Chapter 9

“Quick, the rain up ahead is a bit lighter.”

“There are contestants—they’re actually using spiritual energy to resist it?”

Some sharp-eyed contestants saw what Su Lanjin and the others were doing and immediately copied them, using their spiritual energy to block some of the acid rain.

But after continuous running, nearly all the contestants’ bodies were already corroded by the acid rain, and even the elite heirs from the capital star looked utterly miserable.

The closer they got, the more obvious the gap between the two sides became.

【Ah… how did they end up like this?】

【The contrast is just too stark.】

All the contestants gathered, and the split-screen live stream instantly merged into one, causing the comment flow to slow down a bit.

【Whoa, that’s a brutal opening—how come they’re fine?】

【Heh, it’s skill. People with strength can move freely even in acid rain.】

【…】

Supporters of the other contestants fell silent, the comparison was truly not flattering. Some supporters were so frustrated they reddened in the face.

“How are they okay? Quick, head there!”

Bian Duhen shouted loudly while running, splashes hitting his heels again with corrosive effects, but he had no time to care.

“Ah! My face!”

The acid rain splattered coldly on his face. Bian Duhen cried out instinctively, the sharp pain making everyone quicken their pace to find lower ground or shelter.

If the body’s corrosion reaches eighty percent, even a medical pod cannot restore their bodies to their original condition.

【This acid rain really has everyone in a miserable state.】

【I wonder if Ni Shushu will allow other contestants to join—any help would be good.】

【Just hearing the sound of the acid rain corroding skin makes me feel uncomfortable all over.】

【It’s so strange. The acid rain is heavy everywhere else, but here the rain is lighter. No wonder everyone is heading this way.】

【Now that you mention it, it’s really odd. Could this barren star be hiding some secret?】

【Another contestant is withdrawing. Seeing the level of corrosion, it pains me.】

【The culprit behind all this is Su Lanjin. If she hadn’t broken through the underground abyss and killed the sinister demon, the weather outside wouldn’t be like this.】

Some family members of other contestants watching the live stream thought the same way.

If it weren’t for Su Lanjin, their sons and daughters might still be thriving inside instead of having to withdraw unwillingly.

Countless complaint calls flooded the organizers’ backend, leaving the person in charge with gray hair and overwhelmed every day.

The Federation Military Academys freshman selection competition has never been interrupted midway due to bad weather. If this precedent is set, they might as well cancel the entire competition.

Putting aside the organizer’s worries, back in the competition live stream, other contestants gradually discovered they could use talismans, formations, or magical tools to resist the acid rain, or even shape a chaotic shield with their own spiritual energy.

For a while, talismans, spiritual energy, and formations flew all over the live stream, with many life-saving weapons consumed.

Unfortunately, resistance only lasts temporarily. As time passes, spiritual energy runs out, talismans explode, formations break, and skin gets burned again.

Ni Shushu and Gong Jiaxin anxiously looked at the acid rain outside, their eyes full of worry.

“This won’t do. We need to come up with a new plan.”

“Susu, any ideas?”

The two of them turned to look at Su Lanjin at the same time. In this critical moment, they didn’t know since when they had instinctively started seeking her help.

“Boss, do you have a solution? We definitely can’t go back to the underground abyss. If we can’t find a way now, we’ll end up scorched like the other contestants, and might even have to quit the competition early.”

Song Juncai asked in a low voice. The spiritual energy in his hands was rapidly consumed resisting the acid rain and was almost gone within moments.

The exit behind them was slowly closing, but it seemed to ignore the heavy rain outside. To others, it looked like it was boldly inviting everyone to come back again.

However, their eyes did not escape Bian Duhen’s gaze. The closer they got, the more visible was the cramped cave behind them.

The terrain was high, the cave mouth dry, untouched by the acid rain, and deep enough to hold many people.

Bian Duhen could hardly contain his joy and shouted loudly without hesitation, “There’s a cave here—it can shield us from the acid rain!”

In an instant, several contestants around Bian Duhen’s position brightened up. Their tired bodies suddenly regained strength as they sprinted toward the cave.

The followers behind also lit up with hope, as if they had found a place to survive, quickly following Bian Duhen’s steps.

“Don’t go there—that’s the underground abyss.”

Song Juncai hurriedly grabbed a contestant’s sleeve and said seriously.

“Get off me, don’t touch me.”

But the other party showed no gratitude and even pushed Song Juncai to the ground, charging straight into the underground abyss without looking back.

Song Juncai fell awkwardly, and the moment his hands touched the acid rain, the corrosive pain made him grit his teeth and grimace. By the time Ni Shushu pulled him up, his hands had already been corroded beyond recognition.

“This acid rain is all because of you guys? And you still pretend to care? Ugh!”

Bian Duhen spat at Song Juncai and the others. The panic had faded, replaced by the joy of having survived: “Trying to hurt us—how despicable you are.”

“Heh, so these are the geniuses from the Capital Star? With such character, sending you to the front lines might just mean surrendering to the sinister demons.”

“Ugh, can’t stand seeing others do well, it makes us sick.”

The few who had already hidden inside the underground abyss insulted each other back and forth. After venting, they turned and stepped deeper into the abyss, completely ignoring the fact that the cave entrance behind them was slowly closing.

Those who finally escaped the acid rain didn’t take the words “underground abyss” seriously. After all, they had never seen it before and didn’t know it was accessible through the cave entrance.

Outside, the crowd watched Bian Duhen and the others enter silently.

Trying to reason with these damned fools was already beyond help, Song Juncai’s warnings were as kind as they could be. If they wanted to die, it wasn’t their place to interfere further.

However, the actions of this group caused the chat barrage to erupt like a boiling pot.

【They’re first of all Federation citizens, secondly opponents, and thirdly contestants in the freshmen selection. Watching their comrades enter the underground abyss without stopping them — this batch of freshmen really opened my eyes.】

【According to Federation law, deliberately leading others into harm or causing injury will be punishable by death. Just so everyone knows.】

【Are those supporters talking earlier? Their legs should be on their bodies. Didn’t you see Song Juncai trying to stop them? And what happened? Ungrateful, should they be clinging to his legs begging not to go in?】

【A little known fact: all contestants in the freshmen selection are adults, and before the competition started, they signed a death waiver — if they die, it’s their own responsibility, unrelated to others.】

Parents watching the live stream, realizing their children were “forced” into the underground abyss, couldn’t sit still.

They grumbled and turned on their light computers, persistently calling the officials’ numbers.

“Beep beep beep.”

“Beep beep beep.”

The computer notifications kept coming one after another, but the official only glanced once and immediately turned on Do Not Disturb mode.

He paced back and forth in his office, anxious, but still cursed those reckless contestants who dared to enter the underground abyss.

Back in the live stream room, Su Lanjin didn’t take this little incident to heart. Instead, she stood at the boundary where talisman and formation overlapped, casually extending her hand. Raindrops slid down, instantly bringing a slight burning sensation.

The barrier, deliberately raised with spiritual energy, hissed as it collided with the acid rain.

Su Lanjin immediately confirmed the identity of this rain — it really was the demonic energy rain she had encountered before.