Chapter 711: Rescue?

This city was impossibly vast; even with the Eye of Insight, one couldn't see its end. It lay embedded in the immense plain like a dazzling pearl among grains of sand.

"The capital of a first-tier empire... it truly is magnificent!"

Zhang Xuan's gaze lifted.

As expected of a first-tier imperial capital, it was grand and imposing. Compared to it, the Tianxuan Kingdom seemed as insignificant as a clod of dirt in the countryside. The sheer size of this city even approached the entire area of the latter country.

The entire city was enveloped in spiritual energy, seemingly controlled by a massive formation that regulated the weather and climate within, making it easier for residents to cultivate and progress.

"Changing the seasons against nature's course—that's a method only Saints possess!" Yu Feier walked over, a proud expression on her face. This fellow had always been so arrogant, making her feel like a poor country girl. Now, finally seeing his astonishment, she immediately felt complacent.

"Indeed!" Although he could also set up formations, and was no weaker than a five-star formation master in that regard, it would still be difficult for him to create a grand formation controlling an area spanning thousands of li. Formations of this caliber not only required precise control but, more importantly, absolute mastery over power. If not handled properly, they would fall apart, causing immense destruction.

"We've been back for over twenty days, and there are still a few days until school starts. Master Hong and the others should have just arrived, so I need to meet up with them first!" Zhang Xuan said, recovering from his shock. Merging souls took three days, the Subterranean Palace of the Qingtian Lineage took three or four days, followed by the Beast Hall and twenty days of flight. There were still three days left until the one-month deadline. Under normal circumstances, Master Hong and the others should have only just arrived.

"New students from the Illusion Feather Empire all stay at the Scholars' Ocean. I'll take you there, and then we'll have to return to the academy to report," Yu Feier said. They had not only completed their trial but also uncovered such a significant secret, which they needed to report back. Although Xing Yuan, Wu Zhen, and others had returned early, Wu Yangzi's handwritten note and the crucible were still with Luo Qiqi. With Zhang Xuan's return, a face-to-face report was also needed to fully explain the situation.

"Okay!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

"Teacher, the Scholars' Ocean is where new students of the academy reside. It includes not only new students from the Illusion Feather Empire but also geniuses from other second-tier empires, and even the Hongyuan Empire itself. You must be careful and absolutely avoid any conflicts with them!" Luo Qiqi advised. Those capable of being called geniuses were certainly unruly individuals. The Scholars' Ocean was where the Hongyuan Empire welcomed new students, and there were countless geniuses there. If he got into a conflict with them, even a princess like Yu Feier would find it difficult to intervene.

"Don't worry, I'm an honest person; I won't cause trouble!" Zhang Xuan chuckled.

Luo Qiqi and Yu Feier exchanged glances and shook their heads simultaneously. If *you* were an honest person, then what would the rest of them be—paragons of virtue? On his first day in the Illusion Feather Imperial Capital, he first threw Master Feng until he was unrecognizable, then beat the top three students from various vassal states into a pig-headed mess. Upon entering the Cleansing Pool, they then turned into corpses... In short, wherever he went, chaos ensued, and even gods and devils would avoid him. And yet, he dared to claim he was an honest person!

Scholars' Ocean refers to the new students arriving from all directions like a vast ocean. It was also known as Scholars' Residence or New Student Residence. Located on one side of Hongyuan City, not too far from the Master Teacher Academy, the Purplewing Sky-Taming Beast was extremely fast, and they arrived shortly.

Stepping off the flying boat, Zhang Xuan put the item given by the Beast Hall into his storage ring before bidding farewell to Luo Qiqi and the others. Walking through the gates of the Scholars' Ocean, countless buildings stood tall, and young master teachers walked about, exuding a sense of vigor and vitality. These individuals looked to be in their early twenties, yet their ranks had all reached four-star, and many even possessed cultivation at the Spirit Unification realm, no weaker than himself. Truly, they were extraordinary geniuses from various sects, kingdoms, and empires.

Following the directions given by Luo Qiqi and the others, he searched for a while and soon arrived at a courtyard. "Hmm? Why is there no one guarding the gate?" After confirming it was the residence for new students from the Illusion Feather Empire, Zhang Xuan was filled with curiosity. The residences for new students from other empires were all tightly shut or guarded, but here, the gate was wide open, with not a soul in sight. Could it be that he had guessed wrong, and Master Hong and the others hadn't arrived yet?

Puzzled, he stepped inside. The courtyard was clean and tidy, indicating regular cleaning. In the surrounding pavilions and corridors, there were signs of recent occupation.

"It seems they've arrived, but why aren't they here?" As a half-step five-star master teacher and possessing the Eye of Insight, it was simple for him to discern if someone had resided there. As he wondered, he heard a whistling sound from ahead, as if something had struck the front wall, sending dust flying.

"Someone's fighting!" His expression darkened, and he hurried forward, rounding a corridor. He then saw a small dueling platform in a spacious courtyard, where people were currently sparring. A crowd had gathered below the platform, with Master Hong, Master Feng, and others prominently among them. Young Master Ruohuan, Bi Jianghai, Luo Xuan, and others who had accompanied him were also seated below, but each of them had flushed faces and black eyes, looking as if they had just been severely beaten.

