Lin Xi withdrew from this hall like an earthworm, his body wriggling out.

There wasn’t anyone around either way, so he wasn’t really scared of embarrassing himself.

Only after sitting by the lounge entrance where the small cowhide scroll was, resting for a bit, did Lin Xi pick up the black horn bow and the quiver he placed on the ground, walking out of this hall, leaving the yellow perimeter wall.

He had spent quite some time in that hall. When he left the yellow perimeter wall, the sun was already setting, crimson clouds filling the skies.

In the gloomy and overcast forest, Lin Xi still walked extremely slowly, limping along. 

His current situation was much more miserable than Mu Shanzi’s back then, even if he drew his bow, he still might not be able to hold the bow steadily, hit his opponent. However, fortunately, he didn’t run into any black-armored opponents along the away, smoothly walking onto the wooden path he found before, with his five pentagon emblems intact.

One of the academy’s true lurking experts, also referred to as ‘academy protectors’ in top secret information in the outside world, the white-haired black-robed Luo Houyuan was silently standing on a branch that was less than the thickness of a thumb. His muddled yellow eyes watched Lin Xi from the distance like a hawk as he left the yellow perimeter wall and headed towards the wooden path.

This branch moved slightly with the wind, as if it might break at any time, yet under his control, it always maintained a fine state of balance. When Lin Xi reached the wooden path, the elder’s legs moved slightly, descending from above, and only then did this branch break with a crack sound.

Inside this training valley, there were twenty-three lecturers in charge of guiding and recording the whereabouts and results of every single new student, as well as to purposely create some unexpected events to gather new students that were scattered too far apart and fight, but this elder wasn’t one of them. This was to say, if he wanted to watch over the new students, then he could, if he didn’t want to, then there would naturally be other lecturers who would take his place. For a lurking expert like him, the academy allowed him to do as he pleased, not arranging any fixed tasks for him.

Truth be told, Lin Xi’s battle achievements and performance in the level one ‘Direct Spear Strikes’ trial wasn’t anything particularly stunning, but certain characteristics he sensed from Lin Xi still surprisingly made him maintain complete interest in this kid.

“Teacher Luo.”

Lin Xi who walked onto the wooden path also quickly saw Luo Houyuan who had just landed not far away, immediately giving a bow of respect.

“These weapons are not permitted to leave the training valley.” Luo Houyuan who had observed Lin Xi’s entire experience in the training valley first told him another rule in this training valley, and then with a calm expression, suggested to Lin Xi, “However, if you still can, you may fire all of the remaining arrows. Even though it might not necessarily increase your archery skills, according to a research the academy has already obtained conclusive results on, painful stimulation that approaches the limit, but doesn’t cross the limit can assist in soul force cultivation, allowing the following meditation cultivation’s effects to be even better.”

“Fire all of the remaining arrows in this type of condition?”

After throwing aside the black border army long blade he was using as a crutch aside, Lin Xi turned around to look at the dozen or so remaining black arrows on his back, and then he couldn’t help but release a bitter laugh.

This standard black bow used in the local armies was already a bit harder to use than the wooden bow he was accustomed to. Under normal circumstances, one arm could only continuously fire thirty or so times in succession. Now, in this type of situation, if he was going to release another dozen or so arrows, that would truly be quite the torture.

However, because of the records he saw on the first level stone temple, the eagerness and interest he had towards cultivation, together with this elder’s clearly good intentions, Lin Xi still nodded, his brows furrowed as he held the black horn bow in hand, aiming at a large tree not far away.

While resisting the spasming and the intense pain, Lin Xi still drew the bow in a manner that wasn’t too rushed or too slow, and then released the bowstring. 

Thunk

The arrow nailed itself into the large tree’s trunk.

This performance that reflected one’s attitude and mentality, made a hint of rare praise flash past Luo Houyuan’s eyes.

After switching it between both hands, finally firing all of the remaining arrows, Lin Xi continuously sucked in cold air, his face deathly pale from the pain. The academy clothes inside of the black armor became even more so as if he had been fished out of a well, his entire body drenched.

When Lin Xi lowered the black horn bow and the empty quiver, Luo Houyuan looked at him, slowly saying, “Judging from the amount of time you all have been a student for, Xu Shengmo shouldn’t have taught you all Green Luan Academy’s Green Luan Twenty-Four Forms Body Technique, right?”

Lin Xi took in deep breaths while saying, “We’ve only had a single lesson, he has not taught us the Green Luan Twenty-Four Forms Body Technique yet.”

Luo Houyuan nodded while looking at Lin Xi. “Had you learned the Green Luan Twenty-Four Forms Body Technique, you would have been able to last a bit longer there.”

Lin Xi who was aware that his experiences in the valley would definitely be recorded by a lecturer wasn’t that shocked, but he didn’t understand the purpose behind Luo Houyuan’s words either. As such, he only nodded, not saying anything.

Luo Houyuan raised his head, looking towards the already darkening skies. “If you are interested, apart from practicing our Green Luan Twenty-Four Forms Body Technique, you can also give these two forms some time.”

After saying this, his right hand reached into his sleeves, and then as if he was scratching an itch on his back, his right hand then flipped towards his back. Meanwhile, his left hand instead reached towards his back from below his ribs, as if he was going to pull on the right arm. However, his hands instead didn’t make contact, forming a weird stance, especially his arms and wrists, which began to slowly wriggle about.

Roughly twenty-five seconds later, the two hands instead seemed to have undergone a whole cycle, repeating this strange stance.

“Yoga?”

