That was to say, an hour after the tryout started, 50 students had dropped out of the exam.

“The tryout this year is so difficult.”

A candidate popped out of the portal after giving up on the tryout and he collapsed in the square.

He was covered in blood, had a big gash on his head, and was missing half his right ear. No one could bring themselves to look at him in that mangled state.

Everyone in the square had been watching the changes in ranking and they wanted to know everything about the tryout. They were thrilled to see a candidate come out.

However, before they could reach him, guards from Imperial College had arrived with a stretcher. They helped the candidate onto it, then carried him away.

A hush fell over the square…

“If I’m not mistaken, that’s Zhao Tianze, right?”

“You know the guy?”

“I know of him. He’s the son of the governor of Tianze Province and he’s the top candidate from his province. I didn’t expect him to be eliminated so soon.”

“The tryout this year is so difficult. The son of a governor failed, just like that.”

“Of course it’s difficult. They’re in Proud Snowfield, which is the toughest of all the seven terrains!”

“Luck wasn’t on Zhao Tianze’s side, if you ask me. I heard that he got transported right into Zone 3 and ran into a Level 3 Spiritual Grandmaster magical beast. Before he knew it, he was getting his ass kicked.”

“Zone 3? That’s the area where junior Spiritual Grandmaster magical beasts dwell. If I recall correctly, Zone 3 is the closest that candidates can get to the center of the terrain. Zone 1 and Zone 2 are sealed off, and only students in Year 2 and above can enter.”

“That’s right. Zhao Tianze was really unlucky…”

The air was filled with a clamor of discussion as more candidates popped out of the portal.

Some came back from Zone 4 and some from Zone 3.

“Exactly how are the magical beasts distributed in Proud Snowfield?” Many asked the question in confusion when they saw how severely injured the candidates were.

Someone answered the question.

“It’s quite straightforward. Zone 5 is the outermost circle and any candidates that aren’t that unlucky are teleported there. The magical beasts there start at Level 9 Spiritual Master and only go as high as Level 1 Spiritual Grandmaster.

“Magical beasts in Zone 4 are Spiritual Grandmasters from Levels 1 to 3.

“As for Zone 3, the magical beasts there are Level 3 Spiritual Grandmasters at least, but won’t be above Level 5.

“And so on and so forth.

“Of course, because Zone 1 and Zone 2 aren’t open to outsiders, only the heads of Imperial College know what magical beasts reside there.

“Zhao Tianze was really unlucky. He was tossed into Zone 3 right away. The guy must have the worst luck of all the candidates.”

“That’s so true.”

“Feng Wu hasn’t shown up yet. I thought she would be the first to come out.”

“It’s her lucky day, I guess. She must be in Zone 5.”

“I think so.”

“But if she’s in Zone 5, she’ll get very little spiritual essence from killing the magical beasts. She won’t be able to pass the physical tryout.”

“No one expected her to pass anyway.”

However, they didn’t know that Feng Wu had been thrown into Zone 2, and had run into a family of Spiny Frost Beasts, who were Level 5 Spiritual Grandmasters…

Their eyes would pop out if they knew what happened.

Feng Wu pulled out the map to check her own location.

She really was in Zone 2… Feng Wu smiled bitterly. That explained that ferocious family of three.

Seeing that most candidates were in Zone 3 and Zone 4, Feng Wu was reminded of Chaoge.

That kid was so outspoken and simple-minded. She hoped that Chaoge wouldn’t walk into someone else’s trap.

If Chaoge ran into Mu Yaoyao and her people…

Shaking her head, Feng Wu decided to take a walk in Zone 3.

Magical beasts there were Spiritual Grandmasters between Level 3 and Level 5, and she could handle them easily.

Thanks to the red dots on the map, Feng Wu was able to find the other candidates without being spotted.

No Chaoge.

No Chaoge.

No Chaoge.

After walking around in Zone 3, Feng Wu found three groups that were comprised of candidates who had teamed up to fight the magical beasts.

A team of three to five candidates was an equal match for a Level 3 magical beast.

Every time Feng Wu found a candidate that wasn’t Chaoge, she would mark them on the map.

Chaoge was nowhere to be seen in the whole of Zone 3.

Was the kid lucky enough to be transported to Zone 4?

