GAMMT - Chapter 82
Chapter 82: Prison Break?
After they left, the atmosphere in the open area of the hunting ground was awkward for a time.
First, it was awkward for Yun Baobao, who had just come out.
She hadn't expected to be insta-killed less than two seconds after looking so cool.
She and Doudou were supposed to be the strongest people in this assessment!
The chance to make a grand, world-shaking entrance, to be overwhelmingly domineering, to display her unparalleled might, was right there, and then—!
Seeing so many people outside the hunting ground staring at her, especially meeting the gazes of Hong Yan, Que Baige, and the others, she felt a lifetime's worth of shame welling up. But there was still hope.
Thank goodness, thank goodness, she still had Doudou.
"What are you all looking at me for? My Doudou will definitely…"
Before she could finish, Zhang Doudou was teleported out with a thud. He collapsed onto the ground, a dazed look on his face.
Yun Baobao's tone shifted seamlessly, "…definitely come out to keep me company."
The simple-minded Zhang Doudou scratched his head and added, "That's not it, Baobao. I was taken out by that Xie scumbag."
Yun Baobao rolled her eyes dramatically, wishing she could shove his blockhead into a giant watermelon and suffocate him.
At that moment, the Yun family's contingent was also enduring a baptism of stares.
The Xie, Li, and Que clans were all looking at the Yun family with very peculiar expressions.
The people from the Que family were the most pathetic, as Que Baige had been eliminated far too early, losing all face for the Orange Blood families. The more pent-up their frustration, the more eager they were to find an outlet, and they certainly weren't going to miss this chance.
"Well, well, you bunch of shorties. You may be small, but your ambitions are certainly high. Your Baobao was hiding her strength so deeply, even finding someone with a Will-Body talent capable of merging with pets. Impressive!"
A so-called person with a Will-Body talent was someone whose will and constitution were naturally superior to ordinary people. The will was the main factor; constitution could be trained and attributes could be cultivated, but will was the most rigid requirement.
To be able to temporarily house four powerful blue-tier pets within one's body demanded an extremely high level of will—basically twenty to thirty times stronger than the other candidates.
Keep in mind, these candidates were already the cream of the crop from this year's high school entrance exam in the entire Beluke Province. To be twenty to thirty times stronger than them… in all the years of the Beluke Province's educational assessments, the number of such individuals seen hadn't even reached double digits.
Of course, by the same token, someone like Yun Baobao was also a super-talent whose numbers were historically in the single digits.
She was only seventeen, yet she could already tame four pets. Her will could only be stronger than Zhang Doudou's. So why wasn't she the one merging with them instead of him?
It was because they must have calculated it. If Yun Baobao were to summon all four pets simultaneously, as a summoner, she would also have to expend mental power. To summon four pets at once without merging with them, Yun Baobao's own mental power would need to exceed six hundred thousand.
That was too difficult. She would have to stack all her attributes into mental power while still ensuring her constitution met the standard. Was that even possible?
But even if she sacrificed strength and agility, it would be far from enough; in fact, it would suppress the possibility of her mental power reaching the required level.
So, Yun Baobao's early-game strategy was to find a trustworthy partner. The two of them together would be 1+1 equals a royal flush.
Zhang Doudou was an adopted son, raised as one of their own since childhood.
But clearly, the weakness was also obvious.
"A pity. The two kids are still too young, not clever enough." The old man from the Que Family was truly infuriating when he got sarcastic, all but saying Yun Baobao and her partner weren't smart enough and had played a winning hand into a loss.
The Yun Family raised pets, so they were naturally good at caring for people and animals. This couldn't be faked, as pets were better judges of character than humans, and the master-pet bond had intimacy rules to verify authenticity. Thus, their family style wasn't ruthless. And if they weren't ruthless, they were, conversely, fiercely protective of their own.
Hey, you old geezer, not only did you mock us for being short, but you also dare to laugh at our Baobao…
Most importantly, you can't mock us for being short!
"Oh, yes, not clever enough. Our Baobao and Doudou are just too naive, getting eliminated in the last ten minutes. They must have been dealt a huge blow."
"Your family is much better, Third Elder Que. Your Baige came out so early, and he died at Hong Yan's hands, not at the hands of Xie Keli, who killed Hong Yan. The fewer harrowing encounters, the less suffering, right?"
The Yun Family was mocking Que Baige not only for dying early but for dying to Hong Yan, who in turn died to Xie Keli.
See? By comparison, isn't our way of dying nobler than yours?
Damn, that was a sharp angle.
The Que Family members: A bunch of damn shorties, screw you!
"People see things from different perspectives depending on their standing. The angle you take when you speak is also different, isn't it?"
The people from the Xie Clan's second branch couldn't resist being passive-aggressive either, as they were wary of the Yun Family.
With the help of their pets, the Yun Family's combat power was already astonishing. Coupled with their vast resources, money, and manpower, they actually posed a threat to the Xie Clan's number two position. Now, seeing that their descendants were also so formidable… in another ten years, when they matured, the situation in Beluke would be anyone's guess.
The Yun Family didn't really want to clash with the Xie Clan. The Xie Clan, how to put it, was full of people with heavy thoughts, and their family style was extremely ruthless. Just take the recent incident of unearthing half of Xie Yao's body; the other three great families had a pretty good idea of what happened. The Yun Family members felt at the time that the Xie Clan was too cruel.
