Chapter 48
Do not harm my lord!
The hunting event in the annual martial arts examinations is often the one with the highest casualty rate.
This is different from the third match, where there were referees watching from the sidelines, and fights are unpredictable, with injuries and even death being inevitable.
However, unless the referee is bribed, the probability of injury or death is very small.
But the hunting process is different; the venue and the area are much larger.
With so many contestants, it was difficult for the imperial court to monitor them all, so they could only prevent large-scale hunting.
Therefore, in this competition, those who have grudges can seek revenge, and those who harbor hatred can settle scores; life and death are entirely determined by strength.
The best approach is to band together and protect each other, with each martial arts school uniting to hunt for themselves, in order to avoid being hunted by others.
Chen Jingshu frowned, and Chen Jingyun was also quite troubled. Of their group, there were still three internal strength martial artists left, enough to protect themselves.
However, achieving higher scores is somewhat difficult, because no one is good at hunting.
Knowing only the range of valuable prey and its value is their limit.
"Senior sister, what do we do now?"
Chen Jingshu scanned the area ahead and said coldly, "Father instructed that there are as many as ten such spots in these mountains, teeming with valuable game. Follow me!"
Meanwhile, disciples from other martial arts schools were also heading into the jungle on different hillsides.
The Scaled Python Martial Arts School was a formidable force with numerous disciples; in the jungle, other smaller martial arts schools had to steer clear of it.
"Senior Brother, where are we going hunting?"
Lin Zhennan sneered: "Hunting? Can hunting be faster than simply snatching something from someone else?"
The second senior brother, Xiao Xiangbei, standing to the side, was equally ruthless: "Have you forgotten what Master taught us? This place is Snake Head Gully in Yellow Snake County, and we are Scaled Pythons."
Everything belongs to us.
"A python, capable of swallowing the heavens and the earth, naturally seeks to reap the rewards without lifting a finger!"
Duan Xu, who was already arrogant, had his arms crossed and thought to himself, "My senior brothers are right!"
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name, 101kanshu.com. It's super user-friendly; 101kk.tw is available anytime.]
Joining this martial arts school was definitely the right decision.
"But wouldn't doing this be against the rules?"
"A foul? This second test is precisely the imperial court's way of testing the martial artist's mentality, courage, and combat skills."
It's designed for survival, so how can it be considered a foul?
"The law of the jungle is the law of this world." Duan Xu kicked his disciple away, breaking his pelvis, and he lay on the ground howling in pain.
But none of the disciples gave him a second glance, as if he were a weak and useless person who had nothing to do with them.
"Senior brother, I was wrong. Eldest brother, second brother, please help me. I will never back down again."
"Help! I don't want to starve to death here..."
……
Duan Xuan traversed two mountain peaks in one breath, without even breaking a sweat, while the Ming Jin martial artists behind him kept close behind.
He strained to see. He spotted three horses abandoned at the foot of the mountain.
The mountains are steep and the terrain is difficult to traverse.
The higher you go, the steeper the mountain becomes, making it impossible for horses to climb. This gives martial artists a significant advantage in terms of speed.
Although Duan Xuan was on the run, he kept a close eye on the owners of the three horses.
"Twenty minutes ago, that old man jumped off his horse with two young men and used a very special gait, which allowed him to climb faster than I could."
"However, it's quite lively on this mountain!" Duan Xuan naturally noticed the imperial soldiers and disciples from various martial arts schools taking the exams, wandering around the area.
"According to the directions Brother Zhao gave us, Liu Chunmei must have to cross the exam area to get there. Let's hope there aren't any other unexpected changes!"
"Second brother, we caught up with him! His qi and blood are depleted. He had some energy fluctuations just now, but now it's all gone!"
Just as Duan Xuan was pondering, the four people beneath him only needed to climb one more hill to catch up with him.
"Hahaha, kid, so you're just an ordinary Ming Jin martial artist after all. Don't run away, if you go any further, wild beasts will roam and eat you to pieces!"
"Of all the sides you could have sided with, you had to side with the fourth family."
"Now the entire Wang family is targeting the second and fourth branches of the family. Even if you escape from us brothers, you won't have a good ending!"
Duan Xuan clearly memorized this information, turned his head, and immediately assumed a boxing stance.
"Are you so sure I won't survive?"
"Of course, the first and third wives sent three masters of internal strength. You should know that old man from earlier, right?"
Having mastered internal strength for decades, his vital energy has never declined. If he personally comes to capture the Fourth Miss, no one will escape!
Looking at the sycophant who was panting heavily as he spoke, Duan Xuan said, "He is over sixty years old and still hasn't broken through to the Transformation Realm."
"Looking at him, he really is a good-for-nothing. I'll send you to meet him later!"
In the blink of an eye, Duan Xuan stepped onto the stance, his muscles bulging, making him look like an iron tower, and slammed into it.
The second brother smirked, about to unleash his Ming Jin strength to show Duan Xuan what a retainer raised by a great family was like.
