Liu Wuxie learned of Hong Du’s status from the whispers around him—Hong Du was a disciple of the Five Elements Sect.

From the information he gathered on the platform, the Five Elements Sect was a major sect, much like the Profound Cloud Sect, but Hong Du wasn’t the Five Elements Sect’s strongest prodigy.

Their strongest prodigy was Mu Yao, who had reached the third level of True Profound Realm upon entering, with strength rivaling Ning Hai’s. But Mu Yao had yet to arrive as he was probably hunting other participants outside to obtain more points.

"If killing weren’t forbidden here, you would’ve died ten thousand times by now," Hong Du said, standing before Liu Wuxie and pointing a finger at his face. Killing was prohibited in the Star River Valley, and he didn’t dare to violate this rule, as doing so would strip him of his qualifications to join the academy.

Though Hong Du didn’t dare to act, that didn’t mean Liu Wuxie shared the same hesitation. Without warning, Liu Wuxie slapped Hong Du across the face, leaving him stunned.

Even the crowd hadn’t expected Liu Wuxie to strike first.

The two were only steps apart, and it was too late for Hong Du to react. Liu Wuxie’s slap caught him by surprise and sent him flying.

Liu Xin’er staggered at this sight. She knew Liu Wuxie was proud and aloof, but she had never imagined him to be so fearless.

"Who the fuck do you think you are, pointing fingers at me?" Liu Wuxie sneered, glancing at his right hand, which had turned red from the slap. Meanwhile, Hong Du’s left cheek was already swollen.

Silence fell over the crowd, broken only by the sound of heavy breathing.

Liu Wuxie had just slapped someone at the True Profound Realm right before their eyes—a shocking display that sent ripples throughout the Star River Valley. Both newcomers and those who had already been here were left in stunned disbelief.

No one could fathom where Liu Wuxie got the guts to raise his hand against a True Profound Realm cultivator.

Gasps could be heard coming from the spectators.

"Holy shit..." To the majority, cultivators in the True Profound Realm were revered as experts, often given priority for nurturing once they entered the academy.

Yet, Liu Wuxie had openly slapped Hong Du. Anyone could foresee that even if Hong Du didn’t kill Liu Wuxie today, he would undoubtedly seek vengeance.

"Liu Wuxie, you’re dead!" Hong Du slowly advanced toward Liu Wuxie, releasing his aura at the True Profound Realm, which pushed the surrounding disciples backward.

Liu Wuxie was secretly accumulating his strength, preparing for a clash.

A deafening rumble echoed as the ten examiners appeared above the Star River Valley, slowly descending to the ground. This was the first time most people had such close contact with the Earth Profound Realm experts.

"That’s enough!" Qu Su’s voice thundered. He looked angry as the rules were clear—no killing or fights were allowed in the Star River Valley.

Hong Du halted, his gaze locked on Liu Wuxie with seething hatred.

"Liu Wuxie, why did you kill the other participants?" Qu Su turned to look at Liu Wuxie in a reprimanding tone. According to the rules, he could strip Liu Wuxie of his qualification.

"Elder, did you see me commit murder with your own eyes?" Liu Wuxie looked at Qu Su with a smile. He suspected that the changes in this year’s recruitment test had something to do with him. If the Heavenly Spirit Celestial Academy had truly wanted to kill him, they would’ve acted long ago instead of waiting until now.

With that, Liu Wuxie concluded that the academy had a hidden agenda and that Qu Su wouldn’t kill him easily.

Experts like Qu Su had their own sense of justice—if he had truly deemed Liu Wuxie guilty, he wouldn’t have wasted time questioning him. He would have executed him on the spot. This alone confirmed Liu Wuxie’s suspicion that Qu Su had stepped in to stop Hong Du.

After all, if the conflict escalated further, the academy’s reputation would be at stake. Liu Wuxie’s question left Qu Su momentarily stunned—he had no proof of how Liu Wuxie had killed Li Qing and Li Shang.

"Liu Wuxie, stop twisting the facts. How did they die if you didn’t kill them?" Miao Hanxuan stepped forward with hostility, giving off a terrifying aura crushing down on Liu Wuxie.

"Ah, the classic case of trying to blame someone without any proof. Elder Miao, what a grand display of your authority," Liu Wuxie said with a sneer, his face filled with mockery.

The other examiners were stunned when Liu Wuxie called out Miao Hanxuan’s name. Only Qu Su had introduced himself throughout the assessment, so how did Liu Wuxie know Miao Hanxuan’s name?

The nine elders turned to Miao Hanxuan, their expressions thoughtful, wondering if he had a prior connection to Liu Wuxie. But realization dawned upon them when they recalled how Miao Hanxuan had placed the Thousand Mile Tracking Art on Liu Wuxie.

"Your silver tongue won’t save you from death now!" Miao Hanxuan struck with his palm without waiting for Qu Su’s approval. He had glimpsed Liu Wuxie’s potential and knew the latter would significantly threaten him if he were allowed to live. This was why he wanted to get rid of Liu Wuxie before he could grow.

