Robbery (1)

"Pack up. Let's go."

Dongfang Wanyu flicked her Long Whip, snapping apart the branches behind him.

She had only gone off to find a couple of fruits to eat, and he had started bawling his eyes out, his wails particularly pitiful.

Mu Sheng had just been reflecting on what he had done wrong when he discovered that the branches binding his hands had been loosened. He scrambled up from the ground.

"Wanyu, you're not angry anymore?"

Dongfang Wanyu gave him a puzzled glance. "Why would I be angry?"

Mu Sheng lowered his head and wiped his face with his sleeve. "Wanyu, if I don't take spirit stones from someone within two hours, I'll be eliminated. Thank you for looking after me all this way. If you ever need anything, come find me at Wood Hall. I won't turn you down."

"Are those your last words?"

Mu Sheng hurriedly shook his head. He simply didn't know when he would be sent away, so he wanted to say everything on his mind. Even if he disappeared the next moment, at least he would have said his piece.

They walked single file until Dongfang Wanyu suddenly stopped and pulled Mu Sheng into a crouch.

"What is it?"

About twenty meters ahead of them, two teams had run into each other. Five people faced off against five. One team wore green, and its leader had a strip of red silk tied around his wrist, apparently marking him as the captain. The other team wore uniforms from different halls. They were clearly new students.

Veterans versus this year's newcomers.

Anyone with any sense would probably not bet on the newcomers.

The two sides soon came to blows. Dongfang Wanyu held Mu Sheng down as they watched from hiding. With such a gap in strength, the fight was decided in moments.

"These brats have more backbone than the last team. They actually dared to fight back." One of them laughed and took out some branches, binding the fallen newcomers one by one before tying them into a bundle.

Their leader said, "Enough dawdling. There are over two hundred of them, and we've only found two teams. When will this contest ever end?"

A contest?

Dongfang Wanyu thought it over and delightedly discovered a loophole. The examiner had only said that senior students from previous years would take their Spirit Stones.

But what she had heard from these people suggested something different.

She understood now. This wasn't one game, but two contests.

"This game just keeps getting more interesting," Dongfang Wanyu said with a smile.

Mu Sheng shuddered beside her. The last time Wanyu had smiled like that, she had thrown him into a swarm of fire ant magical beasts.

Now she was smiling at... uh, those senior students, wasn't she?

Mu Sheng suddenly had a bad feeling. It soon proved justified.

"Bring Little White out."

"Huh?"

Dongfang Wanyu smiled at him. "As far as I know, your Pulsatilla's mist doesn't only work on magical beasts."

Mu Sheng's scalp prickled. How does she know?

"Hurry."

One glare from her was enough to make Mu Sheng submit to her tyranny and summon his companion.

Pulsatillas were not particularly high-ranking; they could only reach rank five at most. But they had plenty of abilities and could release two kinds of smoke: poisonous fog and bewildering mist. Both smelled the same, but their visible colors differed, allowing one to distinguish the poisonous kind from the harmless one. Ordinary people rarely noticed, however, unless their spiritual perception was exceptionally strong.

Of course, these were all little facts Qing Mo had hastily taught her within her Soul Sea.

The senior students were plundering the newcomers' Jade Tokens. Transaction chimes rang out, like money being transferred. With a light touch between two tokens, they could transfer all the other person's Spirit Stones into their own.

The robbed newcomers hung their heads. With their spirit stones gone, they would be eliminated in another two hours.

The seniors were all delighted, but still dissatisfied. "Has everyone else hidden away? Why have we only found two teams after all this time?"

"Move faster. We have to find them before the other teams do."

They moved swiftly and efficiently. Watching from the sidelines, Mu Sheng grew alarmed. If just one team could crush the newcomers so thoroughly, how were they supposed to win? Worse still, there seemed to be more than one such team. There were another nine they hadn't seen yet.

Little White scattered its powder faster. Soon, a faint fragrance mingled with the scent of grass and trees.

"Strange. I think I smell something fragrant. Do you smell it?"

"Hmm, I think I do."

"Damn it, we've walked into a trap." By the time the man wearing red silk spoke, the others had already collapsed to the ground on weak legs. He desperately propped himself up with his sword.

"Who's skulking around out there? Show yourself!"

Mu Sheng thought he wouldn't go out even if they beat him to death.

