One more friend, one more road

"Skinny monkey?"

Chen Shi'an blinked. "Now that you mention it, you really do look a little like a monkey."

Pi Hou immediately bristled and said unhappily, "It's Hou as in marquis, not hou as in monkey!

I just heard them call you Chen Shi'an?"

Chen Shi'an nodded without speaking.

"Chen Shi'an, I've spent all this time explaining things to you.

If you still can't make the right choice, all my spit will have gone to waste."

Pi Hou raised his voice slightly. "I'll give you sixty more breaths to think it over. If you won't concede, I'll have to make my move."

Out on the field, some of the bouts within the twenty white circles had already been decided.

Fights raged in the other white circles, while Chen Shi'an and Pi Hou alone were chatting away.

Naturally, the sight drew the spectators' attention.

"What are those two doing?"

"This is a hand-to-hand competition, but they're spraying spit at each other instead!"

"Are they planning to settle this with spit? Whoever sprays more wins?"

"Chen Shi'an really is an oddball. Whenever he's involved, things always take a peculiar turn."

"He's only made it this far through luck and cheap tricks.

Without any real strength, he's still dreaming of becoming a Squad Leader. What a daydream!

I'll bet Chen Shi'an gets a proper thrashing once they start fighting."

The watching Martial Academy disciples voiced their opinions, directing contemptuous looks at Chen Shi'an.

Pi Hou had given Chen Shi'an sixty breaths to consider, yet Chen Shi'an turned his gaze toward the other white circles. He was actually in the mood to watch their bouts.

Before the sixty breaths were up, Pi Hou said in a low voice, "Chen Shi'an, I'm done waiting. Give me a straight answer right now. Are you conceding or not?"

Seeing that seven or eight bouts had already ended, Chen Shi'an no longer wanted to drag things out either. "If you want to win, show me what you can really do."

Pi Hou frowned. "Kind words can't sway a ghost bent on death. Since you're so stubborn, I'll have to make you suffer a little!"

With that, he darted forward.

Within a few breaths, he was in front of Chen Shi'an, his movements exceptionally nimble.

True to the sound of his name, he was as agile as a monkey.

He might have rambled when he spoke, but once he decided to attack, he was crisp and decisive. His right hand shot out, punching straight toward Chen Shi'an's chest.

Chen Shi'an shifted his feet slightly and turned sideways, easily evading the blow.

Pi Hou pitched forward, turning his fist into a palm and continuing to strike at Chen Shi'an's chest.

At that moment, Chen Shi'an counterattacked.

He raised his arm slightly, blocking Pi Hou's attack outright.

Their wrists slammed hard against each other.

Pi Hou's expression changed immediately. Chen Shi'an's arm was as hard as iron, and the collision sent pain shooting through his wrist.

At the same time, Chen Shi'an turned his arm slightly and seized Pi Hou's wrist.

A piercing pain instantly shot from his wrist.

Pi Hou winced and hurriedly tried to pull his hand back.

But Dong Renqi's hand gripped him like an iron clamp. He could not break free even a fraction.

Only then did he realize that he had not drawn the best possible lot-he had kicked an iron plate.

Still, he did not give up. His other hand suddenly punched toward Chen Shi'an's face, trying to force him to release his grip.

Unfortunately, Chen Shi'an did not follow his script.

The instant Pi Hou punched, Chen Shi'an punched as well.

His strike came later but landed first.

Bang!

Their fists smashed hard against each other.

Pi Hou's expression changed again, and his face twitched uncontrollably.

The hardness of Chen Shi'an's fist and the power behind it far exceeded his imagination.

He felt as though his fist was about to shatter. His entire arm throbbed with pain and numbness.

At that moment, he became utterly certain that he was no match for Chen Shi'an.

Before Chen Shi'an could attack again, he hurriedly said, "Just my rotten luck to run into someone playing the pig like you. I accept it. I concede."

Chen Shi'an's lips curled slightly. "Let's play a little longer first. Since you're being so cooperative, I should at least let you lose with some dignity."

With that, he released Pi Hou's wrist and threw another punch.

Pi Hou was shrewd enough to know exactly what Chen Shi'an intended.

He immediately punched as well, exchanging blows with Chen Shi'an in a flurry of thuds and smacks.

As they fought, he lowered his voice and said, "Chen Shi'an, I'm giving you my full cooperation, so don't go back on your promise.

You've got to make sure I eat well and drink my fill in the Demon Hunting Team."

"No problem! We're buddies from now on!" Chen Shi'an readily agreed.

One more friend meant one more road.

