As the protagonist, it was only natural that Lin Xuan was stronger than others of the same level.
Dashing through the forest, Lin Xuan moved so quickly that he instantly left the others behind.
This left everyone dumbfounded. They had expected Lin Xuan to be foolish enough to take on all thirty of them alone.
To their surprise, Lin Xuan turned around and fled. But they couldn’t give up now and continued searching aimlessly like headless flies.
Lin Xuan, however, had no intention of leaving. Hiding in the shadows, he was merely waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Dealing with these pampered young masters, who had no experience in forest combat, was almost too easy.
Of course, no one died—at most, they were temporarily incapacitated.
After all, there were people watching from the shadows.
As Su Luo and the others continued their search, one by one, they fell victim to Lin Xuan’s ambushes.
Realizing something was wrong, they quickly formed a tight group.
Lin Xuan, seeing this, stopped attacking.
When it came to patience, he had plenty to spare.
But maintaining such high alertness was mentally exhausting.
“Damn it, he got away,” one of them kicked a tree in frustration.
“I’ve been here all along,” Lin Xuan whispered softly, having already snuck up behind the man.
Then, he struck!
And succeeded.
One hit, and he retreated without a trace of hesitation.
Whenever someone let their guard down even slightly, Lin Xuan would emerge to claim his prize.
It was as if Su Luo and the others weren’t the hunters, but rather the prey.
The ambushes continued, but they couldn’t last forever.
“Quick, he’s running out of energy!” someone shouted, managing to counterattack during an ambush and even injuring Lin Xuan slightly.
Seeing several people closing in, Lin Xuan immediately broke through the encirclement and vanished into the forest.
The young masters were left staring at each other, helpless.
In the forest, this group of pampered youths wouldn’t last long.
From day to night, the thirty or so pursuers were reduced to just over a dozen, including Su Luo and Wang Mo, who were slightly stronger than the rest.
At this point, Lin Xuan confidently stepped out into the open.
“Not hiding anymore?” Su Luo asked.
“I don’t think it’s necessary. Dealing with the few of you left will be enough.”
“Then let’s do it.”
“Alright.”
Just as they were about to engage, more people arrived.
It was the young talents who had been defeated and injured earlier.
Unwilling to bow out, they had been brought back by their clansmen, who were secretly protecting them—a privilege they certainly had.
Though they couldn’t fight themselves, they were determined to see Lin Xuan beaten to a pulp.
They could at least cheer from the sidelines.
“All you know is how to ambush people, you coward!”
“Why don’t you fight us like a real man?”
“Now that you’ve come out, don’t you dare run away!”
Lin Xuan chuckled. “I’ve already come out, so I’m not going anywhere. Honestly, you guys are really weak.”
“You!”
Some of the proud young men were so infuriated that their injuries worsened, pointing at Lin Xuan but unable to speak.
But for the sake of their pride, they had to say something.
“Hmph, you don’t know this, but Brother Su has already reached the Late Stage Qi Cultivation. You should be scared now.”
“Oh, so you’ve reached the Late Stage.” This was indeed unexpected for Lin Xuan.
In just a few days, Su Luo’s breakthrough speed had surpassed his own.
“That’s right, I took a Qi Cultivation Pill,” Su Luo admitted openly, though it was all a facade—he had actually reached Foundation Establishment.
“I almost underestimated you, but I’m still confident.”
“Enough talk, let’s go.”
“Go, Brother Su Luo! Teach him a lesson for us!”
Some might wonder why these defeated young talents were brought back into the scene.
The answer was simple: if you’re going to show off, you need an audience. Otherwise, what’s the point?
At this moment, Lin Xuan was about to begin another cross-level challenge.
Once again, everyone gasped in shock.
“If you won’t come at me, I’ll come at you.”
Seeing Lin Xuan standing still, Su Luo took the initiative to attack.
A seemingly ordinary punch.
Lin Xuan dodged it easily, but the next second, another punch came.
Lin Xuan barely avoided it by turning his head, but the third punch was already on its way.
In that critical moment, Lin Xuan unleashed his power.
His right fist shot out in a swift counterattack.
The two fists collided, but there was no earth-shattering impact. Su Luo’s fist was knocked aside.
Lin Xuan’s punch, however, only grew stronger, landing squarely on Su Luo’s body.
Su Luo spun 360 degrees in the air before crashing to the ground, motionless.
“Go, Brother Su Luo...”
The young talents were still cheering for Su Luo.
But how could the fight end in just a few seconds?
The entire scene fell silent.
Knocked out with a single punch? He’s even weaker than us!
Of course, such thoughts could only be kept to themselves.
“Get up, Brother Su.”
“You can do it!”
“You can’t fall now, you’re our hope!”
No matter how much they shouted, Su Luo remained motionless.
Why bother putting in so much effort?
Just going through the motions was enough.
Lin Xuan also sensed something was off. There was no way Su Luo, at the Late Stage Qi Cultivation, could be knocked out by a single punch.
“What’s your game?”
Su Luo didn’t respond.
He was just playing dead.
Lin Xuan considered whether to finish him off.
