Chapter 9: My Trial

Approximately two to three minutes later, the light gradually faded away, and everything around finally became clear.

Yang Fan found himself surrounded by dense, towering trees with trunks over five to six meters in diameter, shooting straight towards the sky.

Even the shrubs, wild grass, and flowers around him were several times larger than those on Earth! Some unknown fruits on the ground ranged from the size of a fist to half a person’s size.

Yang Fan promptly activated the scanning function on his wristwatch, which quickly provided him with various details.

【Grey Pine – a common tree in the Beast Realm, reaching heights of up to 40 meters. Its wood is hard and dense, suitable for crafting temporary weapons or containers.】

【Mountain Vine – a common shrub in the Beast Realm. Peeling off its bark and extracting tree sap accelerates wound healing. Its vines are extremely tough and can be used to make ropes.】

【Heavenly Grass – a common plant in the Beast Realm with no specific purpose and no apparent harm.】

【Giant Crown Purple Spotted Mushroom – highly toxic to humans, with limited effectiveness on most beasts. When combined with Blue Spot Needle Mushroom, it can be used to create a hallucinogenic poison with enhanced effects.】

…

Yang Fan swiftly reviewed the information displayed on his wristwatch’s liquid crystal screen. The wrist screen stored a plethora of relevant data, which held significant importance for newcomers striving to survive in this realm for nine days.

The reason why the wrist screen has recorded a significant amount of data in advance is likely due to other Realm Explorers exploring and documenting information, which has been integrated and compiled.

As Yang Fan was examining the data, a deep voice resonated around him. This voice was elusive, making it hard to pinpoint its origin yet remarkably clear, almost as if it was right beside his ear.

【Your trial has now begun.】

Yang Fan listened intently. Could this be the guiding voice the examiner mentioned?

The examiner noted that, so far, the source of this voice remains unknown, but it will provide the target for exploration in the other realm.

【My trial, within the world Shan Hai Jing of the Beast Realm, though just a glimpse, shall reveal much to those who seek.】

” Shan Hai Jing?!” Yang Fan exclaimed, eyes widening. ^[1]“Shan Hai Jing” refers to an ancient Chinese text also known as the “Classic of Mountains and Seas.” It is a compilation of mythological geography and mythology, including … Continue reading

No wonder Brother Bai and Sister An mentioned the extremely high fatality rate for the entry assessment.

This is a world filled with powerful and ferocious exotic beasts. Just one of them casually appearing could crush a human like squashing an ant?

The voice continued to echo.

【During this trial, the physical body can be elevated to the level of “Level 1.”】

【Upon completion of this trial, you may bring out items, with a base quantity of three.】

【This trial consists of three main objectives. Completing a preceding objective unlocks the next, with rewards granted for each completed stage.】

【First Objective: Hunt a young exotic beast, regardless of rank.】

【Upon initial completion, you will receive one ” Level 1 Beast Essence Pill ” and increase the number of carry-out items to five.】

【The first objective can be completed up to five times. Apart from the initial completion, subsequent rewards will be one piece of ” Rank 1 Exotic Beast Spirit Flesh.”】

【Upon the initial completion of this objective, the next stage will be unlocked.】

The voice vanished after conveying these messages, leaving Yang Fan with a stunned expression.

The first objective is hunting?

Hunting in the world of Shan Hai Jing?!

The examiner is considerate, advising newcomers to disregard the objectives in the other realm. It indeed seems like a wise choice.

Roar!

From a distant place, a roar echoed from the horizon, reaching here with undiminished power, instilling fear and dread in everyone!

The roar persisted, unsettling the surroundings. Not far away, a rustling sound emanated from the woods, likely stirred by the creature in the distance.

The roar left Yang Fan with lingering fear, but what truly alarmed him was the presence of wild beasts inhabiting the surrounding woods. He could be under attack at any moment.

“Throwing people into the world of Shan Hai Jing for just an entry assessment?!” Yang Fan realized he had underestimated the difficulty of the entry assessment.

For humans without special abilities, most of the beasts here were more than capable of hunting them down.

Moreover, in Yang Fan’s current situation, bluntly speaking, his chances of survival were close to zero!

The overwhelming sense of crisis caused Yang Fan’s heart to race, his breathing became rapid, making it challenging to stay calm.

He was unsure whether to stay or leave as he had no understanding of his surroundings, risking attracting the attention of some creatures if he moved recklessly!

Sensing his growing panic, Yang Fan forcefully calmed his mind and closed his eyes momentarily.

“As the mountains collapse before me, my heart remains still. As the heavens fall upon me, my spirit stays undisturbed. When facing a formidable foe, I shall remain tranquil, my mind as calm as still water, with the five senses unimpaired!”

