C11 Abandoned

"An Explosive Beast Tide?" Hwang Ningxue's face paled at the thought. The Devil Dragon Mining Area was a sprawling wasteland, scarcely populated by large beasts, let alone demonic ones.

The notion of an Explosive Beast Tide occurring there was inconceivable.

What cataclysmic event could have triggered such a phenomenon in the Devil Dragon Mining Area?

"How could an Explosive Beast Tide even happen?" Ningxue's brows knitted together as she pressed for answers.

Ma De, the outer court deacon, shook his head, his coughs racking his body until his elemental energy wavered and he expelled a mouthful of black blood. With a grave tone, he recounted, "I just ran into a small faction of the tide led by a fourth-rank Demonic Beast. I was lucky to evade in time; a moment later and I would have been torn apart."

Fear still etched Ma De's features.

A fourth-rank Demonic Beast was a force to be reckoned with, on par with a human expert of the Heaven Connecting Stage. And behind it, a horde of hundreds, if not thousands, of lesser Demonic Beasts surged like a relentless flood, capable of overwhelming even the mightiest of human experts...

It was sheer fortune that Ma De had encountered only the fringe of the tide and lived to tell the tale.

"Alright, I'll have the students preparing for the assessment ready themselves to evacuate the mining area immediately," Ningxue resolved.

She was acutely aware of the gravity of the situation. Initially facing only a mutated Corpse King, she hadn't anticipated a vast and desolate place like the Devil Dragon Mining Area to spawn a Beast Tide of such magnitude!

"Under no circumstances!" Ma De interjected urgently, pulling Ningxue aside and whispering, "Taking the assessment candidates with us makes us an easy target. We'd be inviting an attack from the Beast Tide, and none of us would make it out alive!"

"Hmm?"

Ningxue stared at Ma De incredulously, her voice tinged with scorn, "Deacon, are you suggesting we abandon the students outside?"

"I cannot do that!"

Her voice was firm, her sense of duty unwavering.

Ma De's frown deepened, his impatience clear as he challenged Ningxue's resolve, pointing outside, "If we take those liabilities with us, we're all as good as dead."

"You clearly haven't witnessed the horror of a beast tide. Demonic beasts swarm in, blanketing the sky and overwhelming like a tsunami. Soul Connecting Stage warriors don't stand a chance, let alone Heaven Connecting Stage experts—they'd be dead!"

Hwang Ningxue was held in high regard, even the new dean of Flowing Cloud Academy looked upon her with favor. So for Ma De, the deacon of the outer court, to speak with such deference was unusual. Had it been any other student, he would have swiftly delivered a slap for such insolence.

As for those students who hadn't even reached the Three-vein Connection, they were in dire straits. Ma De's concern for them was minimal; after all, they weren't officially Flowing Cloud Academy students yet.

"Ningxue, let's keep the conversation civil. Instructor Liu is looking out for our best interests," Bai Jutian urged, taking a deep breath to calm the tension. He shot a cold glance at Qiao Gao, "We cannot allow this boy to return to Great Flame City. He must remain in the Devil Dragon Mining Area indefinitely."

"Hmph!" Hwang Ningxue snorted dismissively, baffled by Bai Jutian's twisted reasoning.

Suddenly, an alarmed shout came from outside.

"Disaster! A terrifying beast tide is upon us!"

"We've been forsaken."

"Deacon Lord and our seniors are ready to leave us behind!"

"Please, don't abandon us—take us back to Great Flame City!"

...

It turned out that someone had been eavesdropping and leaked the conversation, sparking a massive commotion. The air was filled with their loud cries, pleading with Outer Court Deacon Ma De not to leave them behind.

"These deadweights!" Ma De muttered under his breath, his expression darkening with anger.

He knew he had to step outside and restore order, especially since the Corpse King lurked nearby. Attracting its attention could mean a fate worse than death.

