Chapter 007: The Artful Battle of Crystal Symbols
"Hehe, now let's see where you can escape to!" Diao Zheng immediately exerted force with his feet and sprinted at full speed in that direction
It turns out that the Storm Wall at the border of the Hengduan Mountains is used to maintain the fire crystal resources of the fire spirit defense devices, which are in short supply. Therefore, the human kingdom is mobilizing all its forces to gather more fire spirit crystals
However, this scream of agony is emitted by the beast-dragon wanderer!
Hmm, why does this place seem a bit familiar? Never mind, going in circles is still going in circles. The simple-minded Beast Dragon Clan soldier, at this moment, had a very clear thought: "As long as I closely follow the sounds he makes, I will surely catch up, right?"
For this assessment, Su Jian is also very much looking forward to it. Possessing the secret technique of blood pupils and heart eyes, and having undergone several months of tempering at Lingjiu Academy, he is eager to see what level he has reached in his learning.
This time, he also employed a clever tactic; estimating that he was nearing that location, he immediately moved cautiously, trying his best not to disturb the trees and to make no sound
After chasing for a while, the Beast Dragon Stalker suddenly sensed that something was amiss
The forest is denser here, and the terrain is more complex. Most importantly, this route heads east, bringing it closer to the border of the Beast Dragon Kingdom on the opposite side
In times of chaos, when the entire nation values martial prowess, Su Jian realized that the proposition he heard from Mr. Qin Yu was closely linked to actual combat.
Thinking of this, Su Jian suddenly felt that a saying was quite right: When doing something, sometimes it is really unnecessary to be too entangled in what impressive results can be achieved; during the process of doing things, being able to meet some special people and witness some extraordinary events is already sufficient
Ah! It is the Beast Dragon Stalker!" Su Jian immediately exclaimed in lament, "Why have I been so unfortunate this year? I actually encountered the Beast Dragon Stalker!"
At this moment, the timid Tang Qiu also performed quite well, almost entering the Weeping Plain at the same time as Su Jian. This chubby fellow kept shouting as he walked: "Su Jian, Su Jian, can you slow down a bit? Can't I walk by myself? My sleeves are about to be torn off by you!"
Speaking as he did, he paid no heed to whether Lei Bingfan had agreed or not, and simply drew the Blood Song Sword from its sheath, handing it to Lei Bingfan
Upon witnessing this, Lei Bingfan's expression became even more peculiar
Unfortunately, from his crooked and misaligned mouth, he could only continuously spit out blood foam, and soon he could not utter any syllables.
The surface of the Blood Song Sword, although appearing as serene as the moon and as fluid as water, radiates a brilliant light; yet it harbors an ancient essence. Upon a glance, Lei Bingfan could tell that this sword has undoubtedly been around for quite some time
In this interval, the beast dragon wanderer slowly departed
Yasa's complexion is somewhat pale, with delicate features and a slender figure. Coupled with her reserved gaze and perpetually lowered slender eyebrows, she exudes a certain air of femininity.
This cry of pain was quite unexpected for him. Just as he was pondering whether it was his own illusion, he heard another shout from over there: "Why are you being so careless!"
Good! Diao Zheng has finally made up his mind, "It won't take much effort. Su Jian, this lowly person, must have very poor martial skills, at most relying on his agility and a good sword; if I were to deal with him, I would have an eighty percent chance of killing him. Good, let's do it this way!"
He thinks well, but unfortunately, it seems that whenever he contemplates, he becomes distracted; by the time he resolves to look ahead again, he finds that the sounds, which were originally quite clear, have become somewhat vague.
In such an urgent moment, Su Jian could no longer care that he was right next to the thorny thicket. He rolled with all his might once more to evade the falling giant axe, but in an instant, his arm was pierced by the thorns, leaving him bleeding profusely.
Who knows, just at that moment, in the incredibly tranquil forest of tears, a sudden sound of heavy footsteps and the breaking of branches echoed!
What is going on? Where is everyone? As he rushed into the jungle, Diao Zheng once again shouted in his heart, "Is this kid a rabbit? How can he run so fast!"
As soon as he took the sword in hand, Lei Bingfan noticed that the Bloodsong Sword had a remarkably simple and refined design, embodying an unparalleled sense of fluidity and pleasure.
He discovered that although the place named "Yuan" was called so, it was filled with thorny bushes and dense undergrowth. The blood-stained thorns and vegetation silently emitted a message of tragedy. When Su Jian first laid eyes on the sea of red, it was as if he could already smell the scent of blood in his nostrils
"What?" The Beast Dragon Stalker suddenly turned around, hardly believing his ears, "What kind of brain? Dumber than me? How could you actually speak out loud!"
