Jia Nan Academy, dormitory.
Xiao Ning lay on the bed with a worried expression. It was the third day since Lin Xiu had left the Academy, and also the third day he hadn't gone out.
Xiao Ning had asked for leave from the dormitory, citing illness as the reason.
But in reality, he wasn't sick. On the contrary, he was in very good health. The reason he asked for leave was to avoid something.
Because he had made a deal with Lin Xiu to accompany him in exchange for Lin Xiu catching a White Carp every two days. Each time he got one, he would send it to Xun'er.
As it turned out, White Carp did taste good, and Xun'er did indeed love eating them.
This had led to the current situation where there were no White Carp left, and Xiao Ning was worried about being nagged by Xun'er, so he could only pretend to be sick to avoid her.
After all, he had always claimed to have caught the fish himself each time he brought one.
"Boss, there's a girl downstairs looking for you, seems like your sister." The door was pushed open, and several people walked in, one of them carrying packaged food.
'Sister? Which sister? Could it be Xun'er?'
Quickly putting on his clothes, Xiao Ning thanked the person helping with the food and hurried downstairs.
Not far away, under a tree, stood a girl in a light green dress, with an elegant and refined demeanor. Who else could it be besides Xun'er?
At this moment, Xun'er seemed to be in trouble, with a young man in white standing in front of her, smiling and saying something.
Seeing this scene, Xiao Ning hurried over. As he got closer, he heard the other person striking up a conversation.
"Hello, you seem a bit unfamiliar. Are you a freshman? I'm Bai Shan, from the previous year. What's your name?"
The young man in white wore a charming smile.
"Xun'er, sorry to keep you waiting." Xiao Ning's voice was loud. Facing Bai Shan's gaze, he remained expressionless. "Senior, if you have something to say, you can tell me directly."
Although outwardly calm, Xiao Ning felt like he was facing a formidable enemy deep down. This guy seemed even more handsome than Xiao Yan!
"It's nothing, let's go." Xun'er's voice was gentle. After speaking, she turned and walked away into the distance. Xiao Ning gave Bai Shan a warning look and followed.
Standing in place, Bai Shan watched the two of them leave.
"Boss." Several young men gathered around Bai Shan.
Bai Shan's smile didn't fade. "It seems like there are a lot of interesting students coming to the Academy again. Investigate that boy."
"Alright, boss. What about the girl?" someone asked.
"Don't bother her! I'll handle it myself." Bai Shan's tone was stern, with a hint of warning.
He had never seen such a graceful and beautiful girl at the Academy before. It felt like he had met his destined wife.
As Xiao Ning walked away, unaware that he was being watched, he was now sweating profusely. His demeanor was completely different from before, from calm and composed to utterly different.
"Cousin Xiao Ning, I hate liars the most. You should know better. You'd better not lie to me." Xun'er's lips curved into a faint smile, but it exerted immense pressure on Xiao Ning.
"Xun'er, I..." Xiao Ning began, but Xun'er interrupted him, "Cousin, call me younger sister Xun'er please"
'Not anyone can call me "Xun'er" directly'. Xun'er whispered in her heart, her mind involuntarily conjuring the image of a certain person.
'Brother Xiao Yan, how are you doing now?'
"younger sister Xun'er , those White Carp indeed weren't caught by me. Lin Xiu went out, and when he returns, I'll get the fish and bring them to you." Xiao Ning lowered his head.
"Thank you, cousin." Xun'er seemed to have come just for the fish. After getting the answer, she walked away directly.
Standing alone in place, Xiao Ning clenched his fists tightly. "Xiao Yan, what exactly attracts you to him!"
His head was suddenly tapped, igniting Xiao Ning's anger instantly. He turned around abruptly. "Sister?"
"What are you standing here alone for? I heard you were sick. Are you feeling better now?" Xiao Yu showed a concerned expression.
"I'm better now." Xiao Ning nodded, feeling a bit bitter. His body might be fine, but his heart was hurting.
"Let me ask you something. You live with Lin Xiu. Do you know about his strength?" Xiao Yu glanced to the side, seemingly asking casually.
"Sister, why are you suddenly asking about him?" Xiao Ning asked urgently.
"Of course, I want to help you teach him a lesson." Xiao Yu stared straight into Xiao Ning's eyes, unapologetic.
