"Junior Sister Zhang, your Furnace Altar has made quite a fortune this time!"
Zheng Qi slouched in his seat in the judges' area, gazing down with great interest at the "feast" about to begin in the Blood Pool, a faint, almost imperceptible smile in his eyes.
"Senior Brother Zheng, how can you say such things? I am already yours, so there's no need to distinguish between you and me."
Zhang Qingwan's breath was fragrant as she spoke. Her fair, delicate hands knowingly wrapped around Zheng Qi's waist, and she pressed herself against his side.
"Hahaha, you're a sensible one, little minx. Much better than that pack of flashy sluts from the Yihong Pavilion!"
Zheng Qi seized the opportunity, pulling Zhang Qingwan into his arms. He ripped the light veil from her face and planted a rough kiss on her cheek, roaring with laughter.
As she felt his greasy stubble against her cheek, a flicker of disgust, almost imperceptible, flashed through Zhang Qingwan's beautiful eyes. It vanished in an instant, replaced by a fawning smile—a stark contrast to her normally pretty and aloof demeanor.
It was only then that the crowd of Demon Disciples got a clear look at Zhang Qingwan's stunning face, and every one of them became intensely envious of Zheng Qi.
Their desire to advance grew even stronger.
...
After purchasing the Blue Blood Potion, the Demon Disciples entered the Blood Pool Leech Sea one after another.
Qin Xuan made a rough estimate. Out of the eight thousand Demon Disciples, at least three thousand had chosen the "Blood Disciple" assessment.
And of those three thousand, at least two thousand had taken out a loan to buy the Blue Blood Potion.
'No wonder the Golden Finger said people would be buried under Holy Loans with no way out. There are only 1,000 spots, but 2,000 people are already cheating with potions. To have any hope of passing, they'll probably have to keep taking out more loans.'
In an instant, Qin Xuan understood the scheme Huang Feng and the others were running.
A single dose of the Blue Blood Potion wasn't a huge burden, but what about ten doses? Or a hundred?
When everyone takes the potion, it's the same as if no one did. Thus, to last longer, people would have no choice but to take out more loans for more potions.
'It's a forced rat race. Let's see if it grinds you all to death.'
But by now, the Demon Disciples were all caught up in the heat of the moment. Weighed down by loans and inspired by Zhang Shan's example, they all thought the same thing: If he could advance, why couldn't they?
They were all intoxicated by the miraculous effects of the Blue Blood Potion, not thinking about the deeper implications.
Not bothering to watch any longer, Qin Xuan stepped into the Bloodthirsty Arena, the trial grounds for the "Fierce Soldier" assessment.
Zhao Youliang cried out, "Brother Qin Xuan, you..."
He had thought Qin Xuan would choose the "Bone Slave" path, which better suited his Cultivation Technique. Had he done so, Zhao Youliang would have, in all likelihood, joined him.
But who would have thought that Qin Xuan would choose the most difficult path, "Fierce Soldier"? It was an incredibly difficult trial with only 50 spots!
As he watched Qin Xuan enter the Bloodthirsty Arena, Zhao Youliang found he didn't have an ounce of courage to follow.
Finally, gritting his teeth, Zhao Youliang did not choose the "Blood Disciple" assessment as he'd told Qin Xuan. Instead, he walked alone into the dark, narrow, and winding Thousand Bone Corridor.
HUMMM!
With a slight tremor from the Array, a huge, crude, circular stone arena appeared before Qin Xuan's eyes.
The entire floor of the fighting pit was covered in dark brown, old bloodstains and bone fragments. Ferocious beast-head statues stood along the edge, drooling a viscous, dark-red liquid that gave off a pungent odor.
Three thousand people were participating in the "Blood Disciple" assessment, but a mere nine hundred had signed up for the "Fierce Soldier" trial.
With only the top 50 chosen from nine hundred participants, the competition was far more intense than for the "Blood Disciple" path.
"I am this trial's proctor, Wang Jian."
Steward Wang Jian's figure appeared at that moment.