Their Yun Family could never do something like that.
But these Xie Clan members had such venomous tongues. Again with the short jokes!
Could the Yun Family tolerate this? Yun Tuantuan, who was already in university and had joined the debate club, sneered, "Of course. Your Xie Clan's family style is so much better. The young master of the main branch is steady and stable, his performance consistent. The eighteenth-tier little nephew brought by Auntie Xie from the third branch is overwhelmingly domineering. We don't see them fighting at all. Truly one big happy family."
The members of the Xie Clan's first, second, fourth, and fifth branches all fell silent.
Outsiders could still be polite when mentioning Xie Siyi, their attitude soft and reverent, but those within the Xie Clan were reluctant to bring her up.
Those who hadn't participated knew what happened but felt guilty.
Those who had participated felt even more guilty and fearful, daring not to mention it.
Yun Tuantuan was definitely rubbing salt in the wound.
With the whole mess in the old Xie Clan, Xie Yao's remains had just been brought back when a father and son were sacrificed to the heavens. It was clear that Xie Siyi had no intention of letting things go. Who knew how many more people with the same surname she would kill in the future?
You lot here, for all you know, some of you are on her kill list. What right do you have to be arrogant with our Yun Family!
Yun Tuantuan was one and a half meters tall, but her presence was two-point-eight meters. The Xie Clan members indeed collectively fell into a funk. However, an elder from an outer courtyard forced himself to say, "That's only natural. People of the same surname, even if they've never met, are bound by the infinite power of bloodline. The disciples of my Xie Clan would never collude with outsiders to harm our own in an assessment."
And just as he finished speaking, there was a sudden development on the screen showing the examination grounds.
The murderous Xie scumbag made a big move, actively attacking Wei Mingtang. Wei Mingtang dodged, so she started attacking everyone else along with her!
The irony was immediate!
And then… Wei Mingtang suddenly counter-killed Xie Yiyuan! Simultaneously, Xie Keli delivered the final blow to Que Baimo.
At that moment, everyone was shaken, including the experts from the academy union who had detailed knowledge of the assessment's content. Many of them stood up in astonishment.
"What the hell! How did they…"
"So sudden! Why would they kill those two at the same time?!"
This question, blurted out by an ordinary parent, was actually crucial and could be broken down into two answers.
Zhang Ruo mused, "This shows two things. First, Xie Keli and Wei Mingtang have teamed up; they're on the same side. Second, they teamed up to assassinate Xie Yiyuan and the inconspicuous Que Baimo by surprise."
Over with the Fu Clan, Fu Qiang, also a shrewd character, let out a soft "oho" and glanced at his sister. He saw that she was utterly exhausted, looking like she was about to fall asleep but forcing herself to watch the end of the competition.
She couldn't show any weakness.
A mix of heartache and helplessness filled Fu Qiang's eyes. Meanwhile, the plaza below had erupted into chaos.
Because Xie Yiyuan had been eliminated.
As soon as he appeared, his expression was grim, as if he were still immersed in the sudden turn of events inside. But he was immediately met with the sharp gazes of Yun Baobao and Hong Yan.
Hong Yan: "Well, well, so Wei Ran's escape was your and Que Baimo's design? Impressive! Truly unpredictable, truly amazing!"
Yun Baobao: "Brother Yiyuan, I was mentally prepared for you to be this treacherous, cunning, and shameless, but I never expected Que Baimo to be hiding so deep. When did you two get together? The Que Family is incredible! Hey, Baige, you're so magnanimous! Were you the decoy to draw everyone's attention and protect Que Baimo's cover? Sacrificing a pawn to save the king, so no one would suspect him?"
Que Baige, the first seeded contestant to be eliminated, was now nursing a psychological scar big enough to swallow the sun. Especially since he wasn't eliminated by another dark horse or a rival in the exam, but because a side branch disciple from his own Que Family seemed to be more outstanding than him?
Yun Baobao's words were a knife.
Who was the decoy? Who sacrificed a pawn to save the king? Damn it!
He shot Yun Baobao a blank look and said coolly, "Naturally, no disciple of the Que Family is trash. But this must be a coincidence."
He flatly refused to admit that Que Baimo was brilliant enough to plot such a grand scheme with Xie Yiyuan. If not for the sudden assassination by Xie Keli and Wei Mingtang, they would have succeeded. Once Wei Ran was released, they had already won.
Unfortunately, his words were immediately contradicted by Xie Yiyuan, who said faintly, "No need to rush to find fault with me. It's just an exam; any means are permissible. Getting angry just shows a lack of composure. Once the dust settles…"
Buzz. Que Baimo appeared.
Pfft… Yun Baobao burst out laughing.
Zhang Doudou: "I don't know if the dust has settled, but this brother certainly has."
Yun Baobao: "Such great composure, my dear Brother Yiyuan."
At this point, Hong Yan was no longer angry. Instead, he crossed his arms and looked them over with a smile. "Well, well, what's this? Are you four great families all playing the long game, pretending to be weak only to get eliminated in batches?"
His single sentence managed to darken the faces of the disciples from the several Orange Blood families present.
Their psychological scars grew rapidly.
