Grudge Breaker

Chapter 373 The Trial Begins!
Goddess Peak.

Song Weichen stared at the coiled dragons that were perched on the two towering, cloud-piercing peaks, his mouth agape in an "O" shape. What kind of massive zoo was this, straight out of the Classic of Mountains and Seas?!
Although Song Weichen was familiar with these divine beasts after seeing Gu Cangyue's true form as a phoenix, as well as her own puppet spirits, the Vermilion Bird and the Azure Dragon, those were, after all, ethereal spirits to some extent. They were clearly different from the two giant dragons in front of him, whose scents resembled "snake gall, moss, soil, charcoal ash, and ancient bronzes."

Remembering what Mo Tingfeng had told her before she left, "Goddess Peak is full of strange beasts and mountain demons. The strange beasts are warlike, and the mountain demons are harmful to people. This is part of the ranking trial," Song Weichen felt her knees go weak. Oh my god! Is this the crushing power of the Creator?
"Don't be afraid, they are the entrance guards and won't hurt anyone easily."

Noticing Song Weichen's nervousness, Mo Tingfeng deliberately stood in front of her to block the intimidating aura of the coiled dragon.

As Mo Tingfeng approached, one of the coiled dragons meandered down the stone peak and soon came close.

Its mane and beard flowed freely, as if it were swimming underwater, and the faint rumble of thunder around it made it even more imposing—but the dragon's arrival was clearly to show respect, as it bowed its head and gently nodded twice to Mo Tingfeng.

"Weiwei, come here. I'm here, don't be afraid."

Mo Tingfeng reached out his hand to her, and in the next instant, they were both standing on the dragon's head—the unique energy fluctuations of the coiled dragon emanated from beneath their feet, giving Song Weichen the illusion of sitting in an "oxygen chamber" on a roller coaster—cough, if roller coasters had oxygen chambers.

The coiled dragon rose back into the air, looking down at the entrance to the Goddess Peak mountain path.

This perspective allowed Song Weichen to see everything around him. Although he knew that the sorcerers who were going to participate in the ranking trial had gathered around, this was the first time he had been able to see the whole scene from this angle: there were at least four hundred people gathered near the entrance of Goddess Peak.

These people were bizarre and varied, some even deformed and grotesque… Song Weichen secretly thought to himself, “Tsk, why do I feel a little guilty calling them ‘people’?”

For example, the man very close to the entrance looked to be at least 2.5 meters tall, as strong as a mountain, with rows of bone-like spikes growing out of his arms, thighs and back, emanating a strange, faint black aura. People around him were consciously keeping their distance.

Yet this strange man had a little girl, no more than three years old, sitting on his shoulder, munching on a large candied hawthorn, completely oblivious to danger.

Upon closer inspection, Song Weichen suddenly understood. What made the people around him retreat was not the giant, but the baby on his shoulder. What she was gnawing on was not a candied hawthorn, but a string of some kind of animal's heart and liver.

"Her name is Three-Year-Old Lady. She was ranked as Grade B in the last trial. She looks like an infant, but she is actually older than me. She is ruthless and skilled in killing. She is one of the most promising potential Grade A sorcerers in this trial."

Seeing Song Weichen staring at the baby, Mo Tingfeng whispered something in her ear.

Song Weichen nodded and quickly looked away into the distance, afraid that a glance would provoke the baby's murderous intent.

Further away, on the gray-white branches of a withered tree sat a boy whose skin was so white it seemed to glow. His flawless skin, paired with a jade crown and brocade robes, made him seem to live in a different universe compared to those around him. Wait, Song Weichen blinked. Was it an illusion? Why did he seem to be closer to the entrance of Goddess Peak where he was? He hadn't moved at all.

No, he moved.

To be precise, it was the withered tree beneath the boy that moved.

