After Elder Zhu's words fell, everyone's gazes moved toward one person in unspoken accord!
Lin Feng!
Everyone wore different expressions—confusion, shock, curiosity... After all, Lin Feng had been an unknown nobody before this, with no heaven-defying feats to his name. Yet now, he had actually taken first place in the Spirit Formation assessment?
And broken the record as well!
At that moment, someone suddenly recalled the number Elder Zhu had just announced.
Five hundred and fifty spirit beasts?
One had to know—
Xu Jun, who had placed second, had only killed two hundred and seventy-one spirit beasts! Lin Feng had killed twice as many as second place!
That terrifying number drew many sharp intakes of breath from the crowd.
Even though Lin Feng's cultivation was merely at the Eighth Layer of Blood Tempering.
The fact that he could kill so many spirit beasts meant that, among those of the same realm, Lin Feng's combat strength was incomparably formidable.
Among the million Registered Disciples, those in the Sea of Reincarnation Realm were exceedingly rare, few and far between, numbering no more than five. Yet there were quite a few at the Eighth Stage of the Blood-Shifting Realm—at least several thousand, perhaps tens of thousands.
But even if all those Eighth Stage of the Blood-Shifting Realm cultivators were added together, they might not equal even a fraction of Lin Feng's count!
The same realm but entirely different displays of combat strength was enough to show just how terrifying Lin Feng's strength against those of the same realm was!
At this moment, Chen Yunjing, Xu Jun, and Wei Changfeng all darkened their gazes as they sized Lin Feng up again and again!
This was somewhat unbelievable—and utterly unreasonable!
At the Eighth Stage of the Blood-Shifting Realm, clearing the tenth stage meant facing at least Sea of Reincarnation Realm spirit beasts—and one hundred of them at that!
One had to know that there were only five hundred and fifty spirit beasts in the entire Spirit Formation. This meant Lin Feng had wiped out every spirit beast from the first stage to the tenth. What kind of terrifying combat strength was that?
"How did this guy do it? A Registered Disciple, yet he's this strong? I don't believe it." Xu Jun's gaze was extremely hostile. If not for Lin Feng, this Cheng Yaojin who had appeared halfway through, first place would have been his!
That was supreme honor as well!
Chen Yunjing and Wei Changfeng were even more displeased. Because of Lin Feng's appearance, both their rankings had automatically dropped by one.
"What background does this person have to be so strong!"
"An Eighth Stage of the Blood-Shifting Realm cultivator broke the record. What ability does he possess? I could never do it!"
"Could he have cheated, or used some other special method?!"
Many onlookers discussed the matter in hushed whispers. Among them were prominent figures from the imperial dynasty's nobility, as well as elders and even family heads from the great surrounding clans. The lowest cultivation among them was the Palace of Destiny Realm, and there were even several Dao Condensation Realm experts.
Yet without exception, all their attention was fixed on Lin Feng.
This time, he had truly stolen the limelight!
Even the three prodigies with Venerable Realm backing had been crushed beneath him!
"But this Spirit Formation doesn't seem able to determine the final rankings!"
"Exactly. Clearing the Spirit Formation has nothing to do with the final rankings. In the end, it still depends on one's own strength! Lin Feng's combat ability against those of the same realm is indeed strong, but those three prodigies are all in the Sea of Reincarnation Realm!"
"Tsk. Looking at it this way, the final rankings will still belong to those three prodigies. Naturally—after all, they have Venerable Realm backing! For such prodigies, taking the top three in a disciple assessment is far too easy!"
Soft murmurs rose once more from the surrounding crowd.
Lin Feng turned a deaf ear to the voices around him.
Was the Sea of Reincarnation Realm very strong?
At this moment, Chen Yunjing, Xu Jun, and Wei Changfeng snorted coldly. They did not dwell on this matter for long. After all, the second assessment was what determined the final results; the first had merely been a screening.
Taking first place in this part did not amount to much!
"The Eighth Stage of the Blood-Shifting Realm? The gap between our realms is vast. If we truly fought, I could kill him in one move!" Xu Jun said indifferently.
As the second-place finisher, he was quite displeased at being pressed beneath a Registered Disciple like Lin Feng, so he spoke up.
Chen Yunjing said disdainfully, "You overestimate him. Perhaps he merely used some special method we don't know about!"
Wei Changfeng likewise snorted coldly, not believing Lin Feng could threaten their final rankings!
At this time.
Elder Zhu slowly said, "The first assessment has ended."
"Next comes the second assessment! The assessment that will determine your final rankings and decide who receives the rewards for the top three!"
Everyone's hearts shook as they looked toward Elder Zhu.
"The top ten will each have an arena. You will defend your arenas. Everyone else may freely challenge you. Should they win, they will take one of the top ten positions."
"The challenge period lasts for half a shichen. After half a shichen, the top ten will begin a draw-based battle to determine who takes first place!"
The rules were also exceedingly simple. It was purely a matter of relying on one's own strength to determine the final rankings!
With a sweep of Elder Zhu's hand, ten enormous arenas appeared in the venue.
Lin Feng drifted lightly onto one of the arenas.
The instant he arrived atop the arena, countless ill-intentioned gazes turned toward him.
Clearly, many believed that he had taken first place through some unknown method.
Quite a few people were tempted and wanted to challenge him!
Chen Yunjing and the other two merely snorted coldly, believing that if someone challenged Lin Feng, he might not even be able to hold his arena and could be eliminated outright!
If that happened, the first-place winner of the Spirit Formation assessment would become a joke!
Just then.
A young man holding a saber had light flashing in his eyes as he leaped directly onto the arena!
"Xuan Wenzheng of the Great Xuan Dynasty!"
"No matter what method you used to take first place in the Spirit Formation assessment, the top ten is not something an Eighth Stage of the Blood-Shifting Realm cultivator like you can hold. Step down on your own!" Xuan Wenzheng said.
"That's Xuan Wenzheng! A prince of the Great Xuan Dynasty. His cultivation seems to be at the First Stage of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm!"
"Tsk, the gap in realms is like a vast chasm. Crossing it is not so simple! This Lin Feng is likely going down!"
"No matter what, the Eighth Stage of the Blood-Shifting Realm is not qualified to stand on this arena, nor is he qualified to be among the top ten!"
The onlookers all spoke this way.
His realm was right there, meaning that his maximum combat strength had been fixed in place.
Thus, even though Lin Feng had taken first place, people still dared to step forward and challenge him!
Lin Feng glanced at Xuan Wenzheng.
The man's words sounded righteous and awe-inspiring, as though he did not wish to harm the innocent.
Yet Lin Feng could see nothing but contempt in his eyes.
Lin Feng knew that the other man likely wanted to conserve his strength for the later struggle over the top ten rankings.
Only.
He had instantly slain hundreds of Sea of Reincarnation Realm spirit beasts within the Spirit Formation.
How did a mere First Stage of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm cultivator dare challenge him?
Xuan Wenzheng, standing opposite him, wore an arrogant expression as he looked down on Lin Feng from above.
The next moment, Xuan Wenzheng's pupils shrank. Lin Feng's sword moved, and in that instant, an incomparably sharp cold gleam gradually blossomed in his eyes.
"Not good!"
Xuan Wenzheng roared. Origin energy surged throughout his body as the limits of the First Stage of the Sea of Reincarnation Realm erupted. He raised his saber and unleashed the strongest strike of his life!
However—
Beneath that plain and unadorned sword light, the saber in Xuan Wenzheng's hand shattered. He spat blood in midair and was sent flying off the arena!
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