"Spit it out!" Tang Wei roared.

"Tsk tsk, rookies, don’t be so impatient. The condition is simple: survive. If you can last a month here, I’ll come back to pick you up."

"Survive for a month?"

"That’s right, beautiful lady. You just need to survive... for one month. HAHAHAHA."

With that, Moo WuZheng’s figure flickered, and he vanished.

A ghostly Body Technique and an incredibly punchable attitude.

Wang Meng stretched. "So, what’s everyone’s plan?"

Tang Wei waved his hand dismissively. "Do whatever you want." With that, he turned and left without a second glance.

Liangyuan had no intention of sticking with Li Tianyi and Mingren. "See you at the Cultivation Academy in a month."

The remaining four exchanged glances. Mingren shook his head, spreading his hands helplessly. "I guess the alliance our Ancestral Masters were hoping for isn’t happening with this group."

"Isn’t it more interesting to go it alone? If we have to group up for something this simple, we might as well just go home. Senior Brother, I’m heading out."

Li Tianyi left as well.

Mingren slapped his forehead. "Seems like leaving the Holy Hall has only fired everyone up even more. Well then, I’m out too. I’ll leave Junior Sister Ma in your care."

Mingren said with a suggestive wink before ambling off as well.

Once again, it was just Wang Meng and Ma Tian’Er.

"I’m going too," Ma Tian’Er said. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Wang Meng gave a dry cough. "Tian’Er, let’s team up."

Ma Tian’Er shook her head. "No. If I can’t even pass this most basic entrance trial, how will I handle what comes next? Wang... Senior Brother, good luck."

Ma Tian’Er left too. Wang Meng didn’t understand why she was here. When he’d asked Zhou Feng, Zhou Feng had just said it was an arrangement by the Ma Family, something beyond his control.

In an instant, only Wang Meng remained. He looked around and gave a wry laugh. ’Survival, huh?’

After Wang Meng’s figure had also disappeared, the blue-robed man reappeared.

To be precise, he appeared atop the trees. He tapped his wrist, and an Array materialized.

’Let me see... Oh, damn. Did I bet too much on this one?’

Just then, the Array on his wrist began to flash. Moo WuZheng tapped it, and the image of a young man appeared.

"How’s it going over there? I heard you picked some garbage Sect to try your luck with. WuZheng, you’re really going for a long shot this time."

Moo WuZheng shrugged. "I’m just doubling down on a bad hand and hoping for the best. At least I got a good number of candidates this time. If even one of them makes it out alive, it’ll be worth it."

"Well, good luck."

"Damn it, Ge Mang, are you just here to gloat? How are things on your end?"

"Hehe, I hit the jackpot. Got someone at the twenty-eighth layer. The success rate is extremely high."

"Tch! Son of a bitch! Why is my luck so damn awful!"

Moo WuZheng gazed into the distance and shook his head. It looked like he really would have to depend on luck this time.

’A barrier... a massive one.’ That was Wang Meng’s first impression upon entering. ’What the hell is this Star Alliance? And what’s the deal with the Cultivation Academy?’ Wang Meng knew nothing, but he didn’t need to overthink it. The priority was to pass this test.

Wang Meng had followed Ma Tian’Er in. ’That girl is so stubborn. I really don’t know if the Ma Family has lost its mind, sending her to a place like this.’

But Wang Meng soon discovered a serious problem... he’d lost her.

Ma Tian’Er had vanished the moment she entered the barrier.

In truth, Moo WuZheng hadn’t told them that everyone would be separated upon entering, whether they were in a group or not.

This was a test of their qualifications to enter the Cultivation Academy, not a test of their teamwork.

Before he had walked for long, the temperature began to rise. Red rocks became more common. Wang Meng subconsciously reached out and touched one. It was scorching hot.

’An illusion?’

He checked with his Heart Spirit and found it was no illusion at all.

’Illusion-type Magic doesn’t work on me. It looks like this Star Alliance really has some skill.’

Before the thought could even finish, a dangerous presence washed over him. His body flashed in an explosive burst of speed.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

The ground was riddled with densely packed red spots, which immediately burst into flames. Just a moment ago, something that looked like a rock had moved.

