Within the huge warship hovering high outside the Core Region of the Ancient Battlefield, the elder who led the group, along with the three middle-aged men, sat cross-legged in meditation, awaiting the conclusion of the assessment.
"Elder Dongfang, in your opinion, how many of the Eastern Region's young geniuses will successfully pass this assessment?" one of the middle-aged men suddenly spoke up.
"Hard to say," the old man replied. "These youths from the Eastern Region are a mixed bag, far inferior to their peers from the Central Continent. Those Ancient Demon Crystals—the truth is, most of them have been hoarded by the demon beasts living there within their nests. To collect enough crystals, they'll inevitably have to fight those beasts. And the demon beasts dwelling within this Core Region of the Ancient Battlefield are no simple creatures; they were birthed from the demonic bloodlines left behind by the ancient demon races that perished here. They won't be easy to deal with."
"As for how many youths actually pass, that's up to fate," the old man continued. "This time, although our Hudao Academy is expanding its recruitment, that doesn't mean we'll take anyone of any quality. We'd rather not accept them than take those who don't meet the standards."
"Indeed," the other three men nodded in agreement.
"However, I know for certain one person will definitely pass," another man suddenly said. "And that's Ye Yunfei. I have absolute confidence in him."
"That goes without saying," another man chuckled. "If even Ye Yunfei can't pass the assessment, then certainly everyone else would fail."
"Oh? It seems the two of you hold that Ye Yunfei in very high regard," the old man remarked.
"Of course we do," the man affirmed. "Back when we were observing him, we secretly followed him for a period of time. We understand his circumstances quite well. He is absolutely a promising seedling. Even compared to those monstrous young talents from the Central Continent, he wouldn't fall short!"
"Heh, hearing you two speak like this has piqued my interest in Ye Yunfei as well. Let's hope he successfully passes the assessment," the old man said with a smile.
***
Meanwhile, within the Core Region of the Ancient Battlefield, the dozen-odd young martial artists were leading the way, with Ye Yunfei's trio following behind. Along their route, they encountered many young martial artists locked in fierce combat against various demon beasts. The vast majority had already formed teams, banding together for survival to jointly seek out the demon beasts' nests. Naturally, the demon beasts inhabiting this Core Region were retaliating with equal ferocity.
During these struggles, numerous martial artists, when facing death, directly activated their Transmission Talismans and escaped. Yet many others, caught in the most perilous clashes, didn't even have time to activate their talismans before being slain by the beasts.
During their advance, they frequently ran into various demon beasts, all of which were instantly annihilated by Ye Yunfei's casual attacks. With Ye Yunfei and Hu Miao present, no matter how powerful the demon beast, it met its end without any suspense. The dozen-odd martial artists watched with a mixture of awe and admiration, almost feeling compelled to kneel and worship Ye Yunfei.
After approximately one hour, the group ahead stopped abruptly.
"We're almost there," they said, too afraid to proceed further, fear evident on their faces.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Power immediately swept forward to sense the area. Indeed, about five kilometers ahead, at a particular location, a massive concentration of Earth Corpse Monkeys had gathered. It seemed to be one of their nests.
"Alright. You may leave," Ye Yunfei said.
The dozen-odd martial artists reacted as if receiving a holy decree. With a flurry of movement, they vanished without a trace within moments, leaving only Ye Yunfei's trio behind.
"Hu Miao, you should return to the Inner Dan for now," Ye Yunfei said after some thought.
"Understood." Hu Miao's figure flickered, transforming into a wisp of demonic mist that flowed into the Inner Dan.
Wu Heishan watched with inner astonishment but didn't dare ask questions.
Next, Ye Yunfei used the Thousand Transformations technique to alter his appearance and aura, becoming a unfamiliar, delicate-looking youth who appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen years old—his features seemed exceptionally youthful.
"Boss, you're...?" Wu Heishan was taken aback, not understanding.
He had already changed his form of address for Ye Yunfei to "Boss," as his admiration for Ye Yunfei had reached the point where he couldn't help but use the term.
"Remember, for now, don't reveal my identity," Ye Yunfei instructed.
"Ah, I understand!" Wu Heishan exclaimed, as if a lightbulb went off. "Boss, you must be planning to quietly sneak in first, keep a low profile, let those disciples from the major forces fight those Earth Corpse Monkeys to the death. Then, when the time is ripe, you'll suddenly swoop in and pick up the spoils! Great idea! Don't worry, Boss, I won't give away your identity."
"Since Boss is going undercover, then I'll play along," Wu Heishan said, pulling out a soft, lifelike leather mask and putting it on. It transformed him into an unfamiliar man sporting a thin mustache.
"Well? Boss, you can't recognize me, right?" Wu Heishan said proudly. His leather mask was a True Level artifact, and its effect was quite convincing.
"Let's go," Ye Yunfei had no patience to indulge his chit-chat and strode forward.
Wu Heishan hurried to catch up.
With his Soul Power perception, Ye Yunfei already knew the specific location of the Earth Corpse Monkey nest ahead, so he proceeded directly towards it.
However, he had only taken a few steps when...
**Gwaaak! Gwaaak!**
From a nearby patch of jungle, a pack of forty to fifty Earth Corpse Monkeys suddenly charged out, snarling with bared teeth, their gazes cruel and savage. These Earth Corpse Monkeys moved with great speed, hungrily eyeing Ye Yunfei and Wu Heishan as if looking at two delicious snacks, swiftly closing in. These creatures loved human flesh the most!
Neither Ye Yunfei nor Wu Heishan fled; instead, they sneered coldly at the approaching horde.
"With Boss here, you beasts are basically asking for death," Wu Heishan declared, appearing perfectly calm.
Just as Ye Yunfei was preparing to make a move and slay these Earth Corpse Monkeys...
**Boom! Boom! Boom!**
Suddenly, a series of ferocious attacks shot in from afar—sword beams, saber glows, fist imprints, palm prints, and several magical artifacts—all crashing into the Earth Corpse Monkeys before the creatures could even reach Ye Yunfei and Wu Heishan.
From a distance, a group of men and women with extraordinary bearing, their figures flashing as they swiftly approached, launched further assaults on the Earth Corpse Monkeys.
This group was incredibly strong, their spiritual power robust, and their combat prowess far exceeding others of their rank. In mere moments, they exterminated all dozens of Earth Corpse Monkeys. Then, their gazes turned to sweep over Ye Yunfei and Wu Heishan.
"Huh? Young friend," a burly man in his mid-twenties spoke up, staring at Ye Yunfei in surprise. "You're only at the mid-stage Profound Realm, yet you actually dared to come participate in the Hudao Academy enrollment assessment? That's quite bold of you."
This man possessed early-stage Saint Realm strength. He seemed rather blunt and straightforward, possessing a somewhat rustic honesty that matched his speak-his-mind personality.
"Brother, why did you have to point that out right to his face!" A young woman, who resembled a shy and demure girl from a respectable family, walked over and rebuked the man.