Chapter 68: I'm here!

"Nothing."

"Can't find it."

"Boss..."

Inside the cave, everyone walked up to Bai Shan and Wang Ming, and they all came back empty-handed.

"It's impossible! How can people disappear without a trace?" Bai Shan couldn't accept it.

While he was outside playing the fool, others had already found the secret chamber and went treasure hunting.

Now, there was no chance of catching up, and they will return from the trip without gaining anything.

Bai Shan wanted them to continue searching.

"Let it go. It's been so long; maybe they've found something and left through another exit," Wang Ming stopped Bai Shan, mainly because he didn't want to waste time.

According to Wang Ming's thoughts, if there really was a secret chamber, there must be a unique way to open it; otherwise, with so many people, they couldn't have found no traces at all.

No one else spoke, their gaze fixed on Bai Shan.

Bang!

A punch smashed into the wall. Bai Shan's face darkened, and he walked out of the cave without saying a word.

Seeing this, the others followed suit. Wang Ming walked at the back, his eyes filled with a hint of unwillingness, scanning the inside of the cave.

Maintaining silence, the group descended the mountain. When they were about to reach the foot of the mountain, something unexpected happened.

Suddenly.

A figure emerged from behind the trees, heading straight for Bai Shan.

At the sight of the person, Bai Shan immediately took defensive measures, but a hasty defense was no match for a prepared ambush.

Boom!

A muffled thunder resounded in his ears. Bai Shan felt a tremendous force surging into his body, accompanied by a tingling sensation.

Lin Xiu!

Recognizing the familiar feeling, Bai Shan immediately realized who the assailant was, but it was too late.

Bai Shan clearly heard the "crack" sound of bones breaking as his body uncontrollably flew backward.

"Bai Shan!" At this moment, Wang Ming reacted and was about to charge forward when Du Chaoping rushed out, blocking him.

"Your opponent is me." Du Chaoping's face was stern as he proactively approached, his palms covered with a faint veil of Dou Qi radiance.

"You've advanced to Dou Master?!" Wang Ming was slightly surprised at the scene. Indeed, there were treasures in the cave. In just half a day, Du Chaoping had actually advanced to Dou Master.

The two sides entangled in a battle, and Wang Ming couldn't achieve the dominating momentum he had before.

Others wanted to help Bai Shan but were also intercepted by the combined efforts of Han Pu and Qin Zhi.

"Lin Xiu, if you dare to touch me, my brother won't let you off." Bai Shan sat on the ground, legs pushing against the ground as he retreated, watching Lin Xiu approach with a fearful expression.

"Is it only allowed for you to bully me, and I can't fight back? There's no such logic in this world."

Lin Xiu dismissed the threat. If Bai Shan's brother wanted trouble, he could try, even if it meant suffering a bit now and seeking revenge later.

Confident in his strength improvement, Lin Xiu didn't think anyone could consistently stay ahead of him.

As long as he surpassed them in strength, he would wait for the settling of scores.

Lin Xiu caught up with Bai Shan, launching a heavy punch with Lightning Attribute Dou Qi covering his fist. Electric sparks danced, and his arm was wrapped with Wind Attribute Dou Qi, creating afterimages with each punch.

After a few cries, Bai Shan was either knocked unconscious or shocked by electricity, but he fell silent.

"Having such a good-looking face, but causing trouble over a woman. Xun'er is beyond your reach, don't waste your efforts," Lin Xiu said, looking at Bai Shan's face now resembling a pig's head. He clapped his hands, wearing a satisfied expression.

With this pig-headed appearance, he certainly wouldn't have the face to pursue Xun'er.

If he could help him overcome his thoughts about Xun'er, to some extent, he would be saving him.

"Tsk, might as well collect some interest in advance." Thinking about Bai Shan taking advantage of him, Lin Xiu stepped on and broke one of Bai Shan's legs.

Turning to see Du Chaoping entangled with Wang Ming, Lin Xiu shouted and rushed over, "Senior, I got this!"

For a Dou Master, dealing with someone like him was akin to defeating an elite monster, providing valuable experience.

