Fang Yan and Chu Feng sprinted along the path, with the Beast Tide hot on their heels. The roars drew closer and closer, and even the ground trembled faintly. Clearly, a huge number of exotic beasts were chasing them.
"A canyon lies ahead. We can set an ambush there and hold them off for a while!" Chu Feng shouted, pointing at the canyon not far ahead.
Fang Yan nodded. The two immediately picked up speed and charged into the canyon. Towering cliffs rose on both sides, leaving only a narrow passage between them. It was indeed an ideal place for an ambush.
"I'll set the traps. You lure them in!" Chu Feng said as he pulled specially made explosives and ropes from his backpack and swiftly arranged them along both sides of the canyon.
Fang Yan, meanwhile, gripped the Ink Ice Spear and stood at the canyon entrance, waiting for the Beast Tide to arrive.
Before long, a massive Bloodthirsty Wild Boar charged in first. Its blood qi reached 3.3, making it an exotic beast in the early Martial Master Realm. Behind it followed dozens of Black Wind Wolves and several Black Wind Bears.
"Now!"
Fang Yan shouted under his breath and used Wind-Treading Steps. He deliberately flashed back and forth in front of the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar, then turned and ran into the canyon.
The Bloodthirsty Wild Boar was enraged. It let out a roar and charged madly into the canyon with the exotic beasts behind it.
Once all the exotic beasts had entered the canyon, Chu Feng immediately detonated the explosives.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
After several deafening explosions, rocks on both sides of the canyon came tumbling down, partially blocking both the entrance and exit and temporarily trapping the Beast Tide.
"Take advantage of the moment. Kill!"
Chu Feng shouted and charged forward with his Folding Fan in hand. Dozens of silver needles shot from the fan, striking several Black Wind Wolves precisely in their vital points and killing them instantly.
Fang Yan was not to be outdone. He used the Ice Soul Spear Technique, wielding the Ink Ice Spear as naturally as his own arm. Ice spikes condensed at the tip and shot toward the exotic beasts.
"Ice Spear Thrust!"
Fang Yan shouted under his breath. A fierce ice-blue spear beam shot out and pierced straight through a Black Wind Bear's chest. The Black Wind Bear let out a tragic howl before collapsing dead.
[Ding! The host has slain a Black Wind Bear, an exotic beast in the early Martial Master Realm. System reward obtained: Blood Qi +0.1, Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger proficiency +20%.]
The system notification invigorated Fang Yan, and he slaughtered the exotic beasts with even greater ferocity.
However, there were simply too many exotic beasts. Although they had killed quite a few, even more surged forward and surrounded them on all sides.
Fang Yan and Chu Feng stood back-to-back, fighting desperately against the attacks of the exotic beasts. The Ink Ice Spear was stained with blood, and Chu Feng's Folding Fan was somewhat damaged, but neither of them retreated.
"This won't work. Our inner strength is almost exhausted!" Chu Feng gasped, shouting loudly.
Fang Yan also felt the inner strength within him steadily dwindling. He glanced at the surrounding exotic beasts and saw the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar ramming frantically against the canyon rocks, trying to break out.
"We have to kill that Bloodthirsty Wild Boar first! Once it dies, the other exotic beasts will be leaderless, and we'll have a chance to break out!" Fang Yan said.
Chu Feng nodded. "Good! Let's attack together!"
The two exchanged a glance and charged toward the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar at the same time.
The Bloodthirsty Wild Boar sensed the danger, turned around, and rushed toward them. Its tusks gleamed with a chilling light, making it look utterly terrifying.
"Great Desolation Prison Heaven Finger!"
Fang Yan shouted under his breath. A streak of ice-blue finger force shot out and struck the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar in the eye.
The Bloodthirsty Wild Boar let out a shrill howl. One of its eyes went blind, and it became even more violent. Waving its tusks, it charged straight at Fang Yan.
"Watch out!"
Chu Feng shouted and immediately used his movement technique, blocking Fang Yan's path. The Folding Fan in his hand snapped open, and a gigantic wind blade shot toward the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar's head.
"Pfft!"
The wind blade struck the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar's head, but only left a shallow wound on its skin. Its hide was simply too thick.
At that moment, Fang Yan seized the opportunity. He condensed all the inner strength remaining in his body into the Ink Ice Spear and unleashed the strongest move of the Ice Soul Spear Technique.
"Ice Soul Spear Technique—Ice Dragon Annihilates the World!"
A massive phantom ice dragon erupted from the spear tip, carrying an overwhelming chill and the momentum to destroy heaven and earth as it crushed toward the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar.
"Pfft!"
The phantom ice dragon slammed solidly into the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar, sending it flying backward. It crashed heavily to the ground, spat out a mouthful of blood, and never moved again.
[Ding! The host has slain an exotic beast in the early Martial Master Realm, the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar, while overcoming a level gap. System rewards obtained: Martial Master Realm Breakthrough Pill x1, Ink Ice Spear Soul evolution once, new skill unlocked: "Ice Dragon Roar - Modified."]
The system notification rang out. Fang Yan felt a warm current instantly spread throughout his body. Not only did his inner strength recover in an instant, but it became even more abundant than before. At the same time, he could sense the spear soul within the Ink Ice Spear becoming clearer, while the spear itself radiated a denser chill.
"Wonderful!" Fang Yan rejoiced inwardly.
Without the Bloodthirsty Wild Boar leading them, the other exotic beasts indeed fell into chaos. Fang Yan and Chu Feng seized the opportunity to attack. After killing several of the beasts at the front, the remaining exotic beasts finally grew afraid and turned to flee.
The two did not pursue them. Instead, they collapsed onto the ground and gasped for breath in great gulps. The battle had been far too intense, and both of them were utterly exhausted.
"We did it!" A smile appeared on Chu Feng's face.
Fang Yan smiled as well. "Yeah, we did it."
He looked at the Ink Ice Spear in his hand and could feel that the spear soul's consciousness had become much clearer. Moreover, the newly obtained skill, "Ice Dragon Roar - Modified," was several times more powerful than the previous "Ice Dragon Roar."
This outdoor trial really brought us a mountain of rewards, Fang Yan thought.
He knew that after this battle, his coordination with Chu Feng had become even more seamless, and his strength had improved tremendously. As long as he took that Martial Master Realm Breakthrough Pill, he would be able to formally break through to the Martial Master Realm!
After resting for a while, the two packed up their things and headed out of Black Wind Ridge. They had already completed the trial mission—and had even exceeded its requirements by quite a bit.
When they emerged from Black Wind Ridge and saw Su Wan and the other students, everyone wore astonished expressions. They had never expected Fang Yan and Chu Feng to survive the Beast Tide, much less complete the mission.
Su Wan walked up to the two and said with satisfaction, "You did very well. Fang Yan in particular—you actually managed to kill two exotic beasts in the Martial Master Realm. That truly exceeded my expectations."
Fang Yan smiled. "That was all thanks to Chu Feng and me working well together."
Chu Feng nodded as well. "That's right. We're teammates."
Su Wan looked at the two, a gratified expression in her eyes. "Very good. You didn't disappoint me. When you return, the school will give you generous rewards."
Fang Yan and Chu Feng exchanged a glance, and both saw excited light shining in the other's eyes. They knew that this outdoor trial was only the beginning of their time at Kyoto University of Science and Technology. Ahead of them awaited even more challenges and opportunities!
Before you continue