Yet Dongfang Wanyu walked out openly, adding, "Mu Sheng, come out already. Your two hours are almost up."

She was clearly dragging him down with her. Wearing a miserable expression, Mu Sheng shuffled out like a frost-wilted eggplant.

"I'll leave this senior's Spirit Stones to you." Dongfang Wanyu casually pointed someone out to Mu Sheng.

The man glared viciously at them, nearly coughing blood from fury. "What arrogance! You even dare rob us?"

"Exactly. Don't the rules allow us to rob one another? If you can rob us, why can't we rob you?" Dongfang Wanyu smiled at the captain, who was still stubbornly holding himself up. "Isn't that right, senior?"

As she finished speaking, she lashed out without warning. Her whip curled around the wrist of his sword-supporting hand. One light tug sent him sprawling on the ground.

"Captain!"

They cried out together, glaring at Dongfang Wanyu as though they could burn a hole through her.

Dongfang Wanyu's words were like a pebble dropped into a still lake, sending out ripple after ripple. The five bound newcomers exchanged looks. They had only known that senior students would steal their Spirit Stones; it had never occurred to them to steal the stones back.

The sight was too much for him to bear. Mu Sheng covered his face. He felt as though he had gotten into terrible trouble and would probably die horribly soon.

Seeing him hesitate, Dongfang Wanyu simply smacked his forehead, then crouched down and activated their Jade Tokens. When she saw the number of Spirit Stones inside, she grinned.

"Fifty." Dongfang Wanyu entered the number and touched her Jade Token against his. The Spirit Stones soon appeared on hers.

"What did you do to us? Why can't we move?"

"Junior sister, could you untie us?"

"Yes, we're all newcomers. Help us out. We'd be deeply grateful."

Mu Sheng watched them struggle for ages without breaking free of the branches and wanted to help. But remembering what had happened earlier, he stayed put and watched Wanyu merrily plunder Spirit Stones.

Dongfang Wanyu didn't even turn her head. She moved remarkably quickly, transferring stones from one token after another. The five of them had two hundred and ninety Spirit Stones altogether.

Their expressions grew increasingly vicious as they watched her. Clearly, they had never expected to come out only to suffer such an embarrassing defeat and be robbed instead.

"Thank you."

With that, she pulled Mu Sheng away at a brisk pace.

"How long does your smoke last?"

Mu Sheng didn't understand why she was asking, but answered honestly. "Little White is only rank two right now. About as long as an incense stick takes to burn."

"Quick, conceal your aura. They'll be chasing us soon." Dongfang Wanyu spoke while hauling him along at a sprint. Halfway there, she turned and dashed down another path.

They happened upon a cave, and Dongfang Wanyu went inside without hesitation.

"Wanyu."

"Give me your Jade Token." Dongfang Wanyu entered a number, brought their Jade Tokens together, and made a light swipe.

"One hundred!" The number on his Jade Token nearly scared Mu Sheng to death. He swallowed and said awkwardly, "Wanyu, a hundred is too much. I only need five."

Five was the minimum. As long as he wasn't robbed, he could stay until the end.

Dongfang Wanyu glanced at him. "You earned it."

Her look made Mu Sheng uneasy. He felt awkward accepting, but equally awkward refusing. He simply sat down to one side and asked, "Wanyu, do you think they'll find this place too?"

Dongfang Wanyu pressed her lips together, estimating the five opponents' fighting strength. "If they catch up, we'll beat their teeth out."

Meanwhile, Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng had no idea they had become famous. The examiner hadn't told them that everything was recorded in the Mystic Light Mirror once they entered the trial grounds. The team they had just robbed was called the Bloodthirsty Team, ranked third among the ten teams in overall ability.

It was also one of the teams favored to win the contest. Yet right at the start, this little girl who had appeared from nowhere had delivered a resounding slap to everyone who had bet on them. Slap, slap, slap—both cheeks were swollen.

"Oh? Isn't this little girl from our Thunder Hall? Excellent. She has real courage. If her results are outstanding, I'll take her as my disciple." An old man smiled and nodded repeatedly, thoroughly pleased. Wonderful! Aside from Li Yunan, Thunder Hall hadn't produced a promising talent like this in years.

She dared to act and fight, charging forward without fear. And she was a girl with both courage and strategy. He liked that.

