The End of the Assessment

"Enough chit-chat. Once this is over, I'll establish a checkpoint at the Third Northern Peak. If you genuinely have the capability, seek me out there."

After uttering these words, the ancestor's figure began to dissipate. Before Qin Shu could respond, he vanished from sight.

Qin Shu abruptly opened his eyes to a vista of yellow sand, having already been buried beneath the surface. 

He hastily circulated his blood essence. In a moment, he sealed off the surrounding space with his blood essence, then leaped out of the quicksand.

By this point, everyone was thoroughly fatigued, with Zi Yue collapsing from exhaustion. As an Armored Soldier's saber loomed perilously above her, a saber swiftly flew past her head, shattering the Armored Soldier.

"Miss, are you alright?" Qing Yuan hurried to her side and helped her up.

"I'm fine." Zi Yue got to her feet and turned to see Qin Shu standing atop a dune, his blood essence replenished, his gaze fixed on the Wolf King.

"It's him, he's still alive!" Xuanyuan Quanlong exclaimed spiritedly to Zhao He.

"Who is that?" Zhao He turned his head and spotted Qin Shu retracting his Red Flame Saber, then darting in front of the Wolf King. His icy demeanor sent involuntary shivers down the Wolf King's spine, causing it to leap backward and evade Qin Shu's blade.

"How is this possible? H-how is he still alive?" 

At this moment, Li Wen felt a profound helplessness. Qin Shu seemed akin to an indomitable cockroach, repeatedly defying his expectations.

"Without the Spirit Guiding Tree's support, let's see how long you can hide!" 

Qin Shu attacked the Wolf King relentlessly, releasing his pent-up frustration.

By this time, the Wolf King was already injured and its aura was unstable. It could only barely contend with Qin Shu. However, Qin Shu grew bolder with every exchange, rattling the Wolf King's nerves.

"Yes, this is a disciple of our Blackheaven Sect." 

From a distant mountaintop, the Fifth Elder nodded in approval. Over countless outer sect disciple assessments, he had encountered some promising talents, but few possessed Qin Shu's audacious spirit.

"Perish!" The Red Flame Saber descended, spattering blood in all directions. The Wolf King slumped to the ground, its breath faint.

Qin Shu also bore injuries. Although the Wolf King had been considerably weakened and couldn't match its prior power, its near Level 11 Qi Refinement physique made it an insurmountable foe for Qin Shu, who stood at Level 8 Qi Refinement.

The Wolf King, too apprehensive to advance further, paced slowly, staring intently at the onlookers, its previous aggression diminished.

"Let's conclude this," Qin Shu declared. 

Upon activating the Burning Blood Technique and clutching the Red Flame Saber, he made another assault on the Wolf King, his aura even more formidable than before.

The Wolf King, unable to dodge in time, could only raise its spiritual shield once more. However, upon contact with the Red Flame Saber, the shield crumbled. Beneath the Wolf King's terrified gaze, Qin Shu raised his saber high and struck a fatal blow.

"He won! Qin Shu has triumphed!" A collective sigh of relief swept through the crowd. Li Wen retrieved a talisman and intended to depart from the scene.

As he produced the talisman, a lengthy saber impaled him. Qin Shu, standing at a distance, gazed coldly at Li Wen.

"No, no! I can't lose, I can't lose!" 

Li Wen felt his body dispersing. In a fit of despair, he bellowed before vanishing into thin air without a trace.

"Has it finally ended?" Zhao He heaved a long sigh of relief, his body sapped of energy as he lay on the ground, panting heavily.

Others also took a respite on the spot, their expressions fatigued.

"Brother Qin, congratulations." Xuanyuan Quanlong spotted Qin Shu descending from the sky, heading their way and quickly rose to extend his congratulations.

"I must express my gratitude to everyone. Without your support, I might not have obtained this opportunity." Qin Shu replied, acknowledging their aid. He then turned to face the group, his expression earnest.

"Thank you, Shi Qianfeng, Brother Shi."

Qin Shu turned around to find Shi Qianfeng already brandishing his sword. He couldn't help but express his gratitude. Without Shi Qianfeng's timely intervention, Zhao He, Zi Yue, and the others would have succumbed to the dual threat of the Wolf King and Li Wen.

"You spared my life before, and I promised to return the favor. Now, we're even. Farewell, we may cross paths again in the future."

Shi Qianfeng didn't linger long. He took a step forward, his sword strapped to his back, and left the scene. Qin Shu watched his departure and nodded in acknowledgment.

After a few hours, everyone rose and began heading in the direction of Black Peak Mountain. Time was of the essence, even though Qin Shu had secured the Wolf King's Beast Core. They were still missing one person.

The final day arrived at Black Peak Mountain.

"Look at me, I've collected over 270 Beast Cores. First place is within my grasp."

"That's nothing. I'm not even mentioning anything below 300."

"Phew, luckily I've gathered 200 pills. Otherwise, I wouldn't even qualify."

At this moment, everyone congregated at the peak of Black Peak Mountain, animatedly discussing their achievements. Most of them were elated at having accumulated 200 tokens, securing their advancement to become inner disciples. However, a few wore crestfallen expressions, evidently failing to gather the required number.

Meanwhile, Qin Shu and the others arrived at the peak of Black Peak. Zi Yue's appearance stirred discussions among the disciples.

"This girl is really beautiful."

"Hey, look at the person beside her. Isn't that the Qin Shu whom Li Wen sought to eliminate with the Myriad Lightning Technique?"

"D*mn, is this kid alive?"

At this point, Qin Shu standing next to Zi Yue drew attention. Many were surprised, while others looked puzzled. However, as others chimed in with their comments, shock spread through the crowd.

"Where are Li Wen and Li Wu?"

"Could it be that Qin Shu kicked them out of the illusion realm?"

"That's absurd. Li Wen and Li Wu both possess trump cards. Qin Shu can't have easily defeated them, this brat."

After listening to the discussions, Qin Shu smiled and shook his head. Perhaps when the Fifth Elder revealed the results, they would learn the truth.

"Silence!"

An elderly voice resonated, and a figure descended from the heavens, standing on a raised platform.

"Greetings, Fifth Elder!"

Upon seeing this, the disciples ceased their discussions and bowed respectfully.

"Very well."

"Assuming nothing unexpected occurred during your training over these past few days, your comprehension of realms should have improved. Now, take out your storage bags and place them on the spirit stone platform in front of you."

After following the Fifth Elder's instruction, everyone stood and dutifully arranged their storage bags on the Spirit Stone Platform. The Fifth Elder watched, nodding occasionally and furrowing his brows at times, suggesting he had an idea of the outcome.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the last person laid down their bag of holding. The Fifth Elder waved his hand, and the storage bags vanished instantly.

"I have a general sense of your results. Now, I will announce them."

"First place, Zhao He."

The Fifth Elder nodded slightly at Zhao He, indicating a spot where he should proceed. Zhao He understood and walked out of the crowd, heading toward the designated location.

"Next, all disciples whose names are called, move there and await further instructions."

"Second place, Qing Shan."