The six Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths were equivalent to six tenth-level Primal Energy Realm martial artists.
After Xia Wuji's sword qi forced these six hulking beasts out of the ground, each of them let out a thunderous roar.
Immediately afterward.
Six hazy gray beams shot out, all blasting toward Xia Wuji!
Xia Wuji swept his sword upward. Brilliant sword light blazed, and fierce sword qi howled as it tore all six incoming hazy gray beams apart!
The six Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths swung their thick stone arms, smashing them viciously toward Xia Wuji.
Xia Wuji gave a cold snort, and the power of his qi and blood suddenly erupted within him!
In an instant, the power of his qi and blood sprouted from the soles of his feet like endless roots, drawing in the power of the earth within a radius of more than thirty zhang!
At that moment, Xia Wuji seemed to have become one with the earth spanning more than thirty zhang around him. A majestic, heavy aura spread from his body.
He swept his sword horizontally!
An Earth-ranked low-grade sword art—Earth Sword Wave!
The mighty power of the earth merged with Xia Wuji's Sword Essence, transforming into a layer of sharp radiance that surged outward. This layer of Earth Sword Wave swept across the bodies of the six Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths!
"Boom!"
"Boom!"
"Boom boom boom boom!"
The six Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths instantly exploded into fragments that filled the sky!
One sword had instantly slain six Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths!
The battle ended in an instant.
Xia Wuji withdrew the power of his qi and blood that had spread outward. This Earth Foot divine ability truly had not disappointed him. As long as his feet remained planted on solid ground, he could unleash astonishing explosive power.
Especially when combined with the Earth Sword Wave technique—they complemented each other perfectly.
He took out the registration token.
The points displayed on the token: 768.
"There are still three days before the end of the third assessment."
"Without the Thick Earth Formation to attract the Rock-Swallowing Behemoths, I'll have to keep using my Spirit Eye to track the flow of energy in the secret realm and search for the Rock-Swallowing Behemoths."
"It's slower, but compared to everyone else, I still have a huge advantage."
Xia Wuji would not be satisfied with the status quo.
That was because this assessment offered him a chance to skip the status of Outer Court Disciple entirely and become an Inner Court Disciple of the Azure Star Academy.
As an Inner Court Disciple, he could obtain cultivation resources far superior to those of an Outer Court Disciple. It would also be much more convenient for him to investigate the truth behind the disappearance of Qin Zhiyin, the former master of Shaking Light Peak in the Azure Star Academy.
He had to follow this lead to search for his mother's whereabouts.
Another day passed.
Using his Spirit Eye to search for Rock-Swallowing Behemoths, Xia Wuji had already raised his points to 832.
There were two days left before the assessment ended.
"I wonder how Huang Hu and Xu Lan are doing?" Xia Wuji murmured softly.
Just then, his brows furrowed, and he looked into the distance.
"Come out!"
A cold shout rang out.
A man immediately walked out from behind a pile of rubble.
Under Xia Wuji's sharp gaze, the man felt extremely uneasy, and his entire body trembled.
"Xia Wuji...I mean no harm. I just happened to be hiding here to recover my strength..." the man said, stammering slightly. He was truly terrified.
"Please believe me...I really have no designs on you..."
"Right, I'm actually quite familiar with Huang Hu. My household and the Huang household are family friends. When something happened to Huang Hu two days ago, I even helped him a little..."
"Something happened to Huang Hu? What happened?" Xia Wuji asked.
The man hurriedly said, "You don't know? I thought you already did..."
"Speak!" Xia Wuji had no patience to waste words with him.
"Th-the Sixth Prince did it..."
"The Sixth Prince said that you killed the Twelfth Prince, Chu Jue, and that he would tear you limb from limb and grind your bones to dust... But the Sixth Prince couldn't find you, so he captured Huang Hu and Xu Lan, who were close to you..."
"Now, the Sixth Prince has hung Huang Hu and Xu Lan up and is torturing them without end, trying to force you to show yourself..."
"You still haven't appeared, so I thought you were deliberately avoiding the Sixth Prince's might."
"Where are they?" Xia Wuji's expression sank into utter gloom.
He rather admired Huang Hu's character. Huang Hu had treated him sincerely, and besides, it was not as though Huang Hu had brought trouble upon himself. Rather, because of Xia Wuji, Huang Hu and Xu Lan had both been dragged into it.