The eliminated newcomers were also constantly watching everything recorded in the Mystic Light Mirror. Seeing the new students crushed by their seniors without any chance to fight back made them grit their teeth in anger. They wished they could rush in, knock the seniors down, and gang up on them. But when they saw Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng use mist to rob an entire five-person team of seniors, they were all beside themselves with excitement.

Naturally, Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng became famous.

The Mystic Light Mirror stood in the Royal Academy's vast square, which stretched thousands of meters. Ever since learning about it, Dongfang Minghui had watched from the front every day, hoping to catch sight of The Female Lead. Just as she had expected, The Female Lead had pulled off something astonishing soon after appearing. Now she was carrying a little wood-element fellow in one hand as they fled at full speed.

Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng didn't know that the five members of the Bloodthirsty Team were actually nearby. The scene displayed in the Mystic Light Mirror was nerve-racking, making it seem as though only the tiniest distance separated them. Everyone held their breath, worried the pair would be found. Before long, however, Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng vanished from the mirror.

"What happened?"

"Why did they suddenly disappear? Do you think that girl and boy were found?"

Dongfang Minghui pursed her lips. How could The Female Lead possibly be found that easily? If she were, she wouldn't be The Female Lead. According to the plot, The Female Lead should now hide in a Cave and discover someone inside.

Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng sat quietly in the Cave, leaning against the stone wall, eating dry rations and recovering their strength. Dongfang Wanyu felt an urgency to head back into battle once she had rested enough.

They had only encountered one team and had already been chased into a desperate retreat. Moreover, she believed this wasn't the strongest of the ten teams. What would they do if they encountered the strongest next?

After eating, she closed her eyes, intending to cultivate for a while. She had spent the past few days killing magical beasts and felt as though she was close to a breakthrough.

"Who's there? Come out."

Her shout made Mu Sheng choke on his rations, which nearly lodged in his throat.

"Cough, cough."

"Wanyu, who are you shouting at?"

Dongfang Wanyu didn't answer immediately. Instead, she drew the Long Whip at her waist and cracked it against the ground, splitting the surface open.

Mu Sheng immediately hid behind her. "There's someone else in this damned place?"

How had they failed to notice anything when they came in?

"You're quite capable, miss. You actually discovered me." A graceful young man in white emerged from the depths of the Cave. He had handsome features, bright eyes, and gleaming teeth, and his smile was particularly captivating.

Dongfang Wanyu didn't lower her guard because of his good looks. Her memory was exceptional, almost photographic, and she hadn't seen this young man among the two hundred students. That meant he wasn't a newcomer.

Then she examined his clothing. White. The uniforms of the Comprehensive Institute's nine halls were distinguished by color, but none were white. "Tell me who you are. How did you sneak in among the newcomers?"

The young man in white widened his eyes slightly in surprise. Clearly, he hadn't expected her to expose him at their very first meeting.

"You can't be serious." Mu Sheng's eyes widened in horror. Hadn't they just escaped the wolf's jaws, only to turn around and enter the tiger's mouth? Who was this handsome young man?

"Miss, could you put away your Water-Thunder Whip? It's certainly formidable, but I advise you to put it away."

He had identified her Long Whip the moment he spoke. Others knew she used a whip, but no one had named its origin; she hadn't even met anyone who recognized it. His words didn't make her lower her guard. Instead, they stirred her desire to fight.

"Wanyu, put away your Long Whip and see what he does," Qing Mo said within her Soul Sea.

Dongfang Wanyu put away her Long Whip and said bluntly, "You still haven't told me who you are."

The young man in white smiled faintly, a stunning smile that was difficult to forget. "My name is Xiu Qi. What is yours, miss?"

"Qian Wanyu."

Someone from the Qian family? The young man in white studied her with noticeably greater curiosity.

He then glanced at Mu Sheng behind her. "Miss Qian, I entered this secret realm by accident. I'll leave as soon as I find the Pig Immortal Grass."

Dongfang Wanyu frowned and couldn't help asking Qing Mo within her Soul Sea, "What is this secret realm he's talking about? And what exactly is Pig Immortal Grass?"

"A secret realm is like a sealed-off space, much like your Spatial Ring, except its size and other dimensions are millions of times greater. Pig Immortal Grass... I've honestly never heard of it. You can ask your Ninth Sister next time. She's the one who knows plants best."

At the end, Qing Mo couldn't resist a jab at her.

