the rear right.]

[High-tier monster aura detected: Signs of a mid-tier second-tier monster activity detected five li to the southeast.]

[Other student teams detected: Three teams located in different directions.]

Countless pieces of information flooded his mind in an instant.

"Let's head left," Lin Xiao said decisively, opening his eyes. "We'll approach the water source first, then clear out the weakest group of monsters near us to test our teamwork."

"Okay!" Shi Lei and Su Yue had no objections.

The three immediately sprang into action. Lin Xiao led the way at the front, Shi Lei provided support in the middle, and Su Yue covered the rear, guarding against surprise attacks from behind.

Soon, they arrived at the territory of the "Iron Claw Monkeys."

They were a group of monkey-like monsters that lived in trees. They weren't large, but their claws were as hard and sharp as steel, glinting with a metallic sheen. They moved with extreme speed and were adept at launching surprise attacks from the trees.

"I'll draw them out!" Shi Lei volunteered. He picked up a rock the size of a human head from the ground, took a deep breath, and hurled it forcefully towards the densest part of the monkey pack.

"Whoosh—"

The rock whistled through the air like a cannonball, smashing into a thick branch and breaking it.

"Squeak squeak squeak!"

The monkey pack was instantly enraged. They let out a series of sharp cries and charged at the three like black lightning bolts from all directions.

"Su Yue, watch out for their claws, don't get scratched! Shi Lei, guard the front!" Lin Xiao commanded calmly.

"Watch this!" Shi Lei roared, standing like a wall at the forefront. He had no weapon; his fists were his best tools. An Iron Claw Monkey leaped at him, but he met it with a punch to the head, splattering its brains and killing it instantly.

Su Yue, agile as a butterfly flitting through flowers, wielded her soft sword, which danced like a silver blur as she weaved through the monkey pack. Each strike accurately hit vital points like the eyes or throat of an Iron Claw Monkey.

Lin Xiao, meanwhile, was like a ghost.

He had no fixed position, sometimes assisting Shi Lei at the front, sometimes protecting Su Yue on the flank. Every move he made was simple yet effective. The steel dagger in his hand always found its mark, slicing through an Iron Claw Monkey's throat from the most unexpected angles.

On his system panel, the trajectory and weaknesses of each Iron Claw Monkey were clearly marked with red lines. All he had to do was follow the prompts and reap lives.

The three's coordination was unexpectedly seamless.

Shi Lei's ferocity, Su Yue's agility, and Lin Xiao's precise and deadly hunting, like that of a surgeon's scalpel, formed a perfect combat loop.

In less than fifteen minutes, the more than twenty Iron Claw Monkeys were slaughtered.

[Successfully killed low-grade first-tier monster: Iron Claw Monkey x 23]

[Gained points: 23 points]

The number on Lin Xiao's token changed from 0 to 23.

"Hoo... hoo... That was exhilarating!" Shi Lei wiped the sweat from his brow, his face filled with excitement.

Su Yue's pretty face was also slightly flushed, and a strange light flickered in her eyes as she looked at Lin Xiao. She noticed that Lin Xiao always seemed to anticipate danger and provide the most accurate responses during combat. This level of strategic control was unlike that of a sixteen-year-old.

Lin Xiao ignored their exclamations and began skillfully dissecting the Iron Claw Monkeys' corpses, extracting the grain-sized Beast Cores from within.

Just then, a rustling sound of footsteps came from the nearby woods.

Lin Xiao's eyes sharpened, and he quickly put away the Beast Cores, adopting a defensive posture.

Five students emerged from behind the trees. The one in the lead was none other than Li Mo, a collateral descendant of the Royal City Li Family. Following closely behind him was Wang Chen, a sinister grin plastered on his face.

"Well, well, isn't this the great genius from our Qingyang City?" Wang Chen said sarcastically. "Quite a haul you've got there. Too bad it's about to become ours."

Li Mo crossed his arms and looked down at the three as if they were his prey.

"Hand over the Beast Cores you just obtained, and all the points on your tokens," Li Mo commanded with undeniable authority. "Then, crush your tokens and get out. That way, I can spare you some physical pain."