Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 581 - 579: Second Round of Assessment

"The Underground Demons are invading the Hundred Nation territory!"

Hearing the words of the blue-clothed martial artist, the middle-aged steward sucked in a sharp breath, knowing the situation was critical. He immediately said, "The Elders from the Six Golden Palaces are on Sky Mountain. I'll take you there!"

WHOOSH!

The two figures pierced through the clouds and landed on the nearest Five Spirits Peaks.

HUM!

The entire mountain peak surged with a faint green brilliance, its speed instantly breaking the sound barrier as it howled towards Sky Mountain, vanishing without a trace in moments.

"The Underground Demons haven't been active on the surface for decades. Why would they suddenly invade the Hundred Nation territory now?"

"I heard a rumor that the Underground Demons and the West Desert Demon Sect are preparing to jointly attack the Hundred Nation territory. It seems now that this isn't baseless."

"What! The Underground Demons and the West Desert Demon Sect are joining forces!"

"Back then, it was only the West Desert Demon Sect that invaded the Hundred Nation territory, resulting in the destruction of hundreds of dynasties. If this news is true, isn't our Hundred Nation territory doomed?"

"Don't be so pessimistic. If the Demon Sect and Underground Demons do launch a large-scale invasion, we still have the nine Holy Lands to hold the line..."

"I hope this is just a rumor..."

As soon as the middle-aged steward's figure disappeared, the discussions in the plaza immediately grew louder. The news of the Underground Demons' sudden appearance filled everyone with trepidation.

Luo Feng listened to the discussions around him, a peculiar light flitting across his eyes. He had overheard the conversation between Xue Jiuyou and Shui Linglong and knew the news of the alliance between the Underground Demons and the West Desert Demon Sect was true. However, judging from their conversation, they shouldn't have been planning to act so soon.

"Father, if the Underground Demons invade the Hundred Nation territory, will our academy be affected?" Zi Yuan glanced at the corpse of the Sky Flying Mad Hawk beside her, biting her red lip, her gaze tinged with worry.

Zi Hongyuan shook his head. "Nothing is settled yet. We'll wait and see what the Golden Palace Elders decide."

Changing the subject, Zi Hongyuan looked at Luo Feng and the others, his voice solemn. "Regardless of whether the news is true or not, this is a wake-up call. The relationship between our Hundred Nation territory and the West Desert Demon Realm is currently like fire and water; a major battle is inevitable sooner or later. You are the hope of our Hundred Nation territory and must improve your strength as quickly as possible. Only by being strong can you be fearless."

"Mhm."

The nearby Purple Sun School students all nodded silently, a thoughtful expression on their faces.

「Inside a large hall on Sky Mountain.」

The walls of the hall were inlaid with numerous pearls, their hazy glow illuminating the vast space. The Elders of the Six Golden Palaces of the Six Southern Domains were all present.

Xue Wu Qing, the Elder of the Jade Palace, glanced outside the hall and frowned slightly. "The appointed hour has passed. Why haven't they arrived yet?"

Seated in the prominent position to the right, the Elder of the Sky Sword Pavilion, a middle-aged man with a stern gaze, looked towards the entrance of the hall and said in a deep voice, "They're here!"

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The sound of rending air followed as two figures appeared within the hall: the middle-aged steward and the blue-clothed martial artist.

"Steward Chen, where are the others?" Xue Wu Qing frowned upon seeing only two figures.

Steward Chen, his face grave, spoke. "This assessment, I'm afraid, will have to be temporarily postponed. The Underground Demons have begun to invade the Hundred Nation territory!"

The Underground Demons are invading the Hundred Nation territory!

The complexions of all the Elders present changed drastically.

Shui Linglong was the first to regain her composure. Her red lips parted slightly. "According to my intelligence, the West Desert Demon Sect and the Underground Demons are still negotiating an alliance. Why would they invade the Hundred Nation territory at this time?"

