34: It turns out he was an older student.

"Don't just stand there!" Jiang Donghua shouted as he ran.

"You two are in charge of shouting for help! Hurry!"

Liu Yuting was jostled until she was dizzy. Hearing his words, she instinctively screamed.

"H-help meee!"

Liu Mingyu's voice trembled from being shaken.

"Th-there's a demonic beast—"

This wailing and howling immediately drew the attention of several nearby teams.

A student carrying a long spear flashed out from behind a tree, frowning as he snapped.

"What are you screaming about?!"

Jiang Donghua didn't stop, rushing past the student while gripping the two others, yet he still managed to reply.

"A Two-Star Dou Master level Crimson Flame Demonic Tiger! Run if you value your life!"

The student's expression instantly changed. Just as he was about to press for details, he heard an earth-shattering roar from the distance, and the hot air current even lifted the corner of his clothes.

"Damn it!"

He didn't hesitate, turning around and running immediately.

"Hold on! Reinforcements will be here soon!"

The Eyeglasses Youth wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, holding his broken bow horizontally across his chest, his voice hoarse but firm.

The Giant Axe Strongman spat out a mouthful of blood foam, the axe blade carving a charred mark on the ground.

"Damn it, why does this beast get fiercer the more we fight it!"

The Crimson Flame Demonic Tiger was enveloped in strange black and red flames, and every pounce carried a scorching wave of heat.

The Stern Youth crossed his twin blades to block, but a single claw swipe sent him flying backward. His back hit the tree trunk heavily, and he let out a muffled groan.

A light blue barrier condensed on the girl's fingertips, barely managing to block a pillar of fire, but the barrier instantly became covered in cracks.

The roar of the Crimson Flame Demonic Tiger shook the leaves down, and the black and red flames surrounding it scorched the surrounding vegetation yellow.

The Eyeglasses Youth and the three others stood back-to-back in a circle, every person injured.

"Hold on! Didn't those three guys go to call for help?"

The Giant Axe Strongman was panting heavily, and several cracks had already appeared on his axe blade.

The Stern Youth crossed his twin blades.

"Watch out for the left side! Its flames are strange!"

Just then, a rustling sound came from the distant bushes.

A student holding a long bow peeked out.

"Holy crap! There really is a Two-Star Dou Master demonic beast?!"

Without a word, he drew his bow and shot. The arrow, carrying light blue Dou Qi, flew straight toward the demonic tiger's eyes.

The demonic tiger roared in pain, turning its head and pouncing toward the direction the arrow had come from.

"A chance!" The Eyeglasses Youth's eyes lit up.

"Distract its attention!"

Soon, all the students in the entire area were alarmed.

Some refused to believe it and insisted on investigating, while others ran for their lives without a second thought.

For a time, the forest was chaotic, and the scene devolved into complete disorder.

"Brother Donghua... I-I'm going to throw up..."

Liu Yuting's small face was pale from being bounced around.

Only then did Jiang Donghua slow his steps, put the two down, glance back at the chaotic scene, and flash a grin.

"See? Didn't we call for reinforcements successfully?"

Liu Mingyu leaned against a tree trunk, retched twice, and weakly gave a thumbs-up.

"Brilliant... truly brilliant!"

More and more students were drawn by the commotion.

At first, there were only three or five, hiding in the distance and firing sneak attacks.

Gradually, the number increased to over ten, and some began trying to engage in close-quarters restraint.

"Don't panic, everyone! Form a battle array!"

A Senior Student commanded loudly.

"Those above Five-Star Dou Zhe, follow me for the frontal restraint. Everyone else, provide remote support!"

The demonic tiger was caught off guard by this sudden encirclement.

It angrily swung its tail, sending two rash students flying, but it was quickly overwhelmed by even more attacks.

"It's working! Keep going!"

The Giant Axe Strongman shouted excitedly, taking the opportunity to hack his axe onto the demonic tiger's hind leg.

Liu Mingyu and Liu Yuting followed Jiang Donghua, hiding behind the crowd.

"Brother Donghua, should we also—"

"Don't rush." Jiang Donghua narrowed his eyes, observing the battle.

"Let those experts wear it down first. See? Its movements are already slowing down."

Sure enough, as the number of attackers increased, the wounds on the demonic tiger's body multiplied.

It stood up on its hind legs in a furious rage, trying to launch a final strike, but dozens of streams of Dou Qi simultaneously struck its chest.

"Boom!"

Accompanied by a deafening explosion, the demonic tiger's massive body finally crashed to the ground, kicking up dust everywhere.

The field fell silent, followed by an earth-shattering burst of cheers.

"My God! We took down a Two-Star Dou Master level demonic beast!"

As the demonic tiger crashed down, the tense atmosphere in the field finally relaxed.

Many students simply collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily, while others excitedly high-fived each other in celebration.

The three of them—Jiang Donghua, Liu Mingyu, and Liu Yuting—stood on the edge of the crowd. Liu Mingyu suddenly burst out laughing.

