The pressure came suddenly.
The moment Fang Ming stepped into Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, his body stiffened slightly. It was as if an invisible mountain pressed down on him, examining whether he had the right to enter.
Beside him, Ma Hong Yun's face went pale.
"Master…"
The pressure vanished.
The world changed.
Fang Ming stood on an island in the middle of a clear lake. The sky above was blue, the lake rippled gently, and distant mountain shadows were hidden behind faint mist.
The guest token in his hand melted into cold iron liquid and flowed between his fingers.
Single use.
Fang Ming shook off the remaining liquid.
Beside him were Hei Lou Lan, several Hei tribe elders, and Ma Hong Yun, who was still looking around nervously.
Hei Lou Lan pointed toward another island not far away.
"This is the fifty-fourth round. Brother Fang Ming, that is the problem."
Fang Ming looked over.
On the other island was a group of water snake lions.
Their bodies were covered in smooth blue fur. Their limbs had webbed feet, and their tails were poisonous snakes coiled over their backs, hissing softly.
At the same time, information entered Fang Ming's mind.
Use the hedgehog fish around this island to break through the water snake lions' defense and occupy the opposite island.
Fang Ming lowered his gaze.
In the jade-blue water surrounding their island, shadows of hedgehog fish moved beneath the surface.
A Hei tribe elder sighed. "These are both ancient beast species. Water snake lions are very strong. One can fight several hedgehog fish alone."
Another elder added, "The number of hedgehog fish is only about twice that of the water snake lions. This round is unfair. Lord tribe leader has already failed several times."
Hei Lou Lan laughed. "No pressure, Brother Fang Ming. We are only here to try."
Fang Ming did not respond immediately.
His goal was not simply passing.
He had already learned the rules.
Low-grade evaluation gave the smallest reward and moved them forward.
Middle-grade evaluation gave better reward and information about the next round.
High-grade evaluation would send the challenger into the treasure room.
That was his target.
Fang Ming glanced briefly at Ma Hong Yun.
Ma Hong Yun stood behind him, still confused. This fellow did not know that he carried heaven-defying fortune. He did not know that his existence alone was already a weapon.
Fang Ming looked back at the lake.
"Begin."
Hei Lou Lan raised the owner token.
Ripples formed in the air.
Dozens of fish enslavement Gu appeared, from Rank one to Rank three.
They flew toward Fang Ming.
Fang Ming refined them immediately.
The Hei tribe Gu Masters watched closely.
Some were doubtful.
Some were curious.
Some secretly wondered whether Fang Ming's enslavement skill with eagles could be applied to fish.
Fang Ming waved his hand.
The fish enslavement Gu flew out in streaks of light.
The hedgehog fish group submitted almost instantly.
Not a single failure.
The Hei tribe Gu Masters' expressions changed.
"So fast?"
"He enslaved them all at once?"
"Even Hei Qi Sheng would need to proceed one by one…"
Ma Hong Yun's eyes widened. "Master, you already controlled them?"
Fang Ming said calmly, "Eagles are prouder than fish."
He had spent too much time dealing with flying beasts.
Eagles were fierce, arrogant, and strong-willed. Even after suppression, they resisted. Their pride was carved into their bones.
Compared to them, these hedgehog fish were simple.
The water snake lions noticed the movement. Their lion heads roared, and their snake tails hissed. Several jumped into the water, forming a defensive line around their island.
Fang Ming did not attack.
The hedgehog fish only began swimming around the surrounding waters.
They spread out, circled, gathered, then scattered again.
Time passed.
The Hei tribe elders frowned.
"What is he doing?"
"Is he getting familiar with the fish group?"
"The time limit is short…"
Hei Lou Lan also grew slightly anxious. "Brother Fang Ming, there is not much time."
Fang Ming said, "No rush."
Ma Hong Yun looked from the fish to the lions, then whispered, "Master, shouldn't we attack?"
Fang Ming replied, "If the enemy is guarding tightly, let them stop guarding."
Ma Hong Yun did not understand, but nodded as if he did.
More time passed.
