When they heard this, all the teenagers were stunned at first, secretly thinking in their minds, “This guy looked so funny when his Spiritual Meridians were tested before. But anyway, he has reached at least the middle-stage of Nascent Soul Realm.” Therefore, all the rest of the boys rushed over to him.

Soon, Chu Qi had 19 team members now, which was the upper limit of a team, not counting the team leader. Meanwhile, the number of Xiao Chen’s team members also had reached 19.

Not far away, those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators glanced at them, taking pleasure in their misfortune. “With such a group of burdensome team members, they can never be halfway up the mountain even before the day after tomorrow’s sunset, not to mention before tomorrow’s sunset. Anyway, it is perfect. After all, there are two fewer competitors for us.”

Although the teams of both Xiao Chen and Chu Qi were full, many newcomers in the Core Forming Realm still could not find a team to join in. In fact, the aptitudes of them were not that bad, some of which were even better than the aptitudes of those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators or Nirvana Realm cultivators. Unfortunately, they were born a few years later. As long as they had enough time, they would surely surpass these cultivators in higher realms.

Xiao Chen frowned a little and looked at the few senior disciples. He clasped his hands and said, “Senior Brothers, can I take them with me?”

After he said that, those Nascent Soul Realm cultivators who had already found themselves a team felt even more surprised. “Is this guy crazy? It seems that he doesn’t want to pass the test at all. The burden of a dozen much weaker team members seems not to be enough for him to bear, and he even asks for dozens of more people. His head must be out of work!”

In fact, Xiao Chen had his own thoughts. Firstly, he was born a kind-hearted man so that he couldn’t bear to see the future of these people who were left behind being destroyed. Secondly, he had a selfish motive. Since he wanted to win people’s support, why not take advantage of the present situation? All these newcomers were outstanding and very promising talents.

His request seemed to have put the few Senior Brothers into a quandary. Actually, they didn’t expect it to be like this today that so many newcomers couldn’t find a team. Nevertheless, this was the rule, and there was no exception to it. One of them said, “Junior Brother, there is a rule in the Cloud Mist Academy, so I’m afraid you can’t…”

Before he could finish his sentence, a burst of hearty laughter sounded. “Forget it. I’ll take them with me.”

After that, a young man who seemed to have reached the Nascent Soul Realm stepped out of the team. He was about the same age as Xiao Chen and dressed like a scholar. He was precisely Yumu Shisan, who was late before.

“Another nut.” Someone in the team scolded. However, Yumu Shisan only smiled faintly and quickly accepted 19 members to form his team. But now, there were still some people who couldn’t find any team to join in.

Yumu Shisan looked at these people and smiled. But before he could say anything, Xiao Chen smiled and said to the rest of newcomers, “You can form a team by yourselves and follow me later.” Then he looked at several Senior Brothers, asking, “It’s not against the rule, right?”

These Senior Brothers looked at each other and thought that there seemed to be no rule forbidding this. One of them said, “Then, it’s up to you.”

Hearing this, the rest of the newcomers immediately formed a team happily and walked to Xiao Chen and Chu Qi. Xiao Chen smiled and then looked at Yumu Shisan, nodding and smiling. Yumu Shisan also nodded at him and returned a smile.

Finally, all of them teamed up. The few Senior Brothers seemed relieved. After making some further explanations, one of them smiled and said, “Then, Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, we wish all of you good luck.” After that, they turned into several rays of sword radiance and flew to the looming Mist Mountain.

The few hundred newcomers were left in the empty valley, who stood in combat readiness. Of course, they immediately acted as their Senior Brothers had instructed and left the valley without delay. All of them knew it clearly that they had to arrive at Mountainside Square before the sunset tomorrow.

Though located in the White Fog City, the Mist Mountain covered a vast area. It had several main peaks that had reached above the clouds. Around them, there was a stretch of relatively lower hills, which remained green throughout the year.

