A murmur went through the surrounding cultivators.
To have reached the third level of the Thundercloud Tower already proved that the cultivators present had surpassed the vast majority of people.
As long as they worked together with one heart and one mind, perhaps they could truly survive in the dense jungle filled with human puppets.
The cultivators around them finally felt a little relieved.
However, the elder's next sentence startled many, and the tension that had just eased instantly tightened.
"You can travel in groups of five at most, and you will be randomly assigned to different parts of the jungle."
"I will give you two jade slips. One is for escape. If you crush this jade slip, you will be sent out of the jungle, and the trial in the Thundercloud Tower will end."
"The other jade slip, when crushed, will summon a shield that can protect you for the duration of an incense stick."
If everyone could gather together, it would be easy. With groups of five, there would be at most five shields.
The shields could only protect them temporarily and would not last for a whole day.
The cultivators exchanged glances.
Even Feng Ninghe's eyes sank.
She had witnessed the power of the human puppets and knew that surviving in a jungle teeming with them would not be easy.
The Dragon Realm's barrier had been breached, and tens of thousands of soldiers from the Lin Kingdom had resisted, even requesting help from other countries and cultivators, before they finally eliminated those detestable human puppets.
She was not confident that she could safely pass through the jungle filled with human puppets.
Even the shield from the Crescent Moon Bow could not withstand the dense swarm of human puppets.
With such a large number of human puppets, the shield from the Crescent Moon Bow would not last for half an incense stick.
Su Hongxiu's usual smile was gone, and his handsome face was tinged with a bit of solemnity. "If that pervert Si Jianye were here, we would surely be safe. With so many human puppets, even I am no match for them."
More importantly, the cultivation levels of the human puppets varied.
If they were unlucky enough to encounter a human puppet with high cultivation, wouldn't they be doomed?
Mentioning Si Jianye, Feng Ninghe's gaze subtly deepened.
Si Jianye had stayed in the black hole for seven days and seven nights. Just how powerful was this man's cultivation?
If it were her, she would absolutely not have the ability to stay in the black hole for such a long time.
Feng Linyuan's brow furrowed, and countless thoughts flashed across his eyes. "If we can find a place to hide in the jungle, we can buy some time and last longer."
Some cultivators, their hearts taut with anxiety, looked at the elder nervously. "We can only travel in groups of five at most, but there are countless human puppets. It's too difficult to survive under their siege, isn't it?"
"Yes, can we have more people travel together?"
"With more people traveling together, our chances will be greater."
Seeing the cultivators' murmurs, the elder did not intend to back down. He raised his hand, and countless beams of light shot towards the cultivators' hands.
Two jade slips instantly appeared in the cultivators' palms, each marked with different inscriptions.
Feng Ninghe lowered her gaze and quietly looked at the two jade slips in her hand.
The jade slips were smooth all over and felt cool to the touch.
She casually put away the jade slip in her hand.
The elder slowly cast his gaze upon the crowd. "If you are afraid, you can crush the jade slip now and leave."
These cultivators had finally managed to reach the third level of the Thundercloud Tower. How could they easily leave?
At worst, they could crush the jade slip in the jungle to escape. If they were lucky, they might even manage to survive the night in the jungle.
The cultivators immediately fell silent.
The elder crossed his arms and casually lit half an incense stick. "I will only give you half an incense stick's time to choose your companions."
Upon hearing that they only had half an incense stick's time, the cultivators became anxious and hurriedly looked around for companions.
Those who knew each other immediately stood together without hesitation. Those who didn't know each other could only try to find cultivators with high cultivation to travel with.
Watching the cultivators quickly forming groups, Bai Niannian couldn't help but sigh. "We have exactly five people, and Xiao Zhao is a divine beast. This way, we actually have an advantage, with one extra person."
They had all witnessed Xiao Zhao's abilities.
Ji Binyu and Lin Yuran also found their companions in the first instance.
The lowest cultivation level of the cultivators present was Nascent Soul stage, and half of them had already reached the Soul Transformation stage.
Ji Binyu intentionally released a subtle fluctuation of spiritual energy. Even though Lin Yuran's cultivation was not at the Soul Transformation stage, for his sake, some people were willing to travel with them.
"This woman's luck is truly incredible."
Lin Yuran slightly raised her eyes, her gaze occasionally shifting to Feng Ninghe. "With Sixth Master accompanying them, their chances of survival will greatly increase."
Ji Binyu's eyes narrowed, a hint of ruthlessness flashing within them. He smirked unreservedly. "Yuran, going into the jungle filled with human puppets might be a good thing for us."
Lin Yuran didn't understand his words for a moment. "A good thing?"
A chilling light flickered across the man's effeminate face. He deliberately lowered his voice. "We are not allowed to fight in the Thundercloud Tower, but the jungle is full of human puppets, so we don't need to lift a finger."
The simple words instantly enlightened Lin Yuran.
They could take this opportunity to use the human puppets as a weapon.
As long as human puppets smelled human presence, they would swarm forward. Blood would only stimulate their combat power.
If they could use the human puppets to eliminate Feng Ninghe, they would save themselves a lot of trouble and avoid having to act themselves...
Her eyes instantly lit up, and she looked at the man beside her with a hint of approval. "Binyu, it was precisely because of your intelligence and resourcefulness that I fell in love with you. Your cleverness is as unwavering as ever."
Half an incense stick's time quickly passed.
The elder slowly cast his gaze upon everyone, his aged, drawn-out voice falling slowly. "Time is up. Everyone, are you ready? The trial officially begins!"
*
In an exquisite courtyard.
People from various academies were staring intently at mirrors.
To have entered the third level of the Thundercloud Tower already demonstrated the cultivators' abilities.
Those who could enter the fourth level were highly sought after by the academies. If they performed well in the third level, they would also be recruited into the academies.
Surviving in the jungle filled with human puppets was not easy, and they could use this trial to assess the cultivators' abilities.
There were more than ten mirrors here, each displaying the situation of a team.
Pu Yin raised her eyes, her gaze fixed on one of the mirrors.
There were six people traveling together in the mirror.
One of them was a divine beast.
Si Yi, however, focused his attention on a man holding a bone fan. "This person is unfazed by events and appears to be hiding his true strength. I specifically observed him in the first two rounds, and he seems quite good."
"Oh?"
Pu Yin withdrew her gaze and looked at him. "So, you are interested in him?"
She couldn't help but glance at Su Hongxiu again.