The trial begins, Netherworld Clan!

At the same time, the three prodigies themselves were filled with absolute confidence in their own strength.

Qin Mingyue stood by the window with his hands behind his back, looking up at the bright moon in the sky with a calm expression.

At this moment, his heart was filled with soaring pride.

He wished he could look down upon the world with disdain:

“Never mind that Ye Qing is merely at the Nascent Soul Sixth Layer; even if he were at the Nascent Soul Ninth Layer, how many prodigies of the same level could possibly catch the eye of me, Qin Mingyue?”

“As they say, it is lonely at the top.”

“No matter. Once I encounter that Ye Qing in the trial, I can simply crush him with a flip of my palm.”

At this moment, Langya Xuan was playing with a small jade sword in his hand, a cold smile playing on his lips.

He also didn't take Ye Qing seriously at all.

“A nobody, nothing more than an ant.”

“The only thing to consider is who encounters him first; whoever does will be the first to snatch the qingyun token!”

He was confident that if he were the first to get the token,

then the qingyun token would surely be his, and no one could take it away!

Meanwhile, Chun Ziliu of the Divine Mountain Chun Clan had a transcendent expression as he took a sip of tea.

His heart was calm and unhurried:

“It doesn't matter who encounters him first. The first person to kill him and obtain the token might not necessarily hold onto it until the end.”

“When the time comes, I will simply go and defeat whoever has the token and take it for myself.”

A flash of light crossed his eyes.

As the number one Prodigy of the Divine Mountain Chun Clan, he had unparalleled confidence in his own strength.

Simultaneously, within the Wan Yun Mountain Range outside the Sacred Academy,

space seemed to twist for a moment, and then, with a flash, the figure of a bald-tailed old dog appeared out of thin air.

Its body was thin and dry, and its fur was charred black.

Only its eyes seemed to be burning with ghostly green flames.

This was the Void Return Realm great demon acting on the orders of the Sacred Lord to hunt down Ye Qing—the Mythical Beast!

The Mythical Beast twitched its nose, carefully sniffing the lingering scent in the air.

“Close, close!”

“I'm almost about to catch that kid...”

Then, it followed the trail forward, tracking him to the edge of the White Jade Square outside the gates of the Sacred Academy.

It suddenly came to a halt.

“That kid's scent... Has he entered the Jixia Sacred Academy?”

The Mythical Beast's eyes were filled with uncertainty as it looked toward the grand and solemn gates of the Sacred Academy.

A trace of wariness flashed in its eyes.

Within the Central Region, it had crossed several states without pause.

Sniffing non-stop along the way.

It had finally managed to almost catch up to Ye Qing, only to find that the target had actually entered the Jixia Sacred Academy.

If it were any other Sect or power,

it wouldn't have hesitated to strike at their gates, crushing both the people and the Sect together and swallowing them whole.

But the Jixia Sacred Academy was different!

This was one of the truly top-tier powers in the Central Region, with a foundation that was unfathomably deep.

Even if its master, the Sacred Lord, were to arrive in person, he would need to treat them with caution.

Although the Mythical Beast had some tricks up its sleeve, it absolutely did not dare to forcibly intrude into the Sacred Academy and run wild.

If it were to cause trouble for its master and hinder his grand plans because of this... it would be an unforgivable crime even in death!

“Hmph!”

The Mythical Beast bared its teeth, forcibly suppressing the restlessness in its heart.

“This kid's luck is quite good. Fine, but I'll see how long you can hide inside!”

“You can't possibly shrink away inside the Sacred Academy for your entire life!”

Immediately, its figure flickered and it vanished back into the Wan Yun Mountain Range, finding a high vantage point.

Its gaze was fixed firmly on the direction of the Sacred Academy.

It decided to lie in wait here patiently.

The moment Ye Qing left the Sacred Academy, it would strike swiftly with thunderous force.

At the first opportunity, it would help its master slay this scoundrel!

In this way, three days passed in a flash.

Inside the Sacred Academy.

There was a massive blue-green teleportation array platform, with runes shining upon it in a profound and extraordinary manner.

In front of the platform.

The prodigies gathered, and many were very excited.

Today was the day the entrance trial of the Sacred Academy would begin!

“I wonder what the content of the assessment is?”

“Does any fellow Cultivator have great connections and managed to receive some insider information?”

“Shh! Be quiet! The Academy Instructor is here!”

Sure enough, a white-bearded old man with a deep Aura appeared; he was indeed an instructor of the Sacred Academy.

At this moment, the old man floated in mid-air, slowly flying above the platform.

He spoke with a smile, his voice clear as it reached everyone's ears:

“Everyone, this is our Sacred Academy's teleportation platform, which leads directly to the outskirts of the ‘Nether Abyss’.”

“For this entrance trial, you must wear the Sacred Academy's specially made trial tokens and survive within for three months!”

He waved his sleeve, and countless tokens that were neither metal nor jade and emitted a faint, cold Aura appeared.

With a whistle, they flew accurately toward every Prodigy in the field.