In front of Su Jian, there were only Lei Bingfan, Luo Xueqiong, and a gray-black-haired boy named Asa.
The closer he got, the more he paid attention to holding his breath. With each step forward, he had to lower his head to check the ground, to see if he would trip over any vines or stones.
"Can you guess it's me?" Seeing that Su Jian had not escaped, Diao Zheng felt a surge of joy in his heart. His mood involuntarily relaxed, and he decided that it would not hurt to say a few more words before the young man met his end.
"Only one." Yasa said dejectedly
Finally, it can be opened! When it was moved to within less than three feet, Su Jian knew that the situation was already determined
He was consumed by this extremely malicious thought when, unexpectedly, a loud voice suddenly emerged from the thorny bushes beside him: "Ah! I've stepped on something sharp!"
In the blink of an eye, Diao Zheng's heart was shattered, his liver and brain were spilled, and blood flowed everywhere
"Who said I want to escape?" Unexpectedly, Su Jian rolled his eyes, displaying a look of disdain, and scolded, "You dog thief, it seems you do not know that before this journey, I learned a few sword techniques from the top swordsman in my class, Lei Bingfan. Today, I will make you fall beneath my sharp sword!"
It is evident that it cherishes its claws, carefully avoiding those sharp thorns.
Seeing his sudden actions, without even a word of greeting, Su Jian was instantly left dumbfounded
Although it is somewhat regrettable, he did not hesitate at all. He immediately took out three crystal tokens and, while fleeing, discreetly dropped them in a corner of the jungle when the soldiers of the Beast Dragon Clan were not paying attention.
But soon he felt something was amiss: "Why are the footsteps so loud? Who would come this way and break the trees along the path? Ah—" The boy's mouth opened wide in terror, and a dreadful term immediately surfaced in his mind: "Beast Dragon Clan soldiers!"
The past of the Tears Plain evokes a sense of sadness, yet at this moment, the astonishment of the students at Lingjiu Academy arises from the fact that even now, the Tears Plain remains one of the strongholds from which the Dragon Clan attempts to continue its invasion; in the Beast Dragon Kingdom across from Huaxia, the ferocious Beast Dragon Pathfinders, Wanderers, and Roarers still roam the realm of the Tears Plain.
Upon realizing this, he found that he was completely unable to retract his form in time
After running about twenty steps, Su Jian felt that he should have temporarily shaken off the Beast Dragon Clan. However, when he turned back to look, he saw a soldier from the Beast Dragon Clan, who was one and a half times his height, swiftly extending his legs and dragging his dragon tail, surprisingly agile, closely pursuing him not far behind
Su Jian, the scion of a prominent family, wore a nonchalant smile as he thought to himself, "What a pity, your little life will last at most four more days. It turns out that the Tearful Abyss is your final resting place."
In order to achieve a good result, he even sought out Lei Bingfan, who had a "no trespassing" sign, before setting off, and through various means, managed to learn a few sword techniques from him
There is no need to mention Tang Qiu, who has already become like a brother to himself; unexpectedly, the noble and aloof Prince Lei Bingfan of the Heavenly Snow Kingdom not only happened to have saved him once but also just engaged in such a lengthy conversation with him
This is what you said! Su Jian also shouted loudly, swiftly drawing the Blood Song Sword across his chest, as if he was about to execute a sword-drawing stance.
"Haha, what a fool!" Diao Zheng felt a sense of triumph as he cursed, "Did you really think you could hide it? Unfortunately, your grandfather Diao has sharp eyes and saw it. You little brat, just wait until I slowly make my way over; we'll see how I can make you burn in flames, wishing you were dead!"
The black iron armor they wore and the large iron axes they wielded were all covered in rust, a result of roaming for years in the border territories contested in battles, hunting down solitary humans
Blood stained the entire wasteland, to the extent that many plants growing in this area later underwent mutations, their leaves turning as red as blood. However, the people who temporarily enjoyed peace did not name this wasteland "Blood Plain," but rather called it "Tears Plain"
"No need to be polite." Yasa waved his hand. His tone was clear, yet his voice carried a somewhat somber quality, accompanied by a slight hoarseness.
"I did not say that," Lei Bingfan replied briefly, casually waving his hand as the Blood Song Sword transformed into a streak of light, precisely returning to Su Jian's sword sheath at his waist. Before Su Jian could react, Lei Bingfan had already turned and left without a second thought.
