Chapter 8

A faint light penetrated from outside. The few people deep inside the underground abyss were first startled, then their faces filled with excitement.

“The exit actually opened! Su Lanjin, you really stumbled upon opening the underground abyss?”

Ni Shushu couldn’t help but say, her body instinctively rushing toward the bright spot ahead.

It looked like a collapsed exit in front. She stretched out her head to look outside. After a few seconds, she immediately turned and shouted loudly to the others inside, “This is the exit. We can get out now.”

After speaking, Ni Shushu ignored the dirt on her body, said, “I’ll go ahead first,” and walked out.

Originally happy, Ni Shushu froze in place after seeing the scene before her.

【Sigh, we just got out of the underground abyss, and now do we have to go back in to hide from the rain?】

【?? Big brother upstairs is speaking the truth. Even if there’s acid rain outside, this is the underground abyss. Who knows if the abyss will close again?】

【Since they fell into the abyss, the weather outside suddenly changed. I knew Su Lanjin was a jinx. As soon as they fell in, the weather got worse.】

【It’s confirmed that Su Lanjin is a jinx, right?】

More people gradually came out and looked at the weather outside, all gasping sharply.

“Boom.”

“Boom.”

The sound of thunder rolled, and a sudden heavy rainstorm arrived.

Sharp-eyed Song Juncai squinted and peered outside. After sensing the smell of acid rain falling, he immediately shouted loudly, “This is acid rain! Everyone, don’t go outside!”

Everyone was standing near the exit of the underground abyss, partially shielded by some rocks above. Seeing the lightning, thunder, and acid rain outside, their hearts trembled.

“Acid rain?”

Su Lanjin’s eyes flickered.

She had seen this kind of rain before, but it wasn’t acid rain—it was demonic energy rain.

In the cultivation world, whenever a major injury is caused by a sinister demon, demonic energy rain would fall—regardless of time or place.

The group immediately hesitated. Behind them was the underground abyss, and ahead was the acid rain—they faced a difficult choice between two equally harsh options.

“We have to get out,”

Jian Xiangxue withdrew her gaze from the cave entrance and looked seriously at the others. “The entrance is gradually closing. We can’t stay here.”

“Ah? Then what do we do now? It’s acid rain outside. Getting soaked will corrode us—clothes and skin alike. We can’t go out,”

Song Juncai grumbled angrily, fuming.

“I heard this kind of acid rain only happens once every few thousand years. Why do we have to be so unlucky to encounter it now? We can’t just quit the selection competition on day one, can we?”

“Of course not.”

Ni Shushu immediately responded, stroking her chin thoughtfully. “I remember someone once used other items to shield themselves from acid rain back then. Why don’t we try the same?”

Her eager attitude stirred everyone’s hope. However, Su Lanjin frowned slightly, “It won’t work.”

If this truly was demonic energy rain like in the cultivation world, it contained demonic energy invisible to the naked eye. Getting soaked wouldn’t just cause corrosion—it could also affect one’s spirit.

If one’s willpower wasn’t strong enough…

“Hmm? Boss, why won’t it work? We have to try, right? We can’t just go back the way we came. If we go back, who knows when we’ll be able to come out again.”

Song Juncai frowned, showing some displeasure despite still calling her “boss.” His tone carried a bit of impatience.

He looked at the demonic energy rain outside, feeling the atmosphere filled with a sensation that made him feel utterly relaxed. He couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth into a faint smile.

【Why do I feel like Song Juncai is acting a little strange?】

【I think so too. It’s a weird feeling. Those few sentences don’t seem wrong by themselves, but coming from Song Juncai, it just doesn’t feel right.】

After all, everyone knew very well how Song Juncai used to shamelessly cling to Su Lanjin’s leg, but now he looked completely indifferent.

Although he still called her “boss,” the tone he used sounded teasing and sarcastic.

【Maybe Song Juncai saw through Su Lanjin’s true nature while they were in the underground abyss? After all, there were only a few weak little cameras, and we can’t accurately see what really happened inside.】

【Putting that aside, from the start until now, the magic Su Lanjin uses has never been seen or heard of anywhere in the interstellar. Don’t just leave all this to outsiders. I even think Su Lanjin is a spy sent by the Empire.】

【???】

Some Empire viewers spying on the screen opened their mouths wide, eager to nod immediately—Yes, yes, it’s our spy! Quickly send Su Lanjin to our Empire!

What a joke. If such a powerful person existed, wherever they were, they would be treated as a distinguished guest.

Federation people really don’t know how lucky they are.

【I have a guess: Could it be that because Su Lanjin killed the sinister demon, the weather outside started to change? I just watched someone else’s replay, and it seems the weather only started changing after the sinister demon was killed.】

【That’s possible. After all, the sinister demon was killed there, and acid rain started falling here.】

Once one person had that thought, many others followed. Many believed it was all because of Su Lanjin’s killing.

Acid rain is extremely rare in the entire galactic history, and the last time it appeared was thousands of years ago.

This acid rain, which should not have appeared, came about because of Su Lanjin’s actions, causing such harsh conditions on the desolate planet.

【Wait, are you already certain it’s all Su Lanjin’s fault? Even if it is, she just rescued everyone from the underground abyss. How could that be fake?】

【I seriously suspect those who blame Su Lanjin are just troublemakers watching the selection competition by sneaking around the firewall.】

【As Federation people, we would never wrongly accuse a hero who saved the sinister demon hunter without cause.】

The comments flew fast on the screen, with everyone holding their own opinions.

Meanwhile, on the desolate planet, many contestants attacked by the acid rain were running around in panic, and surprisingly, they all headed toward Su Lanjin’s location without any agreement.

Many of them had already received news from outside when the acid rain started and had seen the attacks against Su Lanjin in the comments, which only strengthened their belief that Su Lanjin was the source of all this.

If they could find Su Lanjin and have her control the acid rain, they wouldn’t have to run around like this.

Besides, although the corrosive damage from the acid rain could be treated with a medical pod after withdrawing from the competition, the pain from the acid corrosion still remained.

Many could not bear the burning sensation on their skin caused by the acid rain, nor could they tolerate the sudden appearance of several bleeding holes on their bodies.

“Someone’s coming.”

“Not just one.”

“Four from the east, three from the west, eleven from the north, six from the south,” Ni Shushu said, a little surprised, “Wow, are all the nearby contestants coming over?”

Feeling the movements coming from different directions, the group fell silent. Ni Shushu layered a formation under everyone’s feet, while Gong Jiaxin immediately cast protective talismans.

They observed whether the rain would corrode them, but seeing it could not penetrate, they breathed a sigh of relief.

“It can resist the acid rain. Let’s go out.”

Gong Jiaxin’s eyes brightened with joy, and her hand throwing talismans became faster and faster. Soon, everyone was covered inside the talisman’s protection, while Ni Shushu’s formation ensured no acid rain touched their bodies.