The Great Prison, Medical Room.
Klaus and his companions were locked in a fierce battle with the 2nd Warden when they suddenly heard the news of the exam integration, their hearts sinking instantly:
‘It’s over, the provincial exam candidates are coming!’
“Hurry!” Klaus shouted, “Finish off this Warden and retreat!”
He immediately activated [Angel’s Blessing], the holy light from the Seraph’s wings instantly dispelling the surrounding gloom and briefly granting immunity to the control and suppression of the Rule Chains.
Following that, the [Sword of Judgment] suspended high above descended abruptly, the scorching light of judgment instantly enveloping the Warden, aiming directly for its head!
At the same time, Asuka Amakawa, holding the Yata Mirror, quickly formed hand seals:
“Amaterasu’s Divine Flame!”
Fierce flames instantly ignited beneath the Warden’s feet, the roaring fire almost consuming the entire space.
But the Warden was faster.
With a swift wave of its hand, the Rule Chains were flung towards Asuka Amakawa, seemingly interrupting her spellcasting, while it reached out to block the holy sword with its bare hand!
Seeing this, Klaus’s heart sank.
The strength of the 2nd Warden was far superior to that of the Warden from the Small Prison.
For one thing, its size was almost twice that of the Small Prison’s Warden, and its bronze armor was nearly indestructible.
Even with Klaus and Asuka Amakawa attacking together, they struggled to break through its defenses!
“Damn it!” Zhou Tinlin gritted his teeth, the Sun God Spear in his hand glowing brightly.
“I don’t believe it!”
The three of them charged forward in unison once more.
The Warden’s strength wasn’t infinite; they would eventually wear it down!
After several rounds of intense combat, the group was already gasping for breath, and the 2nd Warden’s movements finally showed a hint of sluggishness.
Under their relentless assault, its armor was now covered in cracks, and the eerie blue flames had dimmed significantly.
The three exchanged glances this was their chance!
“Now!”
Klaus’s Sword of Judgment slashed down from above, Asuka’s divine flames sealed off its retreat, and Zhou Tinlin’s Sun God Spear aimed directly at the cracks in the armor-
“Die!”
Just as their attacks were about to land, a rift suddenly tore open in the void, and five figures stepped through.
The leader, dressed in a silver uniform, had one hand behind his back, his gaze filled with a condescending scrutiny.
“Is this the exam site for the 12th District?”
As the trio’s combined attack came hurtling towards him, he didn’t even move.
With a casual wave of his hand, a golden light flashed, effortlessly blocking the holy sword, divine flames, and Sun God Spear!
Then-
Annihilation!
Their combined strike was easily neutralized, and the group’s hearts sank.
What kind of terrifying strength was this?
The man glanced at the Warden and scoffed, “Tch, a bunch of trash.”
“Thomas, it’s your turn.”
“Heh, don’t worry,” a tall figure eagerly stepped forward, the Thunder God’s Hammer on his shoulder crackling with electricity, emitting a heart-pounding hum.
As he raised the massive hammer, radiant divine power swirled around him, as if a thunderstorm had condensed into a war god.
“Wrath of the Thunder God.”
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out, and in an instant, a thousand bolts of lightning descended from the sky, engulfing the 2nd Warden in blinding electric light.
When the light faded, the once towering bronze armor was shattered into pieces, and the Warden’s presence had completely vanished.
The 2nd Warden-instantly annihilated!
Klaus and his two companions instantly narrowed their pupils.
They didn’t need any introduction to recognize the five people standing before them.
The fourth team of the first-year class from the Provincial Academy!
The two who had just appeared were none other than their captain, Bai Xiao, and the Thunder God, Thomas!
The three of them were utterly shocked.
Was this the strength of the Provincial Academy’s candidates?
They had been fighting together for so long, yet their opponents had taken them down with a single strike.
And this was just the fourth team.
How terrifying must the first team be?
Truly horrifying!
“What a waste of time,” sneered Leanna, the girl shrouded in a blood-red aura, her crimson eyes flashing with disdain.
“Is this even worthy of being called an assessment?”
