Chapter 51: Hidden Exam Question

Yun Jiao followed the steps downward and entered, only to discover that the surroundings were pitch-black and filled with a bone-chilling cold. But unlike the deathly cold aura that came from the malicious ghosts she had encountered before, this place’s chill carried a violent and ferocious edge.

She hadn’t walked more than ten meters when darkness completely swallowed her sight. Yun Jiao had no choice but to pull out one of the talisman papers the old man had drawn for her. With a small motion, the talisman flared to life, glowing white and illuminating the space around her.

Only then did she continue forward. The passageway wasn’t wide; it twisted downward endlessly, its end invisible. Along the way, formations filled every corner. Unlike the playful, low-level formations inside the main hall, these were all genuine killing arrays of profound grade, some even layered in complex multi-tiered designs.

The further she went, the more she regretted being so careless during the first exam. This was what an exam was supposed to be like. Thinking back, the test paper she had filled out earlier was practically a joke. For the first time, Yun Jiao deeply reflected on her own attitude—she had underestimated the examination far too much.

She continued down, step by step, heading toward the heart of the formations. Gradually, the icy cold faded away, but the violent aura grew heavier. The air grew hotter and hotter, as if winter had suddenly turned into summer. Faintly, she thought she could even smell a trace of something metallic and foul.

After about ten more minutes, the ground leveled out and stopped sloping downward. The space widened, and the heat pressed against her like a living thing. At last, her way was blocked by a great door. From behind it came the faint sound of something flowing.

It was sealed by multiple overlapping formations. Yun Jiao frowned slightly and studied the door carefully. After about five minutes, she cracked the formations one by one.

With a creaking sound, the door swung open. Bright red light flooded out, illuminating the passage she had come through. The scorching heat surged into every corner.

Yun Jiao squinted against the glare. Looking closely, she found herself facing a vast cavern of molten lava—like the mouth of a volcano. Massive iron chains, thicker than a person’s torso, crisscrossed everywhere. At the very center, on a rocky platform surrounded by lava, countless chains wove together to form a gigantic cocoon.

The entire area was covered with dense, intricate formations and talismans. The arrays were so packed that it seemed there was one every step. Especially around the cocoon of chains, there were countless complex earth-grade formations stacked layer upon layer—many of which Yun Jiao had never even seen before.

She froze mid-step. Several words popped into her mind at once—Big Boss Question!

(⊙_⊙)

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Side Hall

Jiao Heng glanced at the nearly burnt-out timing incense atop the furnace, his brows knotting tightly. He called a disciple over and asked, “That examinee called Yun Jiao—she still hasn’t come out of the hall?”

“No,” the disciple shook his head. “Aside from the very beginning, there’s been no movement inside at all.”

Jiao Heng’s face darkened further.

Elder Shen beside him rose to his feet, patting his shoulder. “Let it go, old friend. Someone truly proficient in formations isn’t so easily found. You should’ve expected that a girl barely in her twenties couldn’t possibly draw a Five-Element Demon-Subduing Array.”

Jiao Heng’s face twisted with anger, feeling completely deceived.

“We should go check on her,” Elder Shen said quickly, seeing how furious he was. “The girl is probably trapped in one of your arrays. If we’re too late, she might end up seriously injured.”

Jiao Heng let out a cold snort, already convinced she had cheated in the first test, which was why she was now clueless and stuck after the sudden change in the second exam question.

“Hmph! People who try to cut corners deserve a lesson!” he said, though he still got up and headed toward the exit.

After all, he was an elder of the Celestial Master Hall. Anger was one thing, but letting someone get hurt wasn’t acceptable. Still, the injustice gnawed at him. He turned to the disciple who had reported earlier and ordered, “Quick, go to the front hall and invite the Hall Master. We’ll all go see this so-called ‘Five-Element Demon-Subduing Array’ together!” His tone was heavy with meaning.

“Yes, Elder!” the disciple responded and hurried off to summon the Hall Master.

Elder Shen didn’t stop him. After all, if she had failed the assessment, that meant she lacked the ability and must have learned the first test question in advance. The Celestial Master Hall’s most important principle was fairness. Something as serious as exam leaks needed the Hall Master to preside over.

The two elders left the side hall and headed straight toward the specially prepared examination ground. They waited at the entrance for a bit before finally seeing Hall Master Xu rush over.

“Have you confirmed it?” Hall Master Xu asked immediately.

The two elders nodded grimly. Jiao Heng, still fuming, pointed forward and said, “It’s been nearly half an incense stick, and she still hasn’t come out.”

The answer was obvious.

Hall Master Xu frowned and sighed. “Let’s go in. We need to ask her where she got the exam question.”

The three of them advanced and pushed the hall doors open with a loud creak.

Elder Jiao, brimming with emotion, stepped in first, expecting to find the girl trapped in his formations. Instead, the hall was empty.

“Where is she?” The three of them looked around but saw no trace of anyone. They turned back to the guide disciple in confusion.

The disciple looked utterly lost and shook his head frantically. “I… I don’t know. I never left. She definitely didn’t come out.”

The three men grew even more puzzled. Had she realized her mistake and fled? But if she hadn’t broken the formations, how could she have escaped?

“Old Jiao, look!” Elder Shen suddenly pointed to the floor. The ground was a mess, with faint marks of something being forcibly broken apart.

“She broke my formations!” Jiao Heng’s eyes flew wide. Shock replaced his anger, and even a touch of excitement crept in. “All of them… she broke all the formations!” he exclaimed. To crack more than a dozen layers of arrays in less than half an hour—this girl really was a genius!

“But… where is she?” Hall Master Xu asked again.

Jiao Heng paused, realization dawning. Right! If she had already broken through, then where had she gone? Could it be that she noticed their deliberate trap and got angry enough to leave? After all, true formation experts were rare and often had proud tempers. A wave of regret washed over him. He wished he hadn’t agreed to this test. Otherwise, he might have had the chance to communicate and learn from her.

While Jiao Heng was lost in speculation, Elder Shen noticed something strange deep inside the hall. “What’s that?” He pointed toward the back, where it was darker and easy to overlook at first glance. “Where did that wall go?”

The three of them froze, then hurried over—only to find a winding passage sloping downward.

“Why is there a hole here?” Jiao Heng blurted out. As he felt the air flowing out, a chill ran down his spine. “This aura… it’s demonic!”

He cried out in shock. How could there be demonic energy in the Celestial Master Hall? Hall Master Xu suddenly stiffened as realization struck him. His face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he shouted loudly:

“Not good! It’s the Mirage Demon in the Fire Prison!”

The moment the words fell, Jiao and Shen’s faces also drained of all color.

(End of Chapter)