【Congratulations, cultivator, for slaying the level 13 red-named monster "Giant Soft-shell Turtle". You have gained Experience ×50, Giant Soft-shell Turtle Spirit Essence ×1, Spiritual Energy Cluster (Small) ×2, and Qi-Augmenting Pill ×1.】
【Congratulations, cultivator, for slaying the level 12 red-named monster "Giant Mud Earthworm". You have gained Experience ×40, Giant Mud Earthworm Spirit Essence ×1, Spiritual Energy Cluster (Small) ×1, and Rejuvenation Pills ×2.】
【Congratulations, cultivator, for slaying the level 9 red-named monster "Black-armored Yellow River Carp". You have gained Experience ×30, Spiritual Energy Cluster (Small) ×1, Water-Mang Grass ×2, and Yellow River Agate ×5.】
Something is strange in the Yellow River.
Nan Zhi shook her fishing rod, her gaze falling upon the "meat mountain" of corpses piled up like a hill on the bank.
In just one afternoon, she had managed to hook so many giant water monsters using pills as bait. Even if the spiritual energy from the ley lines was leaking and seeping into the Yellow River, causing the aquatic beasts to demonize, the numbers shouldn't be this staggering.
When things are this abnormal, there must be a demon at work.
Could the changes in the Yellow River be related to the government's major movements?
Nan Zhi rested her chin on her hand, looking toward the shore thoughtfully.
It was already late at night, and the second trial began as scheduled.
Directly facing the stage was the pitch-black center of the river. The Yellow River surged silently, the sound of fish tails slapping the water breaking the surface from time to time.
The demonized animal corpses, intentionally cordoned off with sheet metal, still lay huddled together on the ground, emitting a faint, fishy stench.
The trial grounds were divided into two. Starting from the opera stage, silver-white metal rods were driven into the ground every three meters. The tops of these rods glowed with a faint luminescence, enclosing a square safety zone.
Thirty-one young people participating in the trial formed a line, facing the Yellow River in battle readiness. Within the safety zone, a dozen SWAT teams were fully armed, their safeties off and weapons ready to fire at a moment's notice.
After all, this was merely to screen candidates for entering the underground imperial tombs; they couldn't actually let people die.
“This is the latest technological achievement from the official research institute: the Biological Spiritual Energy Magnetic Field Device. It can shield against a certain level of supernatural attacks.”
Qin Yue casually picked up a piece of gravel and threw it between the metal rods; the silver-white metal segments showed no reaction.
Then, she replaced her test subject with a flying insect.
It was a grasshopper about the thickness of a thumb.
Before the little bug could even beat its wings to fly out of range, the tops of the metal rods immediately flared with intense silver light. A transparent barrier composed of countless octagons flashed momentarily in the air.
Sizzle, sizzle...
The grasshopper slammed into the barrier, seemingly losing its direction for a moment. It tried to escape again and again, but all its efforts were in vain.
“Everyone, the second round of the exam is about to begin. The duration is two hours. During this time, candidates must kill as many weirds that come ashore as possible. If anyone leaves the exam area or violates the rules, they will be deemed to have failed.”
“During the exam, attacking other candidates is prohibited, and teamwork is encouraged. For every kill, one point will be added to your score. A score of ten is considered a perfect mark.”
Qin Yue scanned the group and announced the rules in a clear voice. After a brief, quiet discussion among the crowd, someone raised their hand to ask a question.
“If we cooperate to kill a weird, how will the points be calculated?”
“The limit for cooperative kills is a group of five. If a group kills a weird together, each person will receive 0.5 points. For groups with fewer than five people, it will still be calculated as 0.5. For groups exceeding five people, it will be calculated as 0.2 points per person.”
The government isn't just standing still, it seems.
The Biological Spiritual Energy Magnetic Field Device looks quite similar to the formations of the cultivation world; both can provide a degree of defense.
What’s even better is that the former doesn't even require spiritual energy to activate; even ordinary people can use it.
Is this really cyber-cultivation?
Nan Zhi nodded inwardly, boredly flicking her fishing rod and casually poking to death a water ghost hanging on the other end of the line.
The government's intention was likely to encourage these contestants to cooperate with one another.
She was becoming more and more curious about what exactly had been discovered beneath the imperial tombs to make the authorities so wary.
Even if Qin Yue was vague about the details, the purpose of holding the trial could not be hidden from Nan Zhi, who kept her divine sense expanded at all times.
With a calm expression, Qin Yue pointed to the tents and ambulances not far behind her.
“Of course, if a contestant is injured, in danger, or voluntarily chooses to withdraw, they can simply drop the identification tag they are wearing and leave the exam area.”
“I hope everyone understands that the purpose of this selection is not to eliminate you, but to make you realize what kind of things we will be facing in the future.”
“There is no shame in withdrawing, and no one will mock you.”
A cold wind blew past, but no one chose to give up.
Qin Yue turned and gave a signal. Immediately after, the rhythmic and rising tones of Qin Opera echoed along the banks of the Yellow River:
“The days are long, the nights are long, and my sorrow longer still! Recalling the past, my heart is torn asunder! Pity you, returning to the underworld so young, leaving me all alone in such a desolate state!”
“—Shen-lang! If you know where our beloved child is, I beg of you, send me a dream in the middle of the night!”
“Shen-lang... Shen-lang... I call to you time and time again...”
In the deep night, by the banks of the Yellow River, a ghostly wind blew in gusts. A massive high-definition screen faced the center of the river, and the opera actors moved with dainty steps, their melodies incomparably shrill.
Eight massive speakers were aimed at the Yellow River, sending the piercing, long-drawn-out vibratos far across the water, hitting the opposite bank before being carried back by the night wind.
Slowly, string after string of bubbles rose from the depths of the river.
Glub, glub, glub...
Glub, glub...
Glub, glub, glub, glub...
As the yellow river water continued to churn, the clusters of bubbles, initially the size of fish eyes, grew larger and more frequent.
Suddenly, the water surface dipped, and a bloated floater drifted upward. The corpse was nearly naked, its limbs covered in bite marks.
This corpse's eyes were open—the eyeballs were gone, and the hollow black sockets stared directly at the opera stage.
Pop!
Pop!
Pop!
As if a switch had been flipped, shadows began to emerge beneath the surface of the river. One, two, three, four...
Countless bloated corpses rose straight up from the center of the river to the surface. As if they were alive, they ignored the rapid current and drifted straight toward the shore.
The middle of the night, an opera stage by the water, and floaters from the Yellow River.
It was exactly like a terrifying scene out of a horror story.
Are there really this many floaters at the bottom of the river nearby?
Sitting on the bank, Nan Zhi narrowed her eyes, taking in the bizarre sights in the river. Some of the young people participating in the exam had already begun to tremble with fear.
“This is wicked... how can there be so many?”
“Where did these things come from? I've seen floaters before, but never so many at once!”
“They're coming up! They're coming up!”
“Holy crap, why do these things look like they're alive!”
The corpses were lured ashore. Sensing the dense human presence, they dragged long trails of water behind them as they lunged toward the crowd.
Crack!!
A flash of cold light erupted, and foul river water splashed everywhere. Hu Manni, looking like she was about to cry, sniffed and pulled back the entrenching tool lodged halfway into a water ghost's head.
“Ugh... this is so freaking scary...”
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