Chapter 50: Vigilance

After Lin Xiao spoke, both Shen Yao and Zhou Zhi felt that the place was indeed eerily quiet. Just then, Ji Boxiao, dragging along Liu Ruyan and Chu Ran, caught up with Lin Xiao and the others. Seeing that the three had stopped running, they too came to a halt.

Previously, the spirit beast horde had been hot on their heels, so none of them had dared to look back. Now, seeing the three of them standing around leisurely, they realized they had probably shaken off the pursuit. One by one, they turned to look behind.

Finding that the spirit beasts were no longer chasing, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Lin Xiao took a quick look around. The sudden rampage of the spirit beast horde had eliminated another dozen or so contestants; only sixteen had managed to make it this far. Now, seeing that the danger had passed, these survivors collapsed onto the ground, utterly exhausted.

“That run nearly killed me. Finally, we’ve shaken off those beasts.”

“It was so close—if those spirit beasts had chased us for even a moment longer, I don’t think I could have held out.”

“You’re not the only one. I had to use every ounce of strength I had.”

Of course, not everyone was convinced the danger was over. Chu Ran, in particular, sensed something was off.

“Everyone, something isn’t quite right. Those spirit beasts didn’t stop chasing us because they were tired—they simply changed direction. They deliberately avoided coming this way. I get the feeling they’re seriously wary of this place.”

Lin Xiao completely agreed; he felt the same way. Yet he couldn’t fathom what could make so many spirit beasts so apprehensive. Could there be a high-level spirit beast here? That couldn’t be—it was only a first-level secret realm. By all rights, there shouldn’t be any high-level spirit beasts.

Lin Xiao couldn’t figure it out, and neither could anyone else present.

Ji Boxiao, sitting on the ground and gulping for air, spoke up. “Chu Ran, don’t make a fuss. We barely escaped with our lives—let’s just rest for a moment.”

Most of the others felt the same way. They had no strength left to run any further.

Lin Xiao paid them no mind, staying alert to his surroundings. He was sure things weren’t as simple as they seemed.

So far, Lin Xiao hadn’t noticed anything abnormal. He could only hope his suspicions were unfounded.

This tense, exhilarating escape had also sent the viewers of the live broadcast into a frenzy.

“That spirit beast horde was intense—looks like half the contestants have been eliminated again.”

“When those people were being chased, I was sweating bullets for them. Thank goodness they were rescued in the end.”

“Yeah, but how exactly were they saved? I still have no idea. Does anyone knowledgeable want to explain?”

“If I’m not mistaken, it looked like a spatial ability!”

“Don’t be ridiculous. There are only a handful of spatial ability Awakened in Huaxia. Why would someone like that intervene in a mere first-level secret realm exam?”

“So how do you explain what happened?”

“Maybe it’s just that we’re ordinary people and can’t see through the experts’ methods.”

“That makes sense.”

“By the way, there aren’t many contestants left now. The real excitement is just beginning.”

“Exactly—and their points aren’t that far apart. Anyone could make it into the top ten!”

“I’m getting inexplicably excited—what should I do?”

……

At this moment, Zhou Wei also noticed the situation and realized things were not unfolding as he had planned. According to his expectations, the beast tide should have eliminated most of the contestants by now. What was going on?

Even he didn’t quite understand. He immediately turned to the man beside him.

“Xiao Zhang, what’s happening? Why did the spirit beast horde avoid that area?”

Xiao Zhang, Zhou Wei’s secretary, was primarily responsible for organizing this secret realm assessment and was well-informed about the details.

“City Lord, situations like this usually mean the area is the territory of a high-level spirit beast, which keeps other beasts away. That spot used to belong to a second-level spirit beast.”

“Is that so? These kids are lucky. By the way, are we certain all the second-level spirit beasts in the secret realm have been dealt with?”

“Don’t worry, City Lord. I led the team myself. I remember we killed three second-level Gale Wolves in that region. It’s rare to have three at once in a secret realm. Maybe the scent of the Gale Wolves still lingers there, which made the horde avoid it.”

“That’s good! Well, the crucial moment for determining the final rankings is almost here. Rather than seeing them eliminated by a spirit beast horde, I’d rather watch them contend among themselves. I want to see how these youngsters perform in the end.”

……

As time passed, those who hadn’t been eliminated gradually recovered their stamina. Perhaps mindful of their current predicament, everyone watched those around them with growing wariness.

No matter which team they’d belonged to before, that no longer mattered. Now, only the top ten would receive the best rewards, and everyone present still had a shot at making it. No one was willing to let this opportunity slip away.

Making the top ten wasn’t just about rewards—it also meant being noticed by the most prestigious Spirit Martial Academies. None of the students here were willing to give up such a chance.

Even Zhou Zhi, who had previously intended to just coast along, now felt differently. If he could break into the top ten, his parents would be overjoyed when he returned home.

Everyone understood this, and no one dared trust the people beside them any longer.

Zhou Zhi rubbed his nose and walked straight over to Lin Xiao’s side. The others might suspect each other, but he trusted Lin Xiao completely.

If Lin Xiao had wanted him eliminated, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths to haul him out earlier. And if Lin Xiao truly wanted him out, he’d only have to say the word—Zhou Zhi would willingly forfeit and hand over all his points. Having made it this far, he was already grateful.

“Brother Xiao, what’s going on now? The atmosphere here is so tense!”

Lin Xiao had noticed this long ago and smiled.

“It’s simple. Everyone wants to make one last push for a good ranking. At this point, every person here is a rival. But at the same time, no one wants to make the first move, because whoever acts first will likely become everyone else’s target. So, it’s a stalemate.”

Hearing this, Zhou Zhi understood.

“You mean, no one wants to be the one to stick their neck out?”

“Exactly. Still, I’m not too worried about that. I just can’t shake the feeling that something’s off here, like someone’s watching us from the shadows.”

“Brother Xiao, don’t say such creepy things!”

Lin Xiao wasn’t just being alarmist; it was a genuine sense he couldn’t ignore. Yet, after carefully observing their surroundings, he still couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong.

Just then, someone finally broke the silence—Ji Boxiao.

“Everyone, we can’t just wait around like this. There aren’t many of us left. I say we eliminate a few irrelevant people first. What do you all think?”

As he spoke, Ji Boxiao’s gaze, intentional or not, fell on Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao was speechless—this guy still hadn’t given up on targeting him.

He’d have to find a chance to knock this fellow out of the running!