Fight!

The glowing gate at the secret realm's exit slowly opened before him, and Xing Yao finally emerged from the deep, shadowy forest.

He still looked as calm and composed as ever, his black spear slung diagonally across his back, wisps of darkness-element mist still clinging to his clothes, as though he had merely finished an ordinary stroll through the woods.

"He's out! It's Xing Yao!"

"He actually came out first!"

"So cool! I'm still replaying that dual-element slaughter from earlier!"

Cheers erupted from the spectator stands outside the exit, crashing like mountains and roaring like seas. Countless cameras turned toward him, their flashes joining into a sea of stars. Someone excitedly took off a shoe and hurled it high into the air. It traced an arc overhead amid the crowd's shouts, becoming the most vivid footnote to the revelry.

Gu Yan and Su Wanqing also rose from the commentary desk and approached with official smiles.

"Xing Yao, congratulations on completing the trial. Your performance has exceeded everyone's expectations." Gu Yan extended his hand, his voice full of admiration.

Xing Yao nodded slightly, but his fingertips rubbed lightly together in a seemingly casual motion-he could sense a faint bloody tang in the air, along with several malicious gazes concealed in the shadows.

Before long, Lin Chen, Lin Yue, and the others emerged from the secret realm one after another. All of them were exhausted, yet they could not hide the excitement in their eyes or their relief at having survived.

"Xing Yao! You were incredible!" Lin Chen clapped him on the shoulder, his voice full of admiration. "I thought you'd stay in there for the full hour!"

Lin Yue also approached with a smile and offered him a recovery potion. "Recover some stamina first. Watching you alone in the depths of the secret realm really had me sweating for you."

As the last examinee stepped through the glowing gate, the energy fluctuations above the secret realm abruptly subsided. The gate connecting to the other dimension slowly closed, finally vanishing completely before everyone's eyes.

The cheering in the spectator stands reached another peak, and the official award ceremony began.

"First place in the overall rankings for this secret realm trial-Xing Yao!"

At the host's announcement, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue. Xing Yao walked onto the podium and accepted from Gu Yan the golden badge symbolizing the highest honor, along with a generous list of rewards. Cheers, whistles, and camera shutters sounded together below the stage.

Just then, the cheering in the spectator stands abruptly stopped.

Everyone looked up at the sky in unison.

At some unknown point, a thin black crack had appeared in the once-clear sky. Like a canvas sliced open by a sharp blade, the crack expanded and twisted at a speed visible to the naked eye, giving off heart-rattling spatial fluctuations.

"What is that?!"

"A spatial rift! How could one appear here?!"

At first, there were only a few startled, doubtful murmurs. The next second, someone made out the black demonic energy churning inside the rift, and a heartrending scream instantly pierced the sky.

"Monsters! Abyssal monsters are coming out!"

The crowd descended into utter madness.

The spectators in front frantically shoved backward. Those behind them had no time to react before the surging tide of people knocked them to the ground. High heels, backpacks, and cameras scattered everywhere. Someone's ankle was trampled, drawing an agonized scream; someone struggled through the crowd with a child in their arms, only to be swept helplessly forward by the human current; others were crushed against the railings of the spectator stands, half their bodies dangling in midair as they waved their arms in despair.

"Stop pushing! Stop pushing!"

"My child! Has anyone seen my child?!"

"Help-!"

Cries, curses, and the sounds of shattering bones mingled together. The lively celebration instantly became a hell on earth.

Roar-!!

The first hideous demonic beast leaped out of the spatial rift, its fangs bared and its sharp claws gleaming coldly. It lunged at the nearest crowd. Blood instantly splashed, and limbs flew.

Then came the second, the third, the hundredth...

Like a black tide, demonic beasts poured endlessly out of the rift, slaughtering freely across the square. Wherever they passed, flesh and blood flew, and screams filled the sky.

Some had their throats bitten through by demonic beasts; others had their bellies ripped open by sharp claws. The elderly, women, children-none were spared. Blood, shredded flesh, and broken bones covered the ground, and the air reeked of blood and despair.

Amid the chaos, the military personnel stationed in Qingning City and the awakened who had gathered of their own accord did not shrink back in the slightest. Roaring, they drew their weapons, activated their abilities, and charged without hesitation into the horde of demonic beasts, placing their bodies between the civilians and the monster tide as they fought desperately to hold it back.

"Quick! Protect the civilians as they fall back!"

"Don't get bogged down fighting! Hold them off!"

Another group of commanders held megaphones and shouted themselves hoarse amid the chaos, directing the panicked civilians toward the nearest air-raid shelters.

"Run to the air-raid shelters! All shelter doors are open! The elderly and children first!"

"Don't push! Follow the directions!"

People stumbled, scrambled, and crawled toward the shelter entrances. Cries, footsteps, the roars of demonic beasts, and the battle cries of the awakened blended into one.

Just as the demonic beasts were about to surge out of the square and spread deeper into the city-

Hummm--!!

A deep rumble suddenly reverberated through heaven and earth.

Countless azure pillars of energy shot up from beneath the ground around Qingning City, interweaving, connecting, and expanding in the air. An immense spherical defensive barrier encompassing all of Qingning City unfurled in an instant with the force of snapping dead branches and crushing rotten wood!

The barrier was as hard as crystal, its patterns flickering with technological light. It enclosed the entire city without a gap, forming a heavenly wall that severed inside from outside.

A cold, solemn citywide announcement sounded over the broadcasts:

[Monster tide exceeding Class A detected. Qingning City's level-one citywide barrier has been activated.]

[Barrier function: seal Qingning City's borders to prevent demonic beasts from escaping to other cities. Hold out and await reinforcements!]

Within the barrier, it was already hell on earth.

Xing Yao stood where he was. Before his eyes were civilians torn to pieces, blood covering the ground, and faces crying out in despair. His ears were filled with heartrending screams and the frenzied roars of demonic beasts.

Towering fury instantly surged to his head.

Without the slightest hesitation, he grabbed the spear beside him, sprang forward, and charged straight toward the densest part of the monster tide!

"Xing Yao!"

Lin Chen's and Lin Yue's expressions changed. Without a second thought, they immediately charged after him.

The remaining trial students all stood frozen in place, their faces deathly pale and their bodies trembling.

Some were so frightened that their legs went weak. They kept retreating, their eyes full of terror, wanting only to hurry after the crowd and hide in the air-raid shelters;

Others stared at the blood covering the ground, struggling fiercely within. They clenched their fists but still did not dare take a single step.

Without looking back, Xing Yao spoke, his voice as cold and sharp as a blade as it rang throughout the venue:

"Those who dare, charge with me!

Those who don't, follow the civilians to the safe zone immediately!"

At these words, the crowd instantly erupted.

Someone screamed in fright, turned, and ran toward an air-raid shelter. "I can't! I can't beat them! I don't want to die!"

Others shuddered and abruptly raised their heads, the fear in their eyes completely swept away by a surge of fighting spirit!

"Fuck! Did I become an awakened just to sit around eating for free?!"

"Scared of shit! Just fucking fight!"

"We can't watch ordinary people die! I'll fight those bastards to the death!"

"Xing Yao! We'll kill them with you!"

Furious shouts shattered their fear. Eyes red, more than a dozen students gripped their weapons and sprinted without hesitation toward Xing Yao!

Fear and fighting spirit split apart completely at that moment.

And Xing Yao had already plunged headfirst into the boundless monster tide.