Chapter 51: The Flame Demon Lions and the Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear

With only about ten minutes remaining to meet the one-hour survival requirement for the final exam, the Class Zero students had been working in harmony, avoiding any major setbacks.

"The Riot Phase is no big deal after all!" Zhang Yangzi said with a relaxed laugh, letting his guard down a bit.

"We're not done yet!" Jing Shaoyu scolded him sharply. "The closer we get to the end, the more vigilant we need to be! There's an old saying: 'Nine floors of success can collapse at the last step.' So never celebrate until you've actually finished the task!"

"Yes!" Zhang Yangzi immediately acknowledged his mistake, seeing the serious expression on Jing Shaoyu's face.

Just as Zhang Yangzi realized his error, a disturbance erupted as a pack of Flame Demon Lions surrounded them.

"Oh no!" Xu Xiaoyan gasped, and the other students' faces grew tense. Even the staff in the control room were nervous for the seven students, though Wu Zhangkong's expression remained impassive.

The Flame Demon Lion is a powerful, pack-based soul beast, with a typical group led by a male lion and several females, usually numbering around twenty to thirty.

In front of them now was a pack of over thirty Flame Demon Lions. The lead male's cultivation level exceeded a thousand years, with four or five of the females over eight hundred years, and the others all surpassing a hundred years. This was an incredibly powerful pack, the type that could dominate an area within the primary Spirit Ascension Platform.

"Captain, what should we do?" Wang Jinxi asked, his tone heavy.

"I'll handle the lead male; the rest are up to you. Take down as many as possible!" Jing Shaoyu directed. "Yangzi, stay here to protect Gu Yue and Xiaoyan. Xie Xie, Wulin, Jinxi, with me!"

"Understood!" came the unified response.

Without any hesitation, they launched their attack.

Jing Shaoyu's Nature's Crown extended, and Green Moon Willow burst out of the emerald ring, with countless tendrils thrashing like a swarm of serpents toward the thousand-year Flame Demon Lion and the nearby females, stirring up a wave of energy.

Xie Xie moved swiftly, wielding his Light Dragon Dagger in one hand and his Shadow Dragon Dagger in the other, as his spirit rings glowed. His daggers emitted sharp flashes of light, and he appeared beside one of the Flame Demon Lions, striking before it could even react. His Light Dragon Dagger went for the throat, and his Shadow Dragon Dagger for the eyes, both daggers striking simultaneously.

Meanwhile, Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi went for a more direct approach. Relying on their raw power, one with his Golden Dragon Claw and the other with his Bone Dragon Claw, they charged a hundred-year Flame Demon Lion, radiating a brutal aura that struck terror into the beast.

Behind them, Gu Yue began summoning an Ice Storm, while Xu Xiaoyan and Zhang Yangzi provided cover. Xu Xiaoyan wielded her Starwheel Ice Staff, launching her Ice Wheel and Ice Spear abilities, while Zhang Yangzi spread his wings, releasing a dense dark aura, triggering his Dark Veil ability to cloud the Flame Demon Lions' vision.

"Roar!"

Facing the onslaught from Jing Shaoyu's team, the thousand-year Flame Demon Lion let out a deafening roar, and all the other Flame Demon Lions responded in kind. They lifted their heads, opened their mouths, and spewed balls of red flame.

Thirty balls of fire descended like a fiery rain upon Jing Shaoyu and his team.

Jing Shaoyu stood firm, his eyes glinting with green light as he manipulated Green Moon Willow. Half of its tendrils quickly retracted, weaving together into a sturdy, dense net that shielded the team from above. The flames from the lions scorched the green net, darkening its surface, but it held strong without breaking.

By this time, their attacks were closing in on the Flame Demon Lions.

Following Jing Shaoyu's intent, Green Moon Willow's tendrils interlocked, creating sharp, spear-like ropes that forced the thousand-year Flame Demon Lion to retreat. Several of the nearby females stepped back in unison, though one wasn't fast enough and was ensnared by the woven ropes, which bound its limbs and jaws, filling its mouth with leaves and ending its life.