But attacking someone who had “lost the ability to fight” didn’t seem right.
“You’re all just a bunch of weaklings.”
Lin Xuan turned and taunted the remaining young masters.
After a whole day, even Lin Xuan was feeling exhausted.
But if he didn’t show off now, the day would have been meaningless.
So he forced himself to stay alert and continued his mockery.
“You were so arrogant earlier, but now? Turns out you’re only good at talking.”
Wang Mo was also speechless. He hadn’t expected Su Luo to fall so quickly, but at the same time, he felt relieved. If Su Luo was this weak, the Su family would no longer be a threat in Autumn Wind City.
However, the pressure now fell on Wang Mo, as he was the strongest and most influential among the remaining group.
“You’ll see how strong we are soon enough. Let’s attack together.”
Unlike Su Luo, Wang Mo had no shame and could calmly suggest ganging up on Lin Xuan.
The others obeyed, as they had been itching to fight.
And so, the dozen or so young talents surrounded Lin Xuan once more.
This time, however, Lin Xuan didn’t retreat. Instead, he faced the challenge head-on.
Wang Mo was clever. During the fight, he rarely confronted Lin Xuan directly, instead opting to assist from the sides or attack from behind.
The moment Lin Xuan showed signs of fatigue, Wang Mo would strike with all his might and then retreat to a safe distance.
This put immense pressure on Lin Xuan.
Though he was the protagonist, even Lin Xuan was struggling to keep up. His injuries were mounting.
But it seemed like he had an endless reserve of energy, always managing to unleash a burst of power at critical moments to avoid defeat.
Wang Mo, watching Lin Xuan fight covered in blood, remained calm. He continued to attack at his own pace, coordinating with the others.
Wang Mo was confident that this steady, relentless assault would eventually wear Lin Xuan down.
Unfortunately for him, if Lin Xuan were an ordinary person, his plan might have worked.
But Lin Xuan was anything but ordinary.
Despite being at a disadvantage, Lin Xuan suddenly smiled.
The others were stunned. How could he be smiling at a time like this?
Lin Xuan’s lips curled into a smirk. “Thank you all. It’s time.”
He took a deep breath and shouted, “Break!”
In an instant, Lin Xuan’s spirit surged, and his aura began to rise rapidly. His laughter grew louder and more maniacal.
“Thank you all so much. I’ve broken through, hahaha!”
Late Stage Qi Cultivation.
This was exactly what Lin Xuan had planned. He had come out to fight, knowing that being surrounded and pressured would help him achieve a breakthrough.
Otherwise, why would he have faced them head-on?
Everyone was shocked, unable to believe what they were seeing.
Just moments ago, they had almost defeated Lin Xuan. How could he have broken through now?
How could someone break through in the middle of a fight?
Lin Xuan had just taught these young men a valuable lesson.
True geniuses could break through at any time, in any place.
This was something the minor characters before him could never comprehend.
Lin Xuan grinned, unable to hide his joy—not that he wanted to.
“To show my gratitude, please try to hold on. Don’t fall too quickly, alright?”
Lin Xuan began his counterattack. After breaking through, he felt an unprecedented sense of clarity and understanding of his martial techniques.
He charged straight into the enemy’s formation, striking left and right, unstoppable.
The tides of battle had turned.
Now, it wasn’t Lin Xuan who was surrounded, but rather the others who were encircled by him.
After his breakthrough, Lin Xuan’s fighting style had changed. Previously, he relied on agility, dodging and countering.
But now, he charged forward recklessly, attacking anyone in his path. Even if he could dodge an attack, he chose to take the hit and retaliate with an even stronger blow.
Who could withstand such a force?
Despite their numbers, the group’s morale was no match for Lin Xuan’s.
Seeing this, Wang Mo had no choice but to reassess the situation and figure out how to respond.
It didn’t take long for him to conclude that, with their current strength, they were no match for Lin Xuan.
After blocking a punch from Lin Xuan for someone else, he staggered backward, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, before collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut, unable to rise again.
Wang Mo had always liked the saying, "A wise man knows when to yield."
And as fate would have it, he collapsed right beside Su Luo.
Su Luo was utterly speechless. With his keen eyes, he could see right through Wang Mo's act.
Wang Mo was clearly still capable of fighting, yet he pretended to be knocked out.
"People like this are the ones I despise the most," Su Luo thought to himself.
"Have you given up just like that?"
Huh?
Wang Mo was puzzled, both by Su Luo's words and by the fact that Su Luo was even speaking. Wasn't he supposed to be unconscious?
It didn’t take long for him to realize that Su Luo, like himself, was faking it.
At that moment, Wang Mo’s opinion of Su Luo shifted slightly. He began to take Su Luo a bit more seriously, as he had never known Su Luo to pretend to be knocked out before.
From what Wang Mo knew of Su Luo, aside from his occasional irrational behavior when infatuated with Li Siyi, he was usually all about showing off and carried the pride typical of a spoiled young master.
Pretending to be knocked out? That didn’t seem like Su Luo at all.
"I said, have you given up just like that?"
"What else can I do? If I can’t win, I can’t win," Wang Mo replied, studying Su Luo, trying to figure out what he was getting at.