The blue-clothed martial artist exhaled. "It's not a large-scale attack, just small, roving bands of Underground Demons. It seems some of them want to take this opportunity to plunder some resources."

Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Purple Extreme Palace Elder, the Purple Brow Wanderer, said, "If it's just small groups of Underground Demons, the nine Holy Lands are unlikely to intervene. It seems we'll have to deal with this ourselves. Have any demons invaded our Canglang Dynasty?"

The blue-clothed martial artist nodded. "Tens of thousands of Underground Demons have left the Red Flame Desert. According to intelligence, they are heading towards Sky Frost City and Crack Stone City. Besides a large number of low-level demons, there are also some Sky Flying Demons."

Sky Flying Demons!

The Purple Brow Wanderer frowned slightly. A Sky Flying Demon, from birth, possessed strength equivalent to a ninth-level Meridian Wheel Realm martial artist. Adult Sky Flying Demons were all experts at the Spiritual Rotation Realm.

"What are your plans, everyone?" the Purple Brow Wanderer asked the other Elders.

Xue Wu Qing contemplated for a moment before saying, "Sky Frost City and Crack Stone City are remote. If we request aid from the Golden Palace now, by the time reinforcements arrive, I'm afraid only ruins will remain."

The others nodded silently in agreement. The Underground Demons were inherently brutal, leaving nothing but destruction and desolation in their wake.

"Then what should we do? Are we to stand by and watch as millions in Crack Stone City and Sky Frost City are plunged into misery and death?" The blue-clothed martial artist, a native of Crack Stone City, was burning with anxiety.

The Elder of the Sky Sword Pavilion, seated to the right of the head seat, suddenly spoke. "I have an idea."

The Sky Sword Pavilion was the foremost among the Six Golden Palaces in the Six Southern Domains. At his words, all eyes turned towards the Sky Sword Pavilion Elder.

"Elder Li, please speak."

The Sky Sword Pavilion Elder said, "Naturally, we cannot allow the Underground Demons to act as they please. However, with just the few of us, we cannot turn the tide. Fortunately, the young talents of the Six Southern Domains are all here. We can let them prove their worth."

"Elder Li, you mean to have the young talents participating in the assessment go and eliminate these Underground Demons?" the Purple Brow Wanderer asked.

"Correct. We can consider this operation the second round of the assessment," the Sky Sword Pavilion Elder nodded.

Shui Linglong's delicate brows knitted slightly. "That's too dangerous. They are still young; isn't it a bit premature for them to battle the Underground Demons? Moreover, the true strength of the Underground Demons invading the Canglang Dynasty is still unknown. Sending them rashly could lead to unforeseen accidents…"

The Purple Brow Wanderer also nodded, agreeing that it was too risky.

Xue Wu Qing, still resentful about losing the Mysterious Blue Sword in the previous wager, sneered coldly. "Shui Linglong, since when did your Linglong Hall become so timid and hesitant? It's merely tens of thousands of Underground Demons. Even if there are a few Sky Flying Demons, how strong can they possibly be?"

Shui Linglong's gaze turned cold. Just as she was about to retort, the Sky Sword Pavilion Elder interjected, "This is the best solution at present. For the younger generation, it is also an excellent tempering opportunity. Seedlings cannot grow into towering trees without weathering storms! You should all understand this point clearly."

"Very well. Time is of the essence. How should we arrange this?" The Purple Brow Wanderer, known for his swift and decisive actions, made his decision and immediately inquired.

Although Shui Linglong felt this was too cruel for the young participants in the assessment, there were no better alternatives at the moment, so she silently acquiesced.

「Skyridge Plaza.」

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM...

Deafening sonic booms echoed from the sky. The small mountain peak that had departed earlier broke through the clouds and hovered above the plaza. The middle-aged steward and the blue-clothed martial artist descended onto the platform, their feet stepping on flowing light.

