Chapter 84: A Slip of the Mind, and the Test Is Cleared

At this very moment, the whole venue fell silent!

Everyone, upon hearing Li Mu's words, was left dumbfounded?

Indeed!

It's true that Liu Guanyu was just helped back, but he still passed the assessment and became an Inner Peak Outer Disciple!

Before this, even Wang Hengxing, who had the best results, had only completed half the route!

Moreover, within the hour after that, no disciple could clear the Inner Peak Assessment!

From this alone, it's easy to see just how twisted and high the difficulty of this Inner Peak Assessment was!

Yet even so, Li Mu still dared to mock Liu Guanyu like that?

Does he really think—

That he was once the Four Peaks Grand Competition Champion, the First person of Outer Peak, or not!

Li Mu, he's merely a mediocre talent still stuck at the Ten Grade Lian Qi Realm.

Where does his confidence actually come from?

He actually believes he can be superior to Liu Guanyu, who is at the First-tier Concentration Realm and has awakened the Ninth‑grade Yellow Tier divine ability!

Sun Songwen, the Outer Disciple Steward of Xuan Yue Feng who was helping Liu Guanyu, was slightly startled, then shook his head disdainfully and said, "Li Mu!"

"Then let me sharpen my eyes and see what this Four Peaks Grand Competition Champion, First person of Outer Peak, can actually achieve."

"Don't end up, before even passing the assessment, being so scared that you kneel on the ground first!"

"Hahaha……"

Accompanying Sun Songwen's words, the disciples of Xuan Yue Feng erupted in a burst of loud laughter.

Li Mu's remark.

Made the Xuan Yue Feng disciples so excited they could barely contain themselves!

They were all as excited as during the New Year, beyond words!

Each of those who, back in the Yunshan Secret Realm, didn't even have the courage to stare directly at Li Mu's eyes.

Their long‑bent spines finally straightened this time, and they began a barrage of cold sarcasm toward Li Mu, venting wildly.

"Hm!"

"Li Mu, you waste who can't even dare join the assessment, yet you have the nerve to mock Senior Brother Liu?"

"It's nothing short of self‑inflicted disgrace!"

"Hm!"

"A third‑rate scum like Li Mu probably can't even break Wang Hengxing's previous record."

"Honestly, I don't know who gave Li Mu the confidence to utter such reckless words!"

"Hahaha……"

"Senior brother is absolutely right, I'll bet a thousand contribution points!"

"This Li Mu, even if he pushes himself to death, can only move forward sixty steps!"

"……"

The Xuan Yue Feng disciples' gazes at Li Mu were filled with amusement and mockery!

In the last Four Peaks Grand Competition, Xuan Yue Feng suffered a crushing defeat at Li Mu's hands alone.

It was like a thorn, deeply lodged in every Xuan Yue Feng disciple's heart!

Making them constantly unwilling to retrieve the stage they had lost before!

Now, the chance finally arrived!

Up to now, no one among the Four Peaks Named Disciples has cleared the Inner Peak Assessment.

Yet the Xuan Yue Feng disciples were the first to break that record, which is an extremely embarrassing matter!

Now Li Mu, this reckless fellow, voluntarily jumps forward and even sticks his face out for others to strike!

It's nothing but self‑inflicted humiliation!

Li Mu, as if he hadn't heard Sun Songwen and the other Xuan Yue Feng disciples' mockery, remained composed, hands in his pockets, strolling leisurely, slowly walking toward the lizardfolk demon race before him.

Watching Li Mu's advancing silhouette, the Xuan Yue Feng's jeering behind only grew louder at this moment!

A wave of jeers pounced on Li Mu from all sides!

Although Qian Wenyi and the Longtan Peak disciples felt indignant at the sight and wanted to retort a few words!

But that retort was quickly swallowed by the huge hissing.

Amid the crowd's mockery and hisses, Li Mu's figure initially kept a steady, unhurried pace.

But after covering a third of the distance, his steps faltered slightly.

Just when everyone thought Li Mu would collapse, the hissing rose in another wave, higher than the last!

Yet—

Li Mu lunged forward, then sprinted, his speed rivaling that of a great demon!

Fifty steps!

Sixty steps!!

Seventy steps!!!

In a mere instant, Li Mu easily shattered Wang Hengxing's previous record!

Upon witnessing this scene,

the sudden hissing across the venue abruptly ceased!

The Xuan Yue Feng disciples' expressions turned sour, considering Li Mu's momentum?

Could it be that he, too, will pass the assessment after all!

Finally!

When Li Mu was ten steps away from that Demon Race.

He stopped!

It was as if a huge difficulty made each step arduous, and he could not take another step forward!

Liu Guanyu and the other Xuan Yue Feng disciples, upon seeing Li Mu pause, subconsciously let out a sigh of relief.

Just now they had seen Li Mu's forward‑pressing stance and thought he would actually charge straight at that lizard man.

In that case, where would Liu Guanyu and this group from Xuan Yue Feng put their faces?

After the initial shock, Liu Guanyu looked at Li Mu's back, sneered, and said with a mocking tone.

"Hum!"

"Looks like I did underestimate this fellow just now."

"Although his cultivation has plateaued since the Four Peaks Grand Competition, after all he is at the Ten Grade Lian Qi Realm Peak, so reaching this point is understandable."

"However!"

"He can get this far, and that's already his own limit."

"I bet Li Mu is now at the end of a strong bow, absolutely unable to take another step forward."

As Liu Guanyu's mocking voice rang out, the other Xuan Yue Feng disciples each snapped out of their earlier shock.

These people all lowered the hearts that had been hanging in their throats, and then a hint of disdain and contempt appeared on their faces.

Hum!

