Chapter 126: Evaluation, Passed

"Stop!" Following the command of the middle-aged man with black hair, the group of over nine hundred people came to a halt.

"Rise!" With a low shout from the man, the vast valley, spanning several miles, suddenly shimmered with ripples of clear water. A massive封禁 barrier materialized, encompassing not only the valley but the surrounding peaks as well. Naturally, Yuntian and the others were trapped within the formation.

Click, click, click... A series of mechanical sounds echoed. From the cavern walls of one of the peaks enclosed by the barrier, eight hundred and ten massive phantoms emerged, soaring into the sky before coming to a standstill. These were eight hundred and ten dragon heads, all with their jaws agape, facing downward.

"It's a puppet formation! A formation composed of eight hundred and ten puppets!" someone among the nine hundred young cultivators in the valley below cried out. Many faces turned pale. The power of such a puppet formation was far beyond what these mere Zifu-stage cultivators could withstand.

The black-haired man rose into the sky, hovering above the dragon heads. Simultaneously, five other figures emerged from a nearby cave. Each radiated a powerful aura. Including the black-haired man, there were five men and one woman, all looking down upon the crowd.

"Listen carefully," the black-haired man declared. "Once the puppet formation begins its assault, your task is to endure the attacks and ascend to this cave beside us within the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn. If you reach the cave, you succeed. If you fail to enter within that time, you are not qualified to join our Black-White Academy."

Below, the nine hundred youths reacted differently; some were confident, others nervous and uneasy, while some waited in silence.

*Swoosh.* A stick of incense appeared out of thin air in the man’s hand and ignited automatically. Simultaneously, the eight hundred and ten dragon heads erupted with dazzling green light. From each mouth, bolts of cyan lightning were unleashed—a torrential downpour of thunder crashing down upon the valley.

The dragon heads were positioned right next to the cave; to enter, one had to fly directly toward them. The lightning bolts were scattered randomly at first, so those in the wide valley were rarely struck. However, as one approached the cave, the density of the lightning increased dramatically.

Chaos ensued as the candidates dodged or used magical treasures to block the strikes, pushing upward against the barrage. Many, however, could only hold out for the length of a single breath; halfway up, they were battered by the dense lightning and forced to retreat.

High above the formation, the six Primordial Daoists of the Black-White Academy chatted amongst themselves.

"Tell me, how many of these nine hundred youths do you think will make it into the cave?" a long-bearded man asked with a smile.

A short, stout, bald man chuckled, "Perhaps not a single one will make it!"

"It won't be zero; there should be three or five," the woman in white commented. "Look, that one rushing up now, his strength seems not—hm?"

Before she could finish, her expression shifted. The other five Primordial Daoists also changed their countenances, staring in astonishment at Yuntian, who had suddenly appeared beside them. He had been watching from below, but with a mere thought, he had used a spatial blink to arrive directly above the formation, right next to the six masters.

"Spatial blink? The Great Dao of Space and Time?" The six Primordial Daoists were first shocked, then filled with excitement. A Zifu cultivator capable of a spatial blink must have profound insights into the Great Dao of Space and Time. Such talent was nothing short of monstrous!

"Haha! Excellent! It has been a long time since the Black-White Academy has seen such a genius," the black-haired man laughed, his eyes burning as he looked at Yuntian. "Boy, what is your name? Which clan are you from?"

"Yuntian! A descendant of the Yun clan from the Skycloud Mountains," Yuntian replied calmly.

"The Yun clan? I recall they aren't particularly strong, with only one Primordial Daoist. To think they could nurture such a genius," the other five whispered to each other, momentarily ignoring the candidates below.

The young cultivators below were stunned, staring in disbelief at Yuntian, who was conversing with the masters above. Realizing he had used a spatial blink, they felt a chill in their hearts.

"A spatial blink? How is that possible? Is he not human? Is he a Void Green Snake?" some whispered. The Void Green Snake, gifted with the ability to traverse space, was well-known. Even without deep insight into the Great Dao, they could use such techniques.

Even Ji Ning, amidst the crowd, gasped and looked up at the black-clad youth. "The world is truly full of geniuses. To be capable of a spatial blink... I wonder how strong he truly is?"

However, after the initial shock, Ji Ning and the others gritted their teeth and pressed upward, attempting to break through the formation just as Yuntian had.

After a brief exchange with the six masters, Yuntian flew directly into the side cave. Gradually, nine young cultivators in total, including Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo, managed to break through and reach the cave.

After the incense stick had burned out, the six masters entered the cave. Once the group offered their respects, the black-haired man pointed to a blue-robed youth wearing a high crown. "You. You used a Dao talisman to pass. Did you really think you could deceive us? You have violated the rules of the Black-White Academy. Get out immediately."

The youth gritted his teeth and turned into a streak of light, exiting the cave.

The black-haired man then turned to Mu Zishuo with a smile, kindly asking him to produce his puppet for inspection.

"You nine have passed the initial screening. Now comes the final test. Only by passing this will you become disciples of the Black-White Academy," the man said after returning the puppet.

Moments later, he led the nine to a junction deep within the cave, where nine separate tunnels branched off.

"Each of these nine paths is guarded by a disciple of our academy who is at the Zifu stage. Each of you will choose one path. Once inside, you need only break through their defense and emerge from the tunnel to become our disciples. Rest assured, the guardians are only permitted to use one method; they will not go all out."

As the nine entered their respective tunnels, the six Primordial Daoists discussed the outcome. They believed only Yuntian and Ji Ning had a certain chance of success, with Mu Zishuo having a slight hope, while the others were unlikely to pass.

Yuntian entered his tunnel leisurely. Before long, he saw a sturdy-looking youth in green robes sitting cross-legged in a cavernous chamber.

"Boy, show me your best strength! Otherwise, you won't be getting past me," the green-robed youth said with a smile.

"Is that so?" Yuntian smiled noncommittally. In an instant, he vanished, reappearing behind the youth the very next moment.

The youth’s expression shifted drastically. He whipped around, only to see Yuntian walking calmly toward the exit of the tunnel. He stared, wide-eyed in disbelief. "A spatial blink? How... how is this possible? A freak! A monster like this has actually joined our Black-White Academy!"