"Kill!"
"Charge!"
Among the six team members, two Guardians roared and raised their shields high, forcibly pushing through the black beetles like two terrifying beasts clearing a path. Lower spirituality beetles along the way were crushed.
The other Psionics unleashed their skills—ice arrows, flame arrows, earth spikes—taking out any monsters that approached the group as they quickly escaped, gradually nearing the canyon mouth.
Carlos frowned, puzzled.
"Something's not right. Based on the current situation, even though monsters keep coming, they're all low spirituality creatures that shouldn't be any match for the Psionics."
The Psionics protecting this awakening ceremony all had spirituality levels above 6. If not for protecting the apprentices, they would have broken through long ago.
"According to past life information, after Blood Snake Princess attacked this awakening ceremony, only we four awakened apprentices barely survived. Everyone else died horribly."
Carlos looked at the monsters being held back by the mid-tier Psionics and felt even more confused.
However, he wasn't too worried because he'd given someone advance warning.
...
"Blood Snake Princess! You're going to die here today!"
Elsa breathed out a stream of cold air, her sky-blue pupils focusing as water vapor in the air condensed into countless small ice arrows radiating chilling light.
"Three Thousand Ice Arrow Rain!!"
Thousands of ice arrows shot out, instantly covering the sky above Blood Snake Princess with no escape possible.
Blood Snake Princess slightly parted her crimson lips, her forked snake tongue hissing.
"Little Sasha, don't be so hot-tempered."
As soon as she finished speaking, Blood Snake Princess's snake pupils narrowed vertically, two red lines flashed by.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The overwhelming ice arrows were easily destroyed, turning into ice crystals that filled the sky, dropping the valley's temperature several degrees.
Elsa's heart sank to rock bottom. Her most powerful skill had been so easily crushed.
"Whatever your goal is, I'll never let you succeed, even if I die!"
In her perception, the apprentices, especially those four awakened geniuses, were about to break through the valley under her teammates' protection.
Elsa's longbow continuously fired ice arrows, trying to hold back Blood Snake Princess. She couldn't let tragedy happen before her eyes again.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The twin snakes danced, effortlessly destroying Elsa's powerful ice arrows.
"Little Sasha, don't make a scene."
Blood Snake Princess's crimson figure instantly vanished from her original position, her perfect chin gently resting on Elsa's right shoulder as her two snake arms tightly bound Elsa.
"If you keep acting up, big sister won't be happy."
Her voice was affectionate and seductive, her forked tongue gently licking Elsa's cheek as bone-chilling fear filled Elsa's heart.
"You... broke through to high-tier!"
Despair filled Elsa's heart. Psionic energy rapidly gathered in her body as she prepared to detonate all her energy, trading her life to delay Blood Snake Princess!
"So naughty!"
Sensing the abnormality, Blood Snake Princess sighed. The snake heads on her two arms suddenly opened wide, biting viciously into Elsa's snow-white arms.
"No... don't..."
A surge of crimson, cold, corrupted psionic energy gathered. The energy Elsa was about to detonate was instantly crushed. The corrupted energy erupted, causing excruciating pain from her internal organs as blood flowed from the corner of her mouth.
Elsa was instantly severely injured and fell unconscious, her face deathly pale, brow furrowed.
Deep in Blood Snake Princess's eyes was a trace of heartache that quickly vanished.
"Little Sasha, I look forward to your transformation!"
She lovingly kissed Elsa's forehead, then set her down, watching the valley mouth with interest:
"Too slow to escape."
...
Carlos's group immediately went on high alert, as if being stalked by some terrifying predator.
"Captain!"
Seeing Blood Snake Princess rapidly approaching from the distance, they didn't need to think to know the outcome.
The six guardians protecting the apprentices cried out in anguish.
"Someone has to keep blocking her!
Martha, Fenley, you two are the fastest—take Carlos and the other three and leave first!"
"You guys have to hold on!"
The two women nodded firmly, gritted their teeth, each grabbed two people, and like phantoms, they swept past monster after monster, separating from the main group and escaping the valley.
"So that's how we escaped."
Carlos was being carried by Fenley, watching the valley grow more distant, his gaze scanning everywhere.
"Strange, why haven't my sister and the others made their move yet?"
...
"Captain! Shouldn't we act now?"
In a dark corner of the valley hidden by magical arrays, a female Watcher holding a flaming bow asked the female knight at the center of their four-person team in a low, anxious voice.
The female knight had resolute eyes, a heroic bearing, and a steady temperament.
Her silver-white armor gleamed with flowing light, and the great sword on her back was imposing and sacred.