As Su Jian walked out from the Deer Ming Forest, he reflected on his days at Ling Qiu Academy. Although there had been continuous upheavals and he had made a few rivals, he had also gained some friends.
At this moment, the young man is looking at himself, signaling him to be cautious
With this sense of satisfaction, the days at the academy passed leisurely, and soon it was time for the mid-term evaluations of the first academic year
However, what is most heartbreaking and helpless is the expressions of the young students facing danger, each silently enduring their plight
After parting ways with Yasa, as Su Jian carefully navigated through the jungle, he recalled Yasa's behavior just moments ago and suddenly felt that the rumor about him was likely true
Even though Diao Zheng is a reckless person, he was utterly astonished by Su Jian's shameless transformation
Danger eliminated, Su Jian stood up, finally able to calmly thank Yasha: "Yasha, thank you very much for earlier."
It turns out that during this trip to the Tears of the River, the determined intention to harm Su Jian was not carried out by Gao Chang himself, but rather he instructed the obedient Diao Zheng to take action.
However, in the region of Tears, due to the lack of complete protection from the Wall of Storms, the humans retreating in this direction had no choice but to engage in battle with a large number of pursuing dragons, an event historically known as the "Battle of Tears"
But unfortunately, it was this final battle that led to the massacre of a large number of human soldiers and civilians by the dragon clan
Why are you being so careless
What Su Jian did not expect was that the seemingly heavy and rusted giant axe was actually connected by a thin, fine steel chain, the end of which was held in the hand of the Beast Dragon Stalker
Oh no! Su Jian rolled on the spot just in time to narrowly avoid the descending axe blade
In the midst of chaos, it is indeed so helpless. Otherwise, who would have heard that a midterm exam at an academy could candidly inform you that there is a high probability of a fatal outcome
I, I... were pinned beneath the massive body of the Beast Dragon Stalker, my chest instantly crushed, even this instinctive cry became extremely weak and incoherent
As he delved deeper into the tears of the original, a vivid splash of red in a thicket of thorns soon caught Su Jian's attention.
After all, being in the end times, the reason for this has become quite familiar to the students of the same cohort, including Su Jian. However, when they heard Qin Yu mention the place name "Laiyuan," everyone involuntarily gasped in shock.
"It is indeed your clever work, Diao Ye!" Diao Zheng said with a strange smile, "Hehe, I didn't expect you to have a bit of wit, managing to escape for a moment."
I did not expect it to be you said Su Jian, standing with his sword, calmly stating But I know that someone must have provoked that beast dragon clan soldier to come here
From this perspective, although the Beast Dragon Stalker belongs to the lower tier of Beast Dragons, with a simple mind and well-developed limbs, it possesses a wealth of practical combat experience. Furthermore, due to its years of solitary hunting of humans, its temperament has become extremely bloodthirsty
It turns out that the Beast Dragon Stalker, in its desperate leap, actually missed its target completely
"Huh?" Diao Zheng was taken aback, "Why does this sound so familiar... Oh no!"
About three to four zhang behind the beast dragon, a pair of eyes was watching everything with a look full of resentment
It was just a bit strange; when he ran closer, he only saw a thicket of thorns and did not see Su Jian's figure.
Swift Fire Slash! At the moment of the ambush, Diao Zheng did not use the time-consuming Purple Flame Wheel that required preparation, but instead directly condensed the power of the Fire Spirit and unleashed a Swift Fire Slash towards Su Jian
Good! The spirited and delicate Yasa, when mentioning this matter, became surprisingly excited
Could it be that he was brought here by someone? Su Jian suddenly considered this possibility
Fortunately, Su Jian is also full of courage. Although he is the last to enroll in this class, he is among the first to rush into the tears of the field.
Of course! Wishing Brother Yasa good luck. With that, Su Jian parted ways with Yasa
Su Jian immediately turned his head to look, only to see the nearby bushes and small trees suddenly parting, revealing a massive soldier of the Beast Dragon clan, who was wielding a rusted giant iron axe and gazing at him with an incredibly fierce expression
At this moment, this fiery red fox is still intently reaching out its claws to grasp a cluster of bright red thorny fruits in front of it
Such unconventional crystal symbols, in the eyes of those in high society, are naturally seen as unorthodox; however, unexpectedly, in this jungle adventure without companions, Su Jian truly used them to divert the fierce beast dragons
As for the criteria for evaluating performance, it is quite simple. Similar to the commonly accepted grades of crystal cores, it is divided into five levels: A, B, C, D, and E. Due to special circumstances, this assessment does not consider the quality of the crystal cores, but rather the quantity: obtaining one core is classified as E level, indicating that the individual has achieved some results; two cores are classified as D level, suggesting that they barely pass; three cores reach C level, indicating satisfactory learning; four cores are classified as B level, which is considered good; and more than five cores are classified as A level, signifying excellence. Due to special circumstances, this assessment does not consider the quality of the crystal cores, but rather the quantity: obtaining one core is classified as E level, indicating that the individual has achieved some results; two cores are classified as D level, suggesting that they barely pass; three cores reach C level, indicating satisfactory learning; four cores are classified as B level, which is considered good; and more than five cores are classified as A level, signifying excellence
Furthermore, as the Tears of the Examination Room, it is located in the northeastern border of the Huaxia Nation, with the mysterious Starfall Plateau lying to the north.
