Chapter 105: Chapter 105: Ghost Lizard
Lin Yun was the first to emerge. After he had waited for about an hour, Li Tian also walked out of the mist. Judging by his relaxed expression, it was clear the Illusion Array posed no threat to him.
With Li Tian out, only Qin Feng remained. Lin Yun grew worried. ’Although Qin Feng has changed a lot lately, his Mental Realm is still lacking.’
"It’ll probably take Qin Feng a long time," Li Tian said softly.
Hearing this, Lin Yun sat down cross-legged. ’I can’t help him with this Illusion Array. He can only rely on himself.’
Lin Yun and Li Tian sat cross-legged to cultivate. The days passed one by one. During that time, people continued to emerge from the Illusion Array, but their numbers were greatly reduced. From the original group of two thousand, only about fifteen hundred remained.
Three days passed, and Qin Feng’s figure finally emerged from the Illusion Array. Looking at Qin Feng’s exhausted face, Lin Yun knew he must have suffered greatly inside.
"Brother Lin..." he called out to Lin Yun. The moment the words were out, Qin Feng collapsed and fell unconscious.
"How impressive. To think he managed to get through the Illusion Array in this state." Li Tian stepped forward, took an Elixir from his robes, and fed it into Qin Feng’s mouth.
As the Elixir entered his body, the color rapidly returned to Qin Feng’s face.
Seeing such a potent Elixir, Lin Yun asked curiously, "What kind of Elixir is that?"
"It’s just something my family refines. It’s an Elixir for restoring one’s mind and spirit, and the refining method is very simple," Li Tian said with a smile.
Although Li Tian made it sound casual, Lin Yun knew it wasn’t that simple. ’Any Elixir related to the mind, spirit, or Soul Thoughts would have its price multiplied several times over.’
Thanks to the Elixir, Qin Feng awoke within just two hours. Seeing him conscious, Lin Yun stood up and said, "Let’s go. The others have all moved on to the plains."
The trio set off once more. They were on a desolate plain, surrounded by yellow earth. It looked like a Land of Death.
"Yanhuang Academy really does things on a grand scale. This plain was also artificially constructed," Li Tian said with a laugh.
Lin Yun was no longer surprised by Yanhuang Academy’s power. ’After all, it’s the greatest faction in the Yanhuang Country. More than half of all the experts in the entire country come from Yanhuang Academy.’
As they walked across the plain, surrounded by nothing but yellow sand, Qin Feng complained, "What kind of place is this? Nothing but sand! There isn’t even a ghost in sight."
"Don’t be so impatient," Lin Yun reminded him. "Since this is the Trial Road, this plain definitely isn’t as simple as it looks."
After walking for an entire day without encountering any attacks or trials, night began to fall. In the distance, the trio spotted the faint glow of campfires.
"That must be the others," Lin Yun guessed. "Come on, let’s head over." With that, the trio made their way toward the fires.
The remaining fifteen hundred Trial Takers had gathered together for the night. Though few words were exchanged between them, everyone agreed that sticking together was a good idea.
Over a hundred campfires dotted the plain, with four or five people huddled around each one. It was clear they had all realized the dangers of the Trial Road were far greater than they had imagined.
Like the others, Lin Yun’s group found an empty spot and built a bonfire. The various groups kept to themselves, separated by about ten meters, and didn’t speak. The proximity was only so they could support each other in case of an attack.
The night on the plain was quiet, the only sound being the whistling wind. While meditating by the fire, Lin Yun didn’t let his guard down in the slightest; his senses were extended, monitoring every movement around them.
SHH... SHH... SHH... A faint rustling sound arose. Though it was barely audible, Lin Yun detected it. ’That’s not the wind.’
"Be careful," he said to Li Tian and Qin Feng. The sound had sent a faint chill of danger down his spine.
He focused his attention on their surroundings. Suddenly, one of the campfires on the periphery went out, and the four people sitting around it vanished without a trace.
Seeing this, a nearby Martial Artist screamed, "Ahhhh! It’s a ghost!"
The disappearance of the four had been too strange. They had vanished right before everyone’s eyes without making a single sound.
The scream in the dead of night snapped everyone to high alert. At the same time, Lin Yun detected a presence nearby. He didn’t know what it was, but he was certain something was there.
"Could it be a Ghost?" The hair on Qin Feng’s neck stood up. Encountering a Ghost in the dead of night was a terrifying prospect.
"What Ghost? You’re a Martial Artist. Are you really afraid of things like that?" Li Tian teased with a smile.
Hearing Li Tian’s teasing, Qin Feng’s face went pale. "Legend says there is a Land of Death in the Eastern Domain, where countless Ghosts roam. Fueled by immense resentment, many are so powerful that even Primordial Ocean Realm experts are no match for them."
"Alright, pull yourself together," Lin Yun said. "There is something around us, but I’m certain it’s a living creature."
A moment ago, Lin Yun had caught a faint trace of a life aura. ’This means the things around us are definitely alive, not the Ghosts Qin Feng is talking about.’
"Li Tian, use your True Illusory Eyes and take a look," Lin Yun instructed.
Li Tian nodded and activated his True Illusory Eyes. After scanning the surroundings, his expression turned grim. "They’re living creatures, alright. Demon Beasts, to be precise."
"Phew... As long as they’re just Demon Beasts, that’s fine," Qin Feng sighed in relief.
However, Li Tian’s next words plunged him right back into Hell. "They’re Ghost Lizards... and there are a lot of them. At least a thousand."
The Ghost Lizard is a Tier One Demon Beast. But despite being only Tier One, everyone knows it’s better to face a Tier Two Demon Beast than to encounter a Ghost Lizard.
This is because Ghost Lizards are pack animals, extremely adept at ambushing and concealment. They come and go like shadows, which is how they earned their name.
"A thousand Ghost Lizards?" Lin Yun murmured. "Looks like this is the third trial."
Ghost Lizards love to feed on blood, whether it belongs to Demon Beasts or humans. Those four from before were likely drained dry by them.
"And these Ghost Lizards aren’t tamed," Li Tian added. "When I used my True Illusory Eyes, I clearly saw a deep, bloodthirsty glint in their eyes—completely different from a domesticated Demon Beast."
"Looks like our only options are to break out of this plain or kill them all," Lin Yun said, having figured out the nature of the trial. This was a true life-or-death battle against Demon Beasts.
Lin Yun’s group was on high alert. One scream after another rang out through the night as, one by one, more people vanished into the darkness.
They vanished as if they had simply evaporated, gone without even crying out.
"Ahhh! Someone else is gone!"
In the dead of night, watching people vanish one after another was enough to break anyone’s spirit. It was pure torment, because you never knew when it would be your turn.
