Ambush

[You have gained 28 Merit Points]

[You have gained 39 Merit Points]

[You have gained 51 Merit Points]

[You have gained...]

As Gao Teng ventured deeper into the forest, one mutated creature after another fell beneath his blade.

The danger level here far exceeded that of the sewers; venomous snakes frequently lunged from the shadows, their aggression palpable.

However, perhaps because people frequently visited the island to clear them out, the snakes that attacked him were pitifully weak, mostly below Level 1 in strength.

Gao Teng had been deep in the forest for over twenty minutes and had yet to encounter a mutated creature capable of posing a threat to him.

Even when he was accidentally bitten, his skin didn't show a single scratch; such was the terrifying nature of Level 3 physical constitution!

[You have gained 168 Merit Points]

Amidst the pleasant chime of the notification, Gao Teng pinned a king cobra to a tree.

He raised an eyebrow; this snake had actually provided him with so many Merit Points. If he could encounter more creatures like this, he would be rich today.

Gao Teng pulled out his blade and flicked the blood off it.

"Hey! You got blood on me!"

Meng Yao shrieked.

Gao Teng turned his head, his face full of apology. "Sorry, I wasn't paying attention."

"Not paying attention?"

Meng Yao pursed her lips. "I think you're deliberately trying to get my attention. Seeing such a beautiful and cute girl, did your heart skip a beat?"

"?"

A question mark appeared over Gao Teng's head.

Meng Yao continued, "You've been hogging all the snake kills and didn't give me a chance to move, isn't it because you're afraid of tiring me out? I understand your intentions perfectly, but I can't blame you—who can resist liking me so much?"

Gao Teng's mouth pressed into a thin line; he hadn't expected Meng Yao to be this narcissistic.

He pointed a finger at Liu Ming. "I didn't let him move either, is that also..."

However, before he could finish, Meng Yao interrupted, "Starting to make excuses, are we? You didn't let him move just to show off in front of me and prove how strong you are, right?"

"Heh!"

Gao Teng was completely speechless.

But he had to admit, this side of Meng Yao wasn't annoying; instead, it was inexplicably cute.

Her petite stature, sweet and adorable face, crisp voice, and quirky personality were truly interesting.

"Meng Yao, the three of you, stop chatting and watch out for snakes!"

Chen Yan scolded sternly from behind.

Just then, a series of explosions erupted in the forest, and thick smoke instantly billowed out, swallowing everyone in the blink of an eye.

Gao Teng's expression changed, and he immediately heard Chen Yan's voice from behind him.

"Quick! Everyone, gather toward me!"

Gao Teng turned around, but all he saw was thick fog; he couldn't see Chen Yan at all.

Fortunately, they were close by, so he followed the sound and rushed over to his homeroom teacher's side.

"Is everyone here?"

Chen Yan quickly scanned the students gathering around and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no one was missing.

Afterward, she and the members of the Public Security Bureau shielded the students in the center, scanning their surroundings with vigilance.

The next moment, a strange whistling sound echoed through the forest, imbued with internal energy, as if it were right beside their ears.

Chen Yan's expression darkened, and then she saw a massive swarm of venomous snakes pouring out from all directions, slithering toward them at high speed!

"Don't panic! I will protect you!"

Chen Yan channeled her internal energy and struck out with a palm. A biting chill instantly erupted, and the surging swarm of snakes froze in place, a layer of frost coating their bodies.

The members of the Public Security Bureau also displayed their skills, channeling internal energy to launch strike after strike, cutting through the snakes like chopping vegetables.

While their group managed to hold their ground, other classes were not so lucky.

Because there were too many students to look after, screams constantly rang out from the thick fog. Clearly, many students had already been bitten by snakes, or had even lost their lives to them.

After all, not every student possessed such a formidable physical constitution; those with weaker strength could not withstand those sharp fangs.

If six or seven venomous snakes bit someone at once, they would perish instantly!

"There are other people on this island? Ma Wei, what on earth are you playing at?"

Chen Yan shouted sternly while using her palm techniques to strike down the snakes.

Ma Wei's face grew flustered; this situation was entirely beyond his expectations.

"I... I don't know what's going on either. This island is crawling with venomous snakes, why would there be..."

As he spoke, several giant snakes suddenly lunged from the mist.

Not only were they immense in size, but their speed was also astonishing.

Ma Wei hurriedly shut his mouth and violently unleashed several streaks of Sword Qi, hacking into a giant snake and instantly slicing it into pieces.

The others also unleashed their moves one after another, killing the pouncing giant snakes one by one.

Yet, the brief moment they were held up gave the snake swarm an opening, and a massive wave of venomous snakes slithered rapidly toward Gao Teng and the others.

Gao Teng and his group hurriedly swung their blades in a sweep, but they still couldn't withstand the surging onslaught; in an instant, they were scattered by the snake swarm and forced into a situation of fighting on their own.

In the forest, the sound of explosions continued incessantly, making the smoke in the air even thicker.

Unable to discern any direction in the mist, Gao Teng retreated while fighting, guarding his vital points.

"Students, hurry and close in on me!"

It wasn't until Chen Yan's voice rang out again that Gao Teng realized with a shock that he was already a great distance away from the sound.

"This is troublesome."

Gao Teng's heart sank, while his thoughts raced as he pondered how to break the deadlock.

Soon, he had an idea.

These venomous snakes were being controlled; if he could steal the method of snake-charming, he might be able to resolve this predicament.

However, the whistling sound of the snake-charming seemed to be blowing right in his ears, making it impossible to pinpoint the source.

What to do?

Just as Gao Teng was worrying, a figure suddenly burst into his line of sight; Meng Yao had actually been forced to his side by the venomous snakes.

Gao Teng's eyes lit up, and he thought of another good idea.

"Meng Yao!"

He rushed over, swinging his blade to force back the snakes attacking Meng Yao.

He then grabbed her arm and ran toward the depths of the forest.

The venomous snakes pursued relentlessly, and Gao Teng said while running, "These snakes are being controlled. I have a way to learn this snake-charming technique, but we must find the person behind it. This person is definitely in the depths of the forest. Carry me on your back and run inside; finding him will save everyone!"

Meng Yao doubted she had heard correctly and said in disbelief, "Carry you on my back?"

"You are a Level 4 martial artist; your speed is fast. If we rely on me to find the person, it will be a waste of time, and more people will definitely lose their lives!"

"..."

Meng Yao was silent for a moment, but eventually agreed.

Gao Teng did not delay, immediately jumping onto Meng Yao's back and wrapping his arms around her neck.

"You're too tall."

Meng Yao complained indignantly, then channeled her True Qi and began to run.

Her short legs moved rapidly; although she didn't know which way was the depths of the forest in the thick smoke, she simply ran in the opposite direction of the sounds of slaughter.