61: Increasingly intense professional assessment

Qin Yuyan's ice-blue eyes were fixed on Lin Feng and the three figures behind him, whose auras were profound and forms varied. Her voice was filled with incredulous shock.

"Lin Feng?"

This young man, exuding a Silver-level aura, was completely different from the Lin Feng with only a one-star professional talent she remembered!

The huge contrast made her almost doubt her own eyes.

"You're actually Silver-level Tier 1?!"

She simply couldn't connect the young man in front of her with the Lin Feng who had been slacking off in the trial grounds just a few days ago.

Moreover, although the three beings beside him had restrained their auras, their fierce wildness, originating from the Barren World, and their undeniable beast characteristics, instinctively made her feel a hint of vigilance.

Especially the beautiful human form of the Alien Queen after transformation, which Qin Yuyan found surprisingly annoying.

"It's me."

Lin Feng nodded slightly.

"Qin Yuyan, I didn't expect to meet you here."

"Is your Ice Crystal Phoenix... alright?"

His gaze swept over the giant bird, which had recovered its calm and was curiously observing him and the "three beasts" with its ice-blue eyes.

The Ice Crystal Phoenix let out a low cry, tinged with weariness but now clear, and its massive head affectionately rubbed against Qin Yuyan's arm.

"It's stable for now."

Qin Yuyan took a deep breath, her gaze shifting away from the Alien Queen. She suppressed the turmoil in her heart and regained her composure.

She gently patted the Ice Crystal Phoenix's neck, signaling it to rest, but her eyes remained on Lin Feng and his "guards" behind him.

"Just now... thank you for your help. If you hadn't destroyed those 'Heart-Confusing Stones,' Little Ice wouldn't have woken up so quickly."

She pointed to the area that had been pulverized and annihilated by Lin Feng's silver energy blades.

"'Heart-Confusing Stones'?"

Lin Feng caught this unfamiliar term.

"Yes, a special ore that can interfere with the mind and induce pets into a frenzy. It's especially effective on beasts with keen perception."

Qin Yuyan's expression was grave.

"Little Ice's loss of control was only triggered by the Heart-Confusing Stones. More importantly, we discovered a Beastmaster village a day ago."

"A Beastmaster village?"

Lin Feng's heart stirred.

"Yes."

A trace of lingering fear and anger flashed in Qin Yuyan's eyes.

"That village was quite large, with at least one Gold-level early-stage Beastmaster Priest presiding over it."

"They possess a strange mental shock secret technique, specifically targeting the mental connection between a pet and its owner. Little Ice, to protect me, took a full-force blow from the Priest, suffering severe mental damage. During our escape, it was also affected by the fluctuations of the Heart-Confusing Stones, which led to its complete loss of control."

"A Gold-level early-stage Priest..."

Lin Feng mused.

"What about the strength of the other Beastmasters in that village? How did you escape? Have you encountered any other Students in the Barren World? What's their situation?"

Qin Yuyan quickly organized her thoughts.

"Spatial teleportation is random; I've only encountered two groups of Students."

"The first group was near the primeval dense forest. I rescued Zhao Ming and two others who were surrounded by Iron-backed Wolves. They mentioned that their companions were attacked by Beastmasters, and their fates were unknown."

"The second group was yesterday evening, in a valley near that Beastmaster village. I met two female Students from Modu Donghua Middle School, and we discovered at least a dozen captured Students in the Beastmaster village. They were all bound by chains in a place that looked like an altar!"

"We wanted to save them, but guarding the altar was a Gold-level Tier 3 Priest. He stopped our efforts, and in the end, only I managed to escape, only to encounter the 'Heart-Confusing Stones' here..."

She looked at the Ice Crystal Phoenix with a pained expression.

"It's very mentally fragile now and won't be able to fight at high intensity for a short period."

Lin Feng quickly processed the information.

Students were scattered and suffered heavy losses!

The Beastmasters were an organized, powerful, and overtly hostile intelligent race!

They were systematically hunting Students!

This was definitely not just a simple assessment environment... "Could the higher-ups have a deeper meaning in choosing this small world as the examination venue?"

Lin Feng said in a deep voice.

"You next..."

Before Qin Yuyan could finish her sentence, a sudden change occurred!

The Alien Queen, standing behind Lin Feng and maintaining her transformed state, turned her head to look aside.

"A battle?"

Lin Feng instantly understood the Alien Queen's warning.

"Northwest direction, about three kilometers away, intense energy fluctuations!"

The Alien Queen's mental message was directly transmitted into Lin Feng's mind.

"We...!" Lin Feng looked at Qin Yuyan.

But Qin Yuyan had already taken a step, leaping directly onto the Ice Crystal Phoenix's back.

