Chapter 37: You're Hiding Here
Chapter 37: You're Hiding Here
After the slap, Jiang Tian glanced at the Flame Bird leader, who was staring at him angrily, feeling a little surprised.
Didn't it faint?
He had thought that one slap would knock it out cold.
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"Humans, what on earth do you mean!" The leader of the Flame Bird Clan roared in anger, the flames bathing its body flaring wildly.
"You left me for last. Wasn't it for a fair fight?"
"If not, then what are you trying to do?!"
With an enraged roar, the Flame Bird leader suddenly flapped its wings.
Its burning wings cut through the air like flaming blades, swinging down with terrifying force.
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Bang!
The wing strike never reached Jiang Tian.
He raised an arm and blocked it effortlessly.
The terrifying force behind the attack didn't even make him move.
Jiang Tian, completely unfazed, grabbed the Flame Bird leader's wing, pulled it hard, and yanked the creature toward him.
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"No, I can't let you struggle too much." Jiang Tian muttered, grabbing the leader by the neck with his free hand.
Like a chicken being taken to slaughter, he hoisted the Flame Bird off the ground and carried it back toward Xue Ruyan.
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"What's wrong?"
Xue Ruyan looked at him in confusion as Jiang Tian suddenly ran back.
Jiang Tian grabbed the Black Dragon Knife from the pot and spoke as he moved.
"Think about it, when we cooked the Level 0 Flame Birds, the taste was already amazing."
"Now, what would a Level 2 Flame Bird taste like?"
"This one's still lively. If it starts fighting too hard, it might ruin the flavor. I'd rather drain its blood quickly, so we can cook it properly later."
"The only reason I didn't kill it earlier was to keep it fresh."
"I don't want it to get messed up now."
Jiang Tian lifted his knife and sliced across the creature's throat.
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Silence.
The leader of the Flame Bird Clan stared in shock, unable to process what was happening.
---
It had expected an honorable duel.
It had expected to showcase its true strength.
Instead—
It was butchered like livestock.
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Jiang Tian cut off its claws, severed the tendons in its wings, and tossed it aside like garbage.
The leader of the Flame Bird Clan, its eyes wide with disbelief, twitched on the ground.
It could feel its life slipping away.
---
This human hadn't left it for last out of respect for a duel.
He wasn't saving it for an ultimate battle.
The only thing Jiang Tian had been thinking about was...
"How would this taste?"
---
The realization hit harder than the actual wound.
It was a genius of the Flame Bird Clan.
It had dreamed of leading its people to a glorious future.
And now—
It was going to end up as a dish.
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"Xue, how about trying big plate chicken?"
Jiang Tian's cheerful voice rang out.
The dying Flame Bird leader twitched violently in rage.
You are the big plate chicken! Your whole family is big plate chicken!
But it could do nothing.
Its lifeblood continued to drain into the dirt.
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The Rat Hunt Begins
Jiang Tian wiped his blade and turned to Xue Ruyan.
"Xue, watch over the 'big plate chicken.' I'm going to take care of a rat."
Xue Ruyan blinked in confusion.
"A rat?"
She looked around and realized something.
Wu Xianqing was missing.
Had he escaped?
Could Jiang Tian really track him down?
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Whoosh!
Jiang Tian sprinted off, heading into the redwood forest.
---
He had already noticed the direction Wu Xianqing had run.
With his strength, catching up was only a matter of time.
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Wu Xianqing's Hiding Spot
Deep in the redwood forest, Wu Xianqing had found a hollow in a thick redwood tree.
The indent in the trunk was just big enough to hide in.
---
He trembled, his entire body soaked in sweat.
What he had just witnessed was beyond belief.
The Level 2 examiners—the powerful warriors he had trusted—had died like insects.
Jiang Tian had torn through them like they were nothing.
---
Fear gripped him.
"What… what is that monster?"
His legs were weak.
He had barely managed to run, but with Jiang Tian slaughtering everyone else, it was only a matter of time before he was next.
---
Wu Xianqing desperately pulled out a jade token from his pocket.
It was his last hope.
A distress signal.
---
He infused it with blood energy, activating the internal formation inside.
If the signal was received, reinforcements would arrive.
If not—
He was already dead.
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Minutes passed.
He stared at the jade token.
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The red light flickered.
But there was no response.
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His breath caught in his throat.
Why?
Why wasn't there a response?
---
Did that mean everyone was already dead?
Was he truly alone?
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"This can't be real..."
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His hands shook violently.
He peeked out from his hiding spot, checking his surroundings.
Left side—clear.
He sighed in relief.
He turned to check the right side—
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A blood-stained smile greeted him.
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"Student Wu, you're hiding here..."
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Absolute horror.
Wu Xianqing's eyes widened in sheer terror.
His entire body froze.
His soul nearly left his body.
---
The nightmare had found him.
And it was smiling.