The room was so silent you could hear a pin drop, and the 28 Dou Zun powerhouses who had passed the first round were struck speechless by the three red digits displayed.

Hollif’s eyes were wide open, looking utterly dumbfounded.

347 flying spheres…

“He’s a Sanctuary expert, absolutely a Sanctuary expert!” a Dou Zun muttered. His voice was low, but in the stillness of the room, it instantly carried.

Sanctuary experts didn't need a domain; they could instantly shift just by manipulating the momentum of heaven and earth. Capturing these flying spheres in one minute would be absolutely effortless!

“A seventeen-year-old Sanctuary expert…” Hollif felt his vision darken, nearly collapsing.

Betting that a Sanctuary expert couldn’t catch 20 ‘flying spheres’… wasn't that just asking to lose?

“Creak…” The room door opened, and Chen Feng walked in.

“Swish-swish-swish…” The remaining 26 people in the room (except for Ling Feng) all stood up simultaneously, bending their waists exactly 90 degrees.

“Great one!”

Dou Zun rule: When encountering a Sanctuary expert, one must salute and call them ‘Sir.’ This is the absolute minimum etiquette.

Chen Feng had no idea what was happening. Catching a few balls had caused such a massive misunderstanding. However, he was a man of the world. Despite his confusion, he remained outwardly calm. He glanced at the crowd and walked directly to Ling Feng.

His dismissive attitude towards the others only solidified their previous assumption, making them even more respectful.

Although Sanctuary experts were numerous on the Overseas Continent, they certainly weren't common cabbage by the roadside. To encounter one, especially a seventeen-year-old Sanctuary expert… the entire continent had never heard of such a thing!

“Now, we proceed to the third trial. Those who caught 20 or more ‘flying spheres’ follow me!” the middle-aged man pushed the door open and shouted.

Only 13 people had passed this assessment. Out of 28 candidates, 13 remained; another large fraction had been eliminated.

The middle-aged man stood at the front of the room, sweeping his gaze over the group. He understood the reason for their deference, but when his eyes fell upon Chen Feng and Ling Feng, his eyelids twitched involuntarily.

However, as an assessor for the Ling Clan, he had met quite a few Sanctuary experts before. Thus, while surprised by Chen Feng’s young age, he didn't freeze in place like the others.

“The third trial is the most brutal: the Death Race. Everyone, follow me now!” He dismissed the thought and walked straight out.

The group followed the middle-aged man out of the room and soon arrived in a much wider hall. Upon entering, they saw a line of mages standing not far ahead—the group that had been led away by the elder for the mage assessment.

There were 76 people when they left, yet only 11 remained!

It seemed the selection for Magisters was even crueler than that for martial artists.

The middle-aged man walked up to the elder, whispered a few words, and the elder looked over with confusion. He then stared intently at Chen Feng and Ling Feng for a moment.

Chen Feng immediately felt a powerful spiritual sense sweep over him, briefly linger, and then slowly recede. Sensing that power, his heart was profoundly shaken—this elder was actually a Sanctuary expert!

Having been pursued by Kozmo for so many days, he already possessed a vague recognition of the spiritual sensing capability of the Sanctuary realm. Although this elder was far inferior to Kozmo, he was certainly a master at the early stage of the Sanctuary.

In reality, Chen Feng only possessed the strength of a second-tier Dou Zun. In an actual fight, he might manage against an eighth-tier Dou Zun using skills like the black particles, but facing a ninth-tier Dou Zun, he could only flee, let alone a Sanctuary expert.

The only reason he managed to kill the Fourth Deputy Lord previously was pure luck and a sneak attack. Against a true Sanctuary expert, he was no different from an ant.

However, the elder held no malice; his spiritual scan was brief and withdrawn. He ignored Chen Feng and gathered everyone onto a circular platform in the center of the hall, announcing, “The third trial, the Death Race. I assume you’ve all heard of it, so I won’t waste words. In a moment, you will be sent into the Death Race venue via a teleportation array. Before that, each of you will receive an emblem. Losing the emblem means failure; accumulating ten emblems means victory!”

“Whether you gather these ten emblems through slaughter or other means, once achieved, you will automatically be returned from the Death Race grounds!”

If one person advanced for every ten emblems collected, it meant many people would perish in that Death Race arena.

“Because the Death Race venue was originally established through the joint effort of the Three Great Factions, all experts who have undergone assessment across every district on the continent will be transmitted inside. Therefore, you will be facing formidable experts from many other regions!”

“The elimination phase in the Death Race field lasts for three days. Regardless of life or death, you will automatically be returned after three days. Good luck!” The elder concluded, intentionally or unintentionally glancing at Chen Feng again.

Chen Feng paid it no mind, focusing instead on the difficulty of the Ling Clan assessment.

The first two trials, however arduous, could still be easily passed if one’s strength reached the level of an eighth-tier Dou Zun. But the third trial was not so straightforward.

