White Swallow Crystal
"Crafty Approach!"
Xia Fei's figure flickered through the crowd, and with a few ingenious steps, he passed through the spatial gate. The last ten candidates would be left behind, and Xia Fei had no intention of becoming one of them.
"Hold on a little longer," Xia Fei said as he stroked Furball's head.
Actually, he was having a hard time, too. Fortunately, Xia Fei had an innate control over Origin Energy, so he was able to absorb it much faster than others. Two grade 4 Origin Crystals allowed him to recover more than half of his stamina.
It was yet another unfamiliar planet. The location of the assessment was different every time, and Xia Fei had no idea where he was.
The moon hung high in the night sky, and there was a strong wind on the plains. The wind was so strong that it carried sand with it, making it difficult to open one's eyes. Xia Fei covered himself and Furball with the Liquid War Armor, using these few seconds to rest and recuperate. Very soon, another harsh test would begin.
Busey glanced at the exhausted candidates and sternly said, "This nameless planet has a diameter of 250,000 kilometers. The assessment is very simple: Dig a tunnel all the way to the other side of the planet. The terminal in your hand will indicate the path, and if you deviate from the coordinates, you'll be eliminated! Those who fail to complete the tunnel will be eliminated! Those who end up last will be eliminated! "
The candidates' expressions changed when he said the word "eliminated" three times in a row!
"We're warriors, not miners!" a candidate with large ears grumbled.
This complaint landed in Busey's ears, and his face darkened as he loudly said, "Those who complain will also be eliminated! You're eliminated! "
* Buzz buzz *
Everyone felt dizzy. This was truly unreasonable to the extreme; they could not even complain in secret!
That candidate with large ears felt his vision go black. Upon learning that he had been eliminated, he immediately vomited a mouthful of blood and fainted. If he had known this would happen, he would not have said so much. A single sentence had ruined his entire future!
There was no time to think or complain. In the blink of an eye, the six hundred or so candidates became miners, burying themselves in digging.
To dig up a planet with a diameter of 250,000 kilometers was an incalculable amount of work. It was fine for speed ability users like Xia Fei or warriors who had grasped the Law of Matter, but it was the candidates who did not have any special abilities who would not even have a place to cry.
In the blink of an eye, hundreds of shafts appeared on the plains. It was not easy to borrow law power or rely on one's own physical strength. Using law power continuously consumed energy, so everyone could only work while absorbing Origin Crystals. Fortunately, Xia Fei had brought enough reserves this time, so he did not have to worry about crystals for the time being.
Dragonscale Hectoslasher turned into a flying dagger, moving forward like an excavator. Xia Fei kept his eyes on the terminal as he worked. The positioning system would ensure that he was on the correct path and would not take any detours.
* Whoosh! *
Busey appeared on the other side of the planet, where there was a vast lake. If the examinee's excavation progress was correct, they would emerge from the lake.
There was a rock by the lake, and Busey sat on it as he gazed at the calm waters before him, expressionless.
"Uncle Busey, why did you suddenly change your mind and have the examinees dig a tunnel?" Zanian Feng suddenly appeared beside Busey.
"Uncle Busey, why did you suddenly change your mind and get the candidates to dig a tunnel?" Zanian suddenly appeared beside Busey and asked.
Zanian chuckled. "That's true. It's fine as long as they're in a state of absolute exhaustion by the time they reach the final stage. As for how you want to torture them, that's up to you."
Zanian laughed. "You're right. As long as they're in a state of absolute exhaustion by the time they reach the final stage, it's all up to you."
Everything that had happened before was to prepare for the final test. In that case, the final test should be very important.
"Is everything done on your end?" Busey asked.
Zanian nodded. "As per your request. Not a single one was left out."
"Very good."
Zanian asked, "There's something I don't understand. Since you're only going to select the candidates at the final stage and have spent so much effort setting up, why don't you just let them in? It'll save you a lot of time. "
Busey glanced at his terminal. The assessment had just begun not long ago, and the fastest candidate had already dug to the ten thousand kilometer mark. Their progress was astounding. As for Xia Fei, he was in the top three hundred, a full five thousand kilometers behind the person in first place.
"Actually, each of my stages is targeted. The first stage, killing the King Kong Eel, requires good physical coordination and the ability to explore. The second stage, traversing the dangerous desert region, tests one's ability to predict. This stage tests willpower and stamina, as well as something incredibly important to a warrior."
Zanian was taken aback. "What's so important?"
Busey did not give a direct answer, instead saying craftily, "You'll know when you see for yourself."
Zanian laughed. "Since you think it's important, then I'll take a look. Speaking of which, all this torture is worth it. I accidentally saw your prize, and it's definitely something good for these candidates!"
Busey said, "The reason why our Dragon Ascension Martial Hall's assessment isn't an assessment but the Dragon Ascension Conclave is because of the rewards. After going through this ordeal, the candidates will understand one thing: as long as you put in the effort, you'll definitely reap the rewards! Great rewards! "
…
In the darkness, Xia Fei controlled the Dragonscale Hectoslasher to dig furiously. Xia Fei also mobilized Peacock Blue to help, the two large blue blades of grass opening and closing, sweeping up the gravel underground and sending it behind Xia Fei.