With Chen Shi'an's assurance, Pi Hou threw himself into the performance, raining down punches while grunting and shouting.

Chen Shi'an held back his strength, trading blows with Pi Hou in a lively display.

Time slowly passed.

After roughly half an hour, all twenty bouts had ended.

All twenty winners had emerged.

Chen Shi'an was one of them.

His fight with Pi Hou had been the fourth from last to finish.

Moreover, to outsiders, Chen Shi'an had won by a lucky break.

Pi Hou had slipped and fallen out of the white circle rather than been defeated by Chen Shi'an.

Naturally, the Martial Academy disciples sneered again that Chen Shi'an had stumbled into another pile of dog-shit luck.

The twenty winners stood in a line before the Reviewing Platform.

Chen Shi'an noticed that Song Yuming and the other two Martial Academy disciples had all advanced.

The strength of the Windrise Martial Academy was not to be underestimated.

He also saw that Tu Gou had successfully made it into the final twenty.

Ye Xicheng smiled. "Congratulations, everyone. You're getting closer and closer to becoming Squad Leaders.

Rest for fifteen minutes first.

Then we'll continue the bouts, still one on one."

At his words, all twenty candidates sat down on the ground, making the most of their time to recover their strength.

The winners of the next round would make the top ten.

The Demon Hunting Team would appoint ten Squad Leaders in total. That meant one more victory would secure the position.

Excitement therefore showed on all twenty candidates' faces, and they occasionally studied the opponents around them.

The three Martial Academy disciples-Song Yuming, the female disciple in fitted black clothing, and the sturdily built male disciple-sat together, their eyes fixed on Chen Shi'an and mocking smiles on their lips.

Chen Shi'an naturally noticed the three, but ignored them and turned his head away.

Song Yuming curled his lips and sneered. "Chen Shi'an, you'd better pray you don't draw me!"

The sturdily built male disciple added, "Senior Brother Song, why would you need to lift a finger to deal with a weakling like him? If he draws me, I'll cripple him!"

The woman in black said nothing, but her eyes conveyed the same intent.

The nearby Martial Academy disciples joined in the jeering, shouting that Chen Shi'an would definitely face one of the three in the next round and get a brutal beating.

Fang Ruyu stood silently among the Martial Academy disciples, though her gaze occasionally met Song Yuming's, and a faint smile appeared on her face.

Ye Xicheng and the Demon Hunting Team members turned a blind eye to the Martial Academy disciples' taunts at Chen Shi'an.

Chen Shi'an could not be bothered with them and simply closed his eyes.

The fifteen minutes soon passed.

Fu Qingyang continued drawing lots.

Unexpectedly, Chen Shi'an really did draw a Martial Academy disciple. His opponent was the sturdily built male disciple.

At the sight, the watching Martial Academy disciples cheered in unison:

"Senior Brother Wang, don't hold back!"

"Senior Brother Wang, beat him hard! Show him how powerful our Martial Academy is!"

"Chen Shi'an, you're finished! Senior Brother Wang is an expert at the Sixth Acquired Stage. Don't think you'll leave the Demon Hunting Team in one piece today!"

Fang Ruyu frowned, a look of pity appearing on her face.

She had spent some time at the Martial Academy and knew how its disciples conducted themselves.

With Chen Shi'an about to face a Martial Academy disciple, disaster was far more likely than good fortune.

Ultimately, she was the reason Chen Shi'an had clashed with the Martial Academy disciples today.

Moreover, Chen Shi'an had done her a great favor not long ago.

If anything happened to Chen Shi'an today, she would inevitably feel uneasy.

When the short, stocky male Martial Academy disciple heard Ye Xicheng announce his number, he immediately strode into the designated white circle.

Chen Shi'an followed closely behind and stood opposite him.

"You dare challenge our Martial Academy, Chen? I'll cripple at least one of your legs today!"

The sturdily built male Martial Academy disciple wore a mocking smile and chuckled. "Remember my name. I'm Wang Teng. After today, I'll be your nightmare for the rest of your life!"

Chen Shi'an rolled his eyes, then looked toward a white circle nearby.

Two people stood inside. One was Song Yuming, and the other was none other than Tu Gou, whom Chen Shi'an had marked as particularly dangerous.

He sighed inwardly. Tu Gou's luck was a little poor, drawing Song Yuming as his opponent.

In the previous rounds, Song Yuming had won by an overwhelming margin.

In terms of strength, aside from Chen Shi'an, he held the top spot without question.

Tu Gou had very little chance of defeating him.

Seeing Chen Shi'an ignore him, Wang Teng grew angry and snarled, "Chen Shi'an, I originally only planned to break one of your legs.

