Even with Victor Wu clearing the way ahead, everyone here was an Elite Class student. After running through the untamed forest with no paths, they were all battered and bruised.
Two hours later, when the beastly roars could no longer be heard, Victor Wu finally slowed his pace. They had reached a slightly more open area.
Seeing the team staggering behind him, Victor Wu stopped. "Everyone, take a brief rest here. I will now explain the next phase of the trial."
After hours of running through a forest filled with thorns, almost no one's clothes remained intact. Although the students here were all highly cultivated, the sudden dangers had shaken their composure.
Fortunately, everyone's packs were sturdy. Though scratched and scarred, none were torn open.
"Hey, Joe Di, how come your clothes aren't torn?" Only after settling down did Frank Pang notice that Joe Di's clothes looked almost unchanged, just as before.
"I practiced a lightness technique. Plus, following behind you all gave me a ready-made path, so I didn't have to touch the thorns." Joe Di replied nonchalantly.
A girl standing in front of Frank Pang heard Joe Di's words and glanced at him with disdain. In her eyes, Joe Di was just someone who relied on shortcuts.
Joe Di paid her no mind. Many Elite Class students here were highly gifted, some reaching the late Elite Martial Artist stage while still in their teens. Just like the girl who glanced at him with contempt—she was probably not even twenty. She would never consider that following others might really mean avoiding the thorns, just as Joe Di said.
"Vice Headmaster, I don't think He Tai can go on." Skyler Wang laid He Tai on the ground. Even those nearby could see Skyler Wang wasn't exaggerating—He Tai had long lost consciousness, his face pale and tinged with gray.
Victor Wu sighed and said, "I know. The Rainbow Viper is almost always fatal. When I forced the viper off, all I did was keep its venom from attacking his heart and killing him instantly. But given time, he'll still die. As far as I know, more than a dozen people have died from the Rainbow Viper on Celestia."
After speaking, Victor Wu turned to the Elite Class students, who had long since calmed down from their earlier excitement. He softened his tone as much as possible: "We haven't even reached the first camp, and already we've faced a fierce beast migration and even death. Clearly, Celestia has become even more dangerous than before."
Victor Wu was always cautious. He had long believed that the beasts of Celestia would one day threaten Earth. Now, he was even more certain—beasts had begun moving toward the edges. For all those coming from Earth, the area around Celestia Grand Plaza was considered the outskirts.
"He Tai was bitten by a Rainbow Viper. At most, he can last seven hours. Even if we send him to Celestia Grand Plaza now, there’s no medicine that can cure him. Our academy once had a student named Stanley Ji—he was poisoned on Celestia and has been in a coma for years." Victor Wu’s tone carried a hint of helplessness.
If it were possible to save He Tai, as the leader of this trial Victor Wu would not have hesitated. But he simply didn’t have the ability.
"Vice Headmaster, what should we do now?" Jade Yu asked.
Victor Wu swept his gaze over the group, who looked rather disheveled, and then said, "The beasts of Celestia all have fixed territories. Only a few ever wander outside their range. Their behavior is much like a pride of lions. If a beast leaves its territory to claim a new one, there will be a battle for territory—we call this a beast migration struggle.
That roar we just heard was exactly a beast migration struggle. Whenever it occurs, we must get as far away as possible—unless you have the strength to defeat those beasts. In truth, many powerful beast struggles occur, but even I cannot slay them. I had planned to lead everyone to the first camp, but now I’ve changed my mind. We’ll split up right here…"
"What…?" Even Jade Yu and Skyler Wang, the two instructors, were shocked. Normally, the trial continues within a set range around the camp, and at night everyone returns there. After ten days at the first camp, they move on to the second.
But as Victor Wu said, splitting up here had truly never happened before.
Victor Wu took a deep breath, his tone growing ever more serious. "You all know my view—Celestia is extremely dangerous. One day, the beasts of Celestia will threaten human survival. And what have our previous trials been? Instead of trials, it’s more like us instructors babysitting you for a month. That only makes it hard to forge true warriors."
He Tai being bitten, and the powerful beasts moving toward the edges, all pushed me to make this decision. From now on, you will conduct the trials on your own. Each team will have two to five people, formed voluntarily. Remember, don’t cross the red line—all trials must stay within it. After ten days, everyone will gather at the first camp. I’ll be waiting there. One more warning: if you encounter danger during the trial, you must resolve it yourselves. If you can't, you’ll end up like He Tai—forever left behind in this place. Is that clear?"