Just now, Li Mu's tone was so grand!

Those who didn't know would think that as soon as his upper lip touched his lower lip, he would pass the assessment!

Result?

Is that it?

Hilarious!

I really don't know who gave him the confidence to mock Liu Guanyu!

But Li Mu was too lazy to pay attention to the mocking voices behind him.

Indeed!

In the process of moving forward, Li Mu indeed endured a lot of mental pressure and intimidation from the Demon Qi.

But just this level of timing?

Compared with Li Mu's previous experiences in the secular world, which was as cruel as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, where he had crawled out of piles of corpses several times.

Just this amount of Demon Qi?

At most it's like a light breeze blowing in front of him, causing no effect at all.

The real reason Li Mu slowed his steps was that a new anomaly appeared in the Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll within his Sea of Knowledge.

"Buzz…"

Yet the second page of the Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll in his Sea of Knowledge had only been partially lifted.

But it was as if a range hood had been turned on.

It sucked in all the Demon Qi that had been surging toward him like a tide, through the opened corner of the second page of the Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll.

Not only that!

Li Mu also discovered!

The Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll, while absorbing Demon Qi, continuously fed back golden spiritual energy to him.

This made Li Mu feel his spiritual platform clear, his mind refreshed, as if he were soaking in a hot spring, extremely comfortable.

Not only that!

As the golden spiritual energy grew stronger.

Li Mu could clearly feel that the major bottleneck from the Refining Qi Realm to the Concentration Realm was being loosened by the impact of this golden spiritual energy.

This gave Li Mu a faint intuition!

That is, if he were to completely drain all the Demon Qi from the lizard man before him.

Then perhaps he could break through to the First-tier Concentration Realm without needing the Gathering Spirit Pill.

"Sss…"

"Is this the gold content of the divine artifact, the Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll?"

"I merely happened to lift a corner of the second page of this Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll, and can turn the Demon Qi that ordinary cultivators dread into the pure spiritual energy I need?"

"If I were to fully open the second page of this Heavenly Dao Treasure Scroll, how abundant the benefits to me would be!"

Li Mu rubbed his hands excitedly, his eyes shining as he looked at that lizard man.

Li Mu not only didn't find the half‑human, half‑beast form of the lizard man in front of him frightening.

On the contrary, there was an indescribable cuteness and friendliness!

Even…

Li Mu's mind was now filled with the thought that, at the very least, this Demon Race within the beast must be a descendant of a Demon King.

Such a stringent condition means that there won't be many of this kind of Demon Race!

If placed on ancient Earth, that would be exactly "protecting animals", right?

If rarity hasn't even arrived yet, why would anyone find it scary?

"Alright!"

"Li Mu!"

"You have passed the assessment, come back quickly."

"Don't get close to that iron cage; otherwise danger might occur!"

Li Mu was scheming in his mind, and without realizing it he had already walked to the side of the iron cage, greedily eyeing the lizard man.

This made Wu Zhengyong both startled and delighted, and he shouted loudly at Li Mu.

Honestly!

Just now I saw Li Mu's steps slow down more and more, until he was about to stop right there.

This made Wu Zhengyong and the Longtan Peak disciples behind him look dejected, all thinking that Li Mu would, like the earlier examinees, be unable to endure the erosion and pressure brought by the demon aura.

In the end, he was literally scared out of his wits, turning and running back in a panic!

But they didn't expect!

Li Mu, who seemed certain to lose, suddenly rallied at this hair‑trigger, critical moment!

With a burst of momentum, he strode straight to the lizard man and passed the inner peak assessment!

"Look, everyone!"

"Quick, look!"

"This is the worth of the Four Peaks Grand Competition Champion!"

"These are our Longtan Peak disciples!"

"Not only did he breeze through this inner peak assessment, but look—his face doesn't flush, his heart doesn't race, his expression is calm!"

"Li Mu, he is truly born heroic, destined from birth to become a demon hero!"

"I bet!"

"In the future, if a demon hero emerges among the younger generation of Ziyang Sect, Li Mu will definitely be on the list!"

"He is worth Ziyang Sect's strong cultivation!"

At this moment, Wu Zhengyong was so excited he waved his arms and legs, shouting loudly at the steward of Xuan Yue, Little Heaven, and the Purple Canopy Three Peaks, cheering.

However, the joys and sorrows between people are not the same.

Wu Zhengyong and the Longtan Peak disciples were indeed thrilled and happy at this moment!

But Sun Songwen, Liu Guanyu, and the others from Xuan Yue Feng, after witnessing this scene,

the mockery and disdain that were on their faces earlier froze completely!

Their gazes revealed deep shock and disbelief!

Although both Li Mu and Liu Guanyu passed the inner peak disciple assessment,

anyone who isn't blind can see the gap between them; the difference is crystal‑clear.

When Liu Guanyu just passed the assessment, it was as if he had completely overdrawn all his strength.

In the end, he couldn't even walk back on his own and needed Sun Songwen to run over and help him.

Otherwise, Liu Guanyu would probably have collapsed right there.

In contrast, Li Mu?

Look at the leisurely, carefree expression on his face.

Those who know understand he's facing a Demon General with a Demon King bloodline; those who don't might think he's just walking a dog in his backyard.

As everyone was stunned, Li Mu half‑turned, gave a disdainful glance at Sun Songwen, who had been so frightened he turned into a stone statue, and said lightly to Liu Guanyu and the others.

"Sorry, Liu Guanyu, Sun Songwen and those senior brothers who thought I was destined to fail the assessment."

"This time, I let you down again."

"I didn't expect at first that this inner peak assessment could be so easy!"

"I haven't even taken it seriously!"

"In the end, a moment of carelessness and I passed the assessment!"