Dawn was just breaking, and on a spacious, vacant plateau at the entrance of the Xuan Beast Valley, a crowd of onlookers had gathered.
Among the spectators, most wore crude chain armor and carried durable light heavy crossbows and short swords. These people were low-level mercenaries who eked out a living hunting Dark Beasts in the vicinity of Hundred Beast Mountain; they would do anything as long as it didn't cost them their lives.
At this time on a normal day, the mercenaries should be replenishing their supplies of fresh water and medicinal herbs, preparing to set off. But today, the circumstances were somewhat different.
Under a eucalyptus tree that would take three or four men to encircle, a naked man was hanging. A stinky sock was stuffed into his mouth, and he wore only a loincloth smeared with blood.
"It's Qi Feng of the Shadow Rat Mercenary Corps, how did he end up looking like a ghost?" Someone among the mercenaries recognized Qi Feng.
The morning sun shone on Qi Feng's face, and he stared with eyes wide open, making squeaking noises of terror.
No one stepped forward to take him down. The Shadow Rat Mercenary Corps was known in the area for petty thievery, and they had a mediocre reputation.
"Move aside," a voice harshly scolded, and a mercenary standing at the front was rudely pushed aside.
"Looking for death..." Before the word "death" could be spoken, the mercenary, whose strength was similar to that of Qi Feng at the Third Level of Human Dark, immediately silenced upon seeing the strong Dark Energy emanating from the newcomer.
The visitor was shrouded in a faint red Dark Light. The red Dark Light signified the practice of the Fire Dark Technique. The Five Elements Dark Technique was something that only Dark Practitioners above the level of Dark Jade could cultivate.
In the outskirts of Hundred Beast Mountain, where only low-level Dark Beasts roamed, the appearance of a Dark Jade Martial Artist was akin to that of a Middle Level Dark Beast. With just one hand, such an individual could sweep away dozens of Dark Human Martial Artists. Hence, this group of Dark Human Martial Artists all remained silent.
The woman who emerged from the crowd was the female mercenary who had disappeared the previous night, now wearing a different outfit.
After a good night's sleep, she hurried to the Free Market early in the morning to witness the embarrassment of "Yue Jinghua," only to unexpectedly encounter Qi Feng in this ghostly state.
With a wave of her Jade palm, the blowing palm wind caused the eucalyptus leaves to rustle chaotically, and the rope on the tree snapped instantly. In that moment, the ground where the female mercenary stood collapsed into a hollow pit.
The female mercenary was shocked. As the ground below her turned into a large hole, it was eerily filled with dozens of sharpened wooden stakes. Luckily, she was calm-minded. With a graceful swallow flip, she lightly touched the sharpened stakes and landed gracefully.
If the female mercenary's reaction had been half a beat slower, she would have been pierced into a hornet's nest in an instant.
In her urgency, the woman flung her Dagger. The rope binding Qi Feng's hands was immediately severed. She was about to catch Qi Feng when...
Eerie rustling emerged from the dense eucalyptus leaves, as several black shadows shot out like venomous bees, aiming swiftly at the female mage's throat, chest, below the navel, abdomen, and knees.
"Hidden Weapon!" Realizing the impending danger, the female warrior had no choice but to let go of Qi Feng. From beneath her wide sleeves, with hands and feet working together, multiple Xuan Blades were shot out.
In an instant, a fierce red glow erupted beneath the tree; the hidden weapons clashed with the Xuan Blades.
Poor Qi Feng received no assistance, falling into the pit. Before he could even muffle a cry, he was punctured beyond recognition.
The female warrior, well-versed and observant, successfully defended against attacks from all angles and saw clearly the true nature of the covertly attacking hidden weapons. They were Poison Arrows made of Poison Wood - Iron Thorns Wood from Hundred Beast Mountain. These poison arrows cut the throat upon contact with blood and had extreme lethality.
Dozens of Arrow Woods enveloped the vital points around her body. Had she not already broken through the Third Level of Human Dark, with all five senses keen, she might have fallen prey to a sinister plot.
Even so, the female warrior still landed in a disheveled state, with several tears in her clothing.
Yue Jinghua? Impossible, it could not be Yue Jinghua, she is but trash who can't even condense Dark Energy, there is no way she could capture Qi Feng, let alone set such a vicious trap.
There must have been someone who saved her.
The female warrior stared coldly at the now breathless Qi Feng, quickly scanning the crowd, without spotting any suspicious figures, much less seeing the ghastly face of "Yue Jinghua."
Having failed, the female warrior pondered for a moment, then the beautiful face under the mask returned to its usual expression.
Hundred Beast Mountain was vast, and finding Yue Jinghua, who had become separated from the school's trial team, was clearly not an easy task. But that was alright, as long as that person was still at Xuanji Academy, Yue Jinghua had to apply for the Dark Academy. To be admitted to the Dark Academy, she must obtain a Second-level Dark Beast Xuan Pill or a Plant Spirit Core. Xuan Pills or Spirit Cores are not so easily obtained.