Chapter 274 - The Ninth Trial

Tang Wulin harbored the same doubts as Xie Xie. Naturally, they would earn more points the longer they survive this trial, yet two hours had passed without the slightest peep. How could this be called a trial of survival then? It was easy to forage for food in a forest and survive.

“Should we go exploring?” Xie Xie asked.

Tang Wulin looked at the sky before answering, “Not yet, it’s still early in the afternoon. We’ll wait until nightfall. It’ll be safer if Xu Xiaoyan can use her Starwheel Ice Staff.”

Impatience was their number one enemy. Tang Wulin refused to give in to anxiety, calmly contemplating the best way to help his teammates maximize their points.

Since we’re safe here, we can wait until everyone’s in their best condition before exploring.

The sun gradually sunk beyond the horizon. In the twilight, Tang Wulin stood up and quietly climbed up a tree to gaze into the distance.

The world he found himself in truly resembled the Great Star Dou Forest. In the last glimmers of daylight, he could make out trees as far as the eye could see.

Then a howl shattered the silence and flipped the forest upside down.

Tang Wulin broke out into goosebumps as terror racked his body, but his blood essence chose that moment to flare up. It quickly dispelled his fear, his heart finally calming and returning to its earlier state.

What was that?

Then realization hit him and he climbed down the tree madly.

If just a single howl could upend the forest, just how terrifyingly powerful was this beast?

The Three-eyed Demon Ape, of which he had absorbed its spirit energy, was the strongest soul beast he had encountered so far. He could never forget the battle between the ten-thousand-year Three-eyed Demon Ape and Wu Zhangkong. Yet, this howl had shaken him to his very core!

The moment he landed on the ground, he saw his companions all had horror-stricken expressions.

“W-what was that sound? That scared me to death.” Xie Xie was pale, his face aghast.

Everyone wore a similar expression, though Gu Yue was more restrained.

Tang Wulin grimly said, “I don’t know either, but it doesn’t seem too far from here.”

Another roar thundered just as he spoke. Compared to before, this one was sharper and seemed to penetrate their bodies, instantly dispelling their fear.

This...

This is so strange!

“Let’s go take a look.” Gu Yue said to Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin nodded. “Let’s go.”

There was no way a trial would be as simple as they first thought. Even if they didn’t check it out, perhaps the two soul beasts would come looking for them instead. It was far better to take the initiative to attack.

After all, regardless of who held the exam, there must be a way for examinees to pass the exam. .

Gu Yue released her wind birds to scout far ahead of them and the four began to advance toward the origin of the roar.

Tang Wulin took the lead, opening a path for his teammates while also doing his best to help mask their scent. Since they weren’t strong enough, this was all they could manage.

Gu Yue’s face twitched and she whispered, “There’s a valley up ahead on the left. It’s over there. My wind birds were dispersed by a gust of wind, though.”

“Everyone, be careful. Follow closely behind me.” Tang Wulin urged his blood essence to greater heights. Golden scales rippled into existence from his arm to his shoulder while a golden soul ring appeared beneath him. Not only did his blood essence aura mask their smell, it also calmed everyone’s nerves. At the very least, they no longer felt oppressed by the roars.

Just as Gu Yue had said, a lush valley lay before them as soon as they exited the forest. The closer they approached it, however, the more stifled they felt.

The four circulated their soul power to resist the waves of power emanating from deep within the valley. They proceeded cautiously and solemnly.

“We’re crawling from here onward.” Tang Wulin dropped to the ground, and the pressure instantly lessened. The other three also copied him and together, they inched to the edge of the valley and peered over it.

They sucked in a deep breath at the scene before them.

Inside the valley, booms resounded as two lights over thirty meters in diameter clashed countless times.

Every time they struck each otherr, the earth trembled while the air whipped into a frenzy.

This...

A purple light appeared in his eyes. When Tang Wulin looked back at the two lights again, shock rooted him to the ground. It was a pair of soul beasts!

One shone with dark-gold light, its immense figure intimately familiar to Tang Wulin. They had encountered this beast several times before, and every encounter had struck fear into their hearts.

It was the ruler of the forest, the Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear.

However, this bear was far mightier than the ones they met previously, a colossus towering over ten meters in height. Dark-gold light spilled from its body and flowed down its thick, solid arms. Every slash of its claws had the power to tear open the heavens and destroy the earth. They sent boulders flying everywhere and left numerous deep gouges in the walls of the valley.

That should be a thousand-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear, right? Or maybe it’s a ten-thousand-year one?

A hundred-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear had forced a pride of Blazing Demon Lions to beg for mercy. A thousand-year one could rule as the absolute tyrant of the forest. So then, what about a ten-thousand-year one?

A ten-thousand-year Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear could easily tear apart normal hundred-thousand-year soul beasts! Its destructive power was simply incomprehensible.

Yet this formidable beast was currently locked in battle with another beast no weaker than it.

Tang Wulin strengthened his eyesight further and examined the other light.

Inside the ball of blinding golden light was another soul beast.

It had body translucent like crystal, its form similar to that of a lion but with flaming draconic claws and a longer snout. Fine golden scales peeked out from beneath its fur. Most peculiar of all, it had a vertical slit on its forehead wherein its third eye rested.

Its two ordinary eyes were gold, but its third eye glared with a bewitching red glow.

What soul beast is that? Tang Wulin had never heard of such a beast, let alone seen one.

He turned to his friends and described what he just saw.

“Xie Xie, do you have any idea what that golden soul beast is?” Tang Wulin knew Xie Xie was the most knowledgeable of them all.

Xie Xie furrowed his brows. “From what you’ve said, I think I might know. Give me a moment to think.”