However, the moment he made contact, he discovered the difference.
Duan Xuan's strength was not outwardly revealed, but the moment their fists and feet clashed, Duan Xuan's strength completely overwhelmed his original strength.
The residual energy still lingered in that person's body.
Thus, in the eyes of others, Duan Xuan stood still, while his second brother was like a kite with a broken string.
It flew down the hillside at the top of its lungs. It landed on the back of its head after a height of more than ten meters.
With a snap, blood and brain matter splattered out, leaving a long trail before he fell silent.
"Second Brother!"
"Avenge my second brother!"
The other three unleashed their inner energy, attempting to force Duan Xuan back by maneuvering around their positions.
But Duan Xuan had no desire to waste any more time with them. His Mountain-Breaking Fist blasted down the hillside into a depression.
Rumble!
The entire piece of land began to roll. Although its surface was slippery from the rain, it couldn't provide them with leverage.
Worried that the three Ming Jin martial artists might use each other as shields, Duan Xuan picked up a large rock and aimed it at the head of the Ming Jin martial artist at the bottom.
Boom!
The Ming Jin martial artist's head exploded like a watermelon on the spot.
The remaining martial artists also suffered fatal injuries upon landing, their backs and heads slamming into the ground, shattering their internal organs and killing them instantly.
……
Somewhere deep in the mountains and forests.
"Help! Help!"
"I'm telling you, don't come any closer. This little knife in my hand is no joke."
"Hahaha, little maid, do you know how to handle a knife? Come, let your brother teach you."
An old man carrying a basket and holding a small axe naturally heard the screams, but he didn't want to get involved. He picked up his prey from the ground and was about to leave.
"Grandpa Ma Jiancheng, help me! Grandpa Ma Jiancheng, I am Wang Qingyan, the daughter of the fourth branch of the Wang family in Huangshe County."
If you can hear me, please come and help us.
"So she's from a prominent family. No wonder she's so beautiful."
Stop shouting. You're in the middle of nowhere; even if you shout until you're hoarse, no one will come to help you.
I'll let your grandfathers have their fun, and then I'll leave you two with intact corpses.
Hurry up, we still have exams!
"Shameless lecher, stay away from my young lady."
"You bitch, you dare bite me!"
The sounds grew increasingly chaotic, but the old man had already dropped the basket the moment he heard the first sentence.
He polished the axe in his hand, its cold gleam revealing a surge of killing intent.
Before they were seen, their voices were heard: "Do not harm my lord!"
This is different from the third match, where there were referees watching from the sidelines, and fights are unpredictable, with injuries and even death being inevitable.
However, unless the referee is bribed, the probability of injury or death is very small.
But the hunting process is different; the venue and the area are much larger.
With so many contestants, it was difficult for the imperial court to monitor them all, so they could only prevent large-scale hunting.
Therefore, in this competition, those who have grudges can seek revenge, and those who harbor hatred can settle scores; life and death are entirely determined by strength.
The best approach is to band together and protect each other, with each martial arts school uniting to hunt for themselves, in order to avoid being hunted by others.
Chen Jingshu frowned, and Chen Jingyun was also quite troubled. Of their group, there were still three internal strength martial artists left, enough to protect themselves.
However, achieving higher scores is somewhat difficult, because no one is good at hunting.
Knowing only the range of valuable prey and its value is their limit.
"Senior sister, what do we do now?"
Chen Jingshu scanned the area ahead and said coldly, "Father instructed that there are as many as ten such spots in these mountains, teeming with valuable game. Follow me!"
Meanwhile, disciples from other martial arts schools were also heading into the jungle on different hillsides.
The Scaled Python Martial Arts School was a formidable force with numerous disciples; in the jungle, other smaller martial arts schools had to steer clear of it.
"Senior Brother, where are we going hunting?"
Lin Zhennan sneered: "Hunting? Can hunting be faster than simply snatching something from someone else?"
The second senior brother, Xiao Xiangbei, standing to the side, was equally ruthless: "Have you forgotten what Master taught us? This place is Snake Head Gully in Yellow Snake County, and we are Scaled Pythons."
Everything belongs to us.
"A python, capable of swallowing the heavens and the earth, naturally seeks to reap the rewards without lifting a finger!"
Duan Xu, who was already arrogant, had his arms crossed and thought to himself, "My senior brothers are right!"
[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name, 101kanshu.com. It's super user-friendly; 101kk.tw is available anytime.]
Joining this martial arts school was definitely the right decision.
"But wouldn't doing this be against the rules?"
"A foul? This second test is precisely the imperial court's way of testing the martial artist's mentality, courage, and combat skills."
It's designed for survival, so how can it be considered a foul?
"The law of the jungle is the law of this world." Duan Xu kicked his disciple away, breaking his pelvis, and he lay on the ground howling in pain.
But none of the disciples gave him a second glance, as if he were a weak and useless person who had nothing to do with them.
