NOVEL NEXT Chapter 55: A Group of Monsters
After the battle came to an end, Xiao Yan suddenly felt weak, and his vision went black as he collapsed to the ground.
“Xiao Yan, are you okay?”
“Brother Xiao Yan!”
Xiao Mei and Xiao Xun’er rushed over with panic on their faces. Xiao Yu also came to Xiao Yan’s side, showing concern as he squatted down and frowned at Xiao Yan.
“Are you alright?”
“Ah… I’m fine…” Xiao Yan forced himself to stay awake, squinting his eyes and forcing a smile. “I just feel a bit weak, no need to worry.”
“You really…”
Relieved to see that Xiao Yan was indeed okay, Xiao Yu let out a sigh of relief. Then her gaze fell upon Xiao Yan’s left arm, which was still entangled by a whip.
At this moment, Ruo Ling also snapped out of her astonishment. Without saying a word, she retracted the whip and approached Xiao Yan, squatting down in front of him. Her fair jade-like hand gently stroked his purplish-blue arm, infusing it with life force through her water attribute Dou Qi to alleviate the injury.
In just a moment, the swelling and discoloration on Xiao Yan’s arm visibly subsided, and he also felt a significant reduction in the pain. He immediately clasped his fists and bowed to Ruo Ling.
“Master Ruo Ling, thank you for your assis-Ugh!”
Just as their hands made contact, Xiao Yan’s mouth twitched sharply as he once again felt the excruciating pain in his left arm.
At this moment, Ruo Ling spoke slowly.
“Your arm bones are already fractured. All I can do is alleviate the pain for you. Go home and rest properly.”
“Master Ruo Ling, what about the one-year break…”
Xiao Yan looked at Ruo Ling and inquired. Ruo Ling let out a deep sigh and then smiled helplessly.
“I have approved it. Go and do what you want to do. Just as we agreed beforehand, no matter how much trouble arises in the academy, I will handle it for you.”
“Thank you very much!”
Xiao Yan expressed his thanks solemnly, and Ruo Ling shook her head lightly, standing up and looking at the others.
“Today’s enrollment is almost over. The qualified new students should gather here after seven days. For now, everyone should go home, rest, and pack their things,” Ruo Ling said. She then looked at Xiao Yu and instructed her,
“Remember to apply medicine to your cousin’s arm when you get home. It would be troublesome if there are any lingering effects.”
“Okay!”
Xiao Yu nodded. Xiao Ning approached Xiao Yan and asked softly, “Xiao Yan, can you get up?”
“Sorry… I can’t exert any strength…”
Xiao Yan smiled awkwardly, and Xiao Ning shrugged helplessly.
With a bent back, Xiao Ning supported Xiao Yan and, after bidding farewell to Xiao Yu and Ruo Ling, accompanied Xiao Yan out of the enrollment courtyard along with other members of the Xiao Clan.
It was only after all the new students had left that the senior students gradually regained their senses. Luo Bu’s teeth were chattering uncontrollably as he looked fearfully at the ground and walls shattered by Xiao Yan’s punch.
Was this man really a Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) ?
That’s clearly not a strength of a Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) ?!!
At this moment, Luo Bu once again recalled the shadow in his heart, the scene where Xiao Yu, a one-star Dou Shi (Battle Master, 3rd Level), beating up a group of Dou Shi (Battle Master, 3rd Level) and chased after a fleeing nine-star Dou Shi (Battle Master, 3rd Level) during the outer court selection match, rendering her opponent unable to retaliate.
But this time was even more outrageous! The power behind Xiao Yan’s punch was evident. Even Ruo Ling, who had no time to react, was hit head-on. Luo Bu couldn’t believe that Ruo Ling, even as a Da Dou Shi (Battle Grandmaster, 4th Level), could come out unscathed after taking such a blow without a Dou Qi armor!
Are all of you from the Xiao Clan the same kind of monsters? Can everyone fight beyond their level?!!