“Don’t be so harsh, Leanna,” said Ichiro Toyotomi lazily, yawning.
“After all, this is just the twelfth district’s examination site.”
“How difficult could it possibly be?”
Behind these four stood a silent boy, Osiris, enveloped in an aura of death, his deep eyes fixed on Klaus and the others.
“True,” Leanna agreed, but suddenly, she tilted her head and looked at Klaus and his companions, her blood-red pupils widening slightly.
“Huh? Aren’t these the top three from the twelfth district?”
“Oh right, what do they call themselves again? The… top three? Hahahaha!”
“Fighting for so long and still couldn’t even defeat a Warden. With such pitiful strength, they dare call themselves the top three? Hahahaha!”
Leanna’s laughter was unrestrained, filled with mockery.
The expressions of Klaus and his companions instantly turned grim.
Anger, humiliation, resentment—all sorts of emotions churned in their chests.
They knew full well that the fourth team before them was far stronger, but being humiliated like this to their faces still ignited a burning rage in their hearts.
Exhausted.
They couldn’t win.
Even at their peak, they were no match for these people, let alone now when they were all drained from the previous battles.
Klaus felt a deep sorrow but could only suppress the anger in his heart and speak up, “We admit defeat.”
“Can you let us leave?”
“We’ll all be students of the Provincial Academy in the future. We might even attend classes together. There’s no need to go this far, is there?”
“Huh?” Leanna’s smile vanished abruptly, and her crimson eyes began to glow with a bloody light.
“Trash like you dare to speak?”
Ming Yue Shuang was instantly furious, “You-“
Before she could finish her sentence, Leanna casually unleashed a burst of divine power!
“[Judgment of War]!”
Blood-red divine energy erupted around Leanna, materializing into countless blood-red spears that appeared out of thin air.
This was Ares’ ultimate divine skill, capable of condensing the killing intent of war into a tangible form.
The stronger the will to fight, the greater its power!
For a maniac like Leanna, it was a perfect fit!
Klaus’ pupils constricted sharply.
This was bad!
He immediately activated [Angel’s Protection] and rushed toward Ming Yue Shuang, but he was too late.
Ming Yue Shuang didn’t even have time to react before he was blasted away by the force, crashing heavily into the wall.
“What kind of trash dares to bark in front of me?”
“If I want to hit you, what can you do about it?”
Klaus’ pupils narrowed further.
This was Ares, the God of War, a superbly powerful and insane deity!
He quickly rushed over to pull Ming Yue Shuang back, but Leanna’s attack followed closely behind!
“[War Stomp]!”
A wide-range divine skill that could turn the battlefield into a slaughterhouse, with an enormous area of effect!
The earth suddenly trembled as crimson divine power spread across the ground, transforming into sharp battle blades that shot skyward.
Almost instantly, the sharp edges of the blades tore through Klaus’s angelic protection, sending him flying.
Seeing Klaus at a disadvantage, Asuka Amakawa immediately took action—
“[Yata Mirror], defend!”
The mirror clashed with the battle blades, erupting in a dazzling shower of sparks.
But that brief moment was enough for Klaus to seize the opportunity and retreat from the battlefield!
At the same time, Zhou Tinlin launched a sneak attack with his [Spear of the Sun God] !
The divine spear was hurled directly at Leanna, who was frantically focused on Klaus-
Just then, Ichiro Toyotomi made his move.
He raised his hand leisurely, and a radiant miniature sun formed in his palm, its scorching heat distorting the surrounding air.
Asuka Amakawa’s pupils constricted sharply.
This was unmistakably one of the most powerful divine techniques of the Amaterasu pantheon [Amaterasu’s Divine Sun], which could compress solar divine power into a tangible form!
The Toyotomi family was arguably the strongest lineage within the Amaterasu pantheon, far surpassing even their shrine maiden families in power.
“Impossible…” she murmured to herself.
Ichiro had actually reached such a terrifying level!
With a snap of his fingers, the solar energy melted Zhou Tinlin’s spear!
In the next instant, dozens of miniature suns appeared, surrounding Klaus and his companions, cutting off all escape routes!
Ichiro didn’t even lift an eyelid, lazily remarking, “The game should end now.”
