A vicious female is trapped in a beastly hell.

Chapter 398 Trial Ground

Xiao Jin led Shen Tang at breakneck speed to the Cloud Peak Empire.

The palace gate guards recognized Shen Tang as a distinguished guest of the Azure Sky King. Although they were unfamiliar with the male beastmen accompanying him, they did not dare to stop them when they saw that the two looked anxious. They immediately reported the matter to the Azure Sky King.

Upon hearing of Shen Tang's arrival, the King of the Azure Sky, who was handling state affairs, immediately put down his work and rushed over.

"Xiao Tang, why did you come here so suddenly?" King Cangqiong asked with concern, "You didn't even tell me beforehand."

Shen Tang skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point, "Mother, how is A-Xiao doing now? What exactly happened at the trial grounds?"

King Cangqiong patted her hand with satisfaction, "Xiao'er is truly blessed to have a partner like you who cares for him so much. However, the situation in the trial grounds is kept secret from the outside world, and even I don't know what happened inside."

"Your Majesty!" Shen Tang's voice was urgent, "Lu Xiao may have encountered an accident! Can we terminate the trial now?"

King Cangqiong looked at Shen Tang with suspicion. How could she, who was far away in a foreign land, know about the situation inside the trial grounds? He simply assumed that she was overly worried.

“Xiao Tang, I understand how you feel, but once the trial begins, it cannot be interrupted. This is to protect the orcs participating in the trial, and it is also a rule of our race.”

[This is bad, Host! Lu Xiao's health is still dropping, and it's already below 50%. If this continues, he might really die!]

Shen Tang was almost frantic with worry, but she couldn't bring up the system to explain. "Mother! Please let me in! I really have something urgent to attend to. If we keep waiting like this, Xiao really won't be able to hold on any longer!"

King Cangqiong had never seen her so distraught, and his heart pounded with apprehension. Had something really happened?

"Absurd!" A hoarse voice shouted, accompanied by the sound of hurried footsteps. "The Trial Grounds are a forbidden area of ​​our clan. How dare outsiders trespass?"

The First Elder arrived in haste with the Second Prince, the Third Princess, and others, clearly having overheard their conversation.

The Third Princess stepped forward and said with a sweet smile, "Sister-in-law Shen Tang, don't worry. Besides Brother Lu Xiao going to the trial grounds, Eldest Brother and the young masters of several other families have also gone in for the trials. With Eldest Brother and the others taking care of Brother Lu Xiao, there definitely won't be any problems!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Tang's expression darkened further.

Shen Tang said to King Cangqiong and the others, "I am Lu Xiao's partner and also considered half a member of our clan. How can I be considered an outsider? Is there any problem with wanting to visit my partner?"

Upon hearing this, the elders were speechless, unable to find a reason to refute it.

The King of the Azure Sky has acknowledged Lu Xiao's status as a prince. Shen Tang may be from a foreign race, but she is a member of the King's family and can be considered half a member of the same race.

The Azure Sky King sighed, "The Trial Grounds are fraught with danger; you've entered rashly..."

"I'll take full responsibility for all the consequences if you let me in!" Shen Tang declared resolutely.

In the end, the Sky King could only lead her to the entrance of the trial.

As an outsider, Xiao Jin was kept outside and could only watch helplessly as Shen Tang stepped into the mist alone, his heart pounding in his chest.

……

On the other side, the fog deep within the cliff grew even thicker.

Shen Tang was enveloped in milky white mist. Looking back, she could no longer see the figures of King Cangqiong and Xiao Jin.

Even the system map is completely ineffective here; the entire area is shrouded in fog, making it impossible to discern directions.

As expected of the Peng Bird Clan's trial grounds, it is indeed extraordinary and mysterious.

Shen Tang released his S-level mental energy to survey his surroundings.

Normally, my spiritual power could cover an area of ​​ten miles, but here it could only detect a range of a few hundred meters. However, it was barely enough.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the thick fog gradually thinned. The roars of wild beasts carried on the wind, making Shen Tang's heart tighten.

Before she could see clearly, a dark shadow suddenly pounced!
Having experienced countless battles, Shen Tang reacted extremely quickly. As he dodged to the side, an invisible spiritual blade condensed in his palm, instantly piercing through the shadow.

As the clouds and mist completely dispersed, Shen Tang could clearly see the beast that had attacked her. It looked a lot like a wolf, but it had long black mane on its back, with each hair standing upright like a steel needle. If she were to get pricked by it, she would be riddled with holes!
Several other similar wild beasts surrounded her, growling and trying to attack.

Shen Tang's brows furrowed, and he unleashed his full S-level mental power, instantly eliminating them all.

Fearing that the smell of blood would attract more wild animals, Shen Tang quickly left the scene.

As she walked, she observed her surroundings and discovered that the terrain here was exactly the same as that of the Cloud Empire, with steep cliffs towering into the clouds, creating a strong sense of oppression.

She landed halfway up the mountain, the wind howling in her ears, and a bottomless abyss below. The rugged mountain path meant that a single misstep would send her plummeting to her death.

"System, what are those vortexes in the sky?"

Shen Tang noticed the unique scenery in the secret realm: huge vortexes that appeared in the sky from time to time were frantically devouring the surrounding clouds, creating a spectacular scene.

[Warning! That's a storm vortex!] The system hurriedly explained, [This is the most dangerous obstacle in the trial, specifically designed to train the elite Feathered Clan. Host, do not approach!]

This seemingly calm storm vortex is actually fraught with danger. Once caught in it, the powerful winds can cause complete loss of control. Many young winged beings have been swept into the vortex during flight training and plummeted to their deaths from high altitudes.

Even more terrifying is that if you get too close, your body will be torn to shreds by the violent power within the vortex!

"...Is this what the Sky King meant by not being dangerous?" Shen Tang's heart almost stopped.

If you accidentally inhale it, you'll die.

The system explained, "The Feathered Clan is warlike; otherwise, despite their small population, they wouldn't be able to occupy such a vast territory. It's because each member is a formidable elite capable of taking on ten opponents on the battlefield. Danger and death are constant challenges throughout their lives; only the strong survive, the weak are eliminated." It added, "Furthermore, those qualified to come to the Trial Grounds are all elites of their clan; generally, there shouldn't be any major problems."

Shen Tang felt even more uneasy. "Help me confirm Lu Xiao's location."

[Yes, host. I will teleport you to the vicinity of Riftwind Valley, thirteen kilometers away!]

As soon as Shen Tang stepped into the Riftwind Valley, she was stunned by the scene before her.

A strong smell of blood mixed with the stench of decay hit me.

Trees were broken and cliffs collapsed all around, and the ground was littered with the carcasses of wild animals.

Some were still warm, while others had long since rotted and infested with maggots, attracting swarms of carrion-eating vultures to circle around them—it's hard to imagine what a brutal battle had taken place here!

The deeper you go into the valley, the more corpses pile up, and blackish-red blood splatters all over the stone walls.

The nearby streams were stained dark red and emitted a nauseating stench.

Did Lu Xiao kill all of these people?
Has he been experiencing such bloody battles every day for the past month?
The trials of the Feathered Clan were indeed extremely cruel.

boom!
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted!

Huge rocks tumbled down the cliff, and the ground trembled violently.

Shen Tang looked up and saw several huge figures flying out of the valley in the distance, engaging in a fierce battle in the air.

Shen Tang was most familiar with the figure that was being besieged.

Her pupils contracted sharply, and she knew something was wrong.

It's Lu Xiao!
(End of this chapter)