Xie Xie also found success, with his Light Dragon Dagger and Shadow Dragon Dagger easily dispatching a five-hundred-year Flame Demon Lion. He then swiftly retreated to avoid being surrounded by the others.

Tang Wulin and Wang Jinxi used their strength to kill two Flame Demon Lions under five hundred years each, forcefully driving back the others that tried to attack, then regrouped with their team.

But the most effective results came from Gu Yue, Xu Xiaoyan, and Zhang Yangzi. Zhang Yangzi and Xu Xiaoyan managed to control two Flame Demon Lions each, and Gu Yue's Ice Storm engulfed the immobilized lions, wiping them out.

In the first round, Jing Shaoyu's team clearly gained the upper hand, killing eight Flame Demon Lions—almost a third of the pack.

The thousand-year Flame Demon Lion was furious at the loss. It let out a fierce roar, its aura growing even more menacing, its eyes flashing with hatred. Jing Shaoyu and his team tensed up, backing against each other in a circular formation, staying on high alert.

But what happened next surprised them. Rather than signaling an attack, the thousand-year Flame Demon Lion's roar seemed to be a retreat call. The Flame Demon Lions quickly gathered around the lead male, forming a line, and began retreating.

"They're retreating?" Xie Xie asked in surprise.

"They're escaping?!" Wang Jinxi shouted.

"It seems so." Jing Shaoyu's eyes glinted as he analyzed the situation. "They've lost nearly a third of their strength, so the thousand-year Flame Demon Lion is choosing to retreat to preserve its pack's safety."

Soon, the Flame Demon Lions were out of sight.

"Phew!" Xu Xiaoyan sighed in relief, relaxing a bit. "Thank goodness! We've also passed the one-hour mark!"

"Really?" Tang Wulin and Zhang Yangzi exclaimed in surprise and joy. "That's awesome! Our vacation is safe!"

"Good. Now we can focus solely on hunting spirit beasts!" Jing Shaoyu said, relieved.

"Right!" everyone replied in unison.

After a short rest, the team set out once more.

Spirit beasts were indeed more active during the Riot Phase, and without avoiding them, they encountered three lone beasts within just five hundred meters, all with cultivation levels over five hundred years.

After defeating a seven-hundred-and-fifty-year-old unicorn, the ground beneath them began to tremble. Heavy footsteps echoed through the forest, accompanied by the sound of trees crashing down.

The team tensed up, looking toward the approaching forest, readying themselves for battle.

A colossal bear emerged from the dark woods, and everyone's faces paled, feeling a natural, overwhelming fear.

The bear stood over three meters tall, covered in dark-gold fur that looked as tough as steel needles. Its arms were massive, with broad, wall-like shoulders, and at the end of each arm were dark-gold claws, each over fifty centimeters long, resembling deadly blades.

A Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear!

Everyone, including Jing Shaoyu and Gu Yue, felt their confidence waver.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear was known as one of the strongest soul beasts on the continent—a top predator capable of matching ten-thousand-year spirit beasts at only a hundred-year level!

Though this was a simulation within the Spirit Ascension Platform, everything about this Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear—from its aura to its mannerisms and strength—was indistinguishable from a real one. At over three meters, this one's cultivation surpassed a hundred years, placing its combat power on par with a ten-thousand-year soul beast!

"It's the guardian of the Spirit Ascension Platform!" Jing Shaoyu swallowed, his mouth dry, realizing the challenge before them.

The Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear possessed extreme offensive power, something he currently lacked the means to counter. That was one weakness of his Origin Spirit martial soul: despite its vast abilities, it couldn't change its inherently nurturing nature.

With their current strength, their odds of defeating this Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear were almost nonexistent.

Outside, in the control room, even Wu Zhangkong couldn't remain composed, his eyes fixed on the screen with worry, helplessness, and a hint of hope.

If Jing Shaoyu's team could take down this Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, what challenge could keep them from reaching Shrek Academy?

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