The Bearman soldiers raised their spears and shouted, urging us to head towards the east side of the Purple Bamboo Forest. The second test should be waiting for us there.
After walking for an hour, the group finally stopped at the end of the bamboo forest.
I glanced in front of me. There was obviously a cliff in front of us. There was the sound of the wind howling at the bottom of the cliff. In the middle of the cliff, there was a white mist that blocked our vision. No matter how I looked at it, it was at least a few hundred meters high.
The Bearman soldiers behind me pointed their spears at us, hinting for us to jump down from the cliff.
The students instantly widened their eyes. Everyone was only in the Demon Spirit Realm and didn't have wings to fly. If we jumped down from here, how could we risk our lives?
No one wanted to die, so under the pressure of the Bearman soldiers, no one took a step forward. Helplessly, the leader of the Bearman soldiers shouted, "This is the second stage of the test. If you don't jump down from here, it will be considered as you forfeiting."
Hearing this, Nam hesitantly walked forward and stretched his head to look down the cliff. He was so scared that his neck suddenly shrank back and he stuttered, "Duo … Duo Ji, this cliff is too high. If we jump down, we will definitely fall to our deaths."
I patted his shoulder and told him not to panic.
Jumping down from this cliff was indeed a little scary, but since this was an entrance test, Thadd Academy should have a sense of propriety. They definitely wouldn't treat a student's life as a game. I reckoned that there should be something at the bottom of the cliff.
After hearing my words, Nam nodded doubtfully and didn't say anything. However, his expression still showed that he was struggling.
At that moment, a Minotaur in tattered clothes suddenly walked to the edge of the cliff. After he stood still, he said in a low, muffled voice, "You guys are afraid, but I'm not. I'm going to see what's down there."
After saying that, the Minotaur roared and turned around to jump down.
Seeing that he was so straightforward, the surrounding people immediately rushed forward to check on the Minotaur's situation.
However, after half a minute, besides the howling of the wind, there was still no other sound coming from the bottom of the cliff.
After the first one, there was a second one.
Before the crowd could retreat, the black cat person who had performed outstandingly in the first stage also jumped down without saying a word. There was also no other sound.
Seeing this, I was even more convinced of my own thoughts. I pulled Nam and the other two to jump off the cliff.
Unexpectedly, the timid Tana didn't have much fear on her face. She seemed to trust me a lot. On the other hand, Nam was a little bashful.
However, a few seconds later, he gritted his teeth and his gaze became determined once more. "I can't disappoint the chief and the rest. Even if I die here, I can't bring shame to Greenwater Village."
Then, he took a step forward and pulled Tana and me down with him.
His body was extremely weightless, and the strong wind kept rushing into his mouth and nose, making it difficult for him to breathe.
Amidst the raging winds, he was unable to open his eyes, much less find his bearings.
After falling for about a hundred meters, the surrounding wind suddenly changed direction.
This gust of wind was much stronger than the previous one. It seemed to be blowing our bodies against the rock wall.
A few seconds later, the sound of the wind grew softer and softer. He felt his body lighten as he landed somewhere.
There seemed to be something hard pressing against my back.
I rubbed my sore nose and sat up to look around.
We were lying at the entrance of a cave. Outside the cave was the cliff that we had jumped off earlier.
It was a vast expanse of whiteness outside the cave. I couldn't see the situation inside at all.
While I was looking, Nam suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, I'm still alive. Duo Ji, we're really fine."
This shout woke Tana up. She was much calmer than Nam. She only checked to see if she was injured. Then, she asked me, "Big brother Duo Ji, what should we do next?
Don't tell me we have to keep waiting in this cave? "
There was no need to wait here. I guessed that the Minotaur and the black cat person had also fallen into this cave.
Now that I couldn't see their figures, it was obvious that they had left through the cave behind us.
The cave was long and narrow. I couldn't see the end, and I didn't know where it led to.
I called the two of them and walked inside.
Just as I lifted my foot, I heard the sound of something falling behind me. I didn't need to turn around to know that someone had jumped down.
The surroundings of the cave were very dry. Other than the scattered soil on the ground, there was nothing else.
After walking for half an hour, I couldn't see the entrance of the cave anymore. However, I didn't feel any pressure in the cave. It was obvious that my previous guess was correct. There must be another exit in front of us.
After walking for half an hour, a faint light suddenly shone from a hundred meters in front of us.
After following the light for a while, we finally walked out of the cave.
