The Prominent and Extraordinary

Seeing the powerful ferocious beast descend, Xiao Tian knew he was no match for it. While Shi Hao and Huo Yuhao had their attention fixed on the Black Tiger, he quickly turned and ran, fleeing at top speed.

The Black Tiger roared toward the two of them, creating a wild gale that swept through the forest. Ancient trees were uprooted one after another and crashed to the ground.

Even the ice sculpture sealing the ancient crocodile's movements was shattered by a single swipe of the Black Tiger's paw. Freed to move again, the ancient crocodile trembled all over as it crawled along the ground, sincerely bowing in submission to the Black Tiger.

However, just as Shi Hao thought the Black Tiger's next move would be to attack him and Huo Yuhao, something unexpected happened.

After glancing at Furball standing on Shi Hao's shoulder, the Black Tiger turned around without another look and headed straight for its own cave.

Shi Hao said gloomily, "Does it look down on me?"

Huo Yuhao guessed, "It should be the guardian of order arranged by the Heaven-Mending Pavilion for this battlefield. It protects both the ferocious beasts and the cultivators."

A thought suddenly struck Shi Hao. "Since it's a guardian, it should also be protecting some important treasure or resource. Come on, let's follow it. Maybe we'll find something good."

Huo Yuhao praised him, "Your cleverness when it comes to treasure hunting is truly on full display. No wonder you still haven't noticed that hypocrite who tried to ambush us and steal the Heaven Mending Stone. He's already run far away."

Shi Hao scratched his head with an embarrassed laugh. "I really did forget about him when you didn't mention it. We'll settle the score with him later. Finding treasure comes first."

Huo Yuhao nodded and followed Shi Hao as they caught up with the Black Tiger.

Deep within the mountain range, massive boulders lay scattered everywhere. Black mist filled the Black Tiger's cave, and baleful energy overflowed from it.

Watching the cave from a distance, Shi Hao was delighted to discover the most conspicuous medicinal treasure growing inside—a Black Fiend Lotus.

The Black Fiend Lotus emitted an inky, jade-black mist. It grew by absorbing the baleful energy of the outside world and drew upon the Black Tiger's fiendish aura. Its medicinal effect was incomparably overbearing.

Seeing Shi Hao stare hungrily at the Black Fiend Lotus, Huo Yuhao reminded him, "We can't confront the Black Tiger head-on. It will definitely protect that medicinal treasure to the death."

Shi Hao's eyes lit up. "Then we'll lure the snake from its hole, shift the trouble elsewhere, make a feint in the east and strike in the west, and lure the tiger away from the mountain."

Huo Yuhao smiled helplessly. "The Heaven-Mending Pavilion elders are going to hate you to death."

Shi Hao did not care. "Let them hate me. It's meant to be eaten anyway. Without the Black Tiger guarding it, who knows how many people would fight over it? First come, first served. My conscience is clear."

Huo Yuhao nodded with a smile. "That's true. Snatching food from a tiger's mouth is proof of your strength. Others might want to do it, but they couldn't."

After discussing the plan with Huo Yuhao, Shi Hao immediately began looking for victims. He deliberately smashed a huge stone onto a flood dragon beast, drawing the creature into chasing after him.

Shi Hao took off running. As the flood dragon beast pursued him relentlessly, Shi Hao leaped into the air and disturbed a gigantic dragon bird, angering it so much that it flapped its wings and sped after him.

In this way, Shi Hao enraged countless ferocious creatures along the way. They all furiously joined together to hunt him down. To outsiders, it was plainly a massive beast tide, and the direction it was heading was none other than the Black Tiger's cave.

Among the cultivators who had entered this place for the trial, no one dared confront the beast tide head-on. They could only stand there in lingering fear, their faces filled with shock as they sighed at the astonishing sight.

The Black Tiger had only just returned to its cave and lain down to rest when it sensed the disturbance outside. Irritated, it slowly emerged from the cave and roared furiously at the beasts in the tide, intimidating the entire beast tide with its strength alone.

At that very moment, Huo Yuhao had already slipped silently into the cave, picked the Black Fiend Lotus, and quickly left. In the end, he successfully reunited with Shi Hao, who had fled without a trace.

Second Battlefield, beside a certain lake.

Taking the Black Fiend Lotus Huo Yuhao handed him, Shi Hao wasted no time swallowing the medicinal treasure in a few bites. His blood immediately began to boil. "Its medicinal effect is pretty strong."

Shi Hao jumped into the lake and swam toward the bottom to cool himself down physically. The Black Fiend Lotus's medicinal power was like blazing black fire, roasting and tempering Shi Hao's flesh, bones, and tendons while strengthening his physique.

