5: A small test

On the Yunhai High School sports field, students participating in the Martial Examination entered their corresponding Teleportation Arrays based on their assigned numbers.

All Teleportation Arrays led to Taian City, but to different locations, to prevent students who knew each other from forming teams or cheating.

Based on his wristband number, Lu Yuan entered Teleportation Array No. 91.

After a dizzying sensation, Lu Yuan opened his eyes to find himself on the outskirts of a ravaged city.

The pungent smell of blood mixed with the stench of long-exposed, decaying corpses, making people instinctively cover their noses or gag.

Taian City, once a well-known tourist city in Huaxia, was now unrecognizable after being ravaged by fierce beasts.

Skyscrapers had collapsed, and bleached bones were visible everywhere.

Some belonged to fierce beasts, but more were the innocent citizens slaughtered by them.

"Ugh, do we have to survive here for seven days? I can't even stand the smell."

"That's just the beginning. Survival isn't the key; only by killing fierce beasts can you earn points!"

"Holy crap, is that the roar of a fierce beast? It sounds terrifying!"

Before Lu Yuan, many other examinees from different cities had already arrived at Examination Venue No. 91.

They stood outside the red line, hesitant to step forward. A girl with twin pigtails frowned repeatedly, complaining about the air quality in the city destroyed by fierce beasts.

Although the examiner had announced the start of the Martial Examination and that examinees could proceed into the city, no one moved.

"Anyone want to team up? I'm a Wood Attribute combat professional, Body Tempering Realm three-star."

"Me, me, me!"

"Any support professionals? We need someone to help restore spiritual power and heal injuries. Minimum requirement is Body Tempering Realm two-star."

Before long, the examination venue became lively. Although everyone was strangers, they all chose to team up to achieve good results.

The twin-tailed girl who had complained about the air earlier looked at Lu Yuan. Before she could even invite him to team up, she saw Lu Yuan step out beyond the red line alone.

"So bold, going to hunt fierce beasts alone?"

Hundreds of examinees at the venue all looked towards Lu Yuan, watching him disappear into the ruins.

Waves of scorching heat rolled in, and ripples were visible in the air.

Soon, Lu Yuan encountered his first fierce beast of the Martial Examination!

Hiss—

From the ruins on both sides of the street, a giant lizard, two meters long and half a meter tall, blocked Lu Yuan's path.

Its back was covered in iron spikes, and its fangs were thick and sharp. Sensing human aura, its amber eyes glowed ferociously!

"Iron-backed Lizard, capable of cultivating up to Body Tempering Realm eight-star. As for its weakness..." Lu Yuan shook his head, watching the Iron-backed Lizard twist its limbs and lunge at him with its gaping maw!

Humans improve their strength through the demon crystal within fierce beasts, while fierce beasts evolve and grow stronger by devouring human flesh.

That's why the Iron-backed Lizard was so excited to see Lu Yuan!

A red thread woven from spiritual power shot out, and a tall, mighty Blood Butcher Soldier, wielding a long saber and shield, appeared before Lu Yuan.

Bang, bang, bang—

The shield struck the Iron-backed Lizard's head with dull thuds!

One, two, three... The Iron-backed Lizard saw stars, utterly defenseless against such absolute power!

This scene was brutal and bloody; in no time, the Iron-backed Lizard was dismembered!

Vultures circling in the air were eager to descend. Lu Yuan stopped controlling the Blood Butcher Soldier and picked up the light blue demon crystal from the ground.

He didn't need to know the Iron-backed Lizard's weakness. A fierce beast of this strength didn't even require Blood Calamity's Blood Butcher to act; a regular Blood Butcher Soldier was sufficient!

The number 60 displayed on his wristband, proving this Iron-backed Lizard was a Body Tempering Realm six-star.

One, two, three... In a blink, twenty Blood Slaughter Soldiers appeared. With Lu Yuan's current spiritual power reserves, he could control up to eighty Blood Slaughter Soldiers simultaneously.

Each Blood Butcher Soldier was at Body Tempering Realm eight-star, equipped with complete armor and weapons. And Blood Calamity's Blood Butcher could even unleash Spirit Skills, capable of clashing head-on with Qi Refining Realm fierce beasts!

Looking at the city, now a ruin conquered by fierce beasts, Lu Yuan commanded the Blood Slaughter Soldiers to advance mightily!

Noon, the sun was blinding.

Thick black smoke rose. In the desolate outskirts of the city, several examinees were ganging up on a Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion.

"Push harder, it's almost done for!"

An excited examinee, continuously throwing basketball-sized fireballs at the Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion, exclaimed.

His name was Ye Jiwei, an awakened Fire Attribute combat professional, now cultivated to Body Tempering Realm five-star.

This temporarily formed team consisted of seven people. Ye Jiwei was the strongest, and the lowest realm was Body Tempering Realm three-star.

Five of them were combat professionals, and two were support professionals.

Under their combined assault, the Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion swayed precariously, its steps erratic, its pincers waving weakly.

"Will we get 80 points if we kill it?" asked a female examinee who had awakened a support profession.

"Yes, this is an eight-star Body Tempering Realm Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion."

Ye Jiwei said.

The Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion's carapace was as hard as steel, and its tail contained potent venom.

It was easy to distinguish the strength of a Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion by the number of its tails.

The one before them had exactly eight!

"Brother Wei is the strongest and contributed the most, so you should deliver the finishing blow to this fierce beast," an examinee suggested.

"I agree. Let's aim for all seven of us to at least get into a second-tier university after the Martial Examination."

Hearing this, Ye Jiwei was somewhat moved. A few words decided who would get the points for killing the Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion.

The atmosphere gradually relaxed. Everyone easily fended off the Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion's attacks, planning to wear it down to death.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Sounds of air being torn assaulted them, accompanied by several screams!

Watching two teammates struck by venomous stings in their backs, their lips visibly blackened, then gradually spreading to their faces and skin.

Ye Jiwei swallowed hard and sharply turned his head.

A much larger Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion, possessing nine tails, appeared behind them!

"It has companions?!" The team members panicked.

Nine tails meant this Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion was a Body Tempering Realm nine-star fierce beast!

Ye Jiwei's face twitched, realizing something terrible had happened!

It was highly likely that a group of Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpions lived nearby. Not to mention they were already struggling to kill an eight-star Body Tempering Realm Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion, let alone with a nine-star one joining in!

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—

Nine venomous scorpion tails swayed in the air, accurately striking the examinees present.

The strongest, Ye Jiwei, struggled to resist. Teammates at Body Tempering Realm two-star and three-star were frequently hit, black blood flowing from their wounds as they lay weakly on the ground.

"He... help."

A female student, poisoned and incapacitated, stammered, her pupils fixated on the scorpion tail that was rapidly enlarging, about to pierce her neck the next second!

Ding—

The scorpion tail struck armor, emitting a metallic clang. The girl stood dumbfounded, looking at the... monster that had blocked the fatal blow for her?

Two meters tall, with a wolf's head and a human body, clad in broken bone armor, gripping a serrated chain blade.

"What kind of monster is this?" Ye Jiwei was also somewhat bewildered, then heard squealing screams.

He didn't know when several more monsters, clad in dark red armor, had appeared. They raised their long sabers, and with a swing, dispatched the eight-star Body Tempering Realm Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion.

In the distance, Lu Yuan focused on controlling Blood Butcher and the Blood Slaughter Soldiers.

Looking at the nine-star Body Tempering Realm Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion, Lu Yuan's lips curved into a smile.

"SSS-rank Guie, let me see how strong you truly are."

With that, he commanded Blood Butcher to charge towards the Multi-tailed Human-faced Scorpion!