Scene 3 - Tree Mountain

In another examination test, Xue was currently hiding in the cover in a branch on tree mountain. She wanted to curse under her breath at the predicament that she found herself in. Below a swarm of fang rats ran along forest ground squeaking full of hunger.

She didn’t dare heavy for the rats although small were at the range 6th-8th HBR level she could fight a few of them toe to toe maybe but not tens of thousands of them. Currently, they were devouring a few contestants that were not quick enough to take to the trees.

Only a few minutes since they had entered this mountain and four had already died out of sixty the rest were in the trees riding daring not to make a sound. They thought this test would be easy survive two days for eight hours each.

It was so simple, the didn’t have to fight each other or any limit on how many could pass. Only now did they figure out how much damage they were in. The crunching sounds could be heard by all within the cursed screeching.

Some of the contestants decided to run along the trees in hopes of escaping the fang rats below to find a better hiding spot. Unfortunately for them, the fang rats noticed this and a few of them sprouted wings from their backs and took flight.

They were faster than the contestants running drilling holes in their bodies causing them to lose their balance and fall below. For one lucky contestant, he had his brain drilled out dying on the spot while the others were eaten alive.

In under ten minutes, seven out of the sixty contestants had died. Of those staying still on the trees, they were hoping for the rats to finish their snacks and run away. It took another half hour before the swarm left taking another casualty when one of the contestants slipped up and made noise.

The rats reacted instantly clawing up the branch which made the contestant scream in terror as the rats climbed. He tried to run away only to be drilled by a dozen flying rats making his body drop into the swarm.

Xue watched on with open eyes not blinking studying the fang rats below her. She watched them eat, how they fly and how they found prey. She was pretty sure that they didn’t hunt by eyesight or smell they hunted by hearing.

It was a completely monstrous ability they had to hunt with, giving up their other senses for hearing. Knowing that Xue relaxed her guard slightly yet didn’t move a muscle in great hindsight she got in the position to sit on the branch.

She could see out of the corner of her eyes that the rest were struggling to keep standing, Thankfully the rats left after feasting on that last contestant allowing for the contestants to relax their bodies and breath in heavily.

No one wanted to fight in such a strange place so they all stood in their trees trying to think of their next move. While they were hesitating on what to do Xue sniffed are air deeply relying on her noses strength and began moving in a certain direction.

But not before collecting a few of the talismans on the ground before moving in haste. The other watched wide eye as she disappeared into the bushwork. Using the instincts of the beast blood she drank she moved along the forest ground in silence.

Breathing the air to tell where danger could be hiding waiting to strike. Soon after she left a large roar shook the contestants still on the trees. They wondered what that could be before a large black muscled figure blasted through the woods.

The aura of peak 10th HBR expert radiated of its chiseled body. It resembled a humanoid shape for the most part with the exception of its naked body and four arms. It didn’t have eyes or ears instead it had holes all over its head that breathed in the air.

Smelling the air it turned it’s body upwards and a chilling smiling suddenly appeared revealing it’s large fangs. Before the contestant's eyes, the black humanoid body transformed, metal spikes arose along its body.

Crouching down slightly the black figure jumped cracking the bark below. In frightening speed appeared by a shocked contestant and struck with one of his hands. The hand hit the contestants head ripping the head and spine from the body.

A fountain of blood flew up in the air and the stunned contestant ran away with their life on the line. A few of the smart ones even tried to follow after Xue who had left first. Black teeth didn’t chase after them lazily crushing the body before him into paste taking bites every so often.

He didn’t chase after them for a few reasons, he wasn’t that hungry and his family needed to eat as well. For Xue none, the wiser of the other contestants being hunted by Black Teeth and his family kept following her senses passing by dangerous zones.

Along the way, she caked her body with mud, branches, and leaves covering her sent. She controlled her breathing and retracted her aura, trying her best to erase her presence. This wasn’t a contest of strength, wits or guts it was a test of survival.

In the jungle, only adaptation mattered those that could conform to the laws would keep living on. The strongest didn’t matter, take for example the rat tide and Black Teeth. Of the two the rat tide would win ten out of ten times thanks to their numbers. A few tens of them might die, but Black Teeth would be eaten alive even with its metal armor and higher cultivation level.

Xue walked around aimlessly along the forest floor using her senses to the peak until she found up above a nice large branch with a hole carved out of it. Climbing upwards she kept smelling and listening as she approached and by luck, the hole wasn't occupied.

Entering inside was quite roomy, if she closed off the entrance it would make a nice place to hide. But she decided against it and walked away without another thought.