Ji Xuan? Luo Li?

"Gulp..."

Every trial participant in the central area swallowed as they watched the four of them, abandoning their opponents to gather with their companions.

They feared that the four would turn their attention toward them. If they were targeted, there was a very good chance they would be eliminated right there.

"Retreat! There's no need to fight them to the bitter end here. Head for the outer area!" some people shouted under their breath.

Almost every alliance and group there began withdrawing toward the perimeter in unspoken agreement. They chose to target opponents they felt more confident about defeating. By eliminating those people sooner, they could advance smoothly to the final round.

Yun Mo smiled as he watched the crowd recede like a tide, unconcerned.

Holding three level-seven Tokens and several level-six Tokens, he began merging them right there in the center.

"Aren't we chasing them?" Wu Ling asked, watching the people fleeing desperately as blood dripped from his War Staff.

Of the thirty-odd people who had fought on this battlefield, some had died and others had fled. Now only Yun Mo and his three companions remained.

"Didn't you say this arena would activate a mechanism toward the end? Then there's no need to waste our energy hunting them down. They'll come back sooner or later," Yun Mo said calmly.

After absorbing so many high-level Tokens, the Tokens in his hands finally blossomed with an even more dazzling scarlet light.

"Here. They're all level-eight Tokens, not far from level nine."

Yun Mo led the three to a somewhat cleaner patch of open ground and sat down, handing them the Tokens.

"Which of the Five Great Academies are you going to afterward? The Martial Spirit Academy? To look for that desolate ancient gold?" Wen Qingxuan asked again about his plans.

"Are you coming to the Martial Spirit Academy? It's pretty good. I think it would suit you."

Wu Ling looked at Yun Mo and smiled.

The four shared differing degrees of closeness. He spoke more with Yun Mo, while he and Wen Qingxuan could barely be considered companions.

If Yun Mo went to the Martial Spirit Academy, both he and Wu Yingying would welcome him wholeheartedly.

"I don't know. Honestly, I'd rather have the old man back home come and take me back." Yun Mo knew this was probably wishful thinking. Given Qing Yilun's temperament, once he had tossed Yun Mo out, he was unlikely to let him return.

He also felt a sense of urgency. The mark on his head absolutely had to be removed.

After all, who knew whether some hidden contingency lay within that mark? If it caused problems later on, or allowed those Demon Emperors to control his mind through it, he would be utterly finished.

He had to seize the opportunity to become a Sovereign. Perhaps the Five Great Academies really were a good destination.

After Yun Mo and his three companions had rested for a while, the Martial Combat Arena slowly began to tremble.

Gusts of astral gale abruptly appeared around the perimeter. Those who had wanted to linger there paled. These gales were extremely dangerous; with the strength of their bodies, touching them would leave them gravely injured. With no other choice, they rushed toward the center.

This also led to more fierce battles, and the central area gradually grew lively again.

However, when some people saw the corpses strewn across the ground and the imposing presence of Yun Mo's group, they could only force themselves to stop and turn toward other, weaker groups.

In their hearts, they had completely abandoned any thought of competing with those four for places or Tokens.

"Thirty-six, thirty-five... thirty!" The spectators outside could see the entire Martial Combat Arena. Only thirty people remained inside.

At this point, no one was willing to attack again. Everyone watched the others with extreme caution.

They were only one step away from the end.

"Normally, it should have ended when there were around thirty-three people left. What's going on?"

"The fighting on our route must have been too brutal. After all, there are four monsters standing there. Anyone who refused to believe it fell in the blink of an eye."

"It's truly miserable being on the same route as them."

Just then, someone inside the Martial Combat Arena spoke up as well.

"Everyone, astral gales are raging around the perimeter. We should be the only ones left here. I counted, and there are only thirty of us. Logically, perhaps we don't need to keep fighting to the death. Why don't we discuss it?" said someone with Spirit Wheel Realm strength.

"What are you trying to say?" someone asked, steeped in bloody killing intent, his face twisted by the ceaseless slaughter.

"There are a few on our route... the competition is rather fierce. Perhaps we could stop fighting and wait for the other routes to catch up. They have more places available than we do."

Seeing Yun Mo and his companions look toward him, his expression changed. He took a small step back and immediately changed his wording.