The water snake lions saw that the hedgehog fish were not attacking. Gradually, some of them relaxed. A few crawled back onto the island. The old lion king even lowered its body, appearing lazy again.
The Hei tribe Gu Masters became disappointed.
They thought Fang Ming had wasted the chance.
But Fang Ming's eyes remained calm.
The hedgehog fish continued moving through the lake.
Not fighting.
Scouting.
Testing currents.
Searching for terrain.
Then Fang Ming found it.
A hidden whirlpool.
It was not obvious from the surface. The water only moved slightly differently there, enough to deceive ordinary eyes. But after sending the fish around several times, the pattern became clear.
Fang Ming smiled faintly.
Ma Hong Yun shivered for no reason.
The next instant, the hedgehog fish attacked.
They surged forward from several directions at once.
The water snake lions in the water were caught off guard. Before the lions on the island could react, the hedgehog fish surrounded the front line and tore through them like blades.
Blood spread in the lake.
The old lion king roared.
The remaining water snake lions rushed into the water to retaliate.
Fang Ming immediately retreated.
The hedgehog fish scattered and withdrew, drawing the enraged water snake lions after them.
The lions chased.
Then they entered the hidden whirlpool.
Their large bodies were instantly disrupted by the current. Their formation broke apart. Some spun sideways, some collided, and some exposed their vulnerable flanks.
The hedgehog fish were smaller and less affected.
Fang Ming's eyes sharpened.
The fish group turned.
Attack.
Scatter.
Retreat.
Gather.
Bait.
Surround.
Kill.
The hedgehog fish moved like a trained army. Every time the water snake lions tried to counterattack, the fish group split apart. Every time the lions lost balance in the whirlpool, the fish group gathered and struck.
The Hei tribe Gu Masters stared in silence.
Then the silence broke.
"He found a whirlpool!"
"So the earlier swimming was not hesitation. He was scouting the terrain!"
"He made the water snake lions relax first, then lured them into the trap…"
"Such control…"
Hei Lou Lan's eyes shone.
He finally understood.
Fang Ming had never planned for a normal pass.
He was aiming for the highest result from the start.
Ma Hong Yun watched with his mouth open.
"Master… you won just like that?"
Fang Ming said, "Strength is not always in the beast. Sometimes it is in where you make the beast fight."
Ma Hong Yun blinked.
He still did not fully understand, but he felt the words were profound.
The last water snake lion was torn apart by the hedgehog fish.
The opposite island was occupied.
The round ended.
A message entered Fang Ming's mind.
High-grade evaluation.
Fang Ming's expression did not change, but his thoughts moved.
Everything had gone smoothly.
Too smoothly.
The fish were easy to enslave. The whirlpool was found in time. The water snake lions relaxed exactly when needed. The final sequence had no disruption.
This did not prove his theory completely.
But it strengthened it.
Ma Hong Yun's luck could influence the outcome even without Ma Hong Yun doing anything.
Perhaps even distance did not matter as much as Fang Ming had feared.
The next moment, space shifted.
Fang Ming vanished.
Ma Hong Yun remained on the island.
"Master?"
He looked around blankly.
The Hei tribe Gu Masters were shocked.
"What happened?"
"Where did Fang Ming go?"
Hei Lou Lan's expression changed, then his eyes narrowed.
"High-grade evaluation."
Only that could explain it.
Fang Ming had not merely cleared the round.
He had been sent to the treasure room.
Ma Hong Yun stared at the empty space where Fang Ming had stood.
Then he scratched his head.
"So… did Master win?"
No one answered him.
In another part of Eighty-Eight True Yang Building, Fang Ming appeared alone.
The air was different here.
Quiet.
Heavy.
Ancient.
Ahead of him was the treasure room.
Fang Ming took one step forward.
His eyes remained calm.
If this test succeeded, and his theory about Fortune Rivaling Heaven Gu proved correct, then some risky plans he had hesitated over might become possible.
As this thought passed through his mind, he glanced back in the direction of the round.
Ma Hong Yun was far away.
But his luck had followed.