C122 First Round

The boundless starry sky!

Indeed, looking around, one found themselves enveloped in a world of infinite stars.

And there they were, seemingly adrift on a fragment of this vast celestial expanse!

"Legend has it that the headquarters of the Stellar Knightage is nestled within the endless stars. Many have dismissed such tales with a sneer. But if they were to witness all that lay before us, what would they think then?"

Chu Yi was somewhat astonished.

It seemed likely that these legends had been spun by the prodigies who had ventured here for their trials. Otherwise, who would have conceived of such a place?

Guided by a War God staff member, Chu Yi made his way to the heart of this celestial fragment.

Here, a towering pagoda stood in silent vigil.

It wasn't real!

Chu Yi recognized it instantly.

The pagoda was certainly not a tangible entity; it was more akin to a projection of some intrinsic power!

Indeed, the Stellar Tower belonged to an individual, not the Stellar Knightage!

The Knightage merely had the privilege of utilizing its projected power.

"Go ahead and enter on your own."

"You should be aware of what to watch out for. Your examiner must have briefed you already."

With those words, the War God staffer departed without a backward glance, unconcerned about the possibility of Chu Yi causing any disruption.

And rightly so.

Throughout his journey, Chu Yi had encountered numerous young talents, all undergoing their own tests, hailing from various civilizations.

Naturally, they were all shepherded by War God Level personnel.

With a legion of War Gods stationed here, what was there to fear?

"This must be the headquarters of the Stellar Knightage, but it's more than just that!"

Chu Yi had come to realize that this was a bastion established by the people within this domain.

Whenever geniuses unearthed by other civilizations required assessment, they were brought here.

With this realization, the enigmas surrounding the Stellar Knightage that had puzzled Chu Yi unraveled.

He refrained from meandering aimlessly. Unlike the otherworldly prodigies, the grandeur of this place, while impressive, held little significance for Chu Yi.

After all, the wonders he had witnessed within the Immortal Demon Temple were beyond comparison.

Chu Yi now stood at the base of the pagoda.

From a distance, the pagoda lacked an aura of grandeur. Yet, upon entering, Chu Yi discovered that it was far more colossal than he had ever imagined.

Even though it was merely a projection, its towering presence soared well over a thousand meters!

Naturally, the value of such a mystical treasure couldn't be quantified by its dimensions.

Techniques like the Zi-Zi Meru's were not uncommon in this world.

"To the left is the assessment corridor for Divine Psychics, and to the right is for warriors."

"Choose according to your needs."

Gazing at the two entrances before the pagoda, Chu Yi heard a voice nearby.

After a brief contemplation, Chu Yi decisively entered the right-hand passageway.

He was aware that if a Demonic Beast took the left corridor, with its formidable Origin Spirit, it would reap untold advantages.

But that wasn't what Chu Yi desired.

Even if his Origin Spirit gained substantial aid, it would be of no practical use to him.

On the contrary, it was the path of the warrior that allowed Chu Yi to harness the power of his Origin Spirit.

With that in mind, Chu Yi didn't hesitate.

Joining Chu Yi as he entered the portal were two other young individuals, likely prodigies from different civilizations, also undertaking the evaluation.

Chu Yi was unsure if these civilizations referred to their forces as the Stellar Knightage, but it mattered little.

Knowing they were all under the same overarching authority was sufficient.

Chu Yi pushed open the shimmering portal without a second thought.

Despite the pagoda's convincing appearance, Chu Yi was certain that an imitation was just that—an imitation.

A projection would always remain a projection.

Pushing open the door revealed nothing but darkness. Yet, as soon as Chu Yi stepped inside, the door behind him snapped shut.

Instantly, Chu Yi was enveloped in an endless void.

This darkness was short-lived, however, as a speck of light soon illuminated the sky.

A field of grass unfolded before him, and Chu Yi could detect the sweet scent of flowers mingling with the verdant blades.

All around him was a serenity beyond measure.

Chu Yi proceeded with caution; he was under no illusion that this place was as straightforward as it seemed. If it were, many a top-tier genius and formidable being wouldn't have met their downfall here.

He moved slowly, with no sound to be heard.

Chu Yi extended his perception to its fullest, vigilant of his surroundings at all times.

In an instant, Chu Yi's face contorted with intensity.

"Below!"

His senses fully engaged, Chu Yi was aware of everything around him, yet he never anticipated that the challenge would come from beneath his feet.

Suddenly, a formidable force burst forth, showcasing Chu Yi's speed to its fullest extent.

While the powerful surge emerged, Chu Yi remained motionless, but as it reached its peak, he had already moved a hundred meters away.

Leveraging the power attribute, Chu Yi's burst of speed far surpassed the 342m/s recorded in the previous test.

Boom!

