48: Chapter 48 The Fire Lizards on the Outer Edge of Wangshan

9:30 AM

"Exam time is up. Please line up, show your passes, and enter the ruins in order!"

The chief examiner's solemn voice spread throughout the entire area.

Soon, students lined up in long queues.

Some parents were worried about their children and came to accompany them, still uneasy as they approached the exam grounds.

"My boy, don't push yourself. There is a gold mine in our backyard, so we don't need to suffer that useless hardship..."

"Daughter, we've kept it from you for 18 years, but actually your dad is the richest man in Qiunan. Everything we've done is so you can have a better future..."

"Good son, work hard and strive to walk to Wang Mountain alive..."

"..."

Shen Xingchen's forehead darkened as he listened. What on earth was all this nonsense?

What gold mine?

I don't want to work hard anymore either!

"Ahem—"

The chief examiner cast a stern look at those parents, and only then did they stop chattering.

Those students joined the line, leaving only the hopeful gazes of their parents.

...

Shen Xingchen showed his pass and entered the exam grounds.

The moment he touched the fog, his entire body began to sink.

When he opened his eyes again, the scene before him had turned into a wasteland, with only sporadic withered branches surrounding him.

In the entire area, there was no one else, only countless gravels.

"Are these the ruins?"

Just as Shen Xingchen muttered to himself, the earth trembled, and a sound of wind-breaking rang out.

Reacting swiftly, he ducked to dodge. In an instant, a pitch-black giant claw brushed past his body.

Shen Xingchen turned his head to look, and it was a fiery red lizard covered entirely in magma.

The lizard had its huge mouth wide open, and its long, crimson tongue dripped with dark green saliva, looking extremely terrifying!

"Are these the Demon Race?"

Having lived in the city for a long time, he had only ever seen this ugly creature in textbooks.

Earth Fire Lizard, Tier 1 Peak.

Without hesitation, Shen Xingchen took out the pear blossom falling rain spear from the gilded bracelet.

His body surged forward abruptly, and the long spear in his hand thrust straight into the Earth Fire Lizard's head like a harpoon.

Slash—

Dark green blood gushed out.

The head of the Earth Fire Lizard that had been jumping around just moments ago was shattered, and the other half of its body was still twitching from nerves.

{Kill Tier 1 Demon × 1}

As soon as Shen Xingchen stopped his body, he heard the prompt sound of the system quest.

When others entered the exam grounds, they all headed straight for the summit of Wang Mountain. He was different; he still had a system quest.

If he couldn't complete the quest this time, he would really have to wait a very long time.

Only one?

Why are there so few demons in Wang Mountain?

If other examinees heard Shen Xingchen's inner thoughts, they would definitely think he had gone mad.

With fewer demons, everyone could safely go to Wang Mountain. Wouldn't that be great?

For the rest of the journey, Shen Xingchen killed every demon he saw.

{Kill Tier 1 Demon × 1}

{Kill Tier 1 Demon × 2}

{...}

The progress bar of the system quest increased bit by bit.

It was just a bit too slow.

Going on like this, he wouldn't be able to complete the quest in seven days at all!

"This won't do. I need to gather the mobs!"

Having walked for half a day, Shen Xingchen began to feel that this efficiency was simply too low.

He started running wildly all the way, crossing various forests, and whenever he met a demon, he would kick it and run.

Several Earth Fire Lizards widened their eyes. How could this human be both so brave and so cowardly?

Even some Tier 2 Blood Demon Worms started following along.

Behind Shen Xingchen followed a densely packed swarm of demons.

Only then would it be efficient enough!

...

Just at that moment, Shen Xingchen heard a clamor of noises; it was humans talking.

For so long, this was the first time Shen Xingchen had seen living people in the Wangshan Ruins.

He crossed the hilltop and indeed saw two men and two women, all wearing high school uniforms, clearly examinees at a glance.

When those examinees saw Shen Xingchen, they were first pleasantly surprised, and then they saw the demons behind him.

"Holy crap!" someone shouted.

With so many demons, what on earth did he do?

This... will get him killed, right?

At this moment, a petite girl in the four-person team suggested, "How about we help him?"

Another boy with slender eyebrows and eyes snorted coldly, "Go if you want. With so many demons, whoever goes will lose a layer of skin."

"Exactly, exactly," someone else chimed in.

The slender-browed boy continued, "Every year the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination has a few unlucky fellows like this. If you're such a saint, then go yourself, just don't hold us up!"

If there weren't so many demons behind Shen Xingchen, they would certainly be willing to team up with him.

After all, doing so could greatly increase their progress in reaching the summit of Wang Mountain.

But now?

People are naturally selfish, especially in the exam grounds of the college entrance examination.

But if they helped him, what they would delay was themselves, and it might even endanger their lives!

The petite girl also showed a hesitant expression.

Just at this moment.

Shen Xingchen on the other side suddenly stopped his figure.

He took a deep breath, swept his long spear back, and the sharp spear tip flickered with a chilling gleam that made one's heart palpitate.

The four-person team watched this, all showing bewildered expressions.

"What is he doing?"

"Why isn't he running anymore?"

"He's really going to die like this, right?"

Everyone watched as the densely packed swarm of demons approached Shen Xingchen, but none of them had any intention of rescuing him.

Only the petite girl rushed over to rescue him while shouting loudly, "What are you still waiting for, run quickly..."

The girl's word "run" hadn't even left her mouth.

Shen Xingchen's body suddenly moved.

That Tier 2 Blood Demon Worm had almost gotten right up to Shen Xingchen's face.

However!

Shen Xingchen's speed was as fast as lightning, moving within that space.

Swish—

That trajectory traced out several broken lines, with an afterimage left at each turning point.

The long spear of the afterimage pierced into one demon after another, lifting their entire bodies up!

In just a single breath's time.

The dozens of demons chasing Shen Xingchen all perished.

{Kill Tier 1 Demon × 30; Tier 2 Demon × 5}

"Ah!?"

The petite girl's steps for rescue came to a halt, her small mouth wide open.

She had originally thought that person was just an idiot scared out of his wits, but the scene before her truly exceeded her cognitive understanding.

The other three also dropped their jaws in shock.

"How is this possible?"

"Which academy's big shot is this?"

"You're saying I'm in the same year as him? What a joke!?"

"..."

Shen Xingchen had heard their conversation from earlier, but there was nothing much to blame them for.

At such a critical juncture, who would sacrifice their own interests for others?

But that petite girl... was a bit dazed, cute in her clumsiness.

He smiled and nodded at the girl, then turned around and left.

There was nothing much to say to these people either.

Unexpectedly, that slender-browed male classmate walked up to him: "Classmate, I see your strength is not bad. Which academy are you from?"

Shen Xingchen turned around and glanced at him.

Without waiting for Shen Xingchen to answer, that slender-browed classmate continued: "The highest among us is only Tier 1 Peak, and we spent a lot of effort just to rush here."

Shen Xingchen still looked at him with calm eyes.

Seeing that Shen Xingchen didn't react, he said again: "Our strength is not enough; we need someone with sufficient strength to hold the fort."

After all, they had just reached adulthood and still had thin skin, so they could only beat around the bush like this.

"So?" Shen Xingchen asked with a smile.

Seeing Shen Xingchen smile, the slender-browed boy thought there was a chance and blurted out: "So I hope you can join us and carry us along."

Shen Xingchen restrained his smile: "You're quite humorous!"