A probing clash

"Mu Chen?"

They had heard that name once again. Perhaps he really did have something exceptional about him.

"Are you planning to get involved? I fought Ji Xuan earlier, and at best, it was a draw. I'm not confident I could defeat him. He has a grade-eight Token, and his companions all have grade-seven ones, with physical cultivation at the Spirit Wheel Realm," Qing He said.

"A grade-eight Token? That does interest me. What about Luo Li?" Fighting spirit flashed in Wu Ling's eyes. On the Spirit Road, one had to sustain oneself through battle.

"I've only worked with her once. Her strength seemed to be about the same."

They chatted, learning about some of the things happening along the other routes.

By now, the standoff between Ji Xuan and Luo Li had drawn a great deal of attention. Such a spectacle made it clear to everyone else that they stood among the strongest on the Spirit Road.

"Buzzz..."

Just as the tension between them grew increasingly heavy, the Blood-Colored Token announced the Five Great Academies' final trial.

A voice like a murmur in a dream sounded in everyone's minds.

The rules were simple.

"The final hundred participants shall aim for grade-nine Tokens as their ultimate goal. During this stage, you may seize other people's Tokens and fuse them with your own, but remember: you must not take anyone's life. Furthermore, allied groups may not exceed three members. When two sides engage in battle, no others may interfere.

"To raise your Token to grade nine, you must seek out the few grade-nine Spirit Beasts in this area. Only by slaying them and obtaining their Spirit Cores can you unlock your Token's shackles and raise it to grade nine.

"Of course, if you do not wish to obtain a grade-nine Token, you may seize the opportunity early and head to the Divine Temple Ruins at the center of this area to seek out Spirit Arts. How much time you spend cultivating those Spirit Arts will depend on you.

"However, bear in mind that the quality of your Token determines not only your final empowerment, but also the strength of the arts you can obtain. You may receive a Spirit Art, or perhaps a Divine Art...

"After that, we shall determine the strongest participant on this Spirit Road and conduct the Five Great Academies' Talent Assessment..."

After hearing the rules, the participants exchanged uncertain looks. Allied groups could not exceed three members? And were the conditions for raising a Token to grade nine really that harsh?

Without physical strength at the Spirit Wheel Realm, facing a grade-nine Spirit Beast was probably a road straight to death. The rules had said nothing about preventing Spirit Beasts from killing them.

Some groups did not even have a single person with Spirit Wheel Realm strength. No matter how many Spirit Movement Realm members they had, it would be useless, especially now that they could only form groups of three.

"These rules really are..." Qing He was somewhat speechless. He had been planning to join Yun Mo's group for the final stage, never expecting such a turn of events.

"How should we split up?" Wu Ling was equally frustrated, though his temperament kept him from saying much about it. Besides, leaving this group would give him more opportunities to hone himself.

"I'll stick with Captain Yun Mo." Wu Yingying gave Wu Ling a disdainful glance. As for Qing He, she barely knew him.

"Hah, you little brat. I don't want to stay with you either. Brother Qing He, let's go together."

"All right, though I may need to trouble you to stand guard for me once, Brother Wu Ling. With what Yun Mo gave me, I'm confident I can advance another step. Then we'll immediately go looking for grade-nine Spirit Beasts. We certainly won't fall behind them." Qing He smiled and nodded at Wu Ling.

"As if you two could..."

Boom!

But just as the two were about to leave, Ji Xuan and Luo Li unleashed their auras and clashed. The others who had been preparing to leave in search of Spirit Beasts stopped in their tracks, their gazes flickering as they chose to watch for now.

Of the three battlefields, the fight between Ji Xuan and Luo Li was the fiercest. The ringing clashes of spear and sword sounded without pause.

Killing intent never left Luo Li's icy face. Sword Aura swirled around her, and her exquisite footwork kept her in constant motion as she struck straight for Ji Xuan's throat, seemingly intent on disregarding the rules and killing him outright.

Ji Xuan, meanwhile, seemed somewhat wary. Though the spear in his hands trembled constantly, spreading Spear Aura, he largely remained on the defensive. He either swept his spear into a circular shield to block her attacks or shifted his footing, evading with his ghostlike speed.

Only when he truly had no room to retreat did he take the initiative to attack.

After all, their strength was evenly matched. Simply fleeing would only place him in real danger.

Clang!

Spear and sword collided again, scattering sparks, but this time, their fighting spirit seemed to have faded a little.

By now, the spectators could see it too. Although their clash was spectacular, neither seemed intent on fighting to the bitter end.

Watching this, Yun Mo and the others likewise noticed their reservations. There were simply too many people here, and no shortage of those hoping to reap the rewards of someone else's struggle.

"Let's go. They're clever enough that this is only a probing clash. They won't settle it here. The final showdown will be the main course."

Yun Mo smiled at Wen Qingxuan and Wu Yingying, then continued, "Since the rules say we can only obtain grade-nine Tokens by slaying Spirit Beasts, let's go find those grade-nine Spirit Beasts too. That way, we can head to the ruins of the Central Divine Temple sooner and find Divine Arts to cultivate."

"Then let's go. Wu Ling and Qing He only took one look before running off." Wu Yingying turned toward Wen Qingxuan as she spoke.

Yet Wen Qingxuan's phoenix eyes were still fixed on Yun Mo, an inscrutable trace of emotion in her gaze.

In the final stage of the Spirit Road, some chose to head straight for the Central Divine Temple, while others chose to take another gamble, seeking out people with Tokens to rob.

Of course, they understood the situation well and had their own plans. They would only target weaker groups.

Everyone hoped to raise their Token's grade a little higher. After all, it affected both the final empowerment and the Spirit Arts they could obtain.

Meanwhile, some who had previously disliked working with others found that the new limit on group size gave them a world of their own, making things easier for them. Some even turned their disadvantage into an advantage, gaining a chance to pursue grade-nine Tokens.

Thus, although the battles were no longer fights to the death, they were still exceedingly brutal. Clashes that cost people arms and legs were not unheard of.

Yun Mo's trio also encountered people trying to block their path. But the moment Wu Yingying's Crescent Blade appeared, their expressions changed, and they withdrew, not daring to look back.

"Where have all those grade-nine Spirit Beasts gone? Are we really supposed to search for them one step at a time like this?"

After wandering aimlessly for quite some time, Wu Yingying finally lost patience and started grumbling. "The map doesn't mark any grade-nine Spirit Beast lairs at all."

"Other than searching like this, do you have another

"way?"

"Why don't we follow those people and see if we can try snatching the fruits of their labor?"

Yun Mo and Wen Qingxuan looked in the direction Wu Yingying pointed. Three figures were racing along, seemingly with a clear destination in mind.

"Uh... that person looks a little like Ji Xuan from earlier."

"Exactly. Judging by the way they're acting, they definitely know something the rest of us don't. Let's follow them and steal their stuff," Wu Yingying said with a blink.

Those three should all have been among the final "king"-class figures. In that case, they would surely be able to find the grade-nine Spirit Beasts. Perhaps following them and letting them lead the way would not be such a bad idea?