Chapter 60: Winner is...
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The two pairs of footsteps withered in opposite directions through the Academy Great Forest. Lin Yuan disappeared toward the left pathway while Huo Ren sprinted toward the right, neither of them looking back.
The first jade crystal had already been claimed, and Chen Ming had won. There are four more crystals remaining.
"Hahaha..." Huo Ren laughed, sprinting through the thick bushes. "That bastard Lin Yuan really gave away his own victory."
"But..." Huo Ren muttered, a sharp scowl lingering on his face. His footsteps crunched the dry leaves scattered under the trees. A faint smirk appeared on his face. "I am not Chen Ming. If I find one, I will claim my win immediately!"
Huo Ren sprinted faster than before. After witnessing the death of the Rank 4 Stoneback Wild Boar, the arrogance that usually lingered on his face had reduced slightly. He understood a simple truth today: ’Strength wasn’t enough. Even a mighty beast could be slaughtered when its weaknesses are known or found.’
And unlike Lin Yuan... Huo Ren wasn’t willing to offer his crystal to anyone.
Crunch!
He suddenly stopped, because he heard some voices. They were coming from somewhere ahead. Huo Ren immediately ducked his body low and quietly moved through the bushes.
"Hahaha! Finally!" A familiar voice echoed between the trees.
Huo Ren slowly pushed aside the bushes without making much sound. His eyes narrowed, seeing the three disciples standing a few dozen paces away. They were Chi Fenglian, Yun He and Lian Mei Lin.
They were gathered around a large gray-green boulder. The boulder was nearly twice the height of a person, covered in moss and tangled roots. There was a faint jade-colored shine, emanating from below the boulder.
’It was the crystal!’ Huo Ren thought, his eyes widened in disbelief that he already found it. ’What luck...’
A greedy smile slowly appeared on his face. The three disciples hadn’t noticed him yet. Chi Fenglian crouched beside the boulder, trying to dig his fingers beneath the boulder, making a narrow edge.
"Try to push a bit aside or lift it up," Chi Fenglian muttered, his hands encircled around the boar hand silhouette.
Yun He placed both hands against the rock, groaning while pushing it.
"Are you certain it’s beneath this thing?" Lian Mei Lin stuttered, joining to help Yun He.
"Obviously," Chi Fenglian grunted, scraping the ground sluggishly. "We followed that strange path of thick bushes and marks on trees for almost half an hour. Why would someone deliberately mark the trees faintly if they weren’t leading toward something?"
"Tsk.. maybe it is a trap," Yun He muttered, clicking her tongue.
"Darn it guys... There will always be a clue, it’s not an unsolved murder.. It’s just a trial." Chi Fenglian elucidated, clicking his tongue. "Obviously they gave the clues by faint marks which other disciples ignored or didn’t even notice."
"Just push!"
Yun He and Lian Mei Lin groaned synchronously, pushing the boulder.
"One... Two... Three!" They both yelled at once. "Push!"
GRRRRRR!
The enormous boulder moved sluggishly, and Chi Fenglian dug his hand into the hollow crack beneath it. The faint jade light under the rock became brighter.
’Thank you for the hard work.’ Huo Ren appreciated, a cunning smirk curling on his lips.
A beautiful jade crystal rested inside a hollow crater beneath the stone.
"Hahaha!" Chi Fenglian laughed, his face shimmering against the jade light, radiating from the crystal. "We found it!"
"Humph...~" Lian Mei Lin sighed in relief.
Yun He wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead.
Whoosh!
But before any of them could claim the crystal, a blurry white silhouette suddenly descended from above. It was a falcon, its wings spread wide while its sharp claws wrapped around the jade crystal and vanished into the bushes on the left.
"What the fuck?!" Chi Fenglian frowned, his eyes widened.
"We didn’t done that—"
"I know... because it was a falcon!" Chi Fenglian bellowed, darting his eyes toward left. "Come out, you bastard... Hiding behind bushes is not something courageous or righteous people ever do!"
Huo Ren burst from the bushes.
"Hahahaha!" Huo Ren burst into a mocking laugh, his hands clenched the falling crystal and immediately sprinted away. "Thank you, idiots!"
For one breath... none one of the three disciples reacted because of shock, then Chi Fenglian’s face twitched.
"HUO REN!" Chi Fenglian roared, his voice ratting the leaves of the trees. "You thieving bastard! Coward son of a bitch, stop there!"
"Find another one!" Huo Ren laughed without turning around.
"You didn’t even fight for it!" Lian Mei Lin screamed, her face twisting in anger.
"Why should I fight when stealing is easier?!" Huo Ren boasted, his face filled with ecstasy. "Hahaha!"
Yun He remained strangely calm. She watched Huo Ren’s disappearing figure. Then, a faint smile appeared on his face.
"He won’t escape." Chi Fenglian snapped his head toward her. "What?"
"That pathway curves around the way he was going." Yun He pointed toward a curved pathway. "If you rush toward it... we can catch that son of a bitch."
Lian Mei Lin’s anger instantly vanished, a cold smile appeared on her face.
"Hahaha..." Chi Fenglian laughed, cracking his neck. "Good."
Huo Ren continued sprinting, turning on the curved path.
"Hahaha!" Huo Ren sneered, his fingers tightly wrapped around the jade crystal. "Fools!! Three people working together and one person taking the reward. This is the cruel truth of the cultivation and world! Betrayal and fleecing is the greatest thing to grab a win!"
He jumped across a fallen tree trunk and continued forward.