When it came to infuriating people, Hong Yan was a professional. No wonder his popularity was in the negatives. But what made people like Lian Sujin feel utterly humiliated was that even though these people were eliminated, they were all terrifying. A mere academy re-selection exam was filled with so many conspiracies and schemes. How could any ordinary person withstand this?
Qin Minfeng's injuries had mostly recovered, though he still couldn't stand up. He deeply felt the gap between himself and these people, which terrified him. But did he feel ashamed? No. Instead, he was thinking: See, these people from Orange Blood families are only this powerful because they have so many resources. They have access to a lot of information, which allows them to master so many assessment strategies. If they weren't from Orange Blood families, they would definitely be worse than me. I need to find a stronger backer. I knew I shouldn't have teamed up with Sujin. She's still too naive, her talent is inferior to mine, and she only relies on her family background. And now look, her family background is far inferior to others… not even as good as Yun Baobao. If I had approached Yun Baobao from the start, I would probably be her partner instead of that idiot Zhang Doudou. And we would never have been successfully ambushed by Xie Keli!
His mind was racing with thoughts, but he was smart enough to quickly think about leaving. He couldn't wait for Xie Keli to come out!
Especially since Xie Keli had already killed Wei Ran, which meant…
The biggest twist came suddenly.
A double kill was followed by another double kill!
Li Cang killed Wei Mingtang first, and simultaneously dealt a heavy blow to or "killed" Xie Keli.
At that moment, everyone was stunned. After Wei Mingtang was eliminated, she pressed a hand to her heart, her expression calm as she looked at the screen. She had always been emotionally stable. Being suddenly ambushed and assassinated by Li Cang was just like what she had done to Xie Yiyuan—it was all just a tactic.
But this Li Cang…
He was too strong!
"In terms of actual combat power, he's already comparable to what you were before," Hong Yan said to Zhang Doudou, his expression grave.
Zhang Doudou frowned.
But Li Cang didn't have the major weakness that he and Doudou had. Therefore, Li Cang was the true strongest contender.
Yet he had held back until the very end, watching them all pull their stunts one after another, calmly playing along…
Only now was he cleaning up.
So, was Xie Keli dead?
Everyone was watching intently.
Over at the union's section, someone remarked, "If Yun Baobao being able to tame four pets indicates that her Yun Family's gene talent is Taming, an ancestral gift that guarantees a living, then Li Cang's choice of light element spirits instead of more powerful pets is likely because the Li Family's gene talent is Spirit Gathering. Moreover, their elemental affinity for Spirit Gathering is primarily with the light element, which is why he can raise four light element spirits."
"That makes sense, but the Li Family must also have the means. Light element spirits aren't cabbages you can find anywhere. The Li Family, like the Xie Clan, has numerous descendants, even more than the Xie Clan. Although Li Cang, his brother Li Wuya, and the missing Li Wushen are currently the strongest geniuses of the Li Family, there are other disciples below them. The allocation of resources is already immense. To be able to provide Li Cang with four light element spirits shows the power of the Li Family."
And the Li Family was also the most powerful faction on the union's side, holding the most sway.
Spirit Gathering was indeed a very strong talent. It encompassed both the speed of elemental summoning and the speed of mental power meditation. This basically meant that Li Family disciples didn't need to worry about their cultivation speed. As long as their comprehension was sufficient, they could rise through the ranks, and they didn't need to be fed with potions. They could genuinely cultivate to the top on their own.
If they had other outstanding talents, they would basically be superior to other Arcanists.
This was an ancestral talent that was a meal for life, served in an iron rice bowl.
Blood trickled from her fingertips. Fu Chuan clutched her stomach, using a simple light-based healing skill to repair the damage, but it wasn't that the effect was insufficient—it was too slow.
She was in an extremely weak position now. First, Big Red had turned into an egg. Little Yellow wasn't a combat pet. Although the Spirit Elf had been helping her recover mental power with incredible effect, the problem now was that her opponent's combat power had surpassed her defensive limits.
Wei Mingtang was out. Li Cang's hands were stained with blood, and he gave Fu Chuan no time. He gestured behind him, swiping his palm through the air.
It was the signal to annihilate.
The light-element Arcanists in his team immediately unleashed their ultimate attacks.
A slaughter.
Whether they were criminals or other candidates, as long as they weren't on their team, they were all to be killed!
Their strength was already higher than the remaining candidates. Shen Qixi and the others were top-tier in Jingyang, but here, they were at the bottom.
That was why in the first round, Luohe Sanqian and his group were suppressed, eventually forced to hide among the criminals.
In the chaotic battle, they could already smell death, but they had long known they were the underdogs in this assessment. Surviving until now was already a rarity.
There were eight minutes left until the end of the exam!
Some tried to flee, to disengage from combat and withdraw, hoping to keep their points and items. Others held on and continued to fight fiercely…
Meanwhile, Li Cang aimed at Fu Chuan, the Arcane Diagram in his palm reappearing.
Fu Chuan hooked a finger upwards. In the next second, a dozen threads shot out from the ground, violently wrapping around his wrist and pulling.
Swish!
The light beam he fired was deflected by a tiny angle. Fu Chuan didn't dodge. Instead, she quickly manipulated other light rays to cross and entangle, rapidly forming a birdcage around him, creating an elemental vacuum.
