Chapter 91 Jiang Zhenhai’s Elimination

Chapter 91: Chapter 91 Jiang Zhenhai’s Elimination

The 2 enormous beasts continued their relentless pursuit.

The Primordial Devouring Beast charged through the golden haze, its massive body radiating terrifying pressure. Behind it, the second beast moved with equally frightening speed, its dark scales reflecting the golden light scattered across the ancient road.

The cultivators ran desperately.

With the formation’s pressure still weighing heavily on them, even breathing had become difficult for some participants. Their legs ached, their spiritual energy continued to drain, and every step required considerable effort.

Yet the beasts showed no intention of slowing down.

Occasionally, one of them would accelerate, forcing the cultivators ahead to scatter slightly as they desperately tried to maintain their distance.

A single mistake could mean elimination.

And nobody knew when that mistake might happen.

Among the surviving participants, Jiang Zhenhai continued running with a serious expression.

As the young master and successor of the Jiang Family, one of the 9 Holy Families, he possessed exceptional talent and had received abundant cultivation resources from his family.

His cultivation had reached Void Refining Realm Level 5, and his Eternal River Physique gave him considerable advantages in controlling and circulating spiritual energy.

Although the increasing pressure had made running more difficult, he was still capable of keeping up.

He had no intention of giving up.

Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted behind him.

Jiang Zhenhai’s expression changed.

He glanced backward and saw the dark-scaled beast surging forward. Its enormous body rapidly closed the distance between them.

His heart tightened.

He immediately shifted his direction, attempting to avoid the beast’s approaching limbs while maintaining his speed.

For a brief moment, he thought he had succeeded.

Then the beast’s massive claw brushed against his shoulder.

Jiang Zhenhai froze.

"What—"

Golden light instantly enveloped his body.

Before he could finish speaking, his figure vanished from the ancient road.

He had not exhausted his spiritual energy.

He had not suffered a serious injury.

He had not even lost the ability to run.

Nevertheless, he had been eliminated.

Inside the ruin, the chase continued as though nothing had happened.

The other cultivators had no time to stop and investigate. The 2 terrifying beasts remained behind them, and anyone who slowed down risked being caught as well.

Far outside the ruin, however, a different scene unfolded.

The elders of the various forces remained gathered around the enormous ancient stone gate, monitoring the situation as best they could.

Since the first group of eliminated participants had returned, the atmosphere had changed considerably. Nobody could dismiss the trial as a simple endurance challenge anymore.

Still, the elders had gradually become accustomed to seeing ordinary cultivators appear in the golden light.

Then another flash erupted.

A young man materialized before the gathered elders.

His clothes were slightly disheveled, and his expression carried unmistakable shock. Yet he stood firmly on his feet, showing no signs of severe injury or exhaustion.

Several elders immediately recognized him.

"Jiang Zhenhai?!"

The exclamation came from one of the Jiang Family’s elders.

The 2 elders responsible for accompanying their young master hurried forward, their faces filled with disbelief.

"Zhenhai, why are you out already?"

"How could you have been eliminated so early?"

Their reactions attracted the attention of everyone nearby.

Jiang Zhenhai was no ordinary participant. He was the young master and successor of the Jiang Family, one of the 9 Holy Families.

His talent and cultivation placed him among the outstanding successors of the major forces gathered inside the ruin.

He was the first Holy Family successor to be eliminated by a beast’s touch.

Even if the trial had become more difficult, he should have been capable of enduring much longer.

Yet he had returned ahead of countless other cultivators.

One of the Jiang Family elders examined him carefully.

"Are you injured?"

"No, Elder."

"Then what happened? Did you run out of spiritual energy? Did you encounter some special restriction?"

Jiang Zhenhai shook his head.

"Neither of those things happened."

The 2 elders exchanged glances.

"Then explain yourself."

Jiang Zhenhai took a breath before answering.

"The beasts inside have changed their behavior. They are no longer merely chasing everyone. They have started touching the participants directly."