However, the next scene was completely beyond Diao Zheng's expectations: Su Jian, who had solemnly drawn his sword, unexpectedly turned around and ran away without hesitation in the next moment! The manner in which he fled was as smooth as flowing water, rendering an utterly abrupt escape remarkably fluid.
Of course, not all students who hear the proposition focus solely on the exam. For instance, Gao Chang, the eldest son of a powerful family, nearly laughed out loud upon hearing the exam question
Once everything was hidden well, Su Jian turned his face to look, only to find that the person who had just reminded him was none other than Asa, who had run ahead of them earlier during the rain.
"Hehe! Just knowing you are ahead is enough." Diao Zheng sneered inwardly, "Kid, you tricked me just now. When I catch up to you later, without saying a word, I will take you down directly"
Upon witnessing this tragic scene, Su Jian, who was watching coldly from a distance, shook his head and said, "Lord Beast Dragon, you have indeed wronged him. The truth is, I took a shortcut and recorded two identical voice crystal symbols."
However, this name is quite good, " Lei Bingfan said again
Seeing that the villain Diao Zheng had finally been captured, Su Jian felt a sense of relief in his heart. Just as he was about to turn and leave, unexpectedly, someone suddenly pressed down on his shoulder and said: "Be careful! Wait a moment."
With the mind of a beast dragon prowler, it naturally could not comprehend Su Jian's cleverness. The young man first layered a delay crystal talisman over a spontaneous combustion crystal talisman. After he escaped, the delay crystal talisman activated, triggering the spontaneous combustion crystal talisman. Once the spontaneous combustion crystal talisman was incinerated, it released a special spiritual power, which then refined the sound crystal talisman.
How could this happen? The Beast Dragon Stalker, with flesh and blood flowing freely, stared in astonishment at the empty thicket of thorns
This sound crystal was created just before departure, but it is not for chanting any song; rather, it records a line specially fabricated by Su Jian: "Ah! I've stepped on something!"
I did not expect this, looking at Yasa, Su Jian organized his words and said, "I did not expect the Beast Dragon Stalker to appear here. Alas, Diao Zheng... is truly unfortunate."
Filled with immense shock at Su Jian's integrity, Diao Zheng began to pursue angrily
However, at this moment, there was no time for further contemplation, as the massive axe of the Beast Dragon Stalker was already swinging through the air with a whooshing sound, coming down upon me!
Beast Dragon Stalker! Su Jian immediately recognized his identity from the head shape and armor weapons of the Beast Dragon clan soldier
It is evident that, following this evaluation, those students who lack skill and have had bad luck are likely to remain forever in that desolate wasteland
Su Jian looked at Yasa's serious expression, somewhat surprised. After a long while, he chuckled and said, "Ha, it turns out that Yasa is also a person who values justice and vengeance."
Harboring such a ruthless thought that could take a life, Gao Chang appeared remarkably calm and unconcerned, as if he had not given it much thought at all. In his eyes, killing Su Jian was no different from squashing a cockroach.
Despite the rough skin and thick flesh of the Beast Dragon Stalker, its bare neck and tail are still covered with hard dragon scales, yet in such a defenseless state, it is still pricked by thorns, crying out in pain
In the blink of an eye, just as the massive body of the Beast Dragon Clan soldier hit the ground, a piercing scream suddenly echoed from that place
"You, you..." Diao Zheng intended to remind the beast dragon above him, informing it where the real troublemaker was.
After pondering for a long time, he gently touched the sword's edge and, with a troubled expression, said: "Strange, I observe this sword, it should be a famous sword, yet there is no record of it in the sword manuals and military treatises. Occasionally, there are a few similar ones, but they are merely similar in appearance. I never expected that—" At this point, Lei Bingfan paused, merely gazing at Su Jian.
Wow! You scoundrel! Diao Zhengqi was furious and once again demonstrated his strict character, saying, "How can you be so shameless? Are you still a student of Lingjiu Academy or not?"