"Senior brother, I was wrong. Eldest brother, second brother, please help me. I will never back down again."
"Help! I don't want to starve to death here..."
……
Duan Xuan traversed two mountain peaks in one breath, without even breaking a sweat, while the Ming Jin martial artists behind him kept close behind.
He strained to see. He spotted three horses abandoned at the foot of the mountain.
The mountains are steep and the terrain is difficult to traverse.
The higher you go, the steeper the mountain becomes, making it impossible for horses to climb. This gives martial artists a significant advantage in terms of speed.
Although Duan Xuan was on the run, he kept a close eye on the owners of the three horses.
"Twenty minutes ago, that old man jumped off his horse with two young men and used a very special gait, which allowed him to climb faster than I could."
"However, it's quite lively on this mountain!" Duan Xuan naturally noticed the imperial soldiers and disciples from various martial arts schools taking the exams, wandering around the area.
"According to the directions Brother Zhao gave us, Liu Chunmei must have to cross the exam area to get there. Let's hope there aren't any other unexpected changes!"
"Second brother, we caught up with him! His qi and blood are depleted. He had some energy fluctuations just now, but now it's all gone!"
Just as Duan Xuan was pondering, the four people beneath him only needed to climb one more hill to catch up with him.
"Hahaha, kid, so you're just an ordinary Ming Jin martial artist after all. Don't run away, if you go any further, wild beasts will roam and eat you to pieces!"
"Of all the sides you could have sided with, you had to side with the fourth family."
"Now the entire Wang family is targeting the second and fourth branches of the family. Even if you escape from us brothers, you won't have a good ending!"
Duan Xuan clearly memorized this information, turned his head, and immediately assumed a boxing stance.
"Are you so sure I won't survive?"
"Of course, the first and third wives sent three masters of internal strength. You should know that old man from earlier, right?"
Having mastered internal strength for decades, his vital energy has never declined. If he personally comes to capture the Fourth Miss, no one will escape!
Looking at the sycophant who was panting heavily as he spoke, Duan Xuan said, "He is over sixty years old and still hasn't broken through to the Transformation Realm."
"Looking at him, he really is a good-for-nothing. I'll send you to meet him later!"
In the blink of an eye, Duan Xuan stepped onto the stance, his muscles bulging, making him look like an iron tower, and slammed into it.
The second brother smirked, about to unleash his Ming Jin strength to show Duan Xuan what a retainer raised by a great family was like.
However, the moment he made contact, he discovered the difference.
Duan Xuan's strength was not outwardly revealed, but the moment their fists and feet clashed, Duan Xuan's strength completely overwhelmed his original strength.
The residual energy still lingered in that person's body.
Thus, in the eyes of others, Duan Xuan stood still, while his second brother was like a kite with a broken string.
It flew down the hillside at the top of its lungs. It landed on the back of its head after a height of more than ten meters.
With a snap, blood and brain matter splattered out, leaving a long trail before he fell silent.
"Second Brother!"
"Avenge my second brother!"
The other three unleashed their inner energy, attempting to force Duan Xuan back by maneuvering around their positions.
But Duan Xuan had no desire to waste any more time with them. His Mountain-Breaking Fist blasted down the hillside into a depression.
Rumble!
The entire piece of land began to roll. Although its surface was slippery from the rain, it couldn't provide them with leverage.
Worried that the three Ming Jin martial artists might use each other as shields, Duan Xuan picked up a large rock and aimed it at the head of the Ming Jin martial artist at the bottom.
Boom!
The Ming Jin martial artist's head exploded like a watermelon on the spot.
The remaining martial artists also suffered fatal injuries upon landing, their backs and heads slamming into the ground, shattering their internal organs and killing them instantly.
……
Somewhere deep in the mountains and forests.
"Help! Help!"
"I'm telling you, don't come any closer. This little knife in my hand is no joke."
"Hahaha, little maid, do you know how to handle a knife? Come, let your brother teach you."
An old man carrying a basket and holding a small axe naturally heard the screams, but he didn't want to get involved. He picked up his prey from the ground and was about to leave.
"Grandpa Ma Jiancheng, help me! Grandpa Ma Jiancheng, I am Wang Qingyan, the daughter of the fourth branch of the Wang family in Huangshe County."
If you can hear me, please come and help us.
"So she's from a prominent family. No wonder she's so beautiful."
Stop shouting. You're in the middle of nowhere; even if you shout until you're hoarse, no one will come to help you.
I'll let your grandfathers have their fun, and then I'll leave you two with intact corpses.
Hurry up, we still have exams!
"Shameless lecher, stay away from my young lady."
"You bitch, you dare bite me!"
The sounds grew increasingly chaotic, but the old man had already dropped the basket the moment he heard the first sentence.
He polished the axe in his hand, its cold gleam revealing a surge of killing intent.
Before they were seen, their voices were heard: "Do not harm my lord!"