He paused briefly, remembering the terrifying moment when the claw had brushed against his shoulder.

"One of the beasts caught me with its claw. The moment it touched me, golden light appeared and transported me outside the trial."

The surrounding elders immediately became attentive.

"Wait. You were eliminated simply because the beast touched you?"

"Yes."

"Even though you were still capable of running?"

"Yes, Elder. I still had enough strength to continue. I wasn’t exhausted, and I hadn’t suffered any serious injuries. But the moment that claw touched me, I was eliminated."

Silence fell over the gathered elders.

The 2 Jiang Family elders stared at him, struggling to accept what they had heard.

One of them finally spoke.

"So the beasts can eliminate participants simply by touching them?"

Jiang Zhenhai nodded solemnly.

"That is what happened to me."

Another elder stepped forward.

"Did the golden light do anything else?"

"My cultivation has decreased by 1 minor level," Jiang Zhenhai replied. "I was at Void Refining Realm Level 5 before entering the trial. Now I’m at Void Refining Realm Level 4."

The revelation caused another stir.

The elders finally understood that the trial’s danger had increased in a way they had not anticipated.

Previously, participants had been eliminated because they could no longer endure the chase or because they had fallen for the traps scattered along the road.

Now, even someone who retained enough strength to continue could be eliminated in an instant.

And the beasts’ touches were not something that could always be predicted or avoided.

"What a terrifying rule!"

"If even a Holy Family’s successor can be eliminated this way, then nobody inside is safe."

"Strength alone won’t guarantee survival anymore."

The discussions spread rapidly among the elders.

The 2 Jiang Family elders remained beside Jiang Zhenhai, their expressions grim. They had entered the ruin expecting their young master to gain valuable opportunities and demonstrate the Jiang Family’s strength.

Instead, he had become the first Holy Family successor to be eliminated by the beasts.

Although he was alive and had suffered no serious injury, the loss of a minor cultivation level was still a setback.

More importantly, his elimination revealed something that every force needed to understand.

The trial was no longer simply testing endurance.

Luck had become a decisive factor.

A cultivator could possess exceptional talent, powerful techniques, and abundant resources, yet still be eliminated because a beast happened to touch them.

Even the strongest successors were vulnerable.

Not far away, Lin Cangyuan observed the commotion without speaking.

His gaze briefly settled on Jiang Zhenhai before shifting toward the ancient stone gate.

He had previously believed that the beasts were maintaining a controlled distance from the cultivators, creating an opportunity for the younger generation to temper themselves through prolonged pursuit.

He had even considered the possibility that the beasts were part of an excellent training arrangement.

Now, however, the situation had changed.

The beasts were actively touching participants, and anyone caught by them would be eliminated regardless of their remaining strength.

Lin Cangyuan shook his head slightly.

It seems my earlier judgment was wrong.

I thought the beasts were merely pushing the youngsters to their limits, giving them an opportunity to temper themselves under pressure. Who would have expected the trial to change like this?

He continued watching the ancient gate for a moment.

Then his expression relaxed.

Still, there is no need to worry too much about those youngsters. They have trained well, and even if the situation becomes dangerous, the Ancestor is still there.

I’ll simply watch and see how long they can last.

With that thought, Lin Cangyuan returned his attention to the ruin.

He had no intention of interfering with the trial. The youngsters had entered to gain experience, and he wanted to see how they would respond to the new danger.

However, he would remain attentive.

After all, although he trusted their abilities, he understood that this trial had become far more unpredictable than he had initially assumed.

Inside the ruin, the surviving cultivators continued running.

The beasts roared behind them, their enormous bodies tearing through the golden haze.

News of Jiang Zhenhai’s elimination had not yet reached those still inside. They could only focus on the immediate danger, trying to avoid the creatures pursuing them.

But the trial had already changed.

The cultivators were no longer running merely to escape exhaustion or resist the formation’s pressure.

They were running because a single touch from either beast could end their participation.

And no matter how powerful they were, none of them could guarantee that they would be lucky enough to avoid the beasts forever.