It did sound reasonable.

There were already seven people present with Spirit Wheel Realm strength, while the rest were at the peak of the Spirit Movement Realm. If the fighting continued, apart from Yun Mo's group, no one had much confidence in their chances.

Tokens were precious, but their lives mattered more.

Their eyes had been red with bloodlust earlier, but now that things had reached this point, they could indeed consider stopping.

Everyone fell silent before nodding one after another. The pressure Yun Mo's group exerted was simply too overwhelming. If they could avoid fighting any further, everyone was willing.

Fortunately, he had indeed been right.

"Dong..."

The ancient bell rang out once more, its lingering notes deep and sonorous.

"The trial has ended. Congratulations. You have finally become disciples of the Five Great Academies. You are the ultimate winners of this Spirit Road, and the final rules will be announced later. Now, you may set out for the last stretch of your journey."

The Mirror of Judgment appeared within the Three Martial Combat Arenas, and its announcement allowed most of the trial participants to breathe a sigh of relief.

Then the Mirror of Judgment expanded, seemingly transforming into a teleportation gate as a mysterious aura washed over them.

Everyone wanted to pass Yun Mo's group and enter, but they did not quite dare. They could only stare at the four expectantly.

Yun Mo was speechless. He smiled at Wen Qingxuan and the other two. "Let's go. Let's see the world at the end of the Spirit Road."

"Hum..."

The four stepped inside. As the world spun around them, they arrived at the final stretch of the journey.

The moment they emerged, they also sensed activity at two other teleportation gates, where people were appearing as well.

"Yun Mo!"

Qing He spotted Yun Mo at first glance. Leaving his collaborators behind, he flashed over to stand before him.

"You actually didn't come looking for me? Looks like you've been doing pretty well?" Yun Mo smiled too, tossing him a page of scripture and a bottle of Royal Jelly.

"That was the headmaster's instruction. What did you give me?"

Qing He glanced at them and deftly put them away without asking further questions for now. Then he took out some medicinal herbs he was carrying and tossed them to Yun Mo.

Yun Mo accepted them without standing on ceremony, then introduced him to Wen Qingxuan and the other two.

"Why do I feel like you're all so strong? Am I imagining it?" After getting acquainted, Qing He decisively joined their four-person team, becoming one of its members.

"You definitely couldn't beat any of us. Perhaps you could fight her to a draw," Yun Mo said with a smile.

That earned him an eye roll from Wu Yingying, but she did not argue. She could indeed sense that Qing He seemed difficult to handle.

Qing He shrugged. He had indeed fallen somewhat behind.

"Oh, right. When I entered the Spirit Road, the headmaster said we didn't need to return. We're to stay at the Five Great Academies from now on. He won't come to pick us up, and he said that even if we went back, he would only toss us out again. He asked me to give you this." Seemingly remembering something, Qing He took out a jade pendant and handed it to Yun Mo.

Yun Mo accepted the life-saving item. Though he had long prepared himself for this, that old man still left him speechless.

"What else did he say?"

"Nothing else. Oh, he also said Weak Water would be going to the Five Great Academies too, and asked you to keep an eye on her when the time came."

"Weak Water?" Wen Qingxuan turned her head, an inscrutable look in her eyes.

The corner of Yun Mo's mouth twitched. Just as he was about to say something, Wu Ling interjected.

"Who are they?"

His words startled the others, and they all looked over. After all, the aura from that direction had already spread to where they stood.

Those people were locked in a confrontation, and the pressure radiating from them was formidable. One side had a full six people.

Although the other side had only three, there was not a trace of fear on their faces. They even swung their weapons, ready to fight right there.

Moreover, the girl leading those three made their eyes light up involuntarily. Her aloof temperament made her seem like an icy beauty. Even at her age, they could already see the beauty that would one day topple cities and kingdoms.

"The leader of that group is called Ji Xuan. I've fought him before. The one on the other side seems to be called Luo Li. They're both very strong. As for this confrontation, it's because of a grudge," Qing He explained.

Understanding dawned in Yun Mo's eyes, and he studied them with interest.

"A grudge?"

"It has to do with Mu Chen, the one who was expelled from the Spirit Road." Qing He nodded, but he knew nothing beyond that.