"Did you really come here for the Pig Immortal Grass?" Dongfang Wanyu regarded him doubtfully.

At the same time, she deliberately checked his wrist. He had no Jade Token bearing his identity. He might not even belong to the Royal Academy.

"Of course. Why would I lie to you, miss?" His voice was calm, and he exuded an aura that put people at ease.

"Wanyu, how did he get in?" Mu Sheng whispered into her ear.

Xiu Qi gave him a faint smile. "I accidentally entered this secret realm while chasing the Pig Immortal Grass. Thinking back now, it probably wanted to trap me here."

"Isn't Pig Immortal Grass a medicinal herb? Could you describe it to us? If we encounter it later, we can help you catch it." Dongfang Wanyu was a little curious about this unexpected arrival.

"It is indeed a medicinal herb, but one that has gained intelligence. It's exceptionally cunning. Even if you find it, catching it won't be easy. It's called Pig Immortal Grass because it has two plump leaves and curled roots. Its leaves resemble pig's ears, hence the name." Xiu Qi gave a brief explanation.

"I can't sense any aura from Xiu Qi. He appears harmless, but I don't think you're a match for him. Leave as soon as you have the chance, and don't let him discover your dark attribute." Qing Mo wore a rare grave expression.

This young man in white who had suddenly appeared in the Cave was a mystery.

Mu Sheng tilted his head and murmured, "A medicinal herb that has gained intelligence."

Xiu Qi nodded. "Like the Pulsatilla you have with you. Unfortunately, yours can only advance another three ranks at most. That will be its limit. It can't cultivate into a Sacred Medicine."

Damn. The man had casually revealed his companion's existence, its rank, and its limitations. Mu Sheng shivered. This man was terrifying.

Even more terrifying than Wanyu.

Seeing the two of them chatting, Dongfang Wanyu simply closed her eyes and began cultivating. When she opened them again, everything in the Cave remained unchanged.

"How long has it been?"

Mu Sheng had stayed by her side, afraid to sleep, though he kept nodding off. "I just went outside to check. Six hours have passed."

"Let's go." Dongfang Wanyu stood. Seeing Mu Sheng rubbing his eyes, she realized he had kept watch for her all night.

Xiu Qi opened his eyes then. "You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"I'll go with you."

Dongfang Wanyu pressed her lips together. "People are hunting us. If you come along, we might drag you into trouble."

For all she knew, the earlier team could be waiting outside to ambush them.

"That's fine. Let's go."

Since he didn't mind, Dongfang Wanyu cared even less. The three temporarily formed a strange little group.

They had only walked a few hundred meters when they spotted a team approaching. Its uniforms matched those of the team they had robbed, and its leader likewise wore red silk around his wrist.

"Wanyu, should we hide?"

Dongfang Wanyu shook her head. "Too late. They've already seen us."

Mu Sheng trembled. He was truly terrified of these senior students. "Then... do we hand over our Spirit Stones?"

"Of course not." Dongfang Wanyu curled her lips into a smile. "We're going to rob them."

Mu Sheng stumbled. If Xiu Qi hadn't reached out and steadied him, he might have kissed the dirt.

The group was laughing and joking. "I heard the Bloodthirsty Team suffered an embarrassing defeat this time. Two little brats tricked them. They've disgraced us all."

"Hahahaha! How stupid can they be?"

"Two? I thought there were at least five!"

"Apparently, the pair could release some kind of fragrance. That's how they fell for it."

"If I see those two brats, I'll take their bones apart inch by inch and see if they're different from anyone else's." The speaker licked his lips.

Mu Sheng's calves began trembling. They had been talking about them just now, hadn't they? Something about taking their bones apart? This man was vicious.

"These three newcomers are rather interesting." Other newcomers looked like mice facing cats when they saw them, terrified out of their wits.

"Come on. I'm in a good mood. Hand over your Spirit Stones willingly, and I won't beat you." The man who had just threatened to dismantle their bones carried a large saber over his shoulder, his legs planted wide as he stared arrogantly at them.

Dongfang Wanyu reached for her waist and snapped out her Long Whip, lashing straight at the man's face.

"Watch out!" Lie Yan had sharp eyes. He had sensed something wrong earlier: their opponents were far too calm. Instead of running, they had walked toward them.

Still, attacking without a word was rather hotheaded.

