"What? How could this happen? How are we supposed to pass the test now!"
"Before, you only had to reach a certain number of points to pass automatically. Why are the requirements so much stricter this time?!"
"In previous tests, at least a quarter of the candidates passed, but this time, fewer than one in ten made it! How could this happen!"
The children erupted in an uproar. For them, this was their last chance. If they couldn't join the Lin Clan, they would be left to wander the streets. There was no way that would end well—they might not even know what killed them.
Besides, the path of cultivation wasn't one you could succeed on through hard work alone. It also required a wealth of cultivation resources, which they had no way of obtaining. Joining a powerful clan or faction was their only option!
Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi also paled. The sudden change in the rules had caught them completely off guard. They had thought that with their increased strength, passing the test was a sure thing. But now, it seemed that wasn't the case at all.
"We're done for, we're done for, we're done for... I'm the strongest in our group, and I'm only at the third layer of the Qi Refining Stage. Under these new rules, we don't stand a chance!" Qin Lang looked utterly crestfallen, on the verge of tears.
Bu Lianshi was just as tense. If they failed the test, the boys might fare a little better, but the girls would be in a terrible situation. Being sold off as a maid would already count as a decent outcome; they might even be sold to a brothel.
"Lin Chuan, you've been working hard at cultivating lately. What layer have you reached?" Though he knew Lin Chuan couldn't have improved much, Qin Lang still looked at him with hopeful eyes as he asked.
"The first layer of the Qi Refining Stage," Lin Chuan said impassively, crushing the last of Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi's hopes.
"Looks like we don't stand much of a chance this time. Bu Lianshi and I might still have a chance, but Lin Chuan, you might..." Qin Lang gave Lin Chuan an apologetic look. Just moments ago, he'd been thumping his chest and promising to get him through the test. Now, he could barely save himself. Qin Lang felt terrible for Lin Chuan.
Seeing their apologetic expressions, Lin Chuan felt a sudden warmth in his heart. At least the two of them genuinely wanted to help him. They treated him like a friend.
"It's okay. We'll just do our best!" Lin Chuan said with a smile. At the same time, he thought, If you two can't get me through, then I'll get you through instead!
Just as everyone was panicking and talking over one another, the supervisor standing above them spoke again. "You've all noticed that the pass rate for this test has been lowered. But besides passing through the usual method, we've added another way to pass."
"Beneath the center of Hunting Ground No. 44 lies an underground magma lake. A medicinal herb called the Crimson Flame Lotus grows in the underground Lava Cave there. Anyone who gathers at least three Crimson Flame Lotuses can pass the test directly. The more you gather, the greater the cultivation resources you'll receive as a reward after passing!"
Boom!
At that, everyone instantly perked up, and their chatter grew even louder than before. The promise of greater rewards seemed to have struck a nerve with many of them. Even Qin Lang's face brightened in an instant—he'd come back to life at full strength!
"Hahaha! I've decided! I'll take you all to gather Crimson Flame Lotuses when the time comes. We'll definitely pass the test!" Qin Lang said excitedly, shaking the bewildered Bu Lianshi and Lin Chuan, who wore a helpless smile.
What was with that dying look you had just now? Lin Chuan grumbled inwardly.
Though the kids were all excited, Lin Chuan, who was actually already in his twenties, wasn't optimistic about the Crimson Flame Lotus gathering task. His instincts told him it would be even more dangerous than hunting Spirit Beasts.
"There's one more thing you should know. Five days after the test begins, everyone who has passed a previous test but hasn't reached the Foundation Establishment Stage will enter the test grounds to gather Crimson Flame Lotuses. And this time, killing is no longer forbidden! How many of you make it out alive will depend on your own luck!"
"The test begins at noon today. At that time, the protective array around Hunting Ground No. 44 will be opened, and you can enter from any direction. Remember, the underground magma lake is at the center of the Hunting Grounds, and the grounds form a circular area fifty li across. No matter where you enter, the distance to the center will be fifty li. That won't change!"
The supervisor's words immediately brought the crowd back down to earth. Qin Lang, who had been over the moon a moment ago, wilted on the spot.
Lin Chuan paid no heed to the astonished expressions of the orphans around him. He watched the supervisors walk off after making their announcement, narrowing his eyes slightly. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was fishy about this test, now that the rules had changed.
Without hesitation, Lin Chuan raised his hands and quietly formed Hand Seals in front of his chest.
"Byakugan!"
Purple chakra surged toward his eyes, and the veins around them bulged. Lin Chuan immediately activated his Byakugan and looked toward the supervisors who had walked away.
The men were chatting casually. Lin Chuan's Byakugan immediately caught the contempt and disdain in their eyes. The lip-reading he'd idly studied back in college also came in handy now, and he read their conversation without missing a word.
"Tch, these orphans think our Lin Clan actually needs them. So what if they pass the test? They'll still be nothing but our clan's dogs!"
"That's not entirely true. Even as dogs, they're scrambling over one another for the chance. As long as they can be good dogs, isn't that fine? Hahaha!"
"Exactly. If you're a dog, you should know how to be a good one. But how many of them do you think will go gather Crimson Flame Lotuses?"
"Gathering Crimson Flame Lotuses isn't dangerous at all. We planted them there ourselves. We deliberately lowered the pass rate this time to make them gather the lotuses for us. Plenty of them should take the bait!"
"Hmph, true enough. When gathered by hand, Crimson Flame Lotuses devour a little of a person's Spirit Root. It's only a small amount, but not a single Lin Clan member is willing to risk their own Spirit Root. That's why we can only send these useless dogs to do it."
"I heard that if you cover your skin with spiritual energy, that won't happen when you gather them."
"You're right, but doing that lowers the quality of the Blazing Red Lotus. Our clan isn't that foolish! Besides, sending spiritual energy outside your body is something only those at the Foundation Establishment Stage can do. That's why the clan is making everyone who hasn't reached that stage enter the grounds for the test!"
"Heh, the clan's methods really are something else! We've been raising these dogs for so long anyway. It's nice to get some use out of them!"
The two men laughed as they strolled farther away. Lin Chuan's expression grew colder and colder, dark enough to wring water from it. As he looked at the more than three hundred children around him, a wave of sorrow rose in his heart.
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