"Brother Donghua, look, the way those people are looking at us is different now."

Indeed, the students who had previously looked at them with disdain were now occasionally glancing over.

The student carrying the long spear even walked over proactively and patted Jiang Donghua's shoulder.

"Brother, thanks to you guys for the timely warning. That movement technique is impressive!"

Jiang Donghua grinned, intentionally raising his voice.

"Not at all, not at all. The ability to run for your life still needs practice. After all, only by living can we continue cultivating!"

This drew a round of good-natured laughter. Even the burly student from before walked over, scratching his head and saying awkwardly.

"Uh, before, I didn't recognize true talent. Your coordination really is something."

Liu Yuting covered her mouth, secretly smiling.

Just then, the Eyeglasses Youth and the three others walked over, supporting each other. The Giant Axe Strongman had makeshift bandages wrapped around his chest that were still bleeding, but he was the first to speak.

"Hey! You kid over there!"

Jiang Donghua turned around, seeing that although the four looked ragged, their eyes held a hint of approval.

"Not bad," the Eyeglasses Youth said, pushing up his cracked glasses frame, his voice weak but sincere.

"If you hadn't promptly called so many people over, the four of us might have ended up dying here today."

Although the Stern Youth didn't speak, he nodded slightly. The girl who had been silent was curiously examining Liu Yuting's ice crystal pendant, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

The Giant Axe Strongman laughed heartily, but it pulled at his wound, making him grimace in pain.

"Hiss—damn it! But it was worth it! Kid, your ability to escape is truly unparalleled! Scarface Li is impressed!"

"Scarface Li?" Liu Mingyu repeated subconsciously.

"That's right!" The Strongman patted his chest.

"Li Tieshan, because of this scar, everyone calls me Scarface Li."

He pointed to the hideous scar on his left cheek.

"I got it last year in the Trial Zone, scratched by a Wind Blade Wolf."

The Eyeglasses Youth smiled slightly. "Chen Mo, Five-Star Dou Zhe."

He pointed to the Stern Youth beside him. "This is Ye Han."

Then he pointed to the girl. "My younger sister, Chen Yuqing."

Jiang Donghua raised an eyebrow. "A brother-sister team? Interesting."

He also introduced himself generously. "Jiang Donghua, Two-Star Dou Zhe. These are the siblings Liu Mingyu and Liu Yuting."

Chen Yuqing suddenly spoke, her voice clear. "Your coordination is very good."

She pointed to Liu Yuting's pendant. "That is very special."

Liu Yuting subconsciously gripped the pendant, smiling shyly.

Ye Han suddenly spoke. "Your movement technique is indeed remarkable."

He rarely spoke so many words. "To be able to remain calm under those circumstances is rare."

Scarface Li casually draped his arm over Jiang Donghua's shoulder.

"Kid, let's team up sometime! Your warning ability is even more effective than the demonic beasts raised by the academy!"

Chen Mo cleared his throat. "But next time, could you maybe not run so fast? At least give us a heads-up."

Jiang Donghua scratched his head awkwardly. "Well... the situation was urgent back then, and besides~"

He winked slyly. "Didn't I just trust that with your strength, everyone could definitely hold out until reinforcements arrived!"

This drew another round of laughter. Even the perpetually stern Ye Han's lips curved slightly upward.

Just before leaving, Scarface Li looked back and shouted.

"Hey, Jiang Donghua! Next time the Trial Zone opens, let's team up! I'm impressed by your ability to run for your life!"

Jiang Donghua smiled and waved, watching them leave.

Liu Mingyu leaned over and whispered.

"Brother Donghua, the strength of those guys isn't weak, especially that Chen Mo; he's actually a Five-Star Dou Zhe."

Liu Yuting also nodded.

"And they seem very concerned about the abnormality of the demonic beast. Maybe they know something."

Jiang Donghua pondered for a moment, then said.

"They shouldn't be New Students. Judging by their strength and coordination, they are likely last year's students, currently executing a tutor's mission."

"No wonder." Liu Mingyu suddenly understood.

"I knew it. How could there be so many high-star Dou Practitioners among the New Students? In our batch, reaching Two or Three Stars is already considered top-tier."

Jiang Donghua narrowed his eyes, looking toward the depths of the Trial Zone.

"The problem is, a demonic beast of this level should have been cleared out by the tutors already. How did one slip through?"

Liu Yuting clutched her ice crystal pendant, whispering.

"Could it be... that someone intentionally released it?"

The three exchanged glances, seeing a hint of solemnity in each other's eyes.

"In short, things haven't been peaceful here recently."

Jiang Donghua withdrew his gaze and patted both of their shoulders.

"Let's head back to the academy first. We shouldn't stay in this place any longer."

The three walked back along the forest path. In the distance, several tutors were rushing over, solemnly sealing off the entrance to the Trial Zone.