Magical beasts there were between Level 1 and Level 3. As a Level 1 Spiritual Grandmaster, Chaoge would be able to handle one or two on her own.

Since Chaoge wasn’t in Zone 3, Feng Wu continued her search in Zone 4.

Mark, mark, mark —

Feng Wu moved very fast in the snow-covered field. She wore a white dress with a cape that had white fox fur piping around the lower hem, which gave her a smart and elegant look.

With her white outfit and lightning speed, almost none of the candidates could detect her.

When she showed up again, she was in Zone 4.

“What do you people want?!” someone shouted angrily in the distance.

Duan Chaoge glared at Wen Ling. “I killed that Cloud Leopard! You people showed up at the last minute and took all the spiritual essence away! You sleazy bastards!”

“Hahahaha —” Wen Ling smirked. “Duan Chaoge, we were the first to beat this Cloud Leopard half-dead before you showed up to take the credit. We’re the victims here. How dare you accuse us?!”

Chaoge was all by herself.

But Wen Ling had help.

Lucky for her, she had been able to meet up with Liu Hao and Mu Qing.

Three against one. Chaoge was outnumbered.

Despite that, Chaoge was never going to surrender to the villains!

Chaoge scowled. “I’m the victim here and you’re the ones trying to take the credit!”

Wen Ling gloated. “No, you are!”

Stomping her foot in vexation, Chaoge charged at them. “It’s mine and I’m not going to let you take it! Give me back the leopard’s spiritual essence!”

“Oh my, you want a fight? Great!” Wen Ling smirked and said to her friends, “Duan Chaoge is with Feng Wu, and that woman is an eyesore to Boss Yafei. Take this woman down and it’ll be as good as a recommendation letter when we bring her to Princess Mu!”

“Alright!”

Behind Wen Ling, Liu Hao’s and Mu Qing’s eyes lit up!

761 Do You Have a Death Wish?

Wen Ling and the other two surrounded Chaoge.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A fight started.

Chaoge fought three enemies all at once in the snowfield and was able to fend them off in the beginning.

As time went by, however, Chaoge began to tire. It was less energy-consuming for the other three, and they weren’t as fatigued as she was.

“Hahaha, Duan Chaoge, you’re so dead!” Wen Ling’s smile looked very savage!

“Thump!” She hit Chaoge in the chest.

Liu Hao and Mu Qing had each grabbed one of Chaoge’s arms, immobilizing her. She had no choice but to endure the full impact of the blow!

Chaoge felt a throbbing pain in her chest!

She glared at Wen Ling!

Unfortunately, instead of making any progress, Chaoge’s cultivation level had dropped in the past five years.

The exam started shortly after she regained her normal ability, and it was only natural that she was no match for these three people working together.

Given time, she could surely surpass them.

But time was something she didn’t have at the moment.

“Duan Chaoge, I’m only going to say this once!” Wen Ling stared at Duan Chaoge with a taunting look on her face. “Say ‘Feng Wu is a bitch’ and we’ll cut you loose!”

Wen Ling was so sly!

Of all these candidates, Chaoge was Feng Wu’s best friend. If Chaoge were to betray Feng Wu, the effect would be devastating.

“Say it!” Pinching Chaoge’s chin, Wen Ling stared at her in contempt. She then punched Chaoge in the stomach. “Now!”

“Cough, cough —”

It hurt a lot —

Wen Ling was a Level 1 Spiritual Grandmaster at least, and she spared no effort with that blow!

Chaoge spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Say it!” Wen Ling stared at Chaoge.

But Chaoge only smirked and looked right into Wen Ling’s eyes. “Kill me if you want. I’ll never betray Xiao Wu. Kill me now! I dare you!”

“You think I won’t do it?” Wen Ling snorted. With a flip of her wrist, a dagger appeared in her hand.

The sharp blade glinted in the sunlight.

Wen Ling rested the blade against Chaoge’s throat.

“Say it or I’ll kill you!”

Chaoge sneered at her. “You bitch! Ye Yafei is a bitch! So is Mu Yaoyao!”

Wen Ling blanched with fury!

“What are you doing?”

An emotionless voice rang out a few steps away from them.

Turning around, Wen Ling was so frightened that she almost dropped her dagger.

