Playing the Fool to Outwit the Tiger

Originally, only Elder Yan Xi was leading the team, but because Lin Xuan had slightly angered Elder Yan Xi, Elder Xuanying was added to the group.

However, this didn’t change much, as Elder Yan Xi remained the primary person in charge.

Before long, Elder Yan Xi led the group to a large mountain.

Although they knew the demon beast army was inside, they weren’t in a rush to confront them immediately.

Since they were already here, they decided to let the newcomers practice on some wild demon beasts and allow the sect members to warm up.

During this process, the clever newcomers were eager to showcase their abilities.

Whenever a beast appeared, it was a race to see who could strike first and fastest.

After all, once inside the sect, not everyone would receive the same resources—it all depended on their performance.

However, some people didn’t compete or rush.

Su Luo, for instance, strolled around as if on a leisurely walk, not even glancing at the demon beasts.

Then there was Li Siyi.

She casually approached an ordinary sect disciple and struck up a conversation.

She even shared her snacks, treating the disciple with a mix of politeness and familiarity.

Su Luo was puzzled. Li Siyi was usually someone who actively sought to stand out.

What was going on this time? Did she have such sharp instincts that she immediately recognized a hidden powerhouse?

Su Luo suddenly recalled that Li Siyi had once mentioned she sometimes dreamed of certain scenes. Could it be that she knew about Nangong Xiyun?

If that was the case, then it made sense.

If Su Luo weren’t destined to play the role of a villain, she would have tried to get close to Nangong Xiyun too.

Unfortunately, she had to rely on herself.

Nangong Xiyun was also curious. She had deliberately dressed plainly, so why was someone approaching her?

She had heard that Li Siyi was one of the top talents in this assessment. Why wasn’t she out there slaying demon beasts to prove herself, but instead chatting with her?

Could Li Siyi have seen through her disguise?

That shouldn’t be possible.

And what did this "Diary Loading" message mean?

Indeed, ever since Nangong Xiyun arrived, she had been seeing an interface that only she could perceive. No one else seemed to notice it.

The interface displayed the words "Diary Loading." She could close or expand it at will, but she had no idea what it was for.

She also had no clue who could have cast such a spell on her.

Although she briefly suspected Li Siyi, a quick assessment of her strength made Nangong Xiyun dismiss the thought.

Having an extra interface appear out of nowhere didn’t frighten Nangong Xiyun. She was confident in her abilities—she hadn’t been defeated in a long time and was almost feeling a bit lonely.

......

“Alright, the Pig Demon army is just ahead. Prepare yourselves, and let’s catch them off guard,” Qin San announced to the sect members and newcomers.

At his words, everyone entered combat mode, weapons at the ready, and buffing spells were cast.

Soon, they encountered the demon beast army.

As soon as the horde of Pig Demons came into view, before anyone could charge forward, Li Siyi unleashed a powerful sword qi strike. It was a full-force attack, sharper and more intense than anything she had done before.

This strike was so strong that even some of the sect members might not have been able to block it.

The other newcomers were stunned. Was this really the level of someone their age?

She hadn’t shown much interest earlier, so they had assumed she wasn’t taking things seriously.

But with this single move, she left the newcomers feeling utterly hopeless.

At the same time, Li Siyi shouted a warning: “Be careful! They’re not ordinary!”

Almost simultaneously, Lin Xuan also spoke with grave seriousness: “They’re strong. Don’t act recklessly!”

As they spoke, Li Siyi’s sword qi struck the Pig Demons.

However, instead of being cleaved in two, the Pig Demons remained standing.

Their outer skin was merely scratched, and beneath it, there was another layer of skin.

The Pig Demons then tore off their disguises, revealing their true forms—Fierce Bear Demons.

Their bodies were pitch black, standing two meters tall, with muscular frames radiating power.

They charged forward, their momentum so intense that the ground seemed to tremble.

The newcomers were terrified, breaking out in cold sweat as they watched the scene unfold.

They also felt a sense of relief.

It was a close call. If not for Li Siyi and Lin Xuan’s warnings, they would have rushed in and met their doom.

The previous demon beasts had been no challenge for the newcomers, so they had assumed the Pig Demons would be the same. They hadn’t expected the enemy to be playing the role of wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Facing a horde of Fierce Bear Demons was beyond the capabilities of both the sect members and the newcomers.

Elder Yan Xi acted decisively.

However, a particularly powerful Fierce Bear Demon leaped out and intercepted Elder Yan Xi.

Elder Xuanying reacted immediately, stepping in to assist Elder Yan Xi.

Yet, after just one exchange, both elders were sent flying.

In their first encounter, the two elders had suffered a setback.

This exceptional Fierce Bear Demon was the Fierce Bear Demon King. He had led his tribe deep into human territory with the goal of slaughtering as many humans as possible.

This time, it seemed he had hit the jackpot.

The Fierce Bear Demon King couldn’t help but grin, though his expression only made him look more menacing.

“Give it your all.”

“I understand.”

When experts clash, they can gauge each other’s strength in an instant.

Elder Yan Xi and Elder Xuanying both understood how formidable the Fierce Bear Demon King was. There was no room for holding back or testing the waters.

Elder Yan Xi leaped into the air, waving his hand to summon a sea of flames that blotted out the sky.

Elder Xuanying split into two, launching a dual assault on the Fierce Bear Demon King.

The Fierce Bear Demon King showed no fear, charging forward to meet them head-on.

His fists clashed with Elder Xuanying’s four hands, and not only did he hold his ground, but he also seemed to gain momentum as the fight progressed.

The Fierce Bear Demon King’s punches were not only immensely powerful but also incredibly fast. Elder Xuanying had already taken several hits.

Meanwhile, Elder Yan Xi’s flames encircled the Fierce Bear Demon King.

Elder Xuanying left his clone to keep the demon king occupied while his true body retreated from the fiery enclosure.

“Contract!” Elder Yan Xi commanded.

The flames rapidly closed in on the Fierce Bear Demon King.

The temperature soared to terrifying levels, and Elder Xuanying’s clone was instantly obliterated. However, the Fierce Bear Demon King endured the attack.

“Is it over?”

“Probably not.”

Elder Yan Xi could sense the Fierce Bear Demon King’s overwhelming strength. It was unlikely that this attack would be enough to finish him.

Sure enough, a hand emerged from the flames, tearing through them.

“Impressive, humans. You’ve even burned off my fur,” the Fierce Bear Demon King remarked, seemingly unharmed aside from losing his fur.

Elder Yan Xi’s expression grew even more serious. That move had been one of his ultimate techniques, and it had failed to defeat the demon king. The situation was becoming dire.

The Fierce Bear Demon King didn’t care about their struggles. His only goal was to kill humans—or be killed by them.

He charged at the two elders again, his fists swelling to twice their size. Against two elders, he needed to bring out his full strength.

Above, the battle between the powerful raged on, while below, the fledglings fought for their lives.

The sect members and newcomers had no time to marvel at the Nascent Soul Realm battle, as the Fierce Bear Demons were already upon them.

The sect members could still hold their own against the Fierce Bear Demons, but they were clearly struggling. After all, not all of them were prodigies, and their strength varied greatly.

The newcomers fared even worse, with some unable to withstand more than three punches.

Lin Xuan quickly took command, organizing them into a defensive formation.

Su Luo, following the script, crouched fearfully within the protective circle.

If she had arrogantly stood in the center, she would likely have been the first to be thrown out.

By pretending to be scared and crouching, she made it harder for others to push her aside.

Meanwhile, Li Siyi fought alone. She knew she wasn’t skilled at commanding others, so she didn’t interfere.

She focused on doing her part.