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Inside the castle, four screens displayed the corresponding scores for the four teams: 280 points, 90 points, 130 points, and 0 points.
An elderly, white-haired grandfather was bent over, intently busy planting seeds.
The grandfather held an old hoe tightly in his hand; his movements were skilled and steady, loosening the soil again and again, then carefully placing the seeds into the earth, and gently covering them with soil.
At this moment, the Speed Clan Hunt on the castle square was in full swing, bustling with activity.
However, the grandfather was engrossed in his own World of labor, paying little attention to the intense competition.
It wasn't until he straightened his aching back, preparing to rest for a moment, that he inadvertently looked up at the giant screen in the sky.
The giant screen displayed the live broadcast of the competition, making the situation of each team clear at a glance.
The grandfather's gaze swept across the giant screen, and a question suddenly arose in his mind.
"This competition has been going on for quite some time, so why is this team still at 0 points?"
The grandfather frowned slightly, his mind full of questions.
Just then, a white-haired grandmother, also elderly, was sitting on a small stool, sorting vegetables.
She heard the grandfather's words, slowly raised her head, and squinted her eyes towards the giant screen.
"Old man, what are you saying is at 0 points?"
The grandmother's voice was a bit hoarse, but very gentle.
The grandfather pointed to the screen showing 0 points on the giant screen and said, "Look, it's this team.
This competition has been going on for a long time, and other teams have quite a few points, so why does this team have no points at all?"
The grandmother looked closely and said thoughtfully, "Maybe they're just unlucky and haven't encountered anything that can earn them points."
The grandfather shook his head and said, "You can't just say it's bad luck.
Look at the other teams; their scores, high and low, were earned through effort.
This 0-point team, who knows what they're doing."
The grandmother smiled and said, "You just love to worry too much."
The grandfather also chuckled, "Hahaha, isn't this a way to entertain myself during a break?
We never had such amazing things before."
With that, the grandfather withdrew his gaze, picked up his hoe again, and continued his planting work.
At this moment, in the square, the surging crowd of spectators was, without exception, all staring at the same giant screen—the one belonging to the 0-point team.
Their gazes were filled with a complex mix of curiosity, worry, and anticipation.
Everyone held their breath, nervously watching the scene on the giant screen, as if time had stood still at that moment.
A tense atmosphere permeated the air, and every subtle movement could draw everyone's attention.
They stared intently at the screen, secretly speculating about the next actions of this team.
Even Dugu Bo was staring intently at them, his expression slightly serious, as if ready to set off for rescue at any moment.
Because this team had encountered the Thunder Ray Crimson Tiger.
And the 0-point team was precisely A'li and Sha Zhuge.
From the very beginning, Sha Zhuge flew straight into the depths of the forest without stopping.
Although A'li had a slight concern, there was no time to think too much, so she quickly followed him.
Sha Zhuge darted through the forest like a bolt of lightning, his eyes burning with a desire for high scores.
A'li followed closely behind him, her concerns growing stronger.
A'li called out, "Sha Zhuge, isn't this too reckless?
We could also fight those low-level Spirit Beasts to accumulate some points."
Sha Zhuge replied without looking back, "No, A'li, we don't have time to waste energy on low-level Spirit Beasts.
Only by challenging high-level Spirit Beasts can we quickly increase our scores."
A'li bit her lip; although her heart was full of worry, there was no time to think too much, so she quickly followed him.
As they continued to delve deeper into the forest, the surrounding environment became increasingly eerie and terrifying.
Dense branches and leaves obscured the sky, and sunlight could only barely squeeze through the gaps in the leaves, allowing a faint glimmer of light.
A suffocating atmosphere permeated the silent air, as if countless eyes were peeking at them from the shadows.
A'li nervously said, "Sha Zhuge, I always feel something is wrong here; we should be more careful."
Sha Zhuge, however, said carelessly, "What's there to be afraid of?
Let's quickly find high-level Spirit Beasts and raise our scores."
"But..." A'li still wanted to say something, but Sha Zhuge interrupted her: "If you're scared, you can go back by yourself or find a place to hide.
Just come out after the competition ends."
Upon hearing Sha Zhuge's words, a mix of grievance and stubbornness welled up in A'li's heart.
She took a deep breath and said firmly, "I will not retreat at the last minute; since I'm here, I'll face it together."
Sha Zhuge was slightly taken aback, then a subtle smile touched the corner of his mouth: "Good, you have guts.
Then let's speed up and find high-level Spirit Beasts as soon as possible."
A'li followed closely behind Sha Zhuge, observing the surroundings vigilantly while saying, "Sha Zhuge, we are not familiar with the depths of this forest; moving forward so rashly is truly dangerous!"
Sha Zhuge snorted, "Dangerous?
In the Spirit Beast World, where is there no danger?
Only by bravely facing danger can one become stronger."
A'li frowned and said, "But we can't just blindly take risks.
We should first understand the situation in the depths of this forest before making plans."
Sha Zhuge stopped and turned to look at A'li: "You have a point.
However, we don't have time to slowly understand it.
This competition is very important, and we must increase our scores as quickly as possible."
A'li bit her lip, thought for a moment, and said, "Then at least we can pay attention to the signs around us, see if there are any clues left by other Soul Masters, or observe the movement tracks of Spirit Beasts."
Sha Zhuge nodded: "Alright, I'll listen to you.
We'll move forward while paying attention to the surroundings."
They continued to move through the forest, and every time they walked a certain distance, A'li would carefully observe the surrounding trees, bushes, and the ground.
Suddenly, she discovered some strange footprints.
"Sha Zhuge, look at these footprints," A'li said, pointing to the footprints on the ground.
Sha Zhuge squatted down and carefully examined the footprints: "These footprints are very large; they should have been left by a large Spirit Beast."
A'li nervously said, "Should we follow the footprints?
Maybe we can find a high-level Spirit Beast."
Sha Zhuge did not hesitate for a moment: "Let's go; following these footprints will surely lead us to one."
A'li nodded nervously and followed Sha Zhuge forward.
After walking for a while, they heard a low roar.
"Sha Zhuge, did you hear that?
What is that sound?" A'li asked nervously.
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