Chapter 6

In the woods, Tang Yan panted weakly, the intense pain almost overwhelming his senses, as if he could pass out at any moment. However, his eyes were fixed on the flickering blue flames not far away. They seemed to have a life of their own, leaping excitedly and dazzlingly, yet also eerie like ghostly lights, for they had no heat.

But none of that mattered. As the flames gradually died down, a burning desire emerged in Tang Yan's eyes.

Spirit Energy Drops! Spirit Source Liquid!

After the flames subsided, colorless droplets the size of green beans gradually became visible, with only a bit of ash left on the ground.

"This flame is a good tool for destroying evidence!" Tang Yan, enduring the intense pain and weakness, struggled to crawl towards the Spirit Source Liquid, carefully examining it in his hand. As a third-stage Martial Artist, Yuan He had pure and thick Spirit Energy, so the drop of condensed Spirit Energy was clearly more substantial than the one from the white-eyed wolf.

A second-level beast and a third-stage Martial Artist, if he swallowed these two drops of Spirit Source Liquid consecutively, would his strength improve?

Tang Yan was full of anticipation, preparing to find a quiet place to refine them, but before he could struggle to stand up, someone else rushed out of the mist.

"You're still alive?" Du Yang looked at the bloodied Tang Yan, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Where's Yuan He?"

Tang Yan slightly relaxed. "I didn't see him."

"Then your injuries..."

"Dog bites."

Du Yang was even more surprised. "The white-eyed wolf? It didn't bite you to death? Uh, I mean... you drove it away?"

Tang Yan quietly hid the Spirit Source Liquid. "I patiently advised it a few times. It felt ashamed and decided to be a good dog, so... it ran away..."

Du Yang's eyes twitched slightly.

Tang Yan struggled to stand up. "I heard screams earlier. What happened?"

"I'm not sure. I rushed over to save you and didn't pay attention to them. But with Mentor Arno and Mentor Ailinda here, not many people would dare to cause trouble in this forest. So, did I fulfill the agreement?" Du Yang rarely showed a smile.

"What agreement?" Tang Yan silently guided the residual Spirit Energy in his body to heal his wounds and ease the intense pain.

"Huh? What do you mean? Planning to back out? You said you'd help me deal with Yang Ruyan and Li Shouze if something happened. I not only held them off but also came to protect you, which is an extra favor. So... you owe me a Spirit-level martial technique."

Tang Yan laughed. "I've learned something new. There are people even more shameless than me."

"Are you praising me or cursing yourself?"

"I'm fine. Go back where you came from." Tang Yan wanted to refine the Spirit Source Liquid quickly and didn't have time to argue.

"About that Spirit-level martial technique..."

"Can you be any more shameless?"

"Second Young Master Tang, this is an agreement. How can you... Hmm? Damn! Your wounds are healing? You have Spirit Energy in your body? You're a Martial Artist?" Du Yang suddenly exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief, even cursing as he stared at Tang Yan's healing wounds.

"I took a divine pill." Tang Yan realized this guy was quite talkative.

Du Yang looked at Tang Yan deeply, his eyes becoming strange.

"What are you looking at? Hurry up and leave."

"No, I need to check." Du Yang suddenly approached Tang Yan.

Tang Yan struggled. "Hey! Men and women should keep their distance. You pervert, don't touch me!"

"I just want to look..."

"Have you two finished talking?" A cold voice suddenly came from the dense forest.

Both of them became alert. Du Yang's brows furrowed, his expression turning cold, and he clenched his fists tightly, forming a rock-like white substance with his Spirit Energy, covering his fists.

But...

A white light flashed before their eyes, and Du Yang was struck as if by lightning, his abdomen hit hard and crashing into a tree trunk. The thick tree trembled violently, and Du Yang fell to the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, curling up like a shrimp, his face pale, sweating, and eyes wide with pain.

"Stop, I surrender!" Tang Yan was secretly alarmed and quickly raised his hands. At that moment, the white figure's fist was about to hit his abdomen. If it had been a second slower, he would have met the same fate as Du Yang. With his injuries, he might have died.

"This young brother is quite sensible. I like people like you." The white-robed man stopped in front of Tang Yan, his voice slightly mocking behind the fang mask.

Du Yang clutched his abdomen tightly, struggling to stand up, his face twisted in pain and shock. This man was so fast, he couldn't even catch a glimpse. Could he be a Spirit-level powerhouse?

"I advise you to be honest and not cause trouble. Of course, if you want to show off your heroism, I don't mind playing with you." The white-robed man came to Du Yang and tied him up with a rope.

"Who are you? Do you know who we are?" Feeling the thick Spirit Energy from the white-robed man, Du Yang rationally did not resist further.

"You asked the same question, and your dead mentors did too. Don't worry, you'll know when you get there."

What? Dead mentors? Tang Yan and Du Yang were shocked again. Could the screams earlier have been... the mentors?!

How could that be!! Arno and Ailinda are both powerful Martial Ancestors!

"Can this young brother hold on?" The white-robed man looked at Tang Yan's bloodied and pale body, secretly impressed. This kid was tough, still standing despite his injuries. He might have felt some goodwill or thought the injuries were not a threat, so he didn't tie him up.

"Of course, no problem." Tang Yan realized the situation was serious, suppressing his shock and secretly signaling Du Yang to act opportunistically and not rashly.

Du Yang was also a smart person and did not resist excessively.