The moment Lie Yan warned his team, Xiu Qi attacked him. He had no idea what Xiu Qi had done, but the aura emanating from him suppressed Lie Yan so completely that he could not move.

He tried circulating spiritual power throughout his body, but he still could not budge. Xiu Qi stood near him, perfectly at ease, while Lie Yan felt as though a massive boulder were crushing him. It was agonizing.

The man carrying the saber was Butcher. Hearing his leader's warning, he immediately dodged backward. Even so, the Long Whip hooked the saber resting on his shoulder.

"Little girl, do you want a taste of my tendon-ripping, bone-stripping specialty?"

Dongfang Wanyu snorted. "A sharp tongue doesn't make you a hero. Fight me if you've got the guts!"

As for the other three, seeing that everyone had picked an opponent, they immediately turned their attention to the frail-looking Mu Sheng.

The three of them had planned it beforehand: Xiu Qi would handle the captain, Dongfang Wanyu would draw Butcher away, and Mu Sheng would stall for time.

The moment Mu Sheng saw them draw their weapons, he raised his hands in surrender. "Don't hit me! Don't hit me! I'll give you my Spirit Stones."

The three exchanged looks. Why was this group so strange? Stranger still, Mu Sheng actually brought out his Jade Token and cautiously negotiated with them. "I only have a hundred Spirit Stones. When you divide them up, could you leave five for me?"

A hundred Spirit Stones.

Their eyes lit up at that, crinkling with smiles.

A hundred Spirit Stones was a considerable fortune.

"Since you're being so sensible, sure. Come on, hand them over. Don't make us do it ourselves." One of them held out his hand.

Tilting his head, Xiu Qi watched Mu Sheng reluctantly tap his Jade Token against theirs, looking utterly heartbroken. In no time, a hundred became zero.

"Hey! Why aren't you keeping your word?" Mu Sheng stomped anxiously. Seeing his Jade Token back at zero made him want to cry. He had viewed the world with such innocence, only for it to show him darkness again and again.

"Little boy, keeping our word? Do you know how pigs die?"

Mu Sheng seethed inwardly. When Wanyu had discussed this with him earlier, he had felt that robbing their senior students was terribly disrespectful. Now he realized how stupid he had been.

"Yes, I do."

"Hahahaha! He actually says he knows! You're so cute, I almost can't bear to hurt you."

Mu Sheng gave the three a sinister look and asked, "Do you know how you're going to die?"

"What?" All three looked incredulous, thinking they must have misheard.

Mu Sheng counted the time. It was almost up. Silently, he counted down: Three, two, one.

The three collapsed limply to the ground, with only a little awareness remaining. Only then did they realize they had fallen into a trap. Mu Sheng smiled. "I'll tell you the answer. From stupidity."

Seeing that all four were immobilized, Butcher finally understood what had happened. They had encountered the two people who had tricked the Bloodthirsty Team—no, three people.

Xiu Qi, unfairly lumped in with them, did not particularly care.

"Hurry up and take all their Spirit Stones!" Dongfang Wanyu shouted to Mu Sheng as she fought Butcher.

"Boy, don't you dare!"

Mu Sheng stuck his tongue out at him. Did he dare? In the past, certainly not. But being oppressed for so long had sparked a little rebellion in him. Besides, they had already successfully dealt with two teams. What was there to fear?

At worst, wouldn't he just lose all his Spirit Stones, get beaten up, and be eliminated?

Thinking about it now, that was hardly a big deal. Even if he was eliminated, at least he would be a loser who had robbed two teams of senior students of their Spirit Stones.

They would see who ended up losing face.

Hmph.

Mu Sheng quickly took all the Spirit Stones from their Jade Tokens. Their eyes were bloodshot and their faces flushed, but they could not move, like lambs waiting to be slaughtered.

A surge of satisfaction rose in Mu Sheng. In a rare display, he put on a stern face and snapped, "What are you staring at? Keep staring and I'll gouge your eyes out! Are you the only ones allowed to rob us? Can't we rob you?"

What kind of reasoning was that?

It was downright bandit logic.

Perhaps because Butcher had moved outside that area, the effects took a little longer to reach him than the other four. Soon, however, he felt something wrong. His spiritual power was leaking out uncontrollably, and he felt himself losing control.

"You—"

Before he could finish, he fell from midair and hit the ground with a thud.

