At the edge of the examination ground, Dai Mubai had long been left dumbfounded by this brief yet brutal "examination."
Looking at the miserable state of Tang San and Xiao Wu, then at Ning Rongrong's pale face, which nevertheless carried a strange glow, and finally at that figure leaning against a tree as though he were completely detached from everything.
He only felt a chill shoot straight from his spine to the top of his head, and his awe of Lin Xia reached an unprecedented peak.
He hurried over to check Tang San and Xiao Wu's injuries.
The corners of Zhu Zhuqing's lips curved into an extremely faint smile. Her cold gaze swept across the examination ground before finally settling on Lin Xia's calm face, carrying a hint of understanding and a silent question.
Leaning against the tree trunk, Lin Xia watched the final wisp of smoke slowly dissipate into the air. He then glanced at Tang San and Xiao Wu, who were sprawled on the ground in various positions, having completely lost their ability to fight, as well as Ning Rongrong, who had just admitted defeat, her expression complicated.
A trace of an extremely faint and almost imperceptible fluctuation finally passed through his deep eyes, as if a tiny pebble had been dropped into a tranquil, bottomless pool.
It was neither surprise nor pity. It was more like the indifference that came after everything had settled, or rather, a detached confirmation of a conclusion that had already been expected.
Tang San's consciousness was like it was sinking at the bottom of a cold, murky sea. Every time he tried to rise toward the surface, an invisible pressure crushed him back down.
It felt as though every bone in his body had been taken apart and then randomly pieced back together. Sharp pain spread from both his arms and chest, even reaching his internal organs. Every faint breath tugged at tearing pain, while the taste of blood filled his throat like rust.
He struggled to open his heavy eyelids. His vision remained blurry for quite some time before finally coming into focus.
Under the dim glow of an oil lamp was an extremely simple wooden cabin.
Rough log walls, a cramped space. Aside from the hard bed beneath him and another identical bed beside it, there was practically nothing else.
The air was filled with a strange mixture of the smell of cheap wood, old dust, and strong medicinal herbs.
"Ugh..."
A suppressed groan escaped from his cracked lips.
"Oh! You're awake?"
An exaggerated voice came from beside him.
Tang San struggled to turn his neck and saw someone sitting on the bed next to his.
Pink hair, peach-shaped eyes, and a somewhat lazy expression. But at this moment, his eyes were filled more with surprise and curiosity.
It was the young man he had seen during the day, the one who possessed the Sausage Martial Soul, Oscar.
"Where is this?"
Tang San's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping against something.
"Where else could it be? The boys' dormitory of Shrek Academy, of course! From now on, the two of us will be roommates. Tsk tsk, it's pretty crude, isn't it?"
Oscar shrugged. He then leaned forward slightly, his face showing a mixture of lingering fear and amazement as he carefully examined Tang San.
"Your name is Tang San, right? My goodness, bro, you've got one hell of a tough life! You took Teacher Zhao's furious slap head-on, and you only broke a few bones and coughed up a few mouthfuls of blood before recovering?"
"You should've seen the way you were embedded in the ground back then. Tsk tsk, you looked no different from a broken sack! I really thought you were done for!"
Oscar's words scraped across Tang San's nerves like a dull knife.
Fragments of memory suddenly pieced themselves together: the enormous palm whistling toward him, the overwhelming force he could not resist, his chest feeling as though it were about to explode, the ear-piercing sound of breaking bones, his vision stained red with blood, and Xiao Wu's heart-wrenching scream.
And finally, just before his vision had completely gone dark, that figure leaning beneath the tree, so calm that he was almost indifferent.
A bone-chilling cold mixed with intense pain instantly swept through his entire body.
"Xiao Wu! How is Xiao Wu?!"
Tang San suddenly tried to sit up. The movement aggravated his injuries throughout his body, causing his vision to turn black. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his simple clothes, followed by another violent bout of coughing.
