Just moments ago, the male examinee and his female companion were holding hands, gritting their teeth and pushing on. They encouraged each other, vowing to survive. But in the blink of an eye, a short blade flew toward them, striking the woman in the head and killing her instantly. In that moment, they were forever separated by life and death.
The male examinee fell into despair. A masked Martial Artist was now before him, but he didn’t react. His heart was like dead ash; he had lost all will to live.
SWOOSH!
Nevertheless, the masked Martial Artist swung their great saber without mercy.
The male examinee’s head was also lopped off, following his lost will into oblivion.
Without the protection of the experts from the West Mansion, the examinees from the Thirty-Six Cities were like tiny ants on the ground—utterly fragile and easily crushed.
Facing the threat of death, the examinees finally came to their senses. They realized it was better to rely on themselves than to beg for help. They quickly gathered, and under the leadership of a few powerful candidates, they began to unite and work together to resist the masked Martial Artists’ attacks.
For a time, this strategy actually proved effective. Several small groups of examinees managed to resist the combined assault of five or six masked Martial Artists.
The masked Martial Artists possessed the strength of Battle Spirits—they were formidable, yes, but they couldn’t hold up against the sheer number of examinees!
Once the examinees found their footing, the rate of casualties immediately slowed.
"Help me! Can anyone help me!"
Another cry for help rang out.
This time, the cry for help came from a stunningly beautiful female examinee.
This female examinee was exceptionally beautiful. Her waterfall-like hair was styled to fall to her waist, and her facial features were as exquisite as a work of art. She was even a cut above beauties of Mu Xianling’s caliber, though she still fell short of Tang Lian or Shangguan Siyu’s level.
Right now, this beautiful examinee was being hunted down by a masked Martial Artist. Her face was a mask of terror as she stumbled along, cutting a pathetic figure.
However, the distance between her and the masked Martial Artist was shrinking. Seeing she was about to be caught, she screamed for help, hoping someone would come to her rescue.
Had it been anyone else, that would have been the end of it. No one was willing, and no one dared, to fight a masked Martial Artist one-on-one. No one present was a match for them.
Therefore, saving this female examinee would be incredibly difficult, and no one dared to make a rash move.
But...
This was no ordinary female examinee.
She was Mi Lu, the cherished daughter of Clan Leader Mi from the Mi Family of Luyue City. She was hailed as the number one beauty of the Thirty-Six Cities.
Beyond her beauty, her natural talent was also outstanding. In the current qualification exams, she had ranked first in Luyue City, her strength having reached the level of a Six-star Battle Grandmaster. She was, in every sense, a Celestial Beauty.
Countless men viewed this Celestial Beauty, blessed with both looks and talent, as the woman of their dreams. They were willing to go through hell and high water for her, to die a thousand deaths without regret.
So, the moment Mi Lu cried out, several examinees who did not fear death saw she was in danger and bravely stepped forward, ready to sacrifice themselves to save her.
The saying "Even a hero is no match for a beautiful woman" was being demonstrated in vivid detail.
But when they rushed up to the masked Martial Artist, they couldn’t even slow it down for a moment, let alone save Mi Lu.
SLASH!
The masked Martial Artist swung its longsword, and a flurry of sword-flashes danced in the air. The examinees who had rushed out to play the hero couldn’t even scream before their bodies were riddled with bloody holes, blood pouring from them as if it were worthless.
In the end, they all collapsed, dead.
If these examinees had just stayed back, they might have lived much longer, perhaps even making it to the West Mansion alive. But because they were tempted by beauty and played the hero when they shouldn’t have, their souls were sent to the Underworld ahead of schedule.
Everyone appreciates beauty.
But one must be alive to enjoy it.
Saving a damsel in distress is a noble deed, but only if you know your own limits.
After killing the examinees who blocked its path, the masked Martial Artist resumed its pursuit of Mi Lu. The distance between them grew shorter and shorter.
"Help me!"
As death closed in, Mi Lu cried out for help again. Her pitiable appearance was enough to break anyone’s heart.
’I don’t want to die. Not so soon.’
’A woman’s best years are fleeting. How can I die now?’
It must be said, a beautiful woman’s influence is immense. More death-defying examinees charged forward.
And this time, the one who charged out was the *former* number one genius of the Thirty-Six Cities, Bai Ye!
Bai Ye was one of Mi Lu’s many admirers!
Seeing Mi Lu in danger, Bai Ye couldn’t resist the impulse and chose to intervene.
"Cyan Feather Swordsmanship—Soaring Rune Technique."
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
Bai Ye tossed his longsword into the air, and his hands began to weave a series of complex, dazzling hand seals.
Under his control, the longsword flew into the air and began to dance, moving like a joyful little fish. It seemed to have a life of its own.
As the longsword danced, it traced out a massive, shimmering rune for "Soar," formed entirely of energy.
FWOOSH!
Finally, Bai Ye pointed a finger at the masked Martial Artist. The massive rune for "Soar" shot through the air toward its target.
This Martial Technique was one of Bai Ye’s trump cards. It was a Profound Tier Upper Grade technique, and even among those, it was considered the cream of the crop. Its power was immense, rivaling even that of his Earth Tier Lower Grade Martial Technique, the Steel Divine Fist.
He hadn’t been able to use this move when he’d faced Tang Yi, as weapons were forbidden in that fight.
But now, to rescue Mi Lu, this move was perfect.
’Even if it can’t harm such a powerful masked Martial Artist, it should at least be able to slow it down, right?’
So as his Soaring Rune Technique flew toward the masked Martial Artist, Bai Ye sprinted toward Mi Lu. He planned to grab her and escape the very instant his attack created an opening.
Bai Ye’s plan was sound, but unfortunately, he had underestimated the masked Martial Artist’s power and overestimated his own.
Bai Ye had taken only three steps when the masked Martial Artist casually shattered his Martial Technique. Unhindered, it continued toward Mi Lu.
"This..."
Bai Ye froze for a second, but he still charged toward Mi Lu.
"Miss Mi, I’m here to help you!"
Bai Ye gritted his teeth and stepped in front of Mi Lu, shielding her with his body. Just then, the masked Martial Artist arrived before them.
Both of them were geniuses among the examinees, possessing extraordinary strength. If they had joined forces to fight the enemy and wait for backup, they might have had a sliver of a chance at survival.
But the moment Bai Ye stepped forward to shield her, Mi Lu simply turned and ran. She fled without a sound, without a backward glance, and with absolutely no intention of facing the enemy alongside him.
Perhaps in Mi Lu’s eyes, Bai Ye was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb.

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