Because of the name alone, South Fusheng had issued the retreat order without hesitation. Now, they could only race against time.
However, the roars of the Flame Demon Lions also had an unexpected advantage: they acted as a deterrent to other soul beasts. Upon sensing their presence—not just humans, but even soul beasts themselves—would instinctively flee in fear.
All lion-type soul beasts shared one characteristic: they were carnivorous. They didn't just devour humans—other soul beasts were just as much prey to them.
So, as South Fusheng and the others sprinted through the forest, they met with no resistance. Any soul beasts that did appear would turn tail and run the moment they heard the lions' roars or sensed their approach.
But even so, the Flame Demon Lions—creatures born and raised in these dense forests—were still far faster than the team.
In this kind of situation, no amount of coordination or formation could help them.
The slowest runner among them turned out to be Wang Jinxi. Seeing that the lions were closing in, he had no choice but to press his rescue beacon before they caught up.
A flash of light.
Wang Jinxi vanished. The unabsorbed soul energy surrounding him drifted forward, attaching itself to the remaining five.
Next was Gu Yue. Though she could augment herself with wind element, her elemental control-type nature meant her physical capabilities couldn't compare to those of agility-type warriors—or monsters like Tang Wulin, with his freakish natural strength.
She was the second to activate her rescue beacon. However, whether intentional or not, the spiritual energy that drifted off her didn't spread among the team. Instead, it all flowed directly to Tang Wulin, barely dispersing.
"Damn it. Even after leaving, she's playing favorites? Not a shred for the rest of us—she gave it all to Tang Wulin!"
Unlike Tang Wulin and the others who were focused solely on fleeing for their lives, South Fusheng had the leisure to grumble internally about Gu Yue's obvious bias. He was, after all, the most composed of the group—whenever the lions started catching up, he would simply activate his second soul skill: Gate.
With one use, he'd teleport from the rear of the group to the front, then keep running. As the lions closed in again, he'd repeat the cycle.
Of course, he could've long since escaped entirely, but he held himself back to conserve soul power and maintain appearances. After all, their teacher Wu Zhangkong emphasized things like "team bonds" and "camaraderie" above all else.
If he ditched Tang Wulin and the others to run away alone, no matter how much progress he made in the exam, Wu Zhangkong would probably flunk him on the spot.
Besides, sticking together through thick and thin helped build trust with his teammates. Though, come to think of it… "Does this still count as going through hardship together?" South Fusheng mused, watching his teammates sweating and panting with effort.
Fortunately, before Gu Yue had exited the Spirit Ascension Platform, she unleashed her most powerful soul power fusion—an enormous ice storm swept across the terrain, significantly slowing down the lions and allowing South Fusheng and the remaining three to widen the gap.
But as the saying goes, misfortunes never come singly.
Suddenly, sharp cries rang out overhead. A dense cloud of shadows swept down toward the four—it was a massive flock of flying soul beasts!
Azure Birds. And hundreds of them.
"Captain, I've got a crazy idea." Zhang Yangzi suddenly spoke while running. "Those birds… maybe I can lure them down. If they interfere with the lions even a little, it might buy us some time."
"Don't go—it's too dangerous," Tang Wulin said firmly.
Luring airborne soul beasts wasn't easy. One misstep and Zhang Yangzi would be the first to die.
But Zhang Yangzi just grinned, "This is the Spirit Ascension Platform. There's no real danger—worst-case scenario, I get knocked out and wake up shaking for a few days. We've already earned more than enough this run."
"I haven't contributed much to the team. Let me try." Without waiting for a response, he veered off course.
With a flap of his wings, he activated Eagle Soars the Sky, his second soul skill. The explosive surge of soul power launched him straight upward.
"Hey, bird-brains! Grandpa's right here! Let's see if you've got the guts to chase me!" he shouted.
The Azure Birds, though they couldn't understand his words, could see the dense aura of soul energy surrounding him. In an instant, the entire flock exploded into motion, diving after him.
"Come on, dumb birds. Follow me!" Zhang Yangzi called, diving toward the red glows of the approaching Flame Demon Lion pack.
Just before reaching them, he slapped his rescue beacon.
Mission complete.
With a flash of light, Zhang Yangzi vanished. More than ten massive flying soul beasts plummeted into the forest.
The soul energy Zhang Yangzi left behind dispersed into the air, and the birds immediately absorbed it.
Cursed you guys a little, and gave you that much soul energy? Guess you came out ahead… if you manage to survive those lions, that is.
That was Zhang Yangzi's last thought before being forcibly ejected from the platform.
Behind them, the roars and crashing of trees grew fainter.
The pressure on the remaining three eased.
"That was awesome!" Xie Xie couldn't help but shout in admiration.
Giving up his opportunity to absorb more soul energy to create a chance for his teammates—this was what teamwork meant.
"Though… I suspect that guy's spirit power was already at its limit anyway," Xie Xie laughed, picking up his pace again.
Suddenly—bam!
South Fusheng, running right beside Xie Xie, unexpectedly kicked him hard, sending him flying.
"Owww, what the hell—?!" Xie Xie started to protest.
But he didn't finish.
Because he saw it.
South Fusheng's leg was gone. Or more accurately, it had been sliced off.
"Fusheng!" Xie Xie cried out in alarm.
Just then, something flickered.
A flash of dark gold light streaked past and vanished. A chilling aura seized Xie Xie's heart—he instinctively dodged sideways.
Then he froze.
His left arm was gone.
He'd been struck too—but just barely. If South Fusheng hadn't kicked him out of the way, he would've been cut to ribbons.
"Roooaar!!"
With a thunderous growl, a massive figure stepped into view.
It was a towering bear, over three meters tall, covered in dark-golden fur. Its massive arms were like steel pillars, its shoulders like the walls of a fortress.
And at the ends of those arms, deadly, dark-gold claws, each over a meter long.
"Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear," Xie Xie muttered grimly.
"Hit the rescue beacon—now!" South Fusheng shouted, leg severed, clearly in immense pain.
Without hesitation, Xie Xie slammed his beacon.
But Tang Wulin hesitated.
"Wulin, go. I'll hold it off. Don't stand there like a fool—my soul skill is perfect for this situation. When things go bad, I'll activate my beacon. For now, you absorb as much soul energy as you can."
South Fusheng had already guessed exactly what Tang Wulin was thinking. He left him no room to argue, cutting him off and making the decision clear.