"You didn’t go all out, did you?"
"Going all out wouldn’t have made a difference."
"True, but it would have been a great help to you."
"...How so?" Wang Mo couldn’t see how getting beaten up would do him any good.
"Think about it. Who are the people here right now? They’re the future of Autumn Wind City."
"So?"
"Can’t you see how eager they are to take down Lin Xuan and win his approval? If you had fought to the end, you would have definitely earned their admiration... no, their worship."
"Maybe, but even if I didn’t do that, they’d still admire me."
After all, in Autumn Wind City, who wouldn’t admire the youngest head of the Wang family, one of the three great clans?
"It’s all superficial, and you know it. Let me ask you this: do they like me more, or you?"
That question left Wang Mo silent. He knew that the younger generation of Autumn Wind City did indeed get along better with Su Luo.
Su Luo was the type to eat, drink, and be merry, always carefree and generous with his so-called friends.
In contrast, Wang Mo, having become the family head, had already created a certain distance between himself and his peers. He was also too busy to hang out with them.
Seeing Wang Mo still lying there, calculating the pros and cons, Su Luo continued, "You know, opportunities like this don’t come often. Right now, they all hate one person, and who knows when the next person they’ll all hate will appear?"
"Opportunities are meant to be seized."
Wang Mo was indeed tempted, but then he quickly realized something.
"Why don’t you go?"
Su Luo sighed dramatically, "Ah, Su Luo just wants to laze around."
Wang Mo: ?
"If you don’t go soon, the others will all be defeated."
Lin Xuan was still as fierce as ever. Victory was certain; it was only a matter of time.
Wang Mo gritted his teeth. Su Luo was right—this was a rare opportunity to prove himself.
Even if he couldn’t defeat Lin Xuan, he could still be the last one standing.
Opportunities are meant to be seized.
Wang Mo stood up. He had made up his mind—this time, he would go all out.
"Go for it. They’re all rooting for you."
"I don’t need you to tell me that."
Wang Mo rejoined the battle, this time facing Lin Xuan head-on.
With Wang Mo taking the fight seriously, Lin Xuan began to feel the pressure.
But Lin Xuan’s fighting spirit was at an all-time high. The stronger the opponent, the more excited he became.
Trees continued to fall in the forest as the battle raged on.
Lin Xuan, as expected of the protagonist, had top-tier combat talent. Aside from Wang Mo, all the other young elites had been knocked to the ground.
In their one-on-one fight, Lin Xuan and Wang Mo instinctively resorted to the most primal form of combat.
Close-quarters brawling—punch after punch, neither dodging, each throwing their best strikes.
In this kind of fight, it all came down to who would falter first.
Wang Mo believed that if he was going to do something, he might as well go all the way.
A brawl like this was the best way to showcase one’s grit and resilience.
The effect was immediate. The younger onlookers cheered and shouted, a sense of admiration swelling within them.
Meanwhile, Su Luo smiled.
"Good, good, just like that. Fight until neither of you can recognize the other."
Su Luo hadn’t encouraged Wang Mo out of goodwill.
Nor was there any profound meaning behind it.
He simply wanted Wang Mo to get beaten to a pulp.
Let it be known that Su Luo never said anything like, "Why should villains trouble each other?"
What kind of person do you think you are, lying next to me?
Su Luo watched comfortably as Lin Xuan and Wang Mo pummeled each other. The effect was perfect—Wang Mo, once handsome, was now bruised and swollen, his face unrecognizable.
This was exactly the outcome Su Luo had wanted.
[Warning, warning. Li Siyi’s life is under threat from a demon beast. She may die at any moment.]
[If Li Siyi dies, it will affect the subsequent plot, leading to mission failure. Please take note.]
The system’s simple notification carried grave implications.
It nearly made Su Luo jump up in shock, but his strong mental fortitude kept him grounded.
Su Luo frowned.
"Why is it always you?"
How long are you going to keep derailing the plot? Can’t you just stay on track? What kind of demon beast in this forest could possibly threaten you?
Su Luo was exasperated. The nearby forest had already been cleared out, and most of the stronger beasts had been slaughtered.
"Am I the only one acting here? Are you putting on a show too, Li Siyi?"
Otherwise, how could you possibly be threatened by a demon beast?
Wait, could it be... that one?
Su Luo suddenly remembered—the guardian beast of the Insect Egg Cavern. That was the only creature capable of threatening Li Siyi.
But how did she end up there?
Lin Xuan is still here. He hasn’t even reached that point yet, but Li Siyi has? Last time it was the cliff, and now this?
Once might be an accident, but twice? That’s no coincidence. There’s definitely something wrong with Li Siyi.
Su Luo had thought he was the only variable, but it seemed Li Siyi was one too. How absurd.
In all the previous timelines, Li Siyi had never strayed so far from the plot. But this time, she’s gone so off-script that even Su Luo couldn’t recognize her. Was she doing this just to mess with him?
But there was no choice. He had to save her, for the sake of completing the mission.
Su Luo sighed and stood up.
He rose and left in one fluid motion.