The Three Realms Thief Chapter 15

On the playground.

Most people were already in position, just waiting for the monthly exam to begin.

But Yang Xiaobing was running back and forth, attracting the attention of most of the male students.

The blue and white school uniform didn’t look baggy on her; instead, it accentuated a vibrant, youthful spirit.

The fabric fluttered with her steps, revealing a faded red string on her slender, fair wrist.

That was many years ago.

A certain penniless fellow gave her a red string as a birthday gift.

Yang Xiaobing quickly ran back, hastily saying:

“She’s a little angry. Quick, tell me, how will you agree to fight her?”

“As long as we team up, I’ll have a good fight with her after the exam, I won’t run away, absolutely,” Xu Yuan said.

“You’re quite cunning! I’ll go tell her now!”

Yang Xiaobing ran over again.

Xu Yuan watched Yang Xiaobing pulling Jiang Xueyao and talking from a distance, his eyes narrowed.

No way!

Jiang Xueyao’s new sword had just made a sound like a fire explosion.

It must be exclusive equipment for a pay-to-win player!

I’d be crazy to fight you!

Besides.

This exam directly impacts the nightmare-level competition.

In a sense, it even has the power to decide my life and death.

How do I have time to play one-on-one with you?

The best strategy now is to unite all available forces and get the exam rewards!

—Only by getting the highest score will it work!

Yang Xiaobing spoke to Jiang Xueyao in hushed tones for a while.

Jiang Xueyao didn’t say anything.

But Yang Xiaobing didn’t care about that and directly took her hand and walked over.

“Jiang, Goddess Jiang is here—Xu Yuan, are we dreaming?”

Zhao Afei stammered.

“Precisely, we need her contribution,” Xu Yuan said.

As they spoke, the two girls had already walked over.

“Ten times.”

Jiang Xueyao said indifferently.

“Deal,” Xu Yuan said without hesitation.

—I’ll fight her ten times after the monthly exam!

“Okay, I’m in,” Jiang Xueyao said.

“Team-up successful!” Yang Xiaobing cheered, immediately grabbed a talisman, signed all four names, and slapped it with spiritual power.

The talisman immediately flew onto the high platform, landing on the invigilator’s desk.

—There was already a thick stack of talismans on the desk.

These were all the teams that had already formed.

Time quickly came to the moment the exam started.

All third-year high school students held their breath and waited.

The school principal walked onto the stage, cleared his throat, activated his spiritual power, and sent a sound that resonated throughout the entire playground:

“Below.”

“I’ll keep it brief.”

Everyone stood there numbly, listening to more than ten minutes of bewildering speech, in one ear and out the other, drowsy.

Finally.

The principal’s speech sped up, and his tone became excited:

“That’s all I have to say, students. I hope you remain calm and meticulous, and take the examination seriously. Next—”

All third-year high school students looked up, holding their breath and waiting.

—Is the exam about to officially begin?

“Let’s welcome Mr. Zhang Guangshu, Director of the Education Bureau!” the principal announced loudly.

Amid sparse applause.

A plump middle-aged man walked onto the stage, a kind smile on his face, and began:

“Hello, students.”

“In this golden October, we welcome an extremely important examination.”

“Now, I’ll just say a few simple words.”

Everyone stood there blankly, listening to twenty-plus minutes of inscrutable words, in one ear and out the other, feeling sleepy.

No matter what.

Finally, he got to the practical parts.

“Students!”

Zhang Guangshu emphasized his tone.

Most of the students ignored him, still bowing their heads, meditating, adjusting their breath, and waiting for the exam to begin.

Xu Yuan, however, caught a hint of something from the solemn tone.

He looked up toward the high platform.

“With the excavation of various ancient ruins, we have finally made new breakthroughs in Qi Refining (Artifice Refining).”

“—Now, you will be sent by a newly refined artifact into an event from a past era.”

“Of course.”

“This is not a real past era, but a location constructed by the artifact.”

