122: Challenge over

Look at Andre from the Pretty Country; to dissipate heat in the scorching wilderness, this fellow was swaggering around in a self-made grass skirt, as if this wilderness were his personal fashion show.

When the horn for the fire challenge suddenly sounded, he was still humming an out-of-tune little ditty.

He was happily fantasizing about how to show off his skills in front of the global audience and put on a good performance to earn everyone's admiration.

As a result, the first source of fire appeared unexpectedly right at his feet.

Before he could even react, the flame, like a nimble little snake, quickly darted up the hem of his grass skirt, igniting it in the blink of an eye.

"Ah! Oh my God!" Andre let out a blood-curdling scream like a slaughtered pig. He instantly fell into a panic, his face written with terror.

While stamping his feet frantically in an attempt to shake off the flames, he also slapped at them with his hands, but this panicked action only made the fire burn more vigorously.

He could only scurry around the wilderness like a madman, constantly shouting at the top of his lungs, "Help! Someone save me!"

That comical appearance made him look just like a primitive man on fire, making people unable to resist laughing while also feeling a bit of sympathy.

Meanwhile, the encounter of the contestant Pete from Biru Country was even more tragic.

He had finally found a cave in the wilderness to serve as his Shelter, thinking he could now rest easy and spend his days in the wilderness in peace. He never expected this sudden fire challenge to instantly drive him into a corner.

The first fire source appeared on a pile of dead branches not far from the cave entrance. The dry branches acted like a fuse, and the flames spread rapidly, burning into the cave in an instant.

Pete was choked by the thick smoke, coughing incessantly, and even breathing became difficult.

He frantically grabbed the clothes beside him, trying to swat out the flames, but the air in the cave didn't circulate. The fire grew larger, and billowing smoke filled the entire cave, making it impossible for him to see where he was going.

In extreme panic, Pete felt around for an escape route, but in his confusion, he accidentally tripped over a stone on the ground and fell heavily next to the fire.

The flames instantly engulfed him. He let out a desperate cry that echoed through the empty cave, but in this remote wilderness, no one could hear his plea for help.

Just like that, Pete's life came to an abrupt end in the blazing fire. The Shelter he had personally arranged ultimately became his own grave.

His death left the audience in the livestream room in a state of shock and regret; the screen was filled with laments about the fragility of life and fear of this cruel challenge.

But Pete's death was not an isolated case. As the challenge progressed, more and more contestants met with misfortune in this fire crisis, their lives vanishing in the flames.

Contestants from various countries faced all sorts of problems. Some contestants, unable to find suitable firefighting tools in the wilderness, could only watch helplessly as the fire spread.

Some contestants were so blinded by the thick smoke that they lost their way in the wilderness, bumping around like headless flies; others were injured in the panic and lay on the ground groaning in pain, with no one to rescue them.

By contrast, things seemed much more relaxed for Lu Fan and An Lan.

Relying on their precise grasp of the Heavenly Dao's hints and their tacit cooperation, they successfully extinguished twenty fire sources.

At this moment, they stood by the Spring Eye, enjoying the comfort brought by the cool spring water, their faces beaming with the joy of victory as if this thrilling challenge were just a simple game.

The audience in the livestream room was still immersed in their brilliant firefighting performance, with the barrage comments rolling continuously like a tide, every line expressing admiration for them.

"Great God Lu and Goddess An Lan are simply invincible! This cooperation, this wisdom—it's amazing!"

"Look at them, then look at the other contestants; the gap is just too huge!"

"This challenge is practically Great God Lu's personal show; everyone else has become a foil."

[Wilderness Survival Announcement]

[Congratulations to Chinese contestants Lu Fan and An Lan for completing the challenge]

[Congratulations to Huaguo for completing the challenge]

At this moment, Ling Yue, who was hundreds of miles away, looked bewildered after seeing the announcement.

When the challenge first began, Ling Yue had shown great psychological resilience. Although his firefighting speed couldn't match Lu Fan and An Lan's, he had quickly extinguished three fire sources through his own ability.

Just as he was focusing all his attention on fighting the fourth wave of fire sources, the fire suddenly vanished without a trace.

Immediately after, he heard the announcement that Huaguo had successfully completed the challenge.

For a moment, he felt like a warrior who had drawn his sword only to find no enemies left. His heart was full of praise for Lu Fan and An Lan: "Lu Fan and An Lan... are truly impressive. They are indeed worthy of being our Chinese contestants."

In the livestream room, the audience was also amused by this dramatic scene.

"Wow, Great God Ling Yue totally coasted to victory this time."

