After lunch, Lin Xiu rested for a while, and the team set off again.
There would be no more breaks until they reached the border fortress to rest for the night.
Along the way, Lin Xiu noticed that the senior brothers and sisters looked somewhat serious.
'Could there be danger ahead? With mentors and the army, it couldn't be possible. It's probably still Magic Beast training.'
After consecutive battles, Lin Xiu's combat experience improved significantly, and now he was looking forward to it.
'Since higher experience can be gained in battle, can more be gained from fighting higher-level opponents?'
He is currently a Stage Ten Dou Disciple, but has not yet fully accumulated experience, still below Dou Practitioner.
While a First Rank Magic Beast is equivalent to a Dou Practitioner, encountering one should be considered crossing tiers.
"These past few days, Mentor Huo Lan has been observing me. I wonder what he's up to. Could he have noticed something special about me?"
Walking slightly behind the crowd, Lin Xiu could see Huo Lan's figure ahead, apparently talking to Mentor Ruo Lin, just as he happened to turn his head.
Their eyes met, Huo Lan's face expressionless, but a hint of anticipation flickered in his eyes.
"Is it really necessary to arrange a Second Rank Magic Beast and five First Rank Magic Beasts for this final trial?"
Ruo Lin glanced at Huo Lan, feeling that this move was somewhat risky.
"Didn't you say you had high hopes for student Xiao Xun'er? Even if not defeating it, she should at least be able to hold her own against a Second Rank Magic Beast for a moment."
Huo Lan looked ahead again. "With us here, a Second Rank Magic Beast poses no threat."
Ahead, a mountain range appeared. Huo Lan and Ruo Lin walked to the front, and the army, along with the senior brothers and sisters, stopped as well.
"Next, you'll need to go through on your own. Let me tell you beforehand, there are Magic Beasts inside, very strong ones. This is your final trial."
Mounted on horseback, Huo Lan's calm gaze swept over the upturned faces.
When his gaze passed over Lin Xiu, it paused for a second.
There was some disorder within the group, the students who had not yet seen Jia Nan Academy discussed in hushed tones.
Some hesitated, but others were already resolutely heading towards the mountains.
Lin Xiu followed behind those people, entering into the mountains.
It was somewhat quiet here, with light piercing through the leaves, casting large patches of light on the ground.
The people at the front began to run, attempting to dash through before the Magic Beasts noticed them.
"It seems like his sister revealed something."
Xiao Ning and the others didn't run; instead, they remained vigilant, observing their surroundings. Lin Xiu remained on high alert.
Movement came from the left side of the woods, as if some creature was running quickly. When Lin Xiu looked over, a tiger dashed out.
"Roar!"
The tiger's roar shattered the surrounding silence. Lin Xiu saw the tiger pounce towards someone and quickly rushed forward.
For him, the fearsome tiger was like a walking experience package for Lin Xiu.
Finders, keepers!
Pushing aside the person in the middle, Lin Xiu reached out, avoiding the sharp claws of the tiger, grabbing its front paws, and then twisted and threw it out.
Bang!
A beautiful arc cut through the air as the tiger slammed heavily into a large tree and fell to the ground.
The appearance of the tiger seemed to be a signal, as more and more wild beasts emerged. Among them, two brown bears nearly two meters tall and two black-skinned cheetahs, with an aura more terrifying than the tiger's, their skin faintly shimmering.
"First Rank Magic Beasts! And four appearing at once!"
"Not only that, look over there, that's the Golden Flower Python, with two golden flowers. It's a Second Rank Magic Beast!"
"We're done for! A Second Rank Magic Beast! Where's the teacher? We can't possibly defeat it."
When a python over four meters long appeared on the branch, the students present erupted.
The python was covered in golden patterns all over its body. When it raised its head, two golden flower petals could be seen on its skin.
"I can't win."