“Everything is real, but everything is fake. You will not die. Please remember this firmly.”

“Our teachers will control everything throughout.”

“Finally, I want to say.”

“Currently, the artifact is unstable, and our technology is not mature enough. We can only have Foundation Establishment Level teachers guard it, but you, Qi Refining Stage students, can fight freely inside.”

“If you discover any valuable information, or secrets unknown to others, please report it immediately.”

“There will be generous rewards!”

“Alright, everyone, please prepare!”

Xu Yuan fell into deep thought.

This method of simulating a past era meant that the civilization he was currently in should be ahead of Earth.

He already knew that the technological civilization of this world was not inferior to Earth’s.

If they could also “simulate an entire past era” in cultivation, then he would have to re-evaluate his understanding.

On the playground.

Sparse applause rang out.

All the third-year high school students felt invigorated.

The monthly exam was about to begin!

Under the supervision of several officials from the Education Bureau, thirty-six teachers simultaneously performed incantations to activate the large array on the playground.

Amidst resonant spiritual power hums.

In front of the reporters’ cameras.

Zhang Guangshu, Director of the Education Bureau, announced loudly:

“The Eight Schools Joint Examination of Jiangnan Province officially begins!”

As his voice faded.

A soaring spiritual light suddenly erupted from the playground, engulfing all third-year high school students, and they disappeared in an instant.

Zhang Guangshu, the Director of the Education Bureau, and the principal stood on the stage, waiting for a while.

“The formation is completely normal!”

“Large-scale soul art is stable and expanding!”

“All students have entered the Zhoutian Instrument!”

Reports came one after another.

Zhang Guangshu let out a long breath, clasped his hands behind his back, and stood in place, observing the operation of the formation.

“Director Zhang, please take a seat.”

The principal said.

“I dare not sit. This exam… I’ll rest after it’s successfully over,” Zhang Guangshu said.

“That’s too much work,” the principal said.

“It’s not just us who are working hard; I’m afraid many people like me are nervously managing the situation.”

Zhang Guangshu said with a bitter smile.

“That person actively brought out the Zhoutian Instrument for use, unfolding this super-large soul art… but would be unhappy because of it?” the principal tentatively asked.

“Don’t discuss it! Definitely don’t stir up trouble!”

Zhang Guangshu’s face turned pale, and he quickly pointed to his ear.

The principal immediately fell silent.

Could a conversation in a school also be overheard?

This was a bit terrifying.

For his own future and life, some things really shouldn’t be discussed anymore.

Indeed.

In today’s era, those who hold power over state affairs are the top cultivators from various factions.

But—

The human kingdom ultimately has its master.

…

Thick smoke drifted in.

Xu Yuan choked a few times before opening his eyes.

“How do we divide the work?”

Jiang Xueyao’s cold voice rang out.

She looked at Yang Xiaobing.

Yang Xiaobing, however, looked at Xu Yuan.

Xu Yuan didn’t rush to speak, but first narrowed his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

Noisy, broken sounds came from all directions, accompanied by shrill screams and cries.

Under the cover of night.

Incomplete shadows flitted rapidly across the tall buildings.

Siren sounds would occasionally ring out, then fall silent.

Boom—

A violent explosion echoed from afar.

The ground and glass shook incessantly.

The frost covering the walls was also shaken off by the explosion, drifting in the air like another sudden snowfall.

Zhao Afei kicked a broken wolf’s head to the side of the road, saying with an irrepressible tone:

“How can it be this event!”

Before he finished speaking.

A distorted human skin slid down the wall to the ground, scurrying on all fours towards the four of them.

Zhao Afei formed the Dan Fire spell seal, directly releasing a burst of flames.

Boom—

The human skin ignited with crackling sounds, burning to ashes in an instant.

“It’s the demon slaughter of Beiyu Frontier City ten years ago!”

Yang Xiaobing immediately said.

“Yes,” Xu Yuan also recalled, “wasn’t this event covered up? Discussion about it isn’t allowed online.”

