Chapter 54

When Li Luo and the other two crossed the stream and set foot on the opposite bank, they simultaneously noticed some figures darting over not far away. However, after a brief exchange of glances, they dispersed without a word, quickly disappearing into the complex terrain and dense forest of the mountains.

Li Luo and the other two also entered the dense forest. Listening to the bird calls echoing through the mountains, their expressions became more solemn.

"What do you plan to do next?" Li Luo looked at Zhao Kuo and Yu Lang, asking.

Zhao Kuo smiled and said, "Originally, we planned to enter the elimination round and earn some points on our own, but now I think it's better to stick with you for a while."

"Is it because of Lian Zhong's words?"

Li Luo said, "There's no need for that. I haven't taken his threat seriously."

"Brother Luo, I know you have the ability, and I know you're not afraid of him. But I'm worried that he might gather people from Dongyuan Academy to surround and attack you. Although my strength can't match yours, if I encounter such a situation, I can at least help you share the burden a bit," Zhao Kuo said.

Then he grinned, "Besides, following Brother Luo, earning points will be faster, right?"

Li Luo smiled. He knew that Zhao Kuo was doing this more out of a desire to help him, so he didn't try to dissuade him and nodded.

"What about you?" He looked at Yu Lang.

Yu Lang flicked his bangs and said solemnly, "You know my skills. As long as I'm willing, I will be like a fish in water in this elimination round. If you're willing to hire me at a high price to protect you, I can give you a discount for our friendship—1,000 gold!"

But before he finished speaking, Li Luo and Zhao Kuo had already walked ahead.

Yu Lang panicked, "500 gold!"

Li Luo still ignored him.

Yu Lang angrily said, "If you think the price is too high, at least give me a counteroffer! That's really disrespectful! Where did you learn such bad habits?"

"5 gold." Li Luo extended his left hand, a smile on his lips.

"Deal!"

Li Luo almost strained his waist, saying, "Yu Lang, you're really something."

Yu Lang proudly said, "As long as you dare to counteroffer, I'll dare to accept. Li Luo, do you really think 5 gold can embarrass me? How naive."

Li Luo shook his head helplessly, but his eyes were filled with amusement. He knew that whether it was Zhao Kuo or Yu Lang, they were worried that he might be targeted by Dongyuan Academy, so they chose to follow him to prevent any mishaps.

These two, though different in personality, were both good friends worth getting to know.

"I have a suggestion."

Yu Lang suddenly said, "The three of us together are too conspicuous. I suggest that Zhao Kuo go alone in front, while Li Luo uses the Water Shadow Technique to hide me in the back."

Li Luo thought for a moment and said, "You want to set a trap?"

The bait, of course, was Zhao Kuo. Alone, he looked honest and simple, making it easy for others with ill intentions to target him and try to snatch his points.

"That's a good idea."

Zhao Kuo smiled, then composed himself, instantly giving off a sense of being simple, slow, and even a bit timid.

"Zhao Kuo, your acting skills are really wasted at Nanfeng Academy," Yu Lang said in shock.

Zhao Kuo chuckled and scratched his head.

"Let's do it then." Seeing this, Li Luo made the decision. The three-person fishing team was officially formed.

In the dense forest, the shrubs were thick, and numerous spots of light filtered through the gaps in the leaves.

A somewhat burly figure moved cautiously through the forest, his eyes darting around vigilantly, looking extremely cautious.

Occasionally, he would hide in a shadow for a moment before quietly moving forward.

He exuded a demeanor of being very afraid and very weak.

In some hidden spots behind the burly figure, Li Luo and Yu Lang watched from the shadows. They were somewhat stunned by Zhao Kuo's cautious appearance.

"He's really getting into it," Yu Lang sighed. He thought he was already good at acting, but it seemed Zhao Kuo wasn't a simple character either.

Li Luo nodded in agreement, feeling that Zhao Kuo was really putting his heart into the act, showing great potential.

"But the others are also very cautious."

Li Luo glanced at a shadow in a certain area, as he had already noticed that two people had been following Zhao Kuo earlier, but they hadn't made a move. Instead, they were more stealthily trailing behind Zhao Kuo, constantly watching him.

