Never abandon a teammate

Wang Quan still had not appeared, so Lin Qiye helped Baili Pangpang into the shade to rest. Pangpang slumped beneath a tree and said pitifully, "Thanks, Qiye!"

"No problem!"

"Rest for a bit!"

Lin Qiye patted Baili Pangpang on the shoulder, comforting him.

He looked around. There was nothing but an endless sea of trees. Who knew which remote mountain on the outskirts of Cangnan this was? Finding their way out would probably be difficult.

Suddenly, two Straight Sabers fell from the sky and plunged vertically into the soil.

"What the hell!"

"I don't remember that damn white-haired bastard bringing any blades!"

A sense of danger struck Lin Qiye. He quickly picked up one Straight Saber and tossed the other to Baili Pangpang. "Pangpang, catch!"

Unfortunately, Baili Pangpang was so clumsy that the Straight Saber hit his head before bouncing to the ground.

"Ow!"

"That hurts!"

"Aren't we supposed to be climbing a mountain?"

"What are the blades for?"

He looked utterly confused, his eyes as innocent as a husky's.

"B-behind... behind you!"

"Run!"

Lin Qiye did not answer. Instead, he pointed shakily at the bushes behind Baili Pangpang.

"Qiye, why do you look so scared?"

"Behind m-"

Baili Pangpang turned to look and froze.

A blood-red wolf the size of a lion was staring straight at him, foul-smelling saliva dripping between its sharp fangs.

"Run!"

Lin Qiye's pupils contracted as he shouted and charged with his blade. A clang rang out as the Straight Saber scraped across the Blood Wolf's teeth, sending sparks flying.

Baili Pangpang took the opportunity to roll aside, clutching his Straight Saber. He finally realized that this was part of the test too.

"Run into the woods! The terrain's more complicated there-it'll slow it down!"

"Okay, okay!"

Baili Pangpang nodded frantically and dashed toward the nearby woods. The instant he reached the boundary between the clearing and the trees, his body sank, and an unknown pressure pinned him to the ground.

"Motherfucker!"

"Qiye, we can't get through here!"

"What?" Lin Qiye was startled, then immediately realized Wang Quan was behind it. But he should have figured that out sooner-the rules had been laid out from the start.

The Blood Wolf seized the moment of Lin Qiye's distraction. Its broad paw swept down from the side with an explosive crack.

Clang!

A sharp ring echoed through the valley, and Lin Qiye flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

Only the perception granted by the mortal dust divine domain had saved him. Otherwise, that blow would have killed him.

The Blood Wolf was unexpectedly fast. While Lin Qiye was still on the ground, it attacked again, leaping into the air as a streak of blood-red swept across the sky.

Damn it!

Lin Qiye reacted swiftly, jamming his Straight Saber into the Blood Wolf's mouth. Still, several fangs pierced his arm. The smell of blood further inflamed the beast's savagery, and its strength surged.

Just as Lin Qiye was about to unleash Michael's divine might, Baili Pangpang's terrified shout rang in his ears. "I'll take you down with me! Aaaah!"

Perhaps luck was on his side. The blade plunged into the Blood Wolf's chest and pierced its heart.

Warm blood spurted from the Blood Wolf's mouth, splashing all over Lin Qiye. Gritting his teeth, he pulled his arm free and drove his Straight Saber through its throat.

With that, the Blood Wolf collapsed with a whimper. Together, the two had killed a Lamp Realm Mystery.

"Qiye, are you okay?"

"I'm fine!"

"Holy crap, you're bleeding!"

"We need to bandage that right away!"

Baili Pangpang looked around anxiously before realizing they had no gauze or anything of the sort. In desperation, he sliced a strip from his T-shirt and hastily bandaged Lin Qiye's arm.

Once he was done, Baili Pangpang slumped to the ground and let out a long breath.

"Oh, man!"

"I'm exhausted!"

"I thought we were going to die!"

Just then, Wang Quan's voice rang out, pleased but critical.

"Little Qiye, your reactions were quick, but your bladework was far too rough. All form and no substance!"

"Normally, the Blood Wolf shouldn't have been able to bite you!"

At that, Lin Qiye swore, "You damn white-haired bastard! I've only been learning for a week! You asshole, playing dirty like that!"

"Come out if you've got the guts! Stop hiding and playing tricks!"

"Brother Quan, where are you talking from?"

"And you, little fatty-you're absolutely useless!"

"One Blood Wolf scared you stiff! Without Little Qiye, your ass would've been dead!"

"You youngsters still need practice!"

"Now, let the life-or-death escape begin!"

Wang Quan's amused voice echoed in their ears like a devil's whisper, making their skin crawl.

The next second, a chorus of howls rose behind them.

They looked back and saw an invisible barrier holding back more than a dozen vicious-looking Blood Wolves, all terrifyingly close.

"I've set up a pressure field that'll last until sunset!"

"Now run! Run for the summit like your lives depend on it!"

"Because..."

"If they catch you..."

"They'll tear you to pieces!"

That was right. What had just happened was only the warm-up. The real hellish training was about to begin.

"Fuck!"

"What kind of sick bastard comes up with training like this?"

Lin Qiye cursed and took off.

"Qiye, wait for me!"

Baili Pangpang hauled his heavy legs into motion. From a distance, he looked like an egg with long legs.

With every step the two took, the wolves drew a little closer.

Meanwhile, at the summit.

A sun umbrella stood wedged in a crack between the rocks. Beneath it sat a square wooden table covered with snacks: a fruit platter, chips, cola, and more.

Wearing sunglasses, Wang Quan lay comfortably in a rocking chair, leisurely humming a tune.

Baili Pangpang's screams and the wolves' piercing howls drifted up from the slope from time to time.

When he felt the time was right, Wang Quan raised a hand toward the slope, then gently lowered it.

In an instant, an invisible pressure descended.

Lin Qiye's legs buckled. He hurriedly thrust his Straight Saber into the ground to prop up his swaying body.

The panting Baili Pangpang, on the other hand, was pinned straight to the ground. Even getting up was a struggle.

At that moment, the barrier holding back the wolves was only twenty meters away from them.

"Pangpang, get up!"

"We can't go down here!"

Lin Qiye's brow was tightly furrowed, and his voice was weak. The pressure hampered his every movement.

"Qiye, I can't do it!"

"Just go!"

Baili Pangpang had to gasp for breath every few words. After all, he was only an ordinary person, without any Forbidden Ruins.

The wolves were closing in, and Lin Qiye was torn. Truthfully, he had known Baili Tu Ming for less than three days, and they were not particularly close.

Wang Quan lifted his sunglasses, his azure eyes gleaming. He could see every move the two made on the slope.

He had never expected them to pass this training session. He only wanted to teach them one thing:

Never abandon a teammate!

Watching Qiye stand rooted to the spot, Wang Quan eagerly awaited his response. Faced with a stranger he had known for only a few days, what would he choose?