Elimination Means Death!

A tremendous clamor erupted from the Earth Platform.

It wasn't just the Fat Man and Diabetic Aunt—quite a few Passengers' clay figures had melted as well.

"When I slammed the Mud Embryo down, I didn't slack off even once. I raised my hands over my head every time!"

"Me too!"

"Could it be that my luck is just that bad?"

The Passengers argued noisily, staring tensely at the Clay Figure Monster.

Lin Baici glanced at the Rolex he had picked up at Longchan Temple. Six minutes remained.

The Clay Figure Monster stopped walking and looked coldly at them, like gods seated high above the clouds gazing down upon a swarm of ants. It had no intention of clearing up the Passengers' confusion.

"What the hell is going on? Can't you tell us?"

the Fat Man roared.

"Please keep quiet. Do not disturb the others!"

The Clay Figure Monster glanced at him and offered a warning.

"Keep quiet my ass!"

The Fat Man wanted to kill someone.

Lin Baici believed they had dug up the wrong Mud Embryos.

He looked at the Pregnant Woman. He couldn't bear to see that child lose its father the moment it was born. He wanted to tell the Man with Glasses his deduction, but what if he was wrong?

This was a matter of life and death. Until the final second, Lin Baici couldn't guarantee that there was nothing wrong with the clay figure he had made.

Be more confident. Your analysis is correct—it's the Mud Embryo that's the problem!

God of Gluttony spoke.

Hearing that, Lin Baici immediately shouted at the Man with Glasses, "Sir, the Mud Embryo you dug up was defective, which is why the clay figure you sculpted melted!"

Whoosh!

Everyone turned to look at him in unison. They first glanced at Lin Baici, then shifted their gazes to the stone slab before him.

A clay figure sat atop it, looking very much like him.

"Young man, are you saying there's something wrong with the Mud Embryos?"

Diabetic Aunt's voice trembled.

"Yes!"

Lin Baici nodded.

"What's wrong with them?"

"Aren't they all Mud Embryos? What's the difference?"

"I can't tell!"

It wasn't only the Passengers whose clay figures had melted—even most of those who had succeeded were utterly bewildered, because they had simply dug up their mud at random.

"Then where should we dig the mud?"

Diabetic Aunt looked anxiously at Lin Baici, waiting for an answer.

Among these people, there were some clever ones.

Five people immediately broke into a run toward the spot where the Clay Figure Monster had previously dug its mud.

"Fuck, I should've done that from the start!"

The Fat Man cursed, consumed with regret.

In fact, many Passengers had been so afraid of the Clay Figure Monster that they hadn't dared approach it at all.

The Fat Man, Diabetic Aunt, and the others immediately ran toward the place where the Clay Figure Monster had dug before.

"Leave some for me!"

Diabetic Aunt cried out in panic.

"Don't panic. It'll be fine!"

After saying that, the Man with Glasses also wanted to rush over and grab some mud, but his Wife held him back.

"What is it?"

The Man with Glasses didn't understand.

"So many people have gone over there. Do you think you can fight them for it? And can you guarantee that the Mud Embryo you dig up this time will be fine?"

The Pregnant Woman covered her belly with one hand, looking extremely anxious. "Since that student knows the Mud Embryos are the cause, he must know what kind of Mud Embryos are qualified. Let's go ask him!"

After saying that, the Pregnant Woman headed toward Lin Baici.

"Don't move. I'll go!"

The Man with Glasses rushed to Lin Baici, clasped his hands together, and pleaded, "Little brother, please help me!"

"Go!"

Lin Baici snatched up the clay figure resting on the stone slab and ran toward the Red Clay Mud Pond.

"Isn't this kid being way too cautious?"

Ma Yuan was speechless. Couldn't you trust me a little more?

I'm a Dragon Guard from the Safety Bureau, for crying out loud. I'd definitely keep your clay figure safe.

Annoyed as he was—

Lin Baici's little gesture still made Ma Yuan think more highly of him.

Only those who paid attention to details could succeed.

"Dig here!"

Lin Baici chose a puddle. "At least fifteen centimeters deep!"

Man with Glasses looked around, then turned to look at where the Clay Figure Monster had dug its pit.

There were far too many people there—more than three hundred, crammed together. To fight for the best spots, namely those near the pit where the Clay Figure Monster had dug up Red Clay, they were actually shoving and fighting.

If there hadn't been so many people, he would still have wanted to go over there!

Lin Baici understood Man with Glasses's hesitation. After all, their lives were on the line.

"What are you fighting over? Is it really that hard to dig up a qualified Mud Embryo?"

The Clay Figure Monster couldn't stand watching any longer.

These people were truly eye-searing.

They were actually fighting over mud.

Quite a few people revealed looks of "just as expected," especially those passengers who had dug up the right Mud Embryos. They secretly rejoiced.

"What kind of Mud Embryo is qualified?"

Diabetic Aunt pressed the question.

The Clay Figure Monster did not answer. It stared at Lin Baici and warned, "This is the Apprenticeship Qualification Exam. Every step must be completed by the apprentices themselves. If you help others again, I will punish you and revoke your qualification for the exam."

Lin Baici shrugged.

He had always been cautious. If he hadn't been unable to bear watching that Pregnant Woman lose her husband, he wouldn't have spoken up.

Man with Glasses was honest, but he wasn't stupid. The moment he heard the Clay Figure Monster's words, he understood.

What that student had said was right.

Man with Glasses immediately crouched down, thrust both hands deep into the mud pond, and began digging.

At least fifteen centimeters deep, right?

"Baici, hurry back!"

Song Li called out.

She had learned Lin Baici's name from Xia Hongyao.

