Harming Others Ultimately Harms Oneself

The group outside the jungle saw this, their expressions shifting noticeably.

"What does he think he's doing? Ambushing Zhao Hai?"

"That's way too bold. Zhao Hai's Blood Qi Value is 3.2, and he's got over a dozen people with him. Isn't he afraid of overreaching and losing everything?"

"More importantly, does this even follow the rules?"

"What's wrong with it? Zhao Hai came looking for trouble first!"

"Exactly. As a martial artist, you should keep your mind clear. If someone comes to pick a fight, are you supposed to just swallow your pride?"

"..."

Many were murmuring among themselves.

Li Yu's eyes also held a trace of worry.

She didn't think Lin Mu was wrong to do this. This Monthly Examination didn't have many rules to begin with, and the other side had started the trouble first.

What she worried about was whether Lin Mu's strength could really handle Zhao Hai and his group.

The people from the Ministry of Education were also watching this side.

"Interesting. He knows the other party is gunning for him, so he strikes this way to seize the initiative."

"He's a bit like you back in the day!"

"I didn't have that kind of courage back then."

"I like this kid's style!"

"..."

They chattered among themselves, and some looked at Lin Mu with growing fondness.

If Lin Mu were someone who cowered before power, they would have thought far less of him.

Because many of them came from humble beginnings, climbing step by step to where they were today.

They knew well how important mindset and character were for a martial artist's growth.

What Lin Mu did aligned perfectly with their thinking.

If it were them, they might have done the same.

Not long after Lin Mu lay down, Bai Mo's figure hid in the nearby jungle, and Zhao Hai's group finally arrived belatedly.

They had more people and weren't familiar with some of the mountain paths, so they'd wasted a lot of time.

After arriving, Zhao Hai looked at the two Fierce Beast corpses, his expression quite ugly.

He could roughly guess what had happened.

Two Fierce Beasts had fought, and that guy had swooped in for the spoils.

That meant his Points would definitely increase a lot.

"What is Han Lin doing?" Zhao Hai clenched his fist, his gaze shifting to the side.

"Send him a message, ask where he is!"

One of the men beside Zhao Hai walked toward a tree, placing his hand on the trunk. But in no time, his expression changed.

"Han Lin and his group's auras have all vanished! And there's a smell of blood in the jungle—it should be theirs!"

Zhao Hai and the others' expressions shifted noticeably.

They knew Han Lin's group's strength.

Not that they were exceptional, but in the jungle, few could easily beat them.

In such a short time, they'd been eliminated.

Walking to the jungle spot, Zhao Hai took out a Jade Talisman, its paper emitting a faint glow.

Soon, some images surfaced.

It was the scene of Han Lin being taken down by Lin Mu.

The images were fragmented and unclear.

Clearly, the Jade Talisman could replay some scenes, but the effect wasn't great.

"What the hell happened here? Can this guy really be that strong?" Zhao Hai thought to himself.

But at that moment, the man who had put his hand on the tree came to his side.

"I sense human presence nearby! Seems like they're resting."

Zhao Hai's expression shifted slightly.

"Where?"

"Over there!" The man pointed in a direction.

Zhao Hai's gaze swept toward the people around him.

They all understood what Zhao Hai was thinking.

Their figures slowly dispersed.

In just a few moments, they appeared from different directions around the pile of rubble, their eyes fixed on Lin Mu, who was hiding behind a large boulder.

Lin Mu was covered in blood, looking utterly exhausted.

When Zhao Hai saw Lin Mu, his expression shifted noticeably.

The person before him looked exactly like the man depicted on the Jade Talisman, with no difference whatsoever.

"So you're the one who defeated Han Lin?" Zhao Hai said coldly.

"Are you their leader?" Lin Mu asked.

"Of course!" Zhao Hai stared at Lin Mu. "You injured my men. How do you plan to settle this?"

"They injured me too," Lin Mu said.

"You deserved it."

"Ridiculous. They hurt me, and I deserved it?"

"Naturally. I've never seen you in the academy, which means you have no prominent background. A commoner student dares to lay a hand on my people—if that's not asking for trouble, what is?"

"Interesting. In your eyes, ordinary people aren't even human?"

"Even if they are human, they're lower-class humans."

"I never thought the esteemed Young Master Zhao would say something like that."

"This young master has always been this way! Since you dared to attack my men, you must pay the price!"

Zhao Hai walked toward Lin Mu, a Long Sword in hand.

His eyes were fixed on Lin Mu, constantly assessing the aura of his Blood Qi Value.

Though Lin Mu's face showed vigilance, he truly seemed too weak to fight back.

Zhao Hai also felt that Lin Mu must be injured, and seriously at that.

After all, he was alone, and his Blood Qi Value wasn't particularly strong.

Having killed several Fierce Beasts in a row and fought Han Lin and the others—

Even Zhao Hai himself couldn't have walked away unscathed.

So!

Lin Mu had to be at the end of his rope.

When he was still three or four meters away from Lin Mu, he suddenly charged forward.

The Long Sword in his hand danced, leaving trails of afterimages—not aimed at Lin Mu's vital points, but targeting his wrist.

If Lin Mu were hit, his tendons would likely be severed.

Noticing this tactic, a cold glint flashed in Lin Mu's eyes.

This Young Master Zhao was truly ruthless.

If not for his family's resources, someone like him could never have gathered so many followers.

Just as his Long Sword was about to reach Lin Mu, Lin Mu's figure retreated repeatedly.

He still appeared to be at a disadvantage, barely dodging Zhao Hai's attack, blood spilling from his mouth.

Seeing this, excitement flickered in Zhao Hai's eyes.

His attacks grew fiercer, because he knew the drones were monitoring from afar—if Lin Mu was severely injured and unable to move, the nearby teachers would come.

Before that, he had to make Lin Mu pay.

As a result, his swordsmanship became somewhat sloppy, his moves extremely aggressive.

Noticing this, a cold smirk curled at the corner of Lin Mu's mouth.

As Zhao Hai's Long Sword came at him again, Lin Mu gripped his long blade.

The moment their figures crossed, Lin Mu swung his blade.

The sound of a Dragon's Roar echoed through the air.

Swoosh! Swoosh!

The sound of air being torn came.

Zhao Hai's left hand was struck by Lin Mu, blood gushing out.

The tendons at his wrist were severed cleanly.

A piercing scream followed.

Many of those present had their expressions change dramatically.

None of them expected Lin Mu, who had seemed half-dead, to unleash such fighting power.

A cold smirk lingered on Lin Mu's lips. "Those who harm others will eventually harm themselves. You wanted to sever my tendons—it seems you don't have what it takes."