I Am A Notorious Hidden Boss In The Alternate World

Chapter 285 - Early-Stage Spirit Refinement Realm

"Did the Association Leader mention an exact date to when the Hunter Exam will be pushed back to, Branch Leader?" Secretary Jane inquired.

However, Branch Leader Johnson shook his head.

"No, the Association Leader failed to mention an exact date, but the Association Leader did mention that in addition to a written test and physical examination, there will be a field test. The Association Leader is sending a senior executive over to confirm the details with us."

"A senior executive in the Hunter Association?" Secretary Jane was stunned before her eyes flickered and said, "One of the top members of the association would mean… a King Hunter! It must be related to the new Dimensional Rifts."

"Not just the Dimensional Rift. There are even World Portals and Otherworldly Territories and Wonders appearing all over the world these days. It's hard to say if Earth is still the same size as it was two years ago."

As Branch Leader Johnson mentioned the planet size, he showed concern.

With an increase in planet size, gravity will grow alongside it, making it difficult for regular humans to survive.

Foreign races were not the only threats to the human race in the Apocalypse but also nature itself!

It could be said that the gears of natural selection in the Apocalypse have finally started turning since the beginning of the Second Wave.

The weak will be eliminated, and only the strong will survive.

"I have a feeling that this year's Hunter Exam will not be simple. The world is changing, and martial arts is becoming easier to train, making it easier for people to become Hunters," Secretary Jane mentioned.

"With such a large increase in Hunters, it only makes sense for the Association Leader to become stricter with the screening for Hunters to join the association officially. Still, if a King Hunter is coming, wouldn't the person threaten Branch Leader's position."

"It is what it is. With the appearance of the Dimensional Rift offshore, I never had any hope of holding this position with my meager strength anyway."

Branch Leader Johnson shrugged nonchalantly as if he had already come to terms with the chance of someone taking over his position.

"More importantly, I'm more interested in this field test that the Association Leader mentioned. There's a chance that this Association Leader will throw this year's participants into one of the Otherworldly Territories or World Portals to conduct the field test."

"Perhaps. Until we hear further details from the Association Leader or the senior executive he is sending over, we won't know for sure." Secretary Jane stated before taking back the paperwork with a sigh, "But I, for sure, know that we won't be needing these anymore."

All the efforts she put into preparing the paperwork for the Hunter Exam had been wasted.

"Thank you for the hard work, and sorry." Branch Leader Johnson smiled apologetically before saying, "No one expected the Association Leader to make changes to the Hunter Exam's format."

"Whatever."

…

…

…

Armentia Continent.

Arriving on the outskirts of the largest rainforest in the world, Albion parked the spaceship to one side and put it into stealth before exiting with Fenriri.

The fresh air immediately hit them differently as they felt their pores opening to devour rich spiritual energy in the area greedily.

"Truly deserves to be called the World Tree from the legends. It hasn't been long since it appeared in this world, but this region has already become so dense in spiritual energy."

Albion was quick to praise the World Tree as soon as he stepped out of the spaceship and breath in the fresh air.

The World Tree's towering presence could be vaguely observed in the far distance despite being located deep within the center of the rainforest, where clouds and mist obscured it.

"Master, this place is perfect for cultivation! Fenriri has never felt such dense amounts of spiritual energy before! People would kill for a chance to cultivate here!"

Fenriri exclaimed with a pleasant surprise.

"In the cultivation world, World Trees have always been regarded as the holy land of cultivation. But, of course, this only applies to the lower and middle planes," Albion commented before adding, "The immortals in the Nine Divine Heavens would not even care about spiritual energy."

They only care about divine energy.

That being said, the same cannot be said about him. He was required to recultivate the beginner steps to elevate his mortal soul up to the same standard as the other True Immortals before he could proceed further.

As such, Albion still regarded the spiritual energy-rich region as a holy land of cultivation for him—at least it will be during his Spirit Transformation period.

After a bit of idle chat with Fenriri, Albion grabbed her and lept onto a high tree branch, where the spiritual energy level was even denser than the ground level.

"Since you like this place so much, better take this chance to cultivate as hard as possible while you still can."

"Yes, Master!"

Fenriri did not hesitate to enter meditative practice immediately and suck in the surrounding spiritual energy with a voracious appetite.

At the same time, Albion took the chance to observe the rainforest's outskirts.

'Quite a few people are wandering around the outskirts in groups, but they should be tourists… Then, I won't have to worry about being disturbed,' Albion silently mused before his eyes suddenly flickered.

It was time to advance his base cultivation to the first realm of Spirit Transformation, the Spirit Refinement Realm!

With that thought in mind, Albion quickly entered his own meditative position to cultivate.

With the overbearing nature of the Ashura Empyrean Arts, one of the nine supreme cultivation arts of the Nine Divine Heavens, Albion advanced to the Initial-stage Spirit Refinement Realm in a matter of seconds.

Despite that, he continued to cultivate with the abundant spiritual energy in the atmosphere.

And just like that, one human and one wolf-girl sat cross-legged high up in the tree branches to cultivate quietly while old tourists leave and new tourists arrive.

…

Sometime later, a tourist guide led a group of tourists over before a young man spotted Albion and Fenriri cultivating in the trees.

"Yo, Chaska. I recalled that your ancestors were natives of these lands. Do you think those two belong to the same native tribe as your ancestors?" the young man inquired curiously while pointing to Albion and Fenriri in the distant trees.

The young man called Chaska quickly glanced over for a moment.

"Same tribe or not, they are all native of this sacred land," Chaska casually replied before his eyes suddenly widened with some kind of realization.

"These two might be respectable shamans who have entered a rare state of becoming one with the land, to connect and communicate with their tribe's animal spirits and ancestors! To think I would get to see such a sacred moment upon returning to my ancestral land! I better pay my respects."

That being said, Chaska immediately placed one arm over his chest and stared off in the distance in solemn silence. 

Not knowing any better about the native tribes' traditions, the tourist group was only taken aback for a brief moment before they mimicked Chaska's actions blindly.

At that moment, Albion suddenly sensed numerous pairs of eyes on him, compelling him to open his eyes and glance over curiously with a frown before he, too, was taken aback—but for a different reason.

'Dafuq? Am I being worshipped?'