Even though Zhao Mu possessed the [Night Vision] skill, he wasn't foolish enough to rush up there.
Firstly, those who could still remain up there definitely had strength; secondly, they must have set traps during the night.
With the leaves so deep, any kind of trap could be hidden on the ground.
Zhao Mu lowered his gaze and began to ponder.
"Once three o'clock hits, the people below the mountain will definitely rush up. Right now, they are waiting on the edge of the Battle Circle."
"The people on the mountain are also holding weapons, waiting to meet the enemy."
"The Golden Elephant City team will definitely come looking for revenge, so the more chaotic the situation is now, the more advantageous it is for me."
"I need to muddy the waters."
Zhao Mu bent down and touched the fallen leaves on the ground.
The fallen leaves on Xiuyun Mountain were piled several layers deep; the surface was dry, but the leaves underneath were still damp.
The fire he had set earlier had gradually died out, but the air around still carried the scent of charcoal.
A mischievous smile appeared at the corner of Zhao Mu's mouth.
"Then let's blow this thing up!"
Soon after, the two groups on the mountain and below were waiting in the darkness for the bell to ring, when suddenly, a fire light flared up in the area marking the Dividing Line.
In the darkness, this fire light was extremely dazzling.
Upon seeing it, someone frowned.
"Someone is setting fire again? Are they trying to overturn the table?"
If the fire spread, everyone on the mountain would likely suffer, and no one would be able to pass the Trial.
"Huh, wait, judging by the location of the fire, the wind is blowing towards the mountain!"
Someone realized the crux of the problem.
That's right, Zhao Mu started the fire, and the ignition point he chose ensured that the wind would blow the flames up towards the mountaintop.
During the summer night, the wind blew in gusts, igniting the dry leaves and branches, quickly turning into a large blaze.
But the fire wasn't enough; accompanying it was billowing, thick smoke!
Zhao Mu intended to use this method to destroy the various traps set by the people on the mountain.
Moreover, he wanted to force them out of their hidden corners and make them fight each other!
As for Zhao Mu himself, he stood upwind, calmly observing everything.
"Whoosh—"
The mountain fire burned too quickly, swiftly leaping up like long snakes.
The dry leaves on the ground were instantly ignited. The group of Trial Participants holding their ground on the mountain had just seen the firelight when the flames reached their feet!
"Damn it! Which hateful bastard used such a vicious method!"
The Trial Participants on the mountain cursed loudly.
If it were just the flames, they would still have ways to resist.
But the thick smoke kept surging up the mountain! They couldn't withstand this stuff at all; their eyes were stinging painfully.
"Cough, cough... this is bad... cough, cough, cough... we have to get out of here quickly!"
This was a mountain fire; even a slight hesitation could result in them being burned to charcoal. Ignoring everything else, they quickly used whatever liquid they could find to wet their clothes, covering their mouths and noses, and ran hard in the opposite direction of the flames and smoke.
The mountaintop suddenly became lively. Some Trial Participants encountered each other halfway, but they ignored fighting—saving their lives was the priority right now.
Inside the Monitoring Room, Zhao Mu's smug expression was clearly seen by Instructor Xie Yingxue and the others.
Instructor Xie Yingxue could barely suppress the smile on her face and nodded repeatedly.
"As expected of the student I favor, his mind is truly sharp! Much better than those guys who only know how to fight with brute force."
Xu Zhixiong next to her, and Zhang Biao outside the Trial Ground, immediately looked displeased.
"Stop beating around the bush when you talk!"
Zhang Biao bared his teeth, his eyelids twitching: "But this kid is too malicious! If he keeps playing like this, he could accidentally burn a whole bunch of Trial Participants to death. No, we absolutely have to change the venue next year. Our consideration was not thorough enough."
Instructor Xie Yingxue said discontentedly, "What nonsense are you talking about? He considered things very carefully."
Instructor Xie Yingxue pointed at the venue and said, "He set two fires. The first fire burned on the mountainside. The trees on the mountainside are dense, and the air is humid at night, so the fire won't spread easily."
"And the second fire, influenced by the wind direction, will only spread around the mountaintop."
"Otherwise, look at him—he wasn't affected at all after setting the fires."
Shao Han frowned, and seeing the ruthless move Zhao Mu employed, he secretly cursed: "That's truly vicious!"
The mountain fire came quickly and left quickly. After the dry leaves on the ground were burned out, they left behind ashes, but the billowing smoke enveloped the entire mountaintop, looking spectacular from a distance.
Zhao Mu hid in the shadows, holding his heavenly halberd, silently waiting.
Soon after, the sounds of fighting rang out on the mountaintop.
However, it wasn't on Zhao Mu's side, but on the other side of the mountain.
Affected by the massive fire, everyone gathered on the opposite side of the mountain.
Once the threat of the flames disappeared, they would focus on dealing with their targets.
As soon as three o'clock arrived, the warning bells rang out "Dong! Dong! Dong!" deafeningly.
All the Trial Participants waiting on the edge of the Battle Circle frantically rushed up the mountain.
Such a narrow area could accommodate even fewer people.
Golden Elephant City led his team and roared, "Brothers, this is the end! We'll push straight through, and whoever we meet, we'll eliminate them together!"
"Also," he gritted his teeth, "keep an eye out for that guy Zhao Mu!"
Originally, his Large Corps of about fifty people was guaranteed to take first place in this Trial.
But Zhao Mu alone had eliminated nearly twenty of them and prevented them from resting properly.
Now that it was three o'clock, they had no choice but to charge up and fight desperately!
"Charge!"
A group of people roared, launching their final assault.
Many people hiding in the darkness rushed toward the summit just like them.
If an encounter occurred between them, it immediately turned into a fierce battle!
Zhao Mu carried his heavenly halberd, leaned against a large tree with his back facing downhill, and quietly waited for prey to take the bait amidst the chaos.
Before long, he really did get a visitor.
Five people: one woman and four men.
Lin Meier and her four followers ascended the mountain from Zhao Mu's direction.
Lin Meier looked at the smoke-shrouded area above and said with a smile, "They are all avoiding the fire, but ascending through the scorched forest is the best choice."
The ground was covered in ashes left by burned vegetation, and some trees were still smoldering, but the trees at the summit were sparse, so the fire could not expand significantly.
Staying here meant there was no risk of being affected by the flames.
A young man stepped forward proactively, puffed out his chest, and said to Sister Meier, "Sister Meier, I'll go scout the path ahead first."
Lin Meier gave him a sweet smile, clapped her hands, and said, "Really, Little Brother Chu Nan? You are so brave. Then I'll trouble you!"
The young man named Chu Nan blushed. "It's nothing!"
As he spoke, he raised a two-handed shield and cautiously probed forward step by step.
Chu Nan thought to himself: "This place just caught fire. How could anyone be lurking nearby? If there is, it must be the person who started the fire."
While he was still thinking, a strong gust of wind suddenly struck from the side.
A shadow wearing black sportswear flashed out of the light and shadow, holding a heavenly halberd, and smashed fiercely towards his back!
Advance Chapters avilable on patreon (Obito_uchiha)