Corrupted Snake King – Intermediate Tier Three!
The massive serpent loomed menacingly, its body easily twice the size of an ordinary corrupted snake. At over twenty meters long and more than a meter thick, its presence radiated sheer physical power.
Hiss!
Its sinuous form coiled tightly around several towering trees, the thick body flexing with lethal energy. Its enormous triangular head rose high — a symbol of stability, as many believed.
With a guttural growl, the Corrupted Snake King opened its bloody jaws and released a cloud of black-and-red poisonous mist. The venomous vapor surged toward the group from Haiyun Academy.
Their leader, the heavily made-up young woman who had earlier bickered with Xi Congqing, stepped forward. She was a beginner at the third tier, while the rest of her group ranged from intermediate to advanced second tier. Though they lacked someone as strong as Xi Congqing, their overall power rivaled that of Smith's team.
"Twilight Stream!" she commanded.
Together with two others, she summoned several clear torrents. Like morning dew, the streams sparkled with vitality and freshness. The waves of toxic mist clashed against these luminous torrents — light versus rot, life versus decay.
Bang!
The two forces collided violently, producing a sizzling sound like water dousing fire. The poisonous gas and the rejuvenating water consumed one another at an equal pace, neutralizing each other completely.
Haiyun Academy's water-based abilities truly stood out. They could counter the corrupted miasma with remarkable precision.
The three women, led by their heavily made-up captain, successfully blocked the first attack. A glimmer of pride appeared on the captain's face.
But it didn't last long.
Just as her smile bloomed, it froze.
From the dense forest on the opposite side, another equally massive corrupted snake slithered into view.
A second Corrupted Snake King.
This one was female. Though slightly smaller than the first male serpent, her aura was far stronger — clearly another intermediate-level tier-three beast!
"Two Corrupted Snake Kings?!" the woman gasped, her expression turning grim.
They were already struggling with one. A second one would overwhelm them entirely.
And to make matters worse, over a dozen ordinary corrupted snakes — all early-tier two — now surrounded them. The situation had escalated beyond their control.
"Smith, should we go help them?" Wei Lin asked, watching the chaos unfold.
Zhao Mei nodded in agreement. "Yeah. Minister Xi and the instructors told us to build good relationships with the other academies."
Smith scoffed. "Help them? Are you serious?"
He shot them a cold look.
"Did you already forget how they mocked us earlier? You want to help people who said they'd rather help a dog than us?"
Zhao Mei hesitated. "Well… they do have the Space Stones. If things go wrong, they can just teleport away. They won't die."
Smith folded his arms. "Exactly. So why should we risk ourselves?"
Their relationship with Haiyun Academy wasn't friendly to begin with. That woman had made it clear she looked down on them.
"They might still ask us for help," Xi Congqing said casually, watching the battlefield with calm eyes.
Smith raised an eyebrow. "Really? With their attitude?"
"Just wait and see," Xi Congqing said confidently.
---
Back on the battlefield, the heavily made-up woman was clearly at a loss.
Her teammates huddled with their backs to one another, warily watching the surrounding snakes.
"Captain, what do we do?!" one of them asked in panic.
The woman's face was grim as her eyes darted between the two enormous Corrupted Snake Kings. Her pride warred with her instinct for survival.
In the end, survival won.
"Huaihai Academy students!" she called out to Smith's group. "Can you really stand by and watch people die without lifting a finger?!"
She hated asking them — hated that she had to swallow her pride.
But she couldn't let her entire team be eliminated on the first day. She'd be a laughingstock back at the academy.
Smith grinned.
"Told you," Xi Congqing said smugly.
Then, with a grin of her own, she stepped forward and called back mockingly:
"Sorry, our team's a bit cowardly. We're no match for two tier-three beasts. So unfortunately, we can't help you!"
She even raised her fist to cheer them on. "Good luck out there!"
"You...!" The heavily made-up woman looked like she'd swallowed a fly.
She knew Xi Congqing was lying. If the two groups teamed up, they could probably handle the monsters.
But they didn't want to help.
"Huaihai Academy students, I'll remember this!" she shouted bitterly.
Hiss!
The Corrupted Snake Kings struck again, joined by the swarm of lesser snakes.
Shing!
A bright silver light flared around the students of Haiyun Academy — the light of crushed Space Stones.
"Whoosh!"
Just before the attacks landed, the group vanished. They had chosen to teleport out — the first academy to be eliminated.
The goal of this trial was to last five days in the forest and collect monster cores. Getting eliminated on the first day, even voluntarily, was a disgrace.
Smith sighed. "Well, show's over. That was anticlimactic."
Wei Lin nudged him. "Brother Smith, I think we're next."
Smith followed his gaze. The snakes, now deprived of their initial targets, had turned their attention to them.
"Senior Sister… what now?" Zhao Mei asked nervously.
"This is bad," Xi Congqing muttered. "If I knew this would happen, I wouldn't have taunted them so loudly…"
They were now being targeted by two tier-three Corrupted Snake Kings and a horde of tier-two snakes.
Xi Congqing quickly refocused. "Those with wind-element abilities, get ready to disperse the poisonous mist. Everyone else — prepare for battle!"
Her voice rang with authority, and everyone sprang into formation.
She turned to Smith and whispered, "You take one of the Corrupted Snake Kings. I'll handle the other."
Smith's eyes widened. "Me?! You really think that highly of me?"
But even as he complained, he clapped his hands together, entering battle mode.
"Wood Release: Tree Binding and Eternal Burial!"
The forest was dense with vegetation — perfect for Wood Release.
Dozens of thick vines and tree roots surged from the ground, lashing out and coiling around the male Corrupted Snake King.
Its scales were smooth, almost slippery, and it resisted the vines with surprising strength. Even while restrained, it continued to push forward.
"Damn thing's slippery!" Smith muttered, tightening his hand seals.
"Wood Release: Explosive Gun Tree!"
More trees erupted around the beast, layers of wood and vines stacking on top of each other. This time, the snake's movements slowed.
Hiss!
Trapped, the serpent opened its mouth and spewed another cloud of black-and-red poison. The toxic mist spread rapidly, and wherever it touched the trees, corrosion began at a visible rate.
Øóffer going on for diamond tier
pàtreøn (Gk31)