by Shian Jeen
Ch.533
After buying the peak half-step God Realm beast cores, Huwang Xiao rented a courtyard in one of the Black Warrior City’s inns, immersing himself in cultivation. Now, there were barely ten months left until the assessment day. Thus, Huwang Xiao limited himself to ten beast cores a day, while the rest of the time was spent on cultivating his battle qi, the Ancient Puppetry Art, and Soul Mandate.
He also went out from time to time for a stroll and dip in some occasional wine. The days were leisurely and comfortable, contributing to his dwindling wealth.
The small courtyard he rented wasn’t large, but it still cost more than a thousand Xuanwu coins daily. A bottle of slightly better wine cost at least another thousand Xuanwu coins.
In the beginning, he had wanted to buy his own courtyard in the Black Warrior City, but he was shocked after asking about the price. The cheapest courtyard cost three to four hundred million! On top of that, only Black Warrior Institute’s elite disciples and above were permitted to purchase a residence. As for others, they wouldn't be given the time of the day even if they offered hundreds of millions.
“Forget Black Warrior City, even courtyards in small cities on the Cloudsea Mainland would cost you at least one hundred million.” Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi emphasized, “The Cloudsea Mainland is the entire Black Tortoise Galaxy’s trading center, every inch of land is worth more than gold. Only some big families or super forces’ disciples or Elders can afford to own a place.”
A regretful sigh sounded from Huwang Xiao. No matter where one goes, the difference between the rich and poor still exists.
“After you break into the God Realm and become a Black Warrior Institute’s inner disciple, with that identity you can look to buy a place in one of the smaller cities of the Cloudsea Mainland.” Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi persuaded.
Huwang Xiao nodded.
Even a common courtyard in the Cloudsea Continent’s smaller cities wasn't something that everyone could buy, the identity of the buyer was a prerequisite. That wouldn't be an issue if Huwang Xiao was able to become an inner disciple of the Black Warrior Institute.
At that time, he could even bring the Huwang Family over to the Cloudsea Mainland. This was an absolutely safe place.
No one would dare to fight openly or commit murder on the Cloudsea Mainland, otherwise they would become the whole galaxy’s common enemy. Even core disciples of super forces would think twice before acting recklessly.
The passage of time flowed by, and very soon, two months had passed.
By the time Huwang Xiao had refined six hundred beast cores, he finally advanced to half-step God Realm. His strength once again increased by leaps and bound. If during the test Huwang Xiao’s true strength was 3000, then his current strength would increase to 4000. A thousand points difference may not seem much, but his actual strength definitely more than doubled.
Inside the yard, Huwang Xiao ended his practice for the day and opened his eyes as he breathed out turbid qi from his mouth, “My Asura Tactics has reached the ninth stage, according to this speed, when I break through to God Realm, my Asura Tactics will also enter the tenth stage!”
The legendary tenth stage! Huwang Xiao was looking forward to it with anticipation.
A stage even his Master, Ren Wokuang, had yet to achieve.
As long as Huwang Xiao achieved the tenth stage, he would be able to open the Door of Hell, allowing him to travel freely to hell and back. Just like the Divine World, Hell was an upper level world surface. The better resources from Hell would provide Huwang Xiao an edge that other Black Warrior Institute geniuses couldn't compare with.
He did not leave Black Warrior City after he advanced to half-step God Realm. Instead, he continued to refine the remaining beast cores.
A little more than a month passed. Huwang Xiao spent his time refining the remaining three hundred over peak half-step God Realm beast cores, solidifying his half-step God Realm foundation. During this period, his strength continued to grow every day. However, it was far from peak half-step God Realm.
“At this rate, I’d have to refine one thousand more God Realm beast cores to see any results.” Huwang Xiao’s mood turned dismal.
A thousand God Realm beast cores, where was he going to find that many?!
At most, the auction houses might hold ten or so God Realm beast cores for auction. Not to mention the fact that an average God Realm beast core would fetch a price of four to five hundred thousand each.
