Chapter 29: Qin Yue's Shame

The young men and women who had returned early from Heavenly Wind Mountain wore expressions of relief, their hearts still pounding with lingering fear. They were fortunate to have returned when they did; otherwise, they likely would have been trapped on the mountain forever.

"Send someone to notify those still in the trials to return immediately!"

These teenagers were the future of Qingfeng Town. If they were caught in the path of a beast tide, the town would suffer a devastating loss.

"It is useless! The beast tide is moving too quickly; there is no time to warn them! Whether they can survive the onslaught depends entirely on their own abilities and luck," Tian Yuan said, shaking his head with a sigh. Even with his strength as a Martial Master, he might not survive such a surge, let alone these youths, most of whom were only at the Martial Disciple level.

It seemed this year’s trial at Heavenly Wind Mountain would result in heavy casualties. Of the more than one thousand participants, it would be a miracle if even fifty survived. A heavy silence fell over the vast square.

Deep within a hidden cave on Heavenly Wind Mountain, Qin Lang sat cross-legged in meditation, surrounded by dense spiritual energy.

"Boom—"

A dull, thunderous roar shook the entire cave, causing rocks to tumble from the ceiling.

"It’s a beast tide!"

Qin Lang snapped his eyes open, his expression grave. The sheer force of the incoming tide was enough to collapse the cave and bury him alive.

He rushed out of the cave at once. Gazing into the distance, he felt a chill run down his spine. A vast, endless sea of beasts was stampeding toward him. Hundreds of thousands, perhaps even a million, creatures of all shapes and sizes were charging like mad, acting as a living harvester. Everywhere they passed, rows of towering trees were crushed into splinters under the weight of the thundering hooves.

The sight was earth-shaking and truly terrifying. It was easy to imagine that anyone caught in this tide would be trampled into dust, leaving nothing behind.

Without hesitation, Qin Lang began to flee, his mind racing to find a way to escape.

"Hmm?"

His attention was caught by a lithe figure struggling to flee about a hundred meters ahead of the tide.

"It’s Qin Yue! Sister Yue!"

Qin Yue was drenched in sweat, her damp hair plastered against her pale, desperate face. She was gasping for air, gritting her teeth as she pushed herself to the limit. From her unsteady gait, Qin Lang could tell she was reaching the end of her strength.

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Qin Yue let out a sharp cry as she tripped, falling hard to the ground. Behind her, the beast tide, which had been a hundred meters away, was closing in rapidly.

One hundred meters. Ninety. Eighty. Seventy. Sixty. Fifty.

In the blink of an eye, the tide was less than fifty meters away.

"It’s all my own greed," she thought, her pale face shadowed by panic. "I exhausted my strength fighting that second-tier beast." She tried to rise, but her body refused to obey. The tide continued to surge forward.

Forty meters. Thirty. Twenty. Ten.

Even without looking back, she could feel the violent, turbulent gale kicked up by the stampede. In the next moment, she would be engulfed, her life extinguished.

"I don't even have the spiritual energy left to run. It seems I am doomed," Qin Yue sighed, a bitter, helpless smile appearing on her face as she slowly closed her eyes.

However, just as she accepted her fate, a gust of wind swept past. Expecting death, she was stunned to find herself lifted into the air by a pair of strong, firm hands instead of being crushed.

"What is this?"

Opening her eyes, she saw the trees flashing past at incredible speed while she rested in a warm embrace.

"Qin Lang!"

Seeing the refined features of her savior, Qin Yue’s mouth fell open in astonishment. She had been certain she was going to die, yet here she was, saved at the very last second—and by Qin Lang of all people!

"Qin Lang, with your Seventh-level Martial Disciple cultivation, you can't run fast while carrying me! Put me down and save yourself, or the tide will catch us both!" she urged, gritting her teeth despite her shock.

Qin Lang said nothing, only tightening his grip. He pushed his "Drifting Dragon Steps" to their absolute limit, leaving a trail of afterimages in his wake. In an instant, the gap between them and the beast tide widened.

"You... your speed is incredible!" Qin Yue marveled, watching as they pulled away from the stampede. Even while carrying her, he was significantly faster than she had been. "Your Drifting Dragon Steps are so fast you're even leaving afterimages!"

Her eyes widened in realization. She remembered scolding him at the family martial arts library, telling him not to practice that incomplete technique. A blush crept onto her cheeks as she realized how foolish she had been. His current speed was a silent, stinging rebuke to her earlier advice.

As Qin Lang dashed forward, several other youths he overtook stared in shock—his speed was comparable to a mid-stage Martial Warrior!

"Whoosh!"

Qin Jian, who was fleeing for his life, suddenly felt a figure blur past. Looking up, he saw Qin Lang speeding ahead, carrying Qin Yue in his arms.

"Qin Lang is so fast!" Envy flickered in Qin Jian’s eyes. If he possessed that kind of speed, he would have a much better chance of surviving.

But Qin Lang felt no joy. His expression was grim. Though he looked fast, he was at his limit. The exit to the mountain was still far away, and his internal spiritual energy could not sustain this pace for long. Once his energy waned, his speed would drop, and the beasts would surely catch up.

As he ran, he scanned the terrain intently. Suddenly, his eyes lit up. Instead of heading toward the exit, he adjusted his course and sprinted toward a side path.

"If you don't want to die, follow me!" he shouted at the struggling youths behind him.

"Why is he going that way? The exit isn't in that direction!" they exclaimed in confusion.

"Run while you can! I've been there before; it's a dead end! Following him is suicide!" one youth sneered, ignoring Qin Lang and continuing toward the exit. The others hesitated for only a moment before following the youth.

Qin Jian watched Qin Lang’s retreating back, his eyes flashing with hesitation. Then, gritting his teeth, he chose to follow Qin Lang instead.