# Chapter 12: Survival Test - Will of The Blood Martial Realm Part 2
The moment the Treent Bear established its dominance over the arena, the entire nature of combat changed. What had been chaotic individual encounters became a terrifyingly coordinated siege. Every surviving creature—seven cats, five dogs, twelve crows, four goats, and all four wolves—moved with the precision of a single organism guided by the zone boss's ancient tactical intelligence.
Xìng Huáng found himself isolated near the arena's eastern perimeter, separated from Sarah and Mark by sixty meters of crystalline ground and a carefully orchestrated creature formation designed to prevent reunification. His Gaming Prodigy talent immediately recognized the strategy: divide the strongest fighter from his support, then systematically eliminate the weaker members.
"Classic raid boss mechanics," he muttered, dodging a coordinated strike from two Forest Wolves while Mad Crows dove from above. "Separate, isolate, eliminate."
But unlike a game encounter, there were no respawn mechanics here. No resurrection items. No chance to learn from failure and try again.
The Treent Bear hadn't moved from its position at the arena's center, but its presence saturated the battlefield with spiritual pressure that made every action feel like fighting underwater. Worse, its Spiritual Domain ability was actively suppressing their cultivation levels—Sarah and Mark's already minimal Black Iron - Very Low power was being reduced even further.
"Formation Aurek!" Sarah shouted across the distance, her Strategic Mind trait working overtime to coordinate despite the separation. "Defensive posture, energy conservation, wait for breakthrough opportunity!"
It was the right call tactically, but Xìng Huáng could see the mathematical reality: at their current power levels and energy expenditure rate, they had perhaps three minutes before exhaustion made them easy prey. The realm's will wasn't just testing their combat ability—it was testing their capacity for impossible problem-solving under fatal pressure.
A Mountain Goat's charge nearly took his head off, forcing him to roll sideways into a formation of Wild Cats. His improvised blade carved through one cat's spine while his Divine Greed trait guided his movements to optimal efficiency, but the constant multi-directional pressure was wearing him down.
COMBAT STATUS UPDATE:
XìNG HUÁNG: *Health 31/40, Spiritual Energy 67%, Stamina 45%*
SARAH: *Health 22/30, Spiritual Energy 34%, Stamina 38%*
MARK: *Health 28/30, Spiritual Energy 41%, Stamina 42%*
The numbers told a grim story. They were losing the attrition battle.
That's when Mark made a discovery that changed everything.
"The bear's not actually fighting!" he called out, his Spiritual Harmony trait allowing him to analyze the zone boss's energy patterns even while dodging crow attacks. "It's channeling power to coordinate the others, but it's not directly engaged! It's a support boss, not a combat boss!"
Sarah's Strategic Mind trait seized on the implication immediately. "Disruption strategy! If we can break its coordination, the horde loses tactical cohesion!"
"Easier said than done!" Xìng Huáng replied, parrying wolf claws while calculating distances. The Treent Bear was forty meters away through a field of coordinated enemies. Getting to it would require running a gauntlet that should be impossible at their current power levels.
But the Divine Greed trait whispered possibilities in his mind—not about taking power, but about earning it through impossible achievement.
"New plan!" he shouted. "Sarah, predict the optimal path to the bear! Mark, use your harmony sense to time the coordination gaps! I'm going to attempt a breakthrough run!"
"That's suicidal!" Sarah protested.
"Maybe. But my analysis says we die in two minutes anyway if we maintain defensive postures. Sometimes the only winning move is to change the game entirely."
He activated every technique from the Blood Fury Manual simultaneously—spiritual energy circulation, combat movement enhancement, precision strike preparation. The techniques weren't designed to be used together, and the strain on his Black Iron - Mid cultivation level was enormous. But his Gaming Prodigy talent had identified patterns in the enemy coordination that created brief windows of opportunity.
"Path calculated!" Sarah called out. "Northeast vector, twelve seconds to first gap, then northwest sprint when the wolves reposition!"
"Coordination dip incoming in five... four... three... two... one... NOW!"
Xìng Huáng exploded into motion just as the horde's perfect coordination experienced a momentary lapse. His blade work became a flowing dance of necessity, each strike guided by Divine Greed's supernatural precision. A cat died to clear his left flank. A crow fell to open his aerial approach. A dog's charge was redirected to create temporary cover.
But the real breakthrough came when the Forest Wolves moved to intercept his approach to their master.
Instead of engaging them directly, Xìng Huáng did something that violated every instinct of rational combat—he deliberately triggered their pack hunting coordination. The wolves converged on his position with perfect tactical precision, creating exactly the opening he needed.
