C1 Rebirth after Disaster

Night fell.

A chilling darkness swept over the entire mining area, suffocating it with an eerie stillness.

"Qiao Gao, don't blame me for leaving you buried here. We were caught in a mining accident, and there are dangerous beasts everywhere outside. I just can't carry your body back to the city."

The voice was familiar, as if heard in a distant memory, growing clearer by the moment.

"Wasn't I dead? Why is someone calling out to me?"

Qiao Gao felt suffocated, his mouth filled with the gritty taste of dirt, his body aching as if it had been shattered. A sharp pain pierced his head, and a flood of memories surged through his mind like a relentless tide.

"Shut up, you fool, Shieh Longtai! Hurry up and bury that useless Qiao Gao. If you keep yelling and attract a Scorpion Tail Tiger, we'll all end up dead with him!"

In the distance, a low, menacing voice echoed, laced with threats.

Suddenly, the pain in his head receded like a retreating wave. Qiao Gao absorbed all the memories, then sprang up from the makeshift grave, his eyes snapping open with a fierce, star-like glint of determination.

"I didn't just survive; I unexpectedly merged with the memories of the unparalleled Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch?" Qin Sheng was both shocked and relieved. However, he quickly frowned, "Why am I still so weak? It seems the poison from the Scorpion Tail Tiger hasn't been fully purged from my body."

"The Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch was a supreme alchemist, unmatched across the heavens and earth, revered and surrounded by peerless experts. Yet, he was betrayed, his powers stripped, and he was imprisoned by the royal family to labor in the ancient mines, reduced to nothing more than a tool for alchemy!"

"In the end, he risked everything to create the 'Nine Lives Reincarnation Pill,' allowing him to be reborn. Sadly, the process was perilous, and he was ultimately destroyed in both body and spirit. But I have unexpectedly merged with his memories."

"Myriad Tribulation Senior, rest in peace. From today, I am you. I will avenge you and strike down those royal pretenders who enslaved you!" Qin Sheng's resolve was fierce, his eyes blazing with determination.

As he thought about revenge, Qin Sheng wondered why he was inexplicably hunted by the Scorpion Tail Tiger. This was no simple matter; someone was definitely out to harm him!

Qiao Gao glanced around and realized he was in a dark, cold mine shaft. The space wasn't very large, and nearby, seven or eight students from Flowing Cloud Academy were gathered. They all looked disheveled, not speaking to each other, some tending to their weapons, others meditating to restore their energy.

"He's turned into a zombie, run! Qiao Gao's a zombie!"

Qiao Gao suddenly leaped out of a grave pit, startling Shieh Longtai, who was covering the pit with dirt. Terrified, Shieh's face turned pale, and he scrambled away from the chaotic graveyard, stumbling as he went.

The Devil Dragon Mining Area, an ancient forbidden zone, was steeped in eerie legends. Even though they were only on the outskirts, the tales were enough to instill fear. It was said that when the mine was bustling, many miners died, their bodies piling up. Over time, some corpses absorbed toxins, transforming into terrifying zombies...

Everyone's faces changed drastically, as if facing a formidable enemy. They knew they couldn't match the strength of these toxic zombies, not even the weakest among them.

Qiao Gao grabbed Shieh Longtai's shoulder. Shieh felt as if struck by lightning, his body turning to jelly as he fell to his knees, pleading, "Qiao Gao, I'm your buddy, Shieh Longtai. Don't eat me! I'm too fatty and not tasty at all."

"I’m not dead, so how could I have turned into a zombie?" Qiao Gao chuckled, helping his loyal friend to his feet.

Shieh Longtai, with his familiar round face, leaned in to examine Qiao Gao closely. He immediately brightened up, saying, "I knew you were destined for greatness. You haven't even reached your full potential yet, so there's no way you're going anywhere soon."

The others, realizing Qiao Gao was still very much alive, shot him a quick glance, then set their weapons aside and resumed resting. They needed to conserve their energy until the academy's rescue team arrived.

"Talk about dumb luck. You got hit with the Scorpion Tail Tiger's venom and still lived to tell the tale!" Bai Tianyu, a burly guy with a menacing glare, sneered as he polished his gleaming sword.

"Bai Tianyu, how dare you curse Qiao Gao!" Shieh Longtai was furious, his whole body shaking with anger as he pointed accusingly at Bai Tianyu. "I saw you throw that Scorpion Tail Tiger egg into Qiao Gao's tent. Otherwise, how would he have ended up being chased?"

"You’re the one behind all this!" Shieh Longtai shouted, jabbing his finger at Bai Tianyu.

Qiao Gao cast a cold glance in Bai Tianyu's direction, his mind quickly replaying the moments before he lost consciousness.

