The beast hated Feng Wu even more!

For it wouldn’t have lost if this human girl hadn’t interfered!

Hence, the beast had to take Feng Wu down with it.

Poor Feng Wu. This had to be her unluckiest day.

The Frosty Night Beast sucked in one final breath to pull Feng Wu in its direction!

“No —”

Feng Wu cried out!

But —

She still got sucked in!

“Boss Jun!”

“Little Feng Wu!”

Feng Xun, Xuan Yi, and Yu Mingye shouted in unison.

Everything happened so fast, and in front of their eyes, these two people fell into the gap.

It seemed to be a thousand meters down, and frosty mist filled the air.

Crack —

The gap was still growing wider.

The moment Jun Linyuan and Feng Wu fell into the gap —

In Imperial College.

Zuo Ming had arrived at Imperial College as planned. Because of his teleportation ability, he was going to take over Grand Secretary Fang’s position as acting principal and get the special clearance level.

Once he achieved what he was here for, he would officially become acting principal, for Grand Secretary Fang would take the blame and resign.

At that critical moment —

Crack —

Crack —

“What’s that noise?” Many people in the square heard it.

Everyone exchanged looks of bewilderment.

“Hey! Look! That screen!”

Someone cried out.

All the parents looked up at the screen that had shown the candidate rankings before.

The screen had gone dark after the communication loss, but right at that moment —

It lit up again!

What did that mean?

All eyes lit up and everyone was elated. “The communication is back, isn’t it? Isn’t it?!”

Judging by the ranking, it should be the case!

The first was Xuanyuan Yi and the second Gongsun Qing…

Grand Secretary Fang was about to give Zuo Ming the right of power when it happened… Grand Secretary Fang cupped his hands at the latter. “Mr Zuo, I’m afraid that this will have to wait.”

After that, Grand Secretary Fang and the other bosses of Imperial College entered the office that was for them alone.

There —

They would be able to see everything that was going on in Proud Snowfield.

“Mr Zuo, please wait here.” Grand Secretary Fang gestured at Zuo Ming.

Zuo Ming’s face had turned livid!

Why had Imperial College lost contact with those in Proud Snowfield in the first place? Well, it had everything to do with Zuo Ming. He was the one who had made it happen.

Not only had he sent Blade after Feng Wu, he had also hired another mysterious figure, who was the one to cut communication between the snowfield and the college.

That was why Zuo He was confident that he would be able to repair the lost communication, and as a result, become the head of Imperial College.

The position used to belong to Zuo He, his brother, so why couldn’t he have it?

However, the last thing he expected was for communication to come back on its own.

What was going on?

Zuo Ming frowned. He couldn’t understand it.

Meanwhile, the bosses had arrived at the office.

The candidate rankings were already on display on the screen.

Snow fell thick and fast, the snowflakes dancing in a hazy mist.

Frost hung over the gleaming white snowfield.

Grand Secretary Fang and the others cried out when they saw the amount of snow.

It was so much thicker than the last time they set eyes on the snowfield!

It had more than doubled!

They couldn’t begin to imagine how cold it had to be in Proud Snowfield.

No one could take their eyes off the candidates on the screen.

The teenagers that used to be so vivacious looked miserable at the moment. Their cheeks were red and chapped from the cold wind and their lips had turned purple. Frost had covered their eyebrows and hair, turning them into human-sized snowmen.

“Grand Secretary Fang, many parents outside are demanding to see the live feed,” one of the teachers came in and said to Grand Secretary Fang in a hurry.

Grand Secretary Fang frowned. The request wasn’t unprecedented, but —

“His Majesty commanded that Mr Fang should show the live feed of Proud Snowfield to the parents to spare them the anxiety…”

Grand Secretary Fang was still hesitating when the chief steward showed up.

His Majesty had spoken, so of course, Grand Secretary Fang had to oblige.

Hence, Grand Secretary Fang agreed with a wave of his hand. “Show them. And transmit a feed to the royal palace, too.”

Naturally, Grand Secretary Fang knew that the empress dowager was worried about the crown prince. Now that she could see the crown prince again, she would be pleased.

Zuo Ming’s stomach lurched when he heard the news.

Shit!

What if the camera caught the people he sent in… What should he do then?

He had sent two teams of people in. One was the killing squad Blade, who was to hunt down Feng Wu.

