Treasure-hunting: Into the Unknown

Before the qualifying test formally began, the contestants had to take a strength test in order to determine their grade for the first phase of qualifying test. Therefore, on the day before the qualifying test, all the participating warriors gathered at the training ground in the southwest of the Shura College to take the strength test in the early hours of the morning.

It was not an official competition but the strength test still drew the attention of many warriors.

The entire training ground was abuzz with all kinds of people.

In order to ensure that none of the contestants hid their true strength, three warriors of Sage Level of the Shura College, including Corbin, were in charge of conducting the strength test.

Marvin, the dean of the Shura College, and several elders, who were Sage Level warriors, were sitting in the front of the training ground to supervise the strength test. It was evident that they placed great importance on the qualifying test.

The strength test would ascertain each contestant's cultivation level as well as martial speed. Martial speed was being tested in order to prevent any contestant from reducing their martial speed deliberately in an attempt to hide his real strength. These tactics had been used before, so it was necessary to test the contestants' martial speed.

Now, Corbin and the other two Sage Level warriors, who were in charge of the strength test, lined up in the center of the training ground.

"The strength test begins. I want three people in a group. When you hear your name, please step forward and stand in front of us and carry out the test," Corbin announced the rules.

Soon, three names were called out in succession.

The three selected contestants quickly stepped forward upon hearing their names and stood in front of Corbin and the other two Sage Level warriors to take the test according to the prescribed instructions.

"Matias Zheng from the North Sea Sect is at the third grade of Imperial Level with triple martial speed!"

"York Yun from the Dragon Sun Sect is at the fourth grade of Imperial Level with triple martial speed!"

Once the test was completed, the cultivation level and martial speed of each contestant were announced.

In this way, more than half of the contestants took the strength test in groups of three. The strength of these contestants was not surprising, because all the Imperial Level warriors in the Devil Kingdom were ranked in terms of strength once a year. Therefore, there was no great difference between their real strength and the recorded one.

Of course, a few contestants did surprise everyone, such as th

ed, and that, too, in style. He had gone to the Windstorm Valley to capture the elite treasure beast and had been held up with cultivating since then.

He had been so engrossed in cultivating in the Windstorm Valley that he had lost track of time. When he remembered the qualifying test, he had rushed over here. This also explained his dirty and disheveled appearance.

"He obviously doesn't take the test seriously. Not only is he late, but he also looks like a beggar. So arrogant!"

"Yes, he probably thinks no end of himself since he cut a dash in the King Level contest. But he is just a nobody in the qualifying test! He will learn his place now."

"Maybe he was late on purpose so that he could make an attention-grabbing entrance!"

The crowd was discussing various half-baked theories about Zachary now.

However, despite all the hubbub, Zachary calmly walked up to the Sage Level warrior and requested, "Master Corbin, please tell me how I can take this test."

Corbin snorted at Zachary as he was annoyed at this tardiness. Despite the obvious disgust on his face, he said, "Activate your martial energy to the extreme."

"Okay!" Zachary nodded attentively and then released all his martial energy.

In an instant, his entire body was surrounded with strange dazzling orange light. It looked weird because of its purple aura, which was unique for physical cultivation, and it was mixed with the orange light. It was a palpable aura. Nevertheless, since Zachary's physical cultivation was no longer a secret, it didn't surprise anybody.

What did surprise everyone was the aura of the strength released by Zachary.

"What? The fifth grade! When did his strength reach the fifth grade?" Many people in the audience were incredulous!