The Huntian Sacred Mountain was home to the mountain gate of the Huntian Sect, one of the ten great powers of the Eastern Wastelands.

The Sky-Patrolling Giant Ship came to a halt midway up the Huntian Sacred Mountain. Disciples from hundreds of academies, numbering in the tens of thousands, disembarked and gathered in the enormous plaza in front of the Huntian Sect's Disciple Hall.

The Disciple Hall was majestic, akin to a small mountain standing tall, exuding an ancient and timeless aura.

The plaza itself was unimaginably vast. Even the Sky-Patrolling Giant Ship, a thousand meters long, occupied only a small corner. The tens of thousands of academy disciples present barely filled even half of it.

The academy disciples looked around, their eyes filled with curiosity and amazement.

Everything they saw here left them feeling awestruck and overwhelmed, like frogs leaping out of a well for the first time, suddenly beholding the vastness of the world.

Before long, tens of thousands of gazes were collectively drawn to an object standing in front of the Disciple Hall.

It was a drum!

A massive war drum, ten meters in diameter, suspended three meters in the air. Its body resembled ancient bronze, with a deep and rustic hue, exuding an aura of timelessness and imperishability.

The drum's surface was etched with faint patterns, densely packed and crisscrossing, as if imbued with the infinite mysteries of the Dao itself.

"Silence!"

A resounding and majestic voice, like the voice of a god, reverberated across heaven and earth, instantly silencing the buzzing discussions of the tens of thousands of disciples.

One after another, streaks of light flew into the plaza, revealing individuals hovering in mid-air. Each of them radiated divine light and brilliance, their auras profound and unfathomable.

"They’re not flying with the help of tools… they’re flying through the air unaided…" someone with sharp eyes muttered, noticing that these figures had no flying artifacts beneath their feet.

"Flying with tools… versus flying unaided…" Chen Feng’s eyes narrowed as he pondered in silence.

Was one superior to the other? If so, which was higher? Lacking sufficient knowledge about cultivation, Chen Feng hesitated to make a judgment but couldn't help forming a hypothesis in his heart.

"Welcome, everyone, to the Huntian Sect. This drum is our sect’s treasure, the Huntian Drum." The speaker hovered above the Disciple Hall—a burly elder with a long beard. His face was ruddy, and his body radiated intense divine light, exuding a world-shaking aura that seemed to suppress both heaven and earth. However, this pressure was restrained; otherwise, none of the tens of thousands of academy disciples present would have been able to endure it.

"I am the Hall Master of the Disciple Hall, and I will be overseeing your assessment."

"Your assessment is straightforward: you will strike the Huntian Drum with your own strength."

"The results of striking the drum depend on the foundation of your strength, not your cultivation level. In other words, regardless of your cultivation, the Huntian Drum treats everyone equally."

"If the drum sounds once within one breath, you will earn the rank of Outer Sect Disciple."

"If the drum sounds twice within one breath, you will earn the rank of Inner Sect Disciple."

"If the drum sounds three times within one breath, you will become a Core Disciple."

"If the drum sounds four times within one breath, you will become a Direct Disciple."

"If the drum sounds five times within one breath, you will earn the rank of Quasi-Sect Heir."

"If the drum sounds six times within one breath, you will become the Sect Heir."

"Before you arrived, the academy disciples from Huntian City’s main academy were already assessed. The highest result was five drumbeats."

The tens of thousands of academy disciples were instantly filled with awe and surprise.

During their time aboard the Sky-Patrolling Giant Ship, they had learned much about the Huntian Sect.

While there were hundreds of Huntian Academies across the land, these were merely branch academies. The main academy was located in Huntian City, at the base of Huntian Sacred Mountain.

This carried significant implications.

The disciples of the main academy were closer to the Huntian Sect itself, meaning they had better cultivation environments and resources. The main academy naturally attracted more geniuses.

And yet, even with all these advantages, no one had managed to strike the drum six times.

Hearing this, many disciples among the tens of thousands felt their fighting spirit ignite.

Six drumbeats!