Thank heavens I met him. Otherwise, I'd be frantically digging for Mud Embryos too, like my butt was on fire.

Whenever Song Li thought about how she had chosen to trust Lin Baici and followed him in digging for Red Clay, she felt delighted.

Her luck really was good.

That was why she was now so concerned about Lin Baici's safety.

As long as this Big Male Student stayed alive, she would have a thigh to cling to, raising her chances of survival.

"..."

Ma Yuan shuddered with lingering fear. There really was something wrong with those Mud Embryos?

He had nearly acted rashly.

"Well? Isn't this kid amazing?"

Xia Hongyao showed off proudly.

He was the prospective team member I had my eye on!

Mm!

Once we deal with this God's Taboo Object, I'll call my sister right away and ask her for a quota for exemption-based admission.

As 18D listened to Xia Hongyao praise Lin Baici—

she felt deeply envious.

Why was her mind filled with nothing but panic and helplessness? Why couldn't she be like Lin Baici at all?

Was the gap between people really this vast?

But when 18D saw those passengers still digging through the Red Clay Mud Pond, she felt relieved again.

This was how ordinary people were supposed to act!

"Young man, do you think this mud embryo of mine passes?"

Diabetic Aunt had dug up a mud embryo and immediately came over to ask Lin Baici.

There was little time left. She had no chance to try again, so she had to make sure she succeeded in one go.

Around twenty passengers had dug up Red Clay and already run back to the Earth Platform, preparing to pound it into shape. Seeing Diabetic Aunt rush to Lin Baici's side and whisper to him, three of them quickly put the pieces together. They picked up their clumps of mud and ran over as well.

Clearly, they intended to have Lin Baici confirm whether their mud embryos qualified.

Lin Baici said nothing.

"It's fine, that Clay Figure Monster is making its rounds and isn't looking over here. Hurry up and tell me!"

Diabetic Aunt urged him. "I'm begging you!"

"Can you stop trying to drag people down with you?"

Man with Glasses snapped at the old woman.

He was worried that Lin Baici was young, inexperienced in the ways of the world, and too eager to help others. If he acted on impulse, played the hero, and gave the old woman the answer, it would be trouble.

"Shut your filthy mouth!"

Diabetic Aunt glared at Man with Glasses. When she turned back to Lin Baici, she wore a pitiful, pleading look again, like those professional beggars on the street.

"Handsome Guy, help me take a look too!"

"You don't need to say anything. Just nod or shake your head—give us a signal!"

"This piece of mine should be fine, right?"

Several passengers smiled ingratiatingly as they asked in low voices.

[Don't run your mouth, or you really will die!]

God of Gluttony warned.

Lin Baici did not say a word. He silently walked toward the Earth Platform.

Unable to get an answer, the passengers cursed and hurried back to their respective stone slabs, beginning to pound their mud embryos.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

This time, the sounds came thick and fast. The passengers were all moving at top speed.

Diabetic Aunt wanted to hurry too, but she had already processed clay twice and was exhausted. Her arms ached so badly that she could not move any faster even if she wanted to.

Especially this time—after pounding the mud embryo a dozen or so times, her arms shook incessantly as if she had Parkinson's, and she simply could not lift the mud embryo over her head anymore.

"Heavens, you're trying to take my life!"

Diabetic Aunt broke down and wept in despair.

No one cared about her. Everyone was fighting for their lives, seizing the final moments to make their clay sculptures as flawless as possible and earn the highest score they could.

The atmosphere was stifling and tense, like a noose around everyone's necks, slowly drawing tighter.

The Clay Figure Monster patrolling the grounds suddenly stopped. After sweeping its gaze around, it announced loudly, "Time's up. Body Sculpting is over!"

Smack! Smack! Smack!

More than fifty passengers were still pounding their mud embryos, most of them elderly.

Lin Baici glanced at Man with Glasses. He had not put down his carving knife and was still sculpting his clay figure. Since he had done it once before, he was much more practiced this time.

The Clay Figure Monster looked at those people, its eyes filled with disdain.

"You can't even pound a mud embryo into finished clay. You are utter trash. Eliminated!"

Though they did not know what would happen after elimination, it was certainly nothing good, so those people argued their case.

"You didn't explain things clearly! That's why we had to do it a second time!"

"Give me one more chance, please?"

"My previous clay figure was beautifully shaped!"

Some complained, some begged for mercy, but no matter what they said, the Clay Figure Monster did not care. It raised both hands and clapped forcefully three times.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

At the edge of the Earth Platform in the Red Clay Mud Pond, clumps of mud bulged up from the ground and squirmed. Within ten seconds, they formed two-meter-tall clay figures.

They had no facial features, yet they strode forward on long legs, accurately stepped onto the Earth Platform, and briskly headed toward those who had been eliminated.

Diabetic Aunt panicked and turned to run, but the clay figure more than five meters away from her raised its right hand. With a whoosh, its arm stretched and shot out like a python striking at prey, snaring Diabetic Aunt's ankle in one swift motion.

The clay figure's arm shortened and slowly reeled back in. At the same time, it turned around and walked toward the mud pond.

Diabetic Aunt was dragged across the ground just like that, leaving a trail behind her.

"Save me!"

"I'm begging you, save me!"

"I don't want to die!"

As Clay Figure's arm returned to normal, Diabetic Aunt was dragged into the Red Clay Mud Pond as well. She struggled desperately, but it was no use.

Standing in the mud pond, Clay Figure seized her shoulder with one hand and her hair with the other, forcing her head down into the mud.

This aunt could not even cry for help, much less scream. Like a dying catfish, she could only flop about weakly.

Death descended!

The Clay Figures began clearing out the eliminated contestants. Once they caught someone, they drowned them directly in the mud pond.