Three days passed in a flash. Soon, the mid-year exam was here.
"Faster, faster, I've lured the wild boar out!" A youngster ran as he shouted out frantically.
Around both his legs, light green rings of swirling wind spun continuously, granting him above-average speed for someone so young.
Even so, the wild boar behind him was gaining ground rapidly, closing the distance with each passing moment.
Sunlight pierced through the forest canopy, glinting off the wild boar's body and making its sharp tusks gleam under the heat.
"The wild boar is coming, hold the rope tightly!" The four ambushing youngsters quickly hid in the bushes and pulled the ropes tightly, instantly forming a tripping rope.
The swift young boy leapt nimbly, clearing the trail and continuing his sprint.
Behind him, the wild boar stumbled over the rope and crashed violently, tumbling five or six meters before coming to a stop.
"Oww!" The four youths tied to the rope were yanked off their feet, hitting the ground hard along with the boar.
"Strike!" the leading boy shouted as he turned around.
Scrambling to their feet, the others quickly surrounded the disoriented beast.
Crack!
A young sapling was struck by the boar's momentum, snapping in two, its leafy top crashing to the forest floor.
"What a close shave!" Gu Yue Chi Cheng wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling lingering fear. "Luckily I managed to use the Dragonpill cricket Gu and leapt three meters to the left, otherwise this tree would've been my outcome."
Pew pew pew!
Moonblades sliced through the air, striking the wild boar and leaving long, shallow gashes across its hide.
Gu Yue Mo Bei's face lit up with excitement, his eyes gleaming as he threw himself fully into the fight.
After half an hour, the boar finally collapsed from blood loss.
Gu Yue Mo Bei, panting heavily, dropped to the ground as well — his body smeared with dirt and grass, drenched in sweat.
"Fighting against a living being like the wild boar is indeed different from the wooden puppet, grass puppet during practise battles. I spent thirty minutes just to kill a wild boar, I wonder how are the others doing?"
On a secluded hilltop, a temporary tent had been set up.
It shielded those beneath it from the scorching sun, casting a cool and shadowy shelter.
Beneath the tent, several chairs and tables were arranged, with the academy elder seated at the head.
Nearby, other clan elders were positioned, while a few Gu Masters stood respectfully behind them.
In the surrounding forest, more Gu Masters remained concealed, keeping watch.
Suddenly, a disturbance rippled through the forest ahead.
Whoosh!
A Gu Master burst out from the trees like a shadow, swiftly approaching before dropping to his knees just outside the tent.
"How is the situation?" Academy elder asked.
"Reporting to Lord Elder, at this point, there are no casualties among the students." The Gu Master quickly answered.
"Good, good."
"An afternoon had already gone by since the mid-year exam started. To have no injuries, this is different from the past years."
"It looks like this is all the academy elder's effort."
The other clan elders nodded in approval, offering their praise one after another.
However, the academy elder shook his head subtly. He understood the true reason behind this outcome — it was all due to Fang Yuan's rise. By pressuring his classmates and extorting them, Fang Yuan had unknowingly pushed them to diligently train their basic martial skills, which led to their current level of performance.
He looked towards the kneeling Gu Master, and continued asking, "Then at this point, whose results are the best?"
The Gu Master answered immediately, "Reporting to Lord, at this point, Gu Yue Fang Yuan, Fang Zheng, Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, are leading. Chi Cheng killed three boars, Fang Zheng and Mo Bei killed five, and Fang Yuan has the most, at ten."
"Oh? To think Fang Yuan is leading!"
"In all the years, it is a very rare sight that A and B grade talents are being suppressed by a C-grade."
"He has the Liquor worm right? That means he has peak stage green copper primeval essence, so to have such a result, it is understandable."
"I believe that from now on, Fang Zheng, Mo Bei and Chi Cheng would surpass him. Although he has the Liquor worm, his primeval essence recovery rate cannot compare to A, B grade talents."
The other clan elders discussed.
"You may go." Academy elder waved his hand towards the kneeling Gu Master. "Instruct the others, focus on their protecting job. Especially Fang Zheng, Chi Cheng and Mo Bei, pay more attention and ensure their safety!"
"Yes, lord." The Gu Master retreated.
For most students, this was their first real experience with outdoor combat. As such, there was inherent danger, but the clan had made thorough preparations.
Dozens of Rank Two Gu Masters were hidden throughout the forest, secretly monitoring the safety of the entire examination.
Additionally, several Rank Three clan elders remained nearby, prepared to respond to any unforeseen incidents.
The scorching sun had already begun its descent, drifting down from its peak in the sky, drawing closer to the northeastern mountains.
The setting sun set the clouds ablaze, its golden hue a final burst of brilliance.
Just as the last rays of sunlight filtered through the trees, another wild boar collapsed to the forest floor.
"Twenty third." Fang Yuan calculated in his heart, and then squatted down, skillfully carving out a wild boar teeth.