Achieving this wouldn’t just overshadow the geniuses of the main academy—it would be a chance to ascend to the rank of Sect Heir in one fell swoop.

And what did it mean to become a Sect Heir?

They didn’t completely understand.

But judging by the elder’s words, it was clear that the status of a Sect Heir far surpassed that of any other disciple rank.

"Now, begin the assessment. Remember, give it your all. What rank you achieve depends entirely on your own ability." The burly elder smiled slightly as he spoke.

With tens of thousands of disciples to assess, the process was bound to take a long time. Chen Feng was in the middle of the queue, so it would be a while before his turn. He wasn’t anxious and instead continued to focus on refining his Wind Shadow Sword Technique.

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"During the half month aboard the Sky-Patrolling Giant Ship, I managed to comprehend the Eleventh Sword and integrate it into the Wind Shadow Killing Strike, but I still have no clue how to proceed to the Twelfth Sword…"

"Could it be… that the Wind Shadow Eleven Swords is the limit?"

"Still, through comprehending and mastering the Wind Shadow Eleven Swords and the Treading Waves Ten Steps, my strength and cultivation have become even more condensed, even though my realm hasn’t advanced. It’s an unexpected benefit."

As he contemplated, the first participant approached the Huntian Drum.

The disciple was less than two meters tall and appeared tiny next to the massive drum, which floated three meters in the air and had a diameter of ten meters.

Running like the wind, the disciple suddenly launched himself into the air, his body propelled by the full power of his eighth transformation of body refinement. With his arm drawn back like a fully tensed bow, he unleashed a powerful punch at the drum.

The punch landed squarely on the ancient, mysterious drumhead, causing a slight vibration and producing a thunderous boom. The sound wave rippled outward, almost tangible, forcing the disciple to stagger backward.

He landed heavily, retreating several meters before stabilizing himself. His strength had been scattered, and he was unable to muster another strike for some time.

"One drumbeat. You are ranked as an Outer Sect Disciple. Go wait on the side," the burly elder announced.

The disciple, visibly dejected, had hoped to strike the drum three times but had only managed one.

Next, the second participant stepped forward.

Leaping into the air, this disciple wielded a bronze staff, swinging it like a thunderbolt toward the drum. The resulting sound was deafening, but like the first participant, the force of the drum’s reverberations sent him flying back several meters, his strength dissipated, leaving him unable to strike a second time.

The third participant stepped forward but failed to make the drum sound at all.

"Unable to strike the drum, you have two choices: join Huntian City for further training or become a Huntian Sect laborer," the elder stated.

"I…" The participant stood there, bewildered and unsure.

"Step aside and decide later," the elder instructed.

The assessment continued.

One by one, participants took their turns.

Some failed to make the drum sound, indicating their chaotic energy and shallow foundations, making them unfit to become Huntian Sect disciples.

Some managed one drumbeat, earning the rank of Outer Sect Disciple.

After about 100 participants, someone finally managed to strike the drum twice.

"Two drumbeats. You are ranked as an Inner Sect Disciple. Go wait on the side," the elder said, a faint smile appearing on his face.

As more participants stepped forward, the number of those who managed two drumbeats gradually increased.

Qin Haoyu stepped forward, his pace growing faster and faster, the howling of the wind echoing in all directions.

First Strike!

The drum face trembled, producing a thunderous sound.

The sound waves rebounded like a tangible force, throwing Qin Haoyu to the ground. But he immediately leapt back into the air.

Second Strike!

The second drumbeat reverberated.

This time, the rebounding sound waves seemed even stronger. Qin Haoyu, after landing, paused briefly. His eyes suddenly emitted blazing light, like two beams of radiance piercing through the void. Once again, he propelled himself upward.

With a low shout, he unleashed his third strike.

"Scorching Light Eyes, not bad. When fully developed, it can do more than just break illusions or blind opponents temporarily. It has the potential to transform into the Divine Scorching Eyes, capable of emitting divine beams of light that can pierce through anything," the burly elder nodded, his smile growing a little wider.

Qin Haoyu—three drumbeats! Ranked as a Core Disciple.

