Shao Han's expression turned extremely ugly.
They had fought desperately for so long, risking their lives to reach this point, yet now they were being told that if they withdrew, seventy percent of their accumulated points would be deducted.
Seventy percent.
That wasn't just a punishment—it was practically a complete reset.
After everything he had done, his score would drop to an unbearably low level.
But Shao Han no longer had time to dwell on it.
Because at that moment, the Beast King's attention had already locked onto him.
As the main force responsible for blocking the monster's attack with his Ember Remains, he had successfully drawn the Beast King's hatred.
And that was the worst possible outcome.
The gigantic humanoid Remnant Beast slowly stepped forward.
Rumble…
Each footstep caused the ground to tremble violently, like an enormous warship beginning to move.
Its massive body looked incredibly heavy, yet every stride easily covered five or six meters.
Then its speed began increasing.
Faster.
And faster.
Until finally, the towering Beast King transformed into a terrifying charging monster!
Despite its huge frame, there was not the slightest trace of clumsiness in its movements.
The speed alone was enough to make everyone's scalps go numb.
Shao Han's face instantly paled.
He no longer dared to hesitate.
"I forfeit!"
The moment those words left his mouth, a sharp eagle cry suddenly echoed through the sky.
A gigantic eagle that had long been circling above immediately swooped downward at astonishing speed.
Its wings stirred up a violent whirlwind directly in front of the Beast King, instantly separating Shao Han from danger.
Then, before the Beast King could even react, the giant eagle grabbed Shao Han and shot back into the sky.
The Beast King could only watch helplessly as its prey escaped.
Its huge head slowly lifted upward.
Then it sniffed the air.
The scent of humans entered its nostrils.
Its blood-red eyes quickly locked onto the nearby cadet soldiers gathered around the edge of the sinkhole.
Among them were Zhao Mu's team and Mo Guanguan's group.
The moment Zhao Mu met the Beast King's gaze, his heart trembled slightly.
Because the monster was smiling.
Or rather…
It was baring its enormous mouth full of terrifying sharp teeth in what looked like a cruel and bloodthirsty grin.
Everyone knew what that expression meant.
An enraged Remnant Beast would enter a frenzied state, attacking every living creature in sight until everything around it was dead.
At that moment, Zhao Mu and the others had officially entered combat status.
And they all remembered Zhang Biao's earlier warning clearly.
If they chose to retreat now, then nearly all their previous efforts would become meaningless.
But if they stayed…
How exactly were they supposed to fight a Combat Level 30 Beast King?
Even Meng Qiuqiu, who usually trusted Zhao Mu the most, could not help but panic.
"Little Mu Ge!"
"There's no way we can kill that thing!"
"If we stay here, we'll die too!"
"Shao Han already withdrew, so let's retreat while we still can!"
However, Zhao Mu did not respond immediately.
His eyes were fixed firmly upon the Beast King below.
Unlike everyone else, fear was not the only thing visible in his gaze.
There was excitement.
Intense excitement.
To Zhao Mu, that terrifying Beast King looked less like a monster and more like an enormous treasure chest waiting to be opened.
Because according to the trial rules…
Everything obtained here belonged to the cadets themselves.
And right now, Zhao Mu desperately needed powerful materials to forge his own Ember Remains.
What material could possibly be better than the corpse of a Combat Level 30 Beast King?
Retreat?
The thought never even crossed his mind.
Zhao Mu swept his gaze across the others.
Everyone wore tense expressions, but hidden within their eyes was the same unwillingness.
They had risked their lives to reach this place.
No one wanted to give up.
And at that exact moment, the Beast King moved again.
It completely ignored the fleeing Shao Han and instead turned its attention toward several nearby cadet soldiers who had failed to retreat in time.
The massive creature bent down slightly.
Then, like a child casually throwing pebbles, it grabbed a huge pile of rocks from the ground.
Crimson Spirit Power instantly wrapped around the stones.
Boom!
The Beast King swung its arm violently.
The rocks exploded forward like cannonballs!
Dozens of giant stones whistled through the air at terrifying speed toward the cadets.
Just the sound alone made everyone's expressions change dramatically.
"Move!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The rocks crashed violently into the ground, instantly shattering the surrounding terrain.
Dust and debris filled the air.
Several cadet soldiers were sent flying on the spot, covered in blood and crushed stone fragments.
Under such terrifying pressure, two more cadets immediately broke mentally.
"I forfeit!"
"I forfeit too!"
