"Listen well, everyone — every participant in this trial is strictly prohibited from carrying any communication talismans, and even more so from using such talismans to contact one another. Any violation will be treated as cheating! One more thing you must remember: after entering, each person must remain stationary at their landing point for two quarter-hours. Only after the two quarter-hours have elapsed may you begin moving. Is that clear?"
Before the trial commenced, the sacred land representatives overseeing the event reiterated these rules once more.
The requirement to stay put for two quarter-hours clearly served a deeper purpose — it was meant to prevent collisions between geniuses during the drop. Everyone had to be in position before the trial officially began.
All the participants felt a quiet sense of solemnity, understanding that the rules were not to be bent. Many geniuses who had harbored thoughts of skirting the restrictions reluctantly surrendered their communication talismans.
Communication talismans would have made coordinating on a small island far too easy. If such tools were permitted, this test of collective strategy and individual resourcefulness would lose all meaning.
It was obvious that the organizers were determined to stamp out any such shortcuts. Everyone would have to rely on their own wits, without the crutch of tools.
The deployment began.
Sixty geniuses were dropped into the island one after another.
Jiang Chen knew that the distribution pattern had been carefully designed.
Standing beneath a towering ancient tree that pierced the clouds, he surveyed his surroundings — an impenetrable thicket of ancient trees in every direction, undergrowth running rampant, vines sprawling wildly, thorn-covered thickets occupying virtually every inch of ground. There was hardly room to stand.
In a forest this dense, even Jiang Chen's Heavenly Eye Divine Pupil found its field of vision severely hampered.
He extended his senses carefully. Within a radius of several li, not a single human presence could be detected.
Given the two-quarter-hour requirement, Jiang Chen was in no rush to move. Instead, he began studying his surroundings in earnest.
"These ancient trees — several people together couldn't circle one. Who knows how many years they've been growing. Perhaps this island has existed since ancient times?"
Jiang Chen could feel that the island was remarkably pristine, virtually untouched by human hands. Everything about it carried an aura of primordial wilderness.
He scrambled up one of the ancient trees and found a comfortable spot to lean against on a thick branch. Closing his eyes, he rested and gathered his spirit. At the same time, he summoned the Gold-Munching Mouse King, instructing it to dispatch a contingent of Gold-Munching Mice to stake out the surrounding area, on guard against any unknown creatures that might come prowling.
Using the Gold-Munching Mice wasn't prohibited by the rules. As long as the rules permitted it, Jiang Chen had no qualms about employing every tool at his disposal. On an island like this, the Gold-Munching Mice were without question the most useful asset he could call upon.
Keeping careful track of the time, once the two quarter-hours had elapsed, Jiang Chen set off.
"Wu You excels in speed — with his abilities, he should be fairly confident in protecting himself. Gan Ning, on the other hand, holds no particular advantage in any area. On this island, he's actually in the most danger. So I'll prioritize finding him first. Of course, if I come across any Trial Pearls along the way, I absolutely cannot pass them up."
The total number of Trial Pearls was six hundred — not a large figure. On an island this vast, hiding six hundred Trial Pearls would be child's play.
It might not be quite as hopeless as searching for a needle in the ocean, but it certainly wasn't something you could accomplish by glancing at the ground. It required thought and deliberate effort — you had to use your brain.
Hard work always pays off. After about half an hour, Jiang Chen's eyes lit up as he discovered a Trial Pearl. It had been hidden beneath a leaf.
"Truly well-concealed. If I hadn't deployed my spiritual sense at full power, I probably would have had a very difficult time spotting this Trial Pearl."