Talisman Emperor

As far as everyone was concerned, as existences at the Half-step Immortal King Realm, there were very few things in the world that could cause the hearts of Wang Daolu and Zhou Zhili to be shaken.

Yet now, both of them had revealed a trace of a dumbstruck expression in succession. This caused the others to feel even more curious. Exactly what results that Chen Xi attain in the Nightmare Battlefield this time?

"Brother Zhou, it's already at a time like this. Why cover it up like this?" Someone couldn't refrain from speaking. It was an instructor from Cloudmist Academy called Gu Liuyun, but most people called him Geezer Gu.

"Yeah. No matter the results, can you announce it so that we can decide an outcome. Everyone is waiting to know which academy's student will be able to obtain the Valiant Grade Immortal Treasure, Soul Descent Bell, from Dong Junhou."

The other instructors spoke successively as well.

Zhou Zhili and Wang Daolu glanced at each other, and it was Zhou Zhili who spoke in the end. He took a deep breath while his reserved expressions suddenly carried a trace of a strange expression as he said, "Everyone, I'm only worried that this number will be difficult for all of you to accept."

Chen Xi couldn't help but rub his nose when he heard this, and he said in his heart, Could it be that this number is really very difficult to accept? Of course, he didn't dare say this aloud so as to avoid taking the fun out of it for Zhou Zhili.

"Hahaha! Brother Zhou, you underestimate us by saying this. Every single person here has traversed great waves and storms. What sort of shocking incident have we not encountered? How could we be unable to accept the results of a little fellow?" Geezer Gu roared with laughter and was rather indifferent.

The other instructors nodded successively as well.

"Quickly! Quickly! Quickly! Stop keeping us in suspense and quickly announce the results." Geezer Gu spoke angrily.

Zhou Zhili stopped keeping them in suspense when he heard this, and he lightly spat out a number from between his lips.

After that, the indifferent expressions of everyone present here froze successively, and then it turned to shock, then a wisp of astonishment before finally being stunned speechless.

Some young students were even unable to restrain the feelings in their hearts and cried out involuntarily. "How could this be possible?"

The atmosphere instantly became rather odd. The instructors with abundant life experience were stunned while the young students were bustling, and it had become a clear contrast.

The reason it was like this was because the number Zhou Zhili announced was too shocking, it was only two words — three thousand!

It was a seemingly simple number, but so long as they thought about it, it was capable of causing anyone to be unable to maintain their calm.

Because it represented an entire three thousand Golden Immortal Realm Xeno-race experts. This was already no different from a large-scale army, yet it was completed by a single person in a mere three months of time!

In other words, Chen Xi had on average killed over thirty Golden Immortal Realm Xeno-race experts every single day in these past three months!

Most importantly, Chen Xi wasn't a Half-step Immortal King nor a Saint Immortal, he was merely at the Golden Immortal Realm. Moreover, Nightmare Battlefield was boundlessly vast and had a complicated terrain filled with stars. No to mention killing three thousand Golden Immortal Realm Xeno-race experts, even finding this number of experts was an extremely difficult matter!

All of this was the meaning that was represented by this number, and it could be said to be terrifying!

"Is this for real?"

"That's impossible!"

"Is it true or not?"

After their shock was countless doubts. This indirectly showed that everyone present in the hall did really find it difficult to accept such an astounding number.

Zhou Zhili and Wang Daolu instantly started smiling when they saw this scene because they had the exact same feeling when they saw this number earlier.

At the same time, a wisp of pride arose in their hearts because such an astounding student appearing in their academy was worthy of it!

Subsequently, for the sake of completely dispelling everyone's doubts, Zhou Zhili handed Chen Xi's Violet Ribbon Starcrest to all the seniors present here to have a look. In the end, they decided the final rankings of the joint exam between the seven great academies this time.

Chen Xi naturally became the deserving owner of the position of first, and he obtained the Valiant Grade Immortal Treasure, Soul Descent Bell, as his reward.

…

Early in the morning the next day, Zhou Zhili led Chen Xi and the others to bid farewell to Dong Junhou before he teleported them away from this battlefield that raged with the flames of war.

To Chen Xi and the other students, this meant that the curtains to the inner court exam had finally been drawn.

The only regretful aspect to Zhou Zhili and the others was that amongst the fifty students participating in the exam from Dao Emperor Academy, three students had unfortunately been buried within Nightmare Battlefield.

This was something that couldn't be helped. It was a battlefield in the end, and it was filled with danger. Mishaps always occurred unexpectedly, and it caused Zhou Zhili and the others to be unable to assist these students in time.

However, this tiny regret was unable to stop the other students from feeling excited and delighted.

Because practically all of them had completed the inner court exam this time. In other words, when they returned to Dao Emperor Academy, their identities would directly transform into inner court students.

The inner court was the core of the academy!

Students that were able to enter the inner court were all at the Golden Immortal Realm, and it was the gathering spot of all the most elite young experts in the Immortal Dimension.

All the instructors within the inner court were the seniors of the academy that possessed extraordinary ability.

The resources, treatment, and tests within the inner court were the best in the academy as well!

In short, to the eight thousand outer court students of Dao Emperor Academy, being able to become an inner court student had always been the target they dreamt of.

