Young Mistress Feeds Blood, Wretch Runs Wild
"Zou'er, what are you doing? What are you doing!"
A sudden burst of sobbing and wailing filled the air, attracting the attention of many people.
Upon hearing this, Fang Shu turned his head to look, and just then he saw a familiar face.
It was the same "former second aunt" who had greeted them earlier; she was now arguing and pulling at a young man.
The young man's Qi and Blood were surging restlessly; he had already tried many times but failed to ring the bronze bell. As the time drew nearer, he became increasingly agitated.
After his second aunt knelt and said something, the young man surnamed Zou roared, "Useless trash! What did my father raise you for!"
The boy's face was contorted, his expression a mixture of resentment, fear, and weakness, moving all who beheld him. Even the two envoys from the Immortal Sect who had caused this scene couldn't help but glance at him a few more times.
"Tsk tsk, what a pathetic and furious sight."
An envoy from the Immortal Sect stood before Fang Shu and the others and spoke up:
"Don't blame us. Every family that enters a sect goes through this kind of tempering. Compared to us back then, you are already considered better off."
These words left Fang Shu and the other qualified candidates looking at each other in bewilderment, unable to tell whether the two men were telling the truth or lying.
But whether it was the truth or a lie, Fang Shu and the others felt their hearts sink once again.
As they spoke, the situation in the room changed once again.
Some candidates simply couldn't bear it and, having nowhere to turn for help, could only stumble through the crowd and slink away in disgrace. Others asked their relatives to quickly buy precious medicine, but after hastily purchasing it at a high price, they were still unable to enter the examination hall, leaving both sides sweating profusely with anxiety.
And that boy surnamed Zou who asked for milk earlier, he's already drinking it now.
However, what this child was drinking was not breast milk. He was sitting cross-legged on the ground, his face contorted with rage, biting open his "little mother's" wrist and swallowing the mature woman's blood.
Within a few breaths, the mature woman's face turned pale, her lips were bloodless, and her body began to tremble, clearly showing signs of severe depletion.
After drinking the human blood, the young man surnamed Zou's face turned flushed, and he immediately stood up.
"Zou'er," the mature woman whispered, clutching her wrist.
The young man surnamed Zou ignored the woman and strode towards the bronze bell, gathering all his Qi and Blood and throwing a punch.
Dong! The man's Qi and Blood finally reached a height of three zhang (approximately 10 meters), causing the bronze bell to ring.
The sound of the bell brought a look of ecstatic joy to the young man surnamed Zou, and also brought a smile to the face of the frail mature woman beside him.
When the mature woman stumbled back into the crowd, her face was pale, but she even had a sense of pride on her face as she met everyone's gaze.
The remaining candidates in the hall became even more agitated upon seeing this.
Some acted decisively, asking their relatives for the Essence Blood to consume. Others hesitated, unwilling to drink the Essence Blood offered to them... Their reactions were varied, truly reflecting the diverse attitudes of the examinees.
Three-quarters of an hour passed, and the two envoys from the Immortal Sect, without hesitation, said in unison:
Time's up!
A voice filled with resentment rang out in the examination hall.
In the end, only twenty-seven candidates successfully stood on the side of the Immortal Sect's envoy.
The further back in the list of candidates who passed, the more miserable their situation became. The last one to pass did so by desperately trying to smash his head against the bell, breaking his skull and causing a large pool of blood to flow.
Faced with these ruthless examinees, the two envoys from the Immortal Sect remained unmoved, their eyes filled with mockery as they casually remarked:
"Why is that? If you can't pass the Spring Examination, then wait for the Autumn Examination. Someone will come to accept you then."
Soon, Fang Shu and the others understood why the two envoys had such mocking expressions.
Because the next method of elimination will be the same old challenge: a contest of skills and techniques.
Under the orders of the two Immortal Sect envoys, several arenas in the arena were cleared away, and those candidates who lingered on the stage were mercilessly driven off.
After a brief explanation of the rules, all the candidates who had passed the test had a somber expression.
