The law of survival

In this hunting ground, corpses left exposed in the wild like those of the two Qinghe Tribe tribesmen were no isolated occurrence. It happened at every moment. Cultivators fought Fierce Beasts, either taking their Beast Cores or ending up in their bellies, and every battle was exceptionally brutal. Only half the trial time had passed, yet more than ten of the forty-five young talents from the various tribes who had entered the hunting ground had already gone to the underworld.

This competition held once every five years probably isn't as simple as it looks on the surface.

Mu Bai mingled with the spectators in the square, watching the fierce battles unfolding on the great stele's screen of light. As he watched those boys and girls hailed as their tribes' brightest talents die in the hunting ground, understanding gradually dawned on him.

There aren't any members of the White Wolf Tribe taking part. Instead, they make these smaller tribes compete and slaughter one another. This must be a means of weakening the tribes, killing off their brightest talents or taking them for their own use!

"Oh, look at that little lass from the Phoenix Cry Tribe. Such a pretty thing, and her legs have just been torn off. What a shame..."

A sleazy middle-aged man suddenly appeared beside him, draping a hand over Mu Bai's shoulder and pointing at the great stele's screen with the other. "Oh dear, she's been eaten whole. Wouldn't you say it's a shame, young fellow...?"

Unwilling to let anyone get close, Mu Bai gave the middle-aged man a wary look, pushed him away, and retreated several steps to keep his distance.

"Hmph, it's not as if I'm some sodomite!"

Seeing Mu Bai deliberately ignore him, the middle-aged man lost interest and turned to strike up a conversation with someone else. Mu Bai frowned, unsure whether the man had done it deliberately to probe the soul mark on his arm.

Keeping his eyes on the screen of light, Mu Bai calmed his thoughts and first spotted Hai Chen. Later, as the great screen shifted, he caught sight of Ling’er as well.

Dressed in a fitted green outfit and holding the Crystal Soul Bow, Ling’er moved nimbly through the dense forest when she suddenly heard a soft whimpering.

Ling’er immediately stopped, pressed her back against a huge tree, and kept a wary guard. Nothing unusual happened for a long while. Just as she was about to move on, she turned her head and saw Mu Bai racing toward her from afar.

"Xiao Bai, why did you enter the competition too?"

"I really couldn't stop worrying about you all. Besides, my soul power cultivation is no lower than Hai Chen's. Naturally, I should win honor for our tribe too!"

Mu Bai smiled and stepped closer to Ling’er.

"Yes, Xiao Bai, you're sure to make the top three. But I couldn't bear to have you stay in the White Wolf Tribe..."

"How could I leave you behind to join the White Wolf Tribe, little sister Ling’er? Besides, with my skill at refining pills, even the treatment given to the White Wolf Tribe's core members is nothing more than what I already have."

As Mu Bai spoke, he reached out to embrace Ling’er.

"Xiao Bai..."

"Little sister Ling’er..."

Just as Mu Bai was about to embrace her, Ling’er’s expression changed drastically, and she hurriedly backed away.

Mu Bai's expression froze as a streak of Crow Radiance pierced through the air toward him. Before he could defend himself, it plunged straight into his chest.

"Ling’er!"

Hai Chen leaped through the air and landed beside Ling’er.

"This beast is called a Feifei. It excels at taking on other forms. You just fell under its illusion!"

Ling’er stared blankly. "Xiao Bai," who had fallen dead on the ground, gradually turned into a foxlike beast, snow-white from head to tail.

"That was terribly dangerous. Thank goodness you arrived in time, Brother Hai Chen."

Cold sweat seeped from Ling’er’s forehead, and her face was deathly pale.

"The beast is dead. Why don't you take its Beast Core, Ling’er? Then we'll find Hai Hang and the others and join up with them."

"You killed this beast, Brother Hai Chen, so you should take its Beast Core. We're here to compete on our own abilities!"

Ling’er regained her usual lively cleverness, looking very much like a girl determined to stand on her own strength.

"All right, I'll get it."

Hai Chen walked toward the Feifei and reached a clawed hand into its chest.

"I'm afraid you're not Hai Chen either!"

The moment she finished speaking, three soul arrows turned into three streaks of green light and hurtled through the air, all striking Hai Chen in the back.

Hai Chen slowly turned around, revealing what was unmistakably a fox's face. With a pitiful expression, he gave a few squeaks, then fell dead.

Meanwhile, the Feifei corpse that had originally lain nearby suddenly vanished.

"Hmph, how dare you turn into Xiao Bai to trick me!"

Ling’er went over and took out the Feifei's core, not forgetting to kick its corpse twice.

"Thank goodness Xiao Bai gave me this Green Snow Holding Fragrance Hairpin. Otherwise, otherwise..."

Recalling the scene in the illusion when Mu Bai had reached out to embrace her, Ling’er flushed scarlet.

"Ling’er."

Ling’er turned and saw Hai Chen approaching with his spear.

"Brother Hai Chen."

"Are you all right? Why is your face so red?"

"I'm fine..."

"Good, as long as you're all right. This place is dangerous. We'd better find Hai Hang and the others first, before something happens to them."

"All right!"

With that, Ling’er followed Hai Chen, and the two continued racing onward in the direction from which he had come. Before they had gone far, they saw a youth from the Five Mountains Tribe fighting a green bull. The bull was as large as a small mountain, its four hooves pounding, shattering rocks and splitting the earth. Its might had actually reached that of a Second-Tier Vicious Beast.