"Saving people is urgent!"

Her voice was firm and decisive, carrying an undeniable urgency.

"Your Ice Crystal Phoenix is still very weak!"

Lin Feng reminded her.

"I know! But it might be our Students over there!"

Qin Yuyan's eyes were resolute, her Ice Crystal Scepter held tightly.

"Little Ice, just a little longer!"

She gently stroked the giant bird's neck. The Ice Crystal Phoenix let out a slightly weak but clear cry, vigorously spread its massive ice-blue wings, stirred up a cold wind, and unhesitatingly soared into the sky towards the northwest!

Lin Feng followed closely, his figure like lightning, moving at high speed through the dense forest with the Alien Queen, Sky-Splitter, and Abyssal Venom.

The three-kilometer distance was covered in an instant.

Passing through a patch of low bushes, the scene before them suddenly opened up—

In a messy clearing in the forest, a young man covered in blood was leaning against a boulder, making his final stand.

His clothes were torn, his body covered in claw marks, his aura weak. He was barely wielding a broken sword, fending off the attacks of seven or eight ferocious demonic wolves surrounding him.

The demonic wolves' eyes glowed with bloodthirsty red light, clearly having already deemed the young man their prey.

"Roar!"

Several demonic wolves pounced simultaneously!

A trace of despair flashed in the young man's eyes.

Just then, a clear phoenix cry tore through the sky!

An ice-blue cold current, like a celestial river pouring down, instantly swept over!

"Crack! Crack!"

The three demonic wolves at the forefront were instantly frozen into ice sculptures!

The biting cold made the other demonic wolves stop in horror, letting out uneasy growls.

An ice-blue figure descended from the sky, landing steadily in front of the young man.

The Ice Crystal Phoenix followed, though its aura was weak and its wings trembled slightly, its ice-blue eyes remained sharp, staring intently at the wolf pack.

"Ring of Frost!"

Qin Yuyan let out a clear shout, slamming her Ice Crystal Scepter heavily onto the ground!

A visible ring of frost rapidly spread out, centered around the Ice Crystal Phoenix!

The remaining demonic wolves were swept by the cold, their movements instantly becoming stiff and slow, and frost condensed on their bodies!

"Roar!"

Just as the wolf pack was controlled by Qin Yuyan, a terrifying shadow, like a ghost, sprang from the woods!

Blade-like sharp claws, with the sound of air being torn apart!

"Pfft!"

"Crack!"

"Bang!"

Blood splattered, bones shattered!

In just one encounter, the remaining five demonic wolves were dismembered and crushed instantly, without even being able to let out a scream!

Dismembered limbs and internal organs were scattered across the ground, and a strong smell of blood instantly permeated the air.

The battle ended in a flash!

Only then did the young man awaken as if from a dream, looking at Qin Yuyan and Sky-Splitter, who had appeared like divine soldiers from the sky.

Then he looked at Lin Feng, who walked out of the distant woods, and the beautiful woman and strong man behind him.

"Th-thank you! I am Chen Xiaohu from Nanling Third High School!"

His voice trembled, filled with gratitude.

Qin Yuyan quickly pulled out a bottle of fragrant healing potion and handed it over.

"Are you alone? Have you met any other Students?"

Chen Xiaohu gulped down the potion, feeling his injuries slightly alleviated and his spirits lifted. Then, his face filled with extreme fear and panic, and his voice changed pitch.

"Something bad has happened! Something really big has happened this time!"

He almost screamed it out.

"A great beast tide!"

"An unprecedented great beast tide has erupted in the Barren World!"

"It's not a natural disaster, it's... it's the Beastmasters!"

"Countless Beastmaster tribes have poured out, driving innumerable beasts, like a tide, searching for us Students throughout the entire small world!"

"They... they are hunting us everywhere! Killing anyone they see, and enslaving those they capture!"

"I... I personally saw several Students torn apart by beast packs! And... and many more were captured by the Beastmasters!"

"They... they seem to want to eliminate all of us!"

"It's over! It's all over!"

Chen Xiaohu's words were like a clap of thunder, striking Qin Yuyan's heart!

A great beast tide!

Beastmasters pouring out!

Total hunt!

Qin Yuyan's face instantly became incredibly grave, her fingers gripping the Ice Crystal Scepter turning white from the effort.

The Ice Crystal Phoenix sensed its owner's emotions and let out a low cry, tinged with weariness and vigilance.

Lin Feng's eyes flashed with a cold glint. The previous intelligence about the Beastmaster village was now completely connected, confirmed, and infinitely amplified by the news Chen Xiaohu brought!

This was no longer sporadic attacks and captures, but a comprehensive and brutal cleansing war, led by the Beastmasters, targeting all foreign Students!