Chapter 406: Chapter 406 - 398: Trial Ground

Xiao Jin and Shen Tang raced all the way to the Yunding Empire.

The palace guards recognized Shen Tang as a distinguished guest of the Sky King. Although they were unfamiliar with the male Beastman accompanying her, they dared not obstruct the pair as they appeared anxious and quickly reported the matter to the Sky King.

The Sky King, who was attending to state affairs, set aside his work immediately upon hearing of Shen Tang’s arrival and hurried to greet her.

"Xiao Tang, what brings you here so suddenly?" the Sky King asked with concern. "Why didn’t you inform me in advance?"

Shen Tang wasted no time on pleasantries and got straight to the point, "Mother, how is Lu Xiao doing now? What exactly happened at the Trial Ground?"

The Sky King comforted her by patting her hand. "Xiao’er is fortunate to have a companion like you who cares for him so deeply. It’s a blessing forged through past lives. However, the matters of the Trial Ground are confidential, and even I am unaware of what has transpired inside."

"Your Majesty!" Shen Tang’s voice tightened, "Lu Xiao may be in trouble! Can you stop the trial right now?"

The Sky King looked at Shen Tang in puzzlement; how could she know about the situation within the Trial Ground from a distant nation? He simply regarded her as overly worried.

"Xiao Tang, I understand your feelings, but once a trial commences, it cannot be interrupted. This is to protect the Beastmen participating in the trial, and it’s an established rule of our clan."

[Host, things aren’t looking good! Lu Xiao’s health points are still dropping; they’ve fallen below 50%! If this drags on, he might really die!]

Shen Tang was nearing desperation, yet she couldn’t resort to using the system to explain, "Mother! Please, let me go in. This is urgent, if I wait any longer, Ah Xiao might truly not hold on!"

The Sky King had never seen her so distressed before, causing a stir in her heart, could something indeed have gone wrong?

"Ridiculous!" An elderly voice scolded, accompanied by chaotic footsteps. "The Trial Land is a forbidden territory of our clan; how can outsiders be allowed to enter?"

The Great Elder arrived hurriedly with the Second Prince, Third Princess, and others, evidently having overheard the conversation between the two.

The Third Princess stepped forward, her smile sweet, "Sister-in-law Shen Tang, don’t worry. Besides Brother Lu Xiao heading into the Trial Land, Elder Brother and several Young Masters of other families have also entered successively. With Elder Brother there to take care of Brother Lu Xiao, surely nothing will go wrong!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Tang’s face fell even more.

Shen Tang addressed the Sky King and the others, "I am Lu Xiao’s partner, technically half a clan member. How can I be considered an outsider? What’s wrong with wanting to check on my partner?"

Her words left the elders speechless, unable to find a reason to oppose her.

The Sky King had acknowledged Lu Xiao’s status as a prince; although Shen Tang was an outsider, she was family to the King, naturally qualifying as half a clan member.

The Sky King sighed, "The Trial Land is fraught with dangers; if you enter rashly..."

"As long as I’m allowed to enter, I’ll bear all consequences myself!" Shen Tang declared resolutely.

In the end, the Sky King could only lead her to the entrance of the trial.

Xiao Jin, being an outsider, was stopped outside, forced to watch helplessly as Shen Tang stepped into the mist alone, his heart in his throat.

...

Meanwhile, the fog deep within the cliff grew denser.

Shen Tang was wrapped in milky white clouds; looking back, she could no longer see the figures of the Sky King and Xiao Jin.

Even her system map was completely ineffective here, with the entire area enveloped in mist, obscuring direction.

Truly worthy of the Roc Clan’s Trial Land, uniquely enigmatic.

Shen Tang unleashed her S-level spiritual power to probe her surroundings.

Her spiritual power, normally covering a radius of ten miles, could only probe a few hundred meters here, but it was barely sufficient.

She walked for an unknown period until the dense fog began to thin out.

The wind carried the roars of beasts, tightening Shen Tang’s heart.

Before she could see clearly, a shadow leaped towards her!

Shen Tang, seasoned in battle, responded swiftly, dodging sideways while condensing an invisible Spirit Blade in her palm, instantly piercing through the shadow.

The mist completely cleared, and Shen Tang saw the beast that attacked her. It resembled a wolf, but its back boasted long black mane, standing like steel needles; a prick from them would surely turn one into a honeycomb!

Around her, several similar beasts growled lowly, eager to attack.

Shen Tang’s expression hardened, and her S-level spiritual power erupted comprehensively, swiftly eliminating them all.

Concerned the blood scent might attract more beasts, Shen Tang quickly left the site.

As she walked, she observed her surroundings, noting the terrain was strikingly similar to the Yunding Empire, with towering cliffs exerting a formidable pressure.

She landed on the mountainside, the wind howling around her ears, the abyss below her feet. The rugged mountain path was treacherous; a slight misstep could lead to a deadly fall, shattering her body.

"System, what are those vortices in the sky?"

Shen Tang noticed the uniquely secretive scenery of the Secret Realm, with giant vortices intermittently appearing in the sky, madly swallowing surrounding clouds, presenting a spectacular scene.

[Warning! That is a storm vortex!] The system urgently explained, [It’s the most dangerous obstacle in the trial, specifically designed to train Feather Clan elite; host must not approach!]

[These storm vortices may seem calm but are treacherously dangerous. Once caught in them, the powerful winds render one completely out of control. Many young Feather Clans have fallen while flying during training, becoming entrapped and plummeting to their deaths.]

[Even scarier is, if too close, the body itself can be torn to shreds by the vortex’s violent forces!]

"...Is this what the Sky King meant by not dangerous?" Shen Tang’s heart nearly stopped.

If accidentally sucked in, she’d lose her life.

[The Feather Clan is belligerent; otherwise, their population isn’t large. Yet, they claim vast territory because each one is a formidable elite capable of facing ten enemies. Danger and death are constant challenges throughout their lives, only the strong have the right to survive while the weak are eliminated.] The system explained further, [Besides, those qualified to enter the Trial Land are clan elites, usually without major issues.]

Shen Tang felt increasingly uneasy, "Help me pinpoint Lu Xiao’s location."

[Okay host, he’s 13 kilometers away in the Split Wind Valley, I’ll teleport you nearby!]

Upon entering the Split Wind Valley, Shen Tang was stunned by the scene before her.

A heavy stench of blood mixed with rot assaulted her senses.

The surrounding tree branches snapped, cliffs crumbled, with beast corpses strewn everywhere.

Some were still warm, others long decomposed and maggot-infested, attracting flocks of scavenging vultures in flight – it’s difficult to fathom what brutal carnage occurred here!

The deeper into the valley she went, the more the corpses piled up, with the very stone walls splattered with dark red blood.

The nearby streams turned dark red, emitting a nauseating stench.

Are... all these killed by Lu Xiao?

Has he been enduring such bloody battles daily for the past month?

The Feather Clan trial, indeed extremely cruel.

Boom!

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion echoed!

Massive boulders tumbled from the cliffs, causing the ground to shudder violently.

Shen Tang looked up, seeing numerous massive figures emerging from the valley, engaging in deadly aerial combat.

And the besieged figure was the one Shen Tang knew best.

Her pupils constricted, thinking things were bad.

It’s Lu Xiao!