Listening to the complaints of the young people below, the white-haired old man's face wrinkled into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum. He added mischievously, "Of course, obtaining Star Value is not limited to hunting Spirit Beasts."

Hearing there were other methods, the eyes of the assembled disciples immediately lit up.

"Before that, everyone place your Token against your forehead," the old man instructed.

The crowd in the square followed suit.

Tang Yan only felt a faint flash of white light pass by. His forehead warmed briefly, and then nothing else out of the ordinary happened.

Curiously looking at Lin Dongxue and the others, he found that everyone's forehead now bore the faint blue mark of a five-pointed star. With this mark displayed on their foreheads, their amount of Star Value was no longer a secret. A single glance told all.

"Star Value is not exclusively bound to one person; it can also be obtained from others!" the old man added casually.

"Boom!"

Upon hearing the old man's words, the crowd below instantly erupted.

Tang Yan's eyes narrowed. If that was the case, snatching Star Value from one another would obviously be much easier than tracking down and killing Spirit Beasts.

And since everyone's Star Value was clearly displayed on their foreheads, whoever bore the deepest color would likely become a walking target for everyone else.

The rule that Star Value could be plundered pushed the brutal intensity of the competition to a new peak.

Seeing the disorderly crowd below, a hint of a scheming smile flashed across the old man's face.

"This selection will last for one month! Due to the sheer number of participants, the trial is divided into four regions. You represent the Eastern Zone.

Once you pass the assessment, you will all be able to meet.

Little ones, the selection begins now. Showcase your talents to the fullest; the future world belongs to you!" The old man laughed heartily. With a wave of his sleeve, the surroundings suddenly trembled.

A few seconds later, everyone was astonished to find that the square from moments ago had vanished without a trace. They were now standing in the middle of a forest.

The groups from each location had not been separated.

The area was not nearly as crowded as the square; each team was spaced a considerable distance apart.

"What should we do next? Look for others to target?" Du Shu asked.

"We have thirty days in total. It's still a bit early to make a move. After all, everyone's Star Value is currently low; expending effort won't yield much benefit.

Let's focus on improving our strength first. As time goes on and everyone accumulates more Star Value, we can begin the hunt," Tang Yan smiled.

Hearing Tang Yan's analysis, everyone found it reasonable and nodded in agreement.

Just as the five of them were about to go search for some Spirit Beasts, Tang Yan's gaze turned cold. "There are some flies that just won't go away, no matter how much you shoo them."

Following Tang Yan's gaze, Lin Dongxue and the others' expressions shifted slightly. The five who had tried to steal their spot yesterday were rapidly approaching them.

The appearance of these five also successfully drew the attention of many people.

Since everyone had just been in the Eastern Zone square together, many were aware of the grudges between these two groups. Those not in a rush to find Spirit Beasts stopped in their tracks, letting their gazes linger on them.

When the snipe and the clam grapple, the fisherman profits. Everyone was anticipating a mutually destructive outcome, hoping to swoop in and reap the benefits.

"What a small world. To think we'd meet again so soon!" the leading tall youth said, his face full of mockery as he looked at Tang Yan.

"Quite a coincidence," Tang Yan replied, his tone calm, neither humble nor arrogant.

"Are you going to hand over your Star Value willingly, or do I have to help you?" The tall youth's tone was full of threat. "In here, even killing someone doesn't break the rules!"

"You want to kill us? Why don't you look behind you first!" Tang Yan mocked.

Hearing Tang Yan's words, the tall youth's heart skipped a beat. Did they have reinforcements? He quickly turned his head, only to find that aside from some onlookers, no one was stepping forward to target him.

There was nothing behind him at all! Just as the tall youth felt a pang of confusion, he suddenly sensed a black shadow rushing straight at him.

The tall youth's pupils contracted. This seemingly frail kid is actually this fast?

Caught off guard, he had no time to gather his full strength and could only hastily throw a punch to defend himself.

A flicker of surprise crossed Tang Yan's eyes. Those qualified for the Azure Dragon Academy selection were indeed formidable. Facing his swift sneak attack, this tall youth actually still had the chance to counter!

But this was where it ended!

Tang Yan curled his lips into a smirk. His thrusting fist suddenly veered down and to the right, aiming straight for the opponent's heart.

"What!" The tall youth's pupils quaked, revealing absolute disbelief!

How could the trajectory of this guy's punch suddenly change?

Bang! Without giving the tall youth any time to think, Tang Yan's fist landed solidly against his chest.

Struck by a tremendous force, the tall youth was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.

With just one move, Tang Yan had blasted a Black Rank Fifth Grade expert away!

Fang Xuan's eyes flashed with astonishment. After not seeing him for just five days, this guy's strength had actually skyrocketed to the Black Rank Fourth Grade?

If he had been at the Fourth Grade during the grand competition, defeating him would have been much easier, wouldn't it?

Hiss- Many onlookers gasped, drawing in sharp breaths of cold air.

Without pausing after his successful strike, Tang Yan performed the Phantom Step and charged toward the next closest person.

As fierce as a tiger, as fast as lightning!

However, the blue-robed youth being attacked by Tang Yan was already on high alert. Seeing Tang Yan charge over, although his reaction was slightly delayed, he believed that with his cultivation-a whole grade higher than Tang Yan's-he could absolutely suppress him quickly and launch a powerful counterattack!

"Bang!" When the blue-robed youth clashed fists with Tang Yan, a flicker of shock and doubt flashed through his eyes.

This guy's strength is clearly only at the Black Rank Fourth Grade. Why is his explosive power only slightly weaker than my Fifth Grade strength?

He had no idea what kind of agonizing pain Tang Yan had endured to temper himself beneath the waterfall. Compared to others, Tang Yan's True Qi was incredibly condensed, giving him astonishing explosive power. Coupled with the enhancement of his Vortex Dantian, his strength was even more profound.

Surviving the first punch, a hint of ferocity flashed through the blue-robed youth's eyes. As a dignified Black Rank Fifth Grade, his True Qi acceleration and attack speed were definitely superior to a Fourth Grade. Now, he would see how he could crush this kid to death!

However, while his thoughts were good, reality taught him a harsh lesson.

After throwing that first punch, the kid in front of him instantly followed up with another! There was absolutely no gap between the two moves!

Panicking in his heart, the blue-robed youth hurriedly moved to intercept. But the unbelievable scene from earlier repeated itself. Just as their moves were about to collide, Tang Yan's unstoppable punch forcibly veered downward!

"Bang!" Even though the youth had managed to react, he was still knocked back a step.

Following that, a look of terror surfaced in his eyes.

The black-robed youth in front of him was actually charging up again. Do your moves not need any recovery interval at all?!

"Bang!" The Thousand Mountains Fist was instantly unleashed by Tang Yan, and a powerful Force abruptly emerged.

"Pfft!" Unable to bring up his True Qi in time, the blue-robed youth was struck squarely by Tang Yan. Just like the tall youth, his body was sent flying backward.