"Okay, let's go and have a look."

Jiang Qiuran was also intrigued by the Qi Accumulation Fruit. If she could obtain some, it would accelerate her cultivation speed.

Li Dan grinned upon hearing this, stepping into the canyon with swift movements.

Yogan nodded, and the three of them immediately followed him, disappearing quickly into the canyon.

As they moved, Chen Quan began explaining in detail about the strongest players from the other two teams.

"This Li Dan can only be ranked second in Changhe No. 1 Middle School. The top player is the stiff, wooden guy named Huo Yu, whose strength is probably around the seventh or eighth level of the first grade," Chen Quan said, glancing at Jiang Qiuran from the corner of his eye.

"In the last five-school exam, Sister Jiang lasted only ten moves against him..." he added, looking a little apologetic.

"As for Ling Fei from Jinjiang City, he's at least at the eighth level of the first grade. In the last exam, he almost won first place with a crushing performance!"

Yogan nodded thoughtfully. Without his sudden appearance, the team from Linhai City would likely have ranked at the bottom among the three teams in terms of overall strength.

The group crossed the canyon and entered a quiet path. Along the way, some beasts that were not highly ranked had already been dealt with by Li Dan, each kill done swiftly and efficiently.

After traveling at high speed for about fifteen minutes, the surroundings grew increasingly sparse. Corpses of level-one beasts lay scattered on both sides of the road, likely killed by other teams in advance.

The four of them passed through a thick bush, and suddenly, the landscape before them opened up.

A stream cascaded down from a high cliff, forming a waterfall that crashed into the valley below. The deafening roar of the water and the cool mist filled the air.

"We're here," Li Dan said, halting just outside the valley. He turned his head, signaling to Jiang Qiuran and the others.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Yogan squinted and observed the surroundings. The entrance to the valley was narrow, and dense branches covered both sides. Without the sound of the waterfall, it would have been hard to spot this place.

While Yogan and the others were scanning their surroundings, Li Dan let out a sharp whistle. Faint footsteps could be heard approaching from the darkness around them.

"Jiang Qiuran, long time no see," a voice called out.

Two groups of people emerged from the dense forest. The leaders were a boy with a shaved head and another with a dull expression.

Jiang Qiuran glanced at the two and nodded silently.

"Ling Fei, Huo Yu," she acknowledged.

"Everyone's here, let's get ready. I don't believe the strongest lineup of the three schools can't take it down!" Li Dan said confidently, his voice brimming with excitement.

Once everyone was ready, the boy with the dull expression spoke.

"The beast in the valley has just entered the second level. Ling Fei and I will be the main force, Jiang Qiuran will control, Li Dan will handle containment, and the rest of you will look for opportunities to attack. The final spoils will be distributed according to the effort put in. Is that okay?"

"No problem," came the unanimous response.

"Alright, let's go into the valley," Huo Yu said, waving his hand as he stepped forward.

"Hehe... I can finally do something big!" Li Dan said with excitement before dashing forward with his nimble movements.

Ling Fei gave a fleeting glance at the boy following Jiang Qiuran, his eyelids twitching slightly. The energy fluctuations coming from the boy felt more dangerous than his own class!

"It must be an illusion," he muttered to himself, shaking his head before following Li Dan into the valley.

Just as everyone entered the depths of the valley, a low roar suddenly echoed from beneath the waterfall. "Roar!"

The roar shook the air, and a massive figure appeared, charging forward.

The powerful aura of the second-level beast instantly enveloped the entire valley, locking onto everyone in its sights.

Huo Yu did not hesitate. He advanced, and the two figures collided in the dark night.

A massive wave of air exploded in all directions. The huge beast remained unmoved, while Huo Yu was sent flying backward, crashing into the rubble before everyone.

"Damn, that's tough!" Huo Yu grunted, rubbing his head as he stood up. His upper body had been shredded, revealing his muscular physique.

"It's definitely a newcomer to the second level. Its blood and qi are unstable, so its strength is weaker than expected," Ling Fei observed, taking a step forward, his eyes gleaming with determination.

Yogan narrowed his eyes and surveyed the massive beast at the end of the valley. The creature's face was grotesque, its muscles bulging under its knotted fur. Its dark yellow fur glistened faintly in the moonlight.

Without hesitation, the three teams launched into battle with the beast.

"Jiang Jie, be careful!" Chen Quan shouted as he watched Jiang Qiuran draw her sharp long knife and rush forward without a word.

"Brother Yogan, what should we do next?" Chen Quan asked, looking at the chaotic battle ahead. It was clear he couldn't take part.

He instinctively moved behind Yogan, hiding behind his shield.

"Wait," Yogan replied calmly.

After speaking, Yogan sat on a large rock and closed his eyes, beginning to focus on cultivating his alienated combat body.

"Hey, Linjiang No. 1 Middle School, you two go guard the valley entrance. Don't let any first-level beasts sneak in," Li Dan ordered, glancing over at Yogan and the others, who were still lounging leisurely.

"Brother Yogan... what should we do?" Chen Quan asked, unsure whether to follow the order from Li Dan. He glanced at Yogan for guidance.

"Let's go. They found this beast, so I won't steal it from them," Yogan replied.

He then stood up and walked toward the valley entrance.

"Brother Yogan, are you really going to help them guard the entrance?" Chen Quan asked, clearly irritated by the situation.

"It's fine. You should reflect on your experience from last night's battle. The trial still has time," Yogan said nonchalantly, his attention already elsewhere.

With that, he walked to the valley entrance, found a hidden spot, and began absorbing the energy of heaven and earth at a rapid pace, preparing himself for whatever would come next.

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