Shortly after, only Lin Xiu and three others were still standing at the scene.

Du Chaoping's gaze shifted, focusing on Bai Shan. He walked over and broke another one of Bai Shan's legs.

Bai Shan's body trembled, and he opened his eyes filled with pain.

"Senior, you?" Lin Xiu was momentarily stunned.

"If there's a matter, we face it together. I also broke one of his legs, then it's fair," Du Chaoping said. Since he had suffered losses from Bai Shan before, he was settling both old and new scores at once.

A contented expression appeared on his face, as if the long-held inner turmoil had finally been resolved.

"There's still me!" Qin Zhi unwilling to be outdone, raised her foot, preparing to stomp on Bai Shan's third leg.

"No! Don't!" Bai Shan let out a pig-like scream, his eyes trembling in fear.

"Qin Zhi, his legs are gone; he still has arms. Let's leave it at that," Han Pu quickly intervened.

Otherwise, if she went ahead with that kick, Bai Shan's brother would go crazy.

Upon hearing Han Pu's words, Bai Shan quickly cast a grateful look at him.

The two of them each broke one of Bai Shan's arms.

With all four limbs broken, Bai Shan's miserable screams echoed through the mountains, sounding extremely tragic as his white clothes were dyed red with blood.

"It can only go this far. The Academy allows disputes but prohibits killing," Du Chaoping reminded Lin Xiu, seeing him continuously staring at Bai Shan.

However.

Lin Xiu had no intention of killing. He wasn't afraid of making enemies and facing retaliation. After all, the advancement of Dou Technique levels required experience, and he happened to need opponents for battle.

The reason he kept staring at Bai Shan was that he didn't expect Du Chaoping and the others to emulate his act of breaking legs.

At this moment, someone was approaching. Four Jia Nan Academy students emerged from the woods, drawn by the sounds.

"Bai Shan?" The leader of the group saw a familiar figure and was momentarily stunned.

"Senior? Save me!" Bai Shan, unexpectedly encountering Mentor's students here, immediately called for help.

"Let's go, go, go."

Du Chaoping signaled Lin Xiu and the others to quickly leave. "Don't ask anything."

He obviously recognized the leader and feared the person's strength.

Seeing this, Lin Xiu didn't linger either. After all, the purpose of teaching Bai Shan a lesson had been achieved. Given Bai Shan's injuries, there was no need to worry about him causing trouble for the next two or three months.

As they left, Du Chaoping, relieved that the pursuers didn't follow, explained to Lin Xiu and the others about the opponent's movement. Those individuals were powerful and usually patrolled in Peace Town.

Peace Town is a small town outside Jia Nan Academy, renowned as the safest place in the Black-Corner Region. Those on duty there must have some ability to suppress those with malicious intentions.

"Young brother, aren't you coming back with us?" Du Chaoping expressed surprise when Lin Xiu insisted on staying in the forest while he proposed returning to the Academy.

"No, my business isn't finished yet." Lin Xiu originally intended to complete the integration of his Dou Techniques but encountered Bai Shan's group midway.

Fortunately, he had experienced several battles, and the harvest of experience had not been neglected. He also managed to decipher the information from the pattern on the parchment, making the trip worthwhile.

However, it was still too early for him to return to the Academy.

"Young brother, the promotion assessment for the Inner Court is about to begin. You should go back and observe in advance," Du Chaoping reminded.

"No, I can't participate in this round. I plan to join the next one, Senior."

As Lin Xiu walked away. He waved in response, and his figure disappeared among the trees.

"What did Junior Lin Xiu say? He wants to participate in the next round?" Han Pu rubbed his ears, suspecting he was experiencing an illusion.

Typically, students participating in the Inner Court Assessment at the Academy have been enrolled for at least two years. It's rare for someone to participate in their first year because it's challenging to compete for the top fifty spots.

"I think I heard something like that too," Qin Zhi said uncertainly.

"Junior must be talking about the next next round," Du Chaoping also thought it was unlikely for Lin Xiu to participate in the next round, even Mentor wouldn't agree.

Because it would be too risky. Mentor wants Junior to aim for the top five, not the top fifty.

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