“District Twelve, as always… utterly useless.”
This… was for the best.
Pi Chu Xi realized the situation had turned dire.
These people had clearly shifted from testing the top three to outright intending to kill.
He quickly stepped forward and grabbed Klaus.
“We must retreat now! Zone 3 has a large number of Wardens stationed there. We can use them to hold these people off!”
He cleverly twisted the truth.
While Zone 3 did indeed have many Wardens, they were all in a dormant state and couldn’t actually restrain the provincial exam candidates.
But these people didn’t know that!
So, he planted a small misdirection, hoping it would prove useful later.
Klaus’s heart sank.
No matter how unwilling he was, the gap in strength was no longer something willpower alone could bridge.
Looking at the miniature suns Ichiro had unleashed, which seemed ready to devour everything, he agreed with Pi Chu Xi.
“Asuka, prepare to break through!”
Asuka Amakawa immediately understood, and the Yata Mirror in her hand shone brightly.
The mirror could not only reflect but also emit light to disrupt vision, directly disorienting the enemy!
But Ichiro didn’t need to see.
All he had to do was-
Detonate the suns!
Dozens of divine suns erupted in an instant, their scorching light consuming everything!
“It’s over.”
Just then, Shan Yue Hua activated her skill,
“[Gate of the Underworld], open!”
A chilling aura suddenly appeared, momentarily blocking the searing light.
In the next instant, a dark spatial rift opened beneath everyone’s feet.
“Hurry!”
Once was unfamiliar, twice was routine.
Without waiting for the darkness to envelop them, everyone decisively leaped into the rift.
Their movements were swift.
The spatial tunnel closed behind them with a resounding crash, narrowly avoiding the deadly blast of the divine suns.
“Tsk, they got away,” Leanna sneered, glancing at Ichiro.
“Young Master Gen, you’re not up to the mark, are you?”
“Fool,” Ichiro scoffed.
“You don’t understand. Killing them outright would be boring. Prey should be enjoyed during the hunt.”
Leanna: “Where did they go? Where did they run off to?”
Ichiro looked at Osiris.
He could sense the aura of the main god Anubis from the earlier [Gate of the Underworld].
Coincidentally, their team also had a chosen one of Anubis.
Osiris, the God of Death!
The silent Osiris finally spoke: “Forward.”
He slowly raised his hand, pointing in a direction.
“There’s the scent of death there.”
“Move out,” White Owl commanded.
“Now that we’ve tested them, it’s time to show no mercy!”
The candidates from the Provincial Academy, especially those who made it into the Fourth Squad, were no fools.
Whether it was the deliberate provocation or the mockery earlier, it was all to test the strength of the top three.
The Twelfth District might be a dump, but who knows if a genius might emerge?
If so, they’d have to compete for resources.
If there’s none, all better.
If there is?
Target them to death!
But obviously, they were truly weak, both in strength and… mentality.
“Hehe, little mice~” Leanna’s sweet voice rang out.
“We’re coming to catch you!”
The dark spatial tunnel behind them slammed shut, and the six of them tumbled to the ground.
They ran too fast and couldn’t stop in time.
Klaus struggled to his feet, scanning the surroundings, and his pupils constricted instantly:
“This is Area 3? There are so many coffins here!”
What he heard from Pi Chu Xi and what he saw with his own eyes were completely different!
In the vast hall, dozens of bronze armors were neatly arranged, with eerie green mist hanging in the air, and a chilling, terrifying aura coming at them.
“Stop looking! Hurry inside, hide in the innermost coffin!”
Pi Chu Xi ran in directly, found the most secure coffin, and quickly lay down inside, not forgetting to remind them: “The Fourth Squad has Osiris, the God of Death. They’ll probably catch up soon!”
“But the coffins have the death aura of the dormant Wardens, which can interfere with his tracking!”
Hearing this, everyone immediately got up despite the pain, suppressed their instinctive fear, and each found a coffin to lie down in.
In the darkness, fortunately, Pi Chu Xi’s divine skill [Rune Power] allowed them to use communication runes for simple exchanges, which slightly alleviated their fear.
