Chen Siyu and Chen Ruixuan watched the group of people racing toward them warily. The strange beasts they rode resembled qilin, their bodies emitting a faint glow, each step carrying an unusual ripple of spiritual power. The riders wore brightly colored leather armor and carried long spears, their eyes filled with vigilance and hostility.
At their head was a tall, stern-faced man. He reined in his mount and stopped before the siblings, looking them up and down before asking, "Who are you? Why did you come out of the Flower Sea? That flower sea has always been full of dangers. Ordinary people can hardly enter it, much less come out alive."
Chen Siyu answered politely, "We're adventurers passing through. We accidentally entered the Flower Sea and only managed to find a way out with great difficulty. May I ask who you are?"
The man frowned, seemingly unconvinced by Chen Siyu's words. "Hmph, adventurers? I don't think you're so simple. This grassland is the territory of our Lingxi Tribe. You entered without permission, so you must give an explanation."
Chen Ruixuan grew somewhat angry at his words. "We didn't know this was your territory, and we haven't done anything bad!"
A rider behind the man waved his long spear and shouted, "Little brat, stop making excuses! Our Lingxi Tribe has guarded this grassland for many years. Any outsider could be someone with ill intentions."
Chen Siyu knew they could not act impulsively now. She said as gently as possible, "We truly mean no harm. How about this? We can help you with something as compensation. Would that be acceptable?"
The man gave a cold laugh. "What can two little brats like you possibly do for us? Still, considering your young age, if you can pass our tribe's trial, we'll let you leave."
Chen Siyu and Chen Ruixuan exchanged a look and nodded in agreement. Seeing this, the man said, "Our Lingxi Tribe excels in speed and the control of spiritual power. You must run one lap across this grassland, passing through the many obstacles we set. If you can finish within the time it takes an incense stick to burn, you will have passed the trial."
With a wave of his hand, numerous spiritual power traps instantly appeared across the grassland. In some places, the ground would suddenly collapse. In others, volleys of spiritual arrows would shoot out, while powerful whirlwinds would rise elsewhere.
At the man's command, the trial began. Chen Ruixuan moved nimbly like an agile little monkey, darting left and right to avoid the areas where the ground collapsed. Chen Siyu used the Five-Colored Ribbon to block the incoming volleys of spiritual arrows.
However, the whirlwinds were immensely powerful, blowing Chen Siyu and Chen Ruixuan wildly off balance. Chen Siyu steadied herself and shouted to Chen Ruixuan, "Little brother, let's use Chaos Power together to resist it!" The siblings focused their minds and drew upon the Chaos Power within them, forming a Chaos Shield as they struggled forward through the whirlwinds.
Just as they were about to complete the lap, almost no time remained. Suddenly, a strange beast hidden in the grass leaped out and blocked their path. It resembled a cheetah and radiated an icy aura. Opening its jaws, it fired an ice spike at Chen Ruixuan.
Chen Ruixuan could not dodge in time, and the ice spike was about to strike him. At the critical moment, Chen Siyu quickly moved in front of Chen Ruixuan and used the Five-Colored Ribbon to block it. The ribbon collided with the ice spike with a crack, shattering the spike, but part of the Five-Colored Ribbon was frozen as well.
At that moment, the incense stick was about to burn out. Chen Ruixuan was frantic. He suddenly remembered the Small Orb he had obtained in the ruins. Hurriedly taking it out, he poured all his spiritual power into it. The orb released a powerful light that transformed into a force, shoving the strange beast aside.
Chen Siyu and Chen Ruixuan seized the chance to rush past the finish line, completing the trial at the very last moment. The man looked at them, a trace of surprise flashing through his eyes. He nodded slightly and said, "I didn't expect you two little brats to have some skill. Since you passed the trial, you may leave."
Just as Chen Siyu and Chen Ruixuan were about to depart, they suddenly heard cries of battle in the distance. It seemed that the Lingxi Tribe had run into trouble...
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