"I will now announce the rules for the 'Fierce Soldier' assessment."
"Fierce Soldiers are destined for the battlefield. Therefore, this trial will test your raw physical strength, power, endurance, and resilience. It will also test the primitive bestiality, killing instinct, and Battle Intent that are unleashed in desperate situations and under the stimulation of drugs, all to maximize your chances of survival."
"Therefore, before the assessment begins, all you candidates may choose whether or not to drink this bowl of Blood-Burning Soup. It simulates the effects of a Pill used in the extreme conditions of a battlefield."
Wang Jian then collected a bowl of scarlet liquid from the mouth of a beast-head statue at the edge of the arena. This, presumably, was the so-called "Blood-Burning Soup."
And behind Wang Jian, ten blood-red thrones, each built from a pile of massive white bones, rose with a great RUMBLE.
"This soup's effects are potent. In a short time, it can drastically drain your body's potential to increase your strength, numb your pain, and ignite a furious Battle Intent. However, it will continuously burn your Essence Blood, overdrafting your very life."
"Therefore, you must end your battles as quickly as possible. During the assessment, there are no restrictions. Everyone is your enemy. You may use any Magic, Magical Artifacts, or Magic Talismans..."
"There is only one rule: the last 50 people left standing in this arena will be deemed to have passed the 'Fierce Soldier' assessment."
"Furthermore, the first ten who are still able to stand and take a seat on one of these blood-and-bone thrones will be ranked as the top ten!"
UPROAR!
As soon as he finished speaking, the entire arena erupted into chaos.
The faces of the Demon Disciples were filled with terror.
They had never imagined that the criteria for passing the "Fierce Soldier" assessment was simply to be one of the 50 survivors!
Didn't that mean the other 850 Demon Disciples were doomed to die here?!
Qin Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly.
He took half a step back, subtly using the crowd of Demon Disciples in front of him as a human shield.
'Instructor Li wasn't lying. This "Fierce Soldier" assessment really is far more dangerous than the "Blood Disciple" or "Bone Slave" trials. At least in the other three assessments, they couldn't just have such a blatant massacre.'
Glancing around, Qin Xuan noted that among the 900 Demon Disciples, at least thirty were at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer.
Among them, five were even at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.
These individuals were all strong contenders for the top ten spots.
'Others might not know, but I've disguised my face and even stretched my frame to appear taller. It's a simple matter for someone who practices the White Bone Yin Talisman.'
The five Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer Cultivators that Qin Xuan had noticed had varied skin tones and body types, but the same fire burned in all their eyes—a near-frenzied bestiality ignited by the "Blood-Burning Soup"!
Crude porcelain bowls were forced down throats, the viscous, searing liquid boring into their bellies like a living thing.
Instantly, the potion's effects erupted!
"GRAAAGH—"
The first to let out an inhuman roar was a brawny man, built like a human bear.
His skin instantly turned as red as a branding iron. Veins bulged and throbbed beneath his skin like writhing earthworms, and his muscles swelled at a visible rate, completely ripping apart his already tattered clothes!
This was Wang Song, known as "Batu," from Demon Disciple Dormitory Jia-Zi 1—the epitome of pure Physical Strength.
"Huuuh..."
The second man looked ordinary, even a little frail. After chugging the Blood-Burning Soup, he didn't roar. Instead, he let out a suppressed groan of pain. The blood vessels under his skin seemed to come alive, pulsating wildly, yet his eyes revealed an almost icy focus.
This was Luo Ze, "Blood Scab," from Dormitory Ren-Zi 3, rumored to possess superhuman regenerative abilities.
The third Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer Cultivator was a youth with a slender build and lean, defined muscles. As the potion took effect, a faint blood mist steamed from his body. His eyes were as sharp as a falcon's, and he sank into a low crouch, like a cheetah poised to strike.
This was Liu Chun, "Gale," from Dormitory Geng-Xu 7.
In a flash, the nearly seven hundred Demon Disciples in the arena began to recognize the identities of these three strongest, who had made no effort to disguise themselves!