Five minutes passed, and then suddenly three figures appeared on the path to exit. Huo Ren’s smile gradually disappeared.
"Huh?" Huo Ren scoffed, his pace slowing down. "No... How can you?"
The three figures are Chi Fenglian, Yun He, and Lian Mei Lin.
Chi Fenglian slowly cracked his knuckles.
"Hahaha..." Huo Ren stuttered, taking staggered steps backward. "We can discuss this."
"No." Chi Fenglian grunted, started walking forward.
"Wait!" Huo Ren raised one hand, clicking his tongue. "Internal conflict is prohibited!"
"Correct..." Yun He smirked, walking forward. "But the rule states only conflicts are not allowed inside the groups! You are not from our group! Haha!"
"Also, we aren’t fighting over the crystal." Lian Mei Lin continued, cracking her knuckles. "We’re punishing a thief."
"That’s the same fucking thing!" Huo Ren muttered, his hands quivering in fear.
Chi Fenglian lunged forward, stretching his hand back.
"WAIT—!"
Bam!
A fist smashed into Huo Ren’s stomach.
"Ahhhhh!" Huo Ren yelled in agonizing pain, his body bent forward.
Lian Mei Lin immediately kicked the back of his knee, and Huo Ren fell onto one knee.
"Where is the crystal?" Yun He asked, calmly walking behind him.
"Fuck you."
Another punch landed on his face.
"Where is it?"
"In your mother’s—"
Yun He kicked in Huo Ren’s stomach again.
"Where?"
A few minutes later, taking the punches Huo Ren lay face-first against the ground. His hair was covered in leaves, his robes were torn. His face had swollen on one side. Chi Fenglian casually held the jade crystal in his hand.
"Fucking thief!" Chi Fenglian murmured, tapping Huo Ren’s head with his toe once.
"Three against one..." Huo Ren groaned, his voice low as whisper. "You are cowards..."
"Shut up." Lian Mei Lin kicked onto his back.
Yun He glanced toward Chi Fenglian. "You should take it."
"Why me?" Chi Fenglian frowned, his face filled with shock.
"You found the markings." Lian Mei Lin nodded, elucidating the details. "And you led us through the correct pathway."
Chi Fenglian stared at the crystal for a moment. There was no argument, struggle, or greed. He slowly nodded, accepting the crystal.
"Fine, I will clear the trial." Chi Fenglian smiled, turning toward the exit.
"Fuck it!" Huo Ren raised his swollen face from the ground to see Chi Fenglian. "It is my crystal..."
"It was never yours." Chi Fenglian laughed before disappearing through the exit.
A few minutes later, a mysterious voice reverberated throughout the Academy Great Forest.
"Second to clear the trial was a disciple from Chi Clan — Chi Fenglian!"
Huo Ren buried his face back into the dirt. "Fuck this trial..."
Meanwhile, At the left side of the forest, Lin Yuan walked calmly. Unlike Huo Ren, he wasn’t running, his deep eyes continuously analysed the surrounding environment.
He observed the broken branches, footprints, faint traces of blood, every minute detail. Three people had passed through this area recently.
’The left-side team.’ Lin Yuan confirmed, and continued following their traces. After several minutes, the faint voices reached his ears.
He slowed down, understanding he found the group.
Ahead, Gu Fang Xin, Ying Yue and Chen Yu Ming stood around a jade crystal. Lin Yuan halted behind a large tree.
He was a bit late. They had already found it. But unfortunately, they hadn’t decided who would take it.
"This is stupid," Gu Fang Xin cursed, his face spasming in disdain. "I killed the Venomous Lizard. I should take the crystal."
"You killed it after I found its weakness," Ying Yue immediately frowned, stepping forward.
"So?" Gu Fang Xin sneered, clenching his fist.
"So without me, you would still be punching its armored back like an idiot." Ying Yue mocked, letting out a sardonic smile.
"What did you say?"
"I said you’re an idiot."
Gu Fang Xin clenched his fists, taking a step forward to punch Ying Yue.
Chen Yu Ming stood between them.
"Stop!" Chen Yu Ming stepped in, rubbing her temples. "We cannot fight each other."
"I know that!" Gu Fang Xin yelled, taking a step toward Chen Yu Ming.
"Then stop shouting!" Chen Yu Ming shouted back.
Ying Yue crossed her arms. "We need to decide properly."
"Properly?" Gu Fang Xin scoffed, darting his eyes toward the crystal. "There is only one crystal, and three people. No decision will make everyone happy. Don’t you understand this bitch?"
"What the fuck—?"
Clap! Clap! Clap!
The three hums of claps suddenly echoed through the forest, interrupting the rageful punch of Ying Yue intended to land on Gu Fang Xin.
All three disciples froze, petrified. Their heads turned simultaneously as Lin Yuan walked from behind the tree. A faint smile rested on his face.
"How touching," Lin Yuan murmured, nodding his head slightly. "These three dumb fuckers doesn’t even conclude who should take the crystal!"
"What did you say, you motherfucker!?" Gu Fang Xin’s expression immediately darkened, his anger rising up vehemently. "Why the hell are you here, Lin Yuan?"
Ying Yue narrowed her eyes. Chen Yu Ming instinctively held the crystal closer to her body. Lin Yuan calmly walked toward them, and he stopped ten paces away. His eyes darted against the three disciples, then toward the crystal.
"You know..." Lin Yuan sighed, stroking his chin. "Sometimes, letting something go is wiser than fighting to keep it."
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