Now I've changed my mind. I'll add the other one!

You'll spend the rest of your life in a wheelchair!"

The nearby Martial Academy disciples joined in the jeering again:

"That's right! Cripple him!"

"Senior Brother Wang, why stop at two legs? Smash his third leg too!"

After a fierce internal struggle, Fang Ruyu finally made her decision and shouted:

"Chen Shi'an, you're no match for Senior Brother Wang! Don't try to be brave. Hurry and concede!"

The moment she spoke, the Martial Academy disciples all turned to look at her.

Song Yuming's brows knitted tightly, a cold gleam flashing in his eyes, and he gave Wang Teng a meaningful look.

Wang Teng understood and nodded. His gaze toward Chen Shi'an grew noticeably colder and harsher.

Chen Shi'an was slightly surprised by Fang Ruyu's shout.

But he merely glanced at her indifferently before looking away, offering no reply.

Soon, the drawing of lots ended.

All twenty candidates entered the white circles, facing off in pairs.

Without wasting any more words, Ye Xicheng announced the start of the bouts.

"Heh! Chen Shi'an, you're finished. Tell your family to buy you a wheelchair!"

Wang Teng could no longer contain himself. A savage look crossed his face as he thrust his feet against the ground and lunged at Chen Shi'an like a fierce tiger charging down a mountain.

He was fast, reaching Chen Shi'an within two breaths.

He was also a man of his word. The moment he reached Chen Shi'an, his foot shot out like lightning in a triple kick, all three strikes aimed at Chen Shi'an's legs.

At the same time, the watching Martial Academy disciples shouted in unison:

"Cripple him! Cripple him!"

Just as Wang Teng's kicks were about to land, Chen Shi'an suddenly pivoted on his left foot, spinning halfway around in the air and easily evading Wang Teng's attack.

At the same time, his right foot swept sharply downward.

A powerful airborne kick, executed in one seamless motion.

His movements flowed smoothly together and were astonishingly fast.

Wang Teng had clearly underestimated his opponent. Having fully committed to his attack, he had no time to react.

The next moment, Chen Shi'an's foot slammed into Wang Teng's left ribs.

A teeth-grating series of cracks rang out-the sound of bones breaking.

Then, with a bang, Wang Teng smashed into the ground, leaving a human-shaped crater more than an inch deep in its hard surface.

The sudden reversal cut the Martial Academy disciples' shouts short. Everyone, Fang Ruyu included, gaped in stunned disbelief.

Wang Teng's physique was remarkably tough. At least half the ribs on his left side had broken, yet he still managed to roll over and spring up after hitting the ground.

But the moment he rose, Chen Shi'an darted forward and lashed out with a whipping kick.

Another series of bone-cracking sounds rang out in the arena. Wang Teng was slammed to the ground again, his left leg broken by Chen Shi'an's sweeping kick.

This time, he could no longer get up.

But Chen Shi'an had no intention of letting him off. He strode forward again to beat the drowning dog.

At that moment, the Martial Academy disciples finally reacted, shouting furiously:

"Chen Shi'an, stop!"

"Chen Shi'an, how dare you hurt Senior Brother Wang! The Martial Academy will never let you off!"

On the Reviewing Platform, the yellow-robed elder from Windrise Martial Academy slammed the table and sprang to his feet. "Chen Shi'an, you've got some nerve...!"

Before he could finish, Chen Shi'an struck again, kicking Wang Teng out of the white circle.

By the time Wang Teng landed, both his legs had been broken by Chen Shi'an's kicks. He rolled about on the ground, howling in agony.

Then Chen Shi'an stood tall in the center of the circle and turned his gaze on the Martial Academy disciples who were still shouting threats.

His eyes were deep and sharp, like a pair of pointed blades.

Wherever his gaze fell, the Martial Academy disciples' voices abruptly cut off again, as though someone had seized them by the throat.

They did not dare meet Chen Shi'an's eyes, either. Some hastily lowered their heads, while others hurriedly looked away.

Only Fang Ruyu did not avoid Chen Shi'an's gaze. She stood rooted to the spot, her face filled with astonishment and her eyes brimming with tangled emotions.

To her, Chen Shi'an now seemed shrouded in a thick layer of mist.

At the same time, the disappointment that had risen in her heart earlier was swiftly swept away.

She raised her eyes to meet Chen Shi'an's gaze, the corners of her mouth quickly lifting as she prepared to greet him with a smile.

But before her flowerlike smile could fully bloom, Chen Shi'an had already turned his gaze elsewhere.