It should be noon. After staying in the dark cave for too long, it was hard for my eyes to adjust to the sudden exposure to the sunlight.
After a while, I realized that I was actually standing at the square where we had set off from. The Minotaur and the black cat person who had jumped off the cliff earlier were sitting on the ground.
Seeing this, I couldn't help but look at the entrance of the cave. I realized that there was still a bamboo forest behind me. There was no cave entrance at all.
Illusion?
No, the cliff and cave from before were extremely real. No matter how high a person's cultivation was, they wouldn't be able to pass off the illusion as the real thing.
The only possibility was that there was something similar to a formation set up here that connected the cave and the square together.
Nam's face was filled with shock. He patted his head and asked me, "Duo Ji, I'm not dreaming right? Why did we go one round and come back?"
I shook my head and didn't tell Nam what I was thinking. The square was currently very spacious. Any slight sound would be heard by the people on the high platform.
Nam's voice startled the Minotaur who was sitting far away. He didn't think that we would return so quickly. He paused and said as he walked, "Hehe, interesting. I heard that you Kobolds are very timid. I didn't think that you would actually dare to jump down from such a high cliff."
The Minotaur was simple and honest. He didn't have many tricks up his sleeves. He was straightforward with his words. What he said was just a casual remark without any hint of sarcasm.
Nam scratched his head and squeezed out a smile. "I was a little hesitant at the start."
Seeing Nam's reply, the Minotaur came closer and patted his chest. "I'm Sedal from Black Stone Village. What are your names?"
After introducing us, Dunham and Sedar started chatting with each other.
Perhaps it was because they saw that Sedal didn't mind his identity, the more they chatted, the more excited they became, as though they had forgotten the purpose of coming here.
The two of them spoke louder and louder. However, the black cat person on the side still had a stern expression and wasn't affected at all.
While the two of them were chatting, many people had already returned. After a quick count, there were only a hundred and fifty people left.
We were already very close to the one hundred spots for Thadd Academy.
After the time it took for a stick of incense to burn, no one else returned.
On the other hand, the Bearman soldiers led the way from the east side of the bamboo forest, leading the people who didn't manage to jump off the cliff.
Those people had their heads hung low with a dejected expression. They didn't stop when they passed by us, but instead followed two to three Bearman soldiers towards the resting area of the students.
After they left, the purple robed elder looked at the students on the square and nodded in relief before standing up.
Before he could say anything, the surrounding students instantly quietened down.
The purple robed elder stood with his hands behind his back and looked at the crowd. "Congratulations on passing the second stage of the exam.
Thanks to the mayor's and the dean's trust, I will personally assess the last stage. "
Once they heard that it was going to be the last stage, the square erupted in an uproar. All the students were extremely excited.
Speaking of the last stage, I recalled that Ao Tuo had mentioned a few days ago when he had introduced us to the five academies of Thadd Academy, the innate talent assessment.
According to him, the innate talent assessment was the last stage of the exam, and it was also the basis for choosing the academies.
The innate talent of the bloodline referred to the compatibility between the blood and spiritual energy.
In terms of innate talent, no one present could compare to me.
However, even though I was the reincarnation of the Monster God Ling, I wasn't sure if the innate talent assessment of the Monster race would be effective on me.
Even if it was effective, it would put me in a difficult position.
I was only here to look for a high-level beast elixir that could heal my injuries. Before I recovered my powers, I had to be extremely cautious in everything I did.
If I were to display my shocking innate talent, I might attract the attention of the mayor, who would then try to figure out my identity.
If that were to happen, I would be in grave danger among the Monster race.
The innate talent of the bloodline was something that I was born with. Even though I was a person who had been promoted, I couldn't hide my innate talent.
As for how to avoid being discovered, he still needed to ponder over this matter.
Just as I was thinking, the purple-robed elder raised his hands and gestured for the crowd to quieten down before continuing his explanation.
What he said next confirmed my conjecture. The last stage was indeed an innate talent assessment.
However, it wasn't going to be held today, but tomorrow.
After listening to the elder's explanation, Nam's expression was slightly gloomy. It was obvious that he was worried about his innate talent. The dog-headed man's innate talent was extremely low. This was a well-known fact among the beastmen.
He could sit at the top in other aspects, but he was helpless when it came to innate talent.
To the low-class Monster race, the innate talent of the bloodline was an insurmountable mountain. No matter how hard they worked, they would eventually fall at the foot of the mountain.
This was also the main reason why they were willing to be slaves.
However, I couldn't help but laugh when I saw his sorrowful expression.