The situation spiraled out of control, and Liu Wuxie was in grave danger. Hong Du and an examiner wanted to kill him, and he was walking on the edge of a blade. The slightest misstep would tear him into shreds.

"Attacking me without any proof. Is this how the academy upholds its rules?" Liu Wuxie sneered, unfazed by the incoming attack. As long as there was no evidence linking him to the deaths, he had not violated any rules.

His words struck a chord with many. Though they suspected he was involved, condemning him without proof didn’t seem fair. Even the academy couldn’t execute someone unjustly, or they would become a laughingstock.

Liu Wuxie’s remark unsettled the examiners, making them increasingly dissatisfied with Miao Hanxuan’s actions. Killing Liu Wuxie now would only invite further scrutiny.

"Elder Miao, let’s not be hasty before we investigate the truth," said a female elder in Liu Wuxie’s defense.

She recognized Liu Wuxie’s talent and believed that such a prodigy should be nurtured, not suppressed. Though they didn’t quite understand, they followed the grandmaster’s decision.

Miao Hanxuan snorted with an unsightly expression. He had attacked twice but had been stopped, which made him feel disrespected.

"Let’s put an end to this matter here. Those two incited the conflict and met their fate. If anyone dares to start another fight from now on, they will be immediately disqualified," Qu Su said, snorting and waving his hand in anger.

Since there was no evidence against Liu Wuxie, the examiners had no grounds to convict him. If this matter blew up, the academy’s reputation would be tarnished, so they intervened.

Everything had unfolded just as Liu Wuxie had predicted. As the chaos settled, the surrounding disciples began to disperse, gathering in small groups to share their experiences from the assessment. Whether they advanced or failed, this journey would remain a valuable lesson in their lives.

"Liu Wuxie, consider yourself lucky today!" Hong Du spat before storming off, clutching his swollen left cheek.

"I’ll be waiting!" Liu Wuxie murmured, his lips barely moving—just enough for Hong Du to hear.

His words nearly sent Hong Du into a rage, and it took all his willpower to restrain his murderous intent. And so, the confrontation finally came to an end.

"You scared me earlier!" Liu Xin’er grumbled. Had the examiners not intervened, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

She still didn’t know that Liu Wuxie had killed three cultivators at the True Profound Realm during this assessment. They were Gan Liang, Wang Linlong, and another who had attempted a sneak attack on him during his journey here. He had taken that one down using the Earth-Binding Chains.

"You just have to make them suffer enough, or they’ll keep coming back. The best way to break the cycle is to set an example," Liu Wuxie said.

His words left Liu Xin’er baffled.

The best way to deal with these people was to kill them until they feared him. He would’ve faced provocations if he hadn’t killed Li Shang and Li Qing today, like flies buzzing around his ears.

That was Liu Wuxie’s belief. Take Hong Du, who came right up to Liu Wuxie. It wouldn’t make sense for Liu Wuxie not to slap him when the latter presented himself as a target.

Then again, only Liu Wuxie had the guts to do it, as anyone else would’ve tucked their tail between their legs by now.

The night fell, and the path toward the Star River Valley was covered in blood. Deaths occurred at every moment, with screams echoing throughout the night.

By dawn, all the surviving participants had arrived at the Star River Valley. Many were missing limbs, their bodies battered and bloodied. Yet, they had no time to tend to their wounds, fearing they would miss the deadline.

Nearly everyone bore injuries. Their journey had been filled with fear and bloodshed. Some who had ambushed others had instead become prey, and their jade tokens were stolen. Desperate, they turned to weaker targets, and so the jade tokens kept shifting from one hand to another.

"Look! Ning Hai has reached the fourth level of True Profound Realm!" other participants exclaimed.

"This is weird...Ning Hai is also number seven, the same as Liu Wuxie." The realization sent murmurs through the onlookers.

There were five jade tokens with the same number, and Liu Wuxie possessed four with the number seven. The last one was in Ning Hai’s hands. Even Liu Wuxie was momentarily stunned by the realization.

The moment Ning Hai spotted Liu Wuxie, his gaze turned icy, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. He looked as if he wanted nothing more than to lunge forward and snatch the jade tokens away.

News of what had happened the night before had already spread. Ning Hai kept his murderous intent in check. He knew attacking now would be unwise. Frustration gnawed at him. He had been unable to find another participant with the number seven, so he was forced to increase his points by targeting those with similar last digits.

Even so, his progress had been slow and frustrating. Most of the jade tokens he had obtained granted only a single point, making them a poor substitute for another number seven token. This only deepened his frustration.

"Senior Brother Ning Hai, you’re sure to take first place in this stage!" Several disciples from the Profound Cloud Sect stepped forward, their faces filled with flattery. It was almost certain that Ning Hai would claim the top spot in the fourth stage.

Hearing their praise, Ning Hai’s expression finally eased.

However, Liu Wuxie shook his head at this sight. Ning Hai’s talent was decent, but his character was lacking.

Logically, a prodigy like Ning Hai should have embodied both virtue and strength, but reality often proved otherwise. Their talent bred arrogance, making them see themselves as superior to others.

With the ringing of the bell, the assessment had officially come to an end.

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