The other was a mysterious and powerful cultivator who was there to cut off communication.

None of them could be seen! Zuo Ming clenched his fists and realized that things were getting out of hand.

“Mr Zuo, you look concerned.” Grand Secretary Fang gave Zuo Ming a knowing look.

Since the live feed was being made available to the public, Zuo Ming was invited into the office as well.

It was a place that normally was only accessible to the seven elders of Imperial College.

Zuo Ming was perturbed, but managed to keep his composure. He smiled. “You’re making fun of me, Grand Secretary Fang. No one from my family is taking the exam this year, which is why I’m not concerned at all.”

“Is that so?” Grand Secretary Fang said in a casual tone.

Zuo Ming said a silent prayer, and hoped that Grand Secretary Fang didn’t have too sharp a pair of eyes.

“Let’s have a look at His Royal Highness first, then,” Zuo Ming proposed.

Grand Secretary Fang had control over the live feed, and could decide which candidate would be shown on the screen.

But Grand Secretary Fang shook his head. “His Royal Highness isn’t a candidate and can’t be located like the others. What’s more, His Royal Highness made himself untraceable from the beginning, which makes it impossible to show him on the screen. Unless…”

Zuo Ming asked, “Unless what?”

Grand Secretary Fang said, “Unless he’s with a candidate.”

Controlled by Grand Secretary Fang’s mind, the screen showed the snowfield from a high vantage point as the camera quickly flitted through the land.

Soon, the camera fixed on Xuanyuan Yi.

Xuanyuan Yi was running for his life, along with the group of people behind him!

“Oh, god, the mountains have collapsed, and there’s a great fissure in the snowfield…” Shocked, Elder Xuanyuan was the first to get to his feet!

They knew things would be bad in Proud Snowfield, but now that they saw the fleeing candidates… That fissure was chasing the candidates, and was widening as they watched!

Any slower, and the candidates would all be swallowed up!

They really could be killed!

In the square, the parents saw their children running away from that huge crack in the ground, and they held their breaths in fear!

“OMG!”

“Why is this happening?!”

“Why would they choose such difficult terrain for the candidates? They’re just kids!”

“Is my child going to die?”

“Where is His Royal Highness? Didn’t he lead a team in to save the candidates? Where are they now?!”

Just then, the ground shook violently!

“Ahhh —”

There was a cry of surprise!

That was —

Grand Secretary Fang’s stomach turned, for he recognized the voice. It was Feng Wu!

Feng Wu then showed up on the screen abruptly!

Then, everyone watched as their revered crown prince was knocked into the grand fissure by a wild beast!

“No!”

They all watched in astonishment and covered their mouths in disbelief!

That was Jun Linyuan!

The crown prince that was supposed to be invincible and omnipotent!

He had just fallen into a gap in the ground because of a terrifying magical beast!

What on earth was that beast?!

“The Frosty Night Beast! That’s the king of Proud Snowfield! It owns the place!” Elder Xuanyuan stared at Grand Secretary Fang in disbelief. “The Frosty Night Beast has shown up!”

Grand Secretary Fang had never looked so serious.

He realized that he hadn’t thought it through thoroughly enough.

That Frosty Night Beast was too mighty a beast for Feng Wu to handle. She needed its Heart of Frost Essence, but even with Yu Mingye’s help… It had been a reckless decision, way too reckless!

However, Grand Secretary Fang had yet to recover from the shock when the beast sucked in one last breath before it fell.

“Phew —”

The beast sucked Feng Wu toward it!

Everyone jumped to their feet!

For they saw Jun Linyuan, the Frosty Night Beast, and Feng Wu fall into the bottomless pit together!

“Oh god —”

The empress dowager fainted after witnessing that scene.

The entire imperial capital was in shock.

His Royal Highness… had fallen into that great fissure?

Was he going to die?

Could the invincible crown prince be killed?

He was the hope of the empire!

“Quickly!” Everyone prompted Grand Secretary Fang. “Show us His Royal Highness!”

Grand Secretary Fang was equally worried. If anything happened to Jun Linyuan in Proud Snowfield, his days as the principal of Imperial College would be over.

Moreover, it was common knowledge that the emperor couldn’t afford to lose Jun Linyuan.