“These trial tokens can mimic the Aura of the Nether Race, helping you hide your Human Race identity.”

“In this Nether Abyss, there are the Nether Race, Nether Beasts, and so on. The Nether Race is divided into good and evil. The Good Spirits do not contend with others, while the Evil Nethers feed on living beings, especially enjoying devouring the Human Race, and will even devour their own kind!”

“During the trial, killing Evil Nethers or Nether Beasts will cause the trial token to automatically record points. If you accidentally kill a Good Spirit, points will be deducted! After three months, the best will be admitted based on the point rankings!”

“If your identity is exposed and you are pursued by Evil Nethers, those who feel they are no match can voluntarily choose to forfeit through the trial token, and you will be teleported back to the Sacred Academy.”

“Of course, this also means the trial is a failure!”

After the explanation, the white-bearded instructor announced that the teleportation array would open in fifteen minutes.

Ye Qing caught the trial token that flew toward him; it felt cold to the touch.

With a slight activation of his magic power, the token became bound to his Aura.

Then, with a flash, a cold and gloomy Aura immediately enveloped his entire body.

This would make Ye Qing look no different from a member of the Nether Race.

“I've become quite ghostly now; this is rather interesting.”

“I've indeed never seen the Nether Race of the Nether Abyss before.”

Ye Qing muttered to himself.

He felt a bit of interest in this Trial Grounds, the Nether Abyss.

And just at that moment, a young man with a Nascent Soul Ninth Layer cultivation base appeared.

The arrogant youth strode up to Ye Qing and let out a cold snort, his tone grim:

“Ye Qing! You'd better pray that you don't run into me in the Nether Abyss!”

Ye Qing was slightly taken aback.

What's the meaning of this?

Wait, who is this guy?

Ye Qing stared at the newcomer, confirming that he didn't know this person, and couldn't help but frown:

“Who are you?”

The man puffed out his chest and said proudly:

“I am Zhao Gang! I have the honor of being valued by the Prodigy Qin Mingyue and have been permitted to follow him!”

Ye Qing understood upon hearing this.

He nodded and spoke in a flat tone:

“So you're the Qin Family's dog.”

“You're looking for death!”

Hearing this, Zhao Gang's face instantly turned red, and he barked grimly:

“If this weren't the Sacred Academy, you would already be a dead man!”

Ye Qing found this somewhat amusing.

If it weren't for being in the Sacred Academy, a character like this wouldn't even have the right to bark in front of him.

He couldn't be bothered to waste more breath on someone who barked based on someone else's influence.

He waved his hand:

“Your master hasn't even spoken; why are you barking here? Remember to tell your master that next time he walks his dog, he should keep it on a leash.”

Zhao Gang trembled all over with rage upon hearing this.

He took several deep breaths to suppress the urge to strike immediately.

He glared at Ye Qing, his eyes looking as if they wanted to swallow Ye Qing alive.

Then he turned around and went back to Qin Mingyue's side, reporting in a low voice.

After listening, Qin Mingyue glanced at Ye Qing from afar, his expression calm and not showing any anger.

Instead, he spoke indifferently to the dozens of followers gathered around him:

“Pass down the order: in the Nether Abyss, no matter which of you can kill Ye Qing and bring back the qingyun token, our Qin Clan will surely provide a heavy reward!”

He had already looked at Ye Qing and felt that this person... was not worth his attention!

In his mind,

there was probably no need for him to act personally.

Any one of his followers could easily crush Ye Qing.

If he really had to personally deal with a Nascent Soul Sixth Layer Cultivator, it would be like using a heavy blade to kill a chicken.

It would be somewhat humiliating to his status.

Seeing this, Langya Xuan smiled slightly and also gave similar orders to his followers.

Immediately, one greedy and burning gaze after another

was cast toward Ye Qing.

On the other side, Chun Ziliu, although considering himself above such things,

smiled upon seeing this and did not want to discourage the enthusiasm of his followers.

So he made a similar promise.

Facing these undisguised gazes of hostility and Killing Intent, Ye Qing's expression remained calm, and he didn't care at all.

It didn't matter.

If they dared to come, he would simply kill them.

Elsewhere, the white-clothed youth Nan Yunfeng witnessed all this.

He couldn't help but shake his head.

Looking at Ye Qing, his eyes revealed a bit of pity.

“Stupid...”

“If it were me, I would definitely choose to back down and hand over the qingyun token; that way, I might still keep my life.”

“Being so inflexible is simply seeking death...”

He whispered to himself and chuckled.

Then he withdrew his gaze from Ye Qing.

Nan Yunfeng believed that Ye Qing ultimately didn't understand his own weight and couldn't see the situation clearly.

One must know that as a person, when it's time to bow one's head, one should bow!

A flash of worry appeared in Luo Die's eyes.

And soon, the fifteen minutes were up.

“Everyone, onto the teleportation platform!”

As the words fell,

the Academy Instructor presiding over the trial assessment said no more, forming hand seals as a majestic magic power was poured into the massive teleportation platform beneath his feet.

Hum—!

