Here, at the ground-level Magic and Martial Arts Academy, people also spotted Zhong Shenxiu and his group, causing quite a stir. They were utterly bewildered to see children in such a desolate wilderness—it was simply incredible!
"Hey, hey, look over there! Are those kids?" "Huh? They really are. What are children doing out here?"
"And who are those people next to them? Are they from our academy? Where are the instructors and teachers?"
A throng of students began chattering, quickly drawing the attention of their instructor.
"What are you all doing?" an instructor demanded, his tone clearly displeased.
"Instructor, there are people over there, but it’s strange!"
"What's so surprising about seeing people? This is the 'Damp Forest.' It’s normal for people to be here. Get back to whatever you were doing—" The instructor’s words caught short as his gaze landed on Zhong Shenxiu’s party, and he froze mid-sentence.
As these onlookers scrutinized and guessed, Zhong Shenxiu and his group were already drawing near.
Wayne and the others looked around curiously. They saw a few rudimentary thatched huts and numerous cauldrons set over open fires; the smoke they had seen earlier was clearly coming from this area.
"Hey, wait a minute!" that instructor suddenly shouted toward Zhong Shenxiu and his companions.
Yet, Zhong Shenxiu acted as if he hadn't heard, continuing to walk forward. The people beside him, seeing that Zhong Shenxiu had no intention of stopping, had no choice but to follow suit.
"Hey! Are you deaf? I'm talking to you!" The instructor’s temper was already souring. Seeing that Zhong Shenxiu’s group ignored him only stoked his irritation!
But Zhong Shenxiu remained utterly unmoved, displaying an expression that clearly communicated: You shout if you want; I’ll walk my path. Let’s not interfere with each other.
The instructor was furious. These new students are too arrogant. If this were the military, I'd have taught you all a lesson!
In that moment of distraction, Zhong Shenxiu’s group had already moved quite far ahead. This instructor, clearly a stubborn sort, chased after them again, yelling, "Who allowed you to leave without authorization? Don't you know how dangerous this place is!"
Because there were so many students, it was hard to distinguish individuals. Coupled with the fact that Wayne and the others were all students of similar age, they were easily mistaken for new recruits of the "Groundwork Magic and Martial Arts Academy."
"I’m speaking to you! Didn't you hear me? Are you all deaf?" The instructor finally caught up to them.
To his surprise, Zhong Shenxiu and his group suddenly stopped. Thinking he had finally intimidated them, he prepared to lecture them further, but then he was stunned by the words that came from the little boy in front of him.
"Are you an idiot?" Zhong Shenxiu’s voice was flat, his eyes laced with mockery.
His voice wasn't particularly loud, but because the surrounding students were silently observing the development of the situation, every word carried clearly!
Instantly, a number of people were dumbfