When Wanyan Muye finished speaking, he already prepared to face Bian Linghan's attack.
It was because he could tell that Lin Xi already couldn't hold on any longer, even his wounds starting to become a bit grayish white. However, what made his brows couldn't help but frown a bit, was that Bian Linghan instead didn't take action.
"Originally, I thought that because of the disputes between our two academies, your domineering and shamelessness were still because you are too young and vigorous… However, I still thought of you all as too kind. This way, when I shoot an arrow at you, or perhaps deliver a stab, I won't feel any inner conflict." What made him feel inconceivable was that Lin Xi actually looked at him, seriously saying this.
"Could it be that you've gone delirious from blood loss?" Wanyan Muye couldn't help but look at Lin Xi, saying with a frown.
Lin Xi felt everything before his eyes grow dark. However, that 'roulette' in his mind instead became even more clear, to the extent where it was about to automatically flicker with radiance. He thus responded, a bit lacking in strength as he shouted, "Return!"
…
Lin Xi didn't wish to lightly use this ability of his, because in this type of competition, his daily use of his ability seemed even more important… However, he didn't have Hua Jiyue's fine perception ability, if he didn't use it, he really couldn't continue living this time.
That was why he helplessly used this ability.
The scenery before his eyes changed in an extremely familiar manner. He returned to ten minutes ago, only just starting to descend from the hill with Bian Linghan.
"Wait." Lin Xi stopped.
Bian Linghan looked around her vigilantly, quietly saying, "What is it?"
Lin Xi looked at Bian Linghan, then pointed by the stream where Wanyan Muye was hiding, using a voice only the two of them could hear to say, "I suddenly have a feeling that this place isn't quite right, that someone is hiding underneath."
"You really have this type of intuition?"
Bian Linghan's graceful brows frowned. She knew that sometimes, matters regarding intuition really were difficult to explain, especially in this kind of situation where they constantly faced unclear and unknown dangers.
"I just have this type of intuition. I think being a bit more careful is never a bad thing." Lin Xi relied on his deep impression just now, picturing Wanyan Muye's lurking body. Even if Wanyan Muye had a peeping hole in that layer of ice, there was no way he could detect their existence from so far away, let alone sense the flight of an arrow, moreover, that layer of ice and snow wasn't that thick, it definitely wouldn't do much to stop an arrow.
Bian Linghan naturally also agreed that being a bit more careful wasn't a bad thing. She gave the quiet Lin Xi a look, and then softly asked, "Then what do you want to do?"
"I want to return to the top of the hill, test out some arrows." Lin Xi turned around, looking at the hill they just came down from. "The height of this hill is about a hundred and fifty steps, if we fire from above, it can cover the area I feel isn't quite right. Moreover, this height isn't all that difficult for us… if there really is a cultivator we cannot deal with hiding inside, by using this hill to block the enemy's line of sight, fleeing into the spruce trees behind us, there is still a chance of escaping."
Bian Linghan only turned around and took a look before agreeing. The two of them backed up a few dozen steps, withdrawing to the few spruce trees on the hill.
White snow and a flowing creek, everything seemed calm and peaceful, lacking the slightest bit of blood.
However, Lin Xi knew that Wanyan Muye was waiting precisely by the line of footprints next to the stream.
"Linghan, if there really is a Thunder Academy expert hiding there… just to deal with Green Luan Academy students who are passing by, when we walk past, do you think he would show any kindness?" After quietly staring out for a few seconds, he turned around to seriously ask Bian Linghan.
Bian Linghan stared blankly for a moment, her face turning a bit white. She didn't say anything, but shook her head.
Lin Xi looked at her, and then seriously said, "That is why I hope that when we take action, we do not show much kindness."
Bian Linghan also gave Lin Xi a look, saying firmly, "Okay."
Lin Xi gently removed the black stone strong bow from his back, also removing a white-colored arrow in a proficient manner. Then, he looked into the skies ahead, taking a deep breath.
The wind direction was just right, there were many diamond dust-like granules flickering about.
He knew that right now, in this picturesque-like scenery, Wanyan Muye was currently waiting for prey in a hopeful and excited manner. However, what Wanyan Muye didn't know, was that right now, before Lin Xi, he had already become a living target, moreover one that couldn't move.
He took in a breath, the icy coldness starting to spread in his chest, making his mind become more and more clear.
Now, he didn't have the rewind ability anymore, so everything would really depend on him.
"Linghan, watch carefully." Lin Xi said with a slow but firm voice, "Starting from that stream, twenty steps towards us, two feet to the left, I want you to help me position my shot."
Twenty steps from the stream, two feet to the left.
Even though she had no idea why Lin Xi would give her such accurate instructions, Bian Linghan instead didn't say anything. Just like in training, she began to completely calm her emotions down… all the way until she felt like her entire body and mind became one with the surrounding mountains. In her eyes, there was only the sky before her and that piece of light snow. Bian Linghan's fingers were released from the bowstring, a white arrow thus fired into the sky in front of her, drawing out a pretty arc like a crescent moon. An abnormal screaming sound immediately rang out, falling fiercely into the ground.
