Chapter 54: Ugly Faces

Perhaps sensing the imminent danger, the Shadow Wolf had no intention of lingering here any longer. It wanted to escape, for there were simply too many threatening auras in this place. As a creature of the shadow element, even when confronted with overwhelming peril, it believed it could find a way out. It had managed to elude the previous sweep of the secret realm with cunning. Unfortunately, the powerful figures who had entered the secret realm this time were on an entirely different level from those who had come before. Not to mention, among them were Sun Zhiyuan and Murong Yu—two supremely formidable individuals.

At this very moment, Sun Zhiyuan was positioned directly in the path the Shadow Wolf had to take for its escape.

“Wretched beast! Still trying to run? Get back!” Sun Zhiyuan thundered.

Both he and Murong Yu already understood Zhou Wei’s intentions: the Shadow Wolf was now meant to be a whetstone for the remaining students who had not yet been eliminated. They agreed with this arrangement—it was the perfect opportunity to temper the young ones under their watchful eyes. With the two of them nearby, no unforeseen accidents would occur this time.

The Shadow Wolf could sense the deadly aura radiating from Sun Zhiyuan and, realizing it was no match, darted in the opposite direction. Yet, no matter where it tried to run, Sun Zhiyuan always blocked its way. Gradually, the creature realized that as long as it stayed within a certain range, Sun Zhiyuan would not harm it. It didn’t understand why, but at least for now, it was safe.

…

Elsewhere, all those who had not been eliminated had gathered together. The main objective now was to locate and slay the Shadow Wolf. Everything else could be set aside.

“Everyone, I believe we’re all aware of the current situation. Since the chief examiner said the Shadow Wolf is in this area, then it must be here. Let’s discuss how we’re going to find it, and how we’re going to deal with it.”

“The Shadow Wolf is a second-tier spirit beast. If we act alone, none of us will be its match. I suggest we form teams.”

“I agree with working in teams, but if we all move together, it might be even harder to find the Shadow Wolf.”

“There are fifteen of us left. I propose we split into three teams of five. While searching, stay within a reasonable distance of each other. If any team encounters the Shadow Wolf, the other two can immediately come to their aid.”

At these words, everyone nodded in agreement.

Splitting into three teams of five would speed up the search, and since the target was a second-tier Shadow Wolf, too few people would be unable to withstand its attacks; five was the ideal number. The groupings were quickly settled. Chu Ran and Ji Boxiao immediately chose four strong members from the original teams to form their own group. The remaining two were automatically assigned to Lin Xiao’s team. Lin Xiao had no objections; he would be with Shen Yao and Zhou Zhi regardless, and the identities of the other two did not matter.

Once the groups were formed, the three teams began their search around the area.

The Shadow Wolf was extremely adept at hiding, but not entirely without traces. Its shadow abilities allowed it to conceal itself within darkness; at a distance, it was nearly impossible to sense, but when close enough, faint ripples of spiritual power could be detected. The guardians assigned previously had simply not anticipated the presence of a shadow-elemental spirit beast, or it would never have succeeded in its earlier ambush.

Now, the Shadow Wolf was thoroughly disgruntled, crouched within a patch of darkness and silently observing the humans. Besides the fifteen before it, there were too many hidden threats in the surroundings for its comfort. This made it anxious, but also stirred its ferocity. It would not foolishly provoke those it could not handle; instead, it set its sights on one of the five-person teams—Ji Boxiao’s group.

Ji Boxiao was being extremely cautious, watching not only the shadows around them but also their own, fearing a sudden ambush from the Shadow Wolf.

“Stay alert, everyone. If you spot the Shadow Wolf, close ranks immediately and wait for backup from the other teams,” Ji Boxiao instructed, though his heart was pounding in fear. In truth, when Wang Qing had said they could forfeit, he had been tempted. Given his noble status, any danger here was simply not worth the risk. Had he not been too proud to withdraw when no one else did, and had Wang Qing not assured them of their safety, he would have given up long ago. Now, his only hope was that the Shadow Wolf would appear before the other two teams, allowing him to reap the benefits without risk.

But as fate would have it, or perhaps due to Ji Boxiao’s poor luck, the Shadow Wolf was lurking precisely where his team was searching.

Murong Yu and Sun Zhiyuan watched from not far away. Zhou Wei had already spoken with them; the task of protecting the students now rested in their hands.

They agreed without hesitation. With the two of them present, it would be truly strange if the Shadow Wolf succeeded. Still, they had no intention of interfering with the examination. Only if the students’ lives were in real danger would they intervene. Murong Yu was prepared to teleport anyone away at the first sign of mortal peril.

Sun Zhiyuan, observing as Ji Boxiao’s team drew ever closer to the Shadow Wolf, smiled. “They’re about to meet it. Stay alert—don’t let any of these kids get hurt again.”

Murong Yu glanced indifferently toward a patch of shadow. “If it manages to succeed right under my nose, I may as well smash my head against a block of tofu and end it all.”

As Ji Boxiao’s team drew ever nearer the Shadow Wolf’s position, they sensed something amiss. From the shadows ahead, they detected faint spiritual energy fluctuations—a sign that the Shadow Wolf was indeed there. This also meant the beast was already very close.

“Shad—” The first person to sense the fluctuation barely managed to warn the others before the Shadow Wolf suddenly appeared before him, its bloody jaws lunging for his throat.

Knowing the Shadow Wolf was present was one thing; evading its attack was quite another. The targeted individual tried to dodge, but the wolf was simply too fast for him to react.

Fortunately, thanks to their heightened vigilance, the team members already had their spiritual arts at the ready. All but Ji Boxiao immediately unleashed their skills in an attempt to save their comrade.

But then—why hadn’t Ji Boxiao acted? At the moment the Shadow Wolf appeared, he had been so terrified he lost his wits. While the others sprang into action, he turned and fled without a backward glance.

This scene was captured in full by the drone, exposing Ji Boxiao’s cowardice to countless onlookers.

Murong Yu did not intervene, for the Shadow Wolf, faced with so many spiritual attacks, did not force its way through, but shifted its target. At that moment, the fleeing Ji Boxiao became the perfect prey.