A thousand God Realm beast cores, he wouldn't be able to afford them even if he sold the five remaining divine grade spirit stones inside his ring.
“Actually, you need not think so much at this point.” Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi ’s voice sounded. “Your current strength is sufficient to secure a spot in the Black Warrior Institute. Moreover, for the assessment, the Black Warrior Institute would transfer the participants to the Deepwood Star to hunt for demonic beasts, monsters, and demons as part of the elimination process to select the best one hundred. On the Deepwood Star, there are a lot of God Realm demonic beasts and demons.”
“A lot of God Realm demonic beasts and demons!” Huwang Xiao’s eyes lit up.
Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi chuckled, “Right, these demonic beasts and demons’ are generally not very strong, at most they’re early or mid-First Order God Realm, without any late-First Order God Realms, suitable for your training."
“That Deepwood Star should have at least one thousand God Realm demonic beasts and demons, right?” Huwang Xiao wanted to be certain.
Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi was rendered speechless, “You think God Realm demonic beasts and demons are littered all over the place? All the demonic beasts and demons on the Deepwood Star are reared by the Black Warrior Institute in hundreds of thousands of years. Although it does have a lot of God Realm demonic beasts and demons, there would, at most, only have several hundred. Those late-First Order God Realm and Second Order God Realm would be captured by the Black Warrior Institute’s experts.”
Captured? Then Huwang Xiao immediately understood the institute’s intentions.
Among the participants in the assessment, the stronger candidates’ strength would be on a similar level to early or mid-First Order God Realm demonic beasts. If there were Second Order God Realm demonic beasts inside, they needn’t bother with an assessment. It would be a one-sided slaughter.
“But, there is still half a year more to the assessment,” Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi advised, “In this half year period, continue to refine peak half-step God Realm beast cores, increase your strength as much as you can. This way, when the time comes, it will be easier for you to kill those mid-First Order God Realm demonic beasts.”
Huwang Xiao nodded.
Hence, in the days after, Huwang Xiao used the remaining thirty million to buy over seven hundred peak half-step God Realm beast cores, continuing the refinement, his occasional strolls, and his love for wine.
As days turned into weeks, which turned into months, half a year was gone in a blink.
Inside the Xumi Temple, Huwang Xiao was sitting cross-legged beside the Ten Buddha Formation. As he breathed in and out, dragon qi swirled around his body in the ethereal shape of a dragon.
In recent days, his Treasure Dragon Protective Shield Art had reached minor completion and the formation diagram that appeared inside his body had fully integrated with his True Dragon Physique. The diagram formation had also changed since then, from the vague lines to picturesque mountains and flowing streams, accompanied by lush trees and grass. All of these were formed by dragon qi.
Several hours later, Huwang Xiao’s cultivation ended for the day. When he exited the Xumi Temple, the outside world was already deep into the night.
The vast sky was a stretch of mi
dnight blue.
“Tomorrow is the assessment day.” Huwang Xiao whispered while looking at the sky.
The Black Warrior Institute seemed to attach great importance to this term’s assessment. Not only did they increase the reward for the first place, the rewards for second place all the way to the tenth place were all doubled.
By the end of the registration period, among the number of people who tested their aptitude, there was a total of twenty-five people who scored 2000 point and above for strength! In the past, twelve to thirteen people were the norm, but this year it was actually twice as much.
The highest scorer in terms of strength, reaching well over 3100, was a young man named Gudu Leng. He was also the only person scoring above 3000 points. When his results were determined, it raised great waves in Cloudsea Mainland. That was because in the million years of pre-assessment tests, not once did any genius score above 3000 points. Rumor has it, the news even stunned the Black Warrior Institute’s Principal.
“Is this the reason why the Black Warrior Institute suddenly increased the rewards?” The corner of Huwang Xiao’s lip curled up in a hint of a smile. Tomorrow, he would be able to see this Gudu Leng guy.
A worthy opponent only made things more interesting.
Ch.534
Night gradually gave way to dawn as the sun spread its sunshine over the land.
