The plaza was already packed with martial artists gathered for the recruitment event. Two-thirds of them were men, with less than a third being women.
As Ye Fei pushed his way into the crowd, a middle-aged man with a beard appeared on the plaza. He introduced himself as Hall Master Wang, in charge of new recruitments for the Wu Sect. Standing on a high platform with his hands behind his back, he delivered a lengthy speech.
Ye Fei found himself growing drowsy until the Hall Master finally got to the point, which managed to rouse him.
"I now announce the rules for this new recruit assessment!"
"Anyone who can pass the second level of our Wu Sect's Thousand Spirits Pagoda and defeat ten Blizzard Beasts will be considered to have passed the assessment!"
"This means you will officially be disciples of our Wu Sect!"
"Has everyone understood?"
The middle-aged man with the beard had always been in charge of new recruitments, and this year was no exception.
"Everyone, please be quiet for a moment and continue listening to me!"
"Next, I will be distributing Wu Sect teleportation jade talismans to everyone. If you encounter any unsolvable difficulties within the Thousand Spirits Pagoda, you may crush this jade talisman to return here!"
"Of course, if you fail to defeat ten Blizzard Beasts, it means you cannot pass our Wu Sect's assessment, and I regret to inform you that you will not be able to become a new disciple of our Wu Sect."
"It is important to note that the assessment will last for a total of eight days, so please manage your time wisely!"
He paused, and the middle-aged man with the beard continued.
"To boost everyone's morale, I have another piece of good news to share!"
"The top three finishers in this new recruit assessment will receive unprecedented rewards, so please stay tuned!"
"As for what those rewards might be, that will only be revealed after the assessment concludes!"
"All right, without further ado, please proceed quickly to the Thousand Spirits Pagoda in the back mountain!"
After giving his instructions, the middle-aged man with the beard waved his hand and led the way towards the back mountain.
The Thousand Spirits Pagoda was located in the Wu Sect's back mountain, guarded by four elders with profound cultivation. This was because the upper levels of the pagoda contained many ferocious beasts that were extremely powerful despite being imprisoned for heinous crimes.
"You!"
"You little beast, you're actually here to participate in the Wu Sect's new recruit assessment!"
"What a coincidence!"
"Just you wait until we enter the Thousand Spirits Pagoda, I'll make sure you pay! You just wait!"
The person before Ye Fei was the man who had worn a jade pendant and clashed with him during the Crimson Gold mission – Xiao Beiyu.
"Loser!"
"I'm not afraid of you!"
"We'll see!"
Xiao Beiyu's cultivation was only at the peak of the third level of Qi Condensation, so Ye Fei was confident he could challenge him despite the difference in cultivation.
"Hmph, you escaped last time, but I won't make the same mistake again!"
"See?"
"I have several guards at the fourth level of Qi Condensation by my side!"
"I don't believe you can run anywhere else!"
Xiao Beiyu sneered, his viper-like eyes fixed on Ye Fei.
Although Ye Fei felt a slight tension, he maintained a calm expression.
"I'll be waiting for you!"
"Don't come crying to me for mercy then!"
After issuing his threat, Ye Fei turned and walked away from Xiao Beiyu and his group.
"Little beast, don't you run!"
Seeing Ye Fei slip away like a slippery loach, Xiao Beiyu was both enraged and resentful, yet helpless.
In front of everyone, he could not attack Ye Fei. He could only wait until they entered the Thousand Spirits Pagoda to teach Ye Fei a lesson.
At this moment, Ye Fei stood beside a cold beauty with clear eyes, an exceptionally beautiful face, and dressed in a pale green long dress.
Ye Fei couldn't help but gaze at her for a few more moments.
Her beauty was so stunning that it was truly unforgettable.
The men around them also cast admiring glances at her, but she completely ignored their stares.
After admiring the beauty, Ye Fei finally arrived at the entrance of the Thousand Spirits Pagoda.
After the four elders verified Ye Fei's identity, the pagoda's gate slowly opened, and Ye Fei was drawn inside.
From the description given by the middle-aged man with the beard, Ye Fei knew he must have entered the first level of the Thousand Spirits Pagoda.
Correspondingly, the demonic beasts here were the lowest-ranked.
However, Ye Fei did not dare to let his guard down.
Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.
Ye Fei walked directly into a dense forest.
The tall trees completely blocked out the sunlight, allowing only slivers of light to penetrate.
Ye Fei used his Cloud-Fleeting Steps, moving rapidly through the trees.
Roar, roar, roar.
The occasional roars of demonic beasts kept him on high alert, not daring to relax even for a moment.
As he ventured deeper, Ye Fei noticed the frequency of the demonic beast roars increasing.
"Help!"
"Beast, I'll kill you!"
Ye Fei's ears perked up as a woman's voice reached him.
Ye Fei's heart tightened, and he followed the direction of the sound.
From a distance, he saw the woman in the pale green attire fighting two Swiftwind Deer.
These Swiftwind Deer were common demonic beasts on the first level of the Thousand Spirits Pagoda.
The two Swiftwind Deer fighting the woman were both at the early stage of the fourth level of Qi Condensation.
The woman's cultivation was also at the early stage of the fourth level of Qi Condensation.
However, facing the pincer attack of these two Swiftwind Deer, the woman was clearly at a disadvantage.
Based on Ye Fei's experience, the Swiftwind Deer would likely emerge victorious.
Seeing the Swiftwind Deer's eyes turn bloodshot as they prepared to attack again, Ye Fei stopped observing and, with a swift movement, appeared before the woman.
"Beautiful lady, allow me to lend you a hand!"
"Beast, I'll slay you!"
These two Swiftwind Deer possessed low intelligence, and their sharp, pointed antlers were their greatest weapons.
Upon seeing Ye Fei suddenly appear, the two Swiftwind Deer were startled.
"Die!"
Ye Fei raised his sword and charged directly at the two Swiftwind Deer.
"Xuan Tian Jue, First Form!"
Clang.
Ye Fei drew his sword, and a sharp sword energy wrapped around it as he swiftly slashed.
Seeing Ye Fei dare to attack them directly, the two Swiftwind Deer were enraged.
They dug deep craters in the ground with their hooves before charging forward, aiming their slender antlers at Ye Fei.
"Be careful!"
"Those antlers are very powerful!"
The woman beside Ye Fei had already witnessed the power of the antlers and immediately warned him.