One-star Mission

Linley, Thomas, and Corey entered the rear cabin of the metal lifeform and sat down. Through the transparent window, they watched as more examiners arrived, with occasional demon figures appearing as well.

Demons boarding the metal lifeform were all directed to the front cabin, clearly separated from the examiners, and the atmosphere gradually became tense and oppressive.

"Damn it, I'm so unlucky. This assessment mission actually has demons participating."

"Sigh, this is going to be rough."

Linley noticed the dejected expressions and low morale of the examiners around him. He wasn't surprised, as he had learned about some unspoken rules beforehand.

If demons were involved, it meant their objectives would differ, potentially combining assessment tasks for newcomers with advancement missions for Seven-star and Six-star demons.

These were the most perilous missions; the residual shockwaves from battles between powerhouses could lead to a meaningless death if one wasn't careful.

Linley was unconcerned and quietly closed his eyes to cultivate.

He was confident in his ability to protect himself, Thomas, and Corey, unless they encountered a Seven-star Demon. However, such powerful beings weren't common strays; the probability of encountering one was extremely low.

Suddenly, Thomas's telepathic message sounded in Linley's mind, "Linley, look ahead quickly."

Linley opened his eyes and looked forward.

In the corridor of the metal lifeform, a familiar figure stood out. With her thick, black, beautiful hair, exquisite features, and elegant, captivating aura, she quickly became the center of attention. It was Mariana, the woman he had shared drinks with at the Demon Castle a few days prior.

Beside her was a tall, burly blonde young man, and a pair of black-haired boy and blonde girl who looked about sixty to seventy percent alike. The group appeared intimate, and their conversation was not hidden, so Linley could overhear it.

"Aaron, Lisa, if you're not demons, go to the rear cabin."

"Understood, Father."

A middle-aged man with thick black hair, dressed in a black leather outfit, walked over and greeted the blonde young man warmly. "Hi Claude, I heard about your recent affairs. Barry and Harold aren't with you?"

Claude shook his head helplessly and said, "Only one of their Saint Domain main bodies is still alive. They plan to cultivate a second Divine Avatar peacefully within the city before refining their Divine Sparks to recover their Four-star Demon strength."

The middle-aged man with black hair sighed, sounding quite wistful. "That's for the best. Perhaps there will be more opportunities in the future."

Claude and Mariana headed to the front cabin, while their children came to the rear cabin, coincidentally sitting to Linley's right and behind him.

Linley was communicating with Thomas and Corey via telepathy.

Thomas said, "For High-Gods who became divine independently, if they fall before fusing with Profound Mysteries, refining their Divine Sparks to recover their strength is the most regrettable."

Corey agreed, "Exactly. It would be no different from someone who refined their Divine Spark. Years of cultivation would be wasted. If it were me, I'd be incredibly depressed."

Linley stated, "That Claude is a Five-star Demon. It seems this assessment mission is a bit dangerous. Be careful."

These words were merely a reminder.

As for himself, he could even contend with a Six-star Demon!

"Hoo..."

The metal lifeform sliced through the sky, its massive, dark purple silhouette instantly disappearing above the Red Stone City gate. A faint black dot could be seen in the distant sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Thomas shifted his body with some anxiety and said, "We've already taken off, but we still don't know what the mission is."

It was his first time participating in an assessment, and it was natural for him to be nervous.

Linley calmly replied, "Let's wait. We'll know eventually."

He looked out the transparent window. The metal lifeform was flying at a high speed, stirring up a gust of airflow...

As dusk began to fall, the staff from the Demon Castle finally came from the front cabin.

The middle-aged man with short red hair said, "The number of people participating in this demon assessment is six hundred... The assessment location is the Red Stone Mountain Range... At the speed of the metal lifeform, it will take about twenty days."

He looked at a black-robed youth with short silver hair and a cold expression beside him and smiled. "You tell them the mission details, Ethan."

The black-robed youth nodded calmly, looked at everyone, and said in a flat tone, "The owner of the Bloodthirsty Castle is a Five-star Demon, and the butler is a Four-star Demon. There are over a hundred Blood Slaves with the strength of Mid-level Gods and Low-level Gods. Your assessment mission this time is to obtain a Blood Leech, which is only found within a Mid-level God Blood Slave..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted. The examiners below had already erupted.

"Five-star Demon, Four-star Demon!"

"How is this mission so difficult!"

A green-haired youth stood up and questioned, "You're not going to make us fight the owner and butler of the Bloodthirsty Castle, are you?"

The black-robed youth coldly reprimanded, "Shut up, I haven't finished speaking."

He scanned everyone with his gaze and warned, "Some of you may be skilled in similar methods, or you might have Blood Leeches obtained through various means in your spatial rings. But I must remind you that the Demon Castle has dedicated personnel to detect whether these Blood Leeches were refined by the owner of the Bloodthirsty Castle. Don't think you can pass the assessment by passing off fakes."

Upon hearing this, a few individuals' expressions subtly changed, clearly having entertained some thoughts of taking shortcuts.

The black-robed youth sneered, "This time, accompanying you in the advancement assessment mission are also squads led by some Three-star Demons, Four-star Demons, and Five-star Demon powerhouses! Of course, you newcomers don't need to worry about powerhouses like the owner and butler of the Bloodthirsty Castle!"

Everyone's expression eased slightly, but they still knew in their hearts that if a real battle broke out, the ensuing chaos could lead to accidental involvement.

Linley was moved and transmitted to Thomas, "The Bloodthirsty Castle seems to be the largest force in the Red Stone Mountain Range that you mentioned before, right?"

This time it was a coincidence. The assessment location for One-star Demons was in the Red Stone Mountain Range. However, the Tianlan Tribe was considered a small force on the fringes, and its rise was recent, not yet attracting much attention.

Thomas transmitted back, "Yes, the Blood Crystal Mines there are of better quality, and only major forces can occupy them."

Twenty days later, the metal lifeform successfully arrived at its destination. Of course, it wasn't at the entrance of the Bloodthirsty Castle, but in an open clearing several miles away, within a blood-colored forest.

"What a stimulating smell of blood."

"This place is so gloomy. Who knows how many corpses are buried underground."

As the examiners disembarked from the metal lifeform, they emerged onto the ground and their expressions immediately changed. They could feel a faint scent of blood permeating the air, which grew stronger the closer they got to the depths of the forest.

The hundreds of people present were generally Mid-level Gods. The few Low-level Gods who dared to sign up for the demon assessment could be counted on one hand. Naturally, they weren't ignorant children, and they began to speculate about the possibilities.