The sudden roar of a beast startled Luo Feng.

This was the Martial Artist Hall, yet there was such a strong Demon Qi.

After a slight pause, Luo Feng continued forward and entered the side hall.

The side hall was also very spacious, one to two thousand paces wide and long, able to accommodate thousands of people without feeling crowded. Dozens of martial artists were already inside, and their eyes showed surprise when Luo Feng walked in.

Someone exclaimed, "It's rare to see someone so young attending the Martial Artist Hall's assessment."

A small-eyed martial artist in a blue shirt laughed. "Maybe some rich young master wants to satisfy his curiosity. I hope he won't run away when he learns what the assessment entails."

Laughter filled the hall. Luo Feng paid them no mind and walked straight toward several martial artists in charge of the assessment.

The examiners were chatting amongst themselves when one of them noticed Luo Feng and asked, "Are you here for the assessment?"

"Yes." Luo Feng nodded and quietly observed the three men.

The three exuded an imposing aura. The pressure emanating from them was only slightly weaker than Lin Ao's, indicating they were all Nine Heavenly Court Realm experts.

The man asked directly, "Name, age, and cultivation realm?"

Luo Feng paused for a moment before answering, "Feng Luo, fifteen, mid-stage of the Seventh Stage Essence Storage Realm."

To avoid alerting potential enemies on his journey to Green Wood Peak, Luo Feng had intentionally concealed his real name and strength.

Upon hearing his answer, all three examiners looked at Luo Feng in surprise. The one who had asked the questions nodded and handed Luo Feng a wooden token. "Take this and wait at the examination area next door. The examination will start in an hour."

Luo Feng took the token and glanced at it. The number twenty-five was carved on it, likely representing his order of appearance.

After thanking them, Luo Feng turned and walked toward the center of the hall.

Watching Luo Feng leave, the middle-aged examiner in charge of registration asked, "Fifteen years old with the strength of the mid-stage Seventh Stage Essence Storage Realm? He can't be a nobody. Have any of you heard of this Feng Luo?"

"Never heard of him," one man shook his head.

The long-faced, middle-aged man on the far left stroked his beard and chuckled. "You're all too serious. Among the martial artists who come to our Martial Artist Hall for assignments, how many use their real names? Who knows if he's telling the truth."

The other two nodded. "That's true. We'll know once the examination results are out."

Luo Feng arrived at the center of the hall and discovered a small, enclosed square.

The square was located underground, over ten zhang deep, and stretched nearly three hundred paces across. The dark ground was covered with countless scars and dried, dark red bloodstains. At the far end of the square stood a pitch-black portal. A low breathing, like muffled thunder, emanated from within.

Luo Feng frowned slightly as he looked at the portal.

The aura emanating from that portal seems quite sinister. That roar earlier probably came from here.

Everyone else also stared curiously at the dark portal in the square, their eyes flashing with a mixture of shock and curiosity.

An hour later, footsteps echoed through the hall as the three examiners in charge of registration walked over. The presence of the three Nine Heavenly Court Realm martial artists standing together made the atmosphere in the hall somewhat oppressive, and all sounds immediately ceased.

The oldest examiner scanned the crowd and announced, "I believe many of you have already heard about the Martial Artist Hall's assessment. To pass, you only need to defeat a Great Power Demon Ape. This will grant you an Identity Token from the Martial Artist Hall, allowing you to accept assignments from any Martial Artist Hall in any city."

The long-faced examiner beside him added gravely, "Before the assessment begins, let me remind you. The Great Power Demon Ape is a high-level Rank Three Demon Beast, its strength equivalent to the mid-stage of the Sixth Stage God Bravery Realm. If you lack the strength of the Sixth Stage God Bravery Realm and go down to challenge it, you won't even know how you died." As he spoke, his gaze intentionally or unintentionally swept over Luo Feng.

So it is the Great Power Demon Ape. My information was correct.

I heard the Great Power Demon Ape is bloodthirsty and brutal, with incredible strength. If it hits you, even a Sixth Stage God Bravery Realm martial artist wouldn't be able to withstand it. I wonder if I can pass the assessment.

The martial artists participating in the assessment began to whisper amongst themselves, apprehension evident on many faces.

A young guard stood to the side, covertly observing Luo Feng's expression. Seeing Luo Feng's calm demeanor, the guard couldn't help but shake his head.

The older examiner, seeing the time was right, announced, "Alright, enough talk. The assessment officially begins! Number one, Chen Yuan, to the center of the square."

"Yes."

As his voice fell, a burly young martial artist stepped forward in response. This man was eight chi tall, wielding a twelve-chi long spear, and his entire body exuded a ferocious aura.

"It's Chen Yuan! I didn't expect him to participate in the martial artist assessment. I heard his Chaotic Cloud Spear Method has reached an extremely high level of mastery. Once he employs it, within a hundred paces, his spear's flurry is like a continuous barrier, impenetrable even by water." Someone in the crowd had recognized Chen Yuan.

"Are you ready?" the examiner asked, seeing Chen Yuan had taken his position in the center of the square.

Chen Yuan nodded, his eyes fixed on the nearby black portal, his body emitting a bone-chilling aura.

"Open the gate."

The examiner nodded and waved his hand. A creaking sound filled the hall as the heavy stone gate of the dark portal began to rise, inch by inch.

ROAR!

The stone gate had barely risen halfway when a deafening beastly roar suddenly erupted. A massive shadow leaped out from the portal, bringing with it a gust of ferocious demonic wind, causing everyone present to involuntarily hold their breath.

Luo Feng looked down and saw a colossal humanoid beast standing ten paces from Chen Yuan. The beast resembled an ape, standing nearly two zhang tall. It was like a small mountain, its entire body covered in pitch-black scales. Its blood-red eyes glinted with a bloodthirsty light, and an astonishingly oppressive presence enveloped the entire hall.