“Mother —”

Seeing Jun Linyuan fall into the abyss, Emperor Wu was also filled with apprehension, but his mother had just passed out from fear, and he had to be tough.

Master Chu hadn’t arrived yet, and Emperor Wu had to pinch his mother’s philtrum to wake her up.

Emperor Wu and his mother weren’t alone in Cining Palace. Empress Dugu was there, too.

Empress Dugu had been fawning on the empress dowager lately, and she was all docile and demure around the old lady. As a result, the empress dowager found her more likeable than before, and had allowed the empress to keep her company more often.

Hence, Empress Dugu saw it too.

Jun Linyuan fell into that huge gap, and no one knew if he would survive.

A look of pleasant surprise flickered in Empress Dugu’s eyes, but she looked down before anyone else noticed.

Was Jun Linyuan… really going to die? If he did die, the crown would belong to the empire’s second son, aka her son.

The empress dowager woke up while Empress Dugu was allowing her imagination to run wild.

“My Baby Jun…” The empress dowager burst into tears and wouldn’t let go of Emperor Wu’s hand. “What happened to Baby Jun? How is he now?”

Emperor Wu didn’t know any better and was equally flustered!

“Why isn’t Grand Secretary Fang showing us anything?! I need to see Jun Linyuan now!” Emperor Wu summoned a servant. “Go tell Grand Secretary Fang to show us what we want to see!”

As a matter of fact, Grand Secretary Fang had changed the image on the screen already.

Luckily, Feng Wu was there, or they wouldn’t have been able to see the crown prince.

Whoosh —

The wind was howling.

Snatched by the beast, Feng Wu was stuck tightly to its belly!

Looking down, Feng Wu saw a bottomless pit beneath them. Jun Linyuan, the beast, and herself were falling at a tremendous speed.

Shit!

Jun Linyuan had fallen first, followed by the beast with Feng Wu stuck to its belly. If they hit the ground now, Jun Linyuan would be on the bottom.

When that happened, even someone like Jun Linyuan would be crushed to a pulp!

They weren’t that far from the bottom, so Feng Wu reached out to grab Jun Linyuan!

Everyone saw it on the screen.

The empress dowager was the most nervous one. She pressed her hands to her chest and prayed for Jun Linyuan.

However, Feng Wu missed.

She nearly fell off the beast’s belly herself.

Feng Wu grabbed the beast’s fur to steady herself.

This wouldn’t do. She needed a strategy.

And she needed it now!

Otherwise, Jun Linyuan would die!

She wasn’t the only one who was concerned; so was everyone who was in front of the screen.

Especially the empress dowager.

Clenching her fists, the old lady murmured, “Little Feng Wu, I’ll treat you nicely from now on if you can save my Baby Jun. You have to save him!”

However, next to her, Empress Dugu smirked.

Feng Wu was a good-for-nothing. How would she be able to save Jun Linyuan? What a joke.

“But Feng Wu… She’s a cripple with no spiritual essence…” Empress Dugu sighed and feigned a worried look.

Instantly —

Cining Palace fell into a despairing silence.

That was right… Feng Wu had no cultivation ability. There was no way she could stop an unconscious Jun Linyuan from falling, let alone drag him up and prepare for the impact.

The empress dowager couldn’t see any hope.

“Feng Wu, I’ll have your entire family killed and the rest of your clan banished if you can’t save the crown prince!” the empress dowager bellowed.

The empress dowager knew that Feng Wu wasn’t to be blamed for losing her ability, but she was still furious.

Everyone in the room felt sorry for Feng Wu.

Grand Secretary Fang and the others had also hurried over to the imperial palace, so that the empress dowager could question them.

The faces of Emperor Wu and his mother were livid.

The entire Cining Palace seemed to be covered in a dark cloud.

No one could predict how the emperor and his mother would react if Jun Linyuan was killed.

Neither could Feng Wu.

But she still instinctively tried to save Jun Linyuan.

What was more pressing was that she didn’t know that communication was back on.

Grand Secretary Fang wanted to remind Feng Wu, but…

His voice couldn’t go through.

Only then did Grand Secretary Fang realize that the girl had turned her sound off.

Because of that, Grand Secretary Fang felt anxious for Feng Wu.

If things didn’t go as planned, the girl would be in a lot of trouble… However, what was more important was for her to get through this.

