From the northern part of the dark area, a devious growl echoed. The Faceless Nightmare fell with a loud thud. Bai Muchen's token lit up a bit and stored the score he got from killing a Faceless Nightmare. All of a sudden, three beams of light appeared southwards. Bai Muchen saw the giant Faceless Nightmares heading in the light's direction where the cries of Night Terrors also originated.
"Muchen."
An old man's voice resounded. Bai Muchen looked away and followed the Faceless Nightmares stealthily. A Faceless Nightmare is terrifying up close even if it has no face. Its body is huge and all black with big arms without arms and legs without foot. The Faceless Nightmares walked with thumping steps closer to the direction of lights. They are used to a dark environment hunting Night Terrors and are attracted to lights, mistaking it as Moon Orchids that their food loves to eat.
"Mister, is it still not enough?" Bai Muchen asked.
The crystal pendant on his necklace glowed a bit and the voice answered, "You must be on top and exceed that girl named Cai. Suppress her as you will, it's the only way to catch Wu Patriarch's interest."
"Cai." Bai Muchen spat one word with sheer coldness. No matter what, he must not fail his family and the White Tiger Mansion. Cai is his greatest competitor here. He doesn't even care about Jing Sui and Leng Mansheng.
"It's working!" Jing Sui was amazed to see the vague shadows of the gigantic Faceless Nightmares. They are thrice as tall as the trees around them and a bit slow too. Her gleaming eyes panicked seeing they are coming in all directions. "Oh no, it's working too well!"
"Keep exuding your cultivation. It's the only light we have and it stuns Night Terrors." Cai assured Jing Sui. She raised her head and her heart skipped because a Faceless Nightmare is only a meter away from her.
"Junior Cai, Junior Jing, don't be scared. Faceless Nightmares like to intimidate people and see through their fears. You must stay calm and think of nothing. Run if I say so." Leng Mansheng spoke to divert their attention.
Fortunately, he is with two brave girls. They nodded in agreement. Leng Mansheng observed the Faceless Nightmares beginning to contort their appearances to random scary beings.
"Now!"
As he shouted, the three of them stopped activating their qi and rushed far from the area. The Faceless Nightmares lunged greedily at the Night Terrors huddled and blinded.
"There's so many of them." Cai muttered under her breath. With the help of the faint lamps, she can see so many Faceless Nightmares pushing one another.
"Oh, look! One of them fell!" Jing Sui pointed to the northern direction in excitement but Leng Mansheng is not glad.
"We dabbed the poison on the Moon Orchids that the Night Terrors ate but it only weakened them. It's impossible a Faceless Nightmare will die that quick!" Leng Mansheng pondered. He felt a sudden eruption of qi from the same place. "Someone's taking advantage of our catch. We should hurry and stop that guy!"
They rushed to that spot as more Faceless Nightmares fell. Leng Mansheng first saw the scythe on air and Bai Muchen's hasty figure.
"Hey! This is ours, what are you doing?" Leng Mansheng was annoyed. He blocked the scythe that is about to hit the Faceless Nightmare's nape.
"In the end, the score goes to me once it is dead." Bai Muchen smiled haughtily and fought back.
"Cai, let's get the scores." Jing Sui pulled Cai in a different direction. Leng Mansheng is their friend. He can accept it if he won't reach the top ten, he is stalling Bai Muchen for them.
"Muchen, stop playing around and go straight to the targets."
"Yes, Mister." Bai Muchen stepped back and avoided confronting Leng Mansheng.
In Tao Supreme Sect, the elders are nervously waiting for Shen Mo to say something. One of the talents intervened and stole Cai's prey. They wonder if Shen Mo will get angry soon.
"That boy looks a lot familiar to me, ah." Shen Mo blinked and thought to himself. He is sure he had seen that face before. "That boy looks like Bai Muyan. He's been dead for fifteen years. Could it be... That boy is his son?!"
Shen Mo stood up which made the elders flinch. After standing for a few more moments, Shen Mo sat down.
"Impossible. He has no wife. He vowed we will marry our lovers at the same time, then arrange a marriage with our children! Bai Muyan, he shouldn't have betrayed his promise!" Shen Mo's lip twitched a bit from suppressed bitterness. Yet, his brain won't let him rest as it filled his head with possibilities that Bai Muyan married a girl in secret. "What the hell... He didn't die a virgin? What about me? Scummy Bai Muyan, if this boy is yours, you just cuckolded me behind my back! Eh? That doesn't sound right..."
Tens of Faceless Nightmares fell to the ground. Cai and Jing Sui are racing against Bai Muchen but even with Leng Mansheng coming after him, he is faster than them.
"Senior Leng, you should hurry for your points too!" Jing Sui said in concern. She is guessing Bai Muchen is hiding his real potential. He is more skillful than Leng Mansheng so rather than delaying him, Leng Mansheng should earn his points.
Without a choice, Leng Mansheng averted his attention. He let Bai Muchen do as he wants. None of them noticed Bai Muchen's real intention. He is getting closer to Cai with every passing second. Once Cai felt his presence close, it was already too late. A glowing scythe of ice formed above Bai Muchen. He lashed his arm and the scythe descended for a deadly strike. Cai's pupils shrank to pin size.
"Junior Cai!" Both Jing Sui and Leng Mansheng shouted in worry.
Bam!
