Chapter 3 The Third Floor of the Ancient Pagoda

The three-person team ran swiftly, yet their faces were heavy with concern.

Unlike the smooth sailing of the first two floors, they had been searching this level for fifteen minutes without finding the entrance to the next.

Consequently, the trio had begun to encounter grimace monks.

Without getting caught up in battles, the grimace monks didn't pose much of a threat to the three. With Zhao Dashu charging ahead to clear the way and Hou Mingming providing explosive output from behind, Jiang Xiao could simply lie down and hold onto their coattails.

But clearly, the little poison nanny didn't want to be a fool who won by doing nothing.

As the grimace monks increased in number, Jiang Xiao said, "We must have gone the wrong way."

Ahead, Zhao Wenlong, who was kicking a grimace monk, seemed to have had the same idea for some time, but hadn't voiced it. Taking up Jiang Xiao's point, Zhao Wenlong said, "We wasted some time on the first floor. Assuming someone is faster than us, which is likely, we shouldn't be encountering this many grimace monks on the correct path."

Zhao Wenlong's reasoning was very clear. Hou Mingming, hearing this from behind, couldn't help but nod in agreement. She decisively said, "Let's retreat, return to the last intersection, and see if the left path works."

As Hou Mingming spoke, Jiang Xiao raised his hand and cast Blessing, and Zhao Wenlong kicked the grimace monk away.

Everyone knew what the goal was, so they didn't linger to fight, nor did anyone greedily seek star beads. They quickly turned around and returned to the previous intersection.

Hou Mingming's fire arrow shot out, instantly illuminating the dark corridor.

She frowned and said, "I saw the raincoat of a silver monk. This probably isn't the right way either. Let's continue back and check the previous intersection."

With such a nimble combatant, especially with other teammates clearing the way ahead, it was truly beneficial to determine which path to take.

Just as they were returning to the previous intersection, Hou Mingming suddenly said, "Someone's coming, fast!"

The three formed a diagonal line, with Jiang Xiao in the center, Zhao Wenlong to the right front, and Hou Mingming to the left rear, blocking the corridor.

A few seconds later, the sound of rapid footsteps approached, accompanied by an angry female voice: "Yu Jin! Give me back my brother!"

"Hahahaha!" A hearty male laugh echoed in response. "Xiao Jing, I have books and a bed in my space. Your brother is eating well and sleeping soundly inside. Don't worry about him."

"Yu Jin!!! You tricked us! What kind of man are you!" Wu Xiaojing said angrily, waving her hand. Instantly, icy energy filled the corridor, and the temperature plummeted.

In Jiang Xiao's vision, he saw the young man with choppy hair running ahead, and then, sharp ice spikes suddenly shot out from the stone floor!

The ice spikes solidified and erupted from the flagstones at an incredible speed, and were incredibly sharp.

But Yu Jin twisted and turned, nimbly dodging each ice spike just before it pierced his body, carving out a winding path through the icy terrain. He even ran horizontally on the wall for a few steps. It was simply divine.

Wu Xiaojing spread her hands, and mist filled her icy fingers. This time, not only the ground, but even the walls on both sides were covered in ice spikes!

The entire corridor had turned into an ice spike corridor.

Yu Jin lunged forward, scrambling to his feet and running for his life, when he suddenly saw the three-person team at the end of the corridor.

Yu Jin's pupils constricted slightly. These were three famous figures!

Zhao Wenlong, Hou Mingming, and Jiang Xiaopi!

More importantly, Zhong Ling had found him in the space earlier. Without a doubt, only Jiang Xiaopi among the nearly one hundred contestants possessed such a star technique.

If this trio knew that he had been ambushing people earlier...

Behind him, Wu Xiaojing's beautiful eyes were filled with anger. "You old scheming dog blocking the road! How could a spatial star technique favor an assassin like you! It's a waste to give it to you! A complete waste of talent!"

At the end of the corridor, Hou Mingming's black bow materialized in her hand. Her eyes were sharp as she stared intently at Yu Jin, muttering, "So it was you, kid."

Yu Jin panicked. What he feared most had come to pass!

He thought, *Little girl behind me, it's fine if you chase me, but why are you explaining everything?*

*Why is there even a recap?*

Instantly, Hou Mingming drew her bow like a full moon, and three strings of black feather arrows flew out.

Although Hou Mingming was far from Yu Jin, these three strings of "homing arrows" were aimed at Yu Jin's head, heart, and right thigh.

With the angry ice mage chasing from behind and the sharp arrows attacking from the front, Yu Jin shifted left and dodged right. However, the three strings of black feather arrows seemed to have an automatic tracking system, and didn't fall for any of Yu Jin's feints. Seeing the black feather arrows approaching his face, Yu Jin didn't care about anything else and abruptly opened layers of overlapping space portals to block the arrow's attack.

Inside the space portal, the youth who had been waiting anxiously was overjoyed. *Yu Jin let me out? My little sister succeeded? Has she taken Yu the old dog hostage?*

The two sides were star warriors from two universities in the same city. They had represented their respective schools in competitions of all sizes for nearly four years.

They weren't enemies, but they weren't friends either. A more accurate term to define them: rivals.

The youth didn't care about much else. The opportunity was hard-won, so he hurriedly darted out.

Rumble...

The black feather arrows came head-on, the violent explosions were deafening, shaking the heavens and the earth!

Jiang Xiao knew that the special arrow hidden in the middle of each string of black feather arrows must be the culprit behind this scene!

The poor youth had only managed to get half his body out of the space portal when he was bombarded back in by a series of black feather arrows.

And in the very middle of each string of black feather arrows, there was a special black arrow, whose tail feathers weren't black, but white...

