The second trial officially began.
Suddenly, a group of snapping crocodiles barged in.
They were renowned for their powerful bite force, capable of crushing even some hard metals like food.
The others were on high alert, as these snapping crocodiles were no easy foe for them.
Just as things were at their most critical, Situ Ye shouted, "Stop."
The snapping crocodiles instantly froze, remaining motionless.
"You have thirty seconds to prepare. Survive half a shichen in the jaws of these snapping crocodiles, and you'll pass this second trial."
These snapping crocodiles were bred by the Heavenly Demon Sect, with cultivation levels at the early stage of the Golden Core, comparable to the participants in the selection.
However, their number was three times that of the remaining participants, making it unrealistic to kill them all.
So, it was better to think about escaping rather than trying to slay them. Survival was the goal.
Thirty seconds quickly passed, and Situ Ye commanded the snapping crocodiles to attack again.
The others scrambled to escape.
Some were reckless, stubbornly choosing to fight the snapping crocodiles. But the crocodiles had thick skins and impressive defensive abilities.
They could execute countless moves, but a single bite was all it took to end them—that's how outrageously strong their bite force was. They were basically invincible at the same level.
Soon, several people fell to the jaws of the snapping crocodiles.
One of them quickly approached Su Luo and said, "You're Su Luo, right? How about we cooperate? It's hard to survive on our own."
Su Luo gave him a glance and replied, "You have terrible judgment for choosing me."
The man was puzzled. What was wrong with that? In the first trial, Su Luo had been the calmest in the midst of the Netherworld's flames, so his strength must be formidable.
Situ Ye had already given the answer.
"Go, bite him."
He issued the highest level of command.
The snapping crocodiles immediately surrounded Su Luo.
The man beside Su Luo's face turned pale. With this type of encirclement, how could anyone escape?
He finally realized his choice was indeed poor. Cooperation? Even being close to him was dangerous. Goodbye.
He tried to escape through a gap in the encirclement.
But several massive jaws instantly blocked his way, leaving him no room to dodge. He was torn apart and devoured.
The snapping crocodiles continued to charge toward Su Luo.
Su Luo calmly sat down.
"Stop."
As Su Luo's command fell, the snapping crocodiles actually stopped.
After all, if Situ Ye could command these crocodiles, Su Luo could too, with a bit of special skill.
Plus, a small amount of suppression made the snapping crocodiles instinctively fear Su Luo.
In their eyes, Su Luo was like a gigantic demon. Merely looking at him filled them with terror, their instincts screaming danger.
One step closer, and they would die!
Situ Ye was dumbfounded. What did Su Luo do?
"Don't joke around! Bite him to death!"
The snapping crocodiles remained unresponsive.
Situ Ye couldn't understand. Here, he should have the highest authority over the snapping crocodiles.
"Move! You beasts!"
No matter how viciously Situ Ye shouted, nothing happened.
This made him look like a clown, especially with others watching.
Su Luo chuckled and said, "Bite him."
As soon as Su Luo spoke, the snapping crocodiles turned their heads and attacked Situ Ye instead.
"You're asking for it!"
Situ Ye pierced a snapper crocodile with a spear.
But a swarm of snapping crocodiles bit toward him, forcing Situ Ye to dodge.
"Stop!"
Situ Ye killed another, hoping the threat would work, but it didn't.
Then Su Luo had to add some sarcasm: "Situ Demon Lord, these snapping crocodiles are resources of our sect. Killing them like this will cost you dearly."
Indeed, these snapping crocodiles weren't Situ Ye's property. They were temporarily assigned from the sect. If they were killed, it would require compensation.
Situ Ye, clinging to his pride, said, "I can afford it."
But inside, he was bleeding.
If he killed them all, it would take him at least two to three years of unpaid labor.
And he might not even manage to kill them all.
His personal strength was strong, but the snapping crocodiles were a pack.
Situ Ye was already struggling. A single bite would seriously injure him, even if he were quite strong.
"Ah..." Yin Youming sighed and, with a slight move, subdued the snapping crocodiles.
"Alright, the second trial is over. That's it."
Yin Youming was also helpless. What was meant to be a selection had turned into chaos because of Situ Ye.
And Situ Ye directly interfered, resulting in a bad outcome. There was nothing else they could do.
The selection wasn't about being the last one standing, but the best performer. Otherwise, the Heavenly Demon Sect would have no young generation left.
There was still one more trial, but Yin Youming expected Su Luo to become one of the Heavenly Demon Seven.
At this moment, Situ Ye looked very disheveled.
But Su Luo had no intention of pitying Situ Ye.
"So, I won the previous bet, Situ Demon Lord. Give me the Divine Core Pill."
"Humph. You think I'll just give it to you? I won't. I refuse."
Situ Ye stubbornly refused.
Yin Youming chimed in, "Don't be too disgraceful, Situ Ye. Or do you not take me seriously?"
Fine, giving it away wasn't impossible.
Situ Ye finally handed over the Divine Core Pill reluctantly.
"Nice medicine," Su Luo said, holding it to examine a few times, then suddenly dropped it and crushed it underfoot.
“What are you doing!” Situ Ye shouted. That was a precious item he didn't even bear to eat often.
Su Luo addressed those around him, "I don't want it anymore. Whoever wants it, take it."
Although crushed, the medicinal effect still lingered.
The surrounding people were already itching to get it.
"Don't move! Whoever moves, dies," Situ Ye warned.
He wanted to eat it, but he hesitated.
It had fallen to the ground and been stepped on. Eating it himself would be incredibly embarrassing.
Su Luo said, "Friendly reminder, the medicinal effect is almost gone."
Others were eager. If he didn't eat it, I would. I wouldn't mind at all.
In the end, Situ Ye picked up the crushed remains of the Divine Core Pill, shielding himself for a shred of dignity, and finally ate it.
Although everyone knew he ate it.
For others, whether it fell on the ground or even into a latrine, they'd still pick it up, wipe it off, and eat it.
This was a rare Divine Core Pill.
But for Situ Ye, it was utter humiliation. He had eaten Divine Core Pills before.
Yet, leaving it uneaten was equally heartbreaking.
Wait, something was wrong.
An unbearable taste shot straight to his skull.
"Ugh..."
Situ Ye vomited without regard for his image.
Su Luo took out the real Divine Core Pill and said, "I swapped it earlier. Didn't you notice?"
"You!" Situ Ye's lungs were about to burst from anger, but the nauseating sensation left him too weak to do much.
What even was this? What did Su Luo feed him?
Su Luo shook his head. Situ Ye really wasn't much.
He then clenched his fist, crushing the Divine Core Pill into powder.
"Wasting is not good, but your pill, I don't fancy."
"I'll kill you... ugh."
The vomiting continued.
Yin Youming shook his head, fully manipulated and humiliated, Situ Ye was making a terrible spectacle of himself.
At the same time, he couldn't help but have a higher regard for Su Luo. How could he have switched the pills without even Yin Youming noticing?
It seemed Su Luo wasn't as simple as he appeared.
It looked like the spot among the Seven would be his.