Of course, it wasn't so easy to gain a foothold in the inner court, and it was even to the extent that the competition there was even more brutal than the outer court.

For example, the outer court's Allheaven Golden Rankings was only the most basic ranking in the academy, whereas the inner court had the Violet Ribbon Golden Rankings, the Heavenstar Saint Rankings, and so on and so forth…

Merely based on these rankings alone, one was able to perceive that it was absolutely not easy to gain a certain level of status in the inner court. Moreover, if one wanted to become eminent and be considered outstanding, then it was even more difficult.

However, all of this was unable to stop these students that had just passed the exam and were about to enter the inner court. No matter how intense the competition became in their future path of cultivation, they were still moving step by step towards the Grand Dao, and this was what they dreamt of.

This was cultivating, and no one was willing to be ordinary!

……

When Zhou Zhili and the others led Chen Xi and the other students back to Dao Emperor Academy, they were happily greeted by all the instructors and students of the outer court as expected.

Especially when Zhou Zhili publicly announced the results of the inner court exam this time, it even caused a wave of clamorous noise and exclaims of shock. Particularly, Chen Xi's performance had even caused quite a stir.

In short, this entire process was extreme stirring, and it caused Chen Xi and the others to receive the respectful gazes of numerous others.

Compared to this sort of bustling environment, Chen Xi was more concerned about the rewards from passing through the inner court exam. He clearly remembered that the student who obtained the first position in the exam would be rewarded with 8,000,000 Starpoints while the top five would be able to obtain the qualifications to enter the Ancient Dao Emperor Grounds!

This was the most important to Chen Xi.

But to Chen Xi's regret, in the end, Zhou Zhili had indeed clearly announced that Chen Xi, Zhen Lu, Ji Xuanbing, Zhao Mengli, and Ao Zhanbei possessed the qualifications to enter the Ancient Dao Emperor Grounds, yet they wouldn't enter it right now and had to wait for three years!

Because opening the Ancient Dao Emperor Ground was limited by numerous restrictions as well, and it couldn't be entered at all times. If it wasn't for that, it wouldn't only be the five of them who were allowed to enter!

"Seven days from now, the academy will help the new inner court students re-distribute their cultivation grounds, provide guidance on the places of cultivation, and provide information on things that they have to pay attention to while cultivating in the inner court.

"Seize these seven days of time to have a good chat with your companions in the outer court. In the future, you won't have many chances to see each other again." In the end, Zhou Zhili instructed them before leaving swiftly.

"Congratulations Senior Brother Ao."

"Congratulations Big Brother Ji."

"Haha! I never expected that Cousin Brother would actually be able to pass through the exam. Not bad, not bad."

As soon as Zhou Zhili and the other seniors left, the surroundings instantly started bustling while numerous outer court disciples crowded over successively before congratulating Chen Xi and the other students that were about to enter the inner court.

Chen Xi naturally received a great deal of congratulations, but to his surprise, he still hadn't seen the figures of Liang Ren, Gu Yueming, and the others. Moreover, he didn't even see a single member of the Star Alliance.

"There's no need to look for them. My Clan's Eldest Young Miss led all the members of the Star Alliance to train in a Secret Realm within the Immortal Dimension. She did this for the sake of properly tempering them." Xuanyuan Yun appeared at just the right moment and explaining everything to Chen Xi. "Eldest Young Miss asked you not to worry. A few seniors of my Xuanyuan Clan went along with them, and it's in the territory of my Xuanyuan Clan, so there's no need to worry about any mishaps occurring."

Chen Xi came to a sudden understanding and felt at ease.

"Right, this is a transmission jade slip. My Clan's Eldest Young Miss received it when you headed to the Outerealm Battlefield, and she asked me to pass it to you once you returned."

"It's for me?" Chen Xi was stunned. He received it and looked through it carefully, and then his pupils imperceptibly constricted slightly while a wisp of complicated emotions surged in the depths of his eyes. There was excitement, pleasant surprise, shock, fury, remorse… Various emotions interweaved together, causing him to be stunned on the spot.

"Chen Xi, do you want to go have a drink in Darkombat City? You showed extraordinary talent at the Outerealm Battlefield this time, and your name will definitely shock the entire academy in less than a day. Why not seize this opportunity to tell me what you experienced in the Outerealm Battlefield?" Xuanyuan Yun didn't notice Chen Xi's unusual expression, and he invited Chen Xi with a gaze of anticipation.

"I'm afraid I can't. I have to head to Misty Immortal Continent right now." Chen Xi put the jade slip away and took a deep breath before he spoke slowly.

"Misty Immortal Continent?" Xuanyuan Yun was stunned, and he couldn't help but ask, "What're you going there for?"

"To go get a person." Chen Xi was silent for a moment before he said, "He…was my Master at the Dark Reverie."

His Master! Xuanyuan Yun was stunned. Chen Xi's Master? What sort of extraordinary figure would he be?

When he saw Chen Xi immediately turning around and leaving, Xuanyuan Yun didn't dare think about it any longer and hurriedly chased after Chen Xi. "Are you going right now? Why don't I go with you? I've been to Misty Immortal Continent once, and perhaps I'll be able to help you…"