CHAPTER 345: CHAPTER 299 JOINING A TEAM

Sacrificial Officer Chen Danqiu raised his hand, and from the wooden box beside the ship’s helm, talismans flew straight into the palms of the students.

SNAP.

Protection and Alarm Talismans adhered tightly to the back of everyone’s left hand, wrapping around once. They neither hindered the movement of the hand nor fell off easily.

"Sacrificial Officer, how do we descend..."

Li Hui glanced at the small talisman on her chubby backhand. Before she could finish her question, Chen Danqiu had already brought his palms together.

BUZZ!

An invisible pulling force hooked onto the waists of the forty students on deck.

In the next instant, all the students were flung into the air, leaving the deck and the protective range of the Heavenly Boat.

WHOOSH—

A howling wind swept by their ears.

The sensation of spinning weightlessness pervaded their bodies, their Qi Seas trembled in disarray, unable to summon Spiritual Power.

Li Ang had no choice but to squint and curl his body to resist the centrifugal force caused by the spinning.

The last scene in his vision was that of all the students, just like him, plummeting towards different directions of Lingtai Mountain.

It’s done.

Chen Danqiu slowly lowered his hand and looked towards the flat ship’s helm.

The forty students are deployed. Next...

He pressed a few times at the edge of the wooden helm, and the wooden grains on its surface immediately lit up with a faint glow.

The light gathered into lines, and the lines into surfaces, outlining the terrain of the Lingtai Mountain Range. Amidst them, forty blue dots moved swiftly.

"Are these blue dots the students?" Imperial Uncle of Jing Country asked, frowning.

"Exactly."

Chen Danqiu nodded and gently stroked the helm.

Immediately, numerous red dots lit up on the wooden grains.

These red dots represented demons and Exotic Beasts carrying Sea Shell Bell Beads.

Plummeting downward, the ground in his vision rapidly approached. As the Spiritual Energy disturbance dissipated, Li Ang quickly released Telekinesis to adjust his body back to an upright, feet-down position.

Just before crashing into the lush forest, he extended his left arm downward, releasing a large amount of Mind Threads from his sleeves. Like a spiderweb, they spread between the treetops of towering trees, delicately supporting his body.

CREAK—

The trees bent and twisted under the pull of the web, helping Li Ang shed the momentum of his fall. He flicked his hand, retracted the Mind Threads, and landed on the ground covered in dry branches and leaves.

So, this is Lingtai Mountain.

Li Ang looked around. All he saw were densely packed trees that looked identical. He looked up through the sparse canopy at the sky; the Heavenly Boat, comparable to an aircraft carrier, had also vanished without a trace.

Did they just drop the students into the site and fly off?

Li Ang smacked his lips. Sacrificial Officer Chen Danqiu’s action of flinging all the students away had already signaled the start of the trial.

He had deliberately released a disturbance in Spiritual Power to obscure all contestants’ view of others’ flight directions and landing spots. The timing of the disturbance’s end, just a few seconds before landing, was also crucial. It meant that all the students who made it this far were strong cultivators from the Rain Listening and Cloud Patrol realms, capable of landing safely with their own strength.

First, I need to determine my position.

Li Ang unclasped the compass from his belt, opened the lid, and glanced at it. The needle wavered chaotically, unable to specify a direction.

Has the Prohibition already been activated...?

He furrowed his brows and put away the compass. Then, using his dagger, he began to hack a path through the thorns and bushes, slowly making his way up the mountain as he pondered.

First, the trial rules. Forty participants. Victory is decided by whoever gets the most Bell Bead points. It sounds simple at first, but a closer look reveals the intricacies. Sea Shell Bell Beads are natural talismans nurtured by countless shellfish demons in the Endless Sea, possessing various special abilities. The Bell Bead score is the sole condition for victory. There are three ways to obtain Bell Beads: one, hunt demons; two, explore the Jialan Sect ruins and hidden realms; and three, plunder... others.

Li Ang murmured to himself, "The first two are undoubtedly dangerous. To make it challenging for the students, the Sacrificial Officer wouldn’t have selected demons that are fat and easy to slaughter. Similarly, exploring the secret realms is risky and can easily lead to disaster."

Forty people. Not too many, not too few, scattered across such a vast mountain range. If everyone concealed their aura, it would be difficult to find each other. However, once a cultivator battles another entity, the situation changes. The sounds and lights of combat, or the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy, would allow anyone nearby to quickly pinpoint the location.

Li Ang did not use Telekinesis to lift himself into the air. He was unaware of the others’ whereabouts.

At the early stages of the trial, any kind of ostentation or leaving traces of Spiritual Power could attract enemies.

He continued his climb up the mountain, his knife blade clearing vines and thorns along the way.

Thanks to the protection of Mind Silk, occasional falling spiders, reptiles, or venomous snakes couldn’t gain a foothold on Li Ang’s body, let alone inflict any harm.

Before long, Li Ang reached the mountaintop.

He still did not employ Telekinesis. Instead, he climbed into the tree canopy using his hands and feet. Looking down the mountain, he rapidly sketched the terrain of the surrounding ranges with the paper and pencil he had in hand.

Two mountains to the north, I can see some ruined buildings—likely the Jialan Sect ruins. To the east, there’s a river cutting through the mountain range. I could head there first to hunt demons...

Having gathered the information, Li Ang leaped down from the tree canopy. As he landed, he immediately twisted his body, releasing Telekinesis from his hand.

BUZZ—

A cold arrow shot from the bushes was forcibly halted by Telekinesis, hovering in front of Li Ang’s palm.

The bush burst open with a BANG. A figure cloaked in leafy camouflage leaped out, long knife in hand, slashing directly at Li Ang.

CLANG!

Li Ang tapped the blade of the long knife with his Triangular Spear, borrowing the force to retreat rapidly while he shouted sternly, "Wait a moment!"

The figure continued unabated. His long knife swung in a full moon arc, shattering countless obstructing trees as he charged forward.

Left with no other choice, Li Ang raised his arm and drove his Eagle Mountain Claw into a high branch, swinging backward to distance himself from the attacker while bellowing, "Your family is in my hands! Stop, unless you want them to die!"

To enhance his persuasiveness, Li Ang added a sinister "Hehehe hahaha" laugh.

At these words, the figure in the leafy cloak paused subconsciously.

Seeing the opponent stop, Li Ang quickly said, "You’re Xiao Da, right? A student from Zhou Kingdom, Rain Listening Realm. Our cultivation realms are comparable. If we really fight, regardless of who wins or loses, both sides will suffer. The loser gets eliminated, and the winner gains nothing."

To prove his words, Li Ang raised his right hand and pulled down his sleeve slightly, revealing his wrist covered with a talisman plate stuffed with various talismans.

Xiao Da, wearing the leafy cloak with his face painted in black and green camouflage, blinked. He seemed unsure of his absolute advantage. Then, he bent his back, gripped his long knife, and slowly retreated towards the bushes.

"Hold on, brother."

Li Ang, however, had no intention of letting him go. He retracted his talisman plate and said sternly, "You were trying to take advantage of the trial’s start to eliminate a competitor early, weren’t you? Our landing spots are close, and we’re not from the same camp, so striking first isn’t wrong. However, I have a better suggestion. How about we team up?"