"You, are you saying that you want to defeat me using the sword techniques you learned temporarily?" Diao Zheng laughed so hard that he could hardly catch his breath, "Alright, alright, very well! Then I will wait for you, come at me with all you've got!"
Of course. Seeing him lay it bare, Su Jian also smiled generously and said, "Diao Zheng intends to harm me; I am merely repaying him in kind. It is a pity, though, that I thought I was being discreet, yet you still saw through it all."
He grasped Su Jian's hand and said, "Brother Su Jian, you must work hard too! This time, I am determined to hunt more fire crystals and strive for good results!"
Diao Zheng has an accurate understanding of the strengths of both sides. Seeing this situation, he remains unconcerned and leisurely waits for the young man to come at him with his sword
Although not very familiar with the language of the human race, this soldier of the Beast Dragon tribe had a strange intuition, feeling that these few cries were made by the young man he had just been chasing
The reason for this is quite simple. While death is undoubtedly unfortunate, the living relatives are even more tragic. The tears shed over the years may surpass the blood that was spilled here initially, and they are even more sorrowful
Three feet is precisely the distance at which his fire manipulation skills can effectively harm this Fire Crystal Red Fox
As soon as this thought arose in his mind, Su Jian recalled the commotion that had occurred before the appearance of the Beast Dragon Stalker, which was clearly akin to a sudden disturbance, as if it had rushed over, uprooting trees and breaking branches along the way
"It’s alright," Yasa shook his head and said, "Brother Su, there is no need to conceal anything; I have seen everything that just happened."
Closer, closer...
"I did not expect the sword to be a good one..." Lei Bingfan said leisurely
In fact, at that time, the natural storms of the Hengduan Mountains had already blocked the main force of the Dragon Empire's dragons; the entire human defense line gradually stabilized, relying on the Hengduan Mountains.
"What a stroke of bad luck, what on earth is going on?" The Beast Dragon Stalker looked at the bloody wounds on his body, furious.
No! He immediately rejected this plan, saying, "It is too dangerous. Once is enough; if we provoke this beast-dragon wanderer again, it is likely that today will forever be marked by tears, and it will not be Su Jian, but me."
It is indeed you! The evaded attack Su Jian turned around and coldly looked at Diao Zheng
At this moment, he was somewhat flustered, but fortunately, Su Jian had not had time to run far and was still making quite a noise in the nearby jungle
Although the axe of the Beast Dragon Stalker has become dull from years of neglect, the massive axe blade, resembling a small door, would still find it as easy to crack open Su Jian's skull as striking an egg with a stone
When it comes to anger, the already heavy Beast Dragon Stalker pressed down hard, instantly forcing the cunning Zheng into the thorns, burying him in the soil
However, what Diao Zheng never expected was that after going through great hardships and risking his life to finally lure the Beast Dragon Stalker, he was outsmarted by Su Jian with a little trick and managed to escape
These three crystal symbols are not traditional combat-type crystal symbols; they are all recently developed by Su Jian. One is for delay, one can self-ignite, and the last one is the singing sound crystal symbol that was previously used to flirt with Luo Xueqiong
Such an attack was very sudden, but Su Jian immediately executed a nimble leap in place, evading the strike that Diao Zhengzhi was determined to land
In his heart filled with resentment, as he turned over these thoughts, it instead caused the beast-dragon wanderer to become somewhat distracted. By the time he had finished thinking about this matter in anger and looked up, he found that he could no longer see Su Jian's figure.
However, Su Jian originally had quite a bit of confidence, but upon truly arriving at the Tears Plain, his once passionate heart began to cool somewhat
Thus, the Beast Dragon Stalker quickly retrieved the giant axe and hurled it again with renewed force
The Beast Dragon Stalker is considered a relatively low-ranking dragon within the Beast Dragon clan, thus it retains a large triangular dragon head resembling that of a lizard, and it drags a long tail behind it, covered in hard black scales
However, the Beast Dragon Clan soldiers remembered their previous position very well: "It should be over there for sure"
Fire Crystal Core, wait for me! In a relaxed mood, Su Jian gradually concentrated the power of fire spirit at his fingertips, preparing to unleash a powerful fire spell to kill this Fire Crystal Red Fox
Not bad! Su Jian exclaimed, "I haven't managed to get a single one yet. Let's not talk too much, and each go our own way to hunt for fire crystals!"
Suppressing his joy, Su Jian immediately observed the terrain and began to move sideways while crouching. Taking advantage of the landscape, he made a wide detour and quietly approached the thicket where the Fire Crystal Red Fox was hiding.