"Let's go." The white-robed man grabbed the collars of Du Yang and Tang Yan, and with a deep voice, they leaped through the woods, moving quickly forward.

Soon, they stopped by a small river, where over a dozen white-robed men and seventeen students from Juxiang Academy had already gathered.

"Two more caught, still... eleven to go." The white-robed man casually threw Tang Yan and Du Yang to the ground.

"Du Yang?" The students looked disheveled, surprised to see Du Yang captured, and some felt helpless and bitter.

"Leave five to watch them, the rest continue searching. Kill the mentors, capture the students alive. Remember, no mistakes, no traces." A slender woman glanced at Du Yang and Tang Yan, then left with seven white-robed men. However, she stopped after a few steps, turning to look at Tang Yan, her eyebrows slightly furrowed.

Tang Yan was slightly alarmed. Those sharp eyes seemed like two sharp knives, piercing into his body.

This aura... Could it be... a Martial Ancestor?

Another Martial Ancestor! What kind of people are these white-robed men?

"First-stage Martial Artist? Those qualified to participate in the altar baptism should all be third-stage Martial Artists. How did a mixed fish get in?" The woman's voice was cold and arrogant.

"What? First-stage?" The white-robed man who brought Tang Yan was also surprised, squinting and sensing Tang Yan for a while, frowning. "He really is a first-stage Martial Artist."

The other students also changed their expressions. Tang Yan is a Martial Artist? This waste is actually a Martial Artist?

Tang Yan's eyes twitched, glaring at them. Is it so rare that I'm a Martial Artist?

The woman coldly asked, "Who are you?"

Tang Yan's eyes darted, pointing at Du Yang. "I'm his servant, a helper, uh... a groom."

"A helper?" The woman looked at Tang Yan again, expressionless. "Kill him and clean up."

"Damn! Bitch!!" Tang Yan cursed inwardly. Before he could resist, the white-robed man behind him dragged him to the river.

"Leave someone to watch these students, don't let them escape." The woman reminded again, then quickly left with the white-robed men.

"Brother, we don't keep waste here, but don't worry, I'll give you a quick death." The white-robed man sneered, dragging Tang Yan to a half-person-high rock, roughly pushing him onto it, and taking out a rope to tie him up.

Another underwater corpse? Can't you change it up? Tang Yan thought, trying to think of a plan.

After a moment, he whispered, "Brother, let's make a deal!"

"Hmm?" The white-robed man continued to prepare the rope, casually asking, "What deal?"

"I have a treasure. If you let me go, I'll give it to you. It will definitely satisfy you."

"What treasure?" The man raised an eyebrow, coldly snickering.

Tang Yan clenched his teeth, pretending to struggle, then took a deep breath, reaching into his clothes, carefully feeling around, and slowly pulling out something. "Come and see."

"What's this... Hmm? Such dense energy." The white-robed man's eyebrows raised, leaning closer.

"I'll give it to you. It might help you break through your realm, but you have to... " Tang Yan whispered, slowly extending his tightly clenched hands towards the white-robed man.

"You're dead!" The white-robed man's eyes flashed with greed, reaching out to grab.

"Wait, this is a treasure. If your companions find out, will you still get a share?"

The white-robed man paused. "What do you want?"

"Let's make a fair deal. I promise not to shout or struggle. Take me somewhere far, then... just beat me half to death, leave me a little breath. I'm just a helper, really not related to them."

"There's a big rock ahead. Let's go there." The white-robed man covered Tang Yan's mouth and dragged him to a rock about a hundred meters away.

Tang Yan smiled and raised his hands. "Brother, take a look, take a look..."

The white-robed man glanced at his companions, estimating the distance was enough, his greed unable to hide, and grabbed Tang Yan's hand to pry it open. Tang Yan clenched his hands, pushing them towards the man's eyes, then his expression turned fierce, his Spirit Energy surging, and blue flames instantly burst from his fingertips, shooting straight into the man's wide eyes.

The man didn't expect Tang Yan to have the strength to resist, let alone a first-stage Martial Artist to manifest Spirit Energy externally. Caught off guard, his eyes were instantly burned by the blue flames, which had strong adhesion and burning power, quickly burning out his eyeballs and spreading inward.

"Ah!!" The man screamed in agony, falling backward and thrashing on the ground.

"I'll remember you!" Tang Yan tore off the man's mask, staring at his face, then grabbed his backpack and ran into the woods.

The series of events happened in seconds. The other four white-robed men guarding the students initially didn't pay attention, but when they realized, Tang Yan had already disappeared into the woods.

After a moment of shock, their eyes changed. "He took the bag? Damn it, it has our marks."

"Capture him!" Two white-robed men shot out like arrows, but in their panic, they forgot about the students.

"Scatter, run!" Du Yang suddenly shouted, rushing into the woods. The other students woke up, struggling to their feet, and fled in all directions.

"Damn, stay here!!" The remaining two white-robed men were furious, wanting to catch them, but with eighteen people scattering, who could they catch? The best way was to kill a few or cripple a few to intimidate the others. But their orders were to capture them alive and unharmed, so they couldn't kill anyone.

In the hesitation, all eighteen people escaped into the woods.

"Damn brats! I'm going crazy!!" The two felt a chill. They had finally caught eighteen people, but now they were all gone. Who would take the responsibility? What would happen to them? They looked at each other, seeing fear in each other's eyes, then fiercely rushed into the woods, determined to catch at least one.