Chapter 12

With a deafening roar, the four-winged scaly python suddenly went berserk. Terrifying lightning and thunder from the sky enveloped the area, and fearsome wind blades surged around it, filling the surrounding forest.

The four-winged scaly python is a peak fifth-level demonic beast, capable of controlling both lightning and wind. The overwhelming power it unleashed in its current rage was extremely terrifying.

In an instant, lightning roared and wind blades raged, crushing all the trees within a hundred meters. Intense debris and dust scattered everywhere, and the three people in white were brutally battered.

Tang Yan carried Ailinda and ran wildly. His cousin Tang Ying, still shaken, tightly followed Tang Yan's steps, struggling to escape the range of the four-winged scaly python's fury.

The terrifying power that could destroy the heavens and earth was still palpable even from a distance.

Ailinda lay weakly on Tang Yan's back, her long legs tightly gripped. Due to the uneven ground, Tang Yan often leaped and bounded, causing her ample chest to continuously massage his back. Ailinda strongly suspected that this bastard was deliberately doing it, using the large leaps to take advantage, but the ice crystals inside her body were still rampant, making her unable to move, and her consciousness was fading, leaving her unable to resist, only silently protesting.

The calm heart that had been silent for many years was now thoroughly chaotic.

Actually, Tang Yan didn't think much this time. The four-winged scaly python was truly terrifying, and he had eaten a snake egg, leaving some residual aura. Although he successfully lured it away, he was afraid it would notice something and continue to pursue them. Moreover, his body was severely injured again, so he needed to find a place to rest and recover. Thus, he was anxious and constantly accelerated, worried that Ailinda might fall, so he instinctively gripped her legs tightly.

The three of them zigzagged through the forest, running for four to five hours, finally arriving at a picturesque valley. Near a waterfall, they found a small cave. It was more like a gap formed by several large rocks, covered with grass and vines, and might not be noticed if not carefully observed.

It was a good place to hide.

The cave was small, barely able to accommodate three people, making them feel a bit cramped.

Ailinda was the most severely injured, lacking the ability to move. With Tang Ying's help, she leaned against the stone wall, looking at the pitiful Tang Yan with doubt: "Have you been hiding all along?"

Tang Yan, with multiple bloody and mangled areas, winced in pain: "What hiding?"

A glint of intelligence appeared in Ailinda's eyes: "You are a Martial Master and can凝聚灵力!"

Tang Ying, for the first time in her life, seriously examined this cousin, although... his current appearance was truly not something to be praised.

Tang Yan opened one eye, looked at Ailinda, then at Tang Ying: "What's wrong? Do you think I was especially cool just now? Did my heroic rescue of a beauty conquer you? If Sister Ailinda wants to offer herself, I have no objections, but you, little girl, wait a few more years."

"Shameless!"

"Unreliable!"

The two women glared at him, especially the usually proud Ailinda, whose eyes were practically spitting fire from the brazen provocation.

"Don't be too shy, I'm a very easy-going person."

Ailinda suddenly felt that talking to this bastard was a mistake and decided to ignore him: "Give me some time, no one is allowed to disturb me. I need to dissolve the ice crystals in my body."

"Don't worry, Mentor Ailinda, I'll keep watch. No one will dare to misbehave." Tang Ying resumed her usual cold demeanor, glancing at the charred and disheveled Tang Yan, her eyes carrying a hint of warning.

Tang Yan ignored them, silently channeling his spiritual energy to repair his damaged body.

...

In a dense forest, figures flashed like streaks of light, finally stopping by a stream.

Six men and two women! Emitting overwhelming power!

"White-eyed wolves!" Seeing the dead wolves on the ground, everyone's faces were grim.

"They are a pack of wolves. From the marks on the ground, there must be at least a hundred."

"This area shouldn't have a pack of wolves, especially one of such a large scale."

"Where are Arno and the others? Did they escape?"

"That's not right... There's still residual human blood in the air..."

"These footprints are too chaotic and messy, and... they have been deliberately cleaned up..."

"Deliberately cleaned up?" Everyone's gaze focused on the ground. It looked natural, but upon closer inspection, there were signs of forgery.

Forgery? Cleaning? Why? Who?

The old man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, a glint of intelligence flashing in them: "There's a slight trace of pure golden energy in the air, it's Arno's Golden Soul Technique!"

"There must have been a fierce battle here. Arno and the others' opponents were not just the wolf pack, but also some other humans!"

