Flames of Ambition

50: The second part of the first test

Chapter 50: The Second Part of the First Test

After three hours, most of the participants were still exhausted from the earlier gravity-based challenge. Just as they began to rest, the instructor’s voice echoed again through the vast illusion field, signaling the start of the second part of the first test.

Groans and complaints filled the air, but no one dared to disobey.

“You’re all probably tired,” the voice began mockingly. “But that is not an excuse to skip this next phase. Due to the high number of participants who passed the easy route, we need to eliminate three-fourths of the remaining candidates before we proceed to the next round.”

A wave of confusion swept over the examinees.

“There is only one rule,” the voice continued. “Survive for one hour. That’s it. Kill if you want—anyone who dies here will simply be sent out. We don’t care how you survive—use whatever method you want. We’ll be watching. The second half of the first test begins… now.”

Almost instantly, chaos erupted.

Tired and desperate, many examinees began attacking each other without thinking. Blades clashed, elements raged—water, fire, earth, wind—turned the battlefield into a massive, chaotic storm of violence.

Feng Guan Xi, however, stayed still.

Despite the exhaustion, his mind worked fast. He remembered the instructions clearly. Use any method to survive.

Fighting wasn’t the only way.

He grabbed Fan Qingyou by the wrist and pulled her behind a thick stone pillar, hiding their presence using a simple concealment technique they had practiced in secret. The two of them stayed hidden, conserving their energy.

He smirked. “Idiots. They’re too tired to think straight.”

If they had just paused to think, they would have realized that hiding was a valid strategy. No one said they had to fight. But Feng Guan Xi was too selfish to share that thought. Let the others eliminate themselves while he and Fan Qingyou survived quietly.

Back in the observation room, the once cushioned bleachers were now replaced by a sleek, translucent platform overlooking a live feed of the battle zone. The four—Zexel, Feng Zhengying, Fan Yaoli, and Feng Ming Li—stood beside Leng Fu Ting as they observed the madness.

“They’re all so stupid,” Feng Ming Li said, shaking his head. “The rule was clear—they could use any method to survive. Fighting isn’t necessary.”

“Well, most of them are exhausted. Their minds probably didn’t register the full meaning of the rule,” Leng Fu Ting explained calmly. “All they heard was ‘survive.’ The rest got drowned in fatigue and panic.”

The four nodded in agreement.

“Logical,” Fan Yaoli said, watching someone get thrown into a tree.

“What do you think the second official test will be like?” she asked curiously.

“Definitely harder than this,” Feng Zhengying replied. “This is just a filter.”

They continued watching the chaos unfold. The forest battlefield was slowly being torn apart by uncontrolled elemental clashes. Trees burned, rocks shattered, and the ground cracked from the force of attacks. But because the examinees were still drained from the first part, most weren’t fighting at full strength.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a loud buzzer blared across the battlefield. All remaining fighters were instantly paralyzed in place, a strange energy locking them in mid-motion.