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Hao opened his eyes. His temperament had transformed, and he had successfully opened his sixth Cave Heaven. He could distinctly sense surging power within it, as though he had endless strength throughout his entire body.

Water splashed across the lake's surface as Shi Hao easily leaped out. Under the brilliant sunlight, the young man's vigor became even more exuberant, fully revealing itself.

Huo Yuhao, who had silently waited and stood guard by the lakeshore the entire time, reminded Shi Hao:

"I heard that hypocrite has already snatched Heaven Mending Stones from quite a few people. The trial assessment should be ending soon as well, so we can't waste any more time."

Shi Hao nodded. "Perfect. We can settle the score for that ambush."

Based on the exact location Huo Yuhao had scouted out, Shi Hao followed him to the area where Xiao Tian was.

The silver-robed youth was currently robbing a passing cultivator. Without saying a word, Shi Hao silently appeared behind Xiao Tian. The robbed cultivator made no sound, and Xiao Tian assumed he had frightened the man out of his wits, so he did not keep watch over his surroundings.

Shi Hao swung the White Bone Wolf-Tooth Club in his hand and knocked Xiao Tian down with one heavy blow.

The instant Xiao Tian sensed danger, it was already too late. A scalp-numbing pain and dizziness flooded his mind. In the next moment, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted, crashing heavily onto the ground.

Shi Hao took all ten-plus Heaven Mending Stones Xiao Tian had plundered, then returned one Heaven Mending Stone to the cultivator Xiao Tian had just robbed.

"I heard the Bear Child expelled from the Void God Realm has come to the Heaven-Mending Pavilion this time. He has stirred up so much trouble that the Heaven-Mending Pavilion elders can't rest easy. They've declared that they'll find the Bear Child and teach him a proper lesson. You two should be careful as well."

After thanking Shi Hao and Huo Yuhao, the cultivator who had joined the trial late informed them of the situation outside.

Shi Hao scratched his head. "All right, we'll be careful. Hurry to the finish line and clear the trial."

After watching the cultivator leave, Huo Yuhao raised his brows and smiled at Shi Hao, who was busy tinkering with the stone stele beside him.

"The Heaven-Mending Pavilion elders should come here soon to inspect the Black Fiend Lotus. When they see the surprise gift you prepared, I wonder how spectacular their expressions will be."

Shi Hao chuckled. "What a pity. If I didn't have to avoid being discovered, I'd really like to see their faces myself. Let's go too. It's time to clear the trial at the finish line."

Huo Yuhao nodded and left with Shi Hao.

Not long afterward, Elder Xiong Fei led the guests attending the ceremony to the place where Xiao Tian had fainted, which was also where Shi Hao had been tinkering with the stone stele.

"This stone stele is a precious artifact personally refined and forged by the founder of our Heaven-Mending Pavilion. It bears the names of outstanding disciples from every generation of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion..." Xiong Fei introduced it to the people beside him.

The female War Goddess of Deer-Chasing Academy spotted the eye-catching line of large words on the stele at once and read them aloud word by word. "Heaven-blessed and divinely mighty, upright and honorable, with a hammer in hand, the world is mine."

Elder Zhuo Yun of the Heaven-Mending Pavilion flew into a rage. "Outrageous! Which brat did this?"

Elder Xiong Fei snorted coldly. "It has to be that Bear Child."

"Ah—this is going too far!"

The next moment, Xiao Tian shook his groggy head in the distance and barely climbed to his feet from the ground. As if suffering from waking rage, he immediately erupted with an imposing aura, venting his fury at having been ambushed.

The only ones who could have silently fooled my senses are those two!

Xiao Tian roared furiously in his heart.

Seeing this, Elder Zhuo Yun praised him. "Such a vigorous aura. This boy is definitely a heaven-blessed genius."

When everyone saw Xiao Tian's true appearance as he approached, they could not help holding back their laughter.

A huge bump like a horn had risen on Xiao Tian's forehead, making his appearance rather difficult to look at.

Elder Xiong Fei spoke in admiration. "Prominent horns and an extraordinary appearance—he truly has the bearing of a heaven-blessed talent."

Xiao Tian covered his forehead and returned the greeting. "You flatter me, Senior. I am Xiao Tian, from the Xiao Clan."

Suddenly, a Heaven-Mending Pavilion disciple rushed over and reported to several elders, "The Black Tiger was lured away by someone's scheme, and the Black Fiend Lotus was stolen as a result."

Elder Zhuo Yun guessed, "No one but that Bear Child could do something so outrageous."

