Chapter 46: The Beast Horde Approaches

Although they encountered quite a few spirit beasts, most were solitary, so dealing with them was not particularly troublesome. After a brief rest, the three pressed on, but they were far more cautious than before.

During this period, many participants were eliminated—either by spirit beasts or by their fellow examinees. Now, only twenty-five remained. The assessment had reached its final stage.

These twenty-five had divided into three teams. Lin Xiao’s group formed one of them, and theirs was the smallest of the three. The other two teams consisted of one group of ten and another of twelve.

The ten-person squad was led by Chu Ran, the ace of Second High, whose thunder-based powers were ranked S-level. Among this generation, he was second only to Shen Yao in Xuncheng’s roster of prodigies. His team boasted two other S-level awakeners, and the rest were all grade A. From the very beginning, Chu Ran had assembled this elite squad, determined to shine in the trials. He even entertained the ambition of having his entire team sweep the top ten spots.

The twelve-person group was led by Ji Boxiao. Though they had superior numbers, their strength did not match Chu Ran’s squad. Ji Boxiao was their sole S-level awakener; most others were grade A, and a handful were grade B. Their sheer numbers allowed them to survive encounters with spirit beasts through overwhelming force—otherwise, they would not have endured this long.

At that moment, Liu Ruyan nestled in Ji Boxiao’s arms, completely indifferent to the gazes of those around them.

“Brother Boxiao, it’s been so long since I’ve bathed—I feel like I’m starting to stink.”

“Nonsense. To me, you’re fragrant no matter the circumstances.”

“You’re so annoying~. By the way, Brother Boxiao, this is already the third day. With the size of our team, you’re guaranteed a spot in the top ten, aren’t you?”

Ji Boxiao smiled with confidence. “Naturally. Father said that as long as I make the top ten in this trial, I’ll become the true heir of the Ji family, and then you’ll be Mrs. Ji.”

A glimmer of hope flashed in Liu Ruyan’s eyes—she had waited for this moment for a very long time.

“I love you the most! Mwah~!”

The others had grown accustomed to their flirting, though some still frowned in annoyance. Were it not for Ji Boxiao’s promise of generous rewards afterward, they would not tolerate staying for even a moment.

“Sigh, what worries me most is Chu Ran’s side. Though his squad isn’t as large as ours, their strength might surpass ours just a bit.”

“What should we do? Brother Boxiao, you must make the top ten, no matter what.”

“Don’t worry. There’s no problem. Their team isn’t seamless, and I have other plans. If necessary, I’ll spend a little money to have a few teammates eliminated. Even if I get eliminated, my points will be enough to enter the top ten.”

“I see! Brother, you’re so clever.”

“It’s a pity we haven’t run into Lin Xiao. I had hoped to teach him a lesson during these trials.”

A shadow crossed Liu Ruyan’s eyes. Each time she’d encountered Lin Xiao, he had shown her no respect, even mocking her in front of others. She’d long wanted to put him in his place.

“Hmph! That fellow has been hiding in the back. I imagine he’s already been eliminated. Lucky for him this time.”

“That’s true. With his and Zhou Zhi’s abilities, they’d be wiped out by a single spirit beast! Don’t worry—once we’re out, I’ll still deal with him!”

...

Outside the secret realm, Zhou Wei surveyed the screens broadcasting the various scenes. Only three teams remained, none particularly close to the others—there’d be no encounters in the short term. The lone spirit beasts posed no threat to any group; things couldn’t continue this way.

With that in mind, Zhou Wei issued a command. “All personnel, please prepare to act. The remaining candidates are all elites—those assigned to protect them, stay alert. So far, there have been no fatalities in this trial, and I want that statistic maintained until the end.”

Following his order, several powerful individuals, long on standby within the secret realm, began to herd the spirit beasts.

Normally, a grade-one secret realm would contain only grade-one spirit beasts, with the occasional grade-two specimen. But as this realm served as the student assessment site, all grade-two beasts had already been cleared out.

Zhou Wei’s goal was simple: to put pressure on those yet to be eliminated.

Driven by these handlers, the spirit beasts converged from all directions toward the three teams. Gradually, a man-made beast tide formed. With this surge, many would surely be eliminated.

Watching the drone footage, Zhou Wei smiled. A beast tide was not so easily repelled; none of the three teams could withstand it and would be forced to retreat. As the tide drove them together, they would inevitably collide—a spectacle he was most eager to witness.

Sun Zhiyuan and Murong Yu exchanged glances, both smiling; things were getting more interesting.

...

Lin Xiao and his companions were searching for targets. For reasons unknown, not only had they failed to find other teams, but now even spirit beasts were nowhere to be seen.

This frustrated Lin Xiao. With time running out, he was determined to claim first place—the prize was simply too enticing. But at this rate, victory seemed increasingly elusive. Even Shen Yao, beside him, had accumulated significantly more points.

Lin Xiao even considered eliminating Shen Yao outright. But recalling her formidable skills, he abandoned the idea—for now, they were allies, and he wasn’t the sort to stab someone in the back.

As Lin Xiao pondered how to gain more points, the ground suddenly began to tremble. Zhou Zhi and Shen Yao looked around in confusion.

“What’s happening? An earthquake, or thunder?”

Lin Xiao, whose eyesight was keen, immediately spotted dust clouds rising in the distance. He scrambled up a tree and peered toward the source.

In his field of vision, hundreds of spirit beasts were stampeding directly toward them; similar tides surged from other directions as well. Thanks to his sharp eyes, he also spotted the strong handlers behind the beast tide.

“Damn! They’re really going all out—trying to wipe us out!”

Grasping the situation, Lin Xiao leapt down from the tree at once. Seeing Shen Yao and Zhou Zhi still stunned, he shouted loudly.

“What are you waiting for? Run! The beast tide is coming!”

Both were momentarily stunned. Had they heard right?

A beast tide?

How could a grade-one secret realm produce a beast tide?

Though baffled, they knew Lin Xiao wouldn’t joke about this. If caught by the tide, they’d be finished.

They broke into a sprint, hoping desperately to evade the oncoming flood.