“They’re coming… I can hear footsteps…”
“They’ve stopped…” Klaus’s voice came through the runes.
“Looks like they’re intimidated by so many Wardens.”
“But…” Ming Yue Shuang trembled.
“If they find out these Wardens are all dormant, we’re done for…”
Everyone fell silent.
It was the truth.
They could hide for a while, but not forever!
But even the top three-Klaus, Asuka Amakawa, and Zhou Tinlin-were completely outmatched.
What else could they do?
At that moment, Pi Chu Xi suddenly spoke up: “What if we try asking Su Fu for help?”
“I think if we offer her money, she might intervene.”
That gold-digging woman loves money so much that he instinctively felt Su Fu would agree.
After a long silence, Klaus finally spoke up, “Su Fu?”
“Can she really handle it?”
Klaus’s doubts were reasonable.
The six of them could be considered the strongest team in District 12, yet they were completely
overpowered by the provincial academy examinees.
Su Fu… what made her so special?
The exam integration had happened so suddenly.
Whether she could even reunite with her teammates was questionable, let alone come to their rescue.
“So, what do you suggest we do?” Pi Chu Xi said helplessly, “Do you have any other ideas? Let’s hear them. Otherwise, we have no choice but to try!”
“At least it’s better than doing nothing, right?”
The room fell silent.
What could they do?
There was simply no way out!
Listening to the heavy breathing of everyone around him, Pi Chu Xi honestly didn’t believe Su Fu would be in the same dire straits as they were.
That cunning woman… she was too smart and incredibly strong.
He even wondered if the exam integration was her doing.
But he quickly dismissed the thought.
That was just too far-fetched.
No matter how capable Su Fu was, she couldn’t possibly have the power to integrate the exams.
Only those genius freaks from the provincial academy could pull off something like that.
“They’re checking the coffins now!” Shan Yue Hua’s anxious voice rang out.
Footsteps echoed in the hall, clearly indicating that the people outside were inspecting the coffins of the dormant Wardens one by one.
Klaus no longer hesitated.
He took a deep breath and said, “Alright, we have no choice but to try. It’s a long shot, but we have to do something.”
But it was clear he didn’t hold much hope.
Pi Chu Xi immediately activated his runic power.
The runes coalesced in the darkness, forming a simple communication array.
Target: Su Fu.
Pi Chu Xi tentatively called out, “Hey! Are you there?”
One breath… two breaths… three breaths…
The group grew impatient. “Is she even alive?”
The footsteps outside grew closer, each step pounding on their hearts like a drum.
This was too intense!
Meanwhile, in the altar area.
Su Fu was discussing their next move with her teammates when a faint golden light flashed before her eyes.
The light floated, forming runes that then coalesced into some kind of array, flickering in the air.
Lin Mingxi recognized it, “This… isn’t this Pi Chu Xi’s special skill, [Runic Power]?”
Su Fu blinked, watching the trembling runes in the air.
It looked like a screen with poor signal, flickering on and off with a slight static noise.
“Hey! Are you there?”
“Su Fu, can you hear me?”
Pi Chu Xi’s voice came through, sounding urgent.
Su Fu raised an eyebrow, exchanging glances with her teammates.
What was going on?
Was Pi Chu Xi calling her?
Su Fu tentatively responded, “Pi Chu Xi?”
“Great! You’re really alive!” Pi Chu Xi’s voice instantly became excited, but then he lowered it again.
“Listen, I’ll make it quick. We’re being hunted by the fourth team from the provincial academy. Even Klaus and the others were completely overpowered. We’re hiding in the coffins of the Wardens in Area 3…”
Su Fu: “….”
“Damn, is this a cry for help?”
“Wait!”
The next second, Pi Chu Xi’s urgent voice came through: “Wait! Don’t hang up! Don’t refuse, we’ll pay 500,000 credits to save us!”
“One person, one time!”
Su Fu’s furrowed brows instantly relaxed.
500,000?
This kid knows what he’s doing.
Not working for free, and he knows exactly where her weakness lies.
Wait, that’s not right…
How could she be so utilitarian?
Ahem.