Bai Niannian held a large pile of spirit crystals in her hand, a bright smile on her beautiful face: "These spirit crystals are all good things. I only need to absorb a few to replenish my spiritual energy. If I were to use spirit stones, I couldn't afford to waste them like this."
It was a pity that obtaining spirit crystals was too troublesome, even requiring one to risk their life.
The ground was littered with the corpses of human puppets, and a foul stench emanated from the surroundings.
Feng Ninghe swept her gaze around: "We shouldn't linger here. We need to leave as soon as possible."
Xiao Zhao, with her sharp eyes, noticed something and quickly pointed towards a cave: "Look, everyone, there's a cave there! If we can conceal our aura and prevent these human puppets from finding us, can we be safe?"
"That makes sense!"
Bai Niannian was the first to agree, her eyes filled with admiration: "If that's the case, couldn't we just stay in the cave until the trial ends?"
They wouldn't have to worry about being surrounded by human puppets.
Feng Linyuan raised his eyes and gazed at the cave, his deep voice tinged with thought: "But how can we conceal our aura and prevent the human puppets from approaching?"
In response, Feng Ninghe's lips curved into a faint smile, and she whispered instructions to Feng Xing.
Upon receiving the order, Feng Xing did not delay, dragging two human puppet corpses towards the cave.
Hanging the human puppet corpses at the entrance of the cave, completely covering it, would naturally mask their aura.
Soon, the group arrived at the cave.
The cave was pitch black, making it impossible to see its interior.
Feng Ninghe raised her hand, and a ball of phoenix fire immediately appeared in her palm.
The dark cave was instantly illuminated and bright.
The dark cave appeared to have no hidden secrets.
After a brief scan of the surroundings, Feng Ninghe looked at everyone: "It's safe here. We can rest here for now."
A smile immediately bloomed on Bai Niannian's delicate face. She casually took out a blanket and spread it on the ground: "Let's sit down and rest, and recover some spiritual energy. If we can stay here until the trial ends, it would be perfect. We're so lucky to have found such a cave."
Su Hongxiu took out a handkerchief and wiped his bone fan.
He subtly observed his surroundings, a sense of unease growing within him.
"If all it takes to be safe is to hide in a cave, it's not just us who would do that; others would too. But this is the Thunder Cloud Tower, and the higher the floor, the harder the trial becomes."
The clear male voice remained largely devoid of emotion.
Feng Ninghe immediately understood the implication of Su Hongxiu's words: "You mean to say that if we can stay here until the trial ends, this trial would be too simple?"
Su Hongxiu nodded generously in agreement.
Few people could pass the third level of the Thunder Cloud Tower. If everyone hid in caves like them, how difficult would it be to pass the third trial?
His words instantly put everyone on high alert, and they began to scrutinize their surroundings.
However, no matter how much they looked, they couldn't discern anything out of the ordinary.
Bai Niannian waved her hand and smiled: "Forget it. Since it's safe for now, let's not overthink it. We'll adapt as we go."
Since they couldn't find anything amiss, they could only proceed as they were.
*
Outside the Dragon Domain.
Everyone was staring intently at the mirror.
In the mirror, cultivators were desperately resisting. In just a moment, they began to crush their jade slips one after another.
Some couldn't hold on and fled in fear, while others had already activated their shields and were hiding within them.
A shield could accommodate five people.
Human puppets swarmed in, fiercely pounding against the shields.
"This is not a long-term solution," Du Chang said with a grim expression, his gaze constantly sweeping around. "Everyone, we must find a way to escape this place. Why don't we work together to carve out a path and then split up to escape!"
The cultivators had no objections.
The shields could only protect them for a while. If they didn't find a way to escape, they wouldn't be able to pass the third level.
Seeing everyone agree, Du Chang continued: "Then let's take this time to recuperate. When the shields disappear, we will charge out of here!"
The scene in the mirror was clear.
The Dean of Sheng Tian Academy looked at everything with a hint of satisfaction: "They are indeed the ones I've chosen. They remain calm in the face of danger and dare to carve a bloody path even amidst a dense population of human puppets."
"Speaking of which, it's strange, how did the first team to leave know that the human puppets were coming?"
"Yes, at that time, the human puppets were still some distance away. It's not easy for them to detect anomalies."
As the conversation shifted, everyone's attention fell on Feng Ninghe.
They were in a cave.
Lanterns hung on the cave walls, illuminating the cavern.
"Are they crazy?" Pu Yin's face paled in alarm: "How dare they step into a cave!"
Pu Lingxin, the Dean of the Strongest Academy, also gazed at the dark cave: "Don't they know that caves are the most dangerous places? It's better to be surrounded by human puppets than to step into a cave!"
"How could they make such a low-level mistake?"
"Don't they know that caves are the most dangerous places?"
The surrounding cultivators were startled and began to chatter.
Pu Yin secretly broke out in a cold sweat: "Which young generation are they from? They don't even know this?"
Anyone who entered the Thunder Cloud Tower knew that caves were to be avoided.
Yet, here were people daring to enter a cave?
Were they ignorant or fearless?
Si Yi, however, smiled at this moment, a hint of fearlessness on his handsome face: "Pu Yin, if I remember correctly, you also mistakenly entered a dark cave back then, but you're still standing here in front of us, aren't you? Perhaps they also have a chance to escape and pass the third level."
Pu Yin's eyelids twitched involuntarily. She watched everything unfold, secretly breaking out in a sweat.
She did not wish for the woman in the mirror to be stopped at the third level.
If they couldn't pass the third level, they wouldn't be qualified to enter the Strongest Academy.
The attention of everyone gradually shifted to the dark cave, their curiosity piqued by the scene within...
*
Inside the dark cave.
Everyone was resting, recovering their spiritual energy.
Feng Ninghe took a pill, and her spiritual energy was instantly replenished.
Drip!
Suddenly, something dripped onto her cheek.
She instinctively reached out to wipe away the drop of water.
A foul odor spread with it.
"Why is there water here?" Feng Ninghe frowned slightly and instinctively looked up towards the ceiling of the cave.
As she looked up, she met a pair of red eyes.
The red eyes were incredibly familiar, appearing cold and terrifying in the dim light of the cave.
A huge, hideous face bared its teeth at her, its red eyes filled with greed, and saliva dripped from its gaping maw.
A human puppet was clinging to the ceiling of the cave in a bizarre posture.
"Run!" Feng Ninghe shouted, leaping up and knocking down the human puppet corpse that was placed at the cave entrance. Without a second thought, she turned to flee the cave: "Don't look back! Hurry and escape!"