That wasn't a dead tree at all; the "stump" was clearly a large tortoise, only the tortoise shell was jagged like a pile of strange rocks, and the "trunk" was the tortoise's neck, thick and long like a candle dragon, and at the end it split into two heads. At first glance, the "tree branch" that the boy was sitting on was actually the neck of one of the heads.

"He is riding a Xuanwu. People who can ride divine beasts can be counted on one hand. Although I have never seen this young man, he is probably a descendant of the Fei family, a family of beast tamers."

"Oh--"

Song Weichen swallowed hard, then glanced at the large creature called Xuanwu. The handsome young man suddenly didn't seem so tempted anymore.

However, the boy did not notice the white-robed venerable one standing on the dragon's head; his gaze was fixed on a woman who looked like a "bride."

The woman's face was obscured by a veil, but her petite figure and slender build were visible beneath her wedding attire. She wore red embroidered shoes and walked alone toward the trial entrance, exuding an air of docility and tranquility, even reminiscent of a lonely, pitiful animal.

If it weren't for the indescribable dark hue surrounding her blood-red wedding dress, if it weren't for the spotless soles of her shoes as she walked through the woods, and if she hadn't read too many bizarre stories of "Chinese horror," this woman would probably be the most "human" person present.

But the boy riding the Xuanwu looked at the "bride" with a clear sense of wariness, as if he had met his match—even the other head of the Xuanwu, which was twisting and turning at will, would occasionally glance in the direction of the "bride," which showed how formidable the boy was.

"Today was truly like being stabbed in the butt by a halberd, opening my third eye..." Song Weichen muttered under his breath.

The thought that all the hundreds of people who came to participate in the warlock ranking trial were such weirdos made her heart ache. No wonder the trial was chosen to be held at Goddess Peak, a place "unfailingly protected by ghosts and gods." How could a normal place be enough for them to build?

But she, Xiao Song, is just an ordinary mortal. Once the puppet energy in her puppet control is used up, she will collapse from a near-B-level combat power back to her typical useless form. Song Weichen regretted it, regretting why she had to have the inescapable persona of the White-Robed Venerable, which forced her to join in this fun.

……

Unlike Song Weichen, who watched the spectacle with amusement, Mo Tingfeng was also observing the group of people in front of him.

The black-clad man, a Rank A Earth Element expert, was not among the crowd, and there was no trace of Earth Element energy nearby. He had probably already disappeared underground into the mountains.

The tinderbox may be among the crowd, or it may not; after all, no one knows its true nature. In addition, the purpose of the competition is unclear, which is one of the biggest variables in this trial.

The old tree, a top-tier wood-type tree, also has a mysterious motive for participating. Mo Tingfeng doesn't expect him to repay a debt of gratitude, only hoping he won't repay kindness with ingratitude. There's also the person behind the necromancer, who uses the Fang Sheng He He method to integrate cursed death techniques, the Corpse Formation, and the Five Elements-independent Formation, creating a formation within a formation and a scheme within a scheme that reverses Yin and Yang. What exactly does he want to resurrect? In other words, who is the person he wants to resurrect in exchange for Ruan Mianmian? All of this will be revealed at Goddess Peak.

Mo Tingfeng looked at the crowd in front of him with a cold expression. Was this person inside at this moment?

As his gaze shifted, he also saw Ding Heran, Ye Wujiu, Qin Xueying, Jing Lan, and others who were participating as ordinary cultivators, as well as Hua Zhezhan, who was representing the Realm Lord's Mansion to attend the ceremony. However, they had all disguised themselves to varying degrees to prevent unnecessary trouble from arising due to their identities.

Suddenly, a commotion arose among the crowd in the distance. Without even looking, one could tell that Gu Cangyue had arrived. She wasn't there to participate in the competition, but rather to represent the Upper Realm Gods and attend the ceremony.

Although he came as promised, and the two had agreed to put on a show on Goddess Peak to lure out the person who was causing trouble behind Mengya's back, it didn't have to be so "public knowledge"... Mo Tingfeng's lips twitched, and his already heavy mood became even heavier.

