Chapter 22

“This is Xiao Hong,” Jin Li said with a smile. She extended one finger, and the little red fish swam back, rubbing against Jin Li’s fingertip. “How rare. She really likes you.”

Zhang Lan nervously hid backward, staring at that little red fish with caution. “Oh.”

Once the members were confirmed, all the teams entered the Demonic Beast Forest one after another.

The Demonic Beast Forest was divided into seven layers. The farther inward one went, the higher the level of the demonic beasts. For this trial, the peak masters had already planned the boundaries in advance, restricting the disciples to the first layer, where they would harvest demonic beast crystals for evaluation.

Spirit birds would follow and record the situation, while everyone outside the field could watch through spiritual mirrors to ensure fairness.

Inside the forest, weeds grew wildly and tree roots crisscrossed everywhere. Xia Zhitao used the Jiyan Sword to cut apart a cluster of shrubs blocking the way, cautiously observing their surroundings.

The eight of them had already been inside the forest for a while, yet they had only been wandering aimlessly. They had not encountered even a single demonic beast.

Wang Yan held her long sword and could not help muttering softly, “…It’s so quiet.”

Indeed. The forest was strangely quiet. Aside from the sound of their walking and breathing, ​bailiantales.com​there seemed to be no other sound.

Thick leaves and heavy grass covered the path in dense layers. Whenever the group walked past, they rustled against the hems of their pants, making their scalps tingle.

Compared to the solemn atmosphere of the team, Jin Li was relaxed and leisurely. She hummed a little tune while using her sword to clear the path together with Xia Zhitao.

Wang Ze cut away a branch blocking the road and asked, “Senior Sister, is this direction correct?”

Xia Zhitao stopped and looked at the thick mist ahead, feeling rather troubled. “This trial shouldn’t have a ‘correct’ direction… but we’ve walked for this long without encountering even one demonic beast. That really is a bit strange.”

Jin Li scratched her head. “Strange.”

Xia Zhitao said, “It is strange. I’ve been to the Demonic Beast Forest twice before, and both times, I could run into a demonic beast every few steps.”

“It’s too strange. Whenever I participated in these capture missions before,” Jin Li complained, “the demonic beasts all fought over each other to crash into tree stumps.”

Everyone: “…”

Could good luck really let someone do whatever they wanted?

Everyone patiently walked for another stretch. When they reached a small clearing in the forest, one disciple accidentally twisted their ankle, so the group stopped for a short rest.

Seeing Xia Zhitao weighed down with worries, Jin Li stepped forward and patted her shoulder. “Don’t worry, Junior Sister Xia. Trust my intuition.”

As she said this, she turned around and grabbed Zhang Lan’s hand, shaking it hard. “Great Expert! Now that it’s just us, tell us, which way should we go?”

Ever since entering the forest, Zhang Lan had silently followed Xia Zhitao and had not spoken much. Suddenly being grabbed by Jin Li, she froze at once.

Zhang Lan said, “…No, I’m not. Don’t touch me.”

“Great Expert, you don’t need to be modest.” Jin Li spoke with passionate rises and falls in her voice. “Ever since I saw you at first glance, the voice in my heart told me I absolutely had to join the team you were in. We’re definitely going to win!”

Zhang Lan was stunned. “Huh?”

Jin Li looked excited. “Great Expert, I believe in you. You will lead us to victory!”

Zhang Lan was a little displeased, and her voice cooled several degrees. “Let go of me.”

Wang Yan, standing off to the side, could not watch anymore. She clicked her tongue in disdain. “Senior Sister, this person is the last-ranked in our batch. She can’t even use spiritual power.”

“How can you speak to a great expert like that!” Jin Li glared at Wang Yan. She still did not let go of Zhang Lan’s hand. After a while, she was the one who froze first. “Hearing the Dao stage?”

Xia Zhitao was also stunned when she heard this. Zhang Lan was clearly at the second rank of Foundation Establishment. How had she suddenly fallen to a stage where she did not even have a trace of spiritual energy?

Zhang Lan pulled her hand back and said nothing.

“Wait, Great Expert, why do you have no spiritual energy at all?” Jin Li found it unbelievable. “That shouldn’t be. Something’s wrong…”

Xia Zhitao pulled Zhang Lan, who had her head lowered, over and protected her behind herself. She said softly, “Senior Sister Jin, let’s discuss which direction to go.”

.

Jin Li was absent-minded, so Xia Zhitao discussed it with Wang Ze instead. After the two chose a direction, the group began moving again.