Naturally, Xia Wuji could not stand by and do nothing.
The man before Xia Wuji immediately told him the exact location.
After learning the location.
Xia Wuji instantly activated the Cloud Soaring Steps. His figure flashed, and he vanished from where he stood.
At the foot of a mountain.
Huang Hu and Xu Lan had both been hung up by iron chains.
"Smack!"
"Smack! Smack! Smack!"
A man wielded a long whip and lashed out with all his strength.
The long whip repeatedly fell upon Huang Hu and Xu Lan.
It had beaten both of them until their skin was split and their bodies drenched in blood. They had already been tortured to the brink of death and no longer had the strength even to cry out.
"Hmph!"
"You wretches who don't know when you're beaten!"
"Xia Wuji has set himself against the imperial family, yet you dared to stay so close to him. You brought this all upon yourselves—you courted disaster and sought your own deaths!"
"Did you think that because Xia Wuji displayed potential in the first two assessments, you could cling to his coattails and rise to glory from then on?"
"How laughable! How laughable!"
"Even now, Xia Wuji doesn't dare show himself to save you!"
"If he doesn't come, then when the assessment ends, it will be the day you two die!"
The man who had been lashing Huang Hu and Xu Lan without pause had a savage expression on his face. He viciously swung the whip several more times before running toward Chu Yang, who stood not far away.
"Lanyan... I'm sorry... I dragged you into this..." Huang Hu's body swayed in midair. Looking at Xu Lan beside him, his weak voice was thick with guilt.
Xu Lan said, "Big Brother Huang...I...I don't blame you... It's just...will Young Master Xia come to save us...?"
Huang Hu fell silent.
In this situation, if Xia Wuji came, he would only be walking into the tiger's den.
"Your Highness, the Sixth Prince, it seems that after learning the news, Xia Wuji has definitely gone into hiding. He doesn't dare come." The fellow who had just tortured Huang Hu and Xu Lan stood before Chu Yang and spoke in a low voice.
Chu Yang, who had been sitting cross-legged and circulating his energy in cultivation, opened his eyes. A vicious glint flashed within them.
The man said, "Your Highness, the Sixth Prince, you're waiting here for Xia Wuji to come and die, but he's destined not to appear. You've already wasted too much time..."
"Why not go hunt Rock-Swallowing Behemoths first? As for killing Xia Wuji, there will still be plenty of opportunities after the assessment ends. There's no need to rush this moment."
Chu Yang's brows drew tightly together.
He had not gone to kill Rock-Swallowing Behemoths these past few days, waiting here for Xia Wuji to appear. Yet Xia Wuji had never shown himself, and only a day and a half remained before the assessment ended...
He had only two hundred points. That was not enough if he wanted to seize first place.
"We can only do that."
Chu Yang made his decision. Waiting here doing nothing was no solution.
"Your Highness, the Sixth Prince, then what should we do with these two pieces of trash?" the man asked.
Chu Yang gave a cold snort. "Kill them directly!"
"Yes!"
The man acknowledged the order, then immediately turned around and walked toward Huang Hu and Xu Lan, who were hanging in the air.
He drew the long saber hanging at his waist and sneered. "Don't think that your deaths will bring this matter to an end. From here on, none of your relatives or friends can hope for a good ending. This is the price of having no eyes!"
With that, he swung his long saber, slashing toward Huang Hu's neck!
Just as the icy blade was about to tear through Huang Hu's neck and sever his head—
"Vmmm!"
A crisp Sword Cry instantly rang out across heaven and earth!
Sword qi came howling through the air!
"Clang!"
The sword qi directly cleaved apart the long saber that was slashing toward Huang Hu's neck!
The sword qi's remaining force did not diminish, its edge still razor-sharp. In an instant, it pierced through the head of the man who had wielded the saber!
At the same time, a figure shot over at extreme speed.
Sword light flashed, and the iron chains suspending Huang Hu and Xu Lan were severed.
Gentle power surged from Xia Wuji's body, wrapping around the two of them and allowing them to land safely.
"Brother Xia..." Huang Hu looked at Xia Wuji. An incomparably complicated expression surfaced on his blood- and grime-covered face.
Xia Wuji let out a soft sigh and said, "You two, I'm sorry. I dragged you into this."
"Xia Wuji!" Just then, an enraged roar rang out.
Chu Yang bellowed, "I've finally waited for you to come here and die!"
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