At the entrance of the inner courtyard, four Elders of the Dou king level stood facing several students, including Lin Xiu Ya, Yan Hao, and Han Yue.
"Wasn't Zi Yan out with all of you earlier?" one Elder asked with a furrowed brow.
Not long ago, the Academy received a message stating that Zi Yan was kidnapped and in their hands, and they demanded Lin Xiu to go to a designated location for her release. Although Zi Yan was also a student of the inner courtyard, her strength was not to be underestimated. Even if she encountered a Dou Emperor, she could escape if unable to defeat them.
Therefore, the Elders of the Academy dared not act rashly upon receiving this message, fearing it might be a ploy by Han Feng to lure them out.
But Zi Yan's safety cannot be ignored.
Currently, no one knows where Lin Xiu is, so they decided to first investigate to ascertain the truth. If the situation turns out to be true, they will notify the Grand Elder to take action.
"Elder, after we left the Academy, Zi Yan thought we were too slow and split up midway," Han Yue replied truthfully.
In all matters related to Lin Xiu, Zi Yan always shows more enthusiasm than anyone else, and this time was no exception. Upon learning that Lin Xiu needed medicinal materials, Zi Yan wanted to utilize her special sensitivity to natural treasures and split paths with them.
However, no one expected that even someone as strong as Zi Yan would be captured.
"Let's depart first. Lin Xiu and Zi Yan have a close relationship. If he learns this news, he might go directly there. It would be disastrous if he falls into an enemy trap," the Elder scanned the group. "Since you are coming along, there should be no issues. But remember, you must not act impulsively. This mission is primarily to confirm the truth of the information. Once you gather intelligence, return to the Academy immediately. Understood?"
Han Yue and the others nodded.
Initially, Zi Yan had left with them. If something went wrong, they were worried that Lin Xiu might blame them.
However, just as they were about to set off, they saw a figure descending.
"Lin Xiu?"
Everyone was stunned.
After greeting the elders, Lin Xiu asked, "What's with this big scene? Where are you all going?"
"Don't you know?" Han Yue couldn't help but be surprised.
"Know what? Has something happened recently?" Lin Xiu was a bit bewildered. He had been refining pills in the forest these days, not seeing anyone else, so he naturally didn't know the news from the outside.
"Someone said Zi Yan was captured by them and they want you to go to ransom her," Yan Hao said.
"Where? Let's go, we can talk on the way."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiu's face darkened, anger flashing in his eyes. The feeling of being coerced by others was not pleasant.
The group left the Academy and set off in a certain direction.
The location was a valley near a city in the Black-Corner Region, about a three-day journey from the Academy.
If Lin Xiu used the Three Thousand Lightning Movements to travel, he could arrive in a little over a day.
However, the four elders stopped him.
In their words, if the other party had means to capture Zi Yan, they must have some strength. Although Lin Xiu had already advanced to Dou Emperor, he had only recently advanced, so if he rashly ventured alone and fell into a trap, what would happen?
Now that group of people specifically named Lin Xiu to go and ransom Zi Yan.
As long as Lin Xiu hadn't arrived, they wouldn't harm Zi Yan for sure.
But if Lin Xiu rushed in recklessly and fell into a trap, not only would he be in danger himself, but he might also harm Zi Yan.
After being persuaded several times by the four elders and Han Yue, Lin Xiu had no choice but to maintain the same speed as them and rush to the designated location together.
...
In a secluded area amidst the mountain wilderness.
At this moment.
Many figures gathered here, concealed among the branches and leaves of the surrounding trees.
In the center of the clearing, there was a cage about two meters long and wide, with railings made of special ore emitting a faint cold light.
Inside the cage lay a girl with purple hair.
A strange smell lingered lightly around her nose.
The scent wafted from a thumb-thick stick of sandalwood.
Surrounded by this scent, Zi Yan felt weak all over. She couldn't even sit up, let alone move her fingers.
"I won't eat randomly anymore in the future. Lin Xiu, where are you? When will you come to save me..."
Zi Yan stared into the sky, lost in thought.
Not far from the cage, there was a tent with chairs set up, all occupied by people.
At the position near the entrance, a person looked worried, "Yuan Yi is dead, and he died at the hands of Lin Xiu. According to his subordinates, Lin Xiu only used two punches to kill him."
"More than that, the Ground Fire Sect is gone too."
Another person sighed, "In less than a year, the Blood Sect, Eight Gates, and now the Ground Fire Sect have all been destroyed."
"That's why this Lin Xiu must not be allowed to live! If he continues to grow unchecked, there will be no place for us in the Black-Corner Region in the future."
A middle-aged man with a rough voice spoke forcefully, immediately silencing the others.
Among those present, many still looked worried. While the idea was good, whether they had the strength to execute it was another matter.
"Killing Yuan Yi isn't much of an accomplishment. His strength ranking on the Black List is behind Fan Lao's. Don't make Lin Xiu out to be too terrifying."
The middle-aged man didn't want to see their morale plummet before the battle even began.
He slammed the armrest heavily twice and said in a deep voice, "With the Gold and Silver Elders present this time, they are capable of fighting against Dou Ancestors. Are you telling me they can't handle a young man in his twenties?"
"Just focus on your own tasks, keep the Academy elders occupied, and don't give them a chance to interfere. Our plan this time will definitely succeed."
Someone mentioned Su Qian from Jia Nan Academy.
The middle-aged man immediately assured them that Su Qian wouldn't come; someone would keep him busy.
Upon hearing this response, everyone present felt relieved.
With their worries eased, they couldn't help but start envisioning the benefits.
"Lin Xiu took the treasures of the Eight Gates and Ground Fire Sect, even Fan Lao's Spatial Ring is in his hands."
"These three factions are also among the top in the Black-Corner Region, and Eight Gates even has an auction house."
"... "
Listening to these discussions, the middle-aged man smiled and glanced towards the door.
Through a slight opening, a pair of eyes could be seen.
A satisfied look flashed across Han Beng's eyes. He lowered his hand from the door curtain and turned to leave.
Arriving at a mountain wall covered with lush vegetation in a valley, Han Beng walked straight in. Inside a small cave entrance, there was a hidden sanctuary.
Two elderly men sat inside, one dressed in gold robes and the other in silver.
"Elder Gold, Elder Silver," greeted Han Beng with a bow.
The silver-robed elder opened his eyes and glanced at him.
"My master hopes that if convenient, both elders can try to spare Lin Xiu's life," Han Beng said.
"Is that all?" The silver-robed elder gave him a sidelong glance.
Han Beng nodded his head. Soon after, he saw the elder wave his hand, signaling him to leave. Han Beng turned and exited.
Once outside, the elder in gold robes inside the cave opened his eyes halfway.
He snorted lightly. "Han Feng really thinks highly of himself, wanting a live capture without much effort."
"It's nothing major, just a newly promoted Dou Emperor. Sending Han Feng a favor isn't a big deal," the silver-robed elder smiled, revealing three Sixth Grade Pills. "This should suffice in value."
Anyway, dealing with a Dou Emperor is an effortless matter for them.
"After this matter, once we have the Pill, we'll leave the Black-Corner Region first," said the elder in gold robes, a trace of worry crossing his brow.
"Are you worried Su Qian will go mad?" The elder in silver robes immediately guessed his brother's thoughts. "Avoiding him for a while is also necessary. If one of my Dou Emperor disciples in their twenties were killed, I would go mad too."
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