These lines were specifically fabricated by Su Jian based on his prior understanding of the geographical features of the Tears Plain in order to escape.
The Beast Dragon Stalker, however, was unaware that Su Jian had just dropped three crystal talismans here.
However, Diao Zheng glared at the young man and said fiercely, "This time, you cannot escape!"
As that vivid red drew closer, Su Jian's heart grew increasingly tense
I am so lucky! After looking at it a few more times, Su Jian was overjoyed, "It is actually the 'Fire Crystal Red Fox'! My luck is just too good!"
The name "Tears Origin," which sounds sorrowful, originates from two hundred years ago during the great retreat of humanity, when a large number of soldiers and civilians retreated to this plain and engaged in a brutal battle with the pursuing dragon clan.
As he judged that he was nearing that position, he leaped with all his strength, suddenly soaring into the air like a heavy boulder, and came crashing down directly towards the target location!
This Brother Diao Zhengren truly embodies the principle of being "strict with others and lenient with oneself". Has he not considered that by being manipulated and causing the death of his junior, he has brought shame upon Lingjiu Academy?
Upon hearing this, Su Jian did not have time to see who it was. He glanced in the direction of the Beast Dragon Stalker and saw the Beast Dragon clan soldier who had killed Diao Zheng standing up, looking around, his gaze alertly searching the surroundings.
On the way here, Su Jian paid special attention to the terrain. This invaluable experience now allows Su Jian to navigate through the complex landscape with agility, enabling a swift escape.
"The phrase 'quick to repay kindness and enmity' is something I, Asa, would never dare to claim for myself." Asa's expression suddenly turned somewhat despondent.
Faced with this uncouth act, Lei Bingfan raised his sword-like eyebrows, ready to erupt; however, upon seeing the ethereal sword presented by the youth, reminiscent of a moonlit water surface, he forcibly calmed his emotions and silently accepted it.
With a resolute mind, Diao Zheng's eyes glinted with malice as he crouched low, beginning to stealthily navigate through the weeping willow thicket.
Indeed, the Beast Dragon Stalker was absolutely certain that the place it pounced upon was exactly where the sound had originated; moreover, when it had approached this direction just moments ago, it had also heard rustling noises from that area. Who would have thought that this full-force leap, executed without holding back in the slightest, would land squarely in a thicket of sharp thorns, without even catching a glimpse of a shadow!
Not long after, Diao Zheng discovered Su Jian on a stretch of low-lying wasteland covered with sparse grass and trees
That's all! He was also decisive in his actions, immediately reaching into his bosom, thinking to himself, "These newly created crystal talismans, I intended to use them for self-preservation, but I didn't expect to use them so soon"
This fierce alien pursuer, with blood-red eyes, glared at the jumping human ahead, feeling quite annoyed. He thought to himself: "These detestable creatures called 'humans' are incredibly weak in strength, yet their legs are surprisingly agile. I consider myself quite fast in the Beast Dragon Kingdom, yet I find myself unable to catch up to this human."
Although Diao Zheng willingly acted as Gao Chang's lackey, he nonetheless had some background himself, and thus, surprisingly, he and Gao Chang coincidentally employed the same tactic of using others to eliminate their enemies
However, since we have come this far, it is completely impossible to back out at this point
The "Crimson Tears" need not mention the soldiers of the Beast Dragon Kingdom; the fierce and chilling roars of wild beasts echoing through the dense thorns of the forest are enough to instill fear in the hearts of all
Having come to this realization, Su Jian felt a sense of satisfaction regarding his time at the Lingjiu Academy
Of course. Su Jian smiled helplessly and said, "The name of this Blood Song Sword was given by my highest superior, so it would be impossible to say anything negative about it"
Thus, the enraged beast-dragon soldiers exerted all their strength, striding forward with their robust long legs, fiercely pursuing the direction from which the sound had emanated
Similar to the dangers of the Silent Forest, the Tears Abyss is also located at an opening in the storm wall of the Hengduan Mountains, which prevents it from being fully protected by the storm front
However, a cloud of doubt quickly rose in Su Jian's heart: "This is not right. I was so cautious just now, constantly looking around as I approached. How could I not have noticed the presence of a beast dragon lurking nearby?"
Why are you being so careless
"How could this happen?" Watching the furious beast dragon spinning in place, Diao was shouting in his heart, "Those despicable commoners! They are truly shameless to escape using such underhanded tactics, it is simply a disgrace to the Lingjiu Academy!"