Joe Di was curious about what the red line was. As for the first camp, he didn’t bother to ask—he had no intention of returning to Celestia Grand Plaza with the others anyway. Since everyone else seemed to know, he planned to ask Frank Pang later.
Victor Wu took off the large pack from his back, opened it, and said, "These are locators. Everyone take one. They’re solar-powered and work as long as there’s light. Jade Yu, help me hand them out."
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Joe Di received a locator as well. It was actually a palm-sized screen. When Joe Di turned it on, a ring of red lines appeared. His position was surrounded by dozens of blue dots, all gently shifting. In addition, there was a larger green dot and three yellow dots.
Joe Di quickly figured it out—the larger green dot marked the location of Celestia Grand Plaza. The blue dots represented the students in the trial; as they moved, the blue dots shifted accordingly. The three yellow dots marked the locations of the three camps.
Jade Yu felt Victor Wu’s decision was questionable, but her rank was too low to object. She immediately accepted the Vice Headmaster’s decision, knowing it was meant to cultivate true elites.
Vice Headmaster Wu had said more than once that if Celestia didn’t train a batch of true elites, then when the beasts of Celestia rioted, relying on the laser walls to stop those powerful creatures would be nothing but wishful thinking.
Skyler Wang was considered Victor Wu’s disciple. After Victor Wu finished, he said, "The sooner we form teams, the better. Too many people gathered together will only attract migrating beasts. Start forming teams now—three to five people per group. Once your team is set, you can leave immediately. Ten days from now, we’ll meet at the first camp."
Most Elite Class students didn’t see a problem with Victor Wu’s decision. He Tai’s accident happened because he was bitten by a venomous snake. As for the beast’s roar earlier, though it sounded terrifying, who really knew if it was dangerous without fighting it?
The students began forming teams, most in groups of three, some in fours, and only a few in fives.
Joe Di didn’t join a team, but Frank Pang put on a friendly smile and approached a student at the early Profound stage. "Brother Cao Quan, let me and Joe Di join you. Joe Di knows a lightness technique, and my blade was custom-forged by Master Ye of Huaxia for my father."
Joe Di’s gaze fell on Cao Quan. He wasn’t tall, but had a lean, tough look. In Joe Di’s opinion, Cao Quan’s strength was about the same as Sang Sha’s back then—probably at the early Profound stage.
"I already have three people—at most I can take one more. If you want to come with us, that’s fine. If a beast appears, we’ll handle it. Your job will be to help us carry the packs." Cao Quan glanced at Joe Di and shook his head.
Bringing Joe Di was out of the question. Frank Pang was weaker but at least obedient. But who was Joe Di? Cao Quan didn’t know him. Besides, Frank Pang had come asking, while Joe Di just stood there—acting like he was some big shot.
Frank Pang thanked him, though disappointed, and returned. In his view, Joe Di’s skills were too weak; even with his lightness technique, not teaming up with stronger people here was risky.
In no time, most Elite Class students had finished forming teams and left. Only Joe Di, Frank Pang, Jade Yu, and Skyler Wang—the two instructors—remained. Even Victor Wu had left, saying he’d go to the camp first.
"Frank Pang, you and Joe Di shouldn’t join the trial for now. Go to the camp and meet up with the Vice Headmaster." Jade Yu knew Frank Pang was weak and had no one to team up with. As for Joe Di, she didn’t even consider him her student.
Skyler Wang nodded, "That’s for the best. The direct route to the first camp is still quite safe."
He planned to team up with Jade Yu. With his current strength, he needed more opportunities to advance. Vice Headmaster Wu’s power had inspired him—what he wanted most now was to reach the innate stage.
"Alright, but there’s still He Tai here." Frank Pang pointed to He Tai lying on the ground.
Skyler Wang sighed, "Take He Tai to the camp and bury him there."
"Alright then," Frank Pang agreed.
After the two instructors left, Joe Di looked speechlessly at Frank Pang. Not only had Frank Pang failed to find strong teammates, but now he had to carry a burden to the camp. Was he really here for the trial? It seemed anyone could order Frank Pang around.