Beneath the frozen waterfall that hung inverted from the cliff face, the massive and fearsome Blood Jade Python let out a blood-curdling hiss.
Yet if one looked closely into those vertical pupils filled with fury and venom, one could see a profound sorrow lurking in the depths of this beast's eyes.
It had not been born to serve as prey for others' amusement.
Before being captured and thrown into this confined trial zone, it had been the undisputed overlord of a spirit land somewhere on the outskirts of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.
It had absorbed the primordial energy of heaven and earth, survived countless life-and-death battles, and stood merely one step away from the legendary Rank 3 transformation into a Jiao dragon.
Given time, it might have shed its serpent bones and soared through the clouds.
But its fate had come to an abrupt end the day it encountered Black Blood Stockade's Patriarch, Lin Cang.
For this tournament designed to temper the clan's younger generation, that Rank 4 powerhouse had descended upon its territory with overwhelming, dimension-crushing force.
It was a one-sided massacre—the python's prized venom and constricting power were child's play before absolute strength.
Its horn, the symbol of dignity and potential, the mark of its imminent transformation—shattered by a single punch from Lin Cang.
And the reverse scale at its vital point, the hardest yet most vulnerable spot on its body, had been brutally ripped away, flesh and all.
What remained was a wound that would never heal, constantly seeping foul, poisonous blood.
The former king had been tossed into this trial zone like a dead eel, reduced to a "final boss" for Gu Master apprentices to prove themselves against. It could only cling to this extreme-yin waterfall, using the cold to suppress its wound.
This was the fundamental logic of the Gu world—the strong devour the weak. Whether lofty Gu Masters or wild beasts, those lacking strength could only become meat on another's plate.
Now, the fury of a cornered beast boiled in the Blood Jade Python's chest. Its cold, merciless vertical pupils locked onto the human ants gradually gathering in the surrounding forest, longing to tear them all to shreds.
As the trial entered its final day, surviving teams followed the terrifying hissing sounds and converged on the waterfall's perimeter.
But not everyone was qualified to sit at this final table.
At the forest's edge, several battered remnants supported each other, gazing from afar at the colossal creature radiating Rank 2 pressure, nothing but deep terror in their eyes.
Some had lost arms, others had lost eyes. Their teams were severely depleted, their Primeval Essence long exhausted.
They had come not harboring any hope for the championship, but purely with a vague notion of "picking up scraps"—like hyenas waiting to scavenge carrion.
The true focus was on the three seed teams that arrived afterward.
Lin Feng's team was first to occupy the high ground with the best vantage point. Thanks to Lin Mu's precise navigation and their highly efficient hunting, they sat firmly atop the leaderboard with zero casualties.
Though everyone's armor was stained with heavy bloodscent, Lin Feng kept that killing aura well suppressed. The five stood together in tight formation, like an elite regular army, radiating suffocating pressure.
Emerging from the forest on the right came Lin Xue's team.
Unlike the others, this group moved with exceptional composure. Though they hadn't killed many demon beasts and their score was mediocre, everyone was in excellent condition—their clothes barely torn.
Especially Lin Ze at the front, his tower-like frame covered in defensive Gu, providing this support-and-assassination-oriented team with tremendous security.
The most eye-catching was Lin Yan's team, crawling out from the swamp on the left.
They were drenched in blood, flesh torn and exposed, like evil spirits freshly escaped from a blood-pool hell.
Though everyone was wounded—some barely able to stand—the fearless, man-eating madness in their eyes made them even more intimidating than Lin Feng's fully healthy squad.
A three-way standoff.
The air reeked of gunpowder, tension directed not only at the Blood Jade Python but at each other.
Everyone knew Lin Feng currently held first place. As long as he made no mistakes and played it safe through this final day, the championship was his.
But the Sword of Damocles hanging over everyone—that Rank 2 beast king—was a variable that could overturn everything. If Lin Xue or Lin Yan landed the killing blow, the massive point reward would instantly vault them past Lin Feng.
This was absolutely intolerable to Lin Feng, yet it was Lin Xue's and Lin Yan's only hope of turning the tables.
Under this desperate pressure, teams that had been competing—even bearing grudges from the arena—began extremely pragmatic negotiations.
In a concealed thicket outside the waterfall.
Lin Xue, clad in black fitted clothes with her cold, aloof air, actually approached Lin Yan, whose body radiated violent fire-poison.
The two had no prior dealings in the arena and even harbored mutual hostility due to conflicts between their halls. But in this moment, for the same goal, they opened secret talks.
"Senior Brother Lin Yan, I'll speak plainly."
Lin Xue glanced at the heavily wounded Punishment Hall disciples behind Lin Yan, her tone calm but cutting to the heart of the matter.
"Your people are badly hurt. In your current state, even if that beast king only has a third of its strength left, you absolutely cannot take it down. Likewise, my side lacks the offensive power to break through its scales."
Lin Yan spat out bloody saliva and stared coldly at her. "What are you getting at? Spit it out."
