Stop!

Is the trial starting already?

Couldn't you at least let me prepare a little!

What to do?

What to do?

Su Ling'er flashed aside, dodging the figure, and only then did she see what kind of monster it was.

"Awoooo—"

A wolf's howl came from the monster.

This was a Wolf Yao, and it was a whole size larger than an ordinary Yao Wolf!

Its fangs were bared, and a pair of beastly eyes stared intently at Su Ling'er.

Thankfully, it's not strong. I can still react.

But... with this wooden sword?

Are they going to make me use this wooden sword to chop up a Yao Wolf?

Without using Spiritual Power or my cultivation, relying only on mortal martial arts?

Are they expecting me to punch and kick this Yao Wolf?

But I haven't undergone body tempering either, so my physique isn't strong!

The Yao Wolf moved again!

It exerted force with its four limbs, moving so fast that it was impossible to react, and lunged at Su Ling'er once more.

A foul wind hit her face, and Su Ling'er's pupils contracted. In that instant, the Spiritual Power within her body, like an instinct threatened, almost burst out to form a defensive shield!

She bit her lower lip hard, her feet suddenly shifting. She narrowly dodged sideways by half a step.

The wolf's claws grazed the edge of her clothes, tearing off a piece of fabric.

Phew...

However, the Yao Wolf didn't give her time to rest and lunged at her again with its gaping maw.

Su Ling'er looked at Lin Qingfeng not far away.

Is he really not going to save me?

It's over, it's over!

She could only thrust the wooden sword, which looked like a fire poker, forward.

At least it's a wooden stick. It's better than fighting the Yao Wolf bare-handed!

This thrust was plain and unremarkable, without Spiritual Power enhancement or any fancy moves.

She had already prepared herself for the wooden sword to break and for her to immediately abandon the sword and flee behind Senior Disciple Brother.

But then, with a soft "swish," a sound like a sharp blade entering flesh!

The two attributes on the wooden sword, [Sever (Tier 1)] and [Ward Off Evil (Tier 1)], activated instantly.

Su Ling'er froze.

She looked down. The wooden sword had easily injured the Yao Wolf's face, even bursting one of its eyes!

This wooden sword is this strong?

Is this even a wooden sword?

But why can't I feel any special properties from it?

The Yao Wolf cried out in pain from its injured face and stumbled back two steps.

Su Ling'er seized the opportunity, sidestepped into the Yao Wolf's blind spot, and thrust the wooden sword directly at its head!

"Swish!"

The wooden sword once again easily pierced the Yao Wolf's head, sinking in up to the hilt.

The Yao Wolf's body twitched a few times symbolically before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.

Blood slowly flowed down the wooden sword, dripping onto the ground.

Then, with a "poof," the Yao Wolf's corpse turned into a wisp of green smoke and disappeared without a trace.

Su Ling'er flicked the sword, looking at the wooden sword in her hand in disbelief.

Not a drop of blood stained the sword's body, yet it still had that simple, fire-poker-like appearance.

This wooden sword looked like a piece of ordinary wood, but that last strike was sharper than refined steel!

What is going on?

Is this wooden sword not an ordinary item?

If it's not an ordinary item, why would they distribute it to disciples for free?

Before she could figure it out, Lin Qingfeng's voice came from the side:

"Not bad, your movements are quite agile. You have the foundation of a mortal martial artist."

"But you must know, the struggle for the Great Dao has always been decided by the narrowest of margins."

"In that moment just now, if your Dao heart had wavered even slightly, you could have stopped here."

If she died right after entering, Su Ling'er's achievement would only be clearing one floor.

This would also be recorded by Elder Qian. On the Monster Locking Tower's challenge leaderboard, she would undoubtedly be in last place!

Even those players hadn't been so pathetic as to die after clearing just one floor!

If she wasn't embarrassed, he himself would be embarrassed.

Moreover, if Su Ling'er saw her bottom-ranking score, would it cause some psychological barrier?

But it probably wouldn't...

Her aptitude was already so poor, she should have some idea.

But it wasn't impossible... Forget it, at least she passed the first floor.

Su Ling'er gripped her wooden sword and said nothing.

The subsequent Monster Locking Tower trials also confirmed her guess.

The second floor was a Two-headed Yao Wolf.

The third floor was a Yao Pig with thick, tough skin.

The fourth floor was thirteen swift-moving Magic Monkeys.

Su Ling'er, relying solely on the wooden sword in her hand and her mortal martial arts, managed to escape danger time and time again.

But by the fourth floor, she was indeed starting to run out of stamina.

Even with the wooden sword in hand, she already felt a slight strain.

Yet, she still dared not reveal her true cultivation.

Lin Qingfeng stood by the side the entire time, saying nothing, his eyes completely vacant.

This was because he was browsing the forums. His junior sister was fighting too slowly, and he was bored.

The fifth floor would have a mini-boss. Perhaps he could watch how his junior sister dealt with it.

Otherwise, why not browse the forums and learn some cool quotes?

