No Life, Only Death (Earlier addition: Ancient Martial Spear bonuses; killing demons counts as practical combat training)

Dark clouds churned over Qingmu Town, and winds stretching for miles swept up yellow dust like snow. The teachers of No.8 Middle School stared wide-eyed at the empty Central Plaza.

"They all vanished in an instant?"

"Why did the secret realm's intake and release happen so quickly this time?"

"That's not right. I was within the range too—why wasn't I pulled in?"

Noisy discussions spread across the plaza. More and more teachers gathered, looking around at the fallen stone pillars and the canopy overhead.

"What do we do? There are thousands of demon beasts with fewer than a hundred students. This... this will be hard to save."

"The flow of time in the secret realm differs from outside. Who knows when it will open again? And inviting experts who study secret realms requires a long time to prepare."

"The key is that the Demon Plant even Director Zhao couldn't detect seemed to have appeared in the secret realm just now. Something's wrong..."

The normally steady teachers were already panicking like ants on a hot griddle. They grasped at the colorful spiritual auras of martial artists, trying to communicate with the secret realm hidden in another layer of space, but it was like trying to grip soap with oily hands.

This Practical Training Hunt had gathered all of No.8 Middle School's top talents. Every Outstanding Student had participated, including Li Juefeng!

After being "swallowed" by the secret realm, the students were like steamed buns dropped into an anthill—there was only death, no survival!

With so many students dead, how would No.8 Middle School have any decent students left for the college entrance exams?

An entire generation would be cut off!

The Martial Arts Education Department would hold them accountable!

This was not merely No.8 Middle School's loss, but a loss for Plateau City and even Northwest Province!

"Enough. First, report this emergency to the school and the Martial Arts Education Department."

His booming voice rang like a bell as Zhao Gongzheng strode into the plaza with clenched fists. Behind his glasses, a fierce glint hid within his cloudy eyes. "The Practical Training Hunt is ending early. Exterminate the remaining demon beasts in Qingmu Town. We may have been set up by the demon race this time. Strengthen reconnaissance across the board."

"Yes."

Dozens of teachers dispersed at the order. Zhao Gongzheng exhaled heavily through his nose, his fist creaking as it loosened. "That Demon Plant actually escaped my sight by entering the secret realm?"

"The ability to exert a certain degree of control over secret realms is a trait of the Demon King, the Crimson Flame Spider Matriarch. Only some of her special offspring inherit that ability. Does that mean she arranged for special offspring to come here in advance?!"

Li Ang strode over, the scar across his nose twitching grotesquely. His eyes bulged with rage as spittle flew from his mouth. "The Crimson Flame Spider Matriarch is clearly leading the demon race in wearing down Tianshan City. How does she have the attention to harm us too?!"

He had finally obtained Spear Spirit Incense from the Principal as a reward, intending to help his son completely break through in his comprehension of Transformative Force.

Yet they might have been plotted against by the Demon King, the Crimson Flame Spider Matriarch. His son now had to face thousands of demon beasts, along with a strange and unpredictable Demon Plant!

A hopeless situation!

Fury shot straight to his head. He casually crushed the black spider spinning a web on a shrub, gritting his teeth. "Fucking hell!"

"..."

Zhao Gongzheng remained silent. His gaze was deep as he stared at the empty space in the center of the plaza, where the phantom image of the Demon Plant reflected in his eyes slowly faded away.

"For the Demon Plant to enter the secret realm without a sound, the Crimson Flame Spider Matriarch must have paid some other price and perhaps been planning this for a long time. Otherwise, how could I have failed to detect a mere hatchling?"

Inside the secret realm, wind slapped against his face as Jiang Qiu chased into midair. Holding his breath, he reached out with his left hand. The three White Jade Fruits hanging amid the Demon Plant's branches and leaves grew larger in his vision, drawing ever closer.

The earlier slaughter had depleted most of his qi and blood. He no longer had Blood Boil Liquid to replenish it, and his strength would eventually run dry.

Even if he killed another dozen demon beasts and advanced his Ancient Martial Arts Spear Technique, he would have no strength left to use it. It was impossible for him to kill all several thousand demon beasts!

If the demon beasts were not all dead, he would die in the end as well!

Only by eating the Demon Plant's fruits and absorbing the surging power contained within could he possibly fight to the very end!

The Demonic Plant Fruit had to be claimed!

With that thought, his left hand and Li Juefeng's were already level, about to pull ahead...

