From Five Animal Exercises to being hailed as a saint and ancestor

As dawn broke, the last vestiges of night fell upon the royal city.

The atmosphere at Tianze Square was completely different from yesterday.

The more than 9,000 students who passed the first two rounds of assessment have gathered. Compared to the initial nearly 100,000 people, the venue now appears empty and solemn.

The elders leading the various sects and families also mostly stood in front of their disciples, but their expressions were generally complicated, showing obvious reluctance and helplessness.

Clearly, yesterday's outcome was not what they truly desired; they were forced to accept it due to the circumstances.

On the high platform, Elder Li Xun and Sword Master Lin Shouzhen sat side by side.

Li Xun's expression was solemn, while Lin Shouzheng remained with his eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to everything below.

When the appointed time arrived, Elder Li Xun stood up, his gaze sweeping over the nearly ten thousand young faces below, each filled with tension, anticipation, or fear. He spoke in a booming voice that echoed throughout the entire plaza:

"The third stage of the assessment, the practical assessment, is now officially beginning!"

"This year's academy will enroll one thousand students! Final admission will be determined by your performance in the Silent Soul Abyss!"

He paused, his voice becoming even more serious:

"The Abyss of Silent Souls is a forbidden area on the continent, fraught with unpredictable dangers!"

"Although we have explored the area and demarcated a relatively safe zone, and have prepared backup plans, a dangerous place is still a dangerous place. Exploring inside will inevitably result in injury or death! This is no child's play!"

"Therefore, the academy is giving you one last chance to choose!"

Li Xun's gaze was sharp as lightning.

"Now, if you feel fear or think you are not strong enough, you may give up this assessment on the spot!"

"Those who give up will not be blamed and can leave peacefully."

"However, once you give up, it will be considered an automatic withdrawal, and you will never have the opportunity to enter the Heavenly Dao Academy again!"

A suppressed commotion immediately arose in the square.

Giving up means missing out on the opportunity to attend the top university in mainland China.

If we don't give up, we may face a life-or-death crisis.

This decision weighed heavily on everyone's mind.

Li Xun didn't give everyone much time to hesitate and continued to announce the rules.

"After entering the abyss, there are two assessment tasks!"

"Firstly, collect three unique spiritual materials from the Abyss of Silent Souls: Silent Soul Flower, Soul-Giving Grass, and Soul-Soul Calamus! The final basic score will be determined by a comprehensive evaluation of the quantity and quality of these three spiritual materials collected!"

Secondly,

His voice rose slightly.

"There is a special mission! Find two special items: one is a finger bone that is entirely like jade and has hidden golden patterns wrapped around it."

"Secondly... a special, complete golden skeleton."

"Anyone who can find either of these two items, or provide concrete clues, will be richly rewarded by the Academy and the Heavenly Dao Sect!"

"The Sword Master Mingxin has personally made a promise, the details of which are already known to you all, and will not be repeated here!"

Finger bones! Special skeletons!

Although Li Xun spoke cryptically, considering the rumors of the saint's fall yesterday and the Heavenly Dao Sect's massive mobilization, many astute individuals had already guessed that these two things were likely extremely related and far from ordinary.

"The rules are clear!"

Li Xun concluded.

"Now, those who wish to enter the Abyss of Silent Souls, depart on the academy's flying boat! Those who wish to withdraw may remain where they are or leave on their own!"

Having said that, he waved his sleeve!

Om-!

A deep, soul-stirring hum resounded throughout the heavens and earth!

A colossal object appeared out of nowhere above the square, casting a huge shadow that enveloped most of the square!

What a magnificent flying ship it was!

The Xuanhuang Boat of Qinglu Academy is thirty zhang long, which is already considered a decent flying magic weapon.

But compared to this giant ship, it's like a child's toy!

This boat is a thousand feet long, and its hull is made of some kind of divine wood and metal, with a dark golden luster.

It is engraved with countless intricate and profound array runes, which slowly rotate like the stars in the sky.

It exudes a breathtakingly powerful and ancient aura.

On both sides of the boat, pavilions and towers appear and disappear, with flying eaves and brackets, creating a magnificent scene.

It's less like a flying boat and more like a mobile fortress suspended in the air!

"This...this is the flying boat of the Heavenly Dao Academy?"

Wang Le opened his mouth wide, tilted his head back until his neck ached, and his eyes were filled with shock.

Zhou Tiancan murmured:

"My goodness. This thing could probably smash a mountain!"

Yao Mengkang was also shocked and speechless.

Compared to this top-grade magical artifact named "God-Slaying Ship," their own Xuanhuang Ship seemed far too shabby.

This single item is enough to reveal the unfathomable depth and strength of the Heavenly Dao Academy, far surpassing that of the Green Peak Academy.