Dongfang Wanyu nudged him with her foot. Seeing that he could not move, she quickly tapped her Jade Token against his. "I didn't expect you to be this poor."

She was a little disappointed. Only thirty.

Butcher's veins bulged. She had practically infuriated him to death.

After robbing them, the two gathered their things and swiftly left.

Before long, word spread that a second team had been robbed by newcomers.

Something had gone wrong with the Mystic Light Mirror, however. When Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng robbed Lie Yan's team, its screen suddenly went black, recording nothing.

Only after they left did the Mystic Light Mirror return to normal.

Five people lay sprawled on the ground, unable to move. Their expressions were ugly, and they had clearly been robbed.

"Doesn't this look familiar?" asked one of the eliminated students who had been following the inner academy entrance test.

Everyone thought about it and realized it did. Hadn't the Bloodthirsty Team also been robbed while lying on the ground, then left unable to move for a while? With that same method, there was no need to guess. Everyone knew Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng were responsible.

"Hahahaha! That feels so good!" One student laughed while slapping their thigh. While Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng had been hiding in the Cave, ten teams had already been robbed by the senior students, and five had unfortunately been eliminated. In other words, of the original two hundred-odd people, only a hundred and thirty or forty remained.

Seeing the senior students robbed again really let them vent their anger.

Listening to their discussion, Dongfang Minghui could not help quietly laughing. The Female Lead had robbed two teams using the same trick, but soon the other teams would join forces to hunt her down, and Mu Sheng's skill would be neutralized.

Counting it up, he seemed to have about eight uses of his mist left.

"Hey."

As Dongfang Minghui was considering the plot, someone suddenly tapped her shoulder from behind, startling her.

"Nan Nan, what are you doing here?"

Nan Nan smiled. "I heard them saying a Thunder Type girl had apparently trampled those senior students twice. It sounded a little like Wanyu, so I came to take a look."

"It doesn't just sound like her. It is Seventh Sister," Dongfang Minghui told her firmly.

Nan Nan looked surprised, then thought it over and relaxed. Smiling, she said, "Wanyu was right. Only we can save ourselves. If she hadn't brought me to my senses in time, my brother and I wouldn't have known what to do."

"Um, has Lu Peng come looking for you again?" Seeing how crowded it was, Dongfang Minghui pulled Nan Nan aside to somewhere quieter.

Nan Nan smiled and shook her head. "After you left, my brother and I immediately moved somewhere else. I took the entrance test just to give it a try, and the Alchemy Department made an exception and admitted me. I'm a new alchemy student now."

"Congratulations, Nan Nan."

Dongfang Minghui could not help reflecting that, no matter what happened, everything was still following the script.

Meanwhile, Dongfang Wanyu and Mu Sheng discussed their plans. It was hard enough for the new students to hold on to a few Spirit Stones, so they would not rob any they encountered. They would leave them a way out and focus exclusively on the senior students.

Whenever Xiu Qi picked up the scent of Pig Immortal Grass, he would leave for a short while. If he found nothing, he would return.

Dongfang Wanyu had already grown used to the strange sight of him suddenly disappearing and reappearing.

"Wanyu, I think I just saw Xiao Ruo," Mu Sheng suddenly said.

She glanced at him. "Want revenge?"

Having been betrayed by his closest friend, Mu Sheng surely harbored some resentment. Dongfang Wanyu knew that. If he felt nothing at all, she certainly would not partner with such a hopeless pushover.

"Of course. I want them eliminated," Mu Sheng answered without hesitation.

Dongfang Wanyu smiled. "Good."

"Don't use your skill this time. You have eight uses left, and we might encounter eight more teams later. Leave these people to me."

Mu Sheng was suddenly deeply moved. Throughout their journey, Wanyu had not only looked after him, but helped him hunt magical beasts. Now she was even going to avenge him.

They had already agreed not to rob newcomers, but Wanyu was making an exception for him.

Mu Sheng quietly made a decision.

"Will you hand over your Spirit Stones, or should I take them myself?"

Dongfang Wanyu had studied this team earlier. There were five of them: Xiao Ruo was wood-element, while one of the other four was wind-element, specializing in Whirlwind Blade, which grew stronger with the wind. Another was ice-element, whose specialty was Ice Prism, and the remaining two were earth-element. All were Spirit Masters: a level-one Wind-Type Spirit Master, a level-three Ice-Type Spirit Master, and two level-two Earth-Type Spirit Masters. As for Xiao Ruo, Dongfang Wanyu planned to let Mu Sheng deal with her personally.