Not long after, the Second Battlefield's assessment trial, which had cruelly eliminated more than five thousand people, finally came to an end. All cultivators who had successfully passed the trial officially became Heaven-Mending Pavilion disciples. More than three thousand new disciples were gathered in the Heaven-Mending Pavilion plaza, listening to Elder Xiong Fei's address.

After the formal ceremony ended, Elder Xiong Fei publicly issued a wanted notice, ordering all disciples present to keep watch for the Bear Child's whereabouts. He declared that they would properly teach the universally despised Bear Child a lesson.

Shi Hao sighed. "I should go hide out with Qingfeng."

Huo Yuhao nodded. "Wulin must have been missing me for a long time. Let's go to the Genius Camp and find the two of them."

Heaven-Mending Pavilion, Genius Camp.

"Wulin!" Huo Yuhao called toward the black-haired youth in the distance.

"Qingfeng!" Shi Hao called toward the youth with fine black hair standing beside Tang Wulin.

"We're here." Huo Yuhao and Shi Hao quickened their pace at the same time, speaking in unison to Tang Wulin and Shi Qingfeng as they drew closer.

"Brother Yuhao, you finally came. I was bored to death. The people here spend all day bullying the weak and constantly want to challenge others to spar." Tang Wulin pouted.

Huo Yuhao patted Tang Wulin's head. "Then I'll take you to the spirit garden's herb fields to clear your head and enjoy the free scent of nature again."

Tang Wulin nodded repeatedly, his head shaking like a rattle as he eagerly agreed with Huo Yuhao's suggestion.

Shi Hao looked Shi Qingfeng over from left to right and found no injuries on him. Shi Qingfeng then took the initiative to explain:

"Yu Feng of the Rain Clan often brought people over to bully me at first, but Wulin drove all of them away. So you don't need to worry about me, Little Brother. You can focus on cultivating the Heaven-Mending Pavilion's rune techniques now."

The weight in Shi Hao's heart finally lifted when he heard that. "Good. Then I can rest easy. No matter what happens, remember to tell me. I'll come protect you right away."

Shi Qingfeng nodded. "I will. Little Brother, you should go take care of your own matters first. I'll return to my room and continue studying Bone Text. I'll work hard to grow stronger too, reach the Cave Heaven Realm as soon as possible, and stop being a burden to you."

"Oh, right. Not long ago, I brought your unicorn Little White and my golden hunting leopard to the outside of Qingfeng's little wooden house. They'll protect Qingfeng too."

After reassuring Shi Hao, Tang Wulin left with Huo Yuhao, and the two strolled toward the spirit garden's herb fields opened by the Heaven-Mending Pavilion.

After waving goodbye in turn to Huo Yuhao, Tang Wulin, and Shi Qingfeng, Shi Hao walked alone through the night toward the Sacred Academy.

He saw someone constantly moving forward along that road, his steps firm and never once stopping.

"Shi Yi." Shi Hao recognized the figure and muttered softly to himself.

Shi Yi walked upon that path. He seemed to be advancing, yet in truth had not moved an inch. That road contained such a profound Great Dao.

Shi Hao turned away and cast his troubles behind him. Holding Furball by the tail, he quietly stepped into an ancient and mysterious garden. No one guarded this place, and the lonely garden seemed all the more desolate beneath the deep night.

In the rear courtyard, he found the purpose of his visit—the Heaven-Mending Pavilion's sacrificial spirit. Shi Hao stepped forward and tried to strike up a conversation with the withered ancient vine.

"The willow tree in Stone Village was once withered and decayed like you, but it endured in the end. It was reborn and bloomed with an even more dazzling radiance than before. So I believe you can overcome this hardship too."

Shi Hao sat directly beneath the ancient vine, feeling the rain of light and runes falling from it. When the ancient vine did not react, he continued probing, "Then I'll take it as your agreement to let me cultivate here."

With the ancient vine's help, he immediately began comprehending the deeper meanings contained within the Primordial True Explanation. His heart was as clear as a mirror as he understood the Dao with perfect clarity.

After an unknown amount of time, Shi Hao finally awoke from his meditation. Before leaving, he gave the ancient vine a deep bow.

The moment he stepped out of the courtyard, Shi Hao suddenly stumbled several steps back. Every hair on his body stood on end, and even Furball began crying out urgently.

"Ghost—!"

"Squeak, squeak!"

Unlike Shi Hao's ghostly scream late that night, Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin encountered some unwelcome trouble that same afternoon while enjoying the bright sunshine.

The spirit garden's herb fields were not only filled with refreshing floral fragrance, but also with soothing medicinal scents.

Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin had been relaxing on the grass among the herb fields, chatting comfortably, when a group of people in the distance suddenly ruined their peaceful moment.