This time, Xia Wuji had taken the initiative to attack. Not only had he seized a Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth and gained one hundred points, but he had also reaped an abundant harvest of various cultivation resources.
After all, Chu Jue was the Twelfth Prince of the Great Chu Dynasty, and the people accompanying him were all scions of the Great Chu Dynasty's powerful and influential families. Every one of them was a fat sheep.
Thirty-one Yuan Crystals, a pile of top-grade spirit pills of various types, a small number of first-grade spirit pills, spirit liquid and talisman paper for making talismans, and, from Chu Jue, a single Earth Origin Stone.
"No wonder Chu Jue was able to pinpoint the location of this Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth. It turns out he had an Earth Origin Stone in hand."
Xia Wuji put all the supplies into his Storage Ring, leaving only the Earth Origin Stone in his hand.
This object contained abundant earth-attributed energy and could form a kind of resonance with the Rock-Swallowing Behemoths in this secret realm.
"Perhaps the Great Chu Imperial Family's disciples knew the details of the third assessment in advance. That must be why Chu Jue prepared an Earth Origin Stone to carry with him."
"If that's the case, then Sixth Prince Chu Yang of the Great Chu Imperial Family must have made the same preparations."
Xia Wuji muttered softly. Then, the corners of his mouth curved into a faint smile.
Chu Jue's method of using the Earth Origin Stone to search for Rock-Swallowing Behemoths had simply been a waste of the Earth Origin Stone!
Xia Wuji naturally had a better method!
He shot into the air and left the area where the battle had just taken place. Only after spending more than half an hour did he stop.
"This is the place."
Xia Wuji took out the Earth Origin Stone again. In the blink of an eye, he summoned a low-grade first-rank spirit fire.
He refined it with fire!
In an instant, the Earth Origin Stone was gradually cracked apart by the flames, and dense earth-attributed energy rapidly flowed out through the fissures.
Xia Wuji controlled the flames with one hand and continued refining the Earth Origin Stone.
With a thought, sheets of blank talisman paper and a bottle of spirit liquid flew out of the Storage Ring as well.
Xia Wuji rapidly formed hand seals with his other hand. In conjunction with his spiritual power, he guided the spirit liquid inside the bottle onto the talisman paper, outlining strands of talisman patterns across its surface.
A quarter of an hour later.
The Earth Origin Stone had been completely burned into ash.
The earth-attributed energy it contained surged into the ground and spread in all directions!
"Go!"
Xia Wuji gave a soft shout. The talismans he had made instantly floated out and landed at different positions. The moment they touched the ground, they transformed into glowing talisman patterns!
"Thick Earth Formation!"
"Activate!"
Xia Wuji's expression was extremely serious as he formed hand seals and sent out one Yuan Crystal after another.
In the blink of an eye, the energy of the Yuan Crystals, the properties of the talismans, and the aura of this secret-realm space perfectly fused together.
"It can barely be considered a low-grade first-rank formation, but because the formation eyes are all composed of talismans, it can last for at most two days."
"Moreover, it can't be used in battle. Otherwise, after erupting a few times, the formation will collapse."
"But it's more than enough for attracting Rock-Swallowing Behemoths!"
"The Earth Origin Stone's energy has gathered here, while the Thick Earth Formation is still absorbing the earth-attributed energy in this secret-realm space. The earth-attributed aura permeating this area will reach an astonishing level."
"I won't need to search everywhere for Rock-Swallowing Behemoths. I can simply wait here for them to come!"
"Boom!"
Terrifying waves of air churned.
A Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth stood ten zhang tall. Struck by a berserk force, the hard rocks covering its body exploded into countless fragments.
Sixth Prince Chu Yang of the Great Chu Dynasty had both fists covered in silver gauntlets. His Primal Energy Realm eighth-stage cultivation erupted without the slightest restraint as he launched a fierce assault on the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth.
His two fists were like twin silver suns, bursting with dazzling flames of light. Every move was incomparably fierce and domineering.
The Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth possessed cultivation comparable to the tenth stage of the Primal Energy Realm among human martial artists, along with formidable defensive power. Yet under Chu Yang's torrential attacks, it was forced backward again and again.
Suddenly.
The Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth finally seized an opportunity. It let out an enraged roar, and the vertical eye between its brows suddenly fired a hazy gray beam of light.
