Chapter 96: Only the Two of Them Are Left

In the place of trial, Lu Xuerou successfully collected a large amount of spiritual herbs and exclaimed, "I didn't expect there to be so many spiritual herbs here. Everything has gone so smoothly!"

While Lu Xuerou was amazed, she looked at Li Taixing, who was standing guard on the rock. She couldn't help but purse her lips and smile as she said, "Alright, Junior Brother Li, I've finished picking the spiritual herbs here. Let's go to the next spot."

"Good," Li Taixing responded, jumping down from the rock.

Afterward, the two of them walked around the trial grounds together. However, what made Lu Xuerou feel a bit down was that they had been walking around for most of the day, picking plenty of herbs but without encountering any ferocious beasts. She seriously doubted if she had entered a real trial area at all.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the trial grounds, several disciples were struggling to hold their ground.

"Senior Brother, it's no good! The Wind Wolf King is too fast! We can't hit it at all, and our defensive formation won't last much longer."

"Can't hold it anymore?" The man called Senior Brother looked frustrated. Though they were all Golden Core Realm cultivators, they happened to encounter a King of Ferocious Beasts at the Nascent Soul Realm. If the beast hadn't held back from using its full strength, they would have been doomed by now.

He had hoped to find opportunities in this trial, but realizing they couldn't last, he finally said, "Forget it. Let's withdraw." At the same time, he felt irritated by the sense that the Wind Wolf King had been toying with them, as if it found their attempts to survive amusing. It was a bitter pill to swallow, but any longer, and they'd all be finished.

Once they each activated their trial tokens, turning into white light and disappearing, Xiaofeng, the Wind Wolf King, heaved a sigh.

"If it weren't for Master's orders, I'd have beaten these little humans to a pulp by now. Master truly is merciful," Xiaofeng muttered, then moved off to another part of the trial grounds.

At this point, only a handful of ferocious beasts and disciples remained in the trial area. Among them was a disciple who had a knack for hiding. He had been sneaking around, cautiously surveying the area for some time. However, despite wandering to many different places, he hadn't encountered any ferocious beasts he could handle. Once, he spotted a Nascent Soul Realm beast but didn't dare to make a move.

After all, it was the King of Beasts—a giant crocodile with defenses stronger than anything he could breach. If it were an ordinary beast, he might have tried, but there was no way he could deal with this one.

Reluctantly, he moved on. Yet no matter where he went, he kept encountering ferocious beasts beyond his capabilities. Several bird-like monster kings flew overhead, all at the Nascent Soul Realm. On the ground, he'd glimpsed the giant crocodile king, the Wind Wolf King, a bear spirit, and, once, a spider queen laying traps. With a sense of dread creeping over him, he began to wonder if he'd stumbled into the heart of a domain ruled by these ferocious kings.

"Damn it, how are there so many kings here? Is this their home base or something?" he whispered, anxiety mounting with each passing minute.

The trial area was simply too dangerous, with no beasts he could handle. And these creatures were smart. Without quick reflexes, he'd have been done for long ago. Taking a deep breath, he finally sighed and activated his trial token, withdrawing with a mix of disappointment and relief.

As the disciples representing each elder withdrew one by one, only the two disciples without masters remained inside the trial area. They were the last ones standing in this test of endurance and strength.

At this point, only Li Taixing and Lu Xuerou remained in the entire trial area. The spectators in the audience glanced from the two figures on the screen to the paths of the ferocious beasts displayed. Many were impressed by Lu Xuerou's clever maneuvering.

"Junior Sister Lu is so lucky, perfectly avoiding so many dangers," one spectator murmured.

"Yes, especially that Li Taixing. It's infuriating! He's so weak and clearly taking advantage of Senior Sister Lu's kindness. If it weren't for her, he would've been done for ages ago," someone else grumbled.

"Senior Sister Lu is the kindest woman in the Xuantian Sect," another disciple chimed in, admiration evident in their tone. "Even now, she's looking out for ordinary disciples like him."

The disciples forced to withdraw couldn't help but chat amongst themselves, each voice filled with a mix of frustration and admiration. Lu Xuerou received universal praise, while Li Taixing seemed to earn nothing but criticism.

"Is this really the Fifth Elder's disciple? How can he have such bad character? Letting a woman protect him?" one scoffed.

"Li Taixing is so useless! Senior Sister Lu is working hard, and he just stands around without lifting a finger. Doesn't he know how to gather herbs? He could at least help out!"

In reality, Li Taixing had offered to help, but Lu Xuerou, concerned about potential dangers, had insisted he stay alert to guard the surroundings instead. So, while she picked herbs, Li Taixing stayed on the lookout.

Li Taixing himself felt a bit down. He wanted to stop Lu Xuerou from gathering so much by subtly hinting at it, but he had to keep his abilities secret. Apart from his master's awareness, he preferred not to reveal his strengths to anyone else—especially with so many eyes watching the trial.

While the audience speculated, the truth was that Li Taixing's pet army had already cleared the entire trial grounds. No other ferocious beasts remained except for those that served him. Only the two Xuantian Sect disciples—Li Taixing and Lu Xuerou—were left.

'Now that I've eliminated all the disciples, I wonder how much the rewards will amount to,' Li Taixing mused, trying to hide a grin.

As Lu Xuerou finished gathering spiritual herbs, she returned to Li Taixing's side. "Junior Brother Li, what are you looking at so intently? You seem lost in thought," she remarked.

"Ah, it's nothing," Li Taixing replied quickly, his cheeks flushing.

"How about we gather herbs a bit longer and then leave the trial grounds?" Lu Xuerou suggested.

"No, Senior Sister Lu."

"Why not?" she asked, raising a brow.

"It's too easy. We're here to train, so why not take this chance to hone our skills?"

Lu Xuerou looked at him, surprised by his sudden resolve. 'He must feel he hasn't done enough here,' she thought, smiling. "Alright then, let's head to a lower-level beast area."

Li Taixing blinked, surprised by her suggestion. But Lu Xuerou had made up her mind and began leading the way, eager to leave the oppressive atmosphere that weighed on her. A strong sense of intuition told her that powerful creatures had been watching them from the shadows all along, although she hadn't spotted any yet. The tension gnawed at her, and her first priority was to get Li Taixing out of here safely.

Seeing her move, Li Taixing quickly followed, giving a discreet signal to his pets to return to their spaces. One by one, the beasts hidden around them faded back into their hiding spots as they walked on. Lu Xuerou seemed unaware of their silent escorts, which eased her anxiety further.

Outside the trial grounds, the elders observed the last two figures with mixed emotions. "With only these two left in the trial, how should we judge the final rankings?" one elder asked, breaking the silence.