There was a bag on his back, inside was a large number of wild boar teeth.
At the same time, he had another bag, carrying the teeth of those boars he killed last time. These teeth were originally stored in the rock crack secret cave, and were retrieved by Fang Yuan the previous night, stored into a bag and buried in a secret location.
"Now is the time for me to hide while Wang Da is looking for me." Fang Yuan looked at the sky and knew it was time to retrieve the other bag and hide away.
As Fang Yuan was hiding.
A pair of bloodshot eyes hid deep in the shadows. His eyes burnt with hatred and anger, as if it couldn't be doused even with a tsunami.
"Fang Yuan, I've finally found you…" Wang Da gritted his teeth, growling the words out from his mouth.
Not far in the distance, a thin, pale-faced youth was making his way through the forest under Wang Da's watchful eyes.
With his target so close, Wang Da held back from taking action right away and instead observed several other locations.
Each of those spots concealed an invigilator Gu Master, lying in wait.
To prevent cheating and provide emergency aid, dozens of Rank Two Gu Masters were stationed throughout the area. Higher up in the mountains, even Rank Three clan elders stood guard, ready to respond to any accidents.
Wang Da moved cautiously through the forest, quietly gathering valuable information.
"I want to kill Fang Yuan, so I need to get rid of these three Gu Masters first. Otherwise, once I show myself, I will be disturbed. Maybe with surprise, I can kill Fang Yuan, but I will also get killed by the Gu Masters that chase after me from there."
"I have Rank two middle stage cultivation, and there's 50% primeval essence in my body. I have to act first and kill these three Gu Masters, it is difficult. I have to strike consecutively in a very short period. Otherwise, once they find their companions dead, they would become alert and my traces will be exposed..."
"Shadow Follower Gu." Wang Da closed his eyes and called in his heart.
At once, his figure was cloaked in a shroud of darkness, allowing him to slip silently between the shadows of the trees.
Everything around him fell into stillness.
Meanwhile, hidden within a dense thicket, a Rank Two Gu Master from the Gu Yue clan lay sprawled out, stifling a yawn from sheer boredom.
"So boring, accompanying these junior students, I feel like a nanny." This Gu Master complained softly, not feeling the shadow that was slowly creeping around him.
A pair of bony hands stretched out from the shadows.
This pair of hands was pale to the limit, the joints were huge and the ten nails were sharp and long, the nails dyed a shade of dark purple and emitted a slightly fishy smell.
"What smell is this?" The Gu Yue clan Gu Master sniffed, frowning subconsciously.
He just wanted to investigate, but it was too late.
Wang Da pounced like a snake, striking at lightning speed!
One hand muffled the Gu Master's mouth and nose, while the other struck from the darkness, piercing into his back.
Dark purple claws, sharp as blades, sank effortlessly into flesh, reaching the heart.
Poison laced beneath the nails spread instantly through his bloodstream.
The Gu Master's body froze, life extinguished in moments.
Though both were Rank Two Gu Masters, the ambusher had the advantage—ending the fight before it even began.
"I used 10% of my primeval essence, 40% left." Wang Da checked his aperture, and fused into the shadows once again.
A moment later, the second Gu Master hiding behind a rock also met his assault. His eyes shrunk to pin size as he collapsed on the ground.
"30% left." Wang Da chanted silently, turning into shadows again.
"Who is it!" The third Gu Master was hiding on a tree branch atop a huge tree. At the crucial moment he sensed something wrong, and at the time where Wang Da struck, he turned around and grabbed the two poisonous hands.
"Damn it!" Wang Da laughed sinisterly, his ten nails growing crazily, at once becoming five centimeters long, stabbing the Gu Master's forearm and piercing his skin.
"This is the Love Life Separation?!" The third Gu Master seeing this was shocked beyond doubt; the purple poison had already infected his face.
He knew he had no poison resistance Gu worm and was surely dead, thus he showed resolve on his face, shouting, "Then let's die together!"
He opened his mouth and stretched out his tongue.
There was a crescent moon tattoo on his tongue — it was the Moonlight Gu.
A moonblade shot out and slashed Wang Da's right shoulder, piercing through and coming out from his back.
The blood splattered.
Wang Da grunted, his body swaying a little, but the Gu Master had already passed away, with a trace of life left.
"Correct, this is Love Life Separation." Wang Da stood on the tree branch, slowly standing up, showing a bitter smile.
Love Life Separation, the number one poison among the Rank two Gu worms! To refine it, one needs the Rank one life breath grass, widow spider, red needle scorpion and the heart of a lover.
To refine this Gu worm, Wang Da killed his own wife who loved him deeply, and dug out her heart!
"It is all for survival, I could only choose strength… this is the resolution of my demonic path!" Wang Da's eyes were red as he stared tightly at the nearby youngster.
"I gave up on love, and only had kinship left, but you took them from me! Fang Yuan…" He growled lowly, "I want you to regret deeply all that you did!"