"Fellow cultivators, come help me!"

Hai Chen did not answer. Without even turning his head, he continued onward.

"Brother Hai Chen, why won't you save him?"

"In an arena of life and death, anyone not of our tribe is an enemy! Besides, even with the two of us, we would be no match for that enormous green bull. Better to find Hai Hang and the others quickly."

At his words, Ling'er delayed no longer and hurried after him. Only a few breaths later, a scream rang out behind them as the youth from the Five Mountains Tribe died horribly beneath the green bull's horns.

Ling’er glanced back as she ran. "Among beings who cultivate, the strong are the knife and chopping block, and the weak are the fish and meat. Those words truly do not deceive me..."

This was the law of survival.

As the two raced onward, they saw far too many battles to the death, ending either in beasts slain and cores taken or in miserable deaths. The cultivator's path meant struggling against heaven and earth, struggling against all things, treading through brutality every step of the way.

"Are you members of the Haibei Tribe?"

As Hai Chen and Ling'er hurried along, they came across three people surrounding and attacking a brown-backed bear. The three attacked from afar and defended up close, moving back and forth in good order with exceptional coordination.

The speaker was a youth from the Longshan Tribe. Decisive in his attacks and handling the fight with ease, he was clearly the leader of the three. As the three-day limit drew near, more and more powerful Fierce Beasts were roused. Even among cultivators from different tribes, many had chosen to travel together under agreed conditions.

"What guidance might you have for us?"

"I wouldn't presume to offer guidance. I merely have some information for you. A hundred li from here, three lads from the Haibei Tribe are being attacked by a Fireblood Fierce Bird. I'm afraid their chances look grim..."

Hai Chen thought briefly, then tossed over a Soul Bag. "There are forty beast cores inside. Please tell us the precise location!"

"Good, you know how things work. Head straight north for two hundred li!"

"Ling’er, let's go!"

After Hai Chen and Ling'er sped north for roughly two hundred li, they indeed spotted Hai Hang and the other two struggling desperately against a savage bird in the distance. A huge bird, crimson all over, beat its wings fiercely, sending two jets of flame gushing out with every beat. Judging by its might, it had probably already reached the level of a second-tier savage bird.

Despite their peril, Hai Hang and the other two coordinated well. Hai Hang and Hai Qing held defensive bone shields, drawing the Fireblood Fierce Bird's flame attacks, while Hai Dong darted swiftly around with his heavy wolf-fang club, smashing at the bird's vital spots whenever he saw an opening.

Though the Fireblood Fierce Bird was enormous, it held the advantage of altitude. Hai Dong's attacks could hardly have any effect, while Hai Hang and Hai Qing had nearly perished in its tongues of flame several times.

Working together, the three had held out for dozens of exchanges, but their soul power had long since run low. Even the soul crystals they carried had been all but exhausted just to keep them alive until now beneath the second-tier savage bird's attacks.

"Quick, you three, form a defensive formation!"

Hai Chen shouted, and the spear in his hand turned into a streak of dark light, thrusting toward the Fireblood Fierce Bird with the crushing force of thunder and piercing straight through its right wing.

Seeing Hai Chen and Ling’er arrive, the three did not hesitate. They gathered together, brought out their bone shields, and fitted soul crystals into them, forming a grayish-white screen of light that enclosed Ling’er as well.

Pain shot through the Fireblood Fierce Bird's right wing. It let out a piercing shriek and spat a tongue of flame, feigning an attack on the screen protecting the four. Just as Hai Chen moved to help, the bird wheeled and lunged at him like lightning, its sharp talons reaching him in an instant.

Unable to dodge in time, Hai Chen felt a searing pain in his left arm as a chunk of flesh was torn clean away. Without the slightest hesitation in this life-or-death struggle, he immediately drew his soul-weapon dagger and drove it to the hilt into the Fireblood Fierce Bird's chest.

The Fireblood Fierce Bird thrashed its wings in pain, knocking Hai Chen several zhang away and to the ground. It stretched out its right talon, gleaming coldly, and clawed at his head.

In that flash of lightning, the soul arrow Ling’er had been preparing for so long tore through the air and struck the Fireblood Fierce Bird squarely in its left eye. By then, its coldly gleaming talon was already a hair's breadth from Hai Chen's eyes. Seeing this, Hai Chen raised his spear and pierced straight through the bird's throat, taking its life in a single strike.

Having joined forces to kill the Fireblood Fierce Bird, all five let out long breaths of relief and slumped to the ground together. Even for Hai Chen, this was his first head-on battle with a Second-Tier Vicious Beast, and his life had hung by a thread through those few exchanges of attack and defense.

"We'll rest a little, then head straight to the hunting ground's gate and leave. This is where the first trial ends for us!"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Even with time remaining, Hai Hang and the other two had no strength left to fight. Better to leave and preserve their lives. All three were charred black from head to toe, and a faint smell of scorched cooked meat still rose from them. At the sight, Ling’er could not help covering her mouth and laughing.

"Sister Ling’er, how can you be so heartless as to laugh at us...?"

"Ha ha, ha ha..."

Looking at their soot-black faces, their rolling eyes showing their whites, and their tearful expressions, Ling’er finally could no longer hold back and simply burst into unrestrained laughter.