"Board the ship!" Elder Li Xun gave the order.

Those who give up are ultimately a minority; most students, still harboring dreams and ambitions, board this behemoth one by one.

The airship has a very large interior space, more than enough to accommodate 10,000 people.

The Sky-Piercing God-Slaying Ship trembled slightly, and the runes around it burst forth with dazzling light. In the next moment, it transformed into a streak of light that tore through the sky and sped toward the direction of the Silent Soul Abyss!

Its speed was more than ten times that of the Xuanhuang Boat!

In just a quarter of an hour, the flying boat had traversed thousands of miles and slowly came to a stop.

As everyone on board looked out through the portholes, an indescribable sense of oppression immediately washed over them!

Below is a vast, deep canyon that stretches to the horizon.

The canyon was shrouded in a deathly gray mist, which seemed to writhe slowly as if it were alive, devouring all light and life.

At the entrance to the canyon, several huge stone pillars, twisted like the faces of people wailing in pain, stand tall, exuding an ancient, wild, and ominous aura.

Just looking at this canyon made everyone feel uneasy, as if their souls had become sluggish and heavy, with an invisible boulder pressing on their hearts, making it hard to breathe.

Unexplained feelings of sadness, fear, and despair began to creep in.

Many of those with weaker cultivation levels had already turned pale and were sweating profusely.

Yao Mengkang also felt a strong sense of oppression, as if his entire soul was about to be sucked away and frozen by the gray fog.

However, just as this discomfort reached its peak, the gray stone bead that had been quietly suspended in the Chaos Chakra, seemingly existing since time immemorial, rotated extremely slightly.

An indescribable, warm, and ancient aura, seemingly capable of calming the earth, water, fire, and wind, and soothing all restless spirits, quietly spread out.

Yao Mengkang felt his mind instantly become clear.

The huge weight on my heart lifted, all discomfort and negative emotions vanished, and my eyes regained their usual calm and depth.

"Um?"

At the front of the platform, Mingxin Sword Master Lin Shouzhen, who had been keeping his eyes closed, and Elder Li Xun opened their eyes almost simultaneously.

His gaze, tinged with surprise, fell upon the area where the disciples of Qinglu Academy were located.

To be precise, it fell on Yao Mengkang.

"This child... was able to break free from the influence of the Will of the Abyss of Silent Souls so quickly?" Li Xun was slightly surprised.

A barely perceptible look of surprise flashed across Lin Shouzhen's eyes, before he slowly closed them again.

This kid seems to have some skills.

After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the disciples on the flying boat, with the help of their respective masters, gradually broke free from the powerful mental suppression.

However, most of them still looked unwell, still shaken by the experience.

Elder Li Xun's voice rang out again, breaking the silence.

"The Abyss of Silent Souls has arrived! This is the final question: Does anyone wish to abandon the assessment?"

"Those who give up, stay on the ship. After the assessment, return to the royal city with the ship!"

"Those who do not give up, disembark and collect your protective charm and special storage container from the steward on the left, then you may enter the abyss on your own!"

"Assessment period: three days!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the airship fell into a deathly silence.

Looking down at the dark canyon that seemed capable of swallowing everything, and feeling the omnipresent aura of death, finally, someone wavered.

One, two, ten, a hundred...

One by one, some people lowered their heads, their faces filled with shame or resentment, but they remained firmly in place, choosing not to disembark.

They chose to give up.

Ultimately, a third of the respondents, approximately three thousand people, gave up!

Meanwhile, nearly half of the disciples at Qinglu Academy, after experiencing that terrifying mental pressure,

Having recognized his own shortcomings in ability and mentality, he gritted his teeth and chose to give up.

Most of them were ordinary disciples from the outer academy.

Seeing the disciples who chose to give up, Shangguan Hong and Xiao Yunhai exchanged a glance.

Instead of being disappointed, a relieved smile appeared on his face.

Knowing when to retreat is not cowardice, but wisdom.

Shangguan Hong said softly, "Only by living can we have a future."

Xiao Yunhai nodded: "Only by knowing how to choose can one go far and achieve steady progress. These children should have matured in character after this experience."

Yao Mengkang, Xuan Yuanpo, Su Xiaoman, Shi Potian, as well as Zhou Tiancan, Mu Qingqing, Li Han and the other ten outer court disciples, all stepped off the God-Slaying Ship without exception.

They received a protective talisman that emitted a soft white light and was inscribed with the words "Heavenly Dao," as well as a storage bag specifically for preserving spiritual herbs and preventing the loss of spiritual energy.

Then, his gaze fixed firmly on the place known as the forbidden zone of life—the Abyss of Silent Souls.

The real test has only just begun.