The group of students, including Qiao Gao, were all participating in the entrance trial organized by Flowing Cloud Academy at the outskirts of the Devil Dragon Mining Area. Only by passing this trial could they become official students of the academy. The academy would then place them into beginner, advanced, or elite classes based on their performance during the trial.

According to Qiao Gao's memory, the outskirts of the Devil Dragon Mining Area were mostly free of mythical beasts, with more common creatures like wolves and brown bears. A large mythical beast like the Scorpion Tail Tiger was unlikely to appear, making it an ideal location for the entrance trial.

However, when the Scorpion Tail Tiger suddenly appeared, the entire freshman camp collapsed into chaos, and all the new students scattered in panic. Amid the confusion, Qiao Gao and his peers found this mine shaft to hide in temporarily, waiting for the Flowing Cloud Academy instructors to rescue them.

During the escape, Qiao Gao was struck on the back by the Scorpion Tail Tiger's tail, which was as hard as a steel whip. He barely made it into the mine before succumbing to the poison and passing out. His close friend, Shieh Longtai, thought Qiao Gao was dead and planned to bury him.

"Whoosh!"

As soon as Shieh Longtai finished speaking, all the students in the mine turned their eyes to Bai Tianyu. If what Shieh Longtai said was true, then this disaster was brought upon them by Bai Tianyu, nearly costing them their lives in the Devil Dragon Mining Area. This was a matter of life and death!

Their gazes were hostile, and some of the male students even exuded a powerful energy, making the atmosphere in the mine tense and on edge.

Bai Tianyu's expression changed, especially when he sensed several energies in the mine that were no weaker than his own. He stood up abruptly, his towering figure blocking most of the view inside the mine, creating a palpable sense of pressure. He shouted, "Shieh Longtai, don't you dare accuse me without evidence. Do you know the consequences?"

"Shieh Longtai is right. You're the one who stole the beast egg from the Scorpion Tail Tiger!" Qiao Gao suddenly spoke, his eyes flashing with a cold light as he confidently pointed at Bai Tianyu.

Bai Tianyu was taken aback, clearly not expecting Qiao Gao to have the courage to accuse him. This was completely out of character for Qiao Gao, who was usually timid. But as soon as their eyes met, the cold, indifferent glare made Bai Tianyu feel as if he was being watched by the Scorpion Tail Tiger itself. He shivered involuntarily, a chill running down his spine.

Qiao Gao had merged with the memories of the Myriad Tribulation Pill Monarch, and his every move naturally carried a hint of the monarch's aura.

"What’s happening? Why am I afraid of this nobody, Qiao Gao?" Bai Tianyu was both shocked and angry, suppressing his inner fear as he sneered, "Nonsense! What proof do you have?"

Qiao Gao glanced coldly at Bai Tianyu and said calmly, "Everyone, get a little closer to him. Do you notice a peculiar smell? That's the scent of a Scorpion Tail Tiger, indicating he's been in close contact with one."

A student, visibly upset, moved closer to Bai Tianyu and remarked with suspicion, "He definitely has a strange odor!"

The crowd was both shocked and angry, and even Bai Tianyu's expression changed drastically, his mind racing, "Does he know the truth?"

However, after the initial shock, Bai Tianyu quickly regained his composure and defensively argued, "You got swiped by a Scorpion Tail Tiger, so you carry its scent too. The smell on me must have come from you!"

Qiao Gao smirked, "Still trying to argue, huh?"

"Take a look at his palm, everyone. Do you see any strange burn marks? Those are mystical patterns from a Scorpion Tail Tiger's egg! Even though the cub hasn't hatched yet, the eggshell has protective markings."

"You stole the Scorpion Tail Tiger's egg, activating the mystical patterns on the shell and burning your palm. The most crucial point is that the Scorpion Tail Tiger that stormed the freshman camp wasn't after me; it was after you because it can sense the mystical mark on your hand!"

Qiao Gao finished speaking in one breath.

"What nonsense about beast marks and all that? It's just a bunch of lies, pure and simple!" Bai Tianyu hid his injured hand, stepping back a few paces, his face finally showing some panic.

"Whether it's true or not, everyone can judge for themselves!" Qiao Gao then pulled out a beast egg from his pocket.

Everyone looked closely and discovered that the mark on Bai Tianyu's burned palm was identical to the pattern on the beast egg's shell! The crowd's gaze toward Bai Tianyu grew more serious.

However, the moment Bai Tianyu saw the beast egg, his face twitched with greed, and he let out a sinister laugh, extending his hand. "So the beast egg is still with you. Hand it over."

At the same time, the other participants in the assessment also showed a flash of greed, closing in on Qiao Gao...