Students from all five major academies clustered around the valley entrance, anticipation crackling through the crowd like electricity before a storm. The trial was moments away.
Ye Tian moved through the gathering with calculated casualness, but his scanning ability worked overtime beneath the facade. First Academy students were his primary hunting ground—time to see what premium genetic material they offered.
"Elementary Cultivation Talent!"
"Elementary Cultivation Talent!"
"Elementary Cultivation Talent!"
Disappointment soured his mood as he catalogued the mediocre results. Most First Academy students possessed only elementary grades—decent by normal standards, but nothing extraordinary. The prestigious institution had brought roughly thirty participants total.
"Five targets remaining."
His attention sharpened as he approached the final group. These students carried themselves differently—confidence born from genuine ability rather than institutional arrogance.
Moving within scanning range, he activated his copying talent on each target.
"Intermediate Cultivation Talent—every single one."
Excitement pulsed through his veins. These five represented First Academy's true elite—seed geniuses whose cultivation likely approached Martial Artist peak strength.
But copying their cultivation talents wouldn't immediately boost his combat effectiveness. At best, it would refine his existing intermediate grade slightly. What he desperately needed was battle-oriented abilities that could turn deadly encounters in his favor.
Unfortunately, his broader scanning revealed only novice and inferior attribute talents scattered throughout the crowd, all frustratingly unawakened and impossible to replicate.
Sudden commotion drew his attention.
A young man with a blade strapped across his back approached the five elite First Academy students with predatory intent.
"Mo Shaobei, I challenge you!"
The challenger's voice carried absolute conviction, his horizontal knife point unwavering as it targeted the Academy's star pupil.
Intrigue blazed through Ye Tian's consciousness. This was Li Yunxing from Second Academy—bold beyond reason to challenge an intermediate cultivation genius from First Academy's inner circle.
Such desperate courage suggested hidden assets worth investigating.
Drifting closer, Ye Tian positioned himself for optimal scanning while the confrontation unfolded.
Li Yunxing ignored his approach completely, laser-focused on his intended target.
"Li Yunxing, the legendary sword genius of Second Academy," Mo Shaobei's mocking tone dripped condescension. "Your blade techniques are impressive, but raw power decides everything. I possess nine hundred ninety pounds of force—you barely managed two hundred last time. Ready for another humiliation?"
"I've reached three hundred pounds now!" Li Yunxing's defiant response carried desperate pride.
"Three hundred versus nine hundred ninety?" Mo Shaobei laughed with genuine amusement. "The mathematics speak for themselves."
The four other intermediate cultivation geniuses regarded Li Yunxing with obvious contempt. They understood his limitations perfectly—even with lifetime dedication, his ceiling was early Martial Artist realm. Such mediocre potential didn't warrant their respect or attention.
"You bastards..."
Li Yunxing's frustration boiled toward violent expression, but stern intervention prevented disaster.
"Combat is forbidden here! Violators forfeit trial qualification immediately!"
The teacher's warning froze Li Yunxing mid-motion. Fear replaced rage as reality crashed down—this trial represented his only chance for advancement. Impulse wasn't worth destroying his future.
He withdrew with visible effort, fury still burning in his eyes.
Perfect opportunity.
"Friend, your sword mastery is truly remarkable—perhaps we could become allies?"
Ye Tian approached with practiced sincerity, extending his right hand in universal friendship gesture.
"You are...?"
Li Yunxing's confusion was understandable, but he instinctively accepted the handshake.
"Ye Tian, Fifth Academy student. I admire dedication like yours."
After brief pleasantries, Ye Tian extracted himself from the conversation, leaving Li Yunxing bewildered by the random encounter.
Walking away, satisfaction warmed his chest as the scan results crystallized:
Name: Li Yunxing
Cultivation Talent: Inferior
Knife Talent: Intermediate
Jackpot. Knife techniques were innate abilities like cultivation talent—completely replicable through his copying power.
The decision was instantaneous. Li Yunxing's intermediate blade mastery was infinitely more valuable than another intermediate cultivation grade. If the fool died during the trial, this opportunity would vanish forever.
No hesitation required.
Behind a conveniently placed boulder, safely hidden from curious observers, Ye Tian initiated the talent fusion process.
"Fusion."
BOOM!
Agony exploded through his nervous system like molten steel injected directly into his bloodstream. Every cell screamed as foreign genetic information overwrote his existing neural pathways. The pain rivaled his previous talent integrations—devastating but survivable.
Ten minutes of torture transformed into blissful relief as the process completed successfully.
Talent assessment confirmed the results:
Name: Ye Tian
Cultivation Talent: Intermediate
Speed Talent: Elementary
Knife Talent: Intermediate
"Blade mastery..."
He drew his weapon experimentally, gasping at the immediate transformation. Previously, the knife felt lifeless in his grip—dead weight with sharp edges. Now it pulsed with supernatural awareness, responding to his intentions before conscious thought completed.
A casual swing revealed instinctive knowledge of optimal cutting angles, perfect leverage points, maximum damage potential. The intermediate knife talent had fundamentally rewired his combat instincts.
Even without speed enhancement, this advancement made him formidable against Martial Apprentices wielding four to five hundred pounds of strength. Combined with his existing abilities, the synergy was incredible.
Time constraints prevented formal sword technique study, but this copied mastery was invaluable regardless.
Sweat wiped clean, he rejoined the assembly as official announcements began.
"The trial is commencing! Pay attention to reward structure!"
The stakes were substantial:
First Place: Three intermediate-grade beast blood vials plus 100,000 yuan Second Place: One advanced-grade beast blood plus 100,000 yuan Third Place: Three inferior-grade beast blood vials plus 50,000 yuan Fourth through Tenth: Single inferior-grade beast blood vial
Rankings depended entirely on accumulated points. Each slain beast required specific body parts harvested as proof—ears, claws, cores depending on species. The trial duration was exactly three days of survival in designated wilderness territory.
For Martial Apprentices, this represented life-or-death challenge rather than routine exercise.
"All participants enter the trial zone immediately! First Academy leads!"
The command echoed across the valley with military precision.
BOOM!
First Academy students vanished into dense forest first, followed by Second Academy, Third Academy, and finally Fifth Academy bringing up the rear. Within minutes, the organized groups scattered completely.
Thick undergrowth and irregular terrain swallowed individual participants like a hungry mouth. Despite the "small" designated area, the trial zone matched Linhai Base's entire footprint—vast enough to lose armies, let alone scattered teenagers.
Silence pressed down like physical weight, broken only by distant creature calls and rustling vegetation. Every shadow could hide death. Every sound might herald attack.
His first beast encounter was inevitable.
The hunt had officially begun.
[End of Chapter 8]