The platform vibrated violently, and countless profound runes lit up, erupting with a light that shot into the sky.

It then swallowed all the prodigies standing upon it.

When the light dissipated, the platform was empty.

The instructor clapped his hands and said with emotion:

“They really are a group of vibrant young people. I wonder how many hidden dragons can take advantage of the wind and clouds to soar straight to the Nine Heavens this time?”

Back then, he had also come through this way!

Thinking about it now, he still felt quite nostalgic!

Another instructor walking over heard this and chuckled.

He added:

“I heard that this time, even the qingyun token has appeared?”

“The token holder actually didn't use the token and wants to participate in the trial personally? Not bad! He has some backbone. I just wonder if he can keep the token and pass the assessment.”

At the same time, outside the Sacred Academy.

The Mythical Beast, which had been lurking in the Wan Yun Mountain Range, suddenly opened its ghostly green eyes and stood up abruptly!

“Hmm? That kid's scent... has disappeared?!”

It sensed carefully, then grinned, a savage smile appearing on its dog-like face.

“What a foul smell... Was he sent into the Nether Abyss?”

“Excellent, this is indeed heaven helping me!”

Then its figure flashed, turning into an almost invisible black line, and instantly disappeared from the spot.

It didn't have the Sacred Academy's teleportation platform.

But it knew that within the Central Region, there were several entrances leading to the Nether Abyss.

Right now, it had to rush there as quickly as possible, enter the Nether Abyss, and find that kid named Ye Qing.

It would tear him apart and complete the mission entrusted to it by its master!

The Mythical Beast licked its lips:

“Kid, I hope you taste good!”

Meanwhile.

In a certain barren and gray group of hills within the Nether Abyss.

Flash!

Space rippled for a moment.

Then Ye Qing's figure appeared.

He looked up and saw that the sky was a hazy gray, with no sun, moon, or stars visible.

The air was filled with a dense, pure Yin Qi and a faint Aura of death, which was indeed completely different from the outside world.

“Is this the Nether Abyss?”

Ye Qing murmured.

He was then about to choose a direction at random to explore.

And just then, the space not far in front of him flickered repeatedly!

Flash! Flash! Flash!

Lights flickered one after another, and then seven figures appeared almost simultaneously, happening to land around Ye Qing.

What was even more coincidental

was that these seven people were all followers of Qin Mingyue!

And the person closest to Ye Qing was none other than Zhao Gang, who had previously spoken harsh words to him outside!

Ye Qing frowned slightly.

And when Zhao Gang clearly saw his surroundings,

especially when he saw Ye Qing right in front of him, he was first stunned.

Then, a look of uncontrollable wild joy appeared on his face, and he couldn't help but laugh out loud:

“Hahahaha! Ye Qing! My luck is truly unstoppable!”

“Kid! I told you, don't run into me in the Nether Abyss! Now, let's see how you die!”

As he spoke, the Killing Intent in his eyes surged.

Then, with a savage smile, the Nascent Soul Ninth Layer magic power in his body erupted.

His figure was like lightning as he charged straight at Ye Qing with an overwhelming Aura!

He used a powerful killing move right from the start, seeking to kill the enemy instantly and claim the first credit for himself!

Seeing this, the other six followers of the Qin Clan

also immediately reacted and surrounded him with murderous intent.

But seeing that Zhao Gang was closest to Ye Qing and had struck first, they clearly couldn't snatch this credit away.

They couldn't help but show looks of regret.

They sighed.

“Sigh, this credit belongs to Zhao Gang!”

“What dumb luck! This really is dumb luck! Zhao Gang is going to strike it rich now!”

However, before the sound of these sighs could even fade—

Ye Qing raised his finger and flicked it casually.

Flash!

A sharp sword light flashed from between Ye Qing's fingers and vanished in an instant.

Fast!

The speed of this sword light seemed to have already surpassed the thoughts of everyone present!

Zhao Gang, who was still aggressive and full of savage smiles a moment ago,

suddenly froze mid-air.

The wild joy and Killing Intent on his face instantly solidified.

The next moment.

His entire person seemed to be dismantled from within by an invisible force, shattering inch by inch.

A look of confusion and fear appeared in his eyes, and he opened his mouth to speak, but with a “poof,” he turned into a cloud of ash and dissipated on the spot.

“Hmm???”

“What happened?”

“Zhao Gang... is dead???”

In an instant, the expressions of regret, envy, and disappointment on the remaining six Qin Clan followers all froze.

They were replaced by

dullness and horror! It was unbelievable!

They were all very clear about Zhao Gang's strength.

Although he was far from being like a top-tier Prodigy like Qin Mingyue, he was still an expert among those at the Nascent Soul Ninth Layer.

His combat power infinitely approached the threshold of Soul Transformation!

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been qualified to follow Qin Mingyue.

But such an existence, in front of Ye Qing, who only had a Nascent Soul Sixth Layer cultivation base,

was actually... instantly killed by a casual finger sword, just like slaughtering a chicken?!

He couldn't even manage to struggle?!

Is this... right?