The Spring Examination arena has no restrictions on methods or time, but certain external objects cannot be used. Eighteen circles of varying heights are drawn in the arena, some of which are wooden stakes. The one who can remain standing in the arena without being challenged is the one who ultimately passes the test.
Having learned the method for the final test, the twenty-seven candidates couldn't help but whisper among themselves. Some of the candidates who knew each other immediately exchanged knowing glances.
For example, Qin Min, who had also reached the third Fang Shu, stood very close to Hua Xiaqing from the Jade Bamboo Hall, both of them smiling.
This kind of arena-style fighting style, for familiar candidates, is undoubtedly a way to wear someone down through a series of battles.
With some people secretly making connections, naturally some candidates were targeted, such as Fang Shu.
However, those who had their eyes on him all looked wary and uncertain, and chose to look away first, turning their attention to the candidates who passed later.
In just over ten breaths, undercurrents surged among the twenty-seven people, and the resentment they felt towards the envoy of the Immortal Sect was replaced by vigilance and hostility.
Just as the two envoys from the Immortal Sect were about to announce the start of the final selection, a loud boom resounded!
A muffled rumble of thunder suddenly echoed in the sky, startling everyone. They looked in the direction of the sound and saw flames rising on one side of the town, turning a corner of the sky red, as if a fire dragon had been born.
"Not good!"
The examination hall was filled with astonishment, which was quickly followed by the angry shouts of the hall master and others, "A riot has broken out at the Lead Mountain Mine!"
"What? Another riot?"
"Damn it, a message came from the mines that this time is different from usual; dozens of mines across the entire mountain have rioted. They're begging us to leave the town immediately to quell the unrest!"
The sudden turn of events drew the attention of all the mine owners away from the Spring Examination. One of them, who had clearly invested a considerable amount of money in the mines, immediately burst into curses. "These mining slaves deserve to die!"
Some people gloated. "Hey, if they had known this would happen, why didn't they act like humans? If they had treated the people at the mine better from the beginning, they wouldn't be causing trouble today."
This commotion also attracted the attention of the Immortal Sect's envoy, and the two spoke in hushed tones.
The woman surnamed Zong slowly opened her eyes and gazed at the Lead Mountain Mine flames were soaring into the sky.
Among the candidates, Fang Shu and others had varying expressions: some worried that the Spring Examination would be interrupted, delaying their ascent to the mountain, while others hoped that the Spring Examination would be suspended so that they could recuperate and recover.
Before long, after discussing with the other shopkeepers, the market manager reluctantly bowed to the envoy from the Immortal Sect.
"Reporting to the three of you, the Lead Mountain Mine is the primary mine in this town that supplies minerals to the Immortal Sect, and it cannot be lost."
To prevent those lowly people from causing excessive damage to the mine shafts and delaying future production, please allow us to excuse ourselves, Your Excellency, and we must not let them succeed!
Both envoys from the Immortal Sect turned to look at the immortal Immortal cultivator, letting the other make the decision.
The woman surnamed Zong did not reply with a yes or no, but simply said, "Interesting."
She then stood up, looked in the direction of the mine, and said, "The third arena is void."
Upon hearing this, all the hall masters and examinees froze, staring intently at the woman.
A slight smile finally appeared on the woman's usually impassive face. She said:
"What's the point of fighting in a ring? It's just restrictive."
Whoosh!
The woman's body swayed, like an arrow released from a bow, heading straight for the location of the Lead Mountain Mine, leaving only her voice echoing in the distance:
"Quickly suppress the riot; those who perform the best will be granted passage!"
Upon hearing this, everyone in the examination hall paused for a moment, then responded in unison:
"Yes, I will obey the messenger's orders."
Whoosh whoosh!
Fang Shu and the other candidates, recovering from their astonishment, immediately used their own methods to rush towards the Lead Mountain Mine, each vying for dominance.
The owners of the pavilions also understood what the woman surnamed Zong meant, and they all followed around the candidates as a form of support.
At the same time.
While the townspeople stared with burning desire at the Lead Mountain Mine, outside Guling Town...
Some people stood up, gazing greedily at the bustling, brightly Guling Market.