But Li Cang was prepared. He immediately used a second Arcane Truth.
"Purification Arcane Truth, Energy Release!"
The moment he cast this Arcane Truth, the energy touching his body—the light rays—softened and dissipated, unable to bind him. He then enveloped himself in the light element, and with a flap of his wings, his speed increased by 50%. He broke free from the birdcage's formation range. Once outside, he locked onto Fu Chuan from high above.
Arcane Aura—Cage of Light!
Damn it, just how many Arcane Truths had this guy mastered?! They were endless!
Everyone was truly terrified. Although Fu Chuan's face was a little pale, she had already anticipated the attack before the aura locked onto her. She flew backward… and suddenly manipulated the light rays to fill the space in front of her.
Explosion!
Li Cang dodged backward, only to realize he had fallen into a trap. The explosion wasn't meant to harm him, but to create a visual blind spot using the intense light.
"Light Dispel! Quickly!"
Just as he reacted… he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his body, a sensation he felt through his connection.
A shrill scream echoed. The people fighting below looked up to see that the light element spirit following Li Cang had been grabbed by the throat by Fu Chuan, who had appeared behind it in a flash.
A light ray extended from her left hand, swiftly piercing the light element spirit's body, frantically absorbing its light element energy and life essence.
Damn it!
Li Cang hastily commanded his other three spirits to dodge while forcefully recalling the other one to his pet space. But by the time it was recalled, the spirit had only 5% of its life force and a single life core remaining.
Its energy had been completely drained.
"Xie Keli!!"
Whether it was a pet or a spirit, once bound to you, it was like your own child. The bond was forged from life's intimacy. Xie Keli's direct attack on the spirit, absorbing its essence, felt as if his own flesh and blood were being torn away. It was painful, and it was infuriating.
In his fury, the Arcane Diagram in his right palm changed, gathering a terrifying brilliance.
He drew his left hand from the Arcane Diagram in his right palm.
A splendid, beautiful spear of light materialized in his hand. He then gripped the long spear and swiftly hurled it towards Fu Chuan, who was a hundred meters away.
Arcane Diagram Manifestation!!!
My god, Li Cang's level of Arcane Truth mastery had reached that of a 50th-level Arcanist, at least on par with Zhang Ruo and the others. He was the strongest Arcane genius among the 4,00t0 candidates!
Unparalleled!
There was a saying in the world of Arcane: genes can be determined by fate or by your parents' fucking around, but in the world of Arcane Truths, your brain determines everything.
Li Cang's brain was perhaps just like the Arcane weapon in his hand—the spear of light—brilliant and invincible!
In the stands, countless people shot to their feet.
Whether it was Yun Baobao and her partner's pet fusion, Xie Keli's powerful strategic control and planning, or the extraordinary talents of Hong Yan and Wei Mingtang in their respective fields, none of it was as glorious as the mastery of Arcane Truths, which directly reflected one's aptitude for the pinnacle of the Arcane arts.
He was already an Orange Blood gene talent, but his Arcane Truths… were too strong!
On the screen, the spear of light was launched instantly, hurtling downwards.
Why downwards? Because Fu Chuan had already backflipped and landed, half-kneeling on the ground. Blood from her abdomen dripped like a waterfall onto the floor, her left hand pressed against the ground as if to support herself.
Having received a massive amount of energy and vitality, Fu Chuan quickly healed the wound in her abdomen. She looked up… and saw the spear of light descending in an instant.
She raised her right hand.
But many people saw a red glow on her left hand, the one pressed against the ground.
Could it be that she still had the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine set up underground?
No.
She had already absorbed from it once, which meant the previous setup was depleted. It was unlikely she would have kept some in reserve. That would be unnecessary. A battle like this was all about a quick resolution; leaving energy for the enemy to catch their breath was suicide.
When she killed Wei Ran, she had gone all out.
So now… Li Cang suddenly realized. It was Wei Ran!
Where was Wei Ran's body?
Underground.
At this moment, Wei Ran's corpse was being devoured by Little Yellow, which digested all its life tissues, gene energy, and life force, transferring everything to the waiting Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine.
They were right there, underground. It was also where Fu Chuan had landed, very close, only separated by a two-meter layer of earth.
A massive amount of energy, tinged with the faint scent of blood, surged upwards.
In an instant, the energy of one light element spirit plus Wei Ran's entire being flooded into Fu Chuan's body. The immense power even radiated from her, forming a halo of light. She looked up to face Li Cang.
"Forget the feast. You don't seem any harder to deal with than Xie Yiyuan."
"Your eyes aren't as good as his."
If Xie Keli's weakness was defense, then Li Cang's weakness was perception.
Whether it was her immediate reaction to hide Wei Ran's body after being ambushed by Li Cang, or her recent assassination of a light element spirit, she had exploited the fact that this person lacked the perceptive talents of Xie Yiyuan and Wei Mingtang.
Did you think Li Cang was a seasoned hunter who saw through everything, looking down on them from above as they schemed?
Not at all!
Yun Baobao and her partner had the ability to insta-kill many and clear the field, but they didn't. This was because their fusion had a time limit. If they revealed it too early, they wouldn't have enough time to hunt down all the threatening opponents, nor would they have enough time to last against the strongest BOSSes. They needed others to help.
