The vines suddenly began to shift and move. Plants that were extremely careful to remain motionless just a moment ago suddenly made their move.

The thick vines contracted toward the center. The group felt like they had been trapped inside a giant machine. Its gears were initially rotating slowly, and now it had finally awakened after the engine was heated up.

The vines slowly gathered outside the elevator's shaft. Those in front altered their shapes into sharp thorn-spears, extending toward the group of students trapped by the vines.

"Holy crap, we're done for!" Luo Song shrieked.

He and Xu Dalong were the closest to the rear. The vines close to the stairs were still writhing as they formed layers of walls, blocking their escape. The walls were so thick that it would be almost impossible to break through!

"AH! AH!!"

Someone among the group uttered a terrifying scream. It turned out to be Song Xia, who had been stabbed by a sharp vine that had struck her from the side when she was aligning her Fire Element's Star Pattern.

The vine in the shape of a spear drove into her abdomen, dragging her into the air toward the walls.

Fresh blood splattered across the ground. Song Xia's mouth was totally filled with blood. She did not even have the strength to cry out.

Everyone's mind went blank when they saw her being dragged around like sugar-coated candy on a stick.

"What the hell are you all waiting for, run!" Luo Song screamed and totally ignored Song Xia, who was slowly being devoured by the plants.

"We need to save her."

"There's nothing we can do. She's done for!" Lu Zhenghe snapped coldly, trying to calm everyone down.

"Ice Lock!"

Mu Ningxue was the first to complete a spell. Her eyes were staring at Song Xia, who was being trapped inside the walls made of plants.

The icy chains swiftly sprang forward and wrapped around Song Xia tightly. Mu Ningxue held their other end and pulled with great force, dragging Song Xia out from the vines.

Song Xia had a terrifying hole reaching from her abdomen to her back. Her blood splattered across the whole place while she was being pulled toward the group, an awful sight!

The Ice Lock had managed to pull Song Xia back from the jaws of death. However, her injury was so severe that it was impossible for her to survive any longer. Her inner organs were damaged, and she had lost a great amount of blood...

"Ice Spread: Freeze!"

Mu Ningxue cast a spell again to freeze Song Xia's body. The frost rapidly covered the wounded young woman, sealing the wound to prevent her from losing any more blood.

The blood finally stopped flowing from the wound, but Song Xia was on her last breath, and lay on the ground in an extremely weak state. Her eyes were full of pain and unwillingness to die.

"Hold on there, I'll bring you out." Mu Ningxue looked into Song Xia's eyes.

Song Xia's eyes were still wide open. Fresh blood slowly flowed out from her mouth. She looked utterly devastating. She never thought she would almost lose her life here, and had never imagined that Mu Ningxue would be the person who saved her.

"I'll look after her," Mu Nujiao said to Mu Ningxue.

Mu Ningxue nodded before turning around and casting a cold glance at Lu Zhenghe.

Lu Zhenghe responded with an expressionless face. "I was considering the whole team."

"I'll give the orders from now on." Mu Ningxue was not willing to let someone like Lu Zhenghe, who had come from a military background, lead them. In such a person's eyes, other people's lives could be sacrificed at any time.

"Alright."

Mu Ningxue controlled the Wind Element and quickly made her way to the blocked path.

The same vine spear that had attacked Song Xia suddenly thrust in from the side without any warning, aimed right at Mu Ningxue's heart. If it landed, it would kill her instantly.

The vine struck forward at an incredible speed, leaving no time for the magicians to react, let alone giving them enough time to cast an Intermediate Spell.

Mu Ningxue had already prepared herself for this. With a thought, pieces of pentagonal ice rapidly appeared around her. They immediately attached to her clothes as if they were magnetic. In under a second, the ice chips formed an elegant frozen armor around Mu Ningxue.

The armor was elegant yet sturdy, turning Mu Ningxue into a princess clad for battle. Her elegance carried a hint of new imperiousness.

The frosty armor wrapped around her tightly. The incoming vine snapped as if it had just collided with metal, and was immediately withdrawn like an injured tentacle.

"Protection!"

Mu Ningxue controlled the chains of the Ice Lock to revolve around the group. The icy chains immediately flew toward those who were being targeted by the vines to protect them,

"Water Barrier!"

"Sacred Shield!"

"Water Barrier!"

The others could not afford to just stand there and watch. They immediately cast their defensive spells to protect one other.

"The walls are still collapsing. If they finish contracting, we will end up like the hunters. We have to find a way to break through!" Zhao Manting said.

"Does anyone have a Deathstrike Item? I don't suppose you're still not willing to use them at a time like this!" Mu Ningxue asked.

Her Ice Lock was only suitable for use as protection under the circumstances. It was quite impossible to use it to break through the thick walls of interwoven vines.

"Mu Ningxue, try to freeze the plants. That way, my Light Slash will be more effective!" Ming Cong shouted.

"Got it!"

Qingqing and Luo Song, who also had the Ice Element, immediately cast their Ice Spreads together with Mu Ningxue.

Due to the buff from her domain, the trio's Ice Spread was stronger than usual. The frost spread through the place swiftly, managing to freeze a few layers of the walls within just a few seconds.

"Rupture Light Slash!" Ming Cong summoned a golden saber with a thought.

The saber was made of hard light. The others immediately cleared a path for it when they saw it.

Deathstrike Magic Equipment like this was expensive. It appeared that Ming Cong's renowned family was willing to spend some money on him, just to guarantee his safety.

All Magic Equipment required energy to activate. Their maximum power would only be unleashed with sufficient energy.

The Deathstrike Magic Equipment that Ming Cong was currently holding was worth at least ten million RMB. Its glow was extremely fiery, preventing the plants from getting any closer.

As he slashed forward with the saber of hard light, the others only saw a crescent sun flying forward in a straight line, chopping the vine walls apart. It even set the vines on fire...

Even though it was only a slash, it managed to clear a wide path. The vines seemed to be quite intimidated by it, the ones that were not damaged withdrawing from it hastily.

"Nice one!"

"Quick, we need to go now! The vines are closing in!"