One day later, deep in a forest.
Tu Haojie and the others sat on a rock to rest. A small stream flowed nearby, and the breeze was pleasantly cool, but none of it lifted their spirits in the slightest.
After setting out, they'd soon discovered that some persistent pest was tailing them. No matter where they went, that bastard followed, never giving up.
At first, they'd wanted to beat the hell out of him as soon as they spotted him. Then they realized he was Xia Ping, the Genius Tournament champion, and they couldn't beat him.
They were all thoroughly frustrated.
"Damn it, why is that bastard Xia Ping still following us? Doesn't he have anything better to do than tail us all day? Why doesn't he go explore somewhere else and find some treasures? What good does following a bunch of broke guys like us do?" one Elite Student grumbled through clenched teeth, nearly beside himself with anger.
A white-clad Elite Student was just as annoyed. "If this keeps up, when will we ever reach that valley and get the Spirit Liquid? We can't keep going around in circles forever. Time is precious."
The valley was only a few hundred kilometers from the grasslands. They should have been able to reach it quickly.
But ever since they'd spotted Xia Ping, they'd been wandering in circles like headless flies, hoping to shake the pest.
After all, it was a Spirit Spring, with a huge supply of Spirit Liquid. How could they bear to reveal a treasure trove like that and let Xia Ping find out about it?
Everyone knew that keeping the loot to yourself was the best feeling in the world.
But no matter what they did, they couldn't lose him. It was as if he had eyes in