So when Yun Baobao said she was grateful to them, she meant it; it wasn't just gloating.
What about Li Cang, then? His combat power was effective and long-lasting, with no bugs. The only explanation was that he was weak in perception. He hadn't seen through Xie Yiyuan's scheme, nor had he figured out what tricks Xie Keli was pulling. He certainly didn't know that the fused Zhang Doudou had the power to fight him on equal terms.
But he wasn't stupid. He must have sensed the complexity of the situation. Given his cautious nature and steady methods, he chose to lie low first and strike after everyone else had had their fun. By then, all the tricks would have been played, and he wouldn't fall into a trap due to his weak perception.
See, his judgment was correct. If he had revealed his strength earlier, Yun Baobao and her team would have been wary and would have tried to ally with others… If they had managed to ally with either Xie Keli or Wei Mingtang, both of whom excelled at perception, Li Cang would have lost.
Unfortunately, the situation now was still… not entirely as he had wished.
All his opponents were knocked out, leaving only Xie Keli, and he hadn't been able to take her down directly.
Fu Chuan stood up. Her left hand pulled out the flowing Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine, while her right hand was covered in dense light rays. With a wave of both hands, they spread upwards like a sky-blotting canvas… like an expressive splash of ink, or like a torrential rain from the mountains and seas pouring back into the sky, dense yet crisp and unrestrained.
A field of red vines and light versus a single manifested Arcane spear of light.
Which was stronger?
Of course, the light spear was stronger. The moment they clashed head-on, everyone, whether it was Shen Qixi and the others on the field or the spectators outside, collectively assumed she would lose. She would definitely lose!
But in the next second, just as they were about to collide.
Fu Chuan, on the ground below, brought her hands together.
The light rays above also merged and fused, continuously combining with each other and with the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine.
Wait, wasn't it already a fusion?
This time was different. This was an Arcane Truth fusion.
Fu Chuan had obtained four blue-tier Arcane Truth stones earlier. They hadn't been of much use at first because she had just gotten them and hadn't fully comprehended them. This entire journey had been a process of scheming, fighting, and practical application.
Real combat was the best way to learn.
Such high-frequency, high-quality life-and-death battles had dramatically increased her rate of comprehension, culminating just now…
Group control, single-target cutting, light stream… these were the main contents of the Arcane Truth stones.
As Fu Chuan comprehended them, she intentionally worked towards creating a composite Arcane Truth.
Disperse to absorb spirits, fuse to deliver a critical strike.
Thus, she inserted the root fibers and tentacles of the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine into the light rays. When separated, they rapidly increased the speed of absorbing the light element. Then, when fused, they became a single, final ray of light.
What was the purpose of the tentacles? To constantly manipulate the density, allowing the fusion to reach a state of maximum energy concentration, ultimately achieving a high-level energy burst effect.
So what was this Arcane Truth called?
Thousand-Net Light Sequence.
A single beam of light. Her current level was still low, and she didn't have enough time, so she could only just manage to fuse all those light rays into a beam the thickness of her little finger. But its speed and intensity had already increased by more than tenfold.
Swish!
The light ray suddenly accelerated, striking directly at the light spear.
Light against light, king against king.
Omm… Everyone felt the light condense and retract, and then they saw it erupt in brilliant splendor.
The world was filled with light, but they felt like they were going blind.
Rubble, dust flying from the ground, blood evaporating, fur scorching and curling.
Light gave the world color, and then, in its extremity, it made all colors turn pale, until they were finally swallowed by the paleness.
It began in silence, then a roar, and finally, a quiet annihilation that spread outwards…
But it ended with a deafening bang.
Li Cang was pierced by the beam of light and blasted into a mountain wall at the bottom of the pit.
That was actually the city wall.
They had been fighting in the prison beneath the hunting ground all along.
The prison had collapsed, but below it was still the base of the city wall.
He was pinned to the wall.
The light beam had struck his chest but missed his heart…
Because he had dodged just a little.
He never thought that someone as proud as him would ultimately only be able to dodge by such a small margin under the full force of her single ray of light.
His perception was still too weak. If it were her, she had dodged his fatal attacks several times.
"The Xie Clan's pupil arts truly deserve their reputation as one of the strongest survival tools."
"I am not your equal."
He coughed up blood, weakly watching as Xie Keli below wore a grave expression.
Fu Chuan held the beam of light connected to his chest, preparing to strike again and kill him.
He couldn't escape this time.
Because the Thousand-Net Star-Sucking Vine within the light beam had already entered his body and was frantically absorbing his energy. Severely injured and losing energy, his strength was far from what it was before.
He was no match for her.
As long as she made the light beam explode, he would die.
But at that moment, Li Cang suddenly heard a very soft voice in his ear.
The voice was even a little shaky and nervous.
"Cooperate with me, and you can keep your points."
"Something's wrong underground. There's still the scent of blood."
What?
Li Cang's heart jolted.
The next moment, the ground suddenly split open.
Split open again?
Damn it, not only did it split open, but there was a red glow again… What the hell, what the hell!
Suddenly, a blood pool appeared in the cracked ground, and a person crawled out of it.
