Liu Wuxie sent a Transcendent Realm cultivator flying, instantly drawing attention. Dozens of onlookers rushed over in the blink of an eye, eager to watch with amusement. Everyone had come from different corners of the Astral Domain, and as strangers, they refused to intervene.
"Brat, don't say I didn't give you a chance. If you kneel and kowtow, I might consider sparing your life," Ai Shan sneered. He didn't strike immediately, but let his murderous intent pour forth, pressing heavily against Liu Wuxie.
People pointed fingers and fixed their gazes on Liu Wuxie. The disparity in cultivation sharpened their senses. A seventh-level Heaven Profound Realm expert reigned invincible on the True Martial Continent, but in the Astral Domain, such strength barely touched the bottom.
Even slaves surpassed his cultivation. Without a clan or powerful backer, one could be captured and sold at the slave market with ease.
"He's only at the Heaven Profound Realm, and he dares to take the assessment? Does he think the Heavenly Dragon Sect is a joke?" someone scoffed. Even the weakest among the hopefuls had reached the Transcendent Realm, making Liu Wuxie's presence appear absurd.
"It's pointless for him to try. The minimum requirement is the Transcendent Realm. He'll be swept out as soon as the assessment begins," another added, provoking snickers. No Heaven Profound Realm cultivator had ever attempted the assessment in the past.
Another voice cut in. "Didn't you see how he kicked two Transcendent Realm cultivators flying? His combat strength isn't simple."
"So what? Rules are rules. No matter how strong he is, if he's not at the Transcendent Realm, he'll still be thrown out," someone replied with disdain.
The chatter fueled Ai Shan's arrogance. He smirked smugly. He was at the Transcendent Realm himself, barely above the line but still among the eligible.
Liu Wuxie and He Yingwu heard the murmurs as well. They had long known the Heavenly Dragon Sect's requirement. This was why He Yingwu had voiced his worries the night before.
However, Liu Wuxie had already decided—no matter the difficulty, he would find a way to enter.
"Kid, you hear that? Kneel and kowtow!" Ai Shan pressed again, his mocking tone sharper than before.
"Trash." A smirk tugged at Liu Wuxie's lips. He couldn't change the fact that he was still only at the Heaven Profound Realm, but he could change the rules.
One path was to break through to the Transcendent Realm, but there was no time. His only option was to force the Heavenly Dragon Sect to alter its rules. To do that, he had to demonstrate overwhelming strength that reduced even Transcendent Realm cultivators to mere trash before him.
Against prodigies like Shen Yue or Mu Heng, it'd be different. However, Ai Shan was nothing more than the disciple of an ordinary clan.
Without hesitation, Liu Wuxie charged forward and kicked. Ai Shan never had time to react before Liu Wuxie sent him hurtling through the air and crashing heavily to the ground.
Ai Shan sprayed blood from his lips, and his complexion paled instantly. He coughed violently, just like his two companions before him.
Liu Wuxie didn't kill them. His aim wasn't slaughter; it was to prove himself and force the Heavenly Dragon Sect to reconsider its rules.
The onlookers gasped. Ai Shan wasn't a true genius, but he still stood at the third-level Transcendent Realm, and seeing him fall with a single kick stunned the crowd.
"That kid isn't simple. Even if it was a sneak attack, sending someone at the third-level Transcendent Realm flying isn't ordinary," some muttered, their eyes flashing with surprise.
Ai Shan staggered to his feet and swallowed a few pills, forcing color back into his face.
"Just you wait! I'll make sure you die!" he snarled, retreating with his two followers. He clearly intended to fetch reinforcements.
When the spectacle ended, the gathered crowd dispersed and restored peace.
"Wuxie, what do we do now?" He Yingwu asked anxiously. Ai Shan himself wasn't a threat, but if he returned with stronger allies, trouble would follow.
"I'm only worried they won't return," Liu Wuxie said lightly. He offered no further explanation, only a calm glance that steadied He Yingwu's nerves.
Even if an Origin Conversion Realm cultivator came, Liu Wuxie would stand his ground. After refining the Bamboo Mountain Beast and opening the third divine gate, even he wasn't sure how formidable his Frost Mythical Art had grown.
