First Soul, Tai Guang

Leite left without a word of greeting.

He did not even glance back at anyone, his stride as resolute as a lone wolf that had locked onto its path, vanishing into the shadows of the dense forest in the blink of an eye.

The canopy swayed a few times before returning to stillness, as if no one had ever passed through there at all.

Seeing this, the others knew there was no benefit in lingering.

The rules written on the Sky Curtain were clear: teaming up was a dead end. Rather than huddling together in mutual suspicion, it was better to scatter early and each find their own way.

Some headed east, some west, while others bypassed the wreckage of the starship to walk toward the northern ridge. They left in small groups of three or five, moving at a steady, measured pace, maintaining a subtle distance from one another.

At a time like this, no one was foolish enough to cling to someone else's coattails.

If one had to beg for help from those few from the East Continent just to survive, it would only reveal one's own incompetence... not to mention, the assessment rules offered no such opportunity.

Before White Dragon left, he specifically detoured to stand before Chen Yan. For once, his vertical pupils lacked their usual arrogance. He remained silent for a moment, his voice low when he finally spoke: "I hope to see you all again in a month."

As the son of Nine-Heads, he would naturally secure a spot at the Dao Academy.

But his strength was not the most outstanding among this group, and the coming thirty days would not be easy for him.

The remaining five looked at one another.

Chu Feng was the first to break the silence. He spread his