"Hahaha, don't worry! With me, Gao Lan, around, I promise you won't die from the fall!"
A hearty laugh rang out amid the howling wind as Gao Lan landed gracefully on a narrow platform jutting from the steep cliff face—swift as a hunting hawk.
He spread his arms wide, his face alight with unbridled delight. Wind whipped strands of hair across his forehead, as if this deadly plummet were nothing more than an exciting amusement ride.
If he knew the witch they were hunting was currently hiding inside Bai Hao's body, would he still be laughing so freely?
They soon steadied themselves on the cliff platform. Above them, two thick but gnarled vines swayed precariously in the wind, with a male and female student trapped there—unable to move forward or backward.
The boy hung upside down in a thoroughly undignified position, only one ankle wrapped tightly around a vine, his entire body teetering on the edge of falling. The girl, her face pale as paper, clung desperately to the vine's main stem, screaming with every gust of wind.
From their predicament, it was clear the boy had tried to be clever and take a shortcut via this "dangerous path," ultimately getting his companion stuck too—and landing them both in this heart-stopping cliffside ordeal.
"What a sorry sight you are, young man."
Gao Lan looked at the upside-down boy with obvious amusement, his words sharp as blades. "Quite a unique look you've got there! Making such a mess in front of a girl—this must be a total social disaster, right? After the martial arts exam, you two will probably go your separate ways for good."
His boisterous laughter echoed across the empty cliffs, brimming with schadenfreude. It was clear Gao Lan enjoyed making sarcastic jabs at others.
Still, for all his sharp tongue, he stepped forward and saved them.
Once freed, the boy's face flushed bright red—like a pig's liver. He hung his head low, wishing he could vanish into the ground. He felt no gratitude for Gao Lan's "help"; instead, he felt as if he'd been stripped bare in public, filled with shame and anger.
Gao Lan paid him no mind, gesturing toward a distant mountain hollow. "See that spot over there? That's one of the secret realm's emergency evacuation exits! Hurry there, and you'll be safe."
Watching the boy's embarrassed, flushed face, Bai Hao thought that for him, this rescue felt more like a form of torture.
Before anyone could object, Gao Lan pulled a nylon rope from somewhere and tied Bai Hao and the boy together. Then, placing his other hand on the girl's shoulder, he jumped down to the flat ground below.
Having learned his lesson from before, Bai Hao had adapted much better this time and didn't overreact. As for the other two students? It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were nearly scared to death.
"Oh? Not bad—you've already gotten used to this?"
Gao Lan smiled, looking at Bai Hao's calm expression with some surprise.
"You said nothing would happen, so I trust you."
Bai Hao's voice was steady, though he secretly wished he could kick the man in the face. Did he have to scream and wail to make Gao Lan happy?
"Boring, so boring!"
Gao Lan untied the rope, then spoke slowly. "See that? That's one of the realm's exits. You'll be safe once you go through it."
Having just survived what felt like a brush with death, the girl had finally regained her composure—but her face filled with panic at his words. "But... but we haven't earned enough points for the martial arts exam yet! If we leave now, we'll have no chance of getting into Psionic University!"
Resentment gleamed in her eyes.
Gao Lan's carefree expression vanished instantly. His brows furrowed, and his voice turned cold as ice:
"Which is more important—your life, or that acceptance letter?!"
"This secret realm is in complete chaos right now! You've only just awakened your abilities; you haven't even scratched the surface of what's possible. Staying here would make you nothing more than cannon fodder!
"If you fail the exam, you can try again next year. But if you lose your life, it's over for good! Do you think you can start fresh in your next life?
"If you want to live, get out of here—now!"
Before he finished speaking, his figure shot across to the other side of the cliff like an arrow, moving so fast only afterimages remained.
Bai Hao glanced toward the exit but made no move to leave.
If he, like everyone else, had no idea what was really happening inside the realm, leaving would be the smart choice. But right now, the greatest danger was inside his own body—so leaving or staying no longer mattered.
Of course, the biggest reason was that he refused to waste this precious chance to be in the secret realm. Leaving would mean missing out on free resources and the opportunity to boost his physical abilities.