The five exchanged looks, clearly not expecting anyone so arrogant. Earlier, they had only seen Mu Sheng, not Dongfang Wanyu. They felt nothing but contempt for this woman who had appeared out of nowhere, completely unaware of the reason behind her actions.

"Hahahaha—ha."

Dongfang Wanyu lashed out with her Long Whip, targeting the level-three Ice Type Spirit Master first. They had underestimated her from the start and had not bothered to defend themselves, so the blow landed squarely.

One of the Water-Thunder Whip's major abilities was its lightning. Anyone it touched would feel the tingling numbness of being struck by lightning—a thoroughly painful pleasure.

Seeing this, the two earth Spirit Masters no longer dared act carelessly. They immediately unleashed their Earth Spike skill. Yet the moment they did, a stronger surge of earth power rushed at them, blasting them flat onto the ground. It was like trying to slap someone twice, only to receive ten slaps in return.

"What happened?"

Dongfang Wanyu smiled. Naturally, she would not tell them that she had blended her two elemental attributes, burying lightning beneath the earth. Their attacks had triggered the traps she had laid below. Of course it felt wonderful.

As for the level-three ice Spirit Master, he had better not attack. Lightning loved water most of all.

The Wind-Type Spirit Master saw that, in a single exchange, three members of their team had already fallen victim to this lone opponent. Realizing her earlier boasts were no exaggeration, he cautiously launched Whirlwind Blade at Dongfang Wanyu.

Dongfang Wanyu swung her whip as though dancing through the air, sending every one of his Whirlwind Blades back at him.

"Ah! Help!"

Xiao Ruo was wood-element. Apart from making branches attack Dongfang Wanyu, she had little offensive power. When the Wind Blades were sent back, one flew straight toward her, leaving her no recourse but to cry for help.

Hearing him call for help, the level-one Wind-Type Spirit Master immediately abandoned his attack on Dongfang Wanyu and went back to save Xiao Ruo.

After taking a beating, they naturally recognized the gulf between their abilities.

"You're alone. Why not join our team? At least we could look after each other," the level-three ice Spirit Master offered.

He was the team's captain.

Dongfang Wanyu looked at them with a cold smile. "You think you're worthy?"

They had schemed against someone right from the beginning. Even if such a team were renowned, she would want nothing to do with it. Besides, they were only a disorganized rabble, nothing to fear.

She called to Mu Sheng, "Come out. Make it quick."

She did not want to spend another moment with these people.

Mu Sheng immediately ran out, grinning. He readied his Jade Token, eager to transfer the Spirit Stones straight from their tokens.

Seeing Mu Sheng, Xiao Ruo's eyes widened. "Mu Sheng, why is it you?"

With Mu Sheng there, what else was there to understand?

Mu Sheng gave him a cold glance. "Who are you? I don't know you."

This was exactly what it meant for the tables to turn.

"Mu Sheng, let us off this time. If you take all our Spirit Stones, we'll be eliminated soon," Xiao Ruo pleaded, then added quietly, "Besides, we only took five Spirit Stones from you."

As though he had heard nothing, Mu Sheng kept his head down and tapped away at the Jade Tokens, transferring all thirty Spirit Stones scattered among them into his own. The number on his token now read 395.

Mu Sheng thought he would have to find somewhere later to transfer these spirit stones to Sister Wanyu.

"Then get eliminated. You were going to be eliminated before anyway. I've already let you enjoy yourselves here for ten hours. Consider the extra twenty-five interest, understand?"

Hearing him, Dongfang Wanyu could not help laughing. The once meek, fragile boy had grown up too. This trial ground truly was a good place.

"Gag them and tie them up."

Mu Sheng's eyes lit up. Wanyu's idea was excellent. Gagging them would stop their endless wailing for help.

"Xiao Ruo, just bear with it. An examiner will come release you in an hour," Mu Sheng kindly advised as he tied them up.

"Mu Sheng, how did you become like this? We're friends, aren't we?"

Finding Xiao Ruo's voice too noisy, Mu Sheng stuffed a foul-smelling rag from some unknown source straight into her mouth.

Looking at them, all unable to speak, Mu Sheng felt immensely satisfied.

"Wanyu, let's go."

The two