After leaving the area, Su Qianyu ran at full speed.
Following the route in his memory, Su Qianyu bypassed many dangerous zones and powerful fierce beasts, and was soon about to break out of the Death Great Forest.
"This Thunder Bead is quite a fine item."
Holding the dark red pellet in his hand, Su Qianyu's lips curled into a slight smile. The contents of the storage rings belonging to both Zhao Xuan and that woman in white were quite decent.
Especially this Thunder Bead.
Once detonated, anyone below the Earth Profound Realm would undoubtedly die, and even an expert in the Earth Profound Realm would likely have a hard time. This was definitely a great treasure to be used for self-preservation.
Aside from the Thunder Bead, Su Qianyu had also harvested many other items and Profound Crystals. Right now, he had nearly ten thousand lower-grade Profound Crystals alone, which would be enough for him to use for some time.
Soon, Su Qianyu rushed out of the Death Great Forest, and his figure gradually appeared in everyone's sight.
"Look quickly, someone is coming out!"
"It's only been a little over an hour, and someone is already coming out? That's way too fast!"
"Goodness, this must have broken the record! This person's combat power must be extremely formidable!"
Many Heavenly Sword Sect disciples who were watching the assessment, as well as numerous elders, cast their gazes over at this moment.
Zhao Changming felt a secret surge of delight in his heart.
Long before the assessment began, he had already told Chu Mengyao and Zhao Xuan the shortest route through the Death Great Forest. Since someone was coming out so quickly now, it could only be one of those two.
Regardless of which one it was, it was entirely within his expectations!
"No!"
Yet in the very next second, the smile on his face froze completely. He said in a deep voice, "That is not Chu Mengyao, nor is it Zhao Xuan!"
Upon seeing Su Qianyu's appearance clearly, Zhao Changming completely lost his composure. How could it possibly be someone else?
"It's actually him!"
Following that, Lin Han nearby also spoke up abruptly, his voice filled with frost and shock.
This ignorant and arrogant brat had actually come, and by the looks of it, he was about to take first place in this assessment!
"Junior Brother Lin knows this person?" Zhao Changming asked hurriedly. If that brat had a connection with Lin Han, he would simply have to chalk it up to bad luck.
"This brat not only offended me earlier, but he also showed contempt for my master. I just didn't expect that he would actually dare to come." Lin Han said indifferently.
He knew Zhao Changming was a smart man; after hearing these words, the other party should know what needs to be done.
"Then this brat truly deserves to die!"
Sure enough, a sharp glint flashed across Zhao Changming's eyes, and he quickly reacted, saying coldly, "Does Elder Zhao have any methods?"
Lin Han's lips curled up as he asked.
"I wouldn't dare deceive Junior Brother Lin, but before the assessment began, I concealed a tier-3 senior fierce beast right before the finish line. Without my special fragrance on them, whoever reached the finish line first would inevitably be attacked. This action truly violates the sect's rules, so I ask Junior Brother Lin to punish me!"
With that, Zhao Changming lowered his head toward Lin Han.
Yet just as he had guessed, far from having any intention of punishing him, Lin Han patted him on the shoulder instead.
"Well done. I can pretend I knew nothing about this matter today. In the future, if your disciple or son ever need anything, they can come to finding me."
Hearing this, Zhao Changming felt a surge of great joy in his heart.
"Many thanks, Junior Brother Lin!"
Immediately after, Lin Han cast a malevolent look toward Su Qianyu. With a tier-3 senior fierce beast blocking the way, this brat was destined to die today!
Meanwhile.
Su Qianyu had already strode out of the Death Great Forest. He looked around; as expected, he was the first one to walk out.
"This first place belongs to me!"
Su Qianyu grinned, accelerating once again.
The finish line was growing closer and closer.
Five hundred zhang!
Three hundred zhang!
One hundred zhang!
Yet, just as there was less than a hundred zhang left to the finish line, a violent aura suddenly surged out from the jungle to the side.