Clearly, they were also confirming whether Zhao Kuo was really as timid and fearful as he appeared.

Moreover, those two had already probed Zhao Kuo's back several times, but Li Luo's concealment technique was not something they could detect, and instead, Li Luo had noticed their movements.

But Li Luo could sense that those two were starting to lose patience, as Zhao Kuo's acting was too convincing, and they were about to take the bait.

Just as Li Luo was mentally counting down, in the dense forest, the leaves rustled, and two figures shot out, landing in front of and behind Zhao Kuo, blocking his retreat.

This sudden change made Zhao Kuo appear greatly alarmed, and then he said with a look of anger, "What do you want? I'm from Nanfeng Academy. Do you dare to touch me?"

This appearance of being outwardly fierce but inwardly timid earned another round of mental applause from Li Luo and Yu Lang in the shadows.

The two who had appeared seemed to be from different academies, but their strength was not weak, with their Phase Power surging, clearly reaching the Seventh Seal Realm.

"Brother, we've been following you for a while. You're Zhao Kuo from Nanfeng Academy, right? I've seen your profile in the exam data. No need for more talk, hand over your points," the two blocking the way said.

" Dream on!" Zhao Kuo roared, his silver Phase Power surging as he activated his Silver Bear Phase.

With this movement, the two did not hesitate to attack immediately. They wielded their long swords, striking Zhao Kuo with lightning speed.

Their attacks were fierce and ruthless.

However, just as their attacks were about to land on Zhao Kuo, a faint sound of wind suddenly came from behind them.

Their body hair stood on end, and then they saw Zhao Kuo, who had appeared timid, now wearing a mocking smile.

"Damn, we fell for it!"

They instantly realized what had happened, feeling uneasy and angry. They had been very careful in probing the surroundings many times, so why hadn't they detected the others?

The others were really too sneaky!

Feeling a chill, these two were also ruthless, immediately channeling their Phase Power, their swords pointing directly at Zhao Kuo. They knew they were in a trap and had to work together to capture this pig in a poke, using him as a hostage to make the others hesitate.

Zhao Kuo also sensed their intentions, but instead of dodging, his eyes glowed with a fierce light, a stark contrast to his previous timid demeanor.

He swung his large axe, forming a wheel of blades, clashing directly with the two.

Clang!

The sound of metal rang out, sparks flying. Zhao Kuo grunted, his body being pushed back by the impact. After all, the two were not weaker than him, and their combined strength quickly overpowered him.

But before the two could continue their attack, two powerful streams of Phase Power roared from behind them, striking their backs.

Spit.

The two spat out fresh blood and fell to the ground like rolling gourds.

When they managed to stand up again, a blue short knife and a fine sword were already pressed against their necks.

"Brother, if you move again, you'll be bleeding," a playful voice came from the side.

The two exchanged glances, their faces turning gray and despondent. They cursed, "Damn, you guys from Nanfeng Academy are too devious, playing a fishing game!"

"If you weren't greedy, you wouldn't have been caught," Li Luo smiled, then signaled to Yu Lang and Zhao Kuo to take the crystal badges from their chests and rub them against the crystal badges of the two, clearing their points.

As the points on the two crystal badges were reset to zero, the badges began to flash with a rapid red light, and beams of light extended from them, tightly binding the two.

This indicated that they were eliminated, and the temporary binding was to restrict their movement, preventing them from interfering with other students.

After taking the points, the three didn't bother to say more to the two and turned away, their voices faintly echoing.

"The harvest wasn't bad. I wonder who the next unlucky one will be?"

"Hope they're a bit fatter than these two?"

"But Zhao Kuo, your acting was really good. These two were very cautious for half an hour, but they still fell for it."

"Haha, you flatter me. There are still some details that could be improved, like showing some fear when they appeared to catch me, which would make it more realistic."

"You're very dedicated."

"Hey, when you do something, you have to love what you do, right?"

"You have a point, but I'm speechless."

(Today's one chapter, no more drafts. Two chapters tomorrow.)