Jin Ze wasn’t truly a Quasi-Saint Body; he was merely impersonating one. This meant there was a real Quasi-Saint Body hidden somewhere. He should be a senior student, Jin Ze had previously thought. After all, the core area of the four-star Spirit Array was inhabited by senior students. It was possible that one of their Physiques had evolved into a Quasi-Saint Body.

However, since no one had stepped forward to claim the title, Jin Ze had seized the opportunity to impersonate them. But now, it seemed this Quasi-Saint Body was most likely a newcomer.

Damn it, who is it? Jin Ze’s expression turned ugly. If this person also reached the summit, everyone would realize they were the real Quasi-Saint Body, and he was not. At that point, everyone would know he was a fraud. Even Elder Lei would likely turn his anger on him. At this thought, Jin Ze’s face grew even darker.

But he soon shook his head. Calm down, calm down. I’m already Elder Lei’s disciple. As long as I perform well and become the Rookie King, Elder Lei probably won’t expel me even if he discovers I’m not a Quasi-Saint Body. Thinking of this, Jin Ze relaxed slightly. The key to his success or failure now hinged on becoming the Rookie King.

He was quite confident about that. So what if there’s a Quasi-Saint Body hiding among the newcomers? He had immense faith in his own strength. He was invincible at the two-star level and could obliterate a two-star Demon Beast with a single punch. Moreover, he possessed an even stronger trump card: the Thunder Spirit. Once unleashed, his combat power would surge, temporarily reaching the level of a three-star Grandmaster. Therefore, he had no fear of this supposed Quasi-Saint Body.

"No matter who you are, you can forget about becoming the Rookie King," he roared, "because that title belongs to me!"

Jin Ze then charged forward, determined to be the first to reach the summit. Before long, he encountered a two-star Demon Beast and, with an angry shout, rushed in for the kill. He quickly slew the beast and continued on his way.

On another part of the mountain, Lin Xuan was moving even faster. He was currently ranked first among all the newcomers and was already very close to the summit. But at this moment, Lin Xuan suddenly stopped. He sensed a pair of eyes materializing in the mist ahead—a pair of blood-red eyes. Being stared at by those eyes made his hair stand on end. He sensed a crisis. It was a three-star Demon Beast.

Soon, Lin Xuan could see the creature’s full appearance. It was enormously tall with blood-red eyes and black Demon Patterns covering its body. It was a Demon Ape. This was no ordinary three-star Demon Beast, but a type of Demonic Beast, known for its violent temper and tremendous strength.

The big black dog gasped in amazement. "Damn, the Sacred Institute is ruthless, actually putting a Demonic Beast on this mountain. If anyone else runs into this, their end will be tragic."

A Demonic Beast, huh? Lin Xuan’s eyes, however, glowed with excitement. He had slain plenty of Demon Beasts before, but they were all too weak, defeated with a single move. He found it uninteresting. Now, encountering this Demonic Beast finally made his blood boil in excitement.

Let’s see just how strong you really are. Lin Xuan stomped his foot and shot forward, throwing a punch toward the Demon Ape.

Seeing Lin Xuan charge, the Demon Ape’s eyes held a hint of disdain. It could tell at a glance that Lin Xuan was merely a five-star Grandmaster. Such an existence was no different from an ant in its eyes, not even enough for a snack. It swatted down disdainfully with its palm, which descended like a small black mountain. Although it was just a casual strike, it was powerful enough to suppress any two-star Grandmaster. This was the chasm between the two-star and three-star levels; though seemingly just one realm apart, the difference in strength was more than tenfold.

Lin Xuan’s fist transformed into a Serpent and collided with its palm. A thunderous roar erupted as the Demon Ape’s massive body was sent flying, crashing onto the mountain path. With a deafening boom, the giant boulders on the mountain were shattered into dust. The rumbling was incessant as the entire blanket of mist churned violently.

The Demon Ape was stunned for a moment before its eyes filled with a towering rage. It stood up and roared at the sky. The sound was like a volcanic eruption, shaking the entire area. The whole mountain trembled slightly.

On the slopes below, the newcomers who had been charging forward instantly froze. They looked up, their faces a mixture of bewilderment and dread.

"Good heavens! What was that sound?"

"It’s terrifying!"

"That sound alone made my hair stand on end!"

"I nearly fainted from the shock!"

"A three-star Demon Beast! It’s a three-star Demon Beast!"

"Someone’s encountered a three-star Demon Beast!"

"Damn, talk about unlucky!"

The newcomers exclaimed one after another. "Don’t go in that direction! Take a detour! Hurry, find another way around!" they warned each other, and they all began to change their routes.

Elsewhere, Jin Ze had also stopped. He had been planning to press straight on to the summit when a sky-shattering roar from ahead sent a shock through him and made his hair stand on end. He knew that only a three-star Demon Beast could pose such a threat to him. There’s actually a three-star Demon Beast up ahead. Unbelievable. It looked like he would have to take a detour. After all, he couldn’t defeat a three-star Demon Beast with his own strength, and he didn’t want to use the Thunder Spirit unless it was a last resort. It seemed a detour was his only option.

Jin Ze acted decisively, choosing to go around. This meant traveling a longer distance and arriving at the summit later than planned. But so what? Any newcomer facing a three-star Demon Beast would have to take a detour. Even that real Quasi-Saint Body would be no exception. With this thought, Jin Ze’s figure flickered as he headed off in another direction, preparing to continue his ascent from a different mountain path.

At that same moment, the three-star Demon Beast, the Demon Ape, rose to its feet, its cold gaze locked onto Lin Xuan. It never imagined that this tiny ant could actually knock it down. Unbelievable. But this had also thoroughly enraged it. It prepared to tear the ant to shreds. With a roar, its two massive hands swept down like an avalanche, bringing with them a powerful storm. Boulders rolled and trees collapsed in a scene of apocalypse.

However, Lin Xuan showed no fear. He once again executed his Serpent Fist and charged. His fists, like striking serpents, surged forward with devastating power, colliding with the two giant palms. A sky-shaking boom echoed out.

The Demon Ape’s hands were blocked. The two forces were locked in a stalemate. The Demon Ape’s pupils contracted sharply, its blood-red eyes filled with boundless astonishment. How is this possible? This little ant can actually block my attack? Incredible!

It became utterly infuriated, its palms crashing down madly, trying to kill Lin Xuan. But every attack was blocked by Lin Xuan’s World-Ending Flood Dragon Fist. The two fought an earth-shattering battle, the thunderous clashes echoing for miles.

The new disciples on the mountain heard the sounds, and their scalps tingled with fear.

"Gods, what terrifying energy!"

"Someone is fighting!"

"A three-star Demon Beast is in battle!"

"Whoa, who could possibly be fighting a three-star Demon Beast?"

"Who is that? Who’s so heaven-defying?"

"Isn’t it obvious? It must be Jin Ze! He’s the Quasi-Saint Body. Among all us newcomers, only he could fight a three-star Demon Beast."