After a while, Rocky successfully avoided the resulting impact of the Cloud-concealing Skill, and
somehow, approached the two overwhelming spiritual beasts. Then, the Mystical Dragon Sword behind
him soared to the sky and morphed into dazzling starlight that began to expand.
It was the Thousand-star Swordsmanship.
By then, all the disciples present were shocked by the sudden appearance of the spiritual light. It was
as dense and luminous as one of the stars in the night sky. Their astonishment was heightened once
they witnessed the light fall towards the earth like a falling star. It then morphed into sword shadows
that completely enveloped the two spiritual beasts.
“What… what spiritual skill is this?”
“This is quite alarming. Is it a premium grade spiritual skill? I’ve never seen it before!”
“That’s impossible! How could someone with his strength use a premium grade spiritual skill like that?”
As the bewilderment continued to spread among them, the two spiritual beasts beamed with sword
radiance all over their bodies. Their bodies gleamed and glistened for a moment before both of the
ferocious beasts dropped dead.
All around, there was nothing but dead silence.
All the disciples turned to Rocky with eyes as wide as saucers. They looked as though they were
staring at a monster.
“I guess I’ve gone too far.” Rocky knew that conjuring the Thousand-star Swordsmanship would draw a
lot of attention. But considering that he was up against two premium grade spiritual beasts, he needed
to use his full strength. Otherwise, someone else might take the chance of snatching his advantage.
So he used up all his power to help the red team pass the first round.
Without delay, he quickly approached the two spiritual beasts and snatched the items he needed
before the other disciples could react. The red team now had a total of four items. This meant that the
yellow team, who had the upper hand earlier, now seemed to be on the losing end.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry! Don’t let him escape!” Drake, the leader of the yellow team,
commanded. Losing their advantage was unacceptable.
All the members of the yellow team looked at each other but none of them dared to step up and face
Rocky. The Thousand-star Swordsmanship he just exhibited still stunned the onlookers.
“Thank you for the win, yellow team!” Rocky exclaimed in gratitude to the yellow team who remained
frozen in place even after he took the items.
It was as if they were stunned and unable to react for a while.
'If I’m right, he used a premium grade sword skill from the Sword Spirit Sect. It must be a skill that
ordinary disciples aren’t taught. But how did he manage to learn it? And a warrior of his level shouldn’t
be able to master such a premium grade sword skill in the first place,' Carla thought. She was still
trying to recover from the astonishment Rocky’s Thousand-star Swordsmanship brought earlier. It
appeared he was more powerful than she imagined. No wonder he was able to subdue the previous
demonic spiritual beast they encountered.
Once the members of the red team realized that Rocky successfully retrieved two items in a single
breath, they all fell into silence before they erupted into happy and excited cheer. This meant that their
team was heading straight for the second round of the newcomer contest.
The members of the red team rushed towards Rocky, one elated face after the other.
But before they could reach him, he silently disappeared.
Since all of the items were found, the first round of the newcomer contest came to an end. Once all four
teams left the Mirage Maze, they assembled at the entrance where the announcement was made. The
red team and the blue team were qualified for the second round, where they would meet in a melee.
In the next round, all the disciples would gather in an arena and fight each other until only thirty-two
disciples were left standing. The remaining disciples would enter the third round. Compared to the
previous team-centered challenges, this round would be more brutal and barbaric since the wheat
would be separated from the chaff—the strong would be separated from the weak.
In preparation for the next round the following day, the qualified disciples left the Mirage Maze and
returned to their dormitories to recuperate.
Rocky planned to do the same. He tried to be as discreet as possible but was stopped after a few steps
by a delicate figure.
“Miss Carla. What can I do for you?” Rocky immediately recognized her.
“Well… I just wanted to say… thank you! If it wasn’t for you, the red team wouldn’t have been able to
proceed to the next round." Carla's face blushed as she expressed to him her gratitude.
“There’s no need to thank me. You also did your best, didn't you? Go back and get a good rest,” Rocky
replied indifferently as he brushed past her.
Carla felt a little uncomfortable with Rocky’s disinterest. She was the daughter of the powerful Yu Clan
of the Sky-suppressing Sect. All throughout her childhood, she was spoiled by everyone and
relentlessly pursued by countless admirers. Many men wanted to flatter her and couldn’t resist her
natural charm. They took her very seriously, but Rocky proved to be quite the opposite. He didn’t even
want to talk to her which made her feel somewhat empty inside.
However, it further piqued her curiosity. Intuition told her that Rocky held many secrets as seen by the
mystery he always left behind with each personal encounter. She wanted to unlock and unveil those
secrets.
“Miss Carla! Miss Carla!” Lyric called out to her while such longing thoughts still relentlessly swam
through her head.
“What?” she asked once she came back to her senses.
“What were you staring at? I’ve called out to you a thousand times!” Lyric curiously asked.
“Nothing. Let’s go.” Carla shook her head as the two of them left.
Meanwhile, Rocky bumped into Eunice on his way back to the disciple dormitory. She had been waiting
for him but he didn’t know for how long.
“Why aren’t you in bed resting?” Rocky asked her.
“The premium grade swordsmanship of the Sword Spirit Sect is quite compelling. It could annihilate two
premium grade spiritual beasts at once. It appears I’ve greatly underestimated you.” In fact, once the
blue team backed out of the competition, Eunice sneaked back in to observe Rocky and witness him
use the Thousand-star Swordsmanship.
“I originally wanted to keep a low profile. But if I couldn’t make it to the second round, it would definitely
hinder your plan. I needed to go all out,” Rocky replied casually.
“You’re right. If it wasn't for what you did, the red team would’ve been a lost cause. But you’ll need
more power in the second round. Now that you’ve attracted lots of attention, you’ll need to be ready.
You’ve become a walking target, but it doesn’t matter. All you need to do is ensure that I can make it
through the second round and get to the final round.” Eunice clearly had more confidence in herself.
Moreover, she thought Rocky’s win in the first round was just a flash in the pan. The second round
would be a test of endurance. She decided to persuade Rocky into helping her get into the third round
by teaming up.
“I see.” He nodded and then went straight into his room without uttering another
word.
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