Finally, Su Ling'er arrived at the fifth floor of the Monster Locking Tower.

The world before her eyes suddenly twisted, transforming into a dark and damp cave.

"Drip... drip..."

Water droplets fell from the stalactites on the cave ceiling.

In this dead silent cave, the sound was exceptionally clear.

Her back was already soaked with cold sweat, and her stamina was rapidly depleting.

She had a strong premonition that the monster on this floor would be more terrifying than all the previous four floors combined!

"Rustle... rustle rustle..."

A friction sound came from the shadows deep within the cave.

The shadows moved!

A giant scorpion, nearly a hundred feet long, crawled out slowly, dragging its rock-like body.

Its carapace had a dull gray luster. As its two giant pincers opened and closed, they flashed with a cold, metallic glint.

And most deadly of all was its highly raised tail stinger.

The poison needle at the tip was emitting a faint purple glow.

A Rock Armor Scorpion!

Su Ling'er's heart instantly sank to the bottom.

A Yao Beast of this caliber, if she didn't use her Spiritual Power, she would have no way to defeat it!

The Rock Armor Scorpion also discovered her.

Its six terrifying compound eyes rotated simultaneously, locking onto the tiny human.

One of its giant pincers repeatedly scraped at the ground!

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The hard rock ground was easily gouged into shallow pits by its pincer.

It was showing off!

Su Ling'er looked at its impenetrable armor and knew clearly that if she continued to pretend on this level, she would definitely die!

Mortal martial arts were a joke in the face of such a monster!

Her only path to survival was to use her cultivation!

But... once I use it... her gaze subconsciously flickered towards Lin Qingfeng.

Hm?

What are you up to now?

Lin Qingfeng still stood there, his body stiff, his eyes vacant, showing no reaction.

Was he possessed?

I didn't see any Yao Beasts that powerful in the previous levels either?

Then... he's faking it!

He's deliberately putting on this act, just to see if I'll reveal my cultivation level when I'm cornered!

What should I do?

Sect Master, what should I do?

If I reveal myself, the Undercover Mission fails immediately.

I might be eliminated as an anomaly by this Demonic Sect.

Be refined into a living pill, used as material for blood sacrifice, or become nourishment for Human Origin Soil...

If I don't reveal myself, I'll be torn to shreds by this Rock Armor Scorpion right now!

It's just a matter of dying sooner or later.

No!

I can't reveal myself!

I have to take a gamble!

Gamble that I still have some value to this Senior Disciple Brother, that he won't actually let me die!

Su Ling'er's gaze turned resolute!

And the Rock Armor Scorpion moved!

Its massive body turned into a gray lightning bolt, charging forward fiercely!

So fast!

Su Ling'er narrowly dodged by turning sideways, and its giant scorpion claw clashed fiercely with the wooden sword in Su Ling'er's hand!

"Clang--!"

A deafening sound of metal striking wood exploded!

A tremendous force came from the sword, cracking her tiger's mouth and nearly making her drop the wooden sword!

The wooden sword didn't break, but it didn't cut down Yao Beasts like mud as it had before.

It only left a shallow scratch on the scorpion's claw, with white smoke rising from it and making a "sizzling" sound.

But this was only a negligible erosion to the giant claw.

The sharp weapon that was effective against the Yao Beasts of the first four levels was now useless!

The Rock Armor Scorpion's attack didn't stop.

With a turn, it slammed Su Ling'er, who had just used her wooden sword to block and had nowhere to brace herself, against the stone wall!

"Bang!"

"Pfft--!"

She spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, her vision darkened, her internal organs felt displaced, and even breathing brought sharp pain.

So painful...

She struggled to get up, but her body completely refused to obey.

And the Rock Armor Scorpion pressed closer, its venom-dripping tail stinger raised high, aimed at her face!

In Su Ling'er's pupils, the poisonous needle, shimmering with purple light, kept enlarging, occupying her entire field of vision.

It's over...

Am I going to die?

Won't Senior Disciple Brother really come to save me?

Is this... my end?

Cultivating for three years, still at Qi Refining Level 3, ultimately... I can't even see the threshold of Foundation Establishment...

Master's instructions... the expectations of the Righteous Path... I've failed them all...

And that true scripture, I haven't even had time to comprehend a fraction of its mysteries before I have to turn to dust with it...

So unwilling... I'm truly so unwilling...

Just then, she heard Senior Disciple Brother's voice.

"Stop!"

Su Ling'er's pupils suddenly focused.

"Stop?"

What did he mean?

He could control the Yao Beasts here?!

Could it be... this was all just a play he had arranged!

However, the Rock Armor Scorpion's movements didn't pause in the slightest. Its deadly tail stinger still whistled through the air, driving straight down!

No way?!

It doesn't listen to you?!

It's not even human, so what's the point of you shouting "Stop" at it!

It's over... it's over... I'm really going to die...

Lin Qingfeng!

Even as a ghost, I won't let you go--!

Su Ling'er's mind went blank. In her despair, she even closed her eyes.