Suddenly, Luo Bu recalled his earlier argument with Xiao Ning, and a chill instantly surged from the depths of his heart.
Could it be… he can do it too?
“Ru… Ruo Ling, Master…” Xue Ni slowly approached, looking at Ruo Ling with a trembling voice. “That boy… is he really just a two-star Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) ?”
“…”
Ruo Ling remained silent, slightly turning her body to once again gaze at the gruesome courtyard behind her, fear evident in her beautiful eyes.
Indeed, because of Xiao Yu’s previous experience, Ruo Ling did not believe that Xiao Yan was just an ordinary two-star Dou Zhe (Battle Practitioner, 2nd Level) .
But she also didn’t treat him as an opponent of the same level. Deep down, Ruo Ling actually looked down on Xiao Yan, just like a lion facing a rabbit.
However, the vast difference in strength made Ruo Ling forget when she had already abandoned the notion that even a lion must go all out against a rabbit.
It was because of that pride and arrogance deep within her that Ruo Ling narrowly escaped death.
If Xiao Yan’s punch hadn’t intentionally deviated and had hit her squarely in the face, she might have already perished.
Ruo Ling believed that not only herself, but any Da Dou Shi (Battle Grandmaster, 4th Level) would likely have fallen when facing Xiao Yan unless they treated him as a formidable opponent from the beginning of the fight, leaving no room for carelessness.
But asking a Da Dou Shi (Battle Grandmaster, 4th Level) to take a lower-level cultivator seriously, perhaps not many people would be willing to do so.
The pride and arrogance of the strong are not easily abandoned.
In the recent battle, Xiao Yan knew that he was weaker than his opponent, and he realized that passively evading would only lead to defeat.
However, he didn’t give up.
At the cost of sacrificing his arm, he created an opportunity close to himself, along with the vulnerability he exposed in that instant.
He exhausted all his strength, risking everything, and unleashed a punch with all his might.
Xiao Yan treated this competition as a real battle.
In contrast, the sense of disdain deep within myself towards Xiao Yan seemed ridiculous.
However, there was something else that bothered Ruo Ling.
Or rather, it was incongruous.
After seeing the outcome of the battle, including Xiao Yu, all the members of the Xiao Clan showed concern only for Xiao Yan’s physical condition. There wasn’t much astonishment at Xiao Yan’s ability to overpower them.
Was it because they were so worried about Xiao Yan that they forgot to be amazed?
Or did the younger generation of the Xiao Clan unconsciously normalize the vast difference in levels?
Suddenly, Ruo Ling remembered Xiao Ning’s words to Xiao Yan.
[“With your fighting style, it would be strange if you could exert any strength now, but there is really no other way.”]
In that instant, Ruo Ling couldn’t help but feel a chill down her spine! She finally realized why she felt incongruous!
All the members of the Xiao Clan were concerned about Xiao Yan, but not a single person criticized his reckless fighting style!
In other words, not only Xiao Yan, but any member of the Xiao Clan would choose the same approach when facing her!
Clearly, this was just a competition! There was no need to go all out!
But they seemed completely indifferent to it, as if they were already accustomed to giving their all!
These younger generations of the Xiao Clan had no concept of prudence!!!
“Xue Ni,” Ruo Ling’s face darkened as she spoke softly, “go with the others and clean up the area. We still have more enrollment in the coming days, so don’t make it look too messy.”
“Yes!”
Xue Ni immediately responded and called the others to clean up the shattered blue bricks and walls.
Ruo Ling turned around, her gaze fixed on the gates of the enrollment courtyard as the Xiao Clan members left, her beautiful eyes tightly furrowed.
Initially, she had been delighted to recruit so many geniuses.
But now, she felt a deep unease and fear about it.
These younger generations of the Xiao Clan can’t simply be called as geniuses anymore; they were all monsters!
They couldn’t be viewed with conventional common sense; they were a group of monsters.