Huwang Xiao, who has been standing in the yard, suddenly quivered, shaking the morning dew drops off his body. He turned around and walked out of the yard, heading toward the Hall of Heroes’ square.
The new disciple assessment’s transmission array was in the square itself. Due to the close distance between the inn he lived in and the Hall of Heroes, Huwang Xiao arrived within minutes.
By the time Huwang Xiao arrived, the square was already packed with a large crowd. Numerous geniuses from different world surface gathered on the Hall of Heroes square.
“That kid should be that Huwang Xiao.”
When Huwang Xiao appeared in the square, quite a few people recognized his face. There would be many people paying attention to those like Huwang Xiao who scored above 2000 points in strength.
Moments after he arrived, the square broke out in a big commotion.
“It’s Gudu Leng! The one who scored 3156 points, Gudu Leng!”
“So unexpected, such a monstrous genius came from the Gudu Family this time!”
Huwang Xiao looked over, following the crowd’s gaze to a young man clad in the blackest brocade robe under an eye-catching silver cloak stepping onto the square, firm and steady. His pupils an obsidian black that seemed to have a magical allure, a glance and one would be pulled in unknowingly.
This was the sole genius in the hundred thousands years of the Black Warrior Institute’s assessment that scored above 3000 points, shocking an entire galaxy, Gudu Leng!
A light flickered in Huwang Xiao’s eyes.
Gudu Leng, the person was like his name—cold. Despite the large space between Huwang Xiao and Gudu Leng, he felt the wisps of coldness emitting from the other young man.
‘Very pure dark element force.’ Huwang Xiao thought inwardly. From a general point of view, the dark element was always considered evil, but Gudu Leng’s dark element felt pure instead.
“If I’m not wrong, he cultivates the Underworld Blackfrost Technique,” Dragon Emperor Taiyi said. “Legend has it, the Underworld Blackfrost Technique was a cultivation technique created by one of the Kings of Hell that wasn't passed to outsiders, no one knows how the Gudu ancestor got his hands on it. However, the number of people in the Gudu Family that successfully cultivated this technique does not exceed three in the last ten thousand years.”
Huwang Xiao nodded as he listened.
Underworld Blackfrost Technique? His Asura Tactics was also a cultivation legacy from Hell.
“Jiang Shaoze is here! Rumors say that Jiang Shaoze has broken through to God Realm!”
“When he tested earlier, he hadn’t broken through yet, I wonder what is his strength score would be now?”
The crowd waiting in the square broke out in another small commotion. Huwang Xiao looked over and saw the same Jiang Family young man he saw when he collected the innate spiritual embryo.
Huwang Xiao half expected him to break through to God Realm.
Jiang Shaoze cut through the noisy crowd, heading straight towards Gudu Leng. Stopping in front of Gudu Leng, Jiang Shaoze declared, “Gudu Leng, don’t assume that you’ll place first in the assessment, I will definitely defeat you.”
Gudu Leng glanced at Jiang Shaoze with a stoic face, “I’ll be waiting.”
Jiang Shaoze snorted grumpily and walked away.
“Xu Shaoqing! Wang Biaoyuan!”
Someone exclaimed, stirring the crowd.
Huwang Xiao too looked over and saw a pair of a young man and woman walking in holding hands. The woman was attired in a green dress and had cute and lovely features, with two prominent dimples, whereas the young man beside her was clad in a simple two-piece blue tunic and pants with an ancient looking sword hanging from his waist. His handsome face exuded a domineering aura.
“These two are not simple, the girl’s body is the Veluriya Hundred Soft Physique and the young man's physique is called Indestructible Vajra Physique.” Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi’s voice sounded. “If you run into these two people later, be a little more careful.”
Although surprised, Huwang Xiao nodded nonetheless.
In the past nine months, Dragon Emperor Ao Taiyi had described some of the three thousand unique physiques and some of their potential to him. Both the Veluriya Hundred Soft Physique and Indestructible Vajra Physique ranked within the top one hundred among three thousand.
