On the other side, Su withdrew his hand. After hunting several virtual creatures, he began to sense something was off.
This wave of virtual beasts was unusually powerful—far stronger than what the contestants should be able to handle. Compared to before, their strength had increased at least tenfold.
Where on earth did Yi Beixuan find such a skilled hacker? This level of manipulation was astonishing.
Behind him, Kaziel silently observed Su in action, his brows furrowed. Today was the first time he had witnessed Su Qiluo fight—and he could not deny it, a sense of unease crept into his heart.
Even if he resorted to underhanded means, he was no match for Su Qiluo.
Watching Su eliminate one virtual beast after another with a single strike, Kaziel knew he should be applauding. Yet he found himself unable to feel any joy at all.
"Turn on the livestream."
Su frowned slightly, briefly explained to Kaziel, and immediately pressed the stream device on his wrist.
Sure enough, the moment the stream came on, the audience comment section under Kaziel's livestream was filled with discussions about Mu Qingyun.
Glancing through them, Kaziel turned his head toward Su, surprise deepening in his heart.
So, the virtual beasts they had encountered today had been enhanced. But why was Su still handling them like they were made of paper? It was as if the increase in difficulty had no effect on him whatsoever.
"Let's go," Su said with a frown. He wanted to go help.
"Wait," Kaziel stopped him. "I think we should take down a few more first."
He turned off his stream and waited for Su to do the same before continuing, "If the virtual beasts have really become stronger, Mu Qingyun and the others might not be able to defeat them. There are still 13 left. Let's take down a few more. After all, there are three of them—nothing serious should happen."
Upon hearing this, Su clenched his fists. Although Kaziel's reasoning was sound, he still felt uneasy. What if someone got hurt?
"Make it quick," he said, pulling out a flight device from his storage pouch and strapping it on. Then, grabbing Kaziel by the arm, he flew rapidly across the island.
By midday, Su had defeated 12 of the virtual creatures. Only one remained, but no matter where they searched, they could not find it.
…
Meanwhile, Mu Qingyun was directing Xiong Ruoyou to take multiple sharp turns. After several detours, they finally managed to shake off the three pursuing virtual beasts.
"Whew… that was terrifying," Xiong Ruoyou said, stopping to catch her breath. She set the other two down, glanced behind to confirm no enemies were in sight, and finally relaxed.
Mu Qingyun pressed a hand to her left shoulder, gently prodding the injury. It was clearly dislocated.
Although she was not trained in medicine, she had suffered her share of falls and injuries in her childhood. Medical treatment had always been too expensive, so she had picked up a few simple first-aid techniques.
Gritting her teeth, she grabbed her arm and twisted it sharply. A faint pop echoed—she had successfully reset the dislocation.
"Hss—" A quiet hiss escaped her lips. She rubbed her arm and slowly lowered it.
"Look at our virtual score!" Fan Xuanye suddenly pointed at the number above their heads, eyes widening. "We're just one point away!"
One point?
Mu Qingyun and Xiong Ruoyou looked at each other, then raised their heads. Sure enough, the number above them read 999.
"Was it all Kaziel and Su?" Xiong Ruoyou asked in disbelief. "That's impossible! We were barely surviving while being chased, and they already finished off so many?"
Mu Qingyun was equally stunned. Could Kaziel have been hiding his true strength all along? But that made no sense—when she had fought him before, he had not shown anything that impressive.
"Tch. We're going back," she said through gritted teeth, standing up. "We need to find those three virtual beasts again."
"What?" Xiong Ruoyou frowned in protest. "We just escaped…"
"We are one point away. Just one. If we can kill a single beast, it will be enough," Mu Qingyun replied firmly. She pulled out another piece of "charcoal bait" from her storage pouch, clenching it in her hand as she rose. "We can't beat three, but we might be able to take on one."
"Let's go," Fan Xuanye agreed with her decision and nodded.
Xiong Ruoyou looked at them both and finally sighed in resignation before getting up again.
They retraced their steps. Fortunately, the three virtual beasts were still there.
[This is it! This is the turning point—I am so excited!][Yeah, either Mu-ge and the others make it out… or they die trying.]
…
Outside the simulation island, Yi Beixuan watched Mu Qingyun's stream and chuckled lightly. He turned to the man in black beside him and raised an eyebrow. "Guess what—do you think she'll make it out alive?"
"I think she will," the man replied calmly, fingers dancing over a keyboard. "She may not be able to kill all three, but she should be able to find a way to take down one."
As he spoke, he cleared out all remaining virtual beasts along Su and Kaziel's flight path.
"Then enhance the settings even more," Yi Beixuan said casually, sipping his goji tea with a serene expression.
"No," the man in black refused. "Seriously, why do you keep making things harder for her? Wasn't your original target Su Qiluo?"
Yi Beixuan's gaze dimmed slightly. "My target… is every strong individual."
After a brief pause, he curved his lips into a smile. "But it's fine. Even if Su passes the first round, there is no way he'll pass the second."
The man in black laughed at his words. "You really are vicious and ruthless."
Taking a sip of tea, he added, "But I like it."
…
The three virtual beasts did not expect Mu Qingyun and the others to return. They rose to their feet one by one, eyes blazing as they locked onto their prey.
Their gazes were as if they were staring at a feast already within reach.
"Fan Xuanye, Xiong Ruoyou, lure them away. I will strike from behind," Mu Qingyun said. Her right hand ignited with flames as she retreated into the shadows.
Fan Xuanye and Xiong Ruoyou immediately charged from both flanks, attempting to draw the beasts' attention.
But the creatures ignored them entirely, eyes fixed only on Mu Qingyun, and charged straight toward her.
Tch. How troublesome.
Mu Qingyun's eyes turned cold. She pushed off the ground with explosive force, launching herself like an arrow from a bow.
Flames shot from her hand and struck the leading beast—but it merely lowered its head and shrugged off the attack as if unaffected.
Damn it.
She pulled a laser gun from her storage pouch. Using the fire's momentum, she rushed past the front two beasts, dodging their attacks with agile twists. In a flash, she struck at the eyes of the third beast.
Blood mixed with fluid flowed down its face. Seizing the moment, she plunged her blade into the vulnerable area of its throat.
But just as she launched her attack, one of the other beasts turned toward her. Its claw came crashing down toward her head.
"Mu-ge!" Xiong Ruoyou screamed in panic, hands clenching instinctively. She had seen the strength of these beasts—and a strike like that would be fatal.
Mu Qingyun felt the deadly pressure above her, but she did not flinch or attempt to defend. Her focus remained solely on the final beast's throat.
Victory or defeat… would be decided in this moment.