Right when Lin Xi had no choice but to endure the pain once more, studying these strange movements, this word couldn’t help but appear in his mind. Luo Houyuan looked at Lin Xi, seriously saying, “The movements I am teaching you, you are not permitted to teach to any of the other students.”

Ah!

Lin Xi couldn’t help but want to ask something, but a sore point was triggered, making him release a scream of pain.

…

Aya!

At nightfall, in Self Defense Department Freshman Dormitory’s dining hall, Mu Shanzi who was about to pull a drumstick out of a roasted chicken triggered the pain on his body, involuntarily releasing a bitter shout.

He was in so much pain he grimaced in pain, making many bumpkins and border barbarians who found him unsightly feel happiness. Meanwhile, after releasing a shout, Mu Shanzi hatefully took a bite out of the drumstick, inwardly cursing the hidden archer once more, the black-armored ‘Silver Fox’ who made him withdraw without any pentagon emblems.

“Either way, the lecturer has said that weapons are randomly scattered in the forest, the locations different each time. Next time, when you don’t have a bow and arrow and run into me, you will definitely die extremely miserably!”

Just as he was cursing fiercely, someone hobbled through the dining hall entrance.

As soon as they saw who it was that came back, Li Kaiyun and Tang Ke both stood up, waving towards him. Meanwhile, when Mu Shanzi saw this, his overcast mood immediately had a turn for the better, his mouth changing into a grin.

There were several red-purple bruises even on Lin Xi’s face, moreover, from his tightly furrowed brows and extremely pale complexion, his injuries seemed to be rather serious.

This was especially the case when Lin Xi’s arms were still shaking slightly.

“Lin Xi, from the looks of it, you were beaten quite badly. Can you even walk? How about I lend you a hand?” Mu Shanzi shouted in Lin Xi’s direction, taking joy in his misfortune.

As soon as he saw Mu Shanzi, when he recalled how this kid was shot by him until he rolled all over the ground, screamining miserably, as well as the arrow that was aimed at his knee, but missed its mark, Lin Xi couldn’t help but release a chuckle. “It’s not that bad. From the looks of it, you seem to have experienced a few great battles too. So? How many golden pentagon emblems did you withdraw with?”

“I…” Mu Shanzi’s face immediately became the color of pig liver, flying into a rage out of humiliation, “Lin Xi, then how many did you obtain?”

“Don’t pay him any attention, he’s so annoying.” Bian Linghan tugged at Lin Xi’s clothes, having Lin Xi sit down and eat something. At the same time, she quietly told Lin Xi, “Rumor has it that he was beaten until he couldn’t even get back up, screaming his head off in the training valley. As a result, forget about the one who beat him, removing a pentagon emblem, others even learned that he wore a Wolf symbol black armor.”

“Is that so?” Lin Xi who sat down couldn’t help but burst out laughing again.

“Why do you look so happy? I heard that you ran into a fire with no care for your own life this morning, but I didn’t personally see how you recklessly charged in… where were you brought to later? Your burn injuries didn’t even heal, yet you went to the training valley?” When she saw the burns on Lin Xi’s arms that still hadn’t healed, the brows of Hua Jiyue who sat next to Bian Linghan furrowed, saying this rather unhappily while looking at him.

“Do you really want to die that badly? When that female associate professor dragged you out, you were completely knocked out, that little fatty Meng Bai was even about to cry. Fortunately, that female associate professor immediately said that you were fine, or else we would have all lost our heads by now.” Tang Ke gave the rather miserable looking Lin Xi a look, saying with a low voice, “Who was it that beat you like this in the training valley?”

“Associate Professor An brought me to her medicine room, my burns aren’t really a big deal. She gave me some medicine, telling me that they should be fine tomorrow. I also only went into the training valley because of her suggestion. My injuries weren’t caused by anyone in the training valley, but rather because I went into a comprehensive training area within the yellow perimeter wall, and that was why I was beaten so miserably.” Lin Xi looked at his friends who were extremely worried for his sake, grabbing some pork chop sticky rice and chomping down while explaining with a laugh.

Hua Jiyue tapped her chopsticks on the table in annoyance. Everyone else was worried to death for him, yet he really was something, ending up in this type of state, yet can still laugh about it.

“You really weren’t beaten like this?” Tang Ke clearly didn’t really believe Lin Xi, suspecting that it was just Lin Xi’s personality being strong, wishing to get revenge himself even if he lost. “How many emblems did you withdraw with from the training valley today?”

“Five emblems.” Lin Xi chewed on a large roasted sweet potato, then blew on his soup, while answering honestly.

The people around him immediately scoffed inwardly, thinking that this fella really wanted to act tough. This was especially the case for Tang Ke who originally wanted to get revenge for Lin Xi, even more so curling his lips.

“Right, did you all go into the training valley today?” After swallowing a mouthful of sweet potato with great difficulty, Lin Xi who was busy gulping down water secretly asked Tang Ke, Bian Linghan and the others, “What are the symbols on your armors?”

“We went, but as for the symbols, after discussing it for a bit, we decided not to tell each other.” Hua Jiyue, Bian Linghan and the others spoke at the same time. “If the one who beat you so miserably today was one of us, how are we supposed to explain things…”

“I guarantee that none of you beat me today…” Lin Xi, who continued to stuff his face with food, muttered to himself. Right at this time, what drew all of the Self Defense Department Students’ attention was that a student dressed in a red academy uniform suddenly appeared at the entrance. After sweeping his eyes around, he directly walked towards Lin Xi.

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