It was none other than Mu Yaoyao.

And behind her were Yao Hao and Yao Ying, the Yao siblings.

“Are you making her curse me?” Mu Yaoyao stared at Wen Ling instead of Chaoge.

Wen Ling was shaking all over and almost dropped to her knees.

“Princess Mu! It’s not like that! I wasn’t!” Wen Ling explained herself in a hurry. “She’s Duan Chaoge and I wanted to make her betray Feng Wu and curse her, but she’s so stubborn. And I didn’t know that she was going to curse you. It’s all my fault —”

Wen Ling eventually knelt down with her head lowered. She was petrified.

Mu Yaoyao was already a prominent princess and her grandfather had just been made the head of Imperial College. Only an idiot would try to offend her.

Crossing her hands behind her back, Mu Yaoyao shifted her taunting gaze from Wen Ling to Chaoge.

“Why, Duan Chaoge, it’s you.”

The casual tone was filled with contempt.

762 Feng Wu Has Arrived!

Chaoge glared at her.

Mu Yaoyao replied with a half-smile, “Wen Ling said what I wanted to say.”

Rolling her whip up, Mu Yaoyao raised her chin and said in a taunting voice, “Say ‘Feng Wu is a bitch’ and I’ll let you go. Otherwise —”

Before Mu Yaoyao could finish her sentence —

“Ptooey —”

Chaoge spat at Mu Yaoyao!

And the sticky saliva caught Mu Yaoyao right in her face.

Mu Yaoyao was astonished!

She was caught off guard!

She was a well-respected princess whose grandfather was the head of Imperial College, but someone had just… spat in her face!

Mu Yaoyao retched!

She could no longer hold her smirk. Pointing at Chaoge, she roared, “Take care of her! Whip her as hard as you can! I want her dead!”

She then tossed the whip to Yao Ying behind her.

Yao Ying was Mu Yaoyao’s most loyal minion, for Mu Mansion was the Yao family’s patron.

Hence, Yao Ying had been Mu Yaoyao’s reading companion since she was little.

Taking Mu Yaoyao’s whip, Yao Ying lashed Chaoge hard in the face!

Chaoge had lost the extra weight and was down to less than 50kg. She was a slim, pretty girl again.

The whip cut a bloody gash in her fair cheek.

“Whip her! Don’t stop!”

The memory of Chaoge’s spit on her face made Mu Yaoyao want to throw up.

She had been born in the lap of luxury, and that was the grossest thing she had ever experienced. The memory would probably haunt her for the rest of her life.

Crack —

The whip landed on Chaoge face, arms, and the rest of her body…

It hurt…

The pain was excruciating…

Chaoge had cuts and gashes all over her body and every inch of her skin was covered in blood.

Her clothes were soaked.

It really hurt…

So much so that she almost passed out.

“Say it! Say it now!” Grinding her teeth, Yao Ying prodded Chaoge.

Chaoge sneered at them, and only gritted her teeth harder and wouldn’t even let them hear her grunt.

Betray Xiao Wu? Over her dead body!

Just when Chaoge was soaked with cold sweat from the pain —

Feng Wu finally reached them.

The first thing she saw was Chaoge being held still by two people, and a third person whipping her mercilessly. Beside them, someone else was giving orders in a vicious voice. “Yes! I want her dead!”

Blood rushed into Feng Wu’s head!

“Thump!”

Feng Wu charged out and kicked Yao Ying in the stomach!

Yao Ying flew backward at the strike!

Before the others could see who Feng Wu was —

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Feng Wu struck out continuously, sending Liu Hao and Mu Qing into the air.

Both saw something flit past them, and before they knew it, they were in the air. Then, with a thump, they hit the ground face down!

The impact created a deep pit in the ground, and they were buried in it right away!

There were only three people left.

Wen Ling, Yao Hao, and Mu Yaoyao.

All three stared at Feng Wu as if they had seen a ghost.

Feng Wu supported Chaoge with one hand. Seeing the condition she was in, Feng Wu almost burst into tears.

She was devastated.

“Chaoge? Chaoge?” Holding Chaoge in her arms, Feng Wu gritted her teeth, fighting back her fury.

Chaoge had almost lost consciousness, but she opened her eyes at Feng Wu’s voice.