Wan Yao Valley is a large valley in the very center of the Wanli Jiangshan Map.
In fact, this is the battlefield for the first stage of the test.
In other words, the fifth-tier demon beast's surprise attack was merely a warm-up for these cultivators.
There are as many as ten paths leading to the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons. Su Qing and Xuan Qing took one of them. Along the way, apart from encountering some third-tier demonic beasts, they did not encounter a single fellow cultivator.
Mu Zihan and Ling Shuang's team then joined up with Wen Yougui's team.
Wen Yougui and his group originally gathered more than 30 cultivators, but due to competition, many of them dispersed, and eventually only about 10 cultivators remained.
When they were ambushed by a fifth-tier demonic beast, Wen Yougui and his companions lost five more of their companions, leaving them with only seven cultivators.
Liu Xuan was lucky; she managed to stay by Wen Yougui's side unharmed.
Liu Xuan stared wide-eyed at Xi Ran, who was trailing far behind Mu Zihan's group. She could hardly believe that Xi Ran had actually reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
She had only just broken through to the ninth level of Qi Refining before, so how could she have cultivated to the peak of Qi Refining and then broken through to Foundation Establishment in just a few days?
Xi Ran also saw Liu Xuan. A hint of unease appeared on her face, but she quickly forced herself to calm down. Then she ran towards Liu Xuan.
"Liu Xuan!" Xi Ran called out, stood in front of Liu Xuan, covered her face and cried.
She was genuinely upset and cried for a while, but the other half of it was an act.
"Xi Ran, you, you actually reached the Foundation Establishment stage? Why didn't you tell me?" Liu Xuan said, holding Xi Ran's hand.
"I ate all the Crimson Spirit Pills you gave me in one go, and I never expected to reach the Foundation Establishment stage so quickly," Xi Ran said, spouting nonsense.
Liu Xuan believed it all, saying, "That was the Crimson Spirit Pill refined by Su Qing. It must be because the pill is very potent."
Hmph, Su Qing!
Xi Ran clenched her fists.
Previously, Liu Xuan would complain to her about how Su Qing was, how much her master favored Su Qing and didn't like her anymore. But now, after just one jar of Crimson Spirit Pills, she has become Su Qing's fan.
“Yes, it’s probably because Su Qing’s pills are better,” Xi Ran said.
“If we stay together and follow our senior brothers closely, we will definitely be able to complete the first phase of the mission,” Liu Xuan said.
Xi Ran could only smile bitterly and said, "I originally wanted to join Senior Brother Mu's team, but Senior Brother Mu wouldn't accept me."
Liu Xuan patted Xi Ran's hand reassuringly and said, "If Senior Brother Mu won't accept it, then I'll go find Senior Brother Wen. Senior Brother Wen may not talk much, but he's a really good person."
As she spoke, Liu Xuan pulled Xi Ran to find Wen Yougui.
“Senior Brother Wen, this is my best friend Xi Ran. She also wants to join our team,” Liu Xuan said.
Wen Yougui frowned slightly.
Mu Zihan and Wen Yougui had just finished talking, and Wen Yougui naturally knew why Xi Ran and the others could only trail far behind the group.
Hmph, teaming up with cultivators from the Wuji Sect has already made these disciples who have been to the secret realm feel disgusted.
However, Wen Yougui also knew that Liu Xuan and Su Qing were both disciples of Elder Shui Qingchen. Although Liu Xuan's performance along the way was mediocre, they got along quite well, and Wen Yougui gave Liu Xuan a lot of face.
Wen Yougui glanced at Xi Ran and said to Liu Xuan, "Liu Xuan, it's not impossible for her to join the team, but our team has now merged with Mu Zihan's team. Mu Zihan is the captain, and I'm just the vice-captain. If she wants to join, she still has to listen to Captain Mu Zihan."
“Then I’ll go find Senior Brother Mu,” Liu Xuan said, holding Xi Ran’s hand tightly.
Wen Yougui reached out to stop Liu Xuan and said, "Don't rush! I know about her situation. Captain Mu Zihan's requirement for these cultivators is to kill a third-tier demon beast in one go. If you can do it, you can join the team; if you can't, you'll be eliminated."
"This requirement isn't too high, is it? Liu Xuan, you once killed a third-tier demon beast single-handedly. Since she's your good friend and also at the Foundation Establishment stage, it shouldn't be too difficult for her to do this, right?" Wen Yougui said.
Upon hearing this, Liu Xuan nodded slightly and turned to Xi Ran, saying, "Xi Ran, actually, I was only able to officially join Senior Brother Wen's team after I single-handedly killed a third-tier demon beast. If you work hard, you can definitely do it too."
Upon hearing this, Xi Ran clenched her fists and roared inwardly: If I could kill a third-tier demon beast single-handedly, would I need to be so careful?
In fact, Xi Ran was terrified by that fifth-tier Mighty Vajra Bear. She didn't dare to approach any demonic beasts. Asking her to kill a third-tier demonic beast alone? It would be better to just eliminate her from the competition.
"In that case, forget it." Xi Ran showed a bitter expression, then turned away sadly.
Seeing Xi Ran like this, Liu Xuan felt very sad.
The two joined the Xuanling Sect together and cultivated together. After so many years of friendship, when Xi Ran encountered trouble, she couldn't help her at all.
Sigh, if Su Qing were here, she could just take out a stack of attack talismans and throw them at any third-tier demonic beasts.
Xi Ran returned to the Weaklings Team. At this moment, one of the male cultivators from the Weaklings Team sneered and said, "Xi Ran, isn't your best friend Su Qing's fellow disciple? Su Qing's name isn't working anymore?"
Xi Ran rolled her eyes and said, "She's Su Qing's senior sister, not me. Why should she give me face? Let's hurry up and think about how to kill a third-tier demon beast alone."
"I'm even thinking of getting eliminated. A third-tier monster, just seeing it makes my legs go weak."
"Exactly, I shouldn't have forced myself to break through. I thought I'd get some benefits from participating in the challenge, but it seems I won't even get a chance to show my face."
"Fifty years of lifespan! I regret it so much now."
"Why don't we... take the risk?"
One cultivator clenched his fist: "Anyway, you won't really die in the Myriad Miles of Rivers and Mountains Map. Being teleported out of the game directly is a heroic act."
After hearing this, everyone fell silent for a moment, then gritted their teeth and nodded.
Xi Ran was also moved by this. Yes, she was willing to make a deal with Qiu Zigen just to show off in the "Ten Thousand Miles of Rivers and Mountains" painting.
It's better to give it your all than to just lie around like this!
Anyway, I won't die, I'll just be eliminated, there's nothing to be afraid of.
"When we encounter the next demonic beast, we'll charge at it together," the cultivator said passionately, clenching his fist.
"Okay, whoever doesn't charge is a little dog."
Mu Zihan and Wen Yougui's teams have merged to form a team of fifteen. After resting on the spot, they plan to go to the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons together.
"Perhaps we'll run into Su Qing in the Valley of Ten Thousand Demons," Wen Yougui said, raising an eyebrow as he released all his Green Wood Rats.
The Wenyou Turtle, which has now reached the Foundation Establishment stage, has already taken control of a large army of Green Wood Rats, with a reconnaissance team consisting of over a thousand Green Wood Rats by its side.
"Let's release my puppets too," Mu Zihan said.
He learned the Thousand Machine Puppet Technique from the Xuanyuan Inheritance and is now able to control three hundred small puppets.
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