There were still countless gray wolves and apes inside the cave, but with Mu Qing and Ling Fei both at the Blood Qi Seventh Rank, they could easily fight their way out.
Inside the cave, streaks of lightning and golden light crisscrossed. Mu Qing and Ling Fei had no idea how many gray wolves and apes they had killed before the beasts finally grew afraid.
The gray wolves and apes had been thoroughly beaten into submission. Shuddering, they let out low whimpers and retreated from the cave.
Mu Qing and Ling Fei were drenched in sweat and spattered with beast blood. They had also expended a great deal of Origin Force.
Mu Qing was in better shape. He had Origin Force stored both in his mind and in his dantian. Though he had used up much of the Origin Force in his mind, the water-attribute Origin Force in his dantian was still plentiful.
"Let's go!" Mu Qing said. He and Ling Fei supported the gravely injured Jiang Yuanjie as they headed for the cave's exit. Behind them, Yang Shanshan carried Ji Jia and hurried after them.
"Roar!"
The moment Mu Qing and the others emerged from the cave, the Ape Leader and Gray Wolf Leader in the valley let out mighty roars.
Their gazes fell on Mu Qing and the others. The Ape Leader, in particular, caught sight of the plant in Jiang Yuanjie's hand, laden with more than a dozen Vermilion Fruits, and its expression instantly turned hostile.
A chill glinted in its eyes, as if murderous intent were gathering within it.
Mu Qing and Ling Fei stood at the front of the group, utterly unafraid. With their current strength, they could hold their own against the two beast leaders.
Ling Fei's breakthrough to the Blood Qi Seventh Rank had sent his strength soaring, while Mu Qing possessed a Dual Blood Spirit and was frighteningly powerful.
But although Mu Qing and Ling Fei could take on the beast leaders, the three behind them could not. Ji Jia was still unconscious, and this was no time for her to fight.
"I'll hold them off. You all get out!" Ling Fei said suddenly. Golden light shimmered around him, and a solid-looking golden lion appeared behind his back, letting out a deafening roar.
His expression was grave, and Origin Force surged through him.
"I may not be able to beat these two beast leaders, but I'm confident I can hold them off for a while. Once you're safely away, I'll break free and catch up," Ling Fei said.
He knew the situation was dire. Even though he and Mu Qing had broken through, they still could not guarantee everyone's safety against the enormous beast horde.
For now, the only option was for him to hold off the two beast leaders. Mu Qing could easily deal with the remaining apes and gray wolves, allowing the others to escape.
"Besides, Liu Tianyu and the others may still be outside. I can tell you're even stronger than I am. They should be your opponents!" Ling Fei said to Mu Qing.
Mu Qing took a deep breath, then nodded firmly. "We'll meet up at that hidden cave from earlier!"
Ling Fei nodded. Then, with a flash, he appeared in front of the Ape Leader and the Gray Wolf Leader.
He released his aura in a taunt, prepared to face both of them alone.
"Let's go!" Mu Qing said sharply, his expression darkening.
Just as Ling Fei had said, Liu Tianyu and the others might be Mu Qing's opponents. Those two had both cultivated several Advanced Martial Skills, making them far more troublesome than the beast leaders.
"Roar!"
The Ape Leader and the Gray Wolf Leader bellowed, ready to attack Mu Qing and the others.
Most of their underlings had been killed by Mu Qing and his companions, and the two leaders were consumed by hatred.
But Ling Fei's towering figure blocked their path. His hands, shining with golden light, held them back.
The two beast leaders went berserk, unleashing a fierce barrage of attacks. Origin Force erupted from Ling Fei in response.
With a thud, Ling Fei coughed up blood, his arms trembling violently. He had taken the two beast leaders' attacks head-on and was at a disadvantage.
Mu Qing and the others were already making their way out of the valley.
Jiang Yuanjie and Yang Shanshan were worried, but they both understood that Ling Fei holding off the two enemies alone was their best option.
"Awooo!"
The gray wolves and apes, who had already been beaten into submission, saw that only Mu Qing remained with the group and immediately howled as they charged again.
Mu Qing's expression turned icy. With a furious shout, he wrapped lightning around his arm and punched three gray wolves, scorching them black.
He darted about, staying close to Yang Shanshan and Jiang Yuanjie to make sure none of the gray wolves or apes could reach them.
The bodies of gray wolves and apes piled up at Mu Qing's feet.
A thick killing intent swirled in his eyes. Blazing White Lightning burst from his arm, and several more gray wolves were reduced to charred corpses.
Before long, they finally fought their way out of the valley.
Though the ordeal had been perilous, they had reaped a rich harvest. The emerald-green plant in Jiang Yuanjie's hands alone bore more than a dozen Vermilion Fruits!
Just one Vermilion Fruit had been enough for Mu Qing and Ling Fei to break through. The value of the entire plant was obvious!
"Is Ling Fei going to be all right?" Jiang Yuanjie asked anxiously.
"He should be fine. I know what he's like. He wouldn't do something unless he was confident," Mu Qing said, though in truth he was only trying to reassure them.