At the sight of the two, the bustling Skyridge Plaza immediately fell silent; not a sound could be heard.

The middle-aged steward cleared his throat and said, "You should have all heard about the recent development. The Underground Demons have invaded the Hundred Nation territory. However, there's no need for alarm; it's just a disturbance caused by small groups of Underground Demons."

"So, it's just small groups of Underground Demons. I was terrified for a moment, thinking the West Desert Demon Realm had declared war on our Hundred Nation territory!"

"Thank goodness, it was just a false alarm."

Upon hearing this, a collective sigh of relief swept through the plaza, and expressions of thankfulness appeared on everyone's faces.

"Currently, tens of thousands of Underground Demons have entered our Canglang Dynasty from the Red Flame Desert and are threatening Sky Frost City and Crack Stone City. The Elders of the Six Golden Palaces have conferred and decided to dispatch you to eliminate these Underground Demons. This will be the content of your second round of assessment."

The crowd had yet to fully calm down when the middle-aged steward's voice rang out again, dropping like a bombshell and sending shockwaves through the plaza.

"Wasn't the second round of assessment supposed to be on Sky Mountain? Why is it about eliminating Underground Demons?"

"This must have been decided just now." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"I've heard that Underground Demons are inherently brutal and kill mercilessly. Are we really going to fight those monsters?"

"Underground Demons? I've heard of them, but I don't know what they look like. I wonder if they can withstand my sword!"

The discussions in the plaza grew increasingly louder. Some were rubbing their palms in excitement, some were shocked, but most were filled with fear.

Luo Feng's gaze was calm. He had already fought Underground Demons before, so he wasn't surprised.

Sky Frost City? Isn't that Lin XiaoXiao's hometown?

A thought flashed through Luo Feng's mind.

BUZZ!

The middle-aged steward waved his hand, and an invisible pressure descended upon the plaza, silencing all voices instantly.

"This decision serves two purposes. First, to rescue Sky Frost City and Crack Stone City, which is our duty as martial artists. Second, it serves as a tempering experience for you; actual combat is the best form of cultivation. This assessment will have no limit on the number of participants. As long as you slay ten Underground Demons, you can become a Golden Palace disciple. Furthermore, for every additional Underground Demon you kill, you will be rewarded with one hundred first-grade Yuan Stones. Slaying a Sky Flying Demon will earn you three top-grade, fourth-tier Spirit Pills—Qingyuan Pills!"

His gaze swept over the crowd as the middle-aged steward calmly stated, "If any of you are unwilling to go, you may withdraw from the assessment now."

"Killing a single Underground Demon actually rewards one hundred first-grade Yuan Stones!"

"That's more than I earn from a month of completing missions!"

"First-grade Yuan Stones are nothing; the Qingyuan Pills are the real treasure! Rumor has it that Qingyuan Pills can help martial artists cleanse impurities from their bodies and enhance their cultivation. The spiritual efficacy of three Qingyuan Pills is comparable to a fifth-tier Spirit Pill, the Rotary Solidification Pill. It seems the Six Golden Palaces have really gone all out this time, even offering Qingyuan Pills as rewards!"

"Don't get your hopes up. Sky Flying Demons are not ordinary Underground Demons. Even a single Sky Flying Demon is a Spiritual Rotation Realm master. I'm afraid only the top ten young experts are their match."

Upon hearing the middle-aged steward's words, the faces of all the young talents on Skyridge Plaza lit up with excitement. Each one of them was rubbing their palms eagerly, their faces flushed.

Luo Feng looked around and saw that, surprisingly, not a single person chose to withdraw from the assessment.

This wasn't surprising. Those who had passed the first round were the elite of the elite; they certainly wouldn't relinquish the opportunity to enter a Golden Palace. Moreover, withdrawing now would undoubtedly make them a laughingstock for everyone!

"Everyone, time is of the essence. Let us depart immediately!" the middle-aged steward commanded, seeing that no one chose to withdraw.