"No, please don't." Xiao Ning quickly waved his hand, his expression worried. "Sister, Lin Xiu is a freak. He drags me and another roommate to practice day and night. His progress is rapid. If you go to find him, you'll definitely suffer."
In terms of attitude towards cultivation, Xiao Ning sincerely admired Lin Xiu from the bottom of his heart. He was well aware of how terrifying Lin Xiu's combat abilities were.
Even if he gave it his all, Xiao Ning knew he wouldn't be able to defeat Lin Xiu. The latter might even win with just one hand.
Hearing Xiao Ning's words, Xiao Yu stood still, stunned. Lin Xiu's rapid progress, and behind it, her own brother's efforts?
She had wanted to help Xiao Ning get revenge before, but now she realized that she would suffer greatly at Lin Xiu's hands, and Xiao Ning had contributed to it.
With this realization, Xiao Yu raised her hand and slapped the back of Xiao Ning's head before storming off angrily.
Her visit this time was to understand why, after just a few days, Lin Xiu had become so strong.
Now it's even worse than being ignorant.
"Why are you hitting me again? I was clearly just trying to care for you, sister." Xiao Ning felt extremely wronged. Being struck by both Xun'er and Xiao Yu in succession, his heart felt as though it was on the verge of breaking.
...
"Lin Xiu, as our junior, we're going to deal with the Water Tiger Beast next. It's a Second Rank Magic Beast, so we won't have time to look after you. You'll wait here for us."
On the edge of the hillside, Du Chaoping was instructing Lin Xiu on some matters.
At the bottom of the slope was a river, with a gentle flow and grassy banks.
Among those grasses, you could occasionally see some splashes of water, revealing an eye.
"Senior, please take care." Lin Xiu nodded.
In these past few days, they had traveled through vast areas, and the routes seemed to be based on Du Chaoping's past experiences, with hardly any encounters with powerful Magic Beasts.
Sometimes, they encountered First Rank Magic Beasts, but they didn't even give Lin Xiu a chance to act.
This excessive emphasis on protection left Lin Xiu feeling somewhat at a loss.
However, Lin Xiu didn't intentionally cause trouble. He completed all four tasks along the way.
The Water Tiger Beast was not a tiger but rather a type of Magic Beast that lived in water. Its size was more akin to that of a hippopotamus, but it was known for its roar, which resembled that of a tiger.
Usually, Water Tiger Beasts lurked along the banks of rivers. As Du Chaoping and the other two approached, the Water Tiger Beast, sensing movement, emerged from the water.
Standing at nearly two meters tall, its body swollen, it sent a large spray of water cascading down from its gray skin, which bore shallow grooves and emitted a faint blue light.
Du Chaoping wielded a long spear and took the lead in attacking.
The Water Tiger Beast, struck by the attack, stomped heavily on the ground, causing the earth to tremble as it charged forward.
Han Pu and Qin Zhi engaged it from the sides, their attacks leaving numerous wounds on the Water Tiger Beast.
"Look for an opportunity to attack under its jaw." Du Chaoping reminded the two. The Water Tiger Beast had strong defense on its skin, but there was a soft patch under its jaw, its only weak spot.
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
This was Lin Xiu's second encounter with a Second Rank Magic Beast. During the previous encounter, when Xun'er dealt with the Second Rank Magic Beast, he hadn't observed much. Today, he could make up for that.
Du Chaoping was doing a good job of restraining the Water Tiger Beast. Several times, he provoked it, causing it to expose its weak spot under the jaw. However, Han Pu and Qin Zhi's attacks always seemed to lag behind, often missing the opportunity.
"The Water Tiger Beast is very strong. You must act quickly and decisively, or else it will kick you with its front paws." Lin Xiu noticed that Han Pu had found an opening and couldn't help but hold his breath.
Han Pu's weapon was a sword, with the blade covered in Dou Qi, stabbing straight toward the Water Tiger Beast's pale skin.
"It's over." Du Chaoping saw this scene and breathed a sigh of relief.
However, the next scene made his heart skip a beat.
Han Pu's sword didn't pierce through; instead, it felt like hitting a hard rock, the tip of the sword stopping at the Water Tiger Beast's weak spot.
"How could this be?" Han Pu was even taken aback.
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