Chapter 31: Qin Jian's Stroke of Luck

Huang Bo collapsed to the ground, staring blankly at the shocking scene before him, a wave of lingering fear washing over him. The long-distance flight had drained him of all his physical strength and spiritual energy; in the wake of this narrow escape, he lacked even the strength to stand. Fortunately, he had not been far from the exit of Heavenly Wind Mountain when the beast tide erupted, otherwise, he likely would not have survived.

"Bo'er!" Seeing Huang Bo, the head of the Huang family, Huang Guang, whose brow had been furrowed in worry, beamed with joy. He immediately pushed a superior-grade Qi-restoration pill into Huang Bo's mouth and ordered several clansmen to help him rest.

"Those who just returned, hand over your bracelets!" An official in charge of the trial stepped forward and swept his gaze over Huang Bo and the others. Hearing this, the group silently removed their bracelets and handed them over one by one.

The official’s gaze flickered indifferently across the numbers on each bracelet. When his eyes landed on Huang Bo’s, a flash of brilliance crossed them. He looked at Huang Bo and remarked, "Three hundred and ninety-nine points? To have such a harvest in just twenty days is truly impressive!"

In previous Heavenly Wind Mountain youth trials, even the first-place winner after a full month only had a score just over four hundred. Huang Bo's achievement of three hundred and ninety-nine points in twenty days made the official look at him with newfound admiration. If he recalled correctly, among all those who had escaped the mountain so far, the highest score was a mere two hundred. This meant Huang Bo’s score was double that of the runner-up.

"Bo'er, well done!" Nearby, upon hearing of his son's outstanding achievement, Huang Guang’s face was full of joy as he boasted triumphantly. All around them, the other participating youths cast envious looks at Huang Bo; barring any surprises, the first-place title in this trial would surely belong to him.

First place not only brought a bountiful reward, but more importantly, it secured entry into the Wind and Cloud Sect, the strongest of the ten major sects in the Zongheng Empire. The status of a disciple of the Wind and Cloud Sect was so high that even the lowest-ranking registered disciple far surpassed those of any other sect.

Huang Bo surveyed his surroundings with pride. His gaze inadvertently fell upon a young girl in white, aged twelve or thirteen, who was watching the Heavenly Wind Mountain with a face full of worry. She possessed an ethereal temperament, like a fairy descended from heaven. Though her willow brows were knitted in distress and her face was full of sorrow, it could not hide her breathtaking beauty.

Huang Bo felt a surge of heat in his heart. "The beast tide has swept through the entire mountain. Since that trash Qin Lang hasn't come out, he is almost certainly dead. Now that I am the winner of this trial, why not take this opportunity to snatch up this little girl by his side?"

Just then, on the high platform in the square, Tian Yuan stood up. His tiger-like eyes swept across the crowd as he said in a deep voice, "Everyone, the ten major sects deeply regret the beast tide encountered during this Heavenly Wind Mountain youth trial."

The square fell into silence. Of the more than one thousand youths from Qingfeng Town who had entered the trial, including those who had returned earlier with injuries, only fifty or sixty had made it back!

This meant the casualty rate for this trial had exceeded ninety-five percent. These youths were the future hope of Qingfeng Town; the town had suffered a devastating loss.

"A moment ago, after consultation among us ten officials, we have decided that to compensate for the losses of Qingfeng Town, all survivors of this trial—besides the top three who will enter the Wind and Cloud Sect—will be granted exceptional entry into the other nine major sects!"

Just as everyone was immersed in silent mourning, Tian Yuan, the official from the Wind and Cloud Sect, dropped a bombshell from the high platform. Instantly, the entire square erupted! In previous trials, there had only been thirty spots available across the ten major sects. Now, all fifty or sixty survivors could enter, effectively doubling the quota! For everyone, this was an unexpected joy. Those who had previously assumed they would be eliminated were especially ecstatic, with some even weeping with joy.

"Everyone, please be quiet! If there are no objections, I hereby declare the trial concluded!" Tian Yuan gestured for silence and spoke loudly. Most of the survivors had already returned, and the beast tide had reached the edge of the mountain. With almost zero chance of anyone else surviving inside, there was no need to waste another ten days waiting.

The crowd nodded in agreement.

"I object!" Suddenly, someone on the side of the platform stood up and shouted. Everyone looked toward the voice; it was Ye Xuan, the head of the Ye family.

"The beast tide is coming to an end. I believe that once it subsides, more participants will surely return. To end the trial now would be unfair to those youths who struggled so hard to survive!" Ye Xuan spoke with righteous indignation. Everyone understood that his daughter, Ye Keqing, had not yet returned, and he was simply trying to secure one last chance for her.

"I agree with Brother Ye’s opinion! Why don't you officials rest in Qingfeng Town for another ten days?" Qin Zhanshan, the head of the Qin family, also stood up, hoping to secure a final chance for his son, Qin Jian, and the other Qin disciples. Wang Shi, the head of the Wang family, also nodded in agreement. The crowd in the square, all hoping for their children to return, followed suit.

Tian Yuan pondered for a moment before nodding. "Very well, we shall wait ten more days! We will finalize the list after that." Although he knew it was nearly impossible for any more youths to return, he chose to respect the collective opinion. Leaving several staff members behind to handle arrivals, the ten officials returned to Qingfeng Town.

Three days later, the beast tide receded. After confirming that no monsters remained on the cliffs, Qin Lang and the other two emerged from the cave, climbed the rock face, and returned to the top of the cliff.

"Qin Lang, thank you!" Qin Jian thanked him sincerely. Thinking of how he had been overbearing and nearly injured Qin Lang back at the family estate, he felt a wave of shame. Fortunately, Qin Lang was magnanimous; otherwise, back in the cave, Qin Lang could have ended his life with a single kick if he had wanted revenge!

"From now on, Qin Lang is my brother. If anyone dares to harm him, I, Qin Jian, will be the first to stand up for him!" Qin Jian secretly made a vow.

"Brother Lang, thank you!" Beside them, Qin Yue smiled in gratitude. Recalling the scene in the cave, her pretty face flushed slightly.

"We are all clansmen, no need for thanks!" Qin Lang nodded slightly and looked toward Heavenly Wind Mountain. After the beast tide, the entire mountain was a scene of devastation. Everywhere, ancient trees were uprooted, the ground was uneven and scarred, and at intervals, one could see the corpses of beasts or humans trampled to death.

The three of them walked carefully for several miles, passing the mangled remains of several youths who had refused to listen to Qin Lang and had tried to flee toward the exit. They had not trusted him, and ultimately, exhausted and drained of spiritual energy, they had been overtaken by the tide and killed without exception.

Looking at the miserable state of the corpses with a shudder, Qin Jian felt incredibly lucky. Had he not chosen to trust Qin Lang, he likely would have been one of them.