Mu Chen and Tang Qian'er glanced around and saw that Tan Qingshan and Mo Ling had formed a team, which surprised him somewhat.
Mo Ling was at the late stage of the Spiritual Movement Realm. If he wanted to find a teammate, there were countless people more suitable than Tan Qingshan.
"Mu Chen, I saw that Qingshan was visiting the Northern Spiritual Plains to train for the first time, so I decided to look after him."
When Mo Ling saw Mu Chen, he walked over with Tan Qingshan and smiled.
Mu Chen understood. Clearly, Mo Ling wanted to build a good relationship with them.
"Senior Mo Ling is indeed thoughtful."
Mu Chen did not dislike Mo Ling.
Not seeing Mu Yuan, Mo Ling asked curiously:
"You and Qian'er are teaming up. What about Mu Yuan?"
In his view, Mu Chen and Mu Yuan teaming up would have been the most fitting arrangement, with two strong fighters joining forces.
"Brother Yuan has already gone off to train alone."
Mu Chen smiled wryly.
"Heh, Mu Yuan really is a fearless newborn calf."
Suddenly, a strange, mocking voice came from nearby.
Soon, several familiar figures appeared before Mu Chen.
The one in the lead was Liu Yang, whom Mu Chen had defeated in the Academy Trial.
Liu Yang stared at Mu Chen with a gloomy expression. That battle in the Academy Trial had trampled upon his immensely proud dignity.
Standing beside Liu Yang was a tall, burly youth. He watched Mu Chen with a smiling face, a faint sneer hanging from the corner of his mouth.
"Chen Tong, what are you trying to do?"
When Mo Ling saw the two youths, his brows furrowed as he asked in a low voice.
Chen Tong, though inferior to Mo Ling, ranked third on the Northern Spiritual Academy's overall rankings and possessed late-stage Spiritual Movement Realm strength.
Mu Chen, however, remained calm. Curling his lips, he said:
"Brother Yuan's affairs are not for you to point fingers at."
"Heh, you Mu brothers truly are more arrogant than the last, aren't you?"
Chen Tong spoke carelessly, his tone exceedingly flippant.
"Having strength is called arrogance. Having no strength is called overestimating yourself."
Mu Chen glanced at Liu Yang and smiled.
At those words, Liu Yang's face immediately turned livid. Mu Chen was clearly making an indirect jab at him, calling him someone who overestimated himself. He immediately retorted coldly:
"You'd better pray we don't run into Mu Yuan in the Northern Spiritual Plains. Otherwise, he'll have a hard time of it!"
"Let's go."
Mu Chen shook his head, too lazy to pay any more attention to those two.
As he passed Chen Tong, he suddenly halted and looked at Liu Mu Bai, who stood not far away and appeared exceptionally handsome.
"If you're jealous of my brother, make a move yourself. Those people aren't even enough to fill my brother's teeth."
Mu Chen smiled, then led Tang Qian'er and the others out of the camp, swiftly heading toward the Northern Spiritual Plains.
Liu Mu Bai narrowed his eyes as he watched Mu Chen depart, a faint chill flashing through his gaze.
"That bastard!" Liu Yang said through gritted teeth.
Chen Tong grinned, his eyes somewhat gloomy.
Within the forest blanketed in green shade, Tang Qian'er's pretty face was filled with anger.
"Those people from the West Courtyard are truly disgusting."
Those people had repeatedly caused trouble for Mu Yuan and the others.
"No wonder Brother Yuan always sighs."
Mu Chen smiled wryly.
"What does he sigh about?"
Tang Qian'er and the others were full of curiosity.
"Being too outstanding makes people jealous, but there's nothing he can do about it. He's so outstanding that even if he wants to keep a low profile, he can't!"
Mu Chen repeated the words Mu Yuan often used to say.
"..."
The corners of Tang Qian'er and the others' mouths twitched slightly.
Mu Yuan was far too narcissistic.
Yet thinking of his usual conduct, those words really could only have come from him.