How many experts would emerge from the millions of trillions of square kilometers controlled by the Three Great Factions? There would undoubtedly be a minority of Sanctuary experts among them. With so many individuals competing in one location, even if you possessed mid-stage Sanctuary strength, killing someone stronger than you would be difficult!

Conversely, if your luck was good, even someone with only eighth-tier Dou Zun strength might manage to collect ten emblems and advance successfully.

Luck is an indispensable element in any battle, just like that Fourth Deputy Lord, who, despite his profound late-stage Sanctuary cultivation, was incredibly unlucky and ultimately perished at the hands of Chen Feng, a mere second-tier Dou Zun.

After speaking, the elder nodded to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man distributed an emblem to each person. The emblems were not large, circular in shape, and emitted a strange aura, suggesting they had undergone a special magical certification.

Seeing that everyone had received an emblem, the elder continued, “Your transmissions will be random. The chance of being teleported to the same location is very small, so everything depends on yourselves!”

If a group from one district was sent together, they might end up killing each other, or they might form alliances. Only by dispersing them could the assessment truly achieve its goal.

The elder finished, glanced around once more, and suddenly shouted, “Activate the formation!”

At his cry, the magical elements around the circular platform where they stood grew dense, instantly forming a white mist, and space began to warp and twist violently.

This was the sight of a magical teleportation array being activated, and Chen Feng, having used magical arrays many times before, was not shocked.

But just then, Ling Feng suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Chen Feng’s arm, and expanded her domain to encompass them both, her eyes filled with determination.

The magical teleportation array was an ancient formation and not inherently completely safe, which was why they were usually built outside of towns. Ling Feng suddenly grabbing Chen Feng’s arm and deploying her domain was an action highly cautioned against during magical teleportation; it often triggered unusual reactions, potentially leading to serious injury for both of them due to the transfer.

Chen Feng realized she did this because she didn't want to be separated from him, but the consequences of such an action were far too severe...

However, before he could cry out, his vision went dark, and the spatial transfer was complete.

After a bout of dizzying disorientation, there was a loud “Thud!” Chen Feng fell heavily from the air. The spatial teleportation had indeed encountered a minor disturbance.

Struggling, he tried to get up, but he felt the surface beneath him soft and yielding, offering no support. Looking down immediately made his face flush deep red.

He had landed directly on top of Ling Feng, her delicate, beautiful face less than five fingers away from his own.

He worried if he had injured her when he fell.

In a moment of panic, Chen Feng tried to push himself up, but the movement immediately brought the sensation of softness beneath him, and the faint, virginal fragrance instantly reached his nose.

Chen Feng was a normal man. In this life or his previous one, he had never been this close to a woman. A wave of heat rushed upwards from below, giving him an urge to lose control.

Her devastatingly beautiful features were right before his eyes, her gaze alluring, her crimson lips moist and inviting.

Chen Feng was momentarily stunned, staring. In all the time he had spent with Ling Feng, he had never seen her look so breathtakingly captivating. Looking at the jade lips so close to his own, he inexplicably leaned forward and kissed her.

The moment his lips touched hers, he felt warmth, softness, and a burst of fragrance.

“What am I doing?” A resounding boom echoed in Chen Feng’s mind, and he suddenly snapped back to awareness. Activating his Sky Dance technique, he executed a sharp backward flip, his face burning with shame.

Although Chen Feng’s personality tended toward the reserved and cold, having shared life-and-death struggles with Ling Feng for so long, denying any feelings between them would be a lie. However, Ling Feng’s ethereal, almost fairy-like demeanor often made him feel ashamed, harboring a subtle sense that he was unworthy of her, so he had always suppressed his emotions.

Now, with the teleportation array glitching, they ended up in this intimate posture, and worse, he had just kissed her...

If this were his previous life, it wouldn't matter much; their customs were more "open," and kissing—let alone immediate intimacy—was common. But this world was different from his past, and many of their moral concepts differed.

What if… what if Ling Feng reacted with shame and anger and did something drastic?

He stole a glance at Ling Feng. She had already straightened her clothes and stood up. Her pristine white garment fluttered in the wind, outlining her slender waist. Her tall physique and perfect curves exuded beauty.

“I… I will take responsibility…” Chen Feng hesitated for a long moment before uttering the most cliché, most mundane sentence possible.

Ling Feng’s face also burned with intense heat. Without a word, she turned and walked away.

“You… you… don’t be angry, I will take responsibility!” Chen Feng clenched his fists and said with profound seriousness, his tone utterly firm.

Ling Feng’s body stiffened, and she stopped walking.

The young man and woman, neither of whom had ever been in a relationship, stood frozen in place.

In that moment, both were at a loss for what to say next.

PS: I am truly sorry. I had an urgent matter today and left this morning, only returning tonight. As soon as I got back, I rushed to write this chapter. My deepest apologies!! There will be another chapter tonight, I will try to finish it before 12 AM. I will write as much as I can. I apologize again... (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to www**m for more chapters, support the author, and support legitimate content!) First release