Chapter 34: A Life-or-Death Struggle Part 2

They had chosen the ice-attribute direction, so their surroundings were extremely cold. Huo Zhi had an ice-attribute physique; by circulating her cultivation method, she was resistant to cold. The method only kept her body from freezing solid; she still felt the cold.

The three rushed towards the mountain cave entrance ahead. The farther they went, the colder it became. The two with fire attributes circulated their fire-type spiritual qi to stay warm. Huo Zhi, of course, pressed close to the warmest one.

“Sorry, it’s too cold, just warming up a bit!” Huo Zhi said next to Linlang.

Linlang walked on silently, not making a sound.

Because they had passed the third trial, the leaderboard rankings changed drastically.

Based on their scores, they were in the first batch to emerge, meaning they had accumulated another thousand points. Huo Zhi’s score jumped to two thousand nine hundred and eighty-six, pushing her rank into the top hundred, now at sixty-seventh place. Linlang and Beimen Duoduo were ranked two hundred and thirtieth and three hundred and twelfth, respectively, both having advanced significantly.

On the Immortal Platform of the Immortal Talisman Sect, those watching the leaderboard had varied expressions.

“Aiya, this girl’s rank is rising so fast. Such good luck! She’s over three hundredth place; it’s not bad for her first time.” A member of the Beimen Clan was surprised to see Beimen Duoduo’s ranking.

“The names of several Moyi Clan members who were in the top two hundred just went dark! Only two left! Huo Zhi is already in the top hundred, impressive!” A member of the Nanmen Clan commented, watching the changes.

“Oh, this Huo Zhi’s rank has gone up again. I think she might actually get selected. Whether Huo Zhi makes it or not this time, my Beimen Clan will try to recruit her. She definitely seems like a talent!” The Beimen Clan member had their attention diverted.

Moyi Xiu’er’s face was very ugly.

She had never imagined that seven of the nine they sent in would be eliminated so early!

Only two of their meticulously nurtured geniuses were left. She could only hope they would bring honor to the family.

“What do you mean ‘yours’? I said first that we would recruit Huo Zhi!” The Nanmen Clan member seemed happy to see Moyi Xiu’er’s sullen face and started arguing with the Beimen Clan member over Huo Zhi.

“Look, the rankings changed again! The two from the Moyi Clan jumped into the top ten.” Just as the Beimen and Nanmen families were fighting over Huo Zhi, the rankings shifted. The fourth trial had already yielded results.

Huo Zhi’s score remained unchanged, meaning she hadn’t passed the fourth trial yet.

Seeing this, Moyi Xiu’er’s expression eased slightly.

At that moment, inside the cave of the fourth trial, Huo Zhi and her companions were bound by layer upon layer of vines, completely immobilized. All the Ice Crystals had been snatched up by a cultivator wearing the Moyi Clan’s uniform.

After entering the cave, Linlang had been holding off the Ice Thorn Snakes while Huo Zhi used a Binding Talisman to form a spiritual qi rope, intending to reach for a distant Ice Crystal. Before she could touch it, a powerful surge of wood-type spiritual qi struck. Linlang tried to pull Huo Zhi and Beimen Duoduo away, but sky-covering vines swept in, coiling around them and trapping them.

“It’s a Vine Talisman from the Moyi Clan! This is a Superior Profound-Grade talisman. It’s so difficult to draw! They actually succeeded! And they’re using it against us!” Beimen Duoduo struggled in vain, a note of despair in her voice.

“You must be Huo Zhi. We didn’t originally want to kill you. We just wanted you eliminated early. But you and your companions went too far! Don’t blame me for being impolite!” A cultivator from the Moyi Clan walked up to Huo Zhi with a cold sneer. The vines constricted tighter and tighter around Huo Zhi.

“You’re trying to kill us! Don’t kill her! She’s very skilled, my companion! I’m from the Beimen Clan, part of the Five Great Clans! Don’t go too far!” Beimen Duoduo’s teeth chattered as she spoke.

“Beimen Clan? Heh. Then you definitely can’t be allowed to live!” The cultivator looked at Beimen Duoduo.

“Ah! Help! Help!” Beimen Duoduo screamed at the top of her lungs. Vines quickly wrapped around her neck, her face swelling red as she was silenced.

“Enough talking! Kill them quickly. The Ice Thorn Snakes can devour their corpses. We need to hurry to the fifth trial!” Another cultivator said coldly.

Huo Zhi was being squeezed so tightly she couldn’t speak or activate any talismans. Her ice-type spiritual qi was largely ineffective against the wood element. Was this the end?

How could a mere exam be so life-threatening?!

Just as Huo Zhi felt her breathing become more and more labored, the vines constricting her suddenly loosened. The cultivator controlling the vines was convulsing, his whole body shaking violently. The Ice Thorn Snakes, previously held at bay by the cultivators’ auras, swarmed forward, all targeting him. He stood there like an idiot, not resisting, and was instantly buried under the snakes. Muffled screams emanated from beneath the writhing mass.

