Netherworld Valley

Netherworld Valley, as crisp system notification chimes rang out one after another...

Lu Yun's strength began to surge once more.

After about an hour, he directly summoned his status panel.

Host: Lu Yun

System Phase Two Activated: 200x Critical Strike Amplification

Martial Techniques: Thousand Mountains Saber Technique (lv7 100%), Primordial Unity Fist (lv36 72%)

Strength Level: Early Sea-Opening Realm

"Not bad!"

"Even without using amplification, I've now truly reached the strength of the Sea-Opening Realm."

"If I use thirty-threefold amplification, then even if I encounter a Star-Gathering Realm expert, I might still be able to fight!"

Just as Lu Yun was feeling rather pleased with himself, the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.

After unlocking it and taking a look, he found that the staff had sent over the rules for the upcoming practical assessment.

"Hmm?"

"I didn't expect the so-called practical assessment rules to be this simple!"

Lu Yun was somewhat surprised. Judging from the email he had received, the rules were straightforward and brutal.

Each contestant's final score would be determined by the number of exotic beasts they hunted.

If two contestants hunted exotic beasts of the same rank, then whoever hunted more would come out ahead.

For example.

Within the same amount of time, hunting one second-rank exotic beast and hunting several second-rank exotic beasts were entirely different matters.

The location of this practical assessment would be in another space.

This place was called Netherworld Valley.

Once all contestants participating in the assessment had arrived, they would take a special transportation device and swiftly reach the place.

In the outer region of Netherworld Valley, exotic beasts below the fourth rank were mainly held.

According to the division of human martial arts realms, first-rank exotic beasts were equivalent to the Body Tempering Realm, second-rank exotic beasts to the Postnatal Realm, third-rank exotic beasts to the Innate Realm, and fourth-rank exotic beasts to the Primordial Astral Realm...

As for exotic beasts of the fifth rank and above, even the city lord had no way to control them. Moreover, among the contestants participating in previous years' assessments, no one had ever reached a realm above the Primordial Astral Realm.

Because...

In practical assessments throughout the years, the examiners would generally require in the information sent to candidates that they absolutely must not enter the inner region of the valley.

Because as long as they obediently stayed in the outer region, candidates would absolutely never encounter exotic beasts above the fifth rank.

Of course.

For the candidates, although everyone wanted to achieve the best results possible.

Still...

No one would be foolish enough to risk their life.

What a joke.

Enter the inner region of the valley?

That was no different from walking straight into death.

According to the information Lu Yun had obtained, even city lord-level experts did not dare claim they could defeat fifth-rank exotic beasts, yet such creatures could be found everywhere in the valley's inner region.

Most terrifying of all, it was said that besides fifth-rank exotic beasts, the inner region of Netherworld Valley also contained even more terrifying and savage sixth-rank exotic beasts.

Such existences, equivalent to Sea-Opening Realm experts among humanity, were simply not something candidates taking the practical assessment could contend with.

Furthermore.

According to the practical assessment rules...

Every contestant in the exotic beast battlefield had to carry a personal weapon.

Seeing this, Lu Yun could not help but frown slightly.

Up to now, he had mainly cultivated the Primordial Fist, and had barely practiced with weapons at all.

Although with his current strength, he would not fear any danger even barehanded, he did not want to reveal his true strength too early.

Since such a rule existed, not carrying a weapon would seem far too conspicuous. It would inevitably draw too much attention, leaving him no way to keep a low profile.

At that thought...

He walked over to a weapon rack in the lounge and casually picked up an Ancient Moon Elephant-Trunk Saber.

The saber was not particularly heavy, but it was extremely sharp.

"Looks pretty good. I hope it won't disappoint me!"

Muttering inwardly, Lu Yun lightly swung his arm and channeled all the spiritual energy within him into the Ancient Moon Elephant-Trunk Saber in his hand.

At once.

A layer of pale blue light surged across the blade.

The saber edge trembled faintly, giving off a cold aura. Like frost, it spread outward from the hilt of the Ancient Moon Elephant-Trunk Saber, while a thin layer of white mist expanded from the blade.

Mysterious patterns emerged one after another on the hilt.

"Haha! Looks like my luck is pretty good. Even a weapon I picked at random isn't too shabby!"

Lu Yun was very satisfied as he looked at the weapon, then headed toward the lounge.

It was already eleven fifty.

According to the practical assessment rules, in another ten minutes, all contestants whose morning talent tests had reached C-rank or above would gather in the designated area of the hall.

The hall was very close to the B-zone lounge. Lu Yun first returned to where he had been resting and changed into a fresh set of clothes, then quickly arrived at the designated location.

Inside the hall.

It was already packed shoulder to shoulder.

In a conspicuous spot stood rows upon rows of tables and chairs.

Above those tables and chairs hung enormous computer screens.

On the screens.

Each contestant's final score would be displayed shortly.

This time.

A total of 1,426 contestants were participating in the practical assessment.

That was an enormous number.

Lu Yun swept his gaze over the hall. A vast array of numbers hung on the left wall, all representing contestants participating in the practical assessment. Beginning with C-rank martial arts talent, there were C-minus, C, C-plus, D-minus...

Every one of those densely packed numbers represented a contestant's martial arts talent.

Below the left wall was a passage leading deeper into the hall.

Lu Yun knew that this was probably the teleportation array for this practical assessment.

That way.

The contestants eliminated later could also use this teleportation array to return to the hall quickly.

Lu Yun walked to the front of the teleportation array and looked up at it.

This teleportation array was exceptionally tall and rather enormous, stretching dozens of meters. It was covered in intricate patterns, and standing before it, Lu Yun felt small.

"Contestant Lu Yun, hello."

A uniformed man ran over from afar and respectfully greeted Lu Yun. "Are you preparing to use the teleportation array directly? Please follow me."

"Alright, thank you." Lu Yun politely cupped his fists.

"You're welcome."

The man answered respectfully, then turned and walked toward the teleportation array.

Lu Yun fixed his gaze on the teleportation array and followed after him.

The instant he stepped into the teleportation array, the entire array seemed to activate at once and suddenly lit up.

"Buzz~"

Accompanied by a hum, Lu Yun's vision instantly went dark. When he opened his eyes again, he found that his surroundings had already changed.