The giant eagle descended once again, rescuing them from the battlefield.
At this point, Zhao Mu finally understood something clearly.
The giant eagles responsible for rescue were definitely stronger than the Beast King itself.
Yet as long as the cadets did not surrender voluntarily, neither the eagles nor the instructors observing from the control room would interfere.
In other words—
If they stayed silent…
They would truly die here.
Zhao Mu narrowed his eyes.
The danger was enormous.
But the rewards were equally enormous.
A direct confrontation was impossible.
Only a complete idiot would attempt to fight this monster head-on.
So the question became—
How could they kill it intelligently?
At that exact moment, a surge of blazing Spirit Power erupted nearby.
Zhao Mu turned his head instinctively.
And what he saw stunned him.
Mo Guanguan stepped forward without the slightest hesitation.
For someone as proud and competitive as her, surrender had never been an option.
In her hands appeared a massive crimson bow.
The weapon was both elegant and domineering, radiating astonishing power.
As fire-attributed Spirit Power poured into the bow, violent flames surged around it like a storm.
Meng Qiuqiu's eyes widened instantly.
"T-The Twin Tiger Shaking Heaven Bow?!"
Zhao Mu looked at him in surprise.
"You know that weapon?"
Meng Qiuqiu swallowed hard before answering.
"I don't know who she really is…"
"But that bow is a Tier-3 Jinhai!"
Zhao Mu froze momentarily.
Tier-3 Jinhai?
What kind of concept was that?
Even the highest-ranking officers in Lujiang City might not possess more than one or two such treasures.
Zhao Mu himself had once used a First-Grade Jinhai Silver Sword with a synchronization rate exceeding ninety percent to slay Remnant Beasts far stronger than himself.
And the power gap between a First-Grade Jinhai and a Tier-3 Jinhai was absolutely massive.
A fully unleashed Tier-3 Jinhai could easily possess more than a hundred times the power of a normal First-Grade weapon.
Even Liang Gongchi had only crafted a handful of Tier-3 Jinhai in his entire life.
At that moment—
Mo Guanguan released the bowstring.
Boom!!!
A flaming arrow condensed entirely from Spirit Power exploded outward.
No—
Calling it an arrow no longer felt appropriate.
It resembled a gigantic flaming meteor streaking across the battlefield with a blazing tail behind it.
The fire projectile crashed directly into the Beast King before it could dodge.
BOOM!!!
The impact was earth-shattering.
The Beast King's enormous body was actually knocked sideways by the blast before crashing heavily onto the ground.
Everyone present inhaled sharply.
"What terrifying power…"
"So this is a Tier-3 Jinhai…"
Even Zhao Mu's eyes flickered with shock.
But unlike the others, he immediately noticed the crucial detail.
"Her synchronization rate with the Twin Tiger Shaking Heaven Bow has reached at least twenty percent…"
Exclusive Jinhai were specially tailored for their owners.
The better the compatibility, the greater the power unleashed.
And Mo Guanguan clearly possessed extraordinary compatibility with that weapon.
At that moment, Zhao Mu's thoughts accelerated rapidly.
Hope.
There was still hope of winning.
He subconsciously rotated the silver-gray ring on his little finger.
That ring was one of his own creations.
After studying Jinhai Manufacturing for so long, Zhao Mu's skill had already theoretically reached the level of a First-Level Jinhai Master.
Naturally, he had prepared more than a few hidden trump cards for himself.
Without hesitation, Zhao Mu contacted Mo Guanguan through his electronic wristband.
"Young Miss Mo."
"How about we cooperate?"
Mo Guanguan immediately turned toward him.
Without even pausing to think, she nodded.
"Alright."
She clearly understood the situation as well.
Even with her Tier-3 Jinhai, defeating a Combat Level 30 Beast King alone would be extremely difficult.
Still, she frowned slightly afterward.
"But what exactly are you planning to use against it?"
Although there were more than twenty cadets gathered here, very few could actually threaten the Beast King.
The monster's defense and destructive power were simply too overwhelming.
Even Shao Han, whose combat level reached nine, had barely survived thanks to his defensive Ember Remains.
In other words, despite their numerical advantage, they lacked the ability to truly engage the Beast King in close combat.
Zhao Mu slowly looked toward the enormous sinkhole beneath the battlefield.
An idea was already forming rapidly inside his mind.
His eyes gradually brightened.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I can engrave a Spirit Rune Path."
"And use a formation…"
"To kill it."
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)