Human skin, wolf heads, a city of ice and snow, plus the restless spiritual energy in the air.

—This was the hallmark of that event!

Ten years ago.

The demon race and evil creatures united and massacred a human border city.

This incident shocked the entire human world.

It also completely ended the market for isolationists who advocated peace and non-involvement in demon affairs.

The vast war machine of the human world began to operate rapidly.

The three-race war grew more intense with each passing conflict.

“Such an exam content, and it’s an Eight Schools Joint Examination, I dare say it will cause a sensation immediately after it’s over.”

Zhao Afei sighed.

“Even with new Qi Refining (Artifice Refining) technology, a lot of soul cultivators must have been used to construct this exam,” Yang Xiaobing agreed.

To construct a “real” scene, in addition to soul artifacts, soul cultivators’ soul arts are also required.

Such a grand city-destroying event.

Who knows how many soul cultivators were used, and how much wealth was spent, to get everything ready.

“Such exams will only become more common in the future.”

Jiang Xueyao said calmly.

She held her sword, standing amidst the night and the snow, illuminated by the soaring flames in the distance, appearing like a celestial maiden detached from the world.

City-destroying event…

Xu Yuan pondered silently, suddenly feeling something was off.

A scent of burnt wood permeated the air.

Boiling, invisible, and rotten-smelling odors surged from underground, like a swamp, making him feel as though he was sinking.

Fire.

A fire without warmth had ignited somewhere.

He could feel it.

…There was no mistake.

This was the aura that flowed into the human world from “that world” when performing the Tongyou Art, as well as the imagery emanating from the entire ritual.

How could he sense something like this during a monthly exam?

Furthermore—

What exactly was this?

Xu Yuan felt something, and instinctively looked up.

At this instant.

Time seemed to be pressed into mud.

Everything in the world turned into a silent backdrop of flowing water.

He saw a woman with seven or eight long black legs standing on the vertical wall of a nearby skyscraper.

The woman wore a long black dress, her hair like a flowing waterfall, spread across the wall, covering the entire facade.

In the dead silence.

Xu Yuan could almost hear his own heartbeat.

No.

This was not a normal creature.

Nor was it a monster discussed in textbooks.

It gave him an extremely ominous feeling, even more bizarre than the bronze figure scattered in the “other world.”

And it was alive!

As if sensing Xu Yuan’s gaze—

The woman suddenly turned her head to look at him, muttering something soundlessly.

“Transcend me.”

Her voice echoed in Xu Yuan’s ears.

Xu Yuan’s hairs stood on end, and he couldn’t help drawing his long sword, shouting loudly:

“Everyone, be careful…”

This was a completely instinctive reaction.

Xu Yuan even felt his hands shaking.

Scared?

Am I scared?

It’s just an exam, why would such a being appear?

Suddenly—

“What’s wrong with you!”

Zhao Afei slapped him hard, looking up in the direction of his gaze:

“There’s nothing there.”

Xu Yuan said, “How can there be nothing—”

His voice trailed off.

The woman was gone.

Was he just seeing things?

He looked back at Jiang Xueyao and Yang Xiaobing.

Both of them also had bewildered expressions.

“…Did you hear anything just now?” Xu Yuan asked.

“No, what did you find?” Yang Xiaobing countered.

In an instant.

Xu Yuan suddenly smiled, shook his head and said:

“Nothing, I just heard some movement in the distance.”

—The entire city was in ruins, so of course there was movement in the distance.

Various sounds drifted with the wind, making people inexplicably tense.

Everyone heard him and thought nothing of it.

Xu Yuan also breathed a sigh of relief.

Yang Xiaobing was at the third level of Qi Refining, and Jiang Xueyao’s level was unknown, but it had to be higher.

They both hadn’t noticed anything.

Why could I see that woman?

If—

If only he could see that monster, how astonishing that would be.

The pre-competition announcement stated that “observation teams from various parties in the current world are in place.”

Someone was observing the monthly exam!

He must not expose this unknown ability.