The deeper they walked into the forest, the darker and more lightless it became. bailiantales.comTall grass and trees covered the sky, cutting the space above them into staggered silhouettes.

A kind of purple mist they had never seen before piled up on the ground, crawling toward them. Yet it also seemed to be wary of something and only stirred restlessly not far away.

“Senior Sister,” Zhang Lan tugged at Xia Zhitao’s sleeve and said softly, “I feel a little… uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable?” Xia Zhitao turned her head slightly and asked gently, “Do you want to rest for a while?”

Zhang Lan’s expression was grave. She shook her head. “I’m fine, but can we go back?”

Xia Zhitao hesitated a little. They had already walked for almost an hour and gained nothing. If they suddenly turned back now, she feared the team would not agree.

Just then, the silent grass suddenly rustled. The entire team instantly grew tense.

Xia Zhitao aimed the Jiyan Sword ahead and shielded Zhang Lan behind her.

The movement in the grass grew increasingly violent. A black shadow broke through the leaves, its cry like a baby’s whimper. Moving extremely quickly, it charged straight at them!

Then, with a “bang,” it crashed into a tree stump and stopped moving.

Everyone: “…”

Everyone silently turned to look at Jin Li, while Jin Li leisurely stepped forward, picked up the creature by its furry ears, and examined it. “A first-rank demonic beast. Not bad.”

They had thought she was joking earlier, but unexpectedly, there really were demonic beasts that killed themselves by crashing into tree stumps… As expected of a koi.

A small white crystal condensed out. Jin Li took the crystal and casually stuffed it into Xia Zhitao’s hand. “Here. I can’t hold onto things. I’m always losing them.”

Xia Zhitao silently accepted the crystal. Now that the team had finally “hunted” a demonic beast, their morale rose quite a bit.

Wang Yan waved her sword energetically. “Let’s keep going!”

Everyone quickly moved forward, while Zhang Lan fell to the very back of the team. She reached out and turned over the dead demonic beast, only to see that its fur was messy, its body covered in chaotic wounds, and its abdomen had a deep vertical gash.

She stood up anxiously and stayed frozen for three or four seconds. Only when the team had already walked far away and Xia Zhitao called for her did she turn and follow.

“Senior Sister,” Zhang Lan ran to the front of the team and said to Xia Zhitao, “That demonic [bailiantales.com]beast was being chased by something…”

Xia Zhitao was just about to say something when, not far away, a thunderous rumble suddenly sounded, shaking everyone’s eardrums until they buzzed and their heads ached.

Wang Yan shouted, “What’s going on?”

Immediately afterward, trees toppled sideways, and the ground shook like the mountains were collapsing. Everyone was unable to stand steadily. Zhang Lan grabbed Xia Zhitao to support her and practically roared, “Run!!”

A vast black shadow slowly rose from between the trees, revealing an enormous coiled body and a mouth full of sinister sharp teeth.

“A Wheel-Devouring Black Python?”

Jin Li stared blankly and murmured, “Wh-what rank is this… No, something’s wrong…”

Wheel-Devouring Black Pythons usually appeared on the fourth or fifth layer of the Demonic Beast Forest. They fed on flesh and blood, and their nature was extremely brutal. Once they locked onto a target, they would not stop until they tore it apart alive and swallowed it into their stomach.

Zhang Lan pulled Xia Zhitao and shouted at Jin Li, “Stop caring what rank it is! Run!”

Wang Yan gripped her sword with some reluctance. Wang Ze pulled his sister’s arm and said, “Its realm is suppressing us by at least five or six ranks. There’s no way we can beat it!”

The black python noticed the group. It hissed, flicking its tongue, its body shifting as it screeched and chased after them!

Its pitch-black scales scraped over grass and trees with a clattering sound. Its massive body pressed over piled branches and leaves, instantly crushing them into fragments.

Everyone had already raised their speed to the highest level, but the giant python still closed in instantly. They could even smell a choking stench of blood.

Zhang Lan had no spiritual power, so her speed was the slowest in the team. Because Xia Zhitao was looking after her, she also fell behind.

Seeing the black python getting closer and closer, Zhang Lan suddenly turned around. With a flip of her palm, she threw her wooden sword out!

The wooden sword whistled through the air and stabbed straight between the black python’s sharp teeth. The black python was hurt, and after two or three bites, it cracked the wooden sword apart. Then it charged over in fury.