The hazy gray beam was incomparably swift and struck toward Chu Yang.
Chu Yang snorted coldly. He neither dodged nor evaded, instead smashing a fist straight into the hazy gray beam!
In an instant, a layer of stone condensed over the surface of Chu Yang's fist and spread along his arm, attempting to engulf his entire body!
"Break for me!"
Chu Yang shouted furiously. The stone skin covering his arm was instantly crushed by his strength!
"Mountain Collapse!"
Chu Yang's figure sprang from the ground. From above, his fist viciously smashed down toward the already-maimed Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth!
The force of this punch was like a great mountain pressing down from above. The air erupted with a thunderous boom, and the mighty force of the punch followed Chu Yang's fist as it slammed heavily into the Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth's head.
The next moment.
The Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth's ruined body completely exploded, turning into fragments that filled the sky. Immediately afterward, those shattered stones vanished, and the energy returned to the heavens and earth of the secret realm.
After the battle ended, Chu Yang's face was slightly pale. He immediately took out a low-grade first-rank spirit pill and stuffed it into his mouth. After swallowing it, his disordered aura quickly stabilized.
"I have two hundred points!" Chu Yang took out the assessment token. Seeing the number on it, a smile appeared on his face.
"At my current pace, if I hunt one Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth a day, then when the seven-day assessment ends, I'll have seven hundred points. I'll definitely stand head and shoulders above the rest. First place is mine!"
"In the first two assessments, Xia Wuji stole my thunder, but in this assessment, it's destined to be me, Chu Yang, who draws the attention of the masses!"
His voice carried a trace of excitement, and anticipation appeared on his face. But just then, a faint ripple of spiritual power spread from Chu Yang's body.
Immediately afterward, a phantom condensed from spiritual power appeared before Chu Yang.
"Grandfather." Chu Yang immediately clasped his hands and bowed.
A puzzled look appeared on his face. He said, "Grandfather, the assessment is still underway. Why have you suddenly manifested this projection? This is the secret-realm space, after all. If the people from Azure Star Academy discover it, my assessment results may be affected."
"Chu Jue is dead." The spiritual-power phantom's voice rang out.
"What?!" Chu Yang's expression changed violently in an instant. His eyes widened, bloodshot veins appearing in them.
Chu Jue and he had been born of the same mother, and he had always doted greatly on this younger brother.
"Grandfather, how did my brother die?" Chu Yang's voice became incomparably deep. His gauntleted fists clenched again, and a thick killing intent erupted from him.
"The one who killed him was Xia Wuji!"
"That little bastard called Xia Wuji didn't take our Great Chu Imperial Family seriously. He even ignored this old man's warning when faced with my spiritual-power projection!"
"Chu Yang, the might of the Great Chu Imperial Family must not be insulted!"
"I want you to kill him personally. You absolutely cannot let him leave this secret-realm space alive!"
"Do you understand?"
Chu Yang's chest heaved violently, as if volcanoes were erupting within him. He growled, "Rest assured, Grandfather. I'll reduce him to dust and ashes, avenge my brother Chu Jue, and raise the might of our Great Chu Imperial Family!"
The third assessment of Azure Star Academy had already reached its fourth day.
The Thick Earth Formation Xia Wuji had set up had also been operating for two days.
Throughout these two days.
Xia Wuji had remained here, cultivating in peace. By now, one foot had already stepped across the threshold of the Primal Energy Realm.
Because the formation eyes of the Thick Earth Formation were all composed of talismans, those talismans were now unable to support the formation any longer.
Sensing the ripples of the Thick Earth Formation falling apart, Xia Wuji ended the circulation of his cultivation art and rose to his feet. He looked at the ground before him. Through his spiritual-power perception, he could already sense several Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths underground!
"Come out!"
Xia Wuji roared. The Jinghong Sword left its sheath, slashing out streaks of sword qi. The sword qi tore through the earth, and immediately afterward, thunderous rumbling rang out.
A full six Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths rose from the shattered ground.
Six ten-zhang-tall Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths stood around Xia Wuji like six mountain peaks, radiating an extremely terrifying might. In such a situation, even a first-stage Core Formation Realm martial artist would have felt apprehensive.
But Xia Wuji's face showed not the slightest panic. Instead, a sharpness that seemed capable of tearing even the secret realm apart burst forth from him!
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