He rolled backward through their formation as they committed to the attack, his blade finding the alpha wolf's exposed throat in a strike that should have been impossible from that angle. The Divine Greed trait didn't just activate—it surged, turning a desperate gamble into a masterpiece of combat artistry.
CRITICAL KILL: FOREST WOLF ALPHA
MASSIVE ESSENCE ABSORPTION
DIVINE GREED TRAIT: MAXIMUM ACTIVATION
BREAKTHROUGH ACHIEVED: BLACK IRON - HIGH
The power surge was unlike anything he'd experienced. Raw spiritual energy flooded his meridians, rewriting his fundamental capabilities in real time. His health, stamina, and spiritual energy all maxed out instantly, and new combat techniques from the Blood Fury Manual unlocked themselves in his consciousness.
But more importantly, the alpha wolf's death disrupted the pack coordination just long enough for him to reach the Treent Bear.
Up close, the zone boss was even more imposing—four meters of living wood and spiritual energy with eyes like ancient amber that held the accumulated wisdom of centuries. Its massive claws could crush him with casual ease, and its Azure Bronze cultivation level made the air around it shimmer with barely controlled power.
"Impressive," the bear spoke, its voice like wind through ancient forests. "You demonstrate adaptation capability beyond initial assessment parameters."
Instead of attacking, Xìng Huáng activated his Observe ability, now enhanced by his breakthrough to Black Iron - High:
TREENT BEAR *(Zone Boss)*
Cultivation: BLACK IRON - PEAK / LOW AZURE BRONZE
Current Status: COORDINATION MODE *(Combat capability reduced by 70%)*
Weakness: SPIRITUAL LINK VULNERABILITY *(Disruption possible through precision strike)*
Assessment: TESTING CHALLENGER, NOT ELIMINATING THREAT
"You're not trying to kill us," Xìng Huáng realized. "You're testing whether we can solve an impossible tactical problem."
The bear's expression might have been approval. "The Blood Demon Martial Realm values intelligence as much as strength. Raw power without wisdom leads to destruction. Your approach demonstrates both qualities."
"Then let's end this test properly."
Instead of attacking the bear directly, Xìng Huáng struck at the spiritual links connecting it to the coordinated horde. His enhanced blade, guided by Divine Greed's perfect precision and powered by his new cultivation level, severed the energy streams that maintained the unified assault.
The effect was immediate and dramatic. The remaining creatures—no longer guided by the zone boss's tactical intelligence—reverted to their individual hunting instincts. The coordinated siege became a chaotic melee that Sarah and Mark's combined tactical abilities could handle.
COORDINATION NETWORK DISRUPTED
ZONE BOSS TACTICAL OVERRIDE: DISABLED
HORDE COHESION: BROKEN
"Acceptable solution," the Treent Bear rumbled, its massive form beginning to fade as the test concluded. "Survival achieved through adaptation, tactical thinking, and earned advancement rather than brute force destruction."
The remaining creatures dissolved into motes of spiritual energy that flowed toward all three participants. Sarah and Mark's cultivation levels advanced to Black Iron - Low, while Xìng Huáng felt his own power consolidate at his new tier.
SURVIVAL TEST COMPLETED
PARTICIPANTS: ALL SURVIVING
EVALUATION STATUS: PASSED
TRIBAL RECOMMENDATION: APPROVED
The synchronized entities reappeared as the arena barriers dissolved. "Impressive performance. Survival test completion demonstrates viable cultivation potential for all participants. Blood Iron Tribe probationary membership approved for all candidates."
Sarah collapsed to her knees, exhaustion finally claiming her now that the adrenaline was fading. "We actually did it. We survived."
Mark was staring at his updated character sheet in amazement. "I can feel the difference. This isn't like game leveling—it's fundamental change at a cellular level."
But Xìng Huáng was focused on the bigger picture. "The test wasn't just about proving we could survive. It was about demonstrating that humans can adapt to cultivation principles when properly guided."
One of the entities nodded its agreement. "Correct assessment. Your species shows potential for integration rather than elimination. This evaluation data will be transmitted to all major tribal councils."
INTEGRATION PERIOD: CONCLUDED
HUMAN SPECIES STATUS: CONDITIONAL PROBATION
NEXT PHASE: TRIBAL INTEGRATION TRIALS
As the immediate survival crisis finally ended, Xìng Huáng allowed himself a moment of cautious optimism. They had bought humanity time—not salvation, but a chance to prove their worth in a reality governed by cultivation and earned strength.
The real challenges were just beginning, but for the first time since the merger, those challenges came with the possibility of genuine success rather than mere survival.
The Blood Demon Martial Realm had judged them worthy of a chance.
Now they had to prove that judgment was correct.