Battle Through the Heavens: I confronted Xiao Yan, and he begged me to be his elder brother.

Chapter 43 Black Storm, I Came Prepared

The Canaan Academy's inner court examination is held only once a year, selecting fifty students from a large pool of applicants through a competition.

According to Hu De, the major assessment this year ended half a month ago.

This means that according to the normal procedure, he would have to wait until next year to participate in the assessment, which does not match Hun Cang's plan.

Therefore, after thinking it over, Hun Cang agreed to the other party's request.

Upon receiving the reply, Huo De smiled happily, summoned his disciple Lin Gu, and instructed him to register Hun Cang. He also invited Hun Cang to stay at his home for the next couple of days.

However, Hun Cang refused.

Firstly, he was not short of money and had enough to stay in a hotel. Secondly, there were some things he couldn't conveniently show to others, such as the Jade Lotus Platform.

Time flies, and three days have passed. School registration ended yesterday, and today is the day of the actual assessment.

Peace Town is already overcrowded. Walking down the street, you can see crowds of people everywhere, and the noise is deafening.

Among the crowd were many parents who hadn't been able to register. Seeing their children looking dejected, they offered them kind words of comfort.

"Son, it's okay. You didn't get accepted this year, you know?" In the crowd, Hun Cang was drawn to the conversation between a father and son on the side.

The thin boy asked, puzzled, "Father, why do you say that?"

The middle-aged man said, "I've inquired about it. This year's entrance exam is the most difficult ever. Less than one in ten will pass."

"Maybe one out of ten won't pass?" Hun Cang was slightly surprised. Others around him were also discussing the same thing.

So, I'm not going to fail either?

Hun Cang was startled at first, then realized what was happening and almost wanted to slap himself. He was a Dou Huang who had been rebuilt, so how could his mentality have become that of a Dou Shi?

Squeezing to the front of the crowd, Hord saw him, waved, and pulled him out of the crowd.

This scene was witnessed by those around them, who couldn't help but look on with curiosity and envy.

Who is this person? He's not wearing the Canaan Academy disciple's robes, so why is that teacher being so enthusiastic?

"Soul Cang..." Hod smiled and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly followed everyone as they looked towards the sky outside Peace Town.

There was a swirling, dark cloud-like mist moving rapidly.

Many people at the scene looked panicked and fearful, and instinctively hugged their children and families tightly.

"Quiet down, everyone, don't be nervous. This is Peace Town. The Black Storm won't dare to come here. Don't worry," Hord said loudly to reassure everyone.

The black storm drew ever closer, and just as it was about to reach them, a faint ripple emanated from the depths of the primeval forest behind Peace Town.

"Hehehe..."

Laughter could be faintly heard amidst the black storm as the storm turned and headed in the opposite direction from Peace Town.

The crowd's emotions then calmed down.

Hod returned to Hun Cang's side, and seeing his calm reaction, chuckled, "What? Didn't you encounter any black storms along the way?"

Hun Cang shook his head.

Hord was taken aback, then exclaimed, "You're really lucky!"

"Why doesn't this black storm dare to approach?" Hun Cang asked curiously. He had sensed familiarity when the black storm first appeared, and as it drew closer and heard the strange laughter, he immediately concluded that it was someone from the Soul Palace.

The Soul Palace was founded with the purpose of collecting souls.

Others didn't understand, but Hun Cang knew that this was to ensure sufficient soul power to help Hun Tiandi and Xuwu Tunyan complete their Emperor-level souls.

The Black Corner Region is the most frequently fought and chaotic place on the entire continent, and one can imagine the sheer number of souls there.

"These persistent ghosts never cared about Canaan Academy before. It's said that they only stopped daring to approach after the dean killed many of their members," Hord replied.

Then, he added to himself, "Some of the old guys in the academy hate the smell of these things the most."

Hun Cang's expression stiffened slightly. He thought that after being tempered by the strange fire, the mark left by the Void Devouring Flame should be clean and he shouldn't be able to detect it on his body.

Hord patted him on the shoulder and pointed to a black stone tablet placed in the center: "That's a cornerstone inside the academy's core. It used to be used for core disciples' assessments, but I don't know why it was moved outside this year."

Although he was optimistic about Hun Cang, Huo De was still a little worried and reminded him, "You have to be careful. That stone tablet was once in the center of the Qi Refining Tower and has been scorched by the Fallen Heart Flame for many years, which has made it extraordinary. Even for inner court disciples, it is not an easy task to endure it for half an hour."

Hun Cang nodded, indicating that he understood.

Afterwards, all the applicants entered one after another and sat down around the stone tablet. Hun Cang didn't want to be crowded, so he went over and sat down when he saw that the spot near the stone tablet was relatively empty.

"Quite confident, huh? Daring to sit so close." A young man next to him glanced over.

Hun Cang smiled faintly: "Aren't you the same?"

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The young man grinned, revealing several pills he held in his mouth: "My father spent a lot of money to buy this information, so I came prepared. I'm sure I'll be number one in this freshman entrance exam."

"Is that even possible?" Hun Cang was somewhat surprised, but upon hearing the young man's last sentence, he simply smiled and did not reply.

"Everyone, hold on until the hourglass runs out. Only those who do not faint will pass," a stern-faced man said in a deep voice. After he finished speaking, he struck the stone tablet with his palm.

Instantly, a terrifyingly hot aura surged out and rushed towards Hun Cang.

The young man sitting next to him suddenly changed his expression, swallowed a pill with a gulp, and his ugly expression eased a little.

Glancing at Hun Cang and finding his expression normal, the young man scrutinized him curiously for a few moments before closing his eyes and focusing his mind.

The Fallen Heart Flame not only torments the physical body, but also has extraordinary effects on the soul. The pills I have prepared take into account both aspects, and there will definitely be no problem passing the test.

The young man comforted himself and regained his composure.

The crowd outside paled as the heatwave hit them, and they quickly retreated a few steps. Only when the students of Canaan Academy took out jade slips from each other and formed an array to block the heatwave did they stop watching.

For those taking the test, time seemed to stretch out, and every second became agonizing.

Within minutes, some people were blushing and sweating profusely.

After about ten minutes, someone started swaying, looking like they might collapse at any moment.

As the hourglass passed halfway, thuds echoed as figures collapsed one after another. Sighs followed from the surrounding crowd, clearly indicating that among those who fell were their children.

Soon, the hourglass was nearing its end.

The venue was mostly empty, with only a few dozen figures still persevering. However, many of these people had pale faces and bulging veins on their foreheads, all of them trying their best to keep going.

Finally, time was up.

Looking at the relaxed and carefree Hun Cang, Huo De breathed a sigh of relief; things were settled now.

(End of this chapter)