"Honey! He's right!"
The still-shaken boy grabbed the girl's hand and pleaded urgently. "As long as we're alive, we have hope! Even if we don't get into university, we can still go to a good psionic college! With our Earth-grade talents, we'll definitely get into their top classes—our future might not be worse than if we'd gone to university!"
It was clear the two were in a relationship.
The girl looked visibly swayed. "What you say makes sense, but I just can't bring myself to give up! We're both Earth-grade talents—if we hadn't been stuck on that cliff for so long, we'd probably have enough points by now... The exam determines our whole lives. I don't want to throw it away like this."
Seeing his words were having an effect, the boy quickly nudged Bai Hao and whispered, "Bro, could you help me persuade her?"
Bai Hao was caught off guard—being called "brother" by someone whose soul was far younger than his own felt a bit odd. Still, out of kindness, he nodded and said, "Yeah, I think a psionic university isn't necessarily better than a psionic junior college."
Boy: ? ? ?
"Uh... sorry, I misspoke. What I mean is, psionic university isn't the only path forward. A good psionic college can also lead to a bright future."
Finally, the girl was convinced. She nodded helplessly.
"Alright, let's go. The explosion was really loud—whatever's happening is definitely beyond us newly awakened superhumans."
The boy looked as if he'd been granted a reprieve. Tears of gratitude welled in his eyes as he said to Bai Hao, "Thanks, bro! I don't know how I would've convinced her without you. Let's leave together—I'll properly thank you once we're out!"
Bai Hao waved his hand to decline. "No need for thanks—it was just a small thing."
With that, he turned and walked away.
"Hey! Bro, you're going the wrong way! The exit is over there!"
The boy called out hastily. The girl chimed in, "Yeah, don't head the wrong direction!"
Bai Hao paused, turning back to look at them. "Who said I was leaving? Psionic colleges are good, but universities offer so much more opportunity and resources for me."
After all—psionic university students get generous scholarships, while junior college students have to pay their own way. He could barely afford to eat as it was; why would he choose a college?
The boy and girl stared at him, stunned—their mouths hanging open, their minds seemingly short-circuiting from his logic. Bai Hao's words had practically overloaded their brains.
Was that really the reason?
As they hesitated, another massive explosion boomed in the distance. Terrified, they didn't dare linger—hurrying toward the exit as fast as they could.
In the Sea of Consciousness
"Foolish beyond belief!"
Deep within the spiritual bond mark, Elisa's thoughts were cold and sharp—filled with impatience and a flicker of helpless rage at being bound to him. "I'm not the only assassin in this secret realm! The killers sent by the various races are no ordinary warriors! With your strength—weaker than an ant's—staying here is suicide!"
She wasn't truly worried about Bai Hao's safety; she was afraid that if he died, she'd lose her temporary hiding place. Then she'd have nowhere left to run, and death would be inevitable.
Are the people you mentioned their rivals?
Bai Hao watched Gao Lan dart between cliffs, rescuing more students. He spoke to himself:
"The others aren't worth fearing, but that Spirit Emperor realm woman—she's probably stronger than anyone else here. A mere Emperor-grade talent wouldn't be important enough for the races to send a Spirit Emperor to kill them."
A Spirit Emperor level expert...
Bai Hao hadn't expected the beautiful mature woman he'd met earlier to be such a formidable figure. Ordinary people only ever saw such powerful beings on the internet or television.
"Then it's settled. As long as she's here, the secret realm is under control. And with you by my side, what do I have to fear for my safety?"
Bai Hao chuckled. Now, he and Elisa were in the same boat—if she wanted to live, she'd have to protect him. With her help, even if they were outmatched, they could hold on until the powerful Spirit Emperor arrived.
"..."
Silence descended from within the mark—cold and heavy.
Elisa had no desire to deal with this stubborn, unreasonable fool who was even using her to ensure his own survival.
Anger, humiliation, helplessness...
After the rush of emotions passed, all that remained was a low, tightly suppressed curse—followed by dead silence.