ROAR!

The moment the Great Power Demon Ape appeared, its demonic might surged. It slammed its arms violently against the ground, instantly creating two deep pits, then its massive body launched into the air, pouncing towards Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan was clearly a seasoned warrior. He recovered from the Great Power Demon Ape's ferocious display in an instant, his eyes flashing with a cold light.

"Chaotic Cloud Thrust!"

With a deep cry, Chen Yuan's body sank low. His feet pushed off powerfully, and the twelve-chi long spear in his hand transformed into a series of continuous black shadows, stabbing fiercely at the Great Power Demon Ape's left shoulder.

BOOM!

Amidst the loud impact, Chen Yuan's long spear pierced the Great Power Demon Ape's left shoulder. The Refined Iron Long Spear sank three cun deep but could advance no further. The enormous recoil sent Chen Yuan flying backward, and he slammed heavily into the wall.

PFFT!

The impact blasted a large hole in the wall. Chen Yuan felt a sweet taste in his throat as he spat out a mouthful of blood. Witnessing this, all the martial artists participating in the assessment couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. Chen Yuan, a late-stage Sixth Stage God Bravery Realm martial artist, had actually lost to the Great Power Demon Ape in a direct confrontation!

Luo Feng couldn't help but nod. In terms of pure strength, even a Seventh Stage Essence Storage Realm martial artist would likely not be a match for this Great Power Demon Ape.

AWOO...

The intense pain in its shoulder provoked the Great Power Demon Ape's demonic nature. It immediately let out a furious howl, its ferocious aura intensifying severalfold as it roared and charged at Chen Yuan. Chen Yuan's face turned pale with fright. He sprang up and desperately dodged around the square.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The square echoed with thunderous impacts. Each time the Great Power Demon Ape's feet landed, the entire ground trembled, and the shockwaves it generated left the onlookers astounded. While dodging, Chen Yuan found an opportunity to retrieve his spear and immediately counterattacked.

"Cloud Return Flying Thrust!"

His steps suddenly halted. Chen Yuan's aura surged to its peak. With a swift 'returning horse' spear technique, the spear in his hand shot backward with a WHOOSH.

SQUELCH!

The long spear shot out like a solitary star streaking across the sun. Though immensely strong, the Great Power Demon Ape was not particularly fast. The spear pierced its left eye, and with a sickening squelch, the tip emerged from the back of its skull.

CRASH!

Its massive body trembled. The Great Power Demon Ape let out an unwilling roar before collapsing stiffly to the ground.

PHEW...

Having slain the Great Power Demon Ape with that one thrust, Chen Yuan stumbled, then plopped onto the ground, gasping heavily for breath. He had reached his limit after the fierce battle. If that move hadn't secured victory, he would have had to forfeit the assessment.

"Chen Yuan, congratulations. You have passed the assessment," the examiner announced promptly upon seeing Chen Yuan kill the Great Power Demon Ape.

Chen Yuan nodded weakly, took out a medicinal pill, and swallowed it. Only after a short while did he manage to climb up from the ground, his heart still pounding as he looked at the cracks crisscrossing the floor.

Seeing Chen Yuan's battered state, expressions of fear appeared on the faces of the other candidates waiting to take the martial artist assessment.

"Chen Yuan, with his late-stage Sixth Stage God Bravery Realm cultivation, nearly died at the hands of the Great Power Demon Ape! My cultivation is inferior to his; I definitely can't pass this assessment."

"I'm not taking it."

"Me neither."

Many people chose to withdraw from the assessment and turned to leave. The examiners in charge of the assessment didn't try to stop them, merely sneering coldly.

The long-faced examiner watched them leave and sneered disdainfully. "These people lack even this much courage, yet they call themselves martial artists. If people like them were to accept assignments from our Martial Artist Hall, they would only tarnish our reputation. We're better off without them!"

"Elder Huo, look at that young man called Feng Luo," another examiner gestured with his eyes.

The long-faced examiner, Elder Huo, shifted his gaze to Luo Feng. Seeing Luo Feng still standing calmly in place, his initial disdain was replaced by a hint of appreciation. He has some courage, but I wonder about his actual strength.

The examiner in charge of the assessment flipped through the registration booklet in his hand and announced, "Next. Qin Xuan."

WHOOSH!

Before his words faded, a slender young woman suddenly seemed to float to the center of the square. The young woman was about seventeen or eighteen years old. She wore a sword at her side and possessed delicate features. Her neat, ear-length hair contributed to an air of competence and sharpness, and her striking eyebrows framed eyes that held a hint of keenness.

Luo Feng looked at the young woman, his eyebrows slightly raised. There's a faint killing intent about her.

"Let's begin."

Without waiting for the examiner to speak, the young woman stated directly. Her slender, jade-like hand rested on the hilt of her sword, her beautiful eyes fixed on the dark portal, which had closed again.

"Not bad."

Seeing the young woman's composure, the examiner nodded with a hint of approval. He waved his hand, and the stone gate immediately swung open. Another Great Power Demon Ape roared as it charged out, its ferocious presence and a foul wind rushing towards the young woman.

Feeling the savage aura of the Great Power Demon Ape, beads of cold sweat formed on the sword-wielding young woman's forehead. Yet, her beautiful eyes remained as cold as ice, showing no ripple of emotion as she stared at the rapidly approaching Demon Ape.

One hundred paces.

Fifty paces!

Twenty paces!

Ten paces!

The distance between them shrank rapidly. Just when everyone thought the sword-wielding young woman was about to meet her demise, she finally moved.

With a light tap of her foot, the sword-wielding young woman's skirt fluttered as she spun away, as light and graceful as a butterfly.

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