Digging was not a simple task. Due to the time constraint, no one would send the gravel back to the surface and would instead just leave it behind.
This sort of digging was like a one-way street. The path behind him would be completely sealed, and if anything were to happen to him underground, it would be impossible to rescue him even if he wanted to. This greatly increased the danger factor of the assessment.
Peacock Blue's existence was a great help to Xia Fei. The two large blades of grass were nimble and tough, sweeping up the gravel and sending it behind him like two giant shovels, swinging them around day and night.
This way, the Dragonscale Hectoslasher would open up a path, while Peacock Blue would stay behind. It was like an automated excavator, constantly moving forward. Moreover, Xia Fei had adjusted the liquid war armor, Silver Desert, into a shuttle shape, making it easier to move underground.
"What kind of lousy assessment is this?! Who asks a warrior to dig a tunnel?! " Phantom grumbled in Xia Fei's ear. Regarding the injustice Xia Fei had encountered, Phantom was clearly even more furious than Xia Fei himself.
Xia Fei ignored him. Regardless of how harsh or unfair this assessment was, since he had already decided to win this assessment, he had to persevere. There was nothing that could stop him from moving forward.
Set a goal, work hard, and complete it. It was that simple.
The terminal displayed his position and that of the other candidates, 327th. This ranking was still quite a distance away from Xia Fei's target of being in the top three. Xia Fei furrowed his brows, not saying a word as he continued to move forward.
All of a sudden, Xia Fei realized that the candidates at the very front had slowed down one after another. Some had even stopped altogether, digging in all directions. The situation was very chaotic, and he had no idea what was going on.
"A chance! A chance to close the gap between us and the candidates in front! "
Xia Fei gritted his teeth and increased his speed forward.
Like a curse, more and more people began to lose their sense of direction the closer they got to the core. Their speed became very slow, and the direction they were digging in was a complete mess, like headless flies scurrying around.
"Just what's going on? Aren't these fellows afraid of being eliminated and losing the chance to enter the number one martial hall in the Law Realm? "Phantom asked.
Xia Fei shook his head. "I'm not sure. There might be some changes up ahead! Let's just wait and see. "
A few moments later, Xia Fei himself had also gotten close to the core. The core of this planet was not made of hot lava or heavy metals, but was instead as soft as the surface of the planet. The only difference was that there were a few white, sparkling things that were constantly jumping around!
"White Swallow Gems!"
Xia Fei and Phantom exclaimed almost at the same time!
…
"That's right. I already knew that there were some precious White Swallow Gems in the core of this planet, which is why I set the third stage here, changing the assessment to digging tunnels," Busey said in a deep voice.
Zanian laughed heartily. "Uncle Busey, you're really something. Everyone knows that White Swallow Gems can increase a Law Warrior's cultivation, and even a small piece is worth a fortune. Items that can directly increase a person's cultivation have always been priceless, and they can't even be bought with money. Many Law Warriors dream of getting one!"
"I finally understand what you meant by the assessment: the tenacity to resist temptation!"
Busey nodded, his face as still as a statue.
"When the candidates find out that there are White Swallow Gems in the planet's core, they'll surely be greatly moved. After all, obtaining a White Swallow Gems means that they'll be able to level up, and these candidates aren't at a low level, so it's getting harder and harder to level up. Many of them have to hold back for several years just to level up.
"If it were money, I believe that not many would be tempted. After all, money is just an accessory in the eyes of experts, while level is the most important. Very few can resist such temptation. That's a White Swallow Gems we're talking about, and even I would drool over them!"
Smiling, Zanian continued. "Unfortunately, unprocessed White Swallow Gems can't be directly consumed, so it's useless even if these warriors manage to get their hands on them. You won't just stand by and watch others take away such a good thing. If I'm not mistaken, you've set a record of how many White Swallow Gems each candidate has picked up, so you'll have to return them untouched."
"That's right. That's indeed the case. White Swallow Gems are extremely precious, and our Dragon Ascension Martial Hall needs a lot of them every year. There's no reason for these candidates to take advantage of them, but I'll give them a reward based on the amount they pick up, so at least they won't have worked for nothing," Busey said.
Zanian laughed. "But this way, the candidates who don't have enough willpower will get lost, causing their results to plummet. In the end, it's not worth it, because completing the assessment is the biggest goal. How would they know the benefits of joining the Dragon Ascension Martial Hall?"
The candidates had no idea about the crafty conversation between the two foxes, one old and one young. At this moment, everyone was so engrossed in the White Swallow Gems that they had forgotten their true goal and were chasing after the gems with all their might.
"Xia Fei has already jumped to first place! He didn't get lost because of the White Swallow Gems, "Zanian excitedly said. This was the first time he was a Hawkeye, and Xia Fei was the candidate he had strongly recommended. His performance was also an honor to him.
"That's not right. Though Xia Fei hasn't stopped, he hasn't given up on the White Swallow Gems, either. Not bad, to be able to maintain such a high speed while harvesting them." Zanian looked at the terminal and exclaimed.
Busey's face darkened as he hatefully said, "He actually ate so many White Swallow Gems?! Doesn't he know that they can't be used directly? "
"Eating and taking?! That guy's actually so greedy! "
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