Both of these unique physiques were formidable, but then again, hey couldn't be compared with Huwang Xiao’s True Dragon Physique. Both types of physiques ranked after the top thirties. Still, he could see that these two people were strong opponents, both of them had advanced into the God Realm.
Geniuses arrived one after another. Every time someone who scored 2000 points and above appeared, the crowd went into a frenzy mode.
Somewhere hidden in the deep void above Black Warrior City, stood two middle-aged men clad in robes representing the Black Warrior Institute. However, their robes were golden in color, including the tortoise pattern on their chests, proof of their high status, identity, and authority. Despite the flashy golden color of their robes, it was not vulgar to the eyes.
“That Gudu Leng is indeed a once in a million years rare talent, I heard that the Institute Principal wanted to take him as a personal disciple but was declined.” Su Haodong said.
“No doubt the first place this time is none other than Gudu Leng.” Li Zhiqun then chuckled, “But those Jiang Shaoze, Xu Shaoqing, Wang Biaoyuan, Li Mingxuan, Jiang Wei, Zhu Haixiang, Yang Shiqi, He Xiu and Su Meiyi are also not bad.”
Su Haodong nodded in agreement, “With Gudu Leng in the first place, the second and third place holders would most likely be Jiang Shaoze, Wang Biaoyuan, Xu Shaoqing in the fourth place, with Li Mingxuan and the rest taking fifth to tenth places.”
These ten people were the most promising candidates to sweep the top ten places in the eyes of those two middle-aged men. In fact, not only these two middle-aged men, most of the big forces were optimistic about these ten people.
“I heard there is one named Huwang Xiao, his talent and strength aren’t too bad.” Li Zhiqun suddenly said. “I wonder which world surface’s small family he comes from.”
Su Haodong agreed, “The fact that a small world surface could nurture a genius of 2000 points of strength is truly rare. This Huwang Xiao is very likely to enter the top thirty.”
“Able to secure a place within the top thirty is considered quite good.”
While the two continued with their small talk, the square below went abruptly quiet as the Elder overseeing this time’s assessment walked out from the Hall of Heroes.
“I believe everyone here is very clear
in regards to the new disciple selection assessment,” Black Warrior Institute’s Elder Zhang Tianchuan scanned the family disciples in the square and around the square’s perimeter, “therefore I won’t bother repeating the rules. Instead, I will announce the rewards for the top ten places.”
“First place reward, ten million Xuanwu coins, one thousand pieces of Black Warrior Greater Strength Pellets, one thousand pieces of saint grade spirit stones, and one divine rank battle skill.”
When Elder Zhang Tianchuan’s voice spoke the last word, the entire square buzzed with excitement and shock. Although there were rumors flying around earlier saying that the first place rewards was increased, no one was able to guess the extent of the increase. But now, even disciples from prominent big forces were tempted after hearing the rewards.
Huwang Xiao also did not imagine the first place reward to be so lucrative. Ten million Xuanwu coins was a tempting amount even for disciples from big forces. However, what really caught Huwang Xiao’s interest was the one thousand Black Warrior Greater Strength Pellets and that divine rank battle skill.
He had heard of the Black Warrior Greater Strength Pellets from Dragon Emperor Taiyi. Taking one could not only help enhance his strength and temper his body, it could even cleanse his soul. Moreover, a divine rank battle skill from the Black Warrior Institute was not something like a heaven rank battle skill from the Martial Spirit World could compare to. They were on totally different levels.
A fleeting light flickered in Gudu Leng’s eyes when he heard the first place rewards, clearly, it sparked his interest. As did Jiang Shaoze, Wang Biaoyuan, Xu Shaoqing, and the rest.
Subsequently, Elder Zhang Tianchuan continued with the rewards for the second to the fourth places. Although the rewards were higher than the norm, it was a lot less compared to the first place rewards. Still, it was sufficient to spur these hot-blooded youngsters, roaring to go.
Zhang Tianchuan proceeded to start the transmission array after announcing the rewards. In the airspace above the square, a large black hole appeared, covering at least half of the square area. The participants would be sent to the Deepwood Star through this black hole.