Chapter 156: The Battle Continues

The young man was sent flying backward, his head bleeding and his body scraping against the ground to leave a long trail.

Silence. The only sound in the entire area was the intermittent low moans of pain. Guanyan and the others dropped their jaws in disbelief at what they were witnessing.

Was this Feng Chuxun really so savage?

Guanyan could not help but swallow hard. It seemed Feng Chuxun had indeed shown them mercy back at the academy. While these few individuals wouldn't have posed much of a problem if they had been at their peak condition, Guanyan asked himself honestly: could he have resolved them this easily?

No.

Amidst the shocked gazes of the group, Feng Chuxun swept his indifferent gaze over the figures sprawled on the ground. "Truly weak."

Hearing Feng Chuxun's words, the men on the ground spat out another mouthful of blood.

The large black wolf emerged from behind Feng Chuxun, wearing a weird, eerie grin.

The moment he saw the large black wolf's expression, Shen Qingyun knew what was about to happen next, yet he chose not to stop it.

Feng Chuxun also gave a slight twitch of his brows, remained silent, and turned his head away.

Seeing both Feng Chuxun and Shen Qingyun look away, Guanyan and the others were filled with confusion. However, the large black wolf's actions very soon provided them with the answer.

With a strange chuckle, the large black wolf trotted out, stopped in front of the young man, glanced down at him, and then turned around to present its backside to him. While everyone looked on in puzzlement, the large black wolf lifted its right hind leg high.

Sss...

The young man, whose consciousness was still somewhat hazy, was instantly shocked back to full awareness by the stream of wolf urine washing over him. Yet, he still had no idea what the liquid cascading down his face actually was.

Wrinkling his nose, a peculiar and subtle scent drifted into his nostrils. The young man's body stiffened visibly for a split second before beginning to shake violently like a sieve.

"Bastard!"

A roar of fury erupted from the young man. Abandoning all concern for his physical pain, a surge of spiritual energy erupted around him once more. Upon seeing this, the large black wolf let out a cheeky giggle and scampered back to Feng Chuxun's side.

"Bastard, I'll definitely kill you!" When had the young man ever suffered such humiliation? His rage burned far more intensely than his spiritual pressure.

"It's Wolf Lord, not bastard." With Feng Chuxun standing right beside him, the large black wolf feared nothing. It bared its teeth and grinned at the young man.

The young man's footsteps were heavy; every step he took produced a dull, booming sound.

Seeing the young man approach, the large black wolf cowered behind Feng Chuxun, poking its head out.

"Step aside!"

Reaching Feng Chuxun, the young man showed not a shred of fear, his eyes burning solely with unadulterated fury.

Feng Chuxun's expression remained calm as his gaze shifted past the young man to land on Shen Qingyun. Seeing Feng Chuxun look over, Shen Qingyun said, "Step aside and let him vent his anger with a beating."

"Alright." Feng Chuxun nodded and stepped aside, revealing the large black wolf hiding behind him.

The moment Feng Chuxun stepped away, a ferocious grin spread across the young man's face. Bending his knees, he lunged straight toward the large black wolf like a cannonball.

Hearing Shen Qingyun's words, the large black wolf was completely dumbfounded. Seeing the young man charge forward, it let out a howl and turned tail to run.

"Boss, you're unprincipled!"

The large black wolf's voice drifted into Shen Qingyun's ears on the wind.

Shen Qingyun smiled faintly. "I certainly didn't tell you to piss on the man's face."

A proper beating would do the large black wolf some good; it would serve as a lesson, allow the young man to vent his frustration, and besides, the wolf was entirely in the wrong to begin with.

The large black wolf stopped talking because the young man had already caught up, releasing his spiritual avatar, which took the form of a netherwolf.

Merging with its spiritual avatar, the young man's physical form expanded dramatically, and his speed multiplied exponentially.

The large black wolf bolted at full tilt. Glancing back to see the wolf-like youth rapidly closing the distance, it turned its head and ran even harder for its life. Yet, the young man's speed appeared even greater, swiftly narrowing the gap between them.