The wooden sword bought them two or three seconds. Zhang Lan let go of Xia Zhitao’s hand. “Senior Sister, don’t worry about me anymore.”

“What kind of thing is that to say?” Xia Zhitao said anxiously, refusing to let go of her arm. But Zhang Lan seemed to have hardened her heart and stood rooted in place. “If we leave, we leave together!”

“Really, really, don’t worry about me anymore.” Zhang Lan’s voice trembled read the original at bailiantales.com faintly. “I’ll be fine. You go by yourself—”

The black python was already right in front of them, its choking stench rushing into their faces. Zhang Lan abruptly pushed Xia Zhitao, making her stumble several steps forward.

She hurriedly turned her head back and saw the black python open its bloody maw, bite Zhang Lan around the waist, and lift her entire body into the air.

Zhang Lan pressed hard against the giant python’s sharp teeth, her body swaying dangerously high in the air. The panicked expression from earlier was gone. She looked into the giant python’s eyes and sneered. “You’re rather bold. Just wait and see what this Venerable One does to you in a moment.”

After saying this, a sharp blade abruptly appeared in Zhang Lan’s hand. She gripped the hilt in reverse and stabbed it downward with fierce force!

The blade pierced through scales and sank into flesh. The black python let out a long howl of pain and released Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan lost all strength, and her entire body fell through the air. Fierce wind poured into her ears. She closed her eyes and let herself drop.

From far away, it seemed someone was shouting something, but she could no longer hear it.

Bang—

Zhang Lan crashed onto the ground, her whole body covered in ​bailiantales.com​injuries. She lay motionless as blood spread wildly beneath her.

Everything had happened too quickly. Xia Zhitao watched it all, her entire body cold, as if an overwhelming sea were pressing down on her spine, leaving her unable to breathe.

The giant python had just been stabbed and was furious to the extreme. The tip of its tail swept through layer upon layer of forest, knocking down a stretch of branches and leaves.

Xia Zhitao rushed to her little junior sister’s side and reached out to hold her. Zhang Lan lay in her arms with her eyes closed, tilted against her shoulder, her brows tightly furrowed.

Xia Zhitao reached out to check her breathing. Zhang Lan’s face was somewhat pale, but thankfully, she still had breath and a heartbeat. She had only fallen unconscious.

Before Xia Zhitao could breathe a sigh of relief, the black python abruptly opened its bloody mouth wide and dove toward the two of them below. Xia Zhitao held her junior sister’s neck with one hand and controlled her sword with the other, wanting to block it, but it was already somewhat too late—

Clang!!

The sound exploded beside her ear. Jin Li and the Wang siblings had rushed back. The three of them joined forces and forcibly blocked the giant python’s attack.

Xia Zhitao came back to herself. She set her little junior sister down, Jiyan came out of its sheath, and she split out a scorching wave of spiritual power that struck the giant python squarely on the head.

The giant python screeched and retreated. The pressure ​read the original at bailiantales.com​on the three people holding it back also lightened somewhat.

“That’s more like it,” Jin Li said with a smile. “Just now, you were dazed for so long you looked stupid.”

Wang Yan stomped her foot. “Senior Sisters! Let’s work together and defeat it!”

The four of them joined forces, using every ability they had, and blocked another wave of attacks from the giant python.

But the suppression between ranks was far too deadly. After everyone blocked only two attacks, they had already exhausted all their spiritual power.

Seeing the black python attack once more, everyone was unable to resist and had already fallen into despair.

Just then—

Crack.

The ground suddenly split open. Several glowing vines shot out wildly, winding around the black python like ropes and binding it tightly!

The black python struggled with all its might, but the glowing vines were extremely stolen content tough. They bound that enormous body, leaving it completely unable to move.

Seeing that the giant python had been restrained, Wang Yan grew excited and shouted loudly, “Brother, Senior Sisters! Let’s strike together and defeat it!”

The surrounding leaves suddenly quieted. Warm wind spread past their ears, and thick black mist billowed open, covering the ground layer by layer.

“You can’t beat it.”

Someone walked over slowly, black hair like a waterfall, brows and eyes as if carved. Her five fingers held a cold, sharp long sword, and wind poured into her ink-black robes, making them spread like layered clouds and mist.

That voice was like pearls and jade suddenly falling to the ground. In the silent, deep forest, it spread into a cool, clear tone.

“…I’ll do it.”

Author’s Note: Zhang Kuang: I smashed the mini-theater and rushed out on my max-level account!!!!!

Mini-Theater: ? What grudge do I have with you?