Dripping with blood, moving on all fours, it lifted its head. Beneath a curtain of long hair, a face as pale as a woman's tilted up slightly, baring sharp teeth at the crowd in a grin.
This person, they recognized him.
Wei Ran.
This was the real Wei Ran who had successfully completed the blood exchange. The previous one was a counterfeit, but it had been so realistic…
Being realistic was normal.
In the hunting ground, a white-haired elder from the union stroked his beard. "The title of Blood Devourer isn't for show. I was wondering why he died so easily. It took a great deal of effort to capture him back then; he was incredibly cunning and treacherous. To think he would act as a pawn for two students this time. As expected, he had a backup plan. With his level of blood arcane arts, creating another flesh-and-blood body is not difficult at all. After using the two students, he faked his death at Xie Keli's hands to hide deep underground, continuing to exhaust the value of the remaining students—their blood is more useful."
"But Wei Ran has been imprisoned for many years. To be able to successfully create a clone in just 90 minutes this time, there must be other reasons. He was locked in a toilet before; it's impossible for him to have created the blood pool needed for a successful blood exchange."
"Someone helped him."
Who else?
Everyone suddenly looked at two people. Xie Yiyuan, however, turned to look at Que Baimo with a somewhat unfamiliar gaze. The latter had been silent since he came out, looking preoccupied, as if waiting for something… ignoring Que Baige's hostile glare.
Only now did a subtle expression appear on his ordinary face. He shrugged slightly and said in a calm, unremarkable tone, "In the Que family, I'm considered a third-rate disciple because I didn't inherit the clan's Crocodile Assault talent. But later, I discovered I wasn't completely useless. At least my talent is Fission; I can split off other bodies. Although they can't share power and aren't useful in actual combat, they're quite convenient for other things."
"Like creating a blood pool formation."
"Brother Yiyuan, no need to look at me like that. A king who is not discreet loses his kingdom; a minister who is not discreet loses his life. To accomplish great things, one must be tight-lipped…"
Clearly, this was a secondary deal he had made with Wei Ran, separate from their alliance.
He was a cunning dog. For all they knew, Xie Yiyuan was also a disposable pawn in his eyes.
But when he was killed by Fu Chuan, his expression and gaze were so vivid… as if he himself believed the plan had failed.
"I'm a bit curious. You've been eliminated, so how can you ensure you get the benefits of your cooperation with Wei Ran?"
Wei Mingtang asked.
Perhaps it was because a beauty was different from others. Que Baimo looked at Wei Mingtang with a rather gentle gaze. "Based on his agreement with the prison and the Education Ministry, this assessment is also an assessment for them. They are at a disadvantage because they are just pawns. Once used, pawns must die. But those who survive can have their sentences reduced or even be released. And because the Education Ministry places great importance on this educational reform, they required that the assessments for the Big Four Academies in each province must include an extra-credit question."
"Wei Ran is the extra-credit question."
"If he completes the task given by the Education Ministry and survives, not only can he be released from prison, but he can also obtain some supreme treasures, things that even the four great families might not have."
"My agreement with him is to split it fifty-fifty."
So you sold us all out?!!!
The people present basically all had dog-like expressions, looking at Que Baimo as if they wanted to eat him, yet they also felt a sense of dread.
Because this illegitimate son was too formidable.
Step-by-step planning, prioritizing benefits above all else, even willing to become a pawn himself… Losing the competition didn't matter, as long as the boss he cooperated with won… then he would be a winner too.
Talk about broadening one's horizons, right?
The smiling illegitimate son was a great demon king, making everyone tremble in fear. On the screen, the real Wei Ran, who had successfully completed his blood exchange, smiled at Fu Chuan.
Was that Sadako?
Terrifying… and what was even more terrifying was that in the blink of an eye, he pushed off the ground with all four limbs.
Whoosh!
He shot up.
Like Sadako, he flashed in front of Fu Chuan's body, opened his mouth, and a scarlet tongue shot out, aiming straight for Fu Chuan's mouth.
Evil Arcane Art—Soul-Devouring Rebirth.
Wei Ran had taken a liking to her body, attempting to enter it and steal her gene talent!
What the hell!
Simultaneously, the criminals on the field received a blood qi boost from the return of their true king. The blood qi from the pool crawled out and descended upon them.
Berserk, amplified, all injuries healed, all energy replenished, and their strength collectively increased by one level!
The extra-credit question has arrived, middle schoolers.
This is a surprise from the Education Ministry. Are you happy? Are you thrilled?
Shen Qixi, who had survived through various judgments and assessments of the situation, was already covered in blood, with a long gash on her cheek. Weak from extreme fatigue and pain, she was suddenly sent flying by a man glowing with red light. After she fell, he pounced on her, pressing a hand to her face.
"Little girl, I'm going to peel off your face, cut off your flesh, and carve your bones into a key…"
"I've been looking for you for a long time."
"But what makes me curious is how you've managed to survive until now. It seems you've always had strength to spare. Do you… have some kind of secret?"
The criminal whose cell door lock she had blocked—he was here.
Bang!!
A section of the wall in the hunting ground viewing area was suddenly smashed.
Everyone turned in unison to look.
A man from the Li Family's section had stood up, his face ashen. He said to the people from the union, "Give me his file. If he completes his mission and gets out of prison today, I'll spend the rest of my life doing nothing but hunting him down!"