"Big Brother, I was wrong! Won't you stop chasing me?"

The large black wolf cried out, its tongue hanging out.

Bang!

Yet, the only reply it received was a hand with claws extended several times over, sharp as blades, slicing through the rocks on the ground as if they were tofu.

Dodging the blow, the large black wolf continued its frantic sprint. "Big Brother, we're both related to wolves, show a little respect, won't you?"

"Get lost!"

Roaring in fury, the young man's body flared with a cyan, ghostly light, closing the distance to the large black wolf in an instant. He curled his fingers into claws, his lengthening nails gleaming with a cold light. The young man grew increasingly wolflike; his hair grew longer, and his pupils transformed into the sharp, slit-like eyes of a beast.

Seemingly provoked past its breaking point by the relentless pursuit, the large black wolf shouted angrily, "If you keep chasing me, this Wolf Lord won't hold back anymore!"

Hearing the large black wolf's words, Guanyan and the others were stunned. Could this shameless and aggravating creature actually possess heaven-defying strength?

Only Shen Qingyun and Feng Chuxun maintained their composure. They knew the large black wolf's true nature better than anyone.

Suddenly, the large black wolf leaped into the air, flipping its orientation mid-flight to face the young man, baring its vicious fangs. Seeing this, the young man also vaulted upward with shadow-like speed, his hands clamping onto the large black wolf's waist.

Yet, even while held in a grip, the large black wolf still wore a fierce expression. Gradually, however, that fierce expression faded away, transforming into the docile look of an ordinary dog.

"Can you not hit the face?"

Unable to watch any longer, Shen Qingyun covered his face. Did it really think acting cute would work?

Facts proved that acting cute was useless.

Consumed by rage, the young man had only one thought in mind: to slaughter this detestable wolf cub before him.

The wails of the large black wolf echoed continuously, and the young man showed no mercy regarding where he struck. Guanyan and the feeling group could barely bear to watch. The scene was far beyond what the word "bloody" could describe, and the misery of the large black wolf defied any description of pity.

Deeming it sufficient, Shen Qingyun signaled Feng Chuxun to step in and stop the young man. Understanding the cue, Feng Chuxun effortlessly pulled the young man away, holding him firmly despite his desperate struggles to break free.

"Let me go!"

The young man roared lowly.

By this point, the large black wolf was barely breathing, drawing in far more air than it exhaled. Shen Qingyun walked over and tapped a finger against the young man's forehead. A gentle wave of spiritual energy flowed into the young man's body, causing his wolflike features to recede rapidly until he reverted to his human appearance.

Feng Chuxun blinked, his eyes carrying a silent query.

Shen Qingyun explained, "He was employing a power that didn't belong to him, similar to suffering a deviation in cultivation. If it had continued, he would have ended up half-human, half-wolf."

"When all is said and done, the shock was simply too great," Shen Qingyun sighed, turning his gaze to the dying large black wolf. "Will you dare pull a stunt like that again next time?"

The large black wolf wearily lifted its eyelids to look at Shen Qingyun, a thread-thin voice drifting into Shen Qingyun's ears. "It's just because this Wolf Lord couldn't beat him, nothing more. Once this Wolf Lord cultivates and grows stronger, I'll definitely piss right back on him!"

Shen Qingyun raised an eyebrow. The large black wolf truly was incorrigible, though its resilient spirit was almost admirable in a twisted sort of sense.

He reached out and tapped the large black wolf's forehead as well. Golden spiritual energy surged into the wolf's body, healing its injuries at a visible rate and quickly restoring it to its usual, vibrant self.

"Hey, Boss! Your spiritual energy is so miraculous! Is it wood-attribute spiritual energy?" the large black wolf exclaimed in wonder.

Healing capabilities were exclusive to wood-attribute spiritual energy, renowned for its ability to bring withered trees back to life.

