Chu Yang's body lay on the ground. Not a single patch of skin remained intact; flesh hung in tatters, blood flowed freely, and his breath was faint as his body continued to twitch.
Xia Wuji walked over at an unhurried pace.
"Buzz!"
Just like Chu Jue before him, a surge of spiritual power spread from Chu Yang's body, taking the form of an old man.
"Xia Wuji, you..."
"Shut up!"
Before the old man's spiritual projection could finish speaking, Xia Wuji roared furiously. A wave of sound swept out and directly shattered the old man's spiritual projection!
"Bang!"
One foot rose, then came crashing down.
The sole stomped directly onto Chu Yang's chest.
Chu Yang's body immediately curled up, and blood spewed wildly from his mouth and nose.
"Xia Wuji... you... if you kill me... our Great Chu Imperial Family... definitely... definitely won't let this go..." Chu Yang shouted with difficulty.
"Killing one is killing. Killing two is also killing. Killing a whole group is still killing. What do I have to fear?" Xia Wuji said coldly.
He then reached out and grabbed. With a clatter, the iron chain that had previously been used to suspend Huang Hu and Xu Lan shot over from nearby and fell into Xia Wuji's hand.
Xia Wuji whipped the iron chain, and it abruptly wrapped around Chu Yang's neck.
He took up the chain and dragged Chu Yang toward the spot where Huang Hu and Xu Lan had previously been hung.
"Brother Xia... calm down!" someone shouted from the crowd that had been watching from afar.
A man rushed over.
Xia Wuji gave him a cold look.
The man trembled all over and hurriedly said, "Brother Xia, please don't misunderstand... I have no hostility toward you. I only hope you won't let anger cloud your judgment."
Another person rushed over and said, "Young Master Xia, be rational... doing this won't do you any good."
"That's right. Release the Sixth Prince now and have a proper talk. There should still be room to turn things around..."
Several people spoke up.
They were not considering Xia Wuji's interests.
They simply wanted to curry favor with the Great Chu Imperial Family. They did not dare to take action, so they could only try to persuade him in this way.
How could Xia Wuji not know exactly what these people were thinking?
"Brother Xia..." one of them continued.
"Swish!"
Xia Wuji's sword edge flashed up in an instant. A streak of sharpness swept past, and strands of the man's hair drifted down. He no longer dared make a sound. His face was deathly pale, and his entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
"Get lost!" Xia Wuji said coldly.
That fierce sharpness was simply too frightening. Those men did not dare say another word, afraid Xia Wuji would draw his sword again. One after another, they hurriedly left this place of trouble.
A moment later.
Xia Wuji hung Chu Yang in the air.
He used his methods to tend to Huang Hu and Xu Lan's injuries.
Although the two were still in terrible condition, they were no longer in danger. They only needed some time to recuperate before they could fully recover.
"Brother Xia... I'm sorry. I never thought we would become burdens to you..." Huang Hu's face was filled with bitterness.
Xia Wuji shook his head and said, "You two were dragged into this because of my affairs."
Xu Lan's eyes were red, and she kept sobbing uneasily. "What are we going to do now...? The Great Chu Imperial Family definitely won't let this go... Our families won't have any way to survive..."
Huang Hu's expression was solemn. He wanted to comfort her, but he did not know how to begin.
This was also what worried him most!
Xia Wuji said, "Brother Huang, if you join Azure Star Academy, you can naturally move your family out of the Great Chu Dynasty and settle them in a city established by Azure Star Academy."
"Although the Great Chu Imperial Family still has some influence in Azure Star Academy, they wouldn't dare recklessly challenge its dignity. That way, your families will naturally be safe."
Huang Hu shook his head and sighed. "I only have eighteen points now, while Sister Lan has fourteen... Given our current condition and the little time remaining, it's not enough..."
Xia Wuji said indifferently, "One Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth per person will be enough."
The rule of this third practical examination was that whoever ultimately completed the killing of a Rock-Swallowing Behemoth would receive the points.
