Chapter 48: Defeat Me first!

In the woods, two agile figures swiftly shuttle forward, one in front and one behind.

The sun is about to set on the horizon, casting a rosy glow over the forest.

"We'll rest here today. Winter Sun Valley is just another kilometer ahead."

Finding a flat spot, Lin Xiu retrieved cooking utensils and ingredients from his Spatial Ring.

"How are you feeling? Shall I cook dinner?" Lin Xiu looked worriedly at the pale-faced Lin Dun.

Lin Dun waved his hand in refusal, indicating he's recovered and can manage.

With that, Lin Xiu didn't insist, finding a tree and lightly stepping up to its branches.

Gripping the trunk with one hand, Lin Xiu gazed into the distance.

"It's strange. I didn't see anything unusual, so why do I feel like I'm being watched?"

Scanning his surroundings, Lin Xiu carefully sensed the movements around him. Within a radius of at least thirty meters, he doesn't notice anything out of the ordinary.

However, after Lin Xiu slips down from the tree, about forty meters away, two pairs of eyes retracted from between the leaves of a tree canopy.

"Big brother, that kid is on high alert." The gray-clothed man had previously encountered students from Jia Nan Academy.

But he had never seen a student with such high vigilance at the Dou Practitioner stage.

Beside him, the middle-aged man with a goatee looked grave, "No problem. We're in the shadows, they're in the light. As long as we're patient, we'll definitely have an opportunity."

"Big brother, Li Si was slain by him with a single sword stroke." The gray-clothed man's face showed fear, as if he's been startled by Lin Xiu's beheading of the man in the blue shirt.

"That kid must have a good sword in his hands." The middle-aged man nodded, a hint of greed in his eyes, "He also has a Spatial Ring, which might contain some good stuff."

The man in gray was about to speak but was suddenly silenced by the middle-aged man covering his mouth with his hand, gesturing for silence with his index finger on his lips. They both quieted down immediately. Soon, they noticed two figures approaching across the grass.

"The Law Enforcement Team is coming," the man in gray said with panic in his eyes.

"Stay calm, let's see what's happening first," the middle-aged man, noticing that the two figures were heading towards Lin Xiu, kept his composure and chose not to leave immediately.

On the flat ground, as Lin Dun was about to add ingredients to the boiling water, he suddenly heard footsteps and quickly pulled out a wooden stick from the burning fire.

"Brother Xiu, footsteps," Lin Dun said tensely, his hand gripping the stick tightly, trembling slightly from exertion.

"I heard it," Lin Xiu replied, walking over to Lin Dun and looking towards where the sound was coming from. The next moment, two figures emerged from the woods.

"Lin Xiu?"

"Wu Hao?"

As soon as they met, both of them spoke at the same time. However, Wu Hao's voice was filled with surprise and excitement, while Lin Xiu's voice conveyed more of a sense of surprise.

"I was planning to take leave and go to the Academy to find you. I didn't expect to meet you here. It's really great," Wu Hao's face lit up with determination, his excitement evident.

"What do you want from me?" Lin Xiu was taken aback by Wu Hao's words.

"Do you remember what I said back at the arena?" Wu Hao clenched his fists, slowly rotating his wrists. "I want to have another fight with you and defeat you."

"There's no need for that," Lin Xiu wasn't keen on bullying anyone, especially when he was already a 5 Star Dou Practitioner himself. Even if Wu Hao had been promoted to a Dou Practitioner, in such a short time, he would at most be a 2 Star Dou Practitioner.

"No, it's necessary! I must have a match with you," Wu Hao eagerly insisted.

Originally, he was worried that Lin Xiu wouldn't advance to Dou Practitioner too soon, not wanting to bully others. So, he hadn't gone back all this time. It wasn't until after half a month that he felt it was about time to take leave and return once.

"Let's forget about it," Lin Xiu was worried about hitting Wu Hao too hard and causing him trouble. To be honest, Wu Hao's talent was quite good, even higher than Bai Shan's. However, no matter how good one's talent was, there would always be a gap compared to those who cheated. Whether it was Xiao Yan or Lin Xiu, both of them had cheats. How could life be compared for those who cheated?

"Junior brother, give me some face, can you fight Wu Hao?" The youth had been listening nearby and had already understood the situation from their conversation. Sometimes, keeping things hidden in one's heart could be detrimental to cultivation. Cultivation emphasized clear-mindedness.

Since Wu Shu entrusted Wu Hao to him, it was natural to ensure that Wu Hao's mind was clear.

"I can't, I don't want to bully anyone," Lin Xiu shook his head, feeling the youth's involvement a bit inexplicable. Clearly, it was between him and Wu Hao, so why was the youth getting involved? Giving him face? Are we that familiar?

Initially smiling, the youth didn't expect Lin Xiu to refuse so decisively, and his smile stiffened slightly.

"Lin Xiu, last time I was just careless, do you really think you're strong?" Hearing Lin Xiu's words about bullying, Wu Hao felt a sense of disdain, feeling quite displeased.

About a dozen meters away from them, two figures hid behind the leaves of trees.

"Big brother, is that kid a freshman?" The man in gray heard the conversation, his eyes widening.

Li Si was a 5 Star Dou Practitioner, yet he was killed by a freshman with a single sword strike. His death was too unjust.

The middle-aged man obviously understood the implication of his words, "I always advise you to be careful and cautious in your actions, to avoid pitfalls. If you don't listen, who's to blame?"

"Big brother, when the opportunity arises, let me take action," the man in gray, upon learning that Lin Xiu was a freshman, regained his confidence in an instant.

"Don't speak, let's first assess the situation," the middle-aged man glanced at the young man dressed in Law Enforcement Team attire, a hint of wariness in his eyes.

Standing beside Lin Xiu, Lin Dun suddenly stepped forward, pointing his flaming wooden stick at Wu Hao, "If you want to fight Brother Xiu, you'll have to defeat me first."

"Lin Xiu, is what he said valid?" Wu Hao furrowed his brows, his eyes shifting to the person behind Lin Dun.

"If you can defeat Lin Dun, then I agree to fight you," Lin Xiu nodded.

He had confidence in Lin Dun; possessing a Black Rank Low-Level Qi Method, coupled with the fact that they had been sparring together during this period, Lin Dun was actually quite strong. At this stage, Wu Hao had not made significant progress. If it were half a year later, based solely on Lin Dun's aptitude, he would have no qualifications to spar with Wu Hao.

But now, it's hard to say.

"Alright, let's make it quick. Lin Xiu, be ready," Wu Hao mobilized his Dou Qi and took the initiative to attack.

Dropping the wooden stick in his hand, Lin Dun also stepped forward.

Wu Hao threw a punch, which Lin Dun blocked, then countered with force.

They both stepped back simultaneously, then kicked out.

Seeming unfazed by the pain, Lin Dun collided legs with Wu Hao, then without pausing to adjust, he immediately swung a fist at Wu Hao again.

Rolling awkwardly on the ground, Wu Hao avoided the fist, then as he stood up, his expression turned grim, and he charged once more.

"If you can't even defeat me, do you think you're worthy to spar with Brother Xiu?"

Facing Wu Hao's punch, Lin Dun surprisingly didn't dodge, but braced himself with his chest, then struck back with a clenched fist.

Although Wu Hao attempted to evade, he still got hit on the shoulder, causing his body to sway violently as he repeatedly stepped back.

Lin Dun pressed on with the attack, his fists and elbows raining down like a storm.

Just as Wu Hao seemed about to be struck in the face by Lin Dun's punch, the young man standing nearby suddenly spoke.

"Enough!"

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