Finding a true mole rat den was not easy; it required exceptional observation skills and judgment.
Blind guesses or following others were simply not feasible.
There were too many mole rat holes, scattered everywhere across the mountains and plains, yet no one knew which burrow actually housed a mole rat.
This entire area was filled with mole rat nests.
Numerous students employed various methods, such as flooding, setting fires, or using bait, but many approaches were clearly not ideal.
Zhou Yan did not search for mole rat dens; instead, he began observing his surroundings.
He soon discovered a plant called sweetleaf, which was one of the mole rats' favorite foods. Once this plant was found, catching mole rats became much easier.
He noticed a place covered in sweetleaf. Clever individuals were already setting traps there, waiting for the mole rats to walk right into them.
"Friend, we've just set up a trap, don't go over there."
Someone stopped Zhou Yan. He understood their concern; mole rats were incredibly cunning, and if he went over now, he would startle those clever little creatures, rendering their efforts futile.
"Alright, I won't go," Zhou Yan nodded, and the other person was quite pleased.
Then, under their watchful eyes, Zhou Yan simply jumped over.
They: ≦(._.)≧(*´□`σ)σ
However, Zhou Yan jumped onto a tree, having no impact on the mole rats on the ground. The others paid him no further mind.
On the tree, Zhou Yan captured several mud snakes hiding there.
He then took out a thin string, tied it to the tail of a mud snake, and finally headed towards the distant hillside.
He released these mud snakes, their tails tied with string. The mud snakes began to slither and burrowed into certain holes.
Zhou Yan activated his spiritual sense. After a few tens of seconds, he felt movement underground. He began to pull the string, and indeed, a mole rat was caught in the mud snake's mouth.
He grabbed the mud snake, mercilessly pried open its mouth, extracted the mole rat, and placed it in a cage.
Mud snake: 凸(艹皿艹)
Then, he released the mud snake again, saying, "Good luck, I'm rooting for you."
Mud snake: ヽ(`Д´)ﾉ
Someone in the distance, witnessing Zhou Yan's method, immediately exclaimed, "This person is a true genius!"
Zhou Yan was unaware that his method was being copied. Even if he knew, he wouldn't have cared; as long as he could pass, that was all that mattered.
The other person then followed suit, catching mud snakes and using them to catch mole rats.
This method proved to be very effective, making him admire Zhou Yan even more. How had this fellow come up with such a scheme? Truly a resourceful person.
Zhou Yan quickly caught five mole rats using this method. All five were severely injured by the mud snakes.
Finally, Zhou Yan removed the string and released the mud snakes, saying, "Go now, my great contributors!"
Mud snake: ꒰╬•᷅д•᷄╬꒱
Translation: I never want to see you again!
Zhou Yan successfully presented the caged mole rats to the instructor, completing this stage.
Yang Junming, who had been observing everything from the sidelines, was very pleased. "Excellent, excellent. This student's mind is truly flexible. To figure out such a method to catch mole rats so quickly is indeed quite ingenious."
This was the first time Zhou Yan had used this method, which is why Yang Junming paid even more attention to him.
After all, even he himself had never thought of such an approach.
For the sixth stage, Zhou Yan saw iron cables connecting to the opposite peak. To reach that mountain, one had to cross these cables.
No spiritual energy could be used, nor any equipment. Everything had to be done by themselves. Failure to cross meant facing the abyss below.
"This stage tests courage, doesn't it?" Zhou Yan understood.
He saw many people hesitating, their hearts locked in a fierce struggle.
Especially when the fierce wind blew, making the iron cables sound like death knells, it caused countless people to retreat.
"It's too terrifying, there's no way to cross."
"I won't cross. I'm scared. I have acrophobia. I'm not taking the assessment anymore, I want to go home."
"Why is there such an assessment? I scored so high, and I even awakened an orange Lord's Heart. Why set up such a bizarre test? Come out, I'm not convinced!"
"If I fall, I'll die. I don't want to. I'm not participating."
...
Zhou Yan sighed.
Their comfortable lives had provided them with good upbringing but had also robbed them of the courage to face hardship.
Their scores were indeed excellent, and their Lord's Hearts were of high quality.
Yet, they lacked the courage to face difficulties. If they couldn't overcome this, they could never become true powerhouses.
Such individuals could never grow.
He became increasingly curious about Ziwei Academy. Such an academy was truly a place for cultivating strong individuals.
He was fortunate he had chosen correctly; this was indeed the place he wanted to come.
Where some were afraid, others naturally pressed forward. The path was there, and it would not change for anyone's special circumstances.
Some people gripped the iron cables tightly with both hands, their legs wrapped around them, inching their way towards the opposite side.
Even if their posture was awkward, they had the courage to face it, rather than being a coward who stopped.
This stage was particularly important, testing one's inner fear.
Zhou Yan chose an unoccupied cable, retreated a certain distance, and then accelerated, charging forward.
This scene stunned the surrounding students.
Even the instructors watching were speechless.
"Whoa, what is this guy trying to do? Commit suicide?"
"Has he gone mad? These are cables, not a bridge. Isn't he afraid of falling to his death by running across like that!"
"Does this guy think he won't fall?"
"This guy is really something. Maybe he practiced in places like this before."
Countless people were astonished, speechless, and shocked, not knowing what Zhou Yan intended to do. It was sheer recklessness.
But, things exceeded their imagination. Zhou Yan powerfully leaped off the cliff edge, then landed, his feet pushing off the cable again, launching him forward once more.
What Zhou Yan was doing resembled a jumping game. A misstep would result in a gruesome death.
Everyone admired his courage, daring to try such a method. He was indeed a daring individual.
However, if Zhou Yan hadn't been confident, would he have dared to act like this?
His various attributes were incredibly strong. If he were afraid of such a small thing as an iron cable, he might as well have committed suicide.
He had already noticed that there was a formation protecting the area below. He was certain that even students who fell would not die; the formation below would surely protect them.
But the prerequisite was that they had the courage to cross the iron cables.
The iron cables were quite long, at least a kilometer. Many students were crawling on the cables like snails, trembling. Zhou Yan, on the other hand, was treating it like a game, leaving countless people utterly bewildered.
Was this person showing off here, or demoralizing them?
Zhou Yan successfully reached the other side. Although the process appeared extremely perilous, he had ultimately passed.
This display astonished many, who looked at Zhou Yan with increased admiration for his courage.
He was undoubtedly the fastest to pass this stage, catching the attention of many instructors.
This made Yang Junming a little worried. He desperately wanted to recruit this student and hoped no one else would snatch him away.
(Author: Nine updates today, a total of twenty thousand words, giving you your fill. Tomorrow, I will try my best to write another twenty thousand words.)