"Lord Li Jie, you…"
"Give it to me!"
This man was exceptionally handsome, but his aura was wild and unrestrained, much like a debauched noble scion. Even though he was older, he was so well-preserved that he looked like a handsome man in his thirties, attracting attention wherever he went. However, despite his beauty, his killing intent was overwhelming.
The people from the union were in a difficult position. They didn't dare to offend him, so they could only look to the other members of the Li Family.
The other Li Family members were also a bit baffled. "Sixth Brother, Wei Ran hasn't even targeted Li Cang yet. Why are you in such a hurry?"
"I've never seen you care so much about your nephew before…"
Li Jie's face darkened. "I'm not talking about Wei Ran, I'm talking about…"
Before he could finish.
On the screen, Zhang Keqing was really pressing his fingers against Shen Qixi's eyeballs, smiling as he said, "Let me dig out your eyes and feel your brain. How about it?"
This scene was cruel and bloody. Any other candidate would have withdrawn long ago. But Shen Qixi, spitting blood and on the verge of death, stared at Zhang Keqing as he was about to gouge out her eyes and said one sentence.
"You want to know my secret? I'll grant your wish."
Then, a terrifying halo of light erupted from her body.
From the depths of her heart.
A massive Spirit Gathering Cluster burst forth, blooming from her Gene Tree.
Gene talent awakening.
The Li Family's gene… it had awakened.
The pit was filled with residual elemental energy, which was madly swept up by this terrifying Spirit Gathering vortex, and then… in just a second.
BOOM!!!
Zhang Keqing and a dozen nearby criminals, as well as several other light element Arcanists, were all insta-killed.
The area was flattened.
Silence fell over the hunting ground viewing area. The Li Family members were frozen, all turning to look at the 1.88-meter-tall handsome man who was so emotional he was crying.
"Sob, my baby…"
"She's so much like me, this peerless talent."
"My treasure."
"I knew it, I knew it…"
"Damn it, what are you looking at? Don't you get it? Give me the file, now!"
The people from the union: "!!!"
Not far away, Shen Yunyi, who had been unwilling to stand with him to watch their daughter's exam, had also been worried about her daughter's situation. Seeing this scene, she looked utterly speechless and silently moved even farther away, afraid of getting entangled with this fool.
It was a bit embarrassing.
Only Shen Qixi, lying on the ground on the verge of death, used the last of her strength to raise her right hand, aiming the Spirit Gathering halo in her palm towards a certain spot.
"A parting gift, my captain."
Big sister.
I know you're up to something. Your eyes are too familiar.
The last time in the dungeon when you insta-killed the BOSS, you looked just like this.
Shen Qixi's outburst lasted only a second. For Fu Chuan and the others, it was something they hadn't noticed, at least not for Wei Ran, who had already flashed in front of Fu Chuan.
After Wei Ran appeared before Fu Chuan, his tongue almost shot into her mouth, but Fu Chuan's perception was sharp, and she had already retreated and fled.
"Oh, you escaped before, my beautiful little darling…" He suddenly caught up, even appearing behind her… whispering in her ear.
Beautiful.
Fu Chuan's heart tightened. This person had seen through her?
If he successfully escaped from prison, then her secret… damn it!
It's over, there's a wall ahead!
The next second, Fu Chuan was grabbed by Wei Ran, whose four limbs, like the sharp legs of a spider, pierced into her body… and began to devour her directly.
Bang!
Fu Chuan's body suddenly erupted with powerful light-element energy, breaking free. This energy then released far more and far finer light rays than before.
It entangled Wei Ran. As he stared in astonishment, she gave him a cold smile, then turned and manipulated the threads to bind him.
Wei Ran was about to break free, but he was a step too slow, because he was too, too close to the wall.
Bang!!
As Wei Ran was forcefully slammed against the wall by the light rays.
His face was pressed against the wall, and he suddenly saw the formation patterns on it clearly.
Damn it!
Not good!
He tried to pull away, but it was too late.
Three light element spirits appeared behind Fu Chuan, transferring their immense energy to her—this was under Li Cang's control from a distance.
This was all part of Fu Chuan's calculations.
The one who had whispered in his ear was a small pet, relaying Xie Keli's message.
Cooperate.
Take down Wei Ran!
Would Li Cang agree? Of course. He had no other choice. To keep his points, this was the only way, and there was no downside for him.
But then, she suddenly received an even stronger Spirit Gathering Cluster from a distance.
She paused for a moment, but still accepted it.
With the help of the three light element spirits and the Spirit Gathering Cluster… Fu Chuan's energy surged!
And at this very moment, with a flick of her finger, she sent out a beam of light.
The light beam instantly connected.
Bang!
At this moment, Wei Ran, with strength far surpassing that of Li Cang and Zhang Doudou, forcefully broke the light rays and was about to escape, but the beam had already arrived.
Bang!
He was hit in the abdomen.
It didn't pierce through, but it broke the skin and drew blood.
Blood splattered onto the wall.
That wall, or rather, the walls of this prison, activated.
Light flowed, formations appeared, and seals were born.
Confinement, punishment.
A deafening roar suddenly echoed from the sky.
Majestic and solemn.
