"The blind battle is about to begin. There are three minutes left to prepare. The blind battle is a five-minute survival match. Any contestant who manages to stay on the stage for five minutes will receive a fifty-thousand yuan prize. To simulate a more realistic environment, the arena has been filled with non-toxic, odorless Mo Ye Smoke, which will only affect your vision and perfectly simulate the effect of night. To avoid unnecessary injuries, this survival match will be fought barehanded. Please put on your protective gear and masks. In one minute, the survival match will begin."

Emily Parker suddenly stood up and walked toward the door leading from the lounge to the melee zone.

Her steps were as precise as if measured with a ruler, stopping exactly the moment her mask touched the door.

She waited quietly, like the most perfect sculpture crafted by an artist.

"The blind battle is about to begin. Countdown: ten, nine, eight..."

Emily Parker remained motionless.

"Three, two, one! Battle start!"

The door in front of her slid open with a swish.

Emily Parker walked into the arena without hesitation. The moment she entered, she could feel the faint light that had filtered through her mask vanish completely, as if she were plunged into pure, profound darkness.

Mo Ye Smoke truly lives up to its reputation!

Emily Parker secretly praised in her heart.

Mo Ye Smoke is a very rare type of poisonous smoke. Very few wood element cultivators know how to make it, and it is extremely expensive, but its effect is outstanding. The darkness Emily Parker had just gotten used to was immediately disrupted.

At that moment, a warning suddenly flared in her mind.

Chapter 6: Success

Unlike the others, who were timid and hesitant, Ethan Brooks moved like a fish in water.

In the Wilds, darkness is the true ruler. Countless killings and ambushes unfold silently in the dark, stealing away life and warmth. Elemental cultivators who cannot adapt to darkness, no matter how powerful, cannot survive in the Wilds.

Ethan Brooks immediately sensed someone nearby, much closer than he had expected.

He hadn't planned to make a move; as long as he could silently hide in a corner and last five minutes, he could take the prize and leave. According to the rules, as long as you last five minutes without being defeated, you win.

But in the Wilds, there is only life and death—no rules.

When Ethan Brooks realized things were not as he expected, he instinctively reacted. The other person was too close; at such a distance, if the opponent attacked, he would likely be at a disadvantage. In this state, Ethan Brooks's standard for measuring danger was the terrifying wild beasts of the Wilds. He would never entertain the foolish notion that those around him couldn't adapt to the darkness.

Countless life-and-death experiences had taught his body that in such situations, the one who attacks first has the advantage.

His footsteps were light, like a cat at night, landing silently.

His movements were slow, so slow that not even a whisper of wind could be heard. This was where Ethan Brooks's experience shone—in darkness, air currents and the sound of wind are as conspicuous as light. Predatory beasts skilled at hunting are always as quiet as the pitch-black night before they strike.

Silence and darkness are the best partners.

Ethan Brooks vaguely sensed the opponent's position and moved gently toward them.

His nerves were taut, every muscle in his body in a strange state, like a volcano on the verge of eruption—just a spark would be enough to set him off. Yet from the outside, nothing seemed amiss.

Suddenly, he stopped and held his breath.

He was like a seasoned hunter, sensing that his prey had become aware.

He didn't know how to describe this vague feeling, nor what it was based on, but in the Wilds, you don't need reasons—only victory or defeat, survival or death.

He froze in place, motionless, like a statue.

Emily Parker faintly sensed a trace of danger, though she wasn't entirely sure. Still, it made her alert, her attention highly focused, ears straining to catch any sound around her.

It was very quiet all around, nothing in sight.

A little farther away, she could hear several people breathing. Although they tried hard to hold their breath, she still caught it. She also heard someone tiptoeing on her left.

She couldn't help but shake her head inwardly. Any movement at this moment would invite attack from others.

Just then, a shout and a muffled groan suddenly rang out more than ten meters ahead, followed by the sounds of fierce blows and kicks. Soon, chaos erupted in that area.

Emily Parker let out a slight sigh of relief. It seemed it had just been her imagination. There was no one within three meters of her.

The feeling of the blind battle was truly different.

Emily Parker felt a bit excited. She had never experienced a fight like this before. She could feel her nerves more taut than ever, her senses sharper than she had ever known. If she could always maintain this level of alertness, her combat ability would surely make a qualitative leap.

She saw a path she had never seen before.

She felt like a hunter lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. She was filled with confidence; with her attention so highly focused, any tiny change around her would be instantly clear in her mind.

The feeling was novel and intoxicating.

Suddenly, she felt something touch her shoulder.