"Wood-attribute spiritual energy can't even hold a candle to what I use," Shen Qingyun said with a smile.

"Is that so?" The large black wolf fell into deep thought, likely trying to imagine what kind of spiritual energy could possess healing properties superior to the wood attribute.

Having fainted from exhaustion after being restored by Shen Qingyun, the young man was casually laid on the ground by Feng Chuxun.

Shen Qingyun swept his gaze over the remaining members and said calmly, "Since we are all disciples of the three great academies, I won't take your lives here. You don't have any points on you anyway, and there's nothing for us to rob from you. Let's call it even. Agreed?"

They exchanged glances, all wearing bitter smiles. One of them spoke up, "We aren't the team leaders, so we can't make that call. But under the circumstances, we have no choice but to agree with your proposal."

Shen Qingyun nodded. "Then take your team leader away."

"Remember to relay a message to your team leader: if you lack the strength, don't try to play the fisherman waiting to reap the rewards."

"Otherwise, you'll end up like the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind—doing all the work only to benefit others."

"We understand..."

Watching them retreat into the distance, Shen Qingyun turned his gaze to Guanyan and the others. "Alright, focus on recovering. Take this as a lesson from your losses and stay vigilant," he said, adopting the tone of an elder.

Guanyan and the others didn't find his tone strange in the least and nodded to indicate they understood.

"We'll be going then." Shen Qingyun turned and walked away.

"Brother Shen."

After walking a short distance, Guanyan suddenly called out to stop him. Shen Qingyun turned his head, a questioning look in his eyes.

Wearing a complex expression that shifted for a moment, Guanyan cupped his fists solemnly and said, "Brother Shen, please bring glory to our academy!"

"Please bring glory to our academy!"

Behind Guanyan, those who had previously held grievances against Shen Qingyun also cupped their fists in unison and shouted. At this moment, they had to admit that Shen Qingyun was the only one capable of maintaining a constant lead. For the sake of the academy, they were willing to lower their heads.

Shen Qingyun smiled faintly without a word, yet the confidence and composure in his demeanor inspired complete conviction in Guanyan and the others.

Shen Qingyun would undoubtedly allow Zixiao Academy to shine brilliantly in this competition among the three great academies!

...

Half a day later, the rankings on the stone tablet shifted once more. Yan Muge, previously ranked fourth, saw her points surge by eighty, surpassing the third-ranked competitor and closing in fast on the second-ranked Zhan Yan.

Yan Muge's graceful figure stood proudly amidst a crowd, with numerous bodies sprawled haphazardly around her.

Wearing a disdainful expression, Yan Muge curled her lip and muttered, "Utterly useless, yet trying to play at team battles."

She, too, had played the role of the fisherman. Several teams had crossed paths here, their friction instantly igniting a fierce clash just as Yan Muge happened to arrive.

She resolved them with thunderous momentum, leaving only the disciples of Tingfeng Academy untouched.

Upon recognizing Yan Muge, those disciples from Tingfeng Academy had been exceptionally self-aware, handing over all the points they possessed without hesitation.

That was the sole reason behind Yan Muge's sudden surge of eighty points.

As night fell, no one ceased their actions, for even a moment of rest could result in someone else overtaking their rank. A dazzling golden light flared once more, illuminating the entire mystic realm and turning the night as bright as day.

"Shen Qingyun: Two hundred and sixty-one points."

Ranking second was Zhan Yan with one hundred and twenty-seven points.

Ranking third was Yan Muge with one hundred and twenty-five points.

The margins were minuscule; a single misstep, and Zhan Yan risked being surpassed.

"So, you are Shen Qingyun..."

At Shen Qingyun's feet lay a heap of people. The black-robed youth at the very top looked up at Shen Qingyun, uttered those final words, and rolled his eyes before fainting dead away.

Meticulously and unhurriedly straightening his slightly rumpled white robes, Shen Qingyun spoke calmly, "Chuxun, Number Three, let's go."

The first phase was set to last a month, and Shen Qingyun had already formed a new plan.