On the grand plaza of the Five Great Immortal Mountains, people were growing impatient.
Following the usual pattern, someone should have emerged from the secret realm by now. Yet, it had been nearly two days, and not a single person had come out. Not even those who had failed.
The current situation was highly abnormal.
Master Mengxu, standing on the high platform, heard the murmurs of his disciples. He stroked his beard and sensed something peculiar.
He immediately activated his Heavenly Secret Calculation. His right fingers pinched and moved in a sequence, and his expression suddenly changed. "This is bad. Something has gone wrong within the formation. Someone from the demon race has broken in."
Upon hearing Mengxu's words, everyone's faces shifted.
This was the time for the disciples of the Five Great Immortal Mountains to undergo their trials. For someone from the demon race to intrude meant they surely harbored ill intentions, and the disciples undergoing the trial were doomed.
Furthermore, if this were to become known, not only would they lose face, but the other disciples within their respective sects would also lose confidence.
"We absolutely cannot let the other disciples know."
This thought, unspoken, echoed in everyone's minds.
"Those brats are actively seeking death. I'll make sure they have no return," Jiang Feng said, rolling up his sleeves, ready to break into the secret realm.
He had dispatched many of his sect's most promising disciples for the trial. If any mishap occurred this time, it would lead to a shortage of talent in his Luosheng Sect for many years to come. Therefore, he had to minimize the losses.
Master Mengxu grabbed Jiang Feng's arm, advising, "Our cultivation is too high; the secret realm cannot withstand it. Not only will we be unable to save anyone, but we might also fall into spatial rifts ourselves."
"Then you want me to just watch my disciples die miserably?" Jiang Feng asked Mengxu Daochang with displeasure.
If it weren't for the Shu Mountain sect's poor organization this time, they wouldn't have suffered so many losses. If there was no explanation for today's events, then it would be far from over.
Master Mengxu also sensed Jiang Feng's dissatisfaction and noticed the grim expressions of the other sect leaders. He knew that if he didn't provide an explanation, today's matter would not end well.
After some thought, he summoned Tang Yifeng and ordered him to go and rescue the disciples.
Tang Yifeng, the most outstanding Golden Core stage cultivator in Shu Mountain for many years, could unleash his full power to reach the Nascent Soul level. With the secret realm under their control, it would not collapse because of a single Golden Core stage disciple.
Upon receiving Master Mengxu's order, Tang Yifeng did not hesitate and entered the secret realm.
Facing the collapsing mountain peak, the Ice Snow Mad Spider decisively abandoned Su Xi and fled down the mountain.
However, despite his full effort, he could not escape the avalanche behind him. With a scream, he was buried by the falling ice mountain.
Su Xi, seeing the avalanche rushing towards her, did not choose to flee. Instead, she found a spot behind a hard rock.
She had waited so long to lure the Ice Snow Mad Spider here; of course, she had not been unprepared. She hadn't just wanted to die together.
So, as the snow pile was about to crush her, a thought flashed through her mind, and she hid herself within the space inside her body.
The moment Su Xi's figure vanished, the snow pile quickly buried her tracks.
The accumulated snow, along with falling rocks, continued to tumble down the mountain with formidable momentum.
Not far away, Liu Piaopiao watched Su Xi being buried by the avalanche, a long-lost smile gracing her lips.
Although she hadn't personally dealt with the hateful Su Xi, being able to witness Su Xi's death was a form of revenge.
Just then, Wu Yufeng also ran over.
The commotion in this area was too great, so he rushed over as soon as he sensed it, only to realize he was too late.
Looking at the snow-covered mountain that had lost half its peak, he asked with confusion, "What happened?"
Liu Piaopiao displayed a perfectly feigned sadness and began to explain, "When I arrived just now, I happened to see Junior Sister Su Xi..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but the implication was clear.
Su Xi, buried by the snow, had long since been reduced to pulp.
Hearing Liu Piaopiao's words and seeing the tragic scene before him, Wu Yufeng also concluded that Su Xi could not have survived.
The power of such a massive avalanche was immense. Even if Su Xi had reached the Foundation Establishment stage, she absolutely could not withstand such an impact. She must have turned into a bloody mess, her remains unidentifiable.
"Let's go," Wu Yufeng said, glancing at the snow pile before them, and beckoned Liu Piaopiao to follow.
He didn't know why Liu Piaopiao had survived, but he didn't want to abandon her. After all, this trial had exceeded the scope of a normal one.
"Mm," Liu Piaopiao replied, and then followed behind Wu Yufeng, her face lit with a pleased expression.
If nothing unexpected happened, the first place in this competition would be hers and Wu Yufeng's.
The two walked not far in the icy world when they encountered the corpses of more trial disciples. These disciples had met gruesome ends, seemingly tortured to death.
"The people of the demon sect are too cruel," Liu Piaopiao closed her eyes, her face filled with feigned horror, as if she were terrified by the scene.
Wu Yufeng ignored Liu Piaopiao, his gaze tensely scanning their surroundings.
The demon race had gone to such great lengths; it couldn't just be about killing.
What was their objective in doing this?
In her laboratory, Su Xi found that everything had returned to calm. She knew it was time to go out.
Although her internal space could protect her from any danger, it couldn't move. If another avalanche occurred, she would starve to death in her laboratory.
With a thought, Su Xi laboriously climbed out of the snow, feeling fortunate. If she hadn't found a place to shelter from the avalanche's impact, she didn't know how deep she would have been buried.
As soon as she emerged, she saw the shattered corpse of the Ice Snow Mad Spider piled before her.
Seeing such a terrifying sight up close made Su Xi almost cry out.
After a moment, confirming that the Ice Snow Mad Spider was indeed dead, Su Xi finally relaxed. Looking at its corpse, her eyes filled with excitement.
This was a genuine Level 3 demonic beast, its entire body a treasure trove.
Without hesitation, Su Xi waved her hand, directly absorbing the Ice Snow Mad Spider into her laboratory and extracting its energy essence.
After pondering for a moment, Su Xi also sent her fire-poker into the space.
Since this strange fire-poker possessed such peculiar power, it naturally needed to be nurtured. The Ice Snow Mad Spider was a rare and precious resource.
The energy of the Ice Snow Mad Spider quickly merged with the fire-poker. The originally jet-black fire-poker now had blue and black patterns.
Su Xi looked at the fire-poker in her hand, her eyelids twitching. For some reason, she felt it was becoming uglier.
Despite her internal critique of the fire-poker's appearance, Su Xi was eager to test its power.
After all, the last time the fire-poker had shown its ability to dispel evil, what new mutations would it possess after absorbing the energy of the Ice Snow Mad Spider?
As Su Xi injected her spiritual power, the patterns on the fire-poker began to spin.
Blue and black alternated.
Looking at the situation, Su Xi suddenly wondered if she had opened a hair salon.
However, she quickly dismissed this absurd thought and raised the fire-poker, swinging it forward.
With a "clang," a stone in front of her instantly froze. The thickness of the ice suggested that this stone had been frozen for decades.
"An ice-sealing skill?" Su Xi shook her head, a hint of disappointment in her voice.
She had expected that with such a significant change in its appearance, the fire-poker would have gained some other ability. Turns out, it was just ice sealing.
However, Su Xi quickly adjusted her mindset.
Having it was better than not having it. The ice-sealing skill was at least useful; she wouldn't have to worry about the heat in the summer anymore.
Just as Su Xi was finding ways to comfort herself, she suddenly heard a distant explosion, followed by a series of screams.