Chapter 88
Melee
In the crowd, Jia Wenqing glanced at the man standing next to him and whispered, "Priest, it seems that Mo Fan knows our purpose and he's trying to lure us."
"So what if they're trying to lure us? There are so many people here, all here to snatch the Shadow Beast. Who knows who we are? Even if we go up and snatch it, we won't be exposed." Fu Tianming said through gritted teeth. Although the chances of them being exposed were very small, he was still very unhappy about being led by the nose.
"Yes, this is the closest we've ever come to Mo Fan. He usually hides in the school. If we can bring the Earthly Holy Spring back, the deacon will definitely reward us handsomely."
"Priest, give the order quickly!"
Everyone around looked at the man standing in the center, whether intentionally or unintentionally. He didn't say anything, just stood there quietly, staring coldly at Mo Fan in the center of the crowd.
Mo Fan is quite clever; he actually guessed that we would target him during this assessment. Unfortunately for him, he'll be disappointed. The chaotic crowd won't hinder us; in fact, it might cost him his life.
Just as these Black Vatican followers were wondering why the black-robed priests were delaying in issuing orders, a figure darted through the crowd and suddenly appeared among the group of gray-robed followers without attracting any attention.
"My lord, I have just investigated, and the Shadow Beast's breath does indeed carry the aura of the Earthly Sacred Spring. Mo Fan is right, the Earthly Sacred Spring has indeed been swallowed by the Shadow Beast."
Are the judges nearby?
"Sir, we've confirmed that there are no members of the Inquisition nearby, only school teachers on the perimeter to prevent any accidents. As long as we keep Pearl Academy in the dark, we won't be noticed and can seize the Holy Spring without being exposed," said a Black Vatican member disguised as a student.
The black-robed priest nodded and said, "Let them make their move first, then find an opportunity to seize the Shadow Beast for me. Remember, under no circumstances should the power of the Holy See be used without my order!"
"receive!"
The group of gray-clad cultists, disguised as students of Pearl Academy, quietly dispersed and disappeared into the crowd in an instant.
……
Mo Fan glanced around again, and still no one was willing to be the first to step forward.
Suddenly, Mo Fan spotted a slightly familiar face. He immediately put on an innocent smile and led the Shadow Beast toward it, saying, "Luo Song, it's you. I was competing with you for a spot during the entrance exam, making you come all this way for nothing. Consider this Shadow Beast my apology."
Mo Fan didn't even wait for Luo Song to refuse before shoving the chain around the Shadow Beast's neck into Luo Song's hand.
"Oh, by the way, remember to return my bottle of spring water. It doesn't count as a gift to you." After saying that, Mo Fan left without looking back, showing no lingering affection for the Shadow Beast.
At this moment, Luo Song was going crazy. In front of everyone, Mo Fan was shoving the Shadow Beast into his hands. Was he trying to apologize? This was practically trying to kill him, making him the target of everyone's attacks. What a vicious mind Mo Fan had!
"Go!"
"Take it!"
"The Shadow Beast should be obtained by the capable, not through a shameful transaction!"
In an instant, all the students went crazy and rushed towards the Shadow Beast.
However, Luo Song and Shen Mingxiao were not to be trifled with either.
Although they were driven crazy by Mo Fan's bizarre behavior, they had already begun to draw star maps once they confirmed that Mo Fan was really going to send the Shadow Beast.
As the other trainees rushed toward them, a magnificent ice-white star map appeared beneath Luo Song's legs, and an extreme chill rapidly spread outwards from his feet.
"Ice Lock - Vast Wilderness!"
With a loud shout from Luo Song, the frozen ground suddenly cracked open, and thick ice chains flew out from the cracks, sweeping towards the students rushing towards them.
In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen students were slammed to the ground by the ice chains controlled by Rosson before they could even cast their spells, and they immediately lost consciousness.
This was only because Rosson showed mercy. If he had been more ruthless and frozen all of them, they might have all frozen to death by the time the battle ended.
However, Luo Song's leniency did not stop the other trainees from advancing. On the contrary, it made them feel that he dared not be ruthless, and more and more people rushed towards them.
"Wind Discharge - Tornado!"
Just as everyone was about to approach the Shadow Beast, Shen Mingxiao also released a spell. The violent whirlwind instantly swept all the students rushing over into the air, and then crashed heavily to the ground.
In an instant, the sounds of thuds as people hit the ground and the screams of the trainees filled the air.
"Although you can control the force of magic and avoid killing people, there are so many students present, and accidents are bound to happen in the chaos."
"Besides, the school has made it clear that unless the evidence is conclusive, the students will be solely responsible for any injuries or deaths that occur during the struggle. So, everyone, please don't act impulsively. It would be such a pity if someone were to die by accident. You're all so young, and there are so many things you haven't experienced yet," Shen Mingxiao said coldly.
In an instant, those students who felt their strength was still somewhat lacking all stepped back.
They all came here thinking they had obtained exclusive information, but they didn't expect that Mo Fan's publicity was so widespread that it attracted so many people to come here.
At first, everyone was hoping for the best, thinking, why couldn't they be the ones who got to snatch the Shadow Beast?
Seeing what just happened made everyone realize that even if they are still on campus and haven't entered society, they can still be in danger if they don't clearly understand their own abilities.
Seeing that many students had been persuaded to quit, Shen Mingxiao, Luo Song, and three other team members quickly controlled the Shadow Beast and protected it tightly behind them.
The other teams, whose strength was similar to Shen Mingxiao's team, stepped forward, ready to compete with Shen Mingxiao and his group for the Shadow Beast.
The black-clad priests of the Black Vatican, hiding in the crowd, looked at the scene before them and their expressions instantly turned ugly.
With so many people before, it would have been easy for them to take advantage of the chaos. But after Shen Mingxiao's outburst, only a few teams dared to make a move. If they did, what difference would it make from exposing themselves to the crowd?
The black-clad priest activated his communication device and immediately issued orders to all the Black Vatican members present.
"We can't let the crowd disperse. We must immediately create chaos and throw everyone into disarray."