Chapter 65 - 65 64 The Third Level Embarkation!

65: Chapter 64: The Third Level, Embarkation! 65: Chapter 64: The Third Level, Embarkation! Five days had flashed by, and tomorrow would be the day of the third round of the Inner Sect selection competition. Lin Xuan had, during these five days, preliminarily mastered the Illusion Thunder Step. His speed had almost increased by a factor of one and a half compared to when he used the Instant Shadow Step. Even if he encountered Duan Fei, Lin Xuan was confident that he could compete in speed. “As expected of a Dark-grade Intermediate Martial Art, even the entry-level power is tremendous!” Lin Xuan was looking forward to the effect it would display once he achieved Great Success. The night passed without incident. The next day, Lin Xuan arrived early at the Martial Arts Arena, ready for the third round of testing. After him, disciples arrived one after another, all of whom had passed the previous two rounds, totaling one hundred and three people. Among them were many Lin Xuan recognized, including Tang Yu, Yin Qingyi, Luo Yi, and others standing by his side. People chatted casually, but before long, several dark specks suddenly appeared in the sky, swiftly flying toward the Martial Arts Arena. Lin Xuan’s right eye, since merging with the Black Lotus, could not only form a black vortex but also had exceptionally good eyesight, allowing him to see very distant objects clearly. He looked up and realized that those dark spots were immense ships, rapidly flying in the sky. Boom, boom, boom! The three large ships were very fast. One descended onto the Martial Arts Arena, stirring up a gust of wind, causing the disciples to step back. The ship’s hatch opened, and three purple-robed middle-aged men walked out. The one in the lead was the same square-faced middle-aged man from the other day. He stood at the bow of the ship, looking down at the one hundred and three disciples and said loudly, “Line up and board the ship; I will take you to the next round!” Everyone looked puzzled, not knowing where they were going, but their feet moved quickly as they each jumped onto the large ship. The ship was very large; even with one hundred and three disciples on board, it didn’t feel crowded. Lin Xuan stood on the ship, curiously looking around and found that although it was made of wood, it was incredibly hard—beyond the damage a Cultivator at the Mystical Realm could inflict. “Take off!” commanded the square-faced middle-aged man. The ship, which was dozens of meters long, shook a few times before slowly ascending with everyone on board, rising into the sky and flying toward the distance alongside the other two ships. After the ship took off, the square-faced man didn’t pay attention to the disciples and walked into the cabin instead. The group of over a hundred people looked at each other, feeling uneasy. Moreover, as the ship’s speed increased, the wind grew stronger, causing a stinging sensation when it blew against their bodies. Aside from some special Body Refinement disciples and those with profound strength, others began to circulate their Spiritual Power, forming a protective layer over their bodies to guard against the fierce wind. Lin Xuan, having practiced the Golden Jade Body Tempering Technique, could still endure the wind, but Tang Yu and Yin Qingyi beside him had conjured Protective Spirit Light. Searᴄh the Nôvel(F)ire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Under such strong winds, it was impossible to speak. Many settled down to meditate in silence. With nothing else to do, Lin Xuan looked curiously around, eventually setting his gaze on the neighboring ship. The distance between the two ships was over a hundred meters, but with the help of his right eye, Lin Xuan could still make out some details. He saw that those on the other ship were also youths; however, they were generally older than his group, and very few of them had activated Protective Spirit Power. Each sat silently, wiping their Weapons. “Judging by their attire, they must also be disciples of the Xuantian Sect. Could they be Inner Sect Disciples?” Lin Xuan speculated in his heart, but he did not know why they were traveling together. After about three to four hours of travel, the ship gradually slowed down, and many disciples stood up, aware that their destination was near. During the final leg of the journey, the ship was abuzz with slow movement, allowing Lin Xuan and the others to clearly see the scenery below. However, the scene that unfolded below gave them quite a shock. Below was a city, or more precisely, a city that was ruined. Half of the ten-meter-tall walls had collapsed, most of the buildings inside were destroyed, and the rubble and white bones were everywhere. There was also the glaring crimson color that assaulted their eyes. “This…” All the Outer Disciples were stunned by the scene before them. After a long while, someone muttered, “This is a city invaded by Demon Beasts! We’ve come to the frontline of a war!” “What? The frontline!” Many exclaimed in shock. Daxia Kingdom was far from peaceful, especially the regions bordering the Primitive Forest, where wars were common. The place Lin Xuan and the others had arrived at was evidently a battlefield. “How can we possibly defeat those Demon Beasts when we’re so weak? Isn’t this sending us to our deaths?” someone complained discontentedly. “Exactly, I don’t want to be eaten by a Demon Beast!” Numerous disciples voiced their concerns. “Shut up, a bunch of useless trash!” Jiang Yulong said coldly from within the crowd. “I think the sect wouldn’t simply send us to the frontline directly. Everyone, don’t be hasty,” Duan Fei also said in a deep voice. Lin Xuan looked at the devastated landscape on the ground, feeling slightly despondent. This was the cruel world where the weak were devoured, and only the strong could survive. Suddenly, his eyebrows twitched, and he swiftly turned around, his muscles tense, staring intently at the sky with a solemn expression. A piercing screech sounded, vibrating eardrums and causing dizziness and headaches. All the Outer Disciples activated their Spiritual Power to resist, while a pale cyan Energy Shield emerged above the ship, covering it entirely. “How terrifying, what is that sound?” everyone wondered with alarm. Whoosh! A huge shadow was cast upon the ship as a grey bird, over ten meters in length, appeared above the disciples and swooped down towards them. “Damn, it’s an Iron Claw Eagle! It’s huge; it must be beyond the Magnetic Condensation Realm!” someone recognized the creature above. Boom! The eagle’s talons, shimmering with silver light, collided with the cyan Energy Shield, causing a tremor, but the shield only deformed slightly before returning to its original state. At that moment, the cabin doors opened, and a square-faced middle-aged man emerged, followed by two young men in their twenties. “Evil beast!” The square-faced middle-aged man looked up at the Iron Claw Eagle and snorted coldly. What followed was a gleaming sword light, like a red hot whip, piercing instantly into the chest of the Iron Claw Eagle and leaving a two-meter long wound. Blood scattered across the sky, and grey feathers fluttered in the air as the Iron Claw Eagle cried out pitifully and swiftly flew away. “What a terrifying sword!” Lin Xuan looked warily at the square-faced middle-aged man. That sword strike was so sharp it could have nearly annihilated all of them, the entire group of Outer Disciples. After repelling the Iron Claw Eagle with a single sword strike, the square-faced middle-aged man then said indifferently, “I am the person in charge of this mission. You may call me Elder Gu. The content of your assessment is combat, real combat!” “I will send you to a small battleground. There are no Demon Beasts inside, only some Fierce Beasts, whose strength is comparable to yours. Your task is to slay these Fierce Beasts!” “After you’ve slain the Fierce Beasts, you will need to cut off their left ears as proof. Finally, you will be ranked based on the number of beasts you’ve killed.” “Of course, this test comes with certain risks, and there may be casualties. Now, I’ll give you a chance to opt out. Answer me after ten breaths!”