As Lin Xiu gazed at the Golden Flower Python, a thought flashed through his mind. Just in terms of strength, he might already be at a disadvantage, not to mention that a Second Rank Magic Beast could also use Dou Qi.
However, although Lin Xiu knew the Golden Flower Python was formidable, he didn't show the same panicked expression as the others.
Because, compared to the others, Lin Xiu knew that with Xiao Xun'er present, this Second Rank Magic Beast wouldn't pose a danger.
Ahead of the crowd, Xiao Xun'er's face remained calm and composed. "Leave the Golden Flower Python to me. You all focus on protecting yourselves."
Among the people present, Xiao Xun'er had the highest strength, a 6 Star Dou Practitioner, while a few others were also Dou Practitioners, but their strengths were all below 4 Stars.
The two brown bears were very strong. Two Dou Practitioners with faster speed took the initiative to restrain them.
"We'll deal with the black-spotted leopards." Xiao Ning called on a few acquaintances and surrounded one, while the other was already intercepted by three other Dou Practitioners, seemingly preparing for a quick kill.
Lin Xiu was eager to test his new Dou Technique, but he held back.
He engaged in battles with the beasts, quickly gaining experience.
[You engaged in a battle. Mountain Breaker experience +20]
[...]
[Your Ability Mountain Breaker has leveled up to lv2, gaining 1 Attribute Point.]
Leveling up seemed to enhance this Ability. Lin Xiu found that using Mountain Breaker became more agile.
After taking down three beasts in succession, Lin Xiu stood beside a wild boar carcass, glancing towards Xiao Ning's direction.
None of them had the strength of a Dou Practitioner, but they were all at the peak of the Dou Disciple realm. By joining forces to surround the black-spotted leopards, there weren't any immediate issues.
But solving the problem was another matter. The black-spotted leopards were very fast. If they started moving, they will be injured sooner or later.
"We need to find a way to keep it from moving. My sister said that our performance in this assessment will affect the mentor's attitude. If we can gain the mentor's appreciation, it will be helpful for our cultivation in the Academy."
Recalling Xiao Yu's instructions, Xiao Ning continued to restrain while looking for weaknesses.
Soon, he took advantage of the chaos and landed a punch on the leopard's hind leg. The leopard's muscles twitched, and its movement rhythm became disrupted.
"Focus on hitting its hind legs, so it can't run." Xiao Ning directed the people around him.
Seeing that Xiao Ning's attack was effective, they followed suit.
Gradually, the black-spotted leopard's right hind leg dared not touch the ground. Every time it made contact, it would quickly lift it up, seemingly affected.
"Hold it off for a moment, I'll find something to finish it off." Seeing an opportunity, Xiao Ning rushed towards a huge rock weighing several tens of kilograms, lifting it forcefully over his head.
First Rank Magic Beasts are stronger than ordinary beasts. After undergoing Dou Qi baptism, without weapons or powerful Dou Techniques, they must rely on external forces to better kill them.
With the stone raised, Xiao Ning seized the opportunity and struck the black-spotted leopard with force.
The black spots shimmered faintly, and the black-spotted leopard suddenly increased its speed to avoid the stone. Because of Xiao Ning's rock throw, the few people who were originally surrounding the leopard made a gap.
Seizing the opportunity, the black-spotted leopard dashed out from the gap.
"Ah!"
Just as she had dealt with one beast, Xiao Mei turned around to see a black shadow charging towards her, letting out a scream.
"Younger sister!" Xiao Ning hadn't expected the black-spotted leopard to accelerate again. Seeing it about to attack Xiao Mei who was blocking its path, urgency flashed across his face.
But the black-spotted leopard was very fast, and Xiao Ning was struggling to catch up, feeling somewhat rushed.
Not far away, a golden flame flashed in Xiao Xun'er's eyes, her expression hesitant.
"Hah!"
Suddenly, a figure dashed out like the wind, and a left leg held high in mid-air suddenly struck down towards the black-spotted leopard, aiming for its head.
"Mountain Breaker!"
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