Chapter 43: Black Storm, I Came Prepared

The inner court evaluation of Canaan Academy only takes place once a year, selecting fifty candidates from a multitude of students through a fierce competition.

From Hod, Hun Cang learned that this year's major evaluation had concluded half a month ago.

This meant that, following standard procedures, he would have to wait until the next year to participate, which did not align with Hun Cang's plans.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Hun Cang agreed to Hod's request.

Upon receiving the confirmation, Hod broke into a happy smile, summoned his disciple Lin Gu to register Hun Cang, and warmly invited Hun Cang to stay at his home for a couple of days.

However, Hun Cang declined.

Firstly, he was not short of money and staying at an inn was quite sufficient; secondly, he possessed certain items that were inconvenient to display in front of others, such as the Dark Jade Lotus Platform.

Time flew by, and three days later, enrollment registration had closed yesterday, making today the day of the actual evaluation.

Peace Town was already packed to the brim. Walking down the streets, one was met with scenes of shoulder-to-shoulder crowds and roaring noise.

Among the crowd were many parents whose children failed to register, comforting them gently as the youths hung their heads in dejection.

"Son, it doesn't matter. It's actually a good thing you didn't register this year, you know?" In the midst of the crowd, Hun Cang's attention was caught by the conversation between a father and son nearby.

The lean youth asked in puzzlement, "Father, why do you say that?"

The middle-aged man replied, "I've asked around. This year's entrance examination has the highest difficulty in history, and less than one in ten will pass."

Fewer than one in ten might pass? Hun Cang felt a slight ripple of surprise in his heart. Around him, others were discussing the matter as well, all echoing the same sentiment.

Could it be that even I won't pass?

Hun Cang was startled at first, but then snapped out of it, almost wanting to slap himself across the face. He was a Dou Huang reincarnate; how had he subconsciously slipped into the mindset of a mere Dou Shi?

Pushing his way to the front of the crowd, Hod spotted him and waved him out.

This scene was witnessed by everyone around, who could not help but cast curious and envious gazes.

What is this guy's background? He isn't even wearing Canaan Academy disciple robes, so why is that instructor treating him with such warmth?

"Hun Cang..." Hod wore a smile, just about to speak, when his gaze suddenly shifted along with everyone else toward the firmament outside Peace Town.

A mass of black mist resembling dark clouds was rolling and moving swiftly across the sky.

Many people at the scene showed expressions of panic and fear, instinctively pulling their children and families closer.

"Calm down, everyone, don't be nervous. This is Peace Town, the Black Storm doesn't dare to approach here, you have nothing to worry about," Hod shouted loudly to reassure them.

The black storm kept pressing closer. Just as it seemed about to arrive, a faint undulation emanated from the depths of the primeval forest behind Peace Town.

"Heh heh..."

Laughter faintly echoed from within the black storm, which then abruptly changed direction and drifted away in the opposite direction of Peace Town.

Only then did everyone's emotions ease.

Hod returned to Hun Cang's side. Seeing his calm reaction, he smiled and asked, "What? Didn't you encounter any Black Storms all the way here?"

Hun Cang shook his head.

Hod was momentarily stunned, then praised, "Then your luck is truly exceptional."

"Why doesn't this Black Storm dare to come close?" Hun Cang asked out of curiosity. As soon as the Black Storm had appeared, he had found it familiar. Its approach and the eerie laughter immediately led him to conclude that these were people from the Soul Palace.

From its inception, the Soul Palace had the sole purpose of gathering souls.

While others did not understand or know this, Hun Cang knew that it was done to amass sufficient soul power to help Soul Heaven Emperor and Void Swallowing Python achieve the Divine Soul realm.

And the Black Horn Region was the most frequently fought-over and chaotic place on the entire continent; one could only imagine the sheer quantity of souls to be found here.

"Those lingering ghosts and spirits never used to show any respect for Canaan Academy either, but reportedly, after the Headmaster personally stepped in and struck down several of them consecutively, they didn't dare to come near anymore," Hod replied.

He then added, of his own accord, "Some of the old fogies in the academy utterly loathe the aura of these things."

Hun Cang's expression stiffened slightly, thinking to himself that after undergoing the Heavenly Flame body tempering, the mark left by the Void Swallowing Python should have been completely erased, making it impossible for them to sense it on him.

Hod patted him on the shoulder and pointed to a black stone monument placed in the center: "That is a foundation stone from the academy's core. In the past, it was always used for the core disciples' evaluations, but for some reason, they've moved it outside this year."

Although he held high hopes for Hun Cang, Hod was still somewhat worried and warned, "You must be careful. That stone monument used to sit in the center of the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower, baked year-round by the Fallen Heart Flame, making it extraordinary. Even for inner court disciples, lasting half an hour is no simple feat."

Hun Cang nodded to indicate he understood.

Subsequently, all the registered applicants walked over one after another and sat down around the stone monument. Not wanting to be squeezed by others, Hun Cang noticed that the area closer to the monument was relatively empty, so he walked over and sat down there.

"Quite confident, aren't you? Daring to sit this close," a young man nearby remarked, casting a glance over.

Hun Cang smiled faintly. "Aren't you doing the exact same thing?"

The youth grinned, revealing several medicinal pills held inside his mouth. "My father spent a fortune to buy this information. I came well-prepared, and this time, the freshman entrance examination's first place belongs exclusively to me."

You could even do that? Hun Cang was somewhat surprised, but regarding the youth's latter remark, he merely smiled slightly and offered no further response.

"Everyone, persist until the hourglass runs out. Those who do not lose consciousness pass," a stern-faced man said in a deep voice. With that, he struck the stone monument with a single palm strike.

Instantly, a terrifyingly dry and scorching heat surged forth, rushing straight toward Hun Cang.

The expression of the youth sitting nearby changed drastically. His throat bobbed as he swallowed a medicinal pill, and only then did his unsightly expression soften somewhat.

Glancing at Hun Cang, the youth noticed his expression remained completely normal. After examining him curiously for a few moments, he stopped paying attention, closed his eyes, and steadied his mind.

The Fallen Heart Flame not only inflicted torture on the physical body but also had an extraordinary effect on the soul. The pills he had prepared took both aspects into account, so passing the test would definitely be a breeze.

Comforting himself, the youth regained his calm expression.

The onlookers outside had seen their expressions shift the moment the heatwave struck, hastily retreating a few steps until students of Canaan Academy produced jade slips to form a barrier blocking the heat, allowing them to resume watching.

For those taking the test, time was abruptly stretched, turning every single minute and second into agonizing torture.

Within a few minutes, some people were already red-faced and drenched in sweat.

After over ten minutes, some bodies began to sway, as if they might collapse at any moment.

As the hourglass passed its halfway mark, the sound of bodies hitting the ground echoed continuously across the site, one figure after another collapsing. Sighs erupted from the surrounding crowd, clearly indicating that among those who had fallen were their own children.

Soon, the hourglass was nearing its end.

A large area of the field had emptied out, leaving only a few dozen figures still persisting. However, even among this majority, many had pale faces and bulging veins on their temples, all enduring through sheer willpower.

Finally, the time was up.

Glancing at the relaxed and at-ease Hun Cang, Hod let out a breath of relief. Victory was secured.