"Hey, hey! Don't get worked up! Don't get worked up!"
Oscar hurriedly waved his hands.
"That Xiao Wu girl with the long hair? She's fine Uh, at least she's not as badly injured as you."
He pointed outside the window.
"The girls' dormitory is on the other side. She should be recovering from her injuries there too. Although Teacher Zhao's punch didn't hit any vital points, the force wasn't light either. She'll probably have to lie in bed for a few days."
Hearing that Xiao Wu's life was not in danger, Tang San's tightly wound nerves relaxed slightly, but intense self-blame and anger immediately surged up.
He clenched his teeth tightly, tasting the metallic tang of blood between his lips and teeth.
He had actually failed to protect Xiao Wu, allowing her to be seriously injured right before his eyes!
"Zhao Wuji."
Tang San's voice was cold, filled with bone-deep hatred.
The Mysterious Heaven Skill instinctively began circulating, attempting to examine his injuries, but his meridians felt as though they had been seared by a red-hot iron, sluggish and obstructed. His Soul Power was so weak that he could barely sense it, while his arms were completely unresponsive, and excruciating pain pierced through him.
"Hey, brother, calm down."
Oscar rubbed his arms, as if recalling something terrifying, a trace of lingering fear appearing on his face.
"I know you hate Teacher Zhao for hitting you so hard. To be honest, he really seemed like a madman back then. But think about that lord from earlier."
Tang San's heart suddenly jolted.
Lin Xia!
That name seemed to carry an invisible pressure.
Oscar's voice unconsciously lowered, filled with awe and undisguised fear.
"That City Lord of Gengxin City... Lord Lin Xia. He's still in the academy! Teacher Zhao right now... tsk tsk, he's at least ten times worse off than you! You didn't see what happened afterward. Ah, forget it. Let's not talk about it. Just thinking about the sound of that sand grinding everything down still gives me chills."
Oscar clearly did not want to recall the apocalyptic scene brought about by Tyranitar, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Come to think of it, you three really have some guts! City Lord Lin had just beaten Teacher Zhao until he was practically falling apart, and you actually dared to go up and 'take the examination'?"
"Do you really think a seriously injured Soul Saint is no longer a Soul Saint?"
Oscar shook his head, his expression complicated.
"That little Ning girl was pretty clever. She admitted defeat quickly. Otherwise, she would have ended up lying down too."
Tang San fell silent.
Oscar's words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head.
That was right. He had miscalculated.
He had correctly analyzed Zhao Wuji's injuries and weaknesses, but he had severely underestimated the terrifying destructive power that a Soul Saint level powerhouse could unleash through sheer instinct and physical strength when consumed by rage and extreme frustration.
He had underestimated even more the malice with which Zhao Wuji regarded them as an outlet for his pent-up anger.
The enhancement from the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared so utterly feeble in the face of an absolute gap in levels.
And Lin Xia.
The final scene Tang San's Purple Demon Eyes had captured before he lost consciousness was the faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of Lin Xia's mouth, as though he were merely watching a show.
He completely understood Lin Xia's intention.
He had borrowed Zhao Wuji's hands to teach these "new students who did not know how high the heavens were" an unforgettable lesson.
Or rather, it was a lesson specifically for him and Xiao Wu.
The old grudge from their time at Nuoding Academy had clearly not been forgotten by the other party.
A powerful sense of humiliation and helplessness clenched Tang San's heart, almost more unbearable than the pain from his physical injuries.
"By the way."
Oscar seemed to remember something and pulled a small porcelain bottle from his chest.
"This is the healing medicine Dean Flender gave me. It works pretty well."
He poured out a wax-sealed pill and pinched it open. A strong, pungent medicinal smell immediately filled the air.
"Eat it quickly. It promotes blood circulation, removes blood stasis, and helps mend broken bones and damaged tendons. The Dean said that the medical expenses for you guys will be put on the tab for now."
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