To everyone's surprise, the black mist released after the black feather arrows exploded seemed to be even denser than usual?

Wu Xiaojing also hurriedly stood on the spot. Watching the black mist surge, she immediately put an ice shield on herself.

In just a few seconds, the corridor was completely enveloped in black mist.

The already dark corridor, which could originally be lit by Hou Mingming's fire arrows, was now pitch black, and everyone couldn't see anything at all.

Zhao Wenlong in front was very experienced and quickly retreated, offering his back to Jiang Xiao. Jiang Xiao also felt Hou Mingming's hand on his left shoulder, and her voice came from the black mist: "Impact."

Zhao Wenlong clenched his fists, firmly rooted his stance, and golden light flickered faintly in his fist wrapped in bandages, dispelling the surrounding darkness.

"Ha!" Zhao Wenlong shouted softly and punched out. The next moment, a roaring tiger composed of golden lines roared out, sweeping past, and forcibly dispersed the dense black mist in the corridor!

The tiger and the gale winds met in the center of the corridor, and neither side would give way, star power spilling everywhere.

Clearly, Wu Xiaojing on the opposite side was also using wind-type star techniques to disperse the mist.

A few seconds later, the tiger descending the mountain and gusts of wind disappeared without a trace, and the corridor returned to its former darkness.

"Brother?" Wu Xiaojing's voice came again. She hurried over, only to see a youth left in place, covered in blood, with a broken body.

His chest was shattered beyond recognition. In addition to the large amounts of blood flowing out, even his bones could be seen. One side of his shoulder was also shattered, lying silently on the ground, looking extremely miserable.

Obviously, Hou Mingming hadn't held back. Her output was truly explosive, especially when the other party was coming head-on and completely unprepared. She had directly blasted the other party to the point of losing their combat ability.

And after the black mist dispersed, Yu Jin's figure had also disappeared without a trace.

At the same time, the referee's voice came through the hidden earphones of the four in the corridor: "Stop attacking player number 24! Stop attacking player number 24!"

Obviously, the staff would come and carry the youth down the tower for treatment, but looking at his current state...

Wu Xiaojing knelt on the ground, but didn't know where to put her hands. The youth's chest was so shattered that there wasn't even a chance to apply pressure.

"Jiang Xiaopi! Jiang Xiaopi, help me!" Wu Xiaojing suddenly thought of something and hurriedly looked up at the end of the corridor, precisely at the only medical support among the nearly one hundred contestants.

"Um..." Jiang Xiao hesitated slightly, then pressed his hidden earphone and said, "Report, can I provide first aid? He looks seriously injured."

A few seconds later, the referee's voice came from the hidden earphone: "You may."

Without saying a word, Jiang Xiao threw over a Zhong Ling.

"Thank you! Thank you!" Wu Xiaojing was overjoyed. The other party had actually offered to help!

Every second counted, life was at stake!

Jiang Xiao ran over, and Zhong Ling shuttled back and forth between him and the youth. Jiang Xiao also raised his hand and topped it off with Blessing.

"Thank you, thank you," Wu Xiaojing murmured unconsciously, watching her brother's shattered chest constantly heal. She wanted to touch it, but hurriedly retracted her hand, looking flustered and bewildered.

Everyone was a star warrior. To reach the level of the national team selection competition, they should all have experienced life and death.

For a star warrior to be so distraught, this must be her brother...

The melodious sound of Zhong Ling never stopped. Beams of Blessing light fell, and the youth's body healed rapidly. Before long, not a single wound could be seen.

"Make way, make way!" two staff members shouted loudly, rushing over.

Saving one was better than saving none! These were all the future talents of the country!

"Ha!" The youth suddenly widened his eyes, abruptly straightened his upper body, and gasped for breath.

Staff members: ???

Wu Xiaojing was overjoyed and hugged the youth's body tightly.

However, the staff didn't allow the siblings to continue enjoying the joy of "reunion" and directly dragged the youth away...

Obviously, the youth was judged to have lost his qualification for the competition.

Wu Xiaojing wiped her red eyes and looked at Jiang Xiao, who had already returned to the team, and shouted loudly, "Jiang Xiaopi! I owe you one!"

As she spoke, Wu Xiaojing looked at Hou Mingming with an unfriendly expression, seeming to be someone who clearly distinguished between gratitude and grudges.

Jiang Xiao thought for a moment. Yu Jin had tricked him, and the Chinese people paid attention to reciprocity, so should he return the favor?

Then, Jiang Xiao said, "I don't know if it was clear from your angle, but from my perspective, your brother was clearly bombarded by several strings of black feather arrows when he rushed out of the space, so he must have been blasted back into the space."

Wu Xiaojing nodded as a matter of course.

Jiang Xiao shrugged: "So why did he appear in front of us? Because when the black mist filled the air, someone threw him out of the space.

The one called Yu Jin is considered alright, at least he threw your brother out, trying to get the competition to provide medical care. If he had been left alone, it might have been a different ending."

Wu Xiaojing took two steps back, looking at the ground stained red with blood, her expression extremely cold. She didn't pay attention to the second half of Jiang Xiao's words at all, and directly said: "Yu Jin is still hiding in the space."

Jiang Xiao nodded: "If he wants to come out and open the space door again, then the space door must also be opened in the same place."

"Hou Mingming, wait for me in the rematch!" Frost mist filled Wu Xiaojing's icy fingers, and countless ice spikes attacked from all directions, encircling the location where the space door disappeared, and even sealing off the entire corridor...

She was simply an ice magic god.

Wu Xiaojing's pretty face was covered in frost, and her voice was abnormally cold, squeezing out a sentence from between her teeth: "Leave!"

Seeing her in this state, Jiang Xiao turned around and left!

Wow,

women are so scary...