"I just didn't expect Liu Mu Bai to hate Brother Yuan so much. He and Brother Yuan never had much interaction before. Could it be because of Hong Ling?"
Mu Chen glanced at the distant rear.
"Liu Mu Bai?"
Tang Qian'er's willow-like brows furrowed slightly as she said:
"He wants to deal with Mu Yuan?"
"Otherwise, why would Chen Tong, who ranks third on the overall rankings, bother stepping forward for Liu Yang?"
"Liu Mu Bai must have been stirring things up behind the scenes."
Mu Chen had seen many people like Liu Mu Bai on the Spiritual Road.
"I'm afraid you're right. From what I know, that detestable fellow has always liked Hong Ling."
"Although Hong Ling is with him now, I know that fellow is actually very petty. This matter may truly be connected to Hong Ling."
Tang Qian'er's pretty face turned slightly cold, then she became somewhat worried.
"But ever since Liu Mu Bai entered the Northern Spiritual Academy, he seems never to have lost. He has always been ranked first on the academy's overall rankings."
"Yes, Mu Chen. Tell Mu Yuan to be more wary of Liu Mu Bai. That fellow's strength is definitely not as simple as it appears. I was defeated by him in just a few moves."
Mo Ling also spoke solemnly from the side.
"Ah! Senior Mo Ling, you're already at the peak of the late Spiritual Movement Realm. By your account, doesn't that mean he has already entered the Spirit Wheel Realm?"
Tan Qingshan was startled and could not help asking.
"That's right. He is very likely a true Spirit Wheel Realm expert."
Mo Ling slowly nodded.
Tang Qian'er's pretty face also grew somewhat solemn.
If that was true, then it really would be rather troublesome.
Even if Mu Yuan could challenge opponents above his level, the gap between the Spirit Wheel Realm and the Spiritual Movement Realm was simply too great.
In the history of the Northern Spiritual Academy, not even its greatest geniuses had ever defeated a Spirit Wheel Realm expert while in the Spiritual Movement Realm.
"Although the Spirit Wheel Realm is formidable, it is not an insurmountable mountain for Brother Yuan. Do you truly think Brother Yuan used his full strength every time he made a move?"
Mu Chen was not exaggerating in the slightest.
Brother Yuan's strength had always been a mystery.
No one truly knew where his limits lay.
Especially during the past half month, Mu Chen had practically served as Brother Yuan's sparring partner every day, and he had increasingly felt that Brother Yuan was unfathomable.
Miracles are created. Perhaps the miracle of defeating a Spirit Wheel Realm expert while in the Spiritual Movement Realm is waiting for Brother Yuan to create it!
Mu Chen thought silently.
"You don't need to worry about Brother Yuan. He has always been cautious in his actions."
"Training in the Northern Spiritual Plains has already begun. From now on, Brother Yuan and we are competitors. Don't let our results end up worse than Brother Yuan's alone."
Mu Chen looked at Tang Qian'er and the others with a smile.
"Then we'll strike first!"
Mo Ling and Tan Qingshan exchanged a glance, then both suddenly sprinted forward. They were currently at the outermost edge of the Northern Spiritual Plains, where spiritual beasts were rather scarce. Only by going deeper could they encounter them.
"Let's go too."
Mu Chen waved at Tang Qian'er, and his pace abruptly quickened as well.
The two increased their speed. After more than ten minutes, they gradually entered deeper into the outskirts of the Northern Spiritual Plains, where all kinds of beastly roars occasionally echoed from afar.
Deep within the vast dense forest at the outskirts of the Northern Spiritual Plains.
The Sky-Piercing Trees here stood dozens of zhang tall, soaring into the heavens. The ground was covered in withered branches and fallen leaves, and faintly visible among them were extremely powerful spiritual beasts prowling about.
Mu Yuan rested atop a large tree, regulating his breathing.
Quite a few bloodstains had already stained his clean white robes.
Suddenly.
A gust of foul wind rushed at him from behind.
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