BOOM! The rock shattered, and a fiery-red, leopard-like Demon Beast erupted from within.

It let out a deafening roar at Wang Meng, and with it came another volley of densely packed red projectiles.

’What the hell is this thing?’

Sensing the creature’s surging Demon Power, Wang Meng didn’t dare let his guard down. He instantly drew Broken Heaven Edge and executed an Instant Flash.

"KILL!"

BOOM!

Broken Heaven Edge struck the fiery-red Demon Beast’s flank, sending it staggering, its eyes practically burning with rage.

Wang Meng was stunned. ’I put my full power into that strike, and it only knocked it back...?’

’Damn it, what is this thing?’

SWOOSH!

The enraged Demon Beast lunged like a bolt of red lightning, clawing for Wang Meng. Wang Meng retreated explosively as the creature’s claws swept past, seeming to tear the very air.

Wang Meng dodged, but a searing pain erupted on his chest. Three claw marks had appeared, and they burned like fire.

’It’s poison!’

Without a moment’s hesitation, Wang Meng swallowed an Antitoxic Pill that Zhou Feng had prepared for him, rage flaring in his heart.

Sword Slash!

CLANG! CLANG!

Waves of Sword Qi blasted toward the Demon Beast. Wang Meng quickly realized that while the creature’s speed was incredible, its movements were entirely linear. No matter how fast it was, its trajectory was easy to predict. The Demon Beast took several of Wang Meng’s Sword Slashes head-on.

If the Demon Beast was furious, Wang Meng was absolutely livid. His Elemental Power was pure and unadorned—a full Twenty Layers Sword Slash. Even though it wasn’t a complex Sword Formula, the Elemental Power behind it was immense, yet it couldn’t even break the creature’s skin.

Each time a Sword Slash landed, it only sent out a shower of sparks, as if steel were striking steel.

The fiery-red Demon Beast spat and clawed, trying to tear Wang Meng to pieces. Wang Meng pushed his Flying Shadow Body Technique to its limits, constantly dodging. Fortunately, he could use the surrounding terrain to his advantage.

But this was just too damn frustrating. Wang Meng had no intention of wasting any more time in this godforsaken place.

With a flick of Broken Heaven Edge, he dodged the fiery-red Demon Beast’s charge, and Sword Qi erupted outwards—Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens!

The Sword Qi exploded, enveloping the Flame Demon Beast. Without any attempt to dodge, the beast charged head-first into the White Phoenix formed by the Sword Qi, completely fearless.

BOOM!

The destructive power of a Sword Formula was on a completely different level from a mere Sword Slash. Blood flew, and the ground ignited wherever it splattered.

Even with the Antitoxic Pill in his system, Wang Meng’s wounds still burned. It seemed the pill wasn’t very effective.

A normal Sword Slash was useless. Wang Meng attacked again with another Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens. This time, the Flame Demon Beast dodged.

"Fall to the Yellow Springs!"

Wang Meng roared. Elemental Power erupted from the ground, enveloping the Flame Demon Beast before the earth beneath it collapsed with a thunderous crash.

Wang Meng’s whole body felt feverish. He had to end this fast. Throwing caution to the wind, he blasted it with another Phoenix Dance in the Nine Heavens, followed by a frenzied barrage of slashes. At last, the struggling, fiery-red Demon Beast went still.

Wang Meng panted for breath. ’What the hell is this thing made of? It’s tough as rock.’ He was just about to inspect his spoils...

...when the surrounding ground began to shake like an earthquake. Cracks appeared on one rock after another. When the first head poked out, Wang Meng felt a massive headache coming on.

’Of the Thirty-Six Stratagems, retreat is the best option!’

’Run!’

Behind Wang Meng, giant rocks cracked open one by one. Fiery-red Demon Beasts of all shapes and sizes emerged as if they’d just been woken up, swarming after him in a furious tide.

Wang Meng felt his whole body burning up; running actually seemed to help a little. He ran for his life!

(Please vote with your monthly and recommendation tickets. Thank you!) (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) and vote with your recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)