The thunderous noise reverberated through the heavens and earth. Chu Yi watched as the ground where he had stood moments before collapsed within a fifty-meter radius, leaving a massive crater where everything had been obliterated.

It was horrifying. If such a force were to hit him directly, even with his Stellar Combat Body activated, he would likely be annihilated in an instant.

"This test is certainly intriguing..."

A smirk formed on Chu Yi's lips. He had assumed this test would be like the previous Genius Elite Battle, a simple one-on-one fight. Clearly, he had underestimated the complexity.

Boom, boom...

The noise echoed once more, hinting at the emergence of some fearsome creature from within the depths of the pit.

Chu Yi stood still, cautious of potential traps.

By now, Chu Yi had partially withdrawn his sensory powers, ensuring that his feet were also securely enveloped.

The rumbling crescendoed, and from the abyss of the pit, a colossal figure clawed its way out.

Indeed, it crawled forth.

The creature was massive, easily exceeding fifty meters in length.

From a distance, it resembled a mountain of flesh.

But upon closer inspection, Chu Yi discerned that it wasn't a mound of flesh at all, but rather a gigantic worm-like entity.

Eyeless and limbless, it possessed only a vast gaping maw.

Chu Yi was reminded of a film from his past life about a creature called the Sandworm; this beast bore an uncanny resemblance.

Yet this was no desert, or Chu Yi might have believed he was indeed facing a Sandworm from another life.

The monstrous worm's flesh was coated in a viscous mucus that hissed upon contact with the ground, adding to the terror of the sight.

"It's poisonous..."

Chu Yi's eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

The worm's body was coated with an abundant layer of venom, which appeared to be an exceptionally toxic mucus.

In comparison to the lizard beast that Lee Zi and he had previously encountered, this worm's venom was evidently over twice as potent.

Such a poisonous creature would undoubtedly pose a significant challenge for other prodigious talents.

Though the worm seemed defenseless, with presumably sluggish movements, its only means of inflicting harm was its fearsome gaping maw. Yet, the venom coating its body effectively rendered it invincible.

Even a slight touch of this venom could have dire consequences, let alone prolonged exposure...

For any genius, the outcome would likely be the same.

However...

While this venom posed a substantial threat to other exceptional beings, for Chu Yi...

He casually swung his arm, and with a flourish of his primordial spirit's power, a heart-calming spell materialized on his body.

This was the Clear Heart Mantra, one of the most rudimentary and widespread secret techniques in the Immortal Demon World.

Indeed, it was merely a secret technique, not an immortal art.

The Clear Heart Mantra was not considered worthy of the title of immortal art.

The toxins that the Clear Heart Mantra could neutralize were quite ordinary within the Immortal Demon World. But, that was the Immortal Demon World, after all.

The potency of the toxins there...

Was beyond imagination.

Thus, for Chu Yi, it was more than sufficient.

Once the Clear Heart Mantra had been cast, Chu Yi was free from concern.

The next moment, the colossal worm lunged at Chu Yi.

Devoid of limbs, its movements relied entirely on the undulations of its body.

Despite its immense size, with each wriggle covering several meters, the worm's speed was not slow by any means. However, it was negligible compared to Chu Yi.

By the time the worm reached where Chu Yi had been, he had already sidestepped the attack.

This level of agility was comparable to that of other top-tier talents. Coupled with the worm's lethal venom, it would complicate matters for any genius.

But against Chu Yi's supreme velocity, the worm's actions were painfully sluggish.

As the worm launched its initial assault, Chu Yi had already leapt onto its back.

The mucus exuding from the creature's body was indeed laced with a horrifying toxicity. Within moments, it seemed poised to erode Chu Yi's flesh.

It was then that the potency of the Heart Cleansing Spell made itself known.

Though the substance remained exceedingly sticky, the anticipated scene of all-consuming corrosion did not materialize.

In fact, as Chu Yi's body made contact with the slime, a series of sizzling noises ensued.

Clearly, the Heart Cleansing Spell was effectively neutralizing the poison.

The worm had not anticipated this turn of events.

Chu Yi might not have known how the worm perceived its surroundings, but it was evident that the creature had realized its toxins were futile against him.

Without a moment's hesitation, the worm began to burrow into the earth.

Chu Yi knew that such an opportunity was rare, and failing to seize it would mean all his years of effort had been in vain.

His fist was already poised high above him.

And as the worm was on the brink of vanishing into the ground, Chu Yi's unleashed punch finally descended.

Boom!

The impact sent a thunderous echo through the air!

The worm, a mass of flesh, should have been easily penetrated by Chu Yi's strike, but the outcome was not as straightforward as he had expected.

A sensation akin to striking hardened steel surged through Chu Yi, and a look of astonishment crossed his face.

This worm was far from the simple creature he had imagined.