Huo Zhi didn’t have time to be shocked. She saw Linlang fly out, launching a Fire Arrow Talisman at the other cultivator. Huo Zhi quickly struggled free of the vines and activated a Binding Talisman to assist Linlang.

The other cultivator could have activated talismans but seemed momentarily possessed, his face twisting into a grimace, unable to use them.

“Devil… Dev…” A few words sputtered from his mouth before Linlang’s flaming arrow shot through his skull, killing him instantly!

The moment he died, countless Ice Thorn Snakes covered his body too.

Linlang had just used the Nether Soul Thread.

She didn’t know if some powerful being was monitoring this small realm used for the exam. She had avoided using it before this. Now, with their lives hanging in the balance, she had no choice.

“Dead… dead…” Shivering, Beimen Duoduo hugged Huo Zhi’s arm.

Huo Zhi had seen many dead since coming to this world, but she was still terrified. If Linlang hadn’t acted, she would be the one being eaten by Ice Thorn Snakes right now!

“This was self-defense, self-defense! We didn’t mean to kill them! We absolutely cannot speak of this! Not a word. Let’s get an Ice Crystal and go, now!” Huo Zhi said urgently, grabbing Beimen Duoduo.

“Right, right! Let’s go!” Beimen Duoduo said.

“Wait! I’ll go first. I’ll give them to you after we leave the cave!” Linlang blocked the two of them.

“You’re a real one! I’m adding extra Spirit Stones for you!” Beimen Duoduo sniffled.

Linlang followed closely behind the two dead Moyi Clan members to take the Ice Crystals. This would be recorded, meaning her rank would be high.

When they left the cave, others would come in to take them. Beimen Duoduo and Huo Zhi would have slightly lower ranks, but it would arouse no suspicion about what had happened.

“It seemed like the Moyi Clan was targeting me. I’m truly sorry for getting you caught up in this. If the Moyi Clan gives you trouble, I’ll explain everything. I’ll say I did it all.” Huo Zhi said.

“…” Linlang glanced at Huo Zhi but said nothing. She used her fire-type spiritual qi to repel the Ice Thorn Snakes and led the two onward, exiting the cave.

Her previous idea had been to destroy the remaining Ice Crystals after taking one.

But now, if only their group had Ice Crystals, it would be a blatant confession of guilt.

More people getting them would cause the most confusion.

“My rank changed. You two can take some now.” After coming out, Linlang said to them.

The change in her ranking signified that someone else had taken an Ice Crystal.

The two took Ice Crystals, and their rankings updated.

The order of taking determined the points. Huo Zhi was the twentieth to take one, losing twenty points and dropping from sixty-seventh to one hundred and thirtieth place. Linlang, having gone first, only lost two points, moving to one hundred and tenth place. Beimen Duoduo was at one hundred and sixty-second.

On the Immortal Platform, the Immortal Talisman Sect cultivators following the rankings erupted in another round of heated discussion.

Moyi Xiu’er, who had felt slightly better, felt her heart lurch as she saw the names of the two Moyi Clan members who had entered the top ten suddenly vanish.

“Impossible! Impossible!” Moyi Xiu’er could no longer sit still and shot to her feet.

“Tsk tsk. This year, the Moyi Clan only has one cultivator left on the list, someone completely unrelated to them. I’d say it’s time the Moyi Clan was removed from the Five Great Clans!” Someone gloated.

“This is all normal. Don’t take it to heart. The titles of the Five Great Clans rotate every few centuries. No need to get so worked up!” A Beimen Clan member, in high spirits seeing a clansman they had little hope for entering the top hundred, spoke mockingly.

Moyi Xiu’er didn’t bother to retort. She ran off the Immortal Platform. She was going to find those eliminated Moyi Clan members and interrogate them on how they could have failed and been eliminated!

A bunch of useless trash. Outrageous!

The three proceeded to the fifth trial. On the way, Huo Zhi heard a familiar voice.

“We got the Ice Crystals together! There were clearly extras. Why not give me one?!” a female voice cried out.

“You’re lucky to have even reached this rank. Did you think we brought you along for any other reason? It was because you could draw talismans. There’s no need to let you take up a spot now. We’re about to hand over our remaining talismans. Just hand yours over to us directly!” another female voice replied.

“You’re breaking your word! You took my Spirit Stones and swore a Blood Oath!” the woman said angrily.

“You actually believed that Blood Oath? So naive. Enough nonsense. Say another word, and we’ll kill you!” someone else snarled viciously.

Huo Zhi turned her head to look. The woman being bullied was actually an acquaintance, the petite girl from the Artifact Talisman Sect, Ji Shuling!