After dragging the fat man who was stubbornly clinging to the back in, Su Jian also parted ways with him. According to the assessment regulations, once everyone enters the Tears Plain, they must separate, and each person must rely on their own strength to kill the demon beasts, without forming groups to jointly hunt for fire crystals
This aircraft cannot be shot down! Su Jian no longer harbored any illusions. Without hesitation, he jumped up and turned to flee back the way he came
However, he is not the only one who is extremely angry at the scene
The natural storm belt of the Hengduan Mountains, known as the "Wall of Storms," has left a gap of moderate size here. Consequently, the Beast Dragon Kingdom, which bears the vanguard task of the Dragon Clan's invasion, has been attempting to infiltrate through the Tears Plain.
Who is it? Su Jian's first reaction was that someone was causing trouble nearby
The sound was so loud that it was evident the source was nearby. Su Jian instinctively turned around, and when he looked back at the thicket of thorns in front of him, he caught sight of the fire crystal red fox locking eyes with him, before it quickly turned and fled.
After lying in wait for a while, the beast dragon stalker finally walked away, cursing and carrying a giant axe
Just as he lifted his foot, intending to step in that direction, he suddenly heard an unusual sound coming from behind him in the opposite direction, followed by a scream: "Ah! I stepped on something!"
His luck is indeed good; just by hearing the name "Fire Crystal Red Fox," one can understand that the greatest significance of the existence of this spirit beast is to produce fire-type crystal cores
Diao Zheng harbored such a fierce thought in his heart, while in front of him, Su Jian cooperatively revealed his presence among the trees.
Diao Zheng raised his head and looked ahead, and he saw in the distance, behind a large tree, the green hem of Su Jian's tight-fitting outfit, appearing and disappearing behind the tree.
Seeing this, Su Jian responded with a grateful glance, while Ya Sa gently shook her head in reply, indicating that there was no need for courtesy
Moreover, Lei Bingfan secretly channeled his spiritual energy, infusing an invisible force into the sword's body, and immediately, a faint tremor was heard from the sword's edge, accompanied by the sound of a tiger's roar and a dragon's chant.
For this privileged youth who willingly acts as a lackey to harm others, the cold smile of the young man in the shaded path became the last scene he witnessed in this world
Thus, even the mid-term evaluation topics for all grades in Lingjiu Academy this term are derived from various regions that produce Fire Spirit Crystals, in order to acquire this military resource. The performance of different grades is determined solely by the varying number of assessment criteria.
Diao Zheng felt a rustling in the nearby jungle, and suddenly, as if he had thought of something, he shivered and was about to run to the side. Unfortunately, it was already too late; just as he prepared to flee, a massive shadow descended from the sky, crashing down on him like a mountain, knocking him to the ground.
By the way, speaking of this Bloodsong Sword, I acquired it by chance. I have no clue about its origins; since you are also an expert in swords, could you help me discern what this sword is truly about
The degree of danger of this tear is almost second only to the Silent Forest in the border area between the Huaxia Kingdom and the Dragon Clan
Su Jian's previous suspicions were entirely correct; a figure that was originally well-concealed was able to attract the Beast Dragon Stalker, all thanks to Diao Zheng.
The kind-hearted and alert Yasa is merely fifteen or sixteen years old this year. His eyes are like crystals, displaying a peculiar chestnut color; his long hair also presents an unusual grayish chestnut hue, gently parted into two strands on either side, flowing like slender willows, cascading down onto his light blue chest.
Although the thorns here are themselves reddish-brown, the red that is exposed in the gaps is evidently much more vivid
Cough, cough! Su Jian seemed to have suddenly choked, and his expression immediately became extremely serious. "Brother Yasa, your words are mistaken. What do you mean by 'seducing'? I am actually performing my official duties, alright..." Even he did not believe this statement himself, so he could only force a smile and change the subject, saying, "How many fire crystals have you obtained?"
However, Su Jian was not particularly afraid, because according to the intelligence he had gathered in the Xuanwu Guard, the frequency of Beast Dragon Clan soldiers appearing here was not very high. Moreover, compared to that group of students who had never experienced real combat, his survival experience in the wilderness was much more abundant
There was no one to be found where success seemed assured; when he pounced, he discovered only a cluster of sharp thorns on the ground before him. Not to mention a human figure, there wasn't even a ghostly shadow!
Strange, it was just here. Where has it gone
It is not surprising that Su Jiansheng harbors suspicions; not to mention that he has been extremely cautious throughout this journey, even the Beast Dragon Stalker, being a low-level beast dragon with limited intelligence, should theoretically be incapable of hiding nearby and attacking at such a precise moment.