The person currently sparring on the platform was someone he recognized: Han Ling, a genius led by Master Feng. His cultivation had long reached the Spirit Unification realm mid-stage, and after nearly a month apart, he was clearly stronger, having already broken through to the late-stage. Even before he made a move, he exuded an incredibly powerful aura. Opposite him was a grey-robed young man. This fellow's strength was also at the Spirit Unification realm late-stage, but his combat prowess seemed even greater. Han Ling was steadily retreating in their exchange, already pushed to the edge of the dueling platform.

"Go, Master Han!"

"We can't lose again..."

"That's right, if we lose again, we'll truly have no choice but to obey them..."

Below, Luo Xuan and the others clenched their fists, their faces flushed, their eyes filled with unwillingness.

"What's going on?" Seeing that everyone was too engrossed in the battle to even notice his arrival, Zhang Xuan scratched his head. Why were they fighting?

"Haha, stop struggling! Just concede quickly! I can't even last three moves against Senior Brother Feng. If you can't even beat me, how do you expect to challenge him? Dream on!" With each move closing in, the young man opposite Han Ling looked triumphant, laughing loudly, "Don't worry, there are benefits to following us. But if you continue to be stubborn, don't blame me for being impolite!" As he spoke, his attacks came one after another, fiercely powerful. Han Ling's face turned pale as he struggled to resist.

"Master Hong, what's happening?" After watching for a while, knowing that Han Ling's defeat was certain and he wouldn't last many more moves, Zhang Xuan took a few steps to the base of the platform and couldn't help but look at Master Hong nearby.

"Ah... Master Zhang, you're safe? You're back! That's wonderful!" Seeing Master Zhang appear, Master Hong was so excited he nearly jumped. The others below the platform, including Luo Xuan, also flushed with excitement. Even Young Master Xiulian, who had previously been beaten into a "pig-headed" state by him, had red eyes, as if seeing a beloved family member, overflowing with indescribable emotion.

"What's wrong?" Seeing their expressions, Zhang Xuan was utterly puzzled. Was it really necessary to react like this after less than a month apart?

"It's the new student assessment!" Knowing he wouldn't understand, Master Hong quickly explained, "The assessment has been decided: it's hunting in the Hongyuan Mountain Range..." Soon, Master Hong explained everything.

After listening, Zhang Xuan finally understood. It wasn't enough to simply participate in the Master Teacher Grand Competition and enter the top ten to directly enter the Master Teacher Academy. One also needed to pass an entrance assessment. The content of this assessment varied each time, sometimes involving passing a stage, breaking a formation, or a written test... This year, it was hunting.

The hunting location was Leiyuan Peak in the Hongyuan Mountain Range. Leiyuan Peak was a massive mountain range near the Master Teacher Academy, as steep as a blade and incredibly difficult to ascend. Even Spirit Unification realm experts would find it extremely challenging to climb, let alone hunt within it. Different levels of spirit beasts hunted yielded different scores. With a one-day time limit, hunting a single Spirit Refinement realm peak spirit beast counted as passing.

Although spirit beasts could fight above their level, with the master teachers' discernment and Spirit Unification realm strength, hunting this level was still relatively easy. However, the number of spirit beasts in the entire mountain range was limited, and knowing they were being hunted, the spirit beasts would certainly flee or hide, making them not so easy to find. Furthermore, the more spirit beasts hunted beyond the passing threshold, the more academic credits could be exchanged... this easily led to conflicts among new students. More importantly, the spirit beasts in the mountain range were not only at the Spirit Refinement realm but also at the Spirit Unification realm, Bridge of Heaven realm, and even higher levels. Entering it meant not only hunting but also preventing being counter-killed by spirit beasts!

Each assessment saw a considerable number of new students injured or killed. It could be said that once the assessment began, it was a battle, testing master teachers in various aspects: their character, strength, adaptability, discernment... Only true powerhouses could stand out and make a name for themselves. Those who were weak or had poor character would likely suffer mental breakdowns soon after entering and ultimately return in utter defeat. This assessment was a test of survival of the fittest; if one couldn't make it, they could only leave!

To better pass and avoid danger, many empires formed alliances as soon as they arrived. With more people in an alliance, they could contend with even strong new students attempting to snatch their prey, and powerful spirit beasts. However, forming an alliance had both pros and cons. The benefits, naturally, were that participants would be safer. The downside was that with more people, spirit beasts would easily detect them and flee directly. Even if they were fortunate enough to catch one, there would be issues of priority and order in distribution. The leading members would enjoy distribution first. It was possible that by the end of the day's assessment, the subordinate members might not have gotten a single beast, ultimately all facing elimination! In other words, whether one could pass depended on the hunting results and how the dominant faction distributed them. Therefore, to gain the initiative, any alliance would want to secure the leading position.

The master teachers battling everyone were from the second-tier Jinhai Empire. Both sides had decided to form an alliance and were now contending for the leading and subordinate roles within the alliance, with victory determined by strength.

"How many matches in total? And how many have we already competed in?" After hearing the explanation, Zhang Xuan finally understood and couldn't help but ask. If they had only lost half, his arrival now might still be able to salvage the situation.