Chapter 85: Shangyuan Chushan

The following morning, the heavy snowfall had ceased, leaving a thick blanket of snow covering the ground.

After Meng Chuan, the hundreds of other geniuses, and their accompanying family and friends had washed up and eaten breakfast, they all converged on an open space outside a main hall, treading through the snow.

"Today is the final selection, our last opportunity," muttered a genius standing alone in a corner, their eyes alight with fierce determination. "I must give it my all."

"I'm already twenty; I absolutely must secure a spot this time."

Many of the geniuses remained silent, weighed down by immense pressure.

Even those who had barely scraped into the top ten during the preliminary round, like Princess Li Ying, felt a knot of anxiety. While they were confident they could secure a spot, the fear of "what if" lingered. What if Yuanchu Mountain discovered even more promising talents during the final selection, pushing them beyond the twentieth position? That would leave them utterly bewildered.

After the preliminary round, only Meng Chuan, Ji Yuantong, and Zong Sha could confidently claim they would secure a spot.

"They're here."

"King Donghe and the others have arrived."

Everyone fell silent. Meng Chuan and Meng Dajiang both looked up as King Donghe, the slovenly man, and the woman in green entered from the courtyard gate. The trio advanced to the front of the gathering and stopped.

King Donghe's gaze swept across the assembled group. "Today marks the final assessment for entry into Yuanchu Mountain," he announced. "This is your last opportunity. As long as you demonstrate sufficient strength or potential, Yuanchu Mountain will grant you a place. However, there are only twenty spots available, meaning the vast majority of you are destined to be eliminated."

The crowd listened in quiet anticipation.

"Give it your all," the slovenly man added. "Eighty-three of you are already twenty years old. Miss this chance, and there won't be another."

"Let's go," King Donghe declared. As he spoke, the surrounding space warped, enveloping everyone present. At that moment, King Donghe once again became impossible to look at directly.

Meng Chuan felt an invisible force gently encompass him, while an unseen support lifted him from beneath.

With a sudden rush, he was airborne.

King Donghe and the two other Divine Fiends lifted nearly two hundred people into the air, flying directly towards the colossal Yuanchu Mountain, which towered into the clouds in the distance.

"They can fly this fast even with nearly two hundred people?" Meng Chuan was somewhat astonished. The group of geniuses watched as they ascended higher and higher, leaving Yuanchu City far below, yet drawing steadily closer to Yuanchu Mountain.

Although the majestic Yuanchu Mountain was clearly visible, even at King Donghe's astonishing speed, it still took the time it takes to drink a cup of tea to reach it.

Facing Yuanchu Mountain up close, Meng Chuan and the others were filled with awe.

It was majestic, colossal, and boundless...

Its sheer scale made their own beings feel insignificant.

*Whoosh.*

Flying deep into the vast mountains, King Donghe continued his journey, skimming past the mid-slopes of numerous peaks and catching glimpses of various mountain streams and valleys.

Finally, King Donghe led the large group of geniuses to the entrance of an enormous canyon. Many Divine Fiends had already assembled there, including Marquis Nanyun and Marquis Xihai, who had watched the previous day, as well as some new arrivals. In total, over fifty Divine Fiends had gathered.

"Is that Meng Chuan?"

"A transcendent spiritual sense?"

Many of the newly arrived Divine Fiends who had come to observe noticed Meng Chuan.

After landing, King Donghe walked over to a plain-clothed elder.

"Elder Yi," King Donghe greeted with a smile, "You've come to observe as well?"

"The Mountain Master personally instructed me to come and observe this Meng Chuan closely," the plain-clothed elder replied. The two of them stood at the forefront of all the Divine Fiends, who clearly held them in high regard. This was because both were King-level Divine Fiends, a rare and highly esteemed rank. Many King-level Divine Fiends were also stationed at critical border passes and unable to leave their posts. Thus, having two King-level Divine Fiends present to oversee this assessment was exceptionally rare.

"You may begin," the plain-clothed elder stated. "I am merely here to observe."

"Understood."

King Donghe stepped forward a few paces, addressing the hundred geniuses. "The final assessment comprises two parts," he announced. "The first is Demon Slaying!"

Immediately, the eyes of many geniuses gleamed. While Yuanchu Mountain's assessment methods frequently changed, "Demon Slaying" remained a constant.

