In the mountain forest.

Jiang Zi Yun looked at the surroundings with some sentiment,

even though due to being too close to Wangdang Mountain, many changes had occurred here, with plants bearing flesh-like fruits and strange birds with three heads.

But fortunately, the nauseating aura of death and stench were gone.

This place no longer counted as part of Wangdang Mountain's range.

He and Jiang Zi Yun were walking on the road, while Shen Muyu sat on General Wei.

They had already walked out from the Ghostly Land.

If nothing unexpected happened, after the final extortion, there would be no one qualified to compete with them for the spots.

The three left the Ghostly Land quite smoothly, with almost no hiccups.

For many people, leaving the Ghostly Land was a difficult task.

Especially the Ghostly Land covering such a large area like the Ten Thousand People Pit.

...

The forest had grown extremely lush, and the time had already entered midsummer.

Amidst the dappled shadows of the mountain forest, at the end, Xu Guang saw Master Fuqing.

"Senior Sister."

Master Fuqing looked Xu Guang up and down before nodding.

She hadn't discovered Xu Guang's breakthrough, since a martial artist's Divine Thought couldn't easily fathom another's true essence.

Even Xu Guang himself, though his Divine Thought was strong enough, could only vaguely sense the opponent's strength, like being Fifth Grade, but wasn't able to clearly probe how many transformations they had undergone.

"How was the harvest this time?"

"With no surprises, we hope to be in the top three."

In fact, Master Fuqing had some premonition seeing the heavy items hanging on General Wei, she just nodded calmly.

"Not bad."

The one counting the number of ghost hearts for everyone was Elder Bai from the Thunder Institute, a person with an excellent appearance, wearing a white robe, with defined facial features, long white-tinted eyebrows, and a long mustache, looking somewhat like a refined old gentleman.

A kind of good-looking middle-aged man that could easily charm countless young maidens.

However, Xu Guang could see that Master Fuqing didn't seem too fond of this person.

He silently watched the ghost hearts of Xu Guang's group, with a strange expression.

Could it be that some upheaval occurred in the deep areas of the Ten Thousand People Pit this time? How did these three get so many ghost hearts?

Xu Guang's team was the first to come out, and with no other reference, Elder Bai considered this as just routine.

So after counting, the disciple from the Thunder Institute recorded the data and then returned the ghost hearts to the three.

This was just the standard for evaluation, the Sect would not take them away.

"Sixty-three Innate ghost hearts, three Fifth-Grade ghost hearts, did the three of them go in together?"

The neighboring disciples whispered to each other.

Elder Bai remained expressionless.

Half a day later.

As more people came out from inside.

"Three ghost hearts? Hao Gong, what were you doing?! Do you know what I sent you inside for this time? Were you cowering in fear, just hiding inside?"

Hao Gong from the Thunder Institute was troubled, cautiously glancing towards Xu Guang and the others.

"Master, there are reasons for this. For me to hunt three Innate ghost hearts in such a short time is already…"

"I don't want to hear your excuses. If it ruins the major plan of Jiufeng Mountain, there will be punishment from the Institute."

Hao Gong lowered his head, "Yes."

What left Elder Bai speechless was that the following individuals brought out fewer and fewer ghost hearts.

There was even a disciple from Chuamen Institute who only brought out one ghost heart.

Even Jiang Wuyou from the Jiang Family didn't come out of the Ghostly Land.

Jiang Bai remained expressionless, glancing at Jiang Zi Yun and the other Jiang Family members, and said.

"Since he didn't return, it will be considered as giving up."

Elder Bai was taken aback, "Master Jiang, this... should we send someone in to look?"

Jiang Bai had already turned around; dandelions always floated on the summer mountains. He gently reached out, pinched one, and softly said,

"All things in the world are not dandelions suspended in the air, readily available. Once you enter the Martial Dao, you know life and death are fated. Wuyou is a prodigy of the Jiang Family. I believe he knows his affairs well."

Everyone present remained silent.

Elder Bai had nothing to say either.

Only the two from the Jiang Family, apart from Jiang Zi Yun, cautiously glanced at Jiang Bai, then subtly scanned Jiang Zi Yun.

The internal factional struggles within the Jiang Family were never simply verbal disputes.

Jiang Wuyou always showed disrespect to Jiang Zi Yun. The grievances had started from their fathers. Maybe...

They entertained a thought, remembering Xu Guang's wild and uncanny slaying of a Fifth-Grade expert.

They suspected Jiang Wuyou would probably not reappear.

The events in the Ten Thousand People Pit could not remain hidden forever. On the journey back, nearly everyone learned the reason.

Xu Guang had taken everyone's ghost hearts.

Such an evaluation had never occurred in the several dozen previous instances at Jiufeng Mountain.

However...

The top four were Xu Guang's group and Mou Zhen.

The allocation of spots seemed quite agreeable, hence everyone tacitly avoided discussing this matter.

But the look they gave Xu Guang had already changed.

Even the Zhenren experts present dared not regard Xu Guang with the same eyes as before.

Master Fuqing's expression was somewhat complex.

"You..."

"There's a Blood River in the Ten Thousand People Pit Ghostly Land, and I had some insights over it."

Xu Guang explained briefly, Master Fuqing nodded.

...

Shouyang Prefecture.

Inside a room at an inn.

Lin Zushan held a message sent by carrier pigeon from Jiufeng Mountain, expressionless.

It detailed the set objectives for this evaluation.

He had already made arrangements before leaving.

But unexpectedly…

Xu Guang broke through to Fifth Grade in the Ten Thousand People Pit Ghostly Land!

The message mentioned what Xu Guang did before the Celestial Pool Tomb and also the speculation of Mou Zhen and others about Xu Guang's strength.

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