"Ling Yue: I have no idea; I hadn't even made a move yet, and it was over."

"Haha, my Huaguo is awesome, no one can defeat us."

[Wilderness Survival Announcement]

[Summer Challenge Ends]

[Below are the countries that failed the challenge]

[Pretty Country, Japan, Elephant Buddha Country, Maple Leaf Country, Oil Country...]

[Punishments for the countries that failed the challenge are descending]

[One hundred fires will randomly appear throughout each country]

[Each country will face three days of extreme high-temperature weather]

[The list of deceased contestants is as follows]

[Rubi Country Contestant Pete]

[Ten thousand people in Rubi Country will be randomly engulfed by fire]

[Kala Country Contestant Nemo]

[Ten thousand people in Kala Country will randomly experience suffocation]

...As the Wilderness Survival Summer Challenge came to an end, the entire world seemed to be divided into two completely different parts.

On one side was Huaguo and other places, cheering and immersed in the joy of victory; on the other side were the failed nations plunged into chaos and disaster.

The punishment for failing the challenge fell heavily like a sword of Damocles, leaving those failed nations in dire straits.

Japan and the Pretty Country were the first to fall into chaos.

When the punishment for failing the challenge descended, these two countries instantly became a chaotic mess. In the streets and alleys of Japan, alarms sounded one after another. The 100 fires appearing randomly across the country were like time bombs, detonating simultaneously in every corner.

Firefighters were urgently mobilized, but faced with such scattered and fierce fires, they were like a group of exhausted ants, rushing everywhere to put out fires but unable to attend to everything at once, completely unable to effectively control the situation.

In a bustling district of Tokyo, a fire source ignited near an old wooden building.

The dry climate and old building materials allowed the fire to spread rapidly. In just a few minutes, the flames leaped onto adjacent houses, and billowing smoke obscured the sky, shrouding the entire district in an atmosphere of terror.

Citizens fled their homes in panic. On the streets, cries, shouts, and car horns intertwined, creating a scene of utter chaos.

"Yamete~ Yamete~"

"Ahhhhh~"

"Someone save me!"

"Ah, damn you Yamamoto, I'm going to kill you."

"Yamamoto, I f*ck your ancestors."

Some people tried to put out the fire with buckets from home, but in the face of the raging inferno, that meager effort was like trying to put out a burning bush with a cup of water, completely unable to stop the fire's spread.

Even the Yasukuni Toilet, which the Japanese revere as a sacred site, started burning from the inside. The memorial tablets of those beasts enshrined there were instantly set ablaze.

"Ahhh~ Help!~"

"What should we do? The shrine-toilet is on fire!~"

At first, those Japanese people only dared to bark like dogs outside; no one dared to rush in to save the fire. It's clear their faith and everything else was just bullsh*t.

And the situation in the Pretty Country was not much better.

Among the skyscrapers of New York, a fire source suddenly ignited at a construction site, instantly setting fire to mountains of construction materials.

Strong winds fanned the flames, and tongues of fire rampaged, swallowing the surrounding scaffolding. Sparks flew everywhere, as if an apocalyptic disaster movie were playing out.

Firefighting helicopters circled in the sky, attempting to spray water to put out the fire, but the strong winds made it difficult for the aircraft to fly steadily. Most of the sprayed water missed the target, failing to effectively suppress the fire.

At the same time, extreme high-temperature weather arrived one after another, and the entire city seemed to have turned into a giant steamer.

The ground temperature was as high as fifty or sixty degrees Celsius. Walking on the street, the soles of shoes could melt on the scorching ground. People suffered miserably under the dual threats of high temperatures and fires.

On the other hand, among the countries with explosive luck, Batan Country was definitely a standout.

The Batan Country contestant Ali had been leisurely sitting on a self-made raft, drifting on the vast sea, enjoying the sea breeze and the sunshine.

When the Summer Challenge began, he was still humming a tune and sunbathing on the raft, completely unaware of the impending crisis.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of fire appeared on the sea surface not far from him; a fire source had descended.

Ali's eyes widened as he watched the ball of fire struggling on the sea surface. Before he could react, something magical happened.

As soon as the fire source touched the seawater, it was as if magic had been cast; it instantly went out, leaving only a wisp of faint blue smoke.

Then, all ten fire sources were extinguished by the seawater. Ali froze for several seconds, then suddenly reacted, jumping up in excitement and shouting: "I succeeded! I actually succeeded! This was way too easy!"

His luck left the audience from other countries incredibly envious and added a touch of drama to this cruel challenge.