Besides, everything on Lake Heart Island was being watched by the school's teachers. If Ling Fei really was in danger, the teachers would surely step in.
Thinking of that, Mu Qing felt somewhat relieved.
"You three, stop right there!"
Just as Mu Qing and the others were about to leave, a chilly voice rang out.
Figures rushed out from the woods nearby. Several of those at the front wore cold smiles.
Mu Qing's pupils contracted. He knew those faces all too well. It was Liu Tianyu and Wang Haixuan.
The injuries Liu Tianyu had suffered earlier had already mostly healed. With Song Yalan among them, their wounds healed quickly.
The first thing Liu Tianyu noticed was the emerald-green plant in Jiang Yuanjie's hands. It bore more than a dozen Vermilion Fruits, and even from a distance, they could smell their fragrance.
"Mu Qing!"
Wang Haixuan kept his eyes fixed on Mu Qing, murder in his gaze.
"Who would've thought? After all our hard work, you ended up getting the spoils for free," Liu Tianyu said with a sudden laugh. The smile, however, was icy.
Mu Qing sneered. "That's just because you weren't good enough."
"Those things should have been ours. Now they should be returned to their rightful owners." Greed lurked in the depths of Liu Tianyu's eyes as he looked at the Vermilion Fruits.
He had thought he would never get his hands on them. Unwilling to accept that, he had led his people to wait outside the valley for a while. He had never expected Mu Qing and the others to emerge carrying the Vermilion Fruits.
The outcome delighted him beyond measure.
Now, all he had to do was seize the Vermilion Fruits from Mu Qing and his companions. He could still break through to the Blood Qi Eighth Stage while avoiding a direct fight with the two beast leaders. It was the best of both worlds.
Wang Haixuan's eyes also burned with excitement.
He had learned about the Vermilion Fruits from Liu Tianyu and knew that the energy in just one could let someone at the Blood Qi Sixth Rank break through.
Jiang Yuanjie had more than a dozen of them. There were enough for him and Liu Tianyu to break through to the Blood Qi Eighth Stage.
He was secretly thrilled. This was a treasure that money couldn't buy. In all of Hangzhou City, perhaps only West Lake High School's Lake Heart Island had such treasures.
Special plants like Vermilion Fruits, which could increase one's strength, could only be found by searching through Fierce Beasts' territory.
Whenever they appeared on the market, they were snapped up at once.
Liu Tianyu and Wang Haixuan's eyes burned with greed. They led more than a dozen students forward, clearly intent on preventing Mu Qing and the others from leaving.
Mu Qing's expression darkened slightly. He lowered his voice and said to Jiang Yuanjie and Yang Shanshan, "Go. I'll hold them off."
It was exactly what Ling Fei had said earlier!
Though Ling Fei seemed rough around the edges, he was meticulous. He might already have guessed this would happen. That was why he had told Mu Qing to take Yang Shanshan and Jiang Yuanjie, rather than stay behind with him to face the two beast leaders.
"There are so many of them. You..." Yang Shanshan panicked, worry plain on her pretty face.
At that moment, she no longer seemed to be at odds with Mu Qing as she often was. She was genuinely worried about him.
"Don't worry! I can hold them off by myself. I'll be fine!" Mu Qing smiled, but his expression was even colder than Liu Tianyu's had been.
"All right! Let's go!"
After spending this time with Mu Qing, Jiang Yuanjie had come to understand just how terrifyingly strong he was. Somehow, he believed Mu Qing could overcome the danger in front of them.
He nodded, then led Yang Shanshan toward the hidden cave where they had previously taken shelter.
"Trying to leave?"
Seeing Jiang Yuanjie attempting to leave with the Vermilion Fruits, one of Liu Tianyu's trusted followers immediately turned cold. He lunged forward, trying to stop Jiang Yuanjie.
The man was at the Blood Qi Sixth Rank, which made him one of the stronger students.
But before he could stop Jiang Yuanjie and Yang Shanshan, Mu Qing shifted his steps and appeared in front of him.
"Uh..."
The man froze when he saw Mu Qing standing before him. Before he could react, streaks of Blazing White Lightning exploded against his chest.
Blood poured from his mouth. Disbelief filled his face, and his chest was charred, his clothes blown to pieces.
With a thud, he collapsed to the ground, barely breathing.
Mu Qing had unleashed a full-strength blow in his fury, without the slightest regard for the man's life.
"What?!"
Liu Tianyu and the others were stunned.
That man was one of the top students at the Blood Qi Sixth Rank, and extremely strong. Even the two of them would have needed some time to defeat him.
Yet Mu Qing had taken him down with a single punch!
"Could this guy already be at the Blood Qi Eighth Stage?" one of the North Campus students wondered aloud. They were all horrified by what they had just witnessed.
Even the teachers watching from the shadows appeared and carried away the student Mu Qing had injured.
The teacher could see that Mu Qing had nearly beaten the student to death. Without prompt treatment, he might not survive.
However, the teacher did not interfere in the conflict between Mu Qing and Liu Tianyu's group. He simply took the half-dead student and hurried away.
High above them, another teacher remained to observe what happened.
As for Ji Xiangfeng, he had already disappeared.
Before you continue