One of Feng Wu’s merits was that danger only cooled her head.

They were almost at the bottom, and she was running out of time!

Feng Wu took out a rope, tied herself to the beast, then jumped off!

Whoosh —

The next moment, she was next to Jun Linyuan.

Those watching in front of the screen held their breaths for Feng Wu!

It was easy to pull this off if she were on flat ground, but she was able to stay level-headed while falling through an abyss. That surprised everyone.

The empress dowager stared at Feng Wu and wished that she could go in herself to drag Jun Linyuan out.

But —

Feng Wu might have reached Jun Linyuan, but it wasn’t easy to pull Jun Linyuan up.

Thanks to Feng Wu’s swift moves and tough nerves, she was able to grab Jun Linyuan while they were falling.

However, it was a different story when she wanted to get them back onto the beast.

Her best option right now was to wake Jun Linyuan up.

She patted Jun Linyuan’s cheek. “Wake up. Wake up now.”

In such a situation, Feng Wu used a bit too much force.

That enraged the empress dowager!

“What’s wrong with Feng Wu?! She’s hitting him so hard she could kill him!”

Grand Secretary Fang darted a look at the empress dowager.

That was all she cared about in this moment of life and death?

But in fact —

Many people found what Feng Wu was doing infuriating!

Especially the girls!

Jun Linyuan was like a deity no one should ever defile, but what was Feng Wu doing? She was slapping him?! How could she bring herself to do it?!

Feng Wu was busy saving Jun Linyuan, and had no idea that she was being observed by so many people, let alone the fact that those people were hating her for it.

Feng Wu was exasperated!

She could only count on herself if Jun Linyuan remained unconscious.

Feng Wu shifted in the air, tied Jun Linyuan on her back, then tried to climb up the rope.

They were already falling at a frightening speed, but now, she was trying to climb up? That was impossible!

Just then!

Crack —

Feng Wu looked up to see the beast turn its head and stare at her with its beady eyes.

Shit!

Feng Wu cursed under her breath.

The beast wasn’t dead! It was still breathing!

It had kept very still, so Feng Wu had been sure that it was dead. But it wasn’t! Shit!

As if it wasn’t difficult enough…

Why was it so hard to live in this world?

In front of the screen —

Everyone’s stomachs lurched when they saw the beast open its eyes!

It was especially so with the empress dowager —

Seeing that the beast was still alive, the empress dowager gasped in astonishment!

“It’s still alive! How can it still be alive?!” She would tear the beast into pieces, if she could.

And the rest of the audience was as flustered as she was.

Would Jun Linyuan survive? That was the question that lingered in everyone’s heads.

Emperor Wu clenched his fists anxiously.

“Feng Wu, Feng Wu, you have to make it work!”

The empire couldn’t afford to lose Jun Linyuan, the greatest heir to the throne in history!

By then, many had arrived at court in a hurry, but only a handful were permitted to enter Cining Palace.

Lady Northern Feng was one of them.

She rushed into the palace like a gust of wind.

“What now? What’s happening? Is His Royal Highness in danger?” Lady Northern Feng went up to the empress dowager in a hurry, for the latter looked awful.

The empress dowager seemed to settle down a little after Lady Northern Feng arrived. She forgot about Empress Dugu right away and grabbed Lady Northern Feng’s hand instead.

“Yaya, look! Baby Jun…”

Lady Northern Feng looked up at the screen.

At that moment, Feng Wu had Jun Linyuan tied onto her back and was climbing up the rope.

However, the beast still clung to life, and was trying to sever the rope.

Feng Wu had tied the rope to the beast’s leg, and it was now scraping at the rope with its claw.

Luckily, it was already very weak, or the rope would have been cut already.

However, the thick rope was being picked apart bit by bit… It would break, eventually.

Gradually, the rope wasn’t able to hold the weight of two people.

Everyone in front of the screen realized that if Feng Wu abandoned Jun Linyuan now, she would be able to climb back onto the beast and survive the fall; she wouldn’t, if Jun Linyuan was still on her back.

Seeing Feng Wu begin to untie Jun Linyuan from herself, the empress dowager was furious.

Pointing at Feng Wu, she bellowed in a trembling voice, “What’s she doing? What’s she trying to do?!”

What was Feng Wu going to do?