The three months of training finally paid off. After a brief moment, Yang Fan regained his composure. The short meditation not only calmed his emotions but also sharpened his thoughts. He began to carefully analyze his situation.

“My physical fitness is my weakness. If discovered by exotic beasts, I am as good as dead. To survive, I must play to my strengths, avoid my weaknesses, and utilize my other senses to their advantage!”

“Other people’s strengths are actually weakened in the presence of powerful exotic beasts. A person with an agility score of 80 and one with a score of 100 don’t have much difference when facing exotic beasts.”

“Even someone with a score of 120 might not be able to outrun an agile exotic beast.”

“It turns out that my advantage hasn’t been diminished!”

With this realization, Yang Fan finally gained some confidence.

Inhaling the fresh air, he carefully sensed the blend of scents from the soil, leaves, and various plants.

As the gentle breeze brushed against his skin, he focused on memorizing the wind direction, strength, and all the perceptible details around him.

In the previous state of panic, Yang Fan felt lost, but now that he had calmed down, he started to formulate a plan.

“There are no unusual scents around, at least within a hundred meters, so there shouldn’t be any wild beasts nearby.”

“Moving might increase the risk of exposure, but wild beasts often have exceptional senses of smell. I can’t stay in one place for too long. It’s best to leave this area as quickly as possible.”

“The wind is weak, but it can still carry my scent downstream. If I encounter a keenly scented beast, it might track me. Following the wind’s direction might lead to an encounter, so irregular movements against the wind are safer. I can rely on my sense of smell to detect danger in advance!”

Before setting off, Yang Fan noticed a fallen branch on the ground, a piece of Grey Pine about a meter long. It had broken off sharply, forming a pointed tip at the break, straight at the back.

Men often have an inherent fondness for straight wooden sticks, and Yang Fan immediately took a liking to this stick, picking it up.

Next, using the pointed end of the Grey Pine branch, Yang Fan cut several bundles of Mountain Vine tendrils.

“These tendrils can be used to make ropes. It’s good to have some prepared.”

While gathering supplies, Yang Fan accidentally kicked a few small Grey Pine fruits that fit perfectly in one hand.

The information on his wrist screen indicated that Grey Pine fruit shells were dense and could serve as containers once hollowed out. Yang Fan immediately extracted the fruit flesh, collected some Mountain Vine sap, and wrapped some Giant Crown Purple Spotted Mushrooms in large leaves.

“Purple Spotted Mushrooms are not very useful against wild beasts. I need to find Blue Spot Needle Mushrooms.”

He then smeared fallen leaves and mud on himself to mask his scent as much as possible.

After collecting all nearby usable materials, Yang Fan headed northwest, blending into the jungle.

In another part of the jungle, not far apart, two white lights simultaneously dimmed, revealing two figures within the light.

These two individuals spotted each other not far away, both participants in the assessment, surprisingly transported to such close positions!

However, neither of them showed any intention of approaching each other, keeping a safe distance between them.

With the examiner’s warning still fresh in their minds, teaming up might not necessarily be a wise choice. Even if they were to form a team, they would need to find a reliable partner to avoid potential betrayal.

After the white light faded, both individuals simultaneously heard the mysterious voice once again.

【Your trial has now begun.】

【My trial, within the world Shan Hai Jing of the Beast Realm, though just a glimpse, shall reveal much to those who seek.】

“Shan …… Hai Jing?! Are they kidding us?!”

After hearing the guidance from the mysterious voice, the two individuals finally understood their situation. They instinctively moved closer to each other.

“Bro, this… this is the world of the Shan Hai Jing. We’re in a survival challenge in the Shan Hai jing… Those guys might as well have just thrown us into a tiger’s den!” one man said with a trembling voice.

“Indeed, it’s quite extreme. Forget about Azure Dragons and White Tigers; even encountering any ferocious beast would put our lives on the line!” the other person spoke, trying to hide his trembling right hand.

Seeing fear reflected in each other’s eyes, they immediately agreed without hesitation.

“We finally ended up together. We need to make the most of this advantage. How about we stick together? Brother, I have one request – don’t betray me.”

“I promise not to betray you, and you shouldn’t betray me either… What’s your name? I’m Liu Qi.”

“I’m Zhang Jie.”

As the white lights gradually faded, 22 participants who entered the Beast Realm began their entry trials almost simultaneously.

Unintentionally, they temporarily disregarded the targets in the other realm. The most crucial task now was to survive in this world teeming with exotic beasts – the Shan Hai Jing!