In the past, as a formidable late-stage Soul Connecting Stage expert, he could have faced the Corpse King without fear, likely escaping unharmed. But now, weakened by a minor beast tide and his strength reduced to a mere fraction, confronting the Corpse King was a daunting challenge.

"Silence, everyone!" Ma De stepped forward, his voice booming with the force of elemental energy. Despite operating at less than a tenth of his strength, he effortlessly subdued the low-level martial artists who hadn't even achieved Three-vein Connection.

The students, overwhelmed by the torrent of elemental energy, flushed red and stiffened. The troublemakers, in particular, received special 'attention' from the Outer Court Deacon Lord, nearly bringing them to their knees.

Ma De declared, "There's been a significant shift outside, unleashing a fearsome beast tide. I, along with two students from the inner court, will return to the academy to seek reinforcements. Those of you undergoing the examination, stay put and await rescue."

True to his role as the Outer Court Deacon Lord, he was accustomed to handling crises, speaking flawlessly. With the added weight of elemental energy behind his words, the students, despite their deep dissatisfaction, were left with no room to rebel.

"Hehe, isn't this just a roundabout way of abandoning us? It seems we've become expendable," Qiao Gao interjected untimely, stepping out from behind Hwang Ningxue with a mocking sneer on his face.

"That's not what they promised when we enrolled."

"They assured us our lives would be protected during the examination."

"Had we known it would come to this, we never would have joined this sorry excuse for an academy!"

Murmurs of resentment spread among the students, their expressions tinged with bitterness.

The truth was, Flowing Cloud Academy wasn't the only Martial Arts Court in the vicinity; there were others with greater strength. But Flowing Cloud Academy's lenient entry requirements and the promise of rewards had lured many from Great Flame City to their examination.

Ma De turned, his presence commanding without a hint of anger, and fixed Qiao Gao with a formidable stare. "Mind your words, student. Flowing Cloud Academy would never forsake its examinees. Once you're safely back, I'll personally lead the masters to your aid!"

Qiao Gao exuded an air of calm and composure, regarding Ma De's intimidating presence as if it were nothing, strolling as if he were in a tranquil garden.

"Pfft, I bet you all would wait for the beast tide to pass before bothering to send a rescue. By then, wouldn't they have already become the Corpse King's dung?" Qiao Gao showed no respect for the so-called Deacon Lord.

Enraged, Ma De's Origin Energy burst forth, transforming him into a blur that sliced through the air as he aimed a vicious slap at Qiao Gao.

Despite Ma De's serious injuries, how could a low-level Vein Connecting Stage practitioner endure the wrathful blow of someone from the Soul Connecting Stage?

Ma De's strike was merciless. Such a slap would leave an ordinary Three-vein Connection warrior bedridden for at least three months!

"Try laying a finger on me!" Qiao Gao challenged, his demeanor unflappable. He produced a bottle from his pocket and held it aloft. Ma De, quick to act and quick to retreat, possessed formidable soul power as a late Soul Connecting Stage expert. He peered intently at the object in Qiao Gao's hand, a flicker of dread in his eyes. Instinctively, he knew to keep his distance from Qiao Gao's possession, lest he pay a steep price.

This was an insight gained from the accumulation of soul power at a certain level.

Qiao Gao let out a cold laugh. The bottle contained Corpse King Poison, potent enough to easily incapacitate a Soul Connecting Stage warrior. Of course, a fully healthy Ma De might resist it for a few minutes, but he was currently gravely wounded.

Furthermore, the poison had been specially processed to infect only once, preventing widespread transmission.

Seeing Ma De back down, Qiao Gao returned to the group and declared, "I, Qiao Gao, will not abandon any of you."

"What's there to fear? It's just a minor beast tide, nothing terrifying!"

"Come on, everyone, for a thousand yuan crystals each, I'll lead you out safely. I promise not a single hair on your heads will be harmed."

Qiao Gao began to loudly drum up business, rallying the crowd.

Bai Jutian scoffed at the display, "Qiao Gao, there's a limit to shamelessness. To exploit people during a crisis is beyond the pale!"