Subconsciously pulling Song Weichen closer to himself, Mo Tingfeng regretted letting him come. What was a tinderbox? Gu Cangyue was the biggest variable in this trial!
.
"Om-"

The coiled dragon that had been hovering on another stone peak let out a low cry, as if it had sounded the battle horn from ancient times.

The time for the trial has arrived, and the time for the trial is almost here.

"Everyone——"

Mo Tingfeng finally spoke, his voice not loud, but like the morning bell of an ancient temple, instantly suppressing the surrounding noise.

"The trial is about to begin. The black and white robes of the Si Chen Manor are here to jointly supervise this warlock ranking."

"Please listen carefully, everyone. This trial is based on a points system and consists of three stages, lasting for half a month. It begins with the new moon and ends with the full moon."

"The first challenge: finding people."

"There is a missing woman on Goddess Peak, neither alive nor dead, neither real nor unreal. If any of you find her whereabouts and the Si Chen Mansion confirms it, you will receive one point; if you find her whereabouts, report it, and the woman is still there when the Exorcist arrives, you will receive ten points; if any participant can bring the woman back to the Supervisory Office safely, you will receive one hundred points."

Mo Tingfeng took out a brocade pouch containing ashes made from a mixture of Ruan Mianmian's usual items and talismans. He poured the ashes into his palm, and with a flick of his wrist, everyone present received the message that they were looking for a woman.

However, these ashes were covered with a veil beforehand, meaning that although everyone knew what the characteristics of the person they were looking for were, they could not match the woman they found with anyone in reality. They would "deep down" believe that the missing woman was just a "mission setting" rather than a real person.

Turning the search for the missing Ruan Mianmian into a trial mission was Mo Tingfeng's plan, and he had already successfully persuaded Jing Lan.

Since the person behind this scheme wants to take advantage of the chaos during the trial and keep Mo Tingfeng busy, why not do the opposite and bring this matter out into the open, so that all the participants can help find the person and become an obstacle for the villain?

Mo Tingfeng surveyed the surroundings, ensuring the participating warlocks had received the mission information for the first stage, before speaking again.
"Second challenge: retrieve the item."

"In a cave somewhere on Goddess Peak, there is a Yellow Springs Sun Grass that has been planted beforehand and has been growing in the far north of the Yellow Springs for three thousand years. Those who successfully enter the cave will be awarded one point, and those who ultimately obtain this item will not only be allowed to keep it for themselves, but will also be awarded 100 points."

"I would like to remind you all that the Yellow Springs Sun Grass naturally attracts all kinds of strange beasts, especially this one which has been growing for three thousand years. The cave must be extremely dangerous. Please be sure to act according to your abilities."

"Third stage, no damage taken."

"When the ranking trial ends in half a month, those without injuries will receive 200 points, and so on, with points deducted according to the severity of injuries."

“You have come here today not to compete for superiority, to fight to the death, or to determine victory or defeat. The path of trial is merely a mirror to see yourself clearly—to reflect your intentions and choices under the influence of desire, life and death, victory and defeat.”

"Therefore, this third challenge is related to combat strength, but it is not only related to combat strength."

"I believe that some of you will try to injure or cripple other contestants to deduct their points; I also believe that some of you will prefer to keep the peace and not hurt each other. Regardless of which approach you take, it is essentially a battle of ability and cunning. Therefore, this third challenge may seem simple, but it is actually the most difficult."

"After the trial, the scores from the three stages will be added together and used to determine the ranking."

Mo Tingfeng's gaze swept over the group of sorcerers, his lips curved into a smile, but his eyes held a chilling intensity.

"I, Mo, would like to remind everyone—"

"True power is not about harming, but about protecting."

True wisdom is not about scheming and plotting, but about being invincible through benevolence.

"May you all abandon your limbs and your cleverness, become one with the Great Understanding, and face the Mandate of Heaven directly."

"Open the door!"