Two big groups had appeared in the distance and each of them wasn't any smaller than the 'floating cloud sect's'. The people leading them were a beautiful woman with long black hair and a 2m(6.6ft) tall, robust middle-aged man with a bald shaved head.
Obviously the person who spoke just now was that middle-aged man.
''Sect master Da Chao. Do you think there is anyone in your 'Iron-hardened sect' that can defeat my grandson in the same level of cultivation? Why don't you bring that person out and have them compete with Hui Ming then?''
''Hehehehe, that's fine by me! Da Chong, just go and beat that kid up until his grandfather can't recognize him anymore.''
As sect master Da Chao finished speaking, a tall and robust young man that largely resembled Da Chao walked from behind him. This young man was wearing brown robes and was almost as tall as Da Chao himself while his hands and feet were even bigger than his.
Just as the situation was taking a turn for the worse, the beautiful woman who had kept quiet so far said in a sweet voice
''I'm sure that everyone here is eagerly waiting for this year's examination to start. After all, what the sect examination tests isn't just brute physical strength, but a disciple's ability to plan ahead as well as their survival instincts. Since everyone has gathered then how about starting the sect examination now?''
The beautiful woman turned her look towards Grand Elder Lan Hong who in turn nodded and said
''Since vice-pavilion master Li Huian and sect master Da Chao have also arrived, we should all start with the sect examination. If you insist on fighting now then your 'Flying sword sect' and your 'Iron-hardened sect' can just stay behind and wait for the results.''
Both Da Chao and Hui Zhong snorted, but they knew that the important thing in hand, was to test their disciples this time, so everyone gathered their groups in front of the Demonic Mountain Region's entrance.
Lan Hong went in front of the 'floating cloud sect's' group and said
''You will all spend the next month inside the Demonic Mountain Region. When the time is up, your 'sect identifying jades' will light up as they will point your way towards my location. Until then do your best to gather as many survival points as possible and... try to stay alive too. That is all.''
As Lan Hong finished speaking, so did the other 3 leaders of their respective groups, as the groups started heading inside the Demonic Mountain Region.
Shun Long was feeling excited but also nervous at the same time. After all, it was the first time that he would be participating in something like this. This was going to be a true survival test.
Shun Long started heading inside the Demonic Mountain Region along with the other disciples, but as if in tacit agreement, no one fought as they were entering inside.
''Everyone is probably waiting for someone else to start a fight, since the first person who starts fighting here would be preyed upon by the others in the end.''
As he was heading deeper inside the Demonic Mountain Region, Shun Long saw that the number of disciples around him had started to lessen. Just as he was about to find a good spot on the trees around him, he felt a spiritual fluctuation from the black egg in his spiritual space.
Suddenly, all the qi around the area he was in, had started rushing towards his body... more precisely, towards the 'Stone of Time' where the black egg was in.
This wasn't just the qi that was in direct proximity around Shun Long, but the qi inside the earth as well as in the air around him, all of it was now towards him.
Shun Long started running deeper inside the Demonic Mountain Region, as the black egg absorbed more and more qi.
His speed had already reached such a terrifying level after entering the first level of the 'Monarch's Eternal body' that he was far faster than any peak rank 3 earth grade cultivator.
Suddenly as Shun Long was running deeper inside, a 3m(9ft) long snake jumped at him from the top of a tree. The beast could feel the rich qi around Shun Long and it madly wanted to absorb it all for itself.
Shun Long immediately recognized this magic beast.
''A rank2 'dark-venom snake'.'' Shun Long tried to dodge to the side, but the snake coiled itself around his waist with lightning speed. Just as the 'dark-venom snake' tried to plunge its fangs on Shun Long's chest, he instantly activated the 'Monarch's Hourglass' and gathered all of his strength and qi in his right hand as he chopped towards its weakest spot, the snake's neck.
Shun Long could feel his hands being bathed in a hot liquid, as the snake's head was severed and green blood dyed his arms and robes.
Although the 'dark-venom snake' was a rank 2 magical beast, it was only comparable to an early stage earth grade cultivator.
This was the first time that Shun Long had killed something, and yet, he couldn't stop running as beast roars could be heard from every direction.
He could already feel more and more magical beasts chasing him down from all sides. The disciples that were previously around him, had all run as far away as they could when they saw the horde of magical beasts that was now chasing Shun Long.
The most terrifying thing was, that there were even some peak rank 2 magical beasts. A peak rank 2 magical beast was at the very least as strong as a peak rank 9 earth grade cultivator, yet these beasts were now chasing Shun Long in a mad frenzy almost as if he was some kind of extraordinary delicacy.
Thankfully Shun Long's body had been enhanced after having consumed the 'internal destruction pill' and entered the first level of the 'Monarch's Eternal body'.
Nevertheless, the beasts launched plenty of attacks, and Shun Long was eventually forced to use the 'Monarch's Domain'.
Although his cultivation had already advanced to the early rank 8, in the end he was just a qi condensation novice and he couldn't keep the Monarch's Domain active for more than 100 breaths of time.
As if sensing the 'Monarch's Domain', the black egg started vibrating even more intensely while its size was rapidly enlarging. After 49 breaths of time had passed since Shun Long had activated the Monarch's Domain, the egg that had reached 3m(10ft) in height by now, finally cracked from the top as a black being slowly emerged from it.