"Inmate number 5438, Wei Ran, has attempted a prison break. His strength level exceeds the handling capacity of the prison guards, triggering the prison system's automatic extermination program. Execute!"
As this voice boomed, Wei Ran's body was already being sucked into the wall. He then watched as countless electric arcs coursed through the massive wall…
"No!"
"You'll die too! You female…"
Before he could say "lunatic."
BOOM!!
The entire bottom of the pit, or rather, all seven levels of the prison dungeon, were covered in electric light.
Criminals, candidates, all were caught in the prison's extermination program.
Divine punishment descended, a rain of lightning.
In the hunting ground, thousands of spectators watched as a massive thunderstorm gathered in the sky and came crashing down… including Li Cang and Shen Qixi, who were insta-killed.
Li Cang was simply shocked. He never expected Xie Keli to turn the tables like this. Wouldn't he die too?
As for Shen Qixi, she simply closed her eyes and withdrew.
She knew that once she was out, she would find out how her captain, her big sister, had survived.
At this time, on a different planet connected to the empire's waters, Xie Siyi had just emerged from an abyss trench dungeon, covered in blood. As her subordinates knelt to welcome her, she sat on the beach, unwrapping the sticky, blood-and-flesh-covered bandages from her hand, revealing the bone beneath. She calmly allowed her subordinate physician to heal her while another reported some information.
The physician dared not speak, but his heart was filled with admiration and fear: she had just cleared a high-difficulty orange-tier dungeon, and before her injuries had even healed, she was already handling the affairs of her faction. This woman was like a robot, devoid of emotion, tireless.
The subordinate's report soon touched upon the college and high school entrance exams.
"The Eldest Young Master has topped the provincial list and is now choosing a university. It is certain he will go to the Imperial Capital. However, the high school entrance exam is not over yet. Currently, Young Master Yiyuan and… and Xie Keli are still in the competition. I have arranged for someone to record it. Would you like to watch, my lord?"
Xie Siyi held a noble title and had high authority. Although this was a remote sea region where the network was affected by the dungeon, she was connected to the Imperial Star Network and could use her interstellar privileges to broadcast it. With a flick of her finger, her ring connected to the Imperial Network, and she saw the feed being relayed by her confidant from the Xie Clan.
With just one glance, she saw that scene.
The sky was filled with a thunderstorm, but in the split second before the lightning fell, one person had already manipulated light rays to pull over some chains from a toilet… and wrapped herself in them.
Those chains were originally used to restrain Wei Ran.
They were powerful enough to suppress him, which meant they were at the pinnacle of the prison's officially sanctioned confinement methods. The chains should be able to withstand this thunderstorm.
Because they were made of a special material that suppressed both physical arcane arts and energy, they had been able to hold Wei Ran for many years, as he was completely unable to use his internal power to break free, relying only on his will to manipulate a tiny bit of power to cause trouble.
This had also forced him to rely on outside help.
After wrapping herself in these chains, Fu Chuan had also pulled herself into her private space, creating a double layer of defense. To outsiders, she was just a cocoon of chains in mid-air. It was indeed a special material. When the lightning struck it… it was like cooking oil on a non-stick pan.
It flowed, slid off, and wrapped around, but it couldn't penetrate. However, Fu Chuan could also feel it trembling.
The lightning itself couldn't harm it, but the impact force of the strikes was damaging. It would shatter!
Fu Chuan grew nervous.
In a world of lightning, she was the only one suspended in the air.
But in the end, would she be the only one to survive?
Five seconds later, the thunderstorm began to weaken, but the chains were already on the verge of breaking, snapping one by one. When the last chain broke, her private space was hit by the final wave of the storm.
But it was only one wave.
After that one wave… the world was a ruin, the lightning gradually dissipated. With two minutes left until the end of the exam, the space suddenly disintegrated. In the fading halo of light, everyone saw this person, in the deserted world of the pit, raise an eyebrow.
Honestly, no one thought anyone could look cooler than the scumbag young master raising his eyebrow at this very moment.
Even with blood still on her face.
Then this person descended and quickly began collecting things…
Just three seconds later, she suddenly paused, using a light ray to pick something up, looking a bit bewildered.
It was a pair of underwear, men's.
She was about to throw it away, but then she remembered that the owner had helped her just before his "death," so…
Outside, the newly eliminated Li Cang was clutching his waistband. He saw the screen, and his pupils trembled. He turned his head… wanting to use treatment as an excuse to get away, but then he heard the person on the screen ask a question.
"Li Cang, is this yours?"
Li Cang: "…"
Please, just shut up, you damn pervert.
Li Cang's embarrassment was bone-deep, but also helpless.
He probably never imagined that an exam would end like this.
Total annihilation. Whether it was the candidates or the criminals, everyone was wiped out, leaving only one person.
The sole victor.
The screen suddenly went black.
It was likely a restriction from the Education Ministry. The winner would receive some great rewards, but they wouldn't necessarily let outsiders know. From now on, this winner would be the Education Ministry's most favored person.
The people of Jingyang were all silently thinking: just like in the final round of the high school entrance exam, she was the only one.
Let all my comrades die, so long as this humble one survives. From now on, her rise would be meteoric, and she would walk with the wind at her back.
Comments
Post a Comment