It was noon. With dozens of young boys and girls, the teams of Xiao Chen and Chu Qi certainly moved much slower than those teams with Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. When the sun went down, they barely managed to cross two small mountains and had come across several Illusory Beasts along the way. But as long as Xiao Chen and Chu Qi were there, Illusory Beasts would never be a problem. As for the illusory fog and formations, Xiao Chen could deal with them with great ease.

Soon, these young boys and girls regarded them as real leaders. It seemed to them that as long as Xiao Chen and Chu Qi were with them, they could deal with any difficulties. If they handled those Illusory Beasts that had Nascent Soul Realm cultivation by themselves, they would have been killed already.

“Brother Chen, let’s rest for a while before we move on,” a teenager said, breathlessly.

Xiao Chen turned around and saw that everyone was drenched in sweat and tired. They all had the Core Forming Realm cultivation, so it should not be so difficult for them to climb over two mountains. But since the three Perfected Immortals had set up a lot of restrictions here, this place certainly was different from any places outside. He instantly agreed, saying, “Well, let’s rest for a while before we leave.”

“I’m going to find some water,” said Chu Qi. Then she went to the other side of the woods, followed by several girls. They said, “Sister Chu Qi, let us go with you.”

Xiao Chen sat under a tree, and the other boys and girls gathered around to talk with him. From their conversations, Xiao Chen learned that not all of them were members of the nobility. Many of them were even children from poor families and were born in some barren places in the Wastelands. Fortunately, by making use of their fairly good natural endowments, they won themselves better lives. Now that they had gotten the Cloud Mist Academy’s offers, which brought them to a new height.

Also, Xiao Chen also learned a lot about the Wastelands from them. But it seemed that they didn’t know that there was the Violet Manor or the five continents, just like some juniors in the Violet Manor didn’t know the existence of the Wastelands.

But in fact, some of the older generation in the Wastelands knew about the existence of the Violet Manor, and some elders in the Violet Manor also knew that there was the Wastelands. Moreover, they knew one more thing. Of course, at present, Xiao Chen did not know about this matter, and even Yang Qing and the others did not know it.

When Xiao Chen knew this matter in the future, perhaps, perhaps he needed to make the first difficult decision in his life. As for his second difficult decision, a decision that he would never forget, it would only appear many years later.

About 15 minutes later, Chu Qi and the several girls came back with water. After drinking some water, they continued on their way. They should at least find a place to stay before dark. It was extremely dangerous at night, so Xiao Chen would not choose to push on with their journey. After all, they had found that both their True Energy and physical strength recovered very slowly in this place. Thus, they must keep their power to deal with the biggest challenge tomorrow.

Two hours later, it was completely dark. Tonight, they had to rough it in a big cave that they found. Fortunately, with so many people, the cave became bustling. Especially these young girls, who were very lively and lovely, kept talking and laughing. Because of them, the silence and lifeless cave even seemed to come alive at this very night.

“Sister Chu Qi, why don’t you like talking?” A girl asked, blinking her big eyes. Chu Qi turned around and glanced at her, giving her only an “oh” as a reply.

Xiao Chen sat in front of the fire, gazing into the flickering flames. He thought, his eyes reflecting the glaring light. “I have been to the Wastelands for more than a month. I don’t know how Xin’er and the others in the Forever City are now. The Immortals’ League, the Mo Clan, the Order of the Divine Fire, and Ling Ruoxu from the Ling Family who had escaped, I will make all of you pay for your debt in person!”

Thinking of this, Xiao Chen took a deep breath and clenched his fingers. He only hated that he didn’t have enough strength to go back and revenge now. Whenever he thought that Xuanxu Zi destroyed the Heartless Palace and Xin’er’s heartbroken look that day, he would feel his stomach knot with pain.

“Xuanxu Zi, when I come back, it will be your time to die…”

“Brother Chen, where do you and Sister Chu Qi come from?” At this time, a teenager suddenly interrupted his thoughts.

