In the trial grounds, an open field stretched before them, with lush green grass swaying gently in the breeze. Suddenly, two white lights flashed in the space, and two figures emerged—Li Taixing and Lu Xuerou.
Lu Xuerou let go of his hand and, with a faint blush, said, "Junior Brother, don't think too much. We were in a team, so I had to hold your hand."
"Of course, Senior Sister Lu," Li Taixing replied with a soft smile, though inwardly he mused, 'Senior Sister Lu's hands are really soft.'
Clearing her throat, Lu Xuerou straightened and continued, "Our goals here are simple. First, we'll collect herbs. Second, we need to avoid the other disciples. And third, we must avoid fights as much as possible. If you need points, I'll help you kill beasts, and the points will be yours since we're a team."
"Understood."
As they entered the trial, Lu Xuerou began to survey the surrounding area and quickly understood their location within the grounds. However, the scene around them soon became unsettling.
The disciples in the area were in a commotion, all encountering king-level beasts, creatures far beyond their ability to handle.
"Strange… we should've appeared in the Qi Gathering or Foundation Establishment areas," Lu Xuerou said, her brows furrowing deeply. "Why are we in a Golden Core Realm zone?"
"Senior Sister Lu, is something wrong?" Li Taixing asked.
"No, but there's danger here. We need to be cautious."
"Okay, Senior Sister."
Li Taixing, now understanding the situation, quietly summoned his five pets, concealing them from view. He had to do this discreetly, as he knew there were likely eyes watching from the outside world. Fortunately, his pets, having reached the Nascent Soul Realm, were now adept at hiding their presence.
"Listen," Li Taixing communicated to his pets telepathically. "Kill all the ferocious beasts in the area. I don't want a single one left. If other disciples show up, scare them off. If they don't leave, knock them unconscious, but don't kill them."
His pets, thrilled at the chance to take action, quickly spread out to begin their mission. Despite their size, they moved with incredible stealth.
Meanwhile, Lu Xuerou, scanning the surroundings with a vigilant expression, warned, "Junior Brother, we're in the territory of Golden Core Realm beasts. If something goes wrong, run immediately. If it's too dangerous, press your trial token and leave."
Li Taixing smiled inwardly at her concern, knowing full well that his strength surpassed the beasts here. 'She has no idea I'm in the Nascent Soul Realm,' he thought with amusement.
"Master, there are many ferocious beasts around," came a telepathic message from King Silly Bird, one of his pets, flying high in the sky and observing the landscape.
"Is that so?"
"Yes! Master, why don't you give me a billion twin brothers? I'll destroy them all!" Silly Bird chirped eagerly.
"A billion? You want to flood the area with your clones?" Li Taixing couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity. "But fine, we'll release a few more to clean things up faster."
He began releasing additional pets, allowing them to hunt the ferocious beasts. With the trial officially started, the beasts in the area became their prey.
---
Outside the trial grounds, Zhao Wentian, observing through the monitoring devices, felt uneasy. "Does something seem off to you?"
Lin Feiyi, standing nearby, was equally puzzled. "What's going on? Why are there so many king-level beasts?"
Zhao Wentian frowned. "It's strange… why are the king-level beasts hunting the weaker ones? And why are they so abundant here?"
"Sect Master, the disciples are in danger!" Lin Feiyi's face went pale as he noticed several Nascent Soul-level beasts on the prowl. "There are thousands of them! If they attack, our disciples won't stand a chance!"
Panic spread among the elders as they realized the gravity of the situation. Zhu Qing, too, was shocked at the sight of her disciple being teleported into the heart of this dangerous zone. Yet, somehow, Lu Xuerou was managing to avoid disaster.
"Fifth Elder, doesn't this seem strange?" Lin Feiyi asked.
Wang Xuanwu, completely unfazed, had already pulled out a bag of melon seeds, casually cracking one open as she glanced at the trial ground. "Luck is also a form of strength," she said nonchalantly, a small smile playing at her lips.
Her relaxed attitude left the other elders dumbfounded. While they were on the verge of panicking, Wang Xuanwu simply continued munching on her melon seeds, confident in Li Taixing's abilities.
In the meantime, the elders were clamoring for their disciples to retreat. "Master, we need to end the trial!"
Zhao Wentian shook his head. "It's not possible. The trial will run its course unless the participants choose to exit themselves."
---
Inside the trial grounds, chaos unfolded as the disciples encountered the terrifying king-level beasts. "Oh no, a Nascent Soul beast!" one of them cried, frantically pressing his trial token to escape.
Back at the square, disciples began reappearing one by one, each pale and breathless. "I barely made it out alive! I ran into a king-level beast in the Nascent Soul stage!"
"You too?!" came the astonished replies from other returning disciples, all sharing similar harrowing experiences.
---
Meanwhile, Wang Xuanwu, still calmly cracking her melon seeds, chuckled softly. "Looks like they're all dropping out. By the end of this, my disciple will claim first place. How delightful."
The other elders, hearing this, could only grit their teeth. If Wang Xuanwu's disciple—who had only been accepted a few months ago—took the top spot, they'd lose all face.