Buzz, whoosh—

A tearing sound suddenly exploded through the air. A bone-chilling cold swept down Jiang Qiu's spine as a thick green arc lashed toward him, his pupils instantly widening.

He instinctively raised both arms. His blood boiled wildly, and bronze light burst forth.

The waist-thick green vine lashed down like a massive iron hammer smashing squarely into a freshly launched green walnut.

With a bang, Jiang Qiu was blasted fifty meters away and slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash. Dust erupted into a crater. His long spear flew from his hand, spinning backward before stabbing into the ground beside his waist and trembling with a hum.

Huff~ ha~ huff~ ha~

Heat stored within his body poured out as his chest rose and fell violently. He dragged himself up by the slanted spear shaft with his right hand. The bright-red lash marks sank slightly into the skin of his arms, while the bronze glow died like a candle flame and the cold wind chilled his sweat.

Jiang Qiu watched the Demon Plant rip its roots from the earth and pursue Li Juefeng, who was leaping away like a fleeing flea. His expression darkened.

The Demon Plant was part of the demon race, so of course it could attack. But he had not expected such explosive force. It had reacted in so little time, and one strike of its vine had pushed his body to its limits.

Without more qi and blood to replenish himself, every battle from here on would mean overdrawing his life and martial potential.

Sure enough, an ordinary human body had its limits...

"Jiang Qiu!"

A sharp cry suddenly rang out like a startled bird scattering through the woods. Jiang Qiu instinctively turned his head. Fifty paces away, a crimson glass vial flew through the air and landed in his palm with a tap.

"Blood Boil Liquid?!"

Jiang Qiu's pupils shook. Liu Zili was being besieged by more than a dozen Iron-Armored Lizards. Several bloody tears had been ripped through her clothes. She paused after every thrust of her spear, bent over and gasping.

She was struggling so hard, yet she still hadn't used the Blood Boil Liquid?

For some reason, his heart trembled. Jiang Qiu gritted his teeth, flicked out the glass stopper, and gulped the liquid down into his stomach. His heart ignited once more like blazing fire!

With a crack, he yanked out his long spear and drove it backward through the Red-Armored Great Lizard that had opened its jaws behind him to bite.

He pulled it free with a snap. Scarlet blood slid down the shaft into his palm, sticky and scorching hot.

Practical combat training once

Ancient Martial Spear (Proficient)

965/1000

He only needed to kill a few more demon beasts for the Ancient Martial Spear to break through to Mastery, allowing him to comprehend his own Transformative Force and slay high-rank demon beasts!

With that thought, Jiang Qiu's bent knees suddenly sprang upward. Barren earth sprayed beneath his feet as he charged out alone with his spear. In his black-jade eyes reflected the image of the girl wielding her spear in a deadly dance!

Every demon beast in his path died.

Practical combat training once

Practical combat training once

Tap...

An Iron-Armored Lizard fell to the ground. The end of Liu Zili's spear planted into the barren earth as her upper body tilted beneath the blood-streaked spearhead. Her clear almond eyes were half-covered by her lids, and cloudy white breath escaped her lips as she murmured, "Blood Boil Liquid is really expensive. If only I could have bought two doses..."

Jiang Qiu was a genius. Perhaps he could hold on until the end. Once the secret realm opened again, he would leave as the first person from the Slum Area to receive the award for "Best Performance."

I only became an Outstanding Student after finally stumbling upon an opportunity. Even the spearhead I received was wealth my parents could not have earned in half their lives.

Dying while fighting demon beasts was the fate of most people in Northwest Province. It was my fate too.

After death, I won't be able to keep training martial arts. I won't be able to follow behind Jiang Qiu and wait for the day he rises...

"Roar-hiss—"

Her thoughts were cut off in an instant by the strange cry of a Red-Armored Great Lizard.

Its ever-widening bloody maw reflected in her cold eyes, swallowing the world as it bore down on her. Chunks of flesh slid from the gaps between its sharp teeth and over its black lips, while a foul stench crashed into her face.

With a tap, she swayed and straightened her long spear, only to be sent flying by the claw it swung out with the motion. Her heartbeat flickered like a candle caught in a gale.

"Maybe getting my head bitten first won't hurt for long..."

Before her final thought could settle, at the critical instant when the giant jaws were about to swallow her small upper body—

Whoosh—

A flash of cold light streaked past. A double-curved spearhead entered her sight like black lightning, punching through the Red-Armored Great Lizard's skull and dragging its crocodile-like body flying diagonally away.

The passing fangs and cold wind severed several strands of hair from Liu Zili's temple. In stunned disbelief, she turned to look.