Against ordinary Transcendent Realm cultivators, his martial techniques alone sufficed. Against higher-level opponents, he would have to resort to the Frost Mythical Art.
Hearing that, He Yingwu forced himself to calm down. The two sat together quietly as more and more hopefuls streamed into the valley to await the assessment.
"Look! Young Master Mu Heng and Lady Shen Yue are here!" someone exclaimed.
Mu Heng and Shen Yue entered the valley surrounded by bodyguards. They had already prepared a space for them with luxurious tents and broad views. The space was also cordoned off so no one could approach within fifty meters of them.
"Aren't they too overbearing? The valley isn't that big, yet they've taken so much space," several youths grumbled.
Liu Wuxie glanced over but said nothing. This was the Astral Domain. Here, the strong preyed on the weak.
"If you had a planet lord for a father, you'd enjoy the same privileges," others countered.
Few truly resented it. In the cultivation world, status and power dictated treatment. Complaints were nothing more than idle talk. What mattered most was passing the Heavenly Dragon Sect's assessment. Everything else was irrelevant.
As the valley filled, people ignored Liu Wuxie and He Yingwu. To others, they looked like attendants following a master rather than candidates themselves.
The day passed quickly. While skirmishes flared in other corners of the valley, no one lost their life. This was Heavenly Dragon Sect territory. The sect immediately disqualified anyone who killed.
For countless cultivators, entering the Heavenly Dragon Sect was the dream. As one of the superpowers of Indigo Bamboo Star, it offered a complete cultivation system, guidance from experts, and resources far beyond what minor factions could provide.
Meanwhile, on Laman Star inside the Indigo Slaughter Palace, a crimson-robed figure stood at the head of a grand hall.
"Palace Lord, we've searched the entire Laman Astral Domain, but he's nowhere to be found," Duan Li reported nervously. By rights, someone of his position wasn't even supposed to be allowed here.
As the one responsible for Anlu Star, however, the blame for the debacle had fallen squarely on him.
The loss of a few million astral stones meant little to a colossus like the Immortal Slaughter Palace. What enraged them was Liu Wuxie's defiance on Ancient Orchid Star. His actions would soon spread to other Astral Domains, disgracing their name.
They had to kill him to restore their honor.
"Search the other Astral Domains. If you can't find him within three months, don't bother coming back," the palace lord ordered coldly with a wave of his hand. The threat was clear: failure meant death.
Duan Li trembled as he knelt. He knew the palace lord's temper well. The man meant every word.
"I will find him within three months!" Duan Li vowed before retreating. The Immortal Slaughter Palace had assets in every Astral Domain. By mobilizing them, he believed Liu Wuxie would eventually be flushed out.
They ignored the Blood Fiend Astral Domain; abyssal devils ruled there, and humans rarely tread its lands.
That left two main possibilities—the Indigo Bamboo Astral Domain and the Spirit Martial Astral Domain. The latter was home to countless human clans, while the former and the Laman Astral Domain housed the majority of humanity.
The next day, Liu Wuxie ended his cultivation, unaware of the storm brewing against him.
The sect set the assessment for tomorrow, and tension mounted as the moment drew near. Everyone knew this place would decide their futures.
Ai Shan never reappeared that morning, allowing the day to pass quietly. Yet whenever true prodigies appeared, they would draw eyes like flames in the dark. Among them, Shen Yue and Mu Heng shone brightest. Their cultivations weren't the strongest, but their backgrounds eclipsed all others.
By afternoon, a group of five approached, and Liu Wuxie spotted them from several hundred meters away.
"They're persistent," he muttered as he jumped down from the boulder.
Ai Shan had returned. This time, he brought with him a young man and a woman. Liu Wuxie didn't recognize them, but it was clear they were reinforcements.
"Brat, you're the one who injured these three?" the young man demanded coldly. He unleashed murderous intent like a tidal wave, and his surging cultivation revealed that he was at the fifth-level Transcendent Realm.
Among the gathered candidates, he could be considered in the mid-tier. To reach such a realm at his age was an achievement few could deny.
Though the Heavenly Dragon Sect placed no age restrictions on applicants, those too old often faced rejection. Their talent had long since plateaued, as their meridians had hardened. Most of the competitors here were in their twenties, which made He Yingwu stand out sharply among them.