Chapter 27
The person was none other than the director of the education division who had searched the area.
He sensed the presence of humans and rushed over.
As soon as he arrived, he saw the white cat sitting before a dead martial artist. The body of the martial artist was in tatters. With the powerful eyesight of the director of the education division, he could see the irregular gnawing marks on the martial artist’s body from far away.
The white cat was curiously fiddling with the watch the martial artist had given it before he died. It had never seen such a technological creation before.
The white cat’s back was facing the director. When the director saw the white cat’s back swaying, he thought the white cat was eating people and immediately became furious.
“You dare to eat people. Die!”
The director attacked in anger, and he slapped a Heavenly Steel Palm across the air.
“I’m not…”
The white cat was shocked and dodged quickly.
However, a powerful suction force suddenly erupted from the center of the palm filled with vitality. The white cat was unable to dodge in time and was smacked.
Fortunately, the demons had thick skin, and this white cat was not an ordinary demon, so it was not killed.
However, it flew backward and smashed into the ground in the distance, spitting out blood.
“I made a deal with him! I didn’t kill him!” the white cat roared in anger.
The director sneered, “You’re quite resistant to a beating. Do you think I’ll believe your nonsense?” You deserve death!”
He had already sensed that this cat demon was not simple, so he had used 120% of his strength in an attempt to kill it in one blow.
“I never lie!”
The white cat was angry, but its anger was not due to the director’s sudden attack.
However, this white cat was already injured and was even more wounded from the chief’s attack.
“How can you slander a cat!”
The white cat was so angry that it wanted to say something more, but when it saw the director coming for it again, and this time, the power was even more terrifying than the previous one. The white cat did not dare to say anything more. The khaki bead on top of its head glowed brightly, and its size shrank by nearly a third.
Hence, the earth shook, and the mountains shifted positions.
“Demon, don’t you dare leave!”
The director’s body turned into a flash and instantly arrived, slapping his unparalleled palm down ruthlessly.
The white cat could not dodge in time and was hit on the head. With a miserable cry, it was moved away by the earth vein that had significantly changed.
“So the strange change in the secret realm of Myriad Beast Mountain was your doing!”
The director wanted to continue chasing, but he had already lost track of the white cat.
He frowned. The leyline was changing so violently that even he did not know where he was now.
The corpse of the young martial artist had also disappeared with the surging earth vein.
“D*mn cat demon!” The director cursed in a low voice.
…
The white cat’s head was hit directly. At the critical moment, he used the worm pearl to modify the earth vein at all costs, allowing himself to escape by force.
But it wasn’t any better.
It was already heavily injured, and after encountering the director, its injuries worsened. Then, it forcefully activated the worm pearl at all costs, and its head aperture was damaged… At this moment, the white cat was lying in a forest somewhere, bleeding from all seven apertures and dying.
“Despicable humans! If there’s a chance, I’ll travel to the human world and eat all of your fish!”
It said harsh words that no one could hear, and its consciousness became more blurry.
“Phew, phew… I have no choice, sister… You must survive. Sister, I’m going to sleep first…”
At this point, the white cat’s consciousness fell into endless darkness.
As the white cat’s consciousness fell silent, the layer of snow-white fur on the surface of its body, for some unknown reason, rapidly turned black.
The white cat had turned into a black cat.
The black cat opened its eyes. Its gaze was quick-witted and slightly dazed.
“Meow!”
…
“Ji Ruo, what is this place?”
Liang Shixian asked in a low voice.
“Is this your first time taking the martial arts examination?” Ji Ruo raised his eyebrows.
“Yes,” Liang Shixian replied.
Ji Ruo rolled his eyes, “What a coincidence. Me too.”
Liang Shixian was left speechless.
Earlier, when the earth’s veins had suddenly churned, and the mountains and rivers had shifted, it had been difficult for them to clearly see the changes in their surroundings at their current cultivation level.
The violent earthquake almost made the two of them vomit.
Fortunately, the two of them were fine, just lost.
They were currently on a hill, and there was nothing familiar about their surroundings. Ji Ruo kept using [Absolute Directional Sense] to find a safe direction.
However, he did not know if it was because Ji Ruo was too weak, but even [Absolute Directional Sense] could not give him ‘safety.’
All directions were extremely dangerous.
“Roar!”
At this moment, a loud roar came from the distance. The two looked in the direction of the sound and saw a giant white ape dozens of meters tall. Its head pierced through the tree’s canopy and roared at the sky.
“Caw! Caw! Caw!”
A huge black bird flew over from another direction. Its wingspan was unknown how many meters, like a huge dark cloud.
A walrus that streaked across the sky with one foot, and a giant fish that swam in the sky.
Liang Shixian trembled and said in a trembling voice, “J-Ji Ruo, what should we do now?”
Liang Shixian was at a loss. He was so flustered that he could see high levelled legendary demon beasts anywhere. He would be lying if he said he was not flustered.
