56: Chapter 56 Small-Scale Divine Combat

"Isn't that quite normal? You don't actually think that just by going to Star Academy or Taichu Academy, you're guaranteed a bright future, do you?"

Since it wasn't Lin Xiao asking, Lu Yan's words carried a slightly different nuance.

"A remote county-level star has a population of tens of billions, and a star county with better economic benefits can even reach a peak population of nearly a hundred billion.

Not to mention the city-level stars above them; within the Divine Realm, planets are as numerous as the stars. Although S-Rank Talent is relatively rare, the number of Divine Beings that awaken every year is immense.

Even with Star Academy and Taichu Academy selecting the best of the best, the number of S-Rank Talent students admitted each year is still a terrifying figure.

And while a new batch of students enrolls every year, each academy also sees billions of graduates.

S-Rank Talent, graduates from top academies—who among them isn't a favored child of heaven? Who among them isn't filled with infinite expectations for the future?

Even if they don't establish a great clan, they should at least be a leading figure in a major power, right? At the very least, they should be able to dominate a region, right?

But the reality is, without resources and without Divine Power points, even if you study at a top academy, you're just barely scraping by as a First-order Deity.

And how many First-order Deities are there in the outside world? Even with S-Rank Talent, so what? In the end, the great clans and top powers don't think much of them.

Even mid-tier powers view these people with a critical eye. The treatment they barely offer is worlds apart from their ideals.

Now that it's rare for the Canglan Holy Sect to take on disciples, they naturally want to come and try their luck. As for current students?

The cost of living in Star Academy and Taichu Academy is extremely high. The monthly Divine Power points subsidized by the academy are just a drop in the bucket.

If they can't make ends meet and want to come out early to seek a better future, what's so strange about that? It's just..."

It's just that the Canglan Holy Sect isn't that easy to get into. Even those who enter without an examination will be kicked out after five years if their strength can't keep up.

And these students who couldn't compete in Star Academy think they can compete in the Canglan Holy Sect? I'm afraid they'll find it hard to even pass the examination.

Lu Yan didn't say these words out loud.

The examiners below didn't feel strange seeing so many qualified candidates, as this was only the first batch. More candidates would arrive in the next ten-plus days.

"Next, the Holy Sect will conduct corresponding assessments based on your specialties. Artifact refining is over here, alchemy assessment is over here, talisman making assessment is over here, and formation assessment is over there.

If you don't have any specific expertise, stay here and wait for the combat assessment. As long as you can hold out for half an hour, you will also be considered to have passed."

Soon, more than a thousand candidates arrived at their respective assessment areas, and at the same time, several projections appeared in front of the spectator stands.

The spectators could choose the assessment they wanted to watch. Seeing this, Lin Xiao adjusted the projection to the Deity combat assessment side.

He hadn't seen how Deities fought yet.

"Defeat your opponent or hold out for half an incense stick of time to be considered as passed. You may not use Divine Weapons, Divine Armor, or Wonders and Artifacts. The limit for participating Believers is 2,000, and you are responsible for any casualties in battle. If you cannot hold on, you may shout to concede at any time."

"Star Academy, third-year student, Mo Li. Cultivating the Ice-type Extreme Cold Law."

"Holy Sect disciple, Liu Sheng. Cultivating the Water-type Erosion Law."

As both sides finished speaking, they summoned one thousand Believers each to appear on the field.

The Star Academy candidate's summoned Believers wore azure armor. Holding transparent longswords, they skillfully formed a battle formation the moment they appeared.

Wisps of white vapor emanated from the battle formation, and a layer of frost quickly condensed on the ground.

The Holy Sect disciple's Believers were all dressed in navy blue robes. Their weapons were also longswords, but the swords in their hands were emerald green.

"Condense!"

In front of the Star Academy's Believers, a leader-like Believer raised his longsword high. All the Golden Core Believers in the team rapidly circulated their own spiritual energy.

Under the blessing of the formation's power, a giant ice sword tens of meters long instantly condensed. The tip of the sword pointed towards the opposite side.

Seeing this, the Canglan Holy Sect's Believers also used the power of their formation to condense a pool of water above their heads.

"Slash!"

The leader of the Star Academy's Believers shouted, and the giant ice sword slashed fiercely towards the opponent's formation.

Under the blow of the giant ice sword, the pool of water was quickly frozen into ice. And the giant sword was also stained with a touch of emerald green because of the attack.

Soon, this green color spread over the entire giant sword. Just as the giant sword was about to break through the pool of water, a series of cracking sounds rang out.

The giant sword instantly shattered in the sky, and at the same time, a small half of the pool of water remained in the sky.

From this strike alone, the Star Academy's Believers were clearly a cut below the Holy Sect disciple's.

Seeing this, the Star Academy candidate's expression clearly became unsightly, and he ordered his Believers.

"Since we can't break through from a distance, let's engage in close-quarters combat. Be careful, and end the battle quickly!"

Hearing their Deity Master's oracle, the leading Believer flicked his longsword. A layer of solid ice quickly began to condense outside the armor around his body.

Not only him, but at this moment, ice began to condense outside the armor of all one thousand Believers. This layer of ice thickened rapidly, and along with their longswords, it also began to be covered in ice.

Seeing the changes on the opposite side, the Holy Sect's Believers also began to prepare. Green water currents appeared around each of the Believers.

Like water dragons, they began to swirl around their bodies. The water dragons became faster and faster, and as the water flow increased, the water dragons gradually gathered into a ball.

Forming an arc-shaped water shield covering half their bodies outside the Believers. Seeing the water shield form, the Holy Sect Believers opened their mouths and spat out a mass of green liquid.

The originally light green water shield rapidly deepened in color, eventually becoming a dark, blackish-green water shield.

The Holy Sect Believers were still not satisfied with this, and spat another mouthful of green liquid onto the longswords in their hands.

The originally emerald green longswords also began to darken and turn black.

All these changes were completed in an instant. When both sides' Believers were ready, it was like two torrents.

They collided instantly. The ice longswords, carrying extreme cold, slashed at the dark green water shields, slowing down the flow of the water shields and rapidly converting them into ice.

The Holy Sect's Believers were equally unceremonious, slashing with their longswords. They stained the ice armor of the Star Academy's Believers with touches of green.

And these green touches seemed to have a life of their own; after coming into contact with the ice, they quickly spread to the surroundings and even to the inside.

Seeing this, the Star Academy's Believers had to divert a portion of their spiritual energy to suppress it. Seeing this, the Holy Sect's Believers immediately pressed their advantage.

Two or three nearby Believers' water shields quickly merged into a larger shield, and then the two or three of them used this shield to temporarily resist the attacks.

They then quickly joined forces to launch a fierce attack on one of the Star Academy's Believers. Emerald green spiritual light spells bombarded the ice armor on the opponent's body.

Quickly and extensively staining it green.

Seeing this, some of the Star Academy's Believers temporarily gave up attacking the water shields to help with defense.

In this way, the situation immediately fell into a passive state. The ice on the Believers who were focused on was quickly corroded.

Even the armor began to be covered in green; this green color spread rapidly like a virus.

When the Believers' skin came into contact with this green, the circulation of their spiritual energy began to slow down, and the consumption gradually increased.

This was like a small tear; watching more and more Believers get infected and become weak, the Star Academy candidate began to quickly plug the gaps.

Once he saw that a Believer couldn't hold on, he immediately withdrew them back into his Divine Kingdom and placed a fresh Believer in their spot.

At this moment, he had only one thought: hold out for half an incense stick of time!