"Let's cooperate."
Lin Xue laid out her terms. "The Medicine Hall will handle all healing and detoxification during battle. My people will focus on containment and defense; yours will lead the assault."
"As for the final killing blow's points—may the best prevail. Whoever claims it, keeps it."
Lin Yan frowned, clearly not entirely trusting this "may the best prevail" arrangement.
Seeing this, Lin Xue's lips curved into a cold smile as she delivered the fatal blow:
"Besides... Senior Brother, surely you don't want to watch that hypocrite Lin Feng comfortably take the championship title?"
This struck Lin Yan's weak point directly.
Lin Yan had been defeated by Lin Feng's sword in the arena due to his injuries, and that pent-up resentment had been festering for days. More than losing first place himself, what truly disgusted him was Lin Feng's superior, holier-than-thou attitude.
Crack.
Hearing this, a flash of madness and ferocity crossed Lin Yan's eyes.
"Deal!"
He wiped the blood from his face and snarled viciously, "Even if I have to sacrifice this entire team and give up first place, I will never let that hypocrite Lin Feng get what he wants!"
Old enemies broke the ice; interests forged an alliance.
After reaching consensus, Lin Xue—who had always projected the image of an "ice-cold celestial maiden"—revealed extremely shrewd, even extravagant political maneuvering.
She wasn't satisfied with just a two-team alliance.
Moving quietly through the forest, she produced a heavy bag of Primeval Stones and large quantities of precious healing Gu, offering generous bounties to the remaining teams who had only come to spectate.
"All who participate in besieging the beast king will receive ten Primeval Stones minimum, with unlimited healing supplies. If you survive, the Medicine Hall will owe you a favor!"
Under the lure of heavy rewards and the courage of "safety in numbers," the eyes of those previously timid Gu Masters turned red. Soon, seven or eight capable stragglers joined the ranks.
In just half an hour, a formidable sixteen-person assault force with complete configurations had been hastily assembled in this extreme-yin territory.
Throughout this vigorous recruitment, Lin Feng's team remained stationed on the nearby high ground, naturally taking in everything.
But strangely, not a single person approached Lin Feng. Everyone tacitly acted as if they didn't see them, completely isolating this top-ranked team from the alliance.
The reason was simple and cruel: Lin Feng was too strong.
If this fully staffed, peak-condition team joined, when it came time to snatch the killing blow, no one could out-compete Lin Feng. The whole purpose of their alliance was to counter Lin Feng—how could they invite the wolf into their midst?
Watching the "motley crew" below arranging themselves and assigning tactics, Lin Feng showed no anger at being excluded. Instead, he wore an extremely magnanimous, spring-breeze smile.
He chose the most conspicuous clearing, stood atop a tall rock, and cupped his hands toward Lin Xue and Lin Yan below, his voice clear and resonant:
"Since my fellow disciples harbor such heroic ambitions to slay this demon, I, Lin Feng, shall naturally support your noble endeavor. Our Third Squad will absolutely not interfere with this beast king. I wish you all martial fortune and triumphant return."
These words were watertight, fully displaying the bearing and magnanimity of a great clan's heir.
Though the Gu Masters below sneered inwardly, they could find no fault on the surface.
However.
The instant Lin Feng turned around, his back to the crowd, that magnanimity and warmth vanished completely from his face.
On that handsome visage remained only a viper-like coldness—cruelty calculated to the bone.
In a voice so low only the four teammates could hear, he let out a blood-chilling laugh:
"No rush."
"Do they think the death throes of a Rank 2 beast king are so easily endured? When they and that beast have torn each other apart, when the ground runs red with blood—that's when we strike."
"Then, whether it's the beast king's points or the spoils on their bodies, all of it will be ours. Let us see who the true mantis-catching oriole is."
Hearing these words.
In the eyes of Lin Wan'er and Lin Zhong, a trace of hesitation and chilling fear was uncontrollably revealed. They didn't expect that the usually gentle and elegant young master had a heart so sinister to this degree.
This was simply using the lives of fellow disciples to fill a pit.
And at the edge of the squad, Lin Wuxie was trembling all over with excitement. Not only did he not feel it was cruel, but he stuck out his scarlet tongue and licked his dry lips forcefully.
That fierce baleful aura on his body almost unsuppressibly spilled out from his pores.
Among this squad where each harbored ulterior motives.
Only Lin Mu stood quietly at the very back.
He didn't have fear like Lin Wan'er, nor fanaticism like Lin Wuxie. His gaze swept extremely obscurely back and forth between the complacent Lin Feng before him and the Blood Jade Python letting out heaven-shaking roars in the distance.
"An oriole, huh?"
An imperceptible arc curled at the corner of Lin Mu's mouth. His fingertips gently stroked the Dust Escape Gu inside his cuff, which had long been thirsty and impatient.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. Very good."
"Then let us see if there is a more fatal venomous snake hiding behind this complacent oriole."