Her gaze fixed on the battle in the valley. Blood Snake Princess didn't seem eager to defeat the low-tier Psionics, instead playing with them leisurely.
Captain Iris recalled how her brother had suddenly received a warning from the demigod mark the day before, urging her to be careful.
She made her decision.
"I'll go first. You three don't come out—I suspect Blood Snake Princess has backup plans!"
"Yes, Captain!"
Iris drew the great sword from her back and slowly walked out of the concealment array...
...
Ember City - Academy
Carlos, Kathy, Grace, and Heidi sat in an empty classroom.
Ember City had sent rescue teams ahead. Until there were results, as a precaution, the four geniuses needed to stay here temporarily.
"Please let everyone else escape safely."
Kathy prayed silently.
Carlos closed his eyes, thinking about the possibility of Blood Snake Princess being eliminated.
Noble girl Heidi kept glancing at Carlos, then quickly looking away.
Animal hide girl Grace was lying on her desk, fast asleep.
Before long, snoring filled the empty classroom, unusually clear.
Heidi couldn't stand it. Her purple pupils filled with irritation, her voice tinged with anger.
"Hey! Hey!"
But animal hide girl Grace remained unmoved, still snoring.
Hash marks appeared on Heidi's forehead as she suddenly stood up, her purple hair flowing.
Smack!
She slammed her hand on the desk Grace was sleeping on, looking down at her with contemptuous eyes.
The snoring stopped abruptly. Grace looked up in confusion, her white hair somewhat messy.
"..."
"A big gorilla is still a big gorilla. Even after awakening, you can't change that crude nature!"
Her eyes subtly swept over the extreme height difference, making Heidi even angrier.
"Shorty! You looking for another beating?!"
Grace's scattered pupils refocused as she suddenly stood up. Her nearly six-foot frame blocked the sunlight from the window, forcing Heidi to change from looking down to looking up.
Grace looked annoyed, cracking her knuckles.
"Big gorilla! You think it's still like before!
Now this young lady can beat you silly!"
Heidi felt her status was being challenged and immediately bristled like an angry female leopard. She jumped onto the desk with a whoosh, barely able to look Grace in the eye, her purple hair dancing as three psionic flames gathered in her hands.
"Even after awakening, you're still a skinny, ugly shorty!"
Grace looked down, pretending not to see Heidi, and smirked disdainfully.
Hot air puffed from her delicate nostrils as she bared her lips, her white canine teeth gleaming coldly, violent psionic energy gathering...
"You stinking, disgusting big ape!"
Heidi was hit in a sore spot and jumped in anger, her three arcane flames surging.
Just as things reached a breaking point, Kathy couldn't take having her prayers interrupted multiple times.
"Stop arguing! You're disturbing my prayers!
If you want to fight, go outside!"
"Such fake piety. If prayers worked, what would we Psionics be for!"
"What good are prayers that can't handle a little noise?"
At that moment, noble girl Heidi and animal hide girl Grace almost simultaneously retorted.
Kathy was so angry she was speechless for a moment.
"You're driving me crazy!
I'm going to teach you both a lesson!"
Golden fur quickly grew across her body, her nails becoming long and sharp—this was the transformation skill awakened from the Jungle pathway.
She jumped onto a desk, facing off against the two girls.
"Mutt!"
"Ugly shorty!"
"Big ape!"
They glared at each other angrily, their voices rising and falling, but none of the three girls made the first move. Having just awakened, their strength was similar, so they waited quietly for their opponents to show an opening.
Carlos sighed inwardly, ending his meditation and opening his emerald eyes.
Without needing to say anything, his powerful presence immediately captured everyone's attention.
"Carlos, they're bullying me!"
Kathy nimbly leaped into the young man's arms, her voice aggrieved as she pointed at Grace and Heidi accusingly.
"..."
Carlos couldn't interfere in the three girls' conflict. This was just normal "roughhousing"—they were venting their inner frustration.
And while he should support Kathy based on their close relationship, considering how the three would get along in the future, he probably shouldn't do anything.
"Kathy! You...!"
Heidi looked disdainful, while Grace stared at Carlos with great interest.
"Carlos, I've been wanting to fight you for ages!"
Just then, the door suddenly opened. A half-elf walked in, looking puzzled at the scene, and said:
"It's all over now. The other apprentices have been rescued. You can go home."
All four felt relieved simultaneously. The three girls' restless hearts calmed down. After giving Kathy (who was being held by Carlos) a "fierce" look, Heidi snorted coldly and left directly.
Grace yawned and followed her out.
"Let's go home too."
"Yeah."
Carlos and Kathy also headed home.