Earlier, Twelfth Prince Chu Jue of the Great Chu Imperial Family had led a group of people to hunt Rock-Swallowing Behemoths. Everyone had worked together, and Chu Jue had delivered the final blow.
Now, Huang Hu and Xu Lan could do the same.
Xia Wuji acted only to keep his conscience clear.
He did not need the Huang Household or the Xu Household to offer him any benefits.
This matter had to be seen through to the end.
Like Chu Jue, Chu Yang had a Earth Origin Stone on him for locating Rock-Swallowing Behemoths.
Nearby, Xia Wuji used the Earth Origin Stone to set up another simple Thick Earth Formation.
One day later.
Xia Wuji withdrew the Thick Earth Formation.
Within the Thick Earth Formation were already three Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths.
Xia Wuji directly killed one Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoth. The other two were struck down by him, and he then brought Huang Hu and Xu Lan over.
The two stepped forward with trembling bodies...
Although the two Three-Eyed Rock-Swallowing Behemoths were already on the verge of collapse, Huang Hu and Xu Lan still spent quite some time before finally destroying them.
As a result, Huang Hu's points reached one hundred and eighteen.
Xu Lan's points also reached one hundred and fourteen.
Originally, when the two had come to participate in the examination, their attitude had been that participation was what mattered... They knew perfectly well that, given their abilities, the possibility of joining Azure Star Academy was practically zero.
Yet in the end... because of Xia Wuji, they had both gained a chance.
Although there had been some twists and turns along the way and they had suffered hardship, gaining such an opportunity was already an enormous windfall!
"Brother Huang, Miss Xu, the examination will end in half a day. You shouldn't encounter any more trouble from here on, and I still have something to deal with. So, let's part ways here," Xia Wuji said.
Huang Hu's expression tightened. "Brother Xia, what do you plan to do with Chu Yang?"
Xia Wuji said calmly, "Brother Huang, you don't need to get involved in this any further."
Huang Hu fell silent for a moment, then solemnly cupped his hands and bowed to Xia Wuji. "Brother Xia, although my talent is ordinary and the Huang Household has little influence, no matter what happens in the future, as long as you call for me, I will give everything I have!"
Xia Wuji nodded.
Huang Hu took Xu Lan and parted ways with Xia Wuji.
Xu Lan said, "Big Brother Huang, although Young Master Xia has offended the Great Chu Imperial Family, once he enters Azure Star Academy, his future will certainly be limitless. You must seize this opportunity."
Huang Hu stopped, however, and shook his head. "Sister Lan, we know Brother Xia, and we can be considered fairly close to him, but we must remember the kindness we owe him."
"He doesn't owe us anything. From now on, we must not trouble him again."
"Do you understand?"
Xu Lan hummed in acknowledgment and nodded. "Big Brother Huang, I understand. Young Master Xia has already given us the chance to enter Azure Star Academy. From now on, we'll walk our own path!"
Xia Wuji returned to the place where Chu Yang was hanging.
Chu Yang's body swayed in the air with the wind, and fresh blood kept dripping down.
Xia Wuji's expression was indifferent. He was in no hurry to kill Chu Yang.
He wanted to see whether anyone else would stand up for this brute.
If there was.
Then he would take advantage of their time in this secret realm and eliminate them all at once!
Xia Wuji also had no intention of hunting Rock-Swallowing Behemoths anymore. He already had seven hundred and sixty-eight points, so taking first place in this third practical examination was already a foregone conclusion.
Thus, he sat down cross-legged.
He swallowed medicinal pills.
He took out the Yuan Crystal.
His cultivation technique began circulating in an instant, refining the medicinal energy and absorbing the Heaven and Earth Origin Energy within the Yuan Crystal.
His aura strengthened at an astonishing speed.
Time passed.
There were about fifteen minutes remaining before the third practical examination ended.
Within Xia Wuji's dantian, the Sword Essence that had been boiling like a sea suddenly became several times more condensed!
His Origin Energy seemed almost tangible.
At last, he had taken this final step!
He had broken through into the Primal Energy Realm!
Before you continue