Just as there was no time to catch a breath, a powerful sound of wind slicing through the air was heard again. Su Jian quickly turned his face to glance and discovered that the beast-dragon prowler had already thrown its giant axe, which was now flying towards the place where he lay.
Upon entering the Tears Origin, Su Jian relied on the terrain to conceal himself while observing the surroundings.
Many people have endured countless hardships and suffered unimaginable life-and-death struggles during peacetime, yet on the eve of this dawn, when they are so close to seeing the light, they have fallen on this desolate land
When he finally managed to determine a direction, a gust of wind happened to blow through, causing the leaves in the forest to rustle, thereby obscuring the relatively clear sounds from earlier
"Did you not think of anything?" Su Jian asked curiously
"What do you mean by that?" Su Jian jumped up upon hearing this, "The sword is a good sword, does that mean the person is not a good person?"
As for the reason for discussing only the number of crystal nuclei this time, without considering their grades, Qin Yu, who was responsible for announcing the examination questions, did not hide it from everyone.
It was precisely because of his extraordinary caution that, until he was within three or four feet of the thicket of thorns, the naturally alert and cunning fire crystal red fox still did not notice him
However, he was wholeheartedly focused on searching for a suitable fire-type spirit beast, unaware that a pair of cold, sinister eyes was fixated on him from the gap in the bushes behind.
Hahaha! Diao Zheng seemed to have heard an enormous joke, laughing wildly at the sky, unable to stop for a moment
After a moment of daze, he suddenly burst into laughter and muttered to himself: "This Lei Bingfan, everyone says he is cold and indifferent, detached from worldly affairs. In my opinion, this fellow is quite interesting indeed"
He was stunned for quite a while, only truly coming to his senses when Su Jian had already escaped into the dense grass ahead and was about to step into the even thicker jungle further on
The light in the jungle was dim, and Su Jian's small movements did not attract the attention of the Beast Dragon Clan soldiers
Gradually, Su Jian entered the depths of the land of tears
It was revealed that the academy required this cohort of students to travel to the territory of "Tears Plain" at the border of Huaxia, which is contested by the Dragon Clan, within four days to hunt fire-type demon beasts and obtain the fire spirit crystal cores from within them
Therefore, there are occasionally soldiers from the Beast Dragon Clan entering from the opposite side, making this area extremely dangerous
Upon seeing this, Su Jian quickly lowered his posture and carefully concealed himself
What should I do? Seeing his scheme fall through, Diao Zheng was momentarily taken aback.
Oh? Su Jian raised an eyebrow, looking at Ya Sa's pale face, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant
"Brother Su need not be anxious." Observing him in this manner, Asa smiled faintly, "I am fully aware of the circumstances surrounding this matter. Diao Zheng's death is indeed a case of retribution for evil deeds, and he has received his just deserts."
He no longer hesitated and immediately changed direction to run towards the source of the sound
Certainly, it is quite understandable from his perspective: coming from a privileged background, he does not regard someone like Su Jian, a lowly commoner, as a human being at all
Although Diao Zheng is of extremely poor character, he is indeed a true expert. His abilities are not merely limited to the Fire Spirit Technique; soon, he utilized the Diao family's ancestral tracking skills to rediscover the traces and route of Su Jian's escape.
Indeed. Yasa nodded and said, "Next time, if we need to do something like this again, we must be more careful and at least check if there are any bystanders around."
However, Brother Su is quite remarkable as well," Asa said, looking at the young man dressed in a dark robe and fitted attire, "I didn't expect that the boring crystal talisman you brought to entice Classmate Luo, when used appropriately, would actually have the effect of killing without a trace
Could it be that I should catch up and once again provoke the beast dragon to attack Su Jian?" As he watched the disappearing figure of the beast dragon, Diao Zheng thought to himself
At that moment, the face that had already been deformed under the pressure of the beast dragon was just pushed aside, allowing one to see Su Jian skillfully emerge from behind the large tree.
The boundless darkness began to eternally envelop Diao Zheng. In this terrifying and excruciating process, the mentally disoriented Diao Zheng still heard the angry curses of the Beast Dragon Wanderer: "Shameless and despicable humans, do you still dare to toy with your Beast Dragon Lord twice? Not to mention the exaggerated and jarring voice, even the pretense remains unchanged. Do you really take your Beast Dragon Lord for a fool?"
From the perspective of the overall situation of the Dragon-Human War, the Battle of Tears has become the conclusion of a series of campaigns, and in this regard, it can be considered the final battle
If Su Jian were still nearby and saw this person, he would surely be greatly astonished: how could Diao Zheng be here