Having the courage to face death did not mean that he was not afraid of death.
To be honest, Ji Ruo was also panicking.
However, he still calmly analyzed. “Our current situation should be that the newbies have mistakenly entered a high-level map…. We can’t beat them, and we can’t run away either. Now, there’s only one way!”
“What is it?”
“I think the geomancy here is good. Shall we dig the grave first?” Ji Ruo pointed at the ground.
Liang Shixian was rendered speechless and thought, “What f*cking good geomancy?”
Liang Shixian still wanted to say something, but Ji Ruo had already bent down and started digging.
“… Ji Ruo, can you be more serious?”
“Did you forget how we dodged the spider queen? There are still four days until the end of the martial arts examination. We will be teleported out by then … We’re level six Martial Apprentices, we won’t die even if we lie down for a few days without food and water. Hide and survive for four days. This is the only way I can think of. ”
“Ah, this…”
“Don’t talk nonsense, quickly dig!” Ji Ruo said seriously.
This map was too high level, even the knife sword ambidexterity couldn’t handle it.
There was fatal danger in all directions, and Ji Ruo didn’t dare to run around.
He could only dig a hole and bury himself first, farm [disguise], and wait for the martial arts exam to end…
Liang Shixian opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but the roar of a powerful demon beast came from afar. Liang Shixian shivered in fear and didn’t dare to say anything. He bent down and started digging with Ji Ruo.
“Let’s dig the grave and lie in it.” Ji Ruo said, “If anything happens, we won’t die without a burial place, right?”
Liang Shixian was left speechless.
…
In Yonkers, Grade 12, Class 4, it was already the third day of the martial arts examination.
The atmosphere in the class was still heavy.
The two students still had not returned.
The hope of survival was already very slim.
“Students. Ji Ruo and Liang Shixian are not back yet. I’m sure everyone knows what this means…” Li Bingdao, the form teacher, said, “Although I don’t want to accept this result, the education department has sent word that they’ve already found some of the martial artists. They suffered heavy casualties for exam patrollers.”
In other words, the two level six Martial Apprentices were probably dead.
“In four days, our school will be holding a memorial service at the flag-raising square. I hope that all students can come…” Li Bingdao looked depressed. “The dead are already gone. Students, don’t be too sad. You still have a long way to go… The higher-ups have already decided to abolish the martial arts examination system in the mystic realm, and the new one is still being discussed. All students will have to take part in the martial arts examination again, and this time, it will be very safe… Students, please keep your emotions in check and prepare for the new martial arts examination…”
“Teacher, I-I want to drop out of school. I don’t want to take the exam…”
A girl said in a low voice, with a faint sobbing tone, “I don’t want to take the martial arts examination anymore …”
Li Bingdao was stunned for a moment and subconsciously tried to persuade him, “Zhang Miaoyi, I hope you can hold on a little longer. You’re quite talented. When you reach pulsing realm, you’ll definitely become a powerful martial artist…”
“But teacher, didn’t the exam invigilator also die?” Zhang Miaoyi suddenly burst into tears, “Teacher, I’m scared. I don’t want to die. I want to go home. I don’t want to take the martial arts exam anymore. Wah…”
“Zhang-”
Li Bingdao still wanted to say something.
Suddenly, Zhang Miaoyi’s cry was like a signal, and more than half of the students in the class started crying.
“Teacher, I’m afraid of death!”
“I won’t be a martial artist anymore!”
“I’m not taking the exam either!”
They were just a group of children. They had not completely left the school, but they had already experienced life and death. It was only human nature to be afraid of death.
Although the people of Bactria valued martial arts, and every student received martial arts education from a young age, they were still very young.
However, these children had only killed chickens, ducks, and other poultry.
Some students had personally witnessed their peers being torn apart and eaten by demonic beasts and monsters during the martial arts examination. That terrifying scene had left an indelible psychological shadow in their hearts.
They were already afraid, and their martial arts were shrouded in a layer of haze. They had already lost the courage to press forward.
“Dear students, please consider it again. After all, it’s an important life event…”
Li Bingdao suddenly sighed and said, “I understand. I’ll report this to the school. Students who don’t want to take the martial arts exam or study martial arts, you can give me a list… Martial arts is about moving forward with indomitable will. It’s about the courage to do it even though you know it’s impossible. I won’t force you. If you want to give up, then give up…”
The students started to sign their names.
There were a total of 46 students in grade 12 class 4. Two had not returned and 36 had abandoned the exam. In the end, only eight students were still hesitating.
Li Bingdao sighed again and said, “In four days, there will be a memorial service for the whole school. All students, please come. Huff… Student Ji Ruo and Liang Shixian…”
He slowly walked out of the classroom, as if he had suddenly aged a few decades. Even as a martial artist, he could no longer hold his back straight.