"Many of you felt the preliminary round didn't allow you to showcase your true strength," King Donghe continued. "Now is your chance; Demon Slaying is the ultimate test of power." He gestured towards the canyon ahead. "Observe, the canyon walls hold countless imprisoned demons. Soon, you will engage them in combat. You may slay as many as you wish. For demon commanders, ten kills are sufficient; more provide no additional benefit. However, for demon grand commanders, the more you slay, the better."

Meng Chuan and the others then scrutinised the area.

The immense canyon was shrouded in a dense mist. Through it, they could vaguely discern numerous caves carved into the cliff faces. Listening intently, they could hear faint, guttural roars emanating from within.

The cliff caves were quite distant from Meng Chuan, more than a mile away, and beyond his sensing range.

"Countless demons imprisoned? Why does Yuanchu Mountain keep so many demons, just for our assessment?" Meng Chuan pondered internally.

"The entire assessment will last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn," King Donghe continued. "Should you be defeated by a demon, your life could be at risk, but I will intervene and rescue you beforehand. Alright, everyone, proceed inside."

Geniuses such as Meng Chuan, Yan Jin, Ji Yuantong, Zong Sha, Chu Yong, Yan Feng, Yan Chitong, and Jin Huan collectively made their way into the immense canyon.

Meanwhile, their numerous family and friends could only remain at the entrance, watching anxiously from a distance.

"King Donghe," a female Divine Fiend in red spoke.

"Begin," King Donghe nodded.

The woman in red then stepped forward. With a single stride, her figure blurred, and she had already appeared inside the immense canyon.

Meng Chuan and the others watched with a hint of surprise at the sudden appearance of the female Divine Fiend in red.

The female Divine Fiend in red continued walking, steadily advancing past Meng Chuan and the other geniuses, until she reached the vicinity of the vast canyon's cliff faces.

Meanwhile, within many of the cliffside caves,

Inside each cave, demons were held captive by chains. These creatures, with their restricted movement, had long languished in the dim caverns, their resentment towards humanity steadily intensifying.

Yet at this moment, their chains automatically unlocked, clattering as they fell to the ground.

"Huh?" The demons within the caves were momentarily stunned. How had their imprisoning chains come undone? But their astonishment was swiftly replaced by exhilaration.

"We can get out!"

"The Demon King must have rescued us." All the demons surged out of their caves.

The female Divine Fiend in red strode through the canyon. From countless caves on the cliff walls, hordes of demons leaped down, while others nimbly scaled the sheer rock faces as if walking on flat ground. Still more spread their wings and soared high, filling the canyon's mid-air.

The ground, the cliff faces, and the mid-air were all swarming with demons; a quick glance revealed well over a thousand of them.

"There's a human here."

"Kill her!"

Some of the demons lunged at the female Divine Fiend in red.

"Silence," the female Divine Fiend in red commanded abruptly. As her voice resonated, an unseen wave permeated the entire canyon.

The thousand-plus demons in the canyon, who had been agitated and ferocious moments before, all fell completely silent, gazing at the woman in red with profound reverence.

Meng Chuan and the others, however, felt a tremor in their hearts.

Just one word?

A thousand powerful demons, utterly hostile alien creatures, rendered so docile and obedient?

The female Divine Fiend in red turned her attention to Meng Chuan and the other geniuses. "There are a total of 1,227 demons here," she stated, "including over a thousand demon commanders and 135 demon grand commanders. When facing them, your priority is self-preservation, followed by finding a way to slay these demons."

The expressions on the faces of all hundred geniuses shifted. Even Meng Chuan and Yan Jin looked grave. They understood the formidable power of a demon grand commander; the thought of facing over a hundred of them was daunting.

In a head-on confrontation, their hundred geniuses stood no chance against such numbers. This "Demon Slaying" exercise could easily turn into them being slain by demons!

"Kill! Slay all one hundred humans before you," the female Divine Fiend in red commanded, pointing towards Meng Chuan and the others.

The thousand-plus demons, previously docile, now had bloodshot eyes and were completely frenzied. Roars, screams, and hisses reverberated through the canyon as they surged madly towards Meng Chuan and the others. Some flew through the air, others rapidly scaled down the cliff faces, and the majority charged in a vast wave across the ground. All of them advanced with murderous intent.

The female Divine Fiend in red calmly observed the scene, then with a whoosh, she ascended and flew towards the canyon entrance.

"It has begun."

King Donghe and the other Divine Fiends watched calmly as an incense stick, already lit, burned beside them.

The Demon Slaying assessment would last for the duration of one incense stick.