Next up was Lei Zhan. He also struck the drum three times. During the elder's evaluation, it was noted that his Iron Arms would make it easier for him to break through the limits of body refinement and achieve Copper Skin and Iron Bones.

Yan Ling, with her Wind Spirit Physique, and another disciple with a Golden Spirit Physique were both praised as having the potential to achieve the Condensed True Essence Realm.

Fan Quan, with his Phantom Eyes, was said to have the potential to evolve them into Demonic Phantom Eyes, granting mastery over supreme illusions.

Almost all those with innate extraordinariness managed to strike the drum three times, earning the rank of Core Disciple.

However, geniuses with solid foundational strength but without innate extraordinariness could only manage two drumbeats. And the elite disciples with decent foundations were limited to one drumbeat.

As for those who couldn’t strike the drum even once, they were mostly individuals who had relied heavily on medicinal pills to artificially raise their cultivation to the later stages of the Body Refinement realm. Their shallow foundations made it evident why they failed.

Yang Xuening also participated in the assessment. She struck the drum once, earning the rank of Outer Sect Disciple—revealing her true abilities.

"Brother Yun, good luck!" Yang Xuening cheered as Ye Yunqi stepped forward. "You’re sure to surpass everyone!"

Ye Yunqi’s gaze remained distant and aloof, as though he looked down on everything. But as he turned his attention to the Huntian Drum, an indescribable brilliance flashed in his eyes.

Step by step, Ye Yunqi advanced, his aura growing stronger and more condensed with each movement.

The burly elder watched him closely, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.

Ye Yunqi's aura intensified with each step, his pace quickening gradually. In the faintest moments, one could hear the sound of surging waves. Beneath his steps, the air seemed to transform into powerful tidal waves, and Ye Yunqi appeared to walk upon them.

Step, step, step...

Nine steps!

In an instant, Ye Yunqi's speed increased by 90%, turning him into a dark green blur as he charged toward the Huntian Drum. With his left arm swinging forward, he unleashed a punch infused with immensely condensed power, striking the ancient and mysterious drum face with a deafening thunder-like sound.

The sound waves rebounded violently, but Ye Yunqi drew his blade with his right hand. The dazzling blade light split into nine shadows, instantly shattering the rebounding sound waves. With unstoppable momentum, the blade struck the drum again, producing a second drumbeat.

This scene left many people gasping in disbelief.

Even those with innate extraordinariness, like Qin Haoyu, had been pushed back by the rebounding sound waves before gathering their strength to strike again.

The second wave of sound rebounded even more powerfully, sending Ye Yunqi flying backward to the ground. But he quickly rebounded, gripping his long blade with both hands. The air beneath the blade seemed to transform into turbulent waves, which were forcefully parted as he unleashed an overwhelmingly powerful slash.

Boom!

The third deafening drumbeat resounded.

The rebounding sound waves grew even stronger this time, forcing Ye Yunqi back several meters before he landed.

"Bloodline activation!"

With a low roar, a flash of azure light appeared in Ye Yunqi’s eyes, and the sound of rushing tides seemed to echo from within his body. His blood surged like vast rivers and mighty streams, enveloping his entire form in a layer of radiant blood-colored light.

The blood-colored light pulsed like ocean waves, layer upon layer, granting Ye Yunqi an even greater surge of strength.

"This is unexpected—a Bloodline Physique, and a Water-element Tidal Bloodline at that," the burly elder remarked in astonishment. "Judging by its characteristics, it’s even a King-tier Bloodline. Impressive, he’s worth cultivating."

Empowered by his bloodline, Ye Yunqi surged forward with his blade, delivering a fierce strike to the Huntian Drum.

Boom!

The fourth drumbeat reverberated.

The rebounding force surged exponentially, slamming into Ye Yunqi. The tidal-like blood-colored light around him wavered and trembled, as if on the brink of shattering.

Despite this, Ye Yunqi resisted the enormous rebounding force and leapt forward again, swinging his blade for another strike.

For a moment, everyone present couldn’t help but widen their eyes and hold their breath.

Could he… could he match the prodigies of the main academy and strike the drum five times?

[--------------------------------------------]

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