"Boom, boom, boom..."
Su Qianyu whirled around abruptly, only to discover that it was a gigantic fierce beast, entirely yellow and white in color, measuring four to five zhang in size.
"Netherworld Tiger!"
Su Qianyu recognized this fierce beast at a glance. It was a tier-3 senior fierce beast, and the king of this Death Great Forest, yet he hadn't expected it to appear here.
"There's no dodging it anymore."
Su Qianyu's gaze gradually grew grave.
This tier-3 senior Netherworld Tiger was extremely formidable, possessing a cultivation comparable to the eighth or ninth layer of the True Profound Realm in humans. Right now, it was lunging aggressively toward him, and dodging was out of the question.
"Raging Fiend Palm!"
Su Qianyu launched an aggressive counterattack.
Since he couldn't dodge, he would meet force with force!
"Is this brat crazy?"
"That's a tier-3 senior fierce beast, the Netherworld Tiger! He actually dares to confront it head-on? He's truly courting death."
"This brat is deeply unlucky. He was originally going to break the record and claim first place, but now he's going to die right here. How lamentable."
The onlookers shook their heads one after another upon seeing Su Qianyu's actions, their faces filled with extreme pity.
They had already sensed Su Qianyu's cultivation; he was merely at the True Profound Realm Sixth Layer, and was simply no match for the Netherworld Tiger.
Just as the Netherworld Tiger reached Su Qianyu, he had already gathered his momentum, and then slammed his palm directly into the enormous body of the Netherworld Tiger.
"Bang!"
The next second, two overwhelmingly violent forces collided instantly, and Su Qianyu's palm force immediately knocked the Netherworld Tiger's body backward.
"Army-Breaking Slash!"
While repelling the Netherworld Tiger, Su Qianyu swiftly summoned the Jinghong Sword. With lightning speed, he closed in on the Netherworld Tiger and thrust his sword deep into its abdomen.
"Swoosh!"
Scalding hot blood spurted wildly into the air.
"Thud!"
The Netherworld Tiger's massive body crashed heavily to the ground, causing even the earth to tremble beneath it.
A single palm strike!
A single sword strike!
A tier-3 senior fierce beast had been swiftly slain!
This scene happened far too suddenly. It wasn't until the Netherworld Tiger completely lost its breath that the crowd finally snapped back to reality.
"How is this possible?"
"Such fast moves, so clean and neat, without a trace of hesitation!"
"This brat really has some tricks up his sleeve. No wonder he was able to rush out of the Death Great Forest so quickly!"
For a moment, gasps of astonishment rose endlessly from the crowd.
The flowing, seamless set of movements with which Su Qianyu had just slain the Netherworld Tiger was simply too shocking to the soul.
"This damned brat!"
Zhao Changming gnashed his teeth in anger upon seeing this.
He hadn't expected that the trump card he had meticulously prepared would be so easily resolved by Su Qianyu.
If things went on like this, nothing would be able to stop Su Qianyu from crossing the finish line. Wouldn't all his plotting come to nothing?
Lin Han's expression was similarly ice-cold.
If Su Qianyu were allowed to join the Heavenly Sword Sect, it would likely cost him much more effort if he wanted to deal with the other party later on.
"Someone else is coming out!"
At that moment, a cry of surprise rang out from the crowd.
The people stared intently, and sure enough, they saw another figure dash out from the Death Great Forest, and by the looks of it, it was a female.
At this moment, Chu Mengyao was immensely proud.
"First place is mine!"
Following the route Zhao Changming had given her, she hadn't encountered too many obstructions along the way and had rushed out very smoothly.
She believed that surely no one could be faster than her, and she was determined to win this first place!
Yet when she looked ahead, she suddenly froze.
There was actually someone in front of her!
And why was that person's back so familiar?
Abruptly, her expression changed drastically.
"Stop right there!"
A hoarse roar burst from Chu Mengyao's throat.