Pu!
A blast of snowy mist immediately erupted on the snowy ground, rushing several feet into the air. Bian Linghan's arrow deviated roughly six to seven meters of distance to the right.
Lin Xi's longbow was already drawn, his entire body like a sculpture, steady to the point where even an ordinary archer would feel frightened when they saw it.
In his eyes, there was only the light snow Wanyan Muye was hiding in, only the skies and the blast of snowy mist caused by Bian Linghan's arrow. The arrow in his hand also flew out.
…
Wanyan Muye waited in the ice hold extremely patiently.
He was thinking that if the ones who passed by were precisely the brat who stabbed his foot or that tall and slender lady whose cultivation was way higher than his, then it would be perfect.
Even if it was a Soul Expert level cultivator, in a completely unexpected situation where they couldn't use their soul force in time, they would definitely suffer a serious injury. This way, he would definitely obtain great achievements in this competition, definitely able to receive considerable rewards.
All of a sudden, even though he didn't sense anyone approaching, he suddenly heard a strange screaming sound in the air, as if a biting cold gust of wind was rushing past. Then, there was an abnormal shaking in this snowland.
The moment he felt a bit of shock, in the skies above, another similar screaming sounded, moreover extremely close.
Pu!
This snowy land shook again, but this time, it came from above him!
Before he could react in any way, he knew that the frozen cover he arranged with quite the difficulty was broken through. An arrow smashed in, carrying unimaginable wind noise and an aura of death.
…
Lin Xi calmly watched as the first white arrow he released flew out, and then descended.
This white arrow, under the snowland's backdrop, wasn't all that prominent, but in his eyes, it formed the most beautiful scenery.
This hundred and fifty steps of altitude, for him and Bian Linghan, wasn't that far, the adjustments he made were also extremely precise… that was why this arrow was extremely perfect, smashing heavily into the piece of snow his eyes were locked onto.
The shallow sheet of ice and snow was pierced through, caving in, and then all of it rushed back into the air.
Like a flower blooming in the snow, the red radiance flickered about like stamens.
"There really was someone!"
Bian Linghan's breathing suddenly stopped. Even though she had already been scolded many times by Tong Wei, telling her that when her hand was on the bow, even if a mountain collapsed right before her eyes, she still had to remain completely calm, she still almost released a cry of alarm.
A shadow howled in pain, rushing out from the ruptured snowy mist, the scene truly horrifying.
Because of a momentary shock, the second arrow in Bian Linghan's hands paused slightly, while Lin Xi's second arrow already left his fingers without the slightest pause.
Even though he didn't know where Wanyan Muye was injured, he immediately felt that the other party's injuries weren't that light.
While still carrying the feeling of the arrow he just shot, this second arrow, for Lin Xi, was even more carefree and perfect.
"Just what is going on?"
Wanyan Muye leapt out from the snow hole, a white arrow stabbed through his ribs, his mouth screaming towards the sky in a miserable and perplexed manner. Until this very moment, he still didn't know what exactly happened. Right at this time, he saw a white trace descend. A white arrow pierced through the light armor on his chest, piercing right through.
His body became rigid in the sky. Then, he fell heavily onto the ground, falling into the ice hole he just leapt out of.
…
Even though he immediately used the most common and most effective constriction staunching method, bloody suds still continuously flowed out from Wanyan Muye's mouth.
The constitution of cultivators was indeed greater than that of ordinary warriors, but the two arrows already wounded his heart. After moving just a bit more intensely, the wounds were already beyond his control.
Wanyan Muye heard the sounds of feet stepping on ice and snow, his great confusion making him forcefully support himself back up. His eyes and face immediately went rigid.
"Hello, we meet again." Lin Xi, who had a bow on his back, had a deep meaning in his eyes as he nodded towards him.
"It's you?" Wanyan Muye saw Lin Xi, completely lacking his usual domineeringness, full of confusion and loss as he said, "How did you know I was hiding here…"
"If I said it was intuition… if I said that only now did I notice the footsteps here were a bit too deep, that you followed your own footsteps back, then hid yourself here, would you feel even more puzzled and disheartened?" Lin Xi gave the two blotches of red on Wanyan Muye's body that were still spreading a look, and then as if he was paying his respects to a friend, said, "How are your injuries? Are you going to die immediately?"
Wanyan Muye opened his mouth, but suddenly couldn't say anything.
"Lin Xi, how should we deal with him?" Bian Linghan still vigilantly held her short sword as she looked at Wanyan Muye, asking Lin Xi this question.
Lin Xi's face suddenly turned a bit pale as well.
No one knew that right now, he also faced an extremely difficult choice.
There was a Thunder Academy student who was disguised as a prisoner, perhaps in the same region as Yuhua Tianji right now, and Helan Yuexi might also be there.
Meanwhile, on the other side, there was a Thunder Academy student with exceptional night vision, possibly already by the same peak as Gao Yanan.