An explosion resonated, the sound and sudden flash attracted more Faceless Nightmares. The elders sucked in their breath in fear but Shen Mo is calmly watching the monitor. He smiled lightly after seeing the dust dissipating.
"First Elder, consider promoting Elder Chen Aiwei's position." Shen Mo said on time and the elders saw Cai was saved by Chen Aiwei.
"Aren't you the talent of White Tiger Mansion?" Chen Aiwei coldly asked. She placed Cai on the ground and warned the boy, "Tao Supreme Sect disciples have serene tempers and non-malicious hearts. You are disqualified for harming your fellow participant."
Bai Muchen froze. He narrowed his eyes in anger. "No one mentioned fierce competition is not applied here."
"It's not an excuse for you to injure her." She reprimanded. Chen Aiwei raised her hand and Bai Muchen's token flew to her.
"Elder." The outer court's first elder transmitted his voice in her head. Chen Aiwei paused from destroying the token. "Elder, ask who is the boy's father. Wu Patriarch wants to know."
Her brows furrowed from confusion. Why is the Wu Patriarch involved?
"Who is your father? Answer, an important person is asking." Chen Aiwei demanded.
"Bai Muyan."
There was silence from all sides. It was not long when the first elder sent another order.
"Give him one more chance."
"What?" Chen Aiwei nearly blurted out. What's wrong with the Wu Patriarch?
Chen Aiwei still has no say. She calmed her emotions and her contempt vanished. She tossed the token back to Bai Muchen.
"Boy, you are lucky to receive a second chance. Stop being deviant and focus on the Faceless Nightmares coming here." She scoffed before hopping on the Sky Heron's back. Chen Aiwei left them and the Faceless Nightmares are already closing over.
Cai glanced at Bai Muchen who casted an arrogant look. Enmity is not impossible to sprout with what just happened.
"Junior Cai, are you alright?" Jing Sui knelt next to Cai and worriedly inspected her.
"Bai Muchen, why are you bullying a little girl? Why don't you fight me instead?" Leng Mansheng said in spite.
"Senior Jing, Senior Leng, I'm alright. For now, we should find a way to finish the Faceless Nightmares." Cai stood up and went between the two sides. She turned to Bai Muchen with a calm look, "What you did is traitorous but I will let it slide if you help us defeat those Faceless Nightmares."
"Humph." Bai Muchen crossed his arms. He didn't say a word and turned his back on them as he headed in a different direction.
"What an ingrate! He's so arrogant!" Jing Sui asserted in annoyance. She had never met someone like Bai Muchen. He nearly crippled Cai if not for Elder Chen Aiwei's aid, why can't he repent by helping them?
"Calm down." Leng Mansheng smiles wryly. He raised his head and his gentleness faded. It was because they are in great danger. "Let's repeat what we did minutes ago. We must collect many Moon Orchid, poison them and let the Night Terrors eat it."
"Understood."
"Mn."
The three of them worked in haste and spreads the poisoned Moon Orchids. They also gathered the dim lanterns and surrounded a wide area with them. When Night Terrors flooded the place, the Faceless Nightmares are getting close and started distorting their forms to scare them.
"Now!" Leng Mansheng commanded.
As he instructed, they transferred their qi to the lanterns and it lit up like raging embers. The Night Terrors screeched, blinded, and moved restlessly without escape. Soon enough, the Faceless Nightmares arrived. Cai, Jing Sui, and Leng Mansheng moved far from them. They waited for the poison to affect the Faceless Nightmares and continued their disrupted hunting.
"Look! The portal is open!"
"Already? I haven't caught enough Night Terrors yet!"
"I hope I can reach the top ten."
"Let's go!"
The gateway formed a portal on time. The participants ran to the portal before more Faceless Nightmares get attracted to its light.
"Senior, let's hurry too." Cai mentioned after they annihilated countless Faceless Nightmares.
They agreed since they believed their scores are high enough. Cai followed her seniors and rushed closer to the portal. She is wondering if, after the exam, Shen Mo will take her back to the Founder's Peak.
Upon passing through the portal, they arrived on a stage in the middle of a jade arena. The outer court disciples of Tao Supreme Sect are present as they cheered for their success. In the middle of the arena's highest floor sat the elders and a cloaked person.
"Welcome, new disciples of Tao Supreme Sect!" The first elder greeted. He looks old but wise, scholarly, and kind with his neat white robe. "You are not even half the participants who enlisted but you are the ones qualified to be part of our school. Each of you will be given uniforms that you may use daily. Tao Supreme Sect will also provide you with allowances every month. The ranked in the top ten will receive a special gift from our Founder."
The new disciples chattered and cheered for their achievement. They received their white uniforms embroidered with a golden dragon symbolizing their status as outer court disciples of Tao Supreme Sect. They also got primeval stones as their allowance.
"For the top ten participants, Elder Chen Aiwei, announce their name." The first elder continued.
A Sky Heron descended the sky magnificently. Chen Aiwei went down while holding a scroll. Shen Mo stood up from his sear and arrived beside Chen Aiwei.
"Is that the founder of Tao Supreme Sect?"
"I think. Why is he cloaked?"
"They said the founder is ugly he has to hide his real face."
"Yes. Those who saw it will die from shock."
Cai heard the others speak ill of Shen Mo. She felt a tinge of resentment in her heart. Whoever invented those rumors, he or she must be tired of living or just envious of Shen Mo. He is definitely not ugly! He just looks so pretty her eyes even hurt seeing him every day...