His question brought Xiao Chen back to reality. Xiao Chen reacted quickly and said while smiling, “I came from the Life (Wastelands provinces). Yan Prefecture City, have you ever heard of it?”

It was a vague answer. Somehow, Xiao Chen felt that he absolutely could not let anyone, especially the Cloud Mist Academy, know that he was from the Violet Manor.

“Yan Prefecture City? I seemed to have heard of it, but I’ve never been there…”

Nothing happened this night. The next morning, when it was dawn, they set off again. They must arrive at the Mountainside Square before sunset today, so it meant that there were about twelve hours left.

But when they were near the main peak, it was almost noon. Those Illusory Beasts at the foot of the mountain were getting more and more ferocious. Many of these beasts had obtained the strength close to the peak of the Nascent Soul Realm. The dozens of young boys and girls made the right choice. If it had not been for Xiao Chen and Chu Qi, all of them would have failed this test or been killed long ago.

As they arrived at the foot of the mountain, everyone looked up at the peak that went straight into the clouds. High in the clouds, pavilions were partly hidden and partly visible as if they were in the Heavenly Palace. Everyone looked delighted, knowing that it was precisely the Cloud Mist Academy that they had always dreamed of entering.

In fact, with the size of the Cloud Mist Academy, it could also be named as the Cloud Mist Sect, the Cloud Mist Gate, or the Cloud Mist Pavilion. However, due to its special nature, it could not be named as any of these. Otherwise, it would cause a lot of unnecessary trouble. Of course, the trouble here was not that other sects would go to provoke it, but because some people had already belonged to some sects or forces before they entered the Cloud Mist Academy.

“We’re finally here.” Xiao Chen smiled faintly. He was now increasingly looking forward to being in the Cloud Mist Academy. Perhaps his cultivation would advance by leaps and bounds in the near future.

Not long after he finished speaking, bursts of footsteps came from the distance. Many people rushed over from both sides of Xiao Chen’s and Chu Qi’s teams. The other teams were coming. Xiao Chen was stunned, wondering, “Did we arrive here before them?”

Xiao Chen noticed that all these people looked a little embarrassed, including people in the teams full of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, Jiang Qianqian, and the others. Xiao Chen looked at them and asked, “Hey? What happened to you?” As he spoke, his mouth curved into a faint smile as if he was teasing them. After all, Jiang Qianqian’s team was the strongest.

Evidently, some “wicked” elders in the Cloud Mist Academy must have changed the rules of this test at the last moment. Now that the stronger the average battle strength of each team, the stronger the Illusory Beasts they would meet. In this way, Xiao Chen’s team and the team alike got an advantage instead.

Upon seeing that nothing had happened to them, Jiang Qianqian became so furious that she gritted her teeth with anger. How she wished that she could tear Xiao Chen’s mouth apart, dig out and crush his eyeballs.

“Hehe, Brother Xiao, you’ve arrived even earlier than us.” A slightly bitter voice rang out from behind Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen turned around and saw Yumu Shisan, who also looked somewhat miserable. But the 19 boys behind him were safe and sound.

“Haha, Brother Yumu, you are almost equally quick,” Xiao Chen said.

Yumu Shisan made a wry smile and then said, “I suppose that this final test of going up the mountain will not be simple. Since we have met, why don’t we go there together?” With this, he turned to look at the others.

The other people here had been tortured severely by all kinds of traps and Illusory Beasts before, so they naturally would not object to his proposal at this time. Even if they met something terrifying again, they would go through the rough patch together.

Xiao Chen looked up at the mountain and thought, “Before the few senior disciples left yesterday, they said mysteriously that there was the last test. What exactly will the last test be?”

Then, more than 500 newcomers went up the mountain together. At the same time, somewhere on the mountain, a woman in white clothes was sitting on a fresh green branch.

“The group of little fellows this year is really interesting. In this case, I will play with these little kids a longer time…”