"Could it be mercenaries?"

"Impossible. No mercenary organization in the Northern Wasteland would dare to provoke our Giant Elephant Academy, especially with noble descendants among them. Even if given ten chances, they wouldn't dare to act recklessly."

"Besides mercenaries, who else? What benefit could there be in attacking the academy's team for no reason?"

"Abnormal."

"Problematic."

The old man carefully examined the surroundings: "I think the problem is more serious than we imagined. Arno is powerful, Ailinda is cautious and calm, and there are eight peak third-stage Martial Spirits assisting them. They wouldn't seek help from the academy unless they encountered a particularly difficult problem."

"The question is... where are the children! Where is my young master!" A tall, muscular man with a scarred face said coldly, his eyes flashing with urgency and ruthlessness.

The old man comforted him: "Mentors Arno and Ailinda are at the Martial Master level, and the other eight mentors are peak third-stage Martial Spirits. The children have the ability to protect themselves and should be able to escape."

"Protect themselves! The problem is that my young master has no ability to protect himself!" The scarred man's eyes flashed with anxiety and ruthlessness, and his gaze towards the surrounding men and women was icy.

A middle-aged beauty said coldly: "Tang Qiong! I need to remind you that it was your family who requested that the academy allow Tang Yan to join the team. If anything happens, the academy will not be responsible!"

"Not responsible? Say that again and see what happens!" Tang Qiong's expression turned cold, and a murderous aura erupted from him.

"Want to fight?" The other men and women stepped forward, coldly staring at the enraged Tang Qiong.

"Stop! What kind of behavior is this!" The old man's tone turned stern, glaring at the six academy mentors. "The missing students are the hope of the academy, and Second Young Master Tang is also a member of our academy. We cannot afford to lose them. Now that something has happened, everyone is anxious, but what we need to do is work together to quickly find out the cause and locate them, not to shirk responsibility here. Now, form pairs and search. If you find anything, signal the others. Regardless of the outcome, meet back here in six days."

...

"Little bastard, I will kill you with my own hands! I will make you suffer and die in agony!" Zhou Linglu's face was pale with fear, leaning against a tree, breathing weakly. The fang mask had fallen off, and her white clothes were tattered, revealing glimpses of her inner attire.

At the brink of death, she had fully activated four life-saving runes, narrowly escaping the four-winged scaly python's fury. Even so, she was hit by three lightning bolts and two wind blades, nearly dying on the way.

Her two subordinates were not so lucky, both being devoured by the snake.

They were two Martial Masters! Powerful Martial Masters! They died so miserably in the four-winged scaly python's fury.

The culprit was a shameless little bastard!

Zhou Linglu, with her noble status and astonishing talent, had always been regarded as a daughter of heaven. She had never been so wretched, never hated anyone so much, and never felt so defeated as she did today.

But now, the problem was that the Giant Elephant Academy's mentor Ailinda seemed to have discovered her identity, and she had been saved by that little bastard. This was an unacceptable mistake, one that could have unimaginable consequences.

The hunting plan was already fraught with danger, and her identity was not to be revealed, but now...

Zhou Linglu had no time to tend to her injuries. She took out a signal rune, infused it with spiritual energy, and threw it into the sky.

Boom! A dazzling flame exploded in the sky, instantly attracting attention within a ten-mile radius.

Zhou Linglu took a deep breath, left a secret mark, and quickly moved forward into the dense forest, until she was a kilometer away.

Half an hour later, thirteen people in white followed the trail.

"You two..." Zhou Linglu looked at the two subordinates with charred skin and disheveled hair, her face turning especially strange. The other people in white stared at the disheveled Zhou Linglu, their expressions filled with shock.

The man who had been harmed by Tang Yan's lightning rune said in a deep voice: "I was tricked by a little bastard. He... he stole my backpack, and the students by the lake all escaped because of him."

"All escaped? Stole the backpack?" Zhou Linglu's face turned extremely cold.

The two quickly lowered their heads: "We caught seven, the others are still being pursued."

"What little bastard?" The others looked at each other in confusion.

"Search separately, each person carries a signal flare. If you find any traces, don't act rashly. Signal the others first, and then act together!!" Zhou Linglu, usually calm and composed, could not control her emotions. From a young age, she had never felt such an urgent desire to kill someone.

PS: During the new book phase, collections and recommendations are very important. After reading, could you kindly give a collection and recommendation? I would be extremely grateful!