Chapter 21: The Moment of Decision

Amidst the chaos, Song Zhiyou heard someone screaming for help with a voice torn by despair.

At the same time, a surge of chaotic spiritual power rippled through the air.

Her eyes narrowed. In the distance, she spotted a Scale Beast charging straight at a young man.

The young man’s legs had turned to jelly, his whole body trembling so violently he could barely stand. The spiritual energy he released was a complete mess.

Not only did it fail to stop the beast, but it only enraged it further.

As the Scale Beast bore down on him, he fumbled frantically for his token.

Bang.

He was sent flying by the beast’s impact.

He wasn’t dead, but his face was ashen, and he looked in terrible shape.

The only silver lining was that before being thrown, he had managed to activate the token.

Just as the Scale Beast prepared to strike again, an elder appeared and whisked the young man away.

They vanished on the spot, leaving the Scale Beast without a target, bewildered and pacing.

In the blink of an eye, one contestant had been eliminated.

Song Zhiyou felt even more lost.

She even began to wonder if she had somehow crossed into another world.

A Scale Beast, first-tier mid-grade, earth-attribute demon beast, strong defense, mediocre attack and speed.

And that young man, despite being only at the fifth layer of Qi Condensation, should have been able to put up a fight—not crumble completely within seconds and flee the competition.

After confirming no other demon beasts were nearby, Song Zhiyou silently descended from the tree and crept toward the Scale Beast.

As she drew closer, she suddenly accelerated. A dagger flipped into her hand and stabbed into the beast’s nose at a tricky angle.

The Scale Beast howled in pain, thrashing wildly. Its tail, covered in hard scales, swept toward her, but she was ready and dodged.

Seizing the opportunity, she plunged the dagger into its belly, killing it outright.

The Scale Beast’s entire body was clad in tough scales, except for its soft nose and underbelly—its fatal weak points.

Thanks to her recent days of combat practice, Song Zhiyou’s movements were fluid and effortless.

She dug out the demon core, then turned and left.

She didn’t head toward the central zone, nor did she retreat to the outer edges. Instead, she prowled the middle area, killing demon beasts and collecting their cores.

Along the way, she saw several people being carried away by elders, their faces drained of color.

One of them was wailing, tears and snot streaming down his face.

Song Zhiyou grew more and more puzzled.

Wasn’t the cultivation world supposed to be full of hardened fighters?

What was up with these kids…?

Just then, a furious roar echoed from not far away, accompanied by a piercing scream that drifted through the air.

Song Zhiyou nimbly climbed a tree and spotted a first-tier peak Phosphorous Fire Fox chasing a flashy red figure as they sped toward her.

The fox seemed injured, blood staining its belly, and its aura was seething with rage.

Baring its teeth, a fist-sized ball of eerie green flame ignited at the tip of its tail and hurled toward the red-clad figure.

The red clothes caught fire.

The young man hopped around, using techniques to extinguish the flames on his body, his screams rising and falling in pitch.

As the fox got closer, he pulled out a magical artifact and flung it at the creature.

Boom! Flames surged. The fox, being a fire-type demon beast that loved flames, only blazed brighter.

The red-clad figure also blazed brighter.

Song Zhiyou watched in awe.

Using a fire-type artifact against a fire-type demon beast?

A genius!

But she didn’t plan to stand by.

She was going down to help the philanthropist.

Yes, that red-clad young man being chased and howling was Li Xiaoye.

Though a first-tier peak demon beast was a bit beyond her usual scope, the beast was already badly wounded.

Together with Li Xiaoye, they could take it down.

If a philanthropist like him was so generous with just a wooden token, imagine what reward she’d get for saving him?

Song Zhiyou couldn’t help but grin.

She was about to move when she noticed the fox’s flames growing more intense, even beginning to shift toward a cerulean blue.

Her pupils contracted.

This fox was showing signs of breaking through under duress!

She immediately withdrew her hand, deciding to stay in the tree and watch the show.

But the next second, the fox’s gaze turned toward the tree where she was hiding.

Every hair on her body stood on end!

Just one glance, but she was certain that cunning fox—already somewhat intelligent—had spotted her!

Without hesitation, Song Zhiyou flung a dagger straight at the fox’s face.

“Brother Li! I’m here to help!”

She couldn’t let Li Xiaoye lose courage and use his token to escape.

If he ran, all the fox’s hatred would fall on her!

The fox turned its head to dodge the flying dagger.

But the blade still grazed its ear, provoking an enraged screech.

Its advancement process was interrupted, and the fire elemental energy around it momentarily faltered.

Li Xiaoye had thought he was about to be eliminated.

But unexpectedly, a voice like heavenly music rang out.

Along with the dagger shooting toward the fox, a figure descended like a god of war.

“Song… Fellow Daoist Song?”

Seeing Song Zhiyou standing before him, Li Xiaoye was momentarily stunned.

A strange sensation stirred in his heart.

He had never imagined that someone would appear at a time like this to lend a hand.

“Don’t just stand there! Let’s take it down first!”

At the same time, Song Zhiyou charged forward, aiming for the wound on the fox’s belly.

“Be careful, Fellow Daoist Song! It has protective foxfire!”

After extinguishing his own flames, Li Xiaoye raised his hand without hesitation. Vines sprang from all directions, entangling the fox completely!

Trapped by the tough vines, the fox was vulnerable. Song Zhiyou thrust her dagger into its old wound and poured spiritual energy through the blade.

“Roar!”

The fox let out a sound of pure rage.

At the same time, its flames intensified, instantly burning the vines and the dagger to ashes.

Song Zhiyou was blasted away by the sudden flare of fire and slammed hard into a tree.

Just as she was about to take a healing pill, a gentle restorative force enveloped her.

Her wounds closed instantly.

Surprised, she glanced at Li Xiaoye.

So that was why his attacks were so weak—his talent was all in healing!

Before she could think more, several massive fireballs rained down on them.

They leaped between trees like monkeys, dodging everywhere.

Song Zhiyou yelled, “Brother Li, can you hold it off a little longer?”

Li Xiaoye yelled back, “My vines get burned too fast! My other techniques are even weaker since they aren’t wood-type! They won’t do much!”

“What about artifacts? Don’t you have any others?”

“Fire-type artifacts are the most explosive and destructive. I have the most of those. I’ve just about run out of other offensive ones.”

He had only thrown the fire-type one because he’d exhausted his other options.

While jumping, Song Zhiyou flicked a pebble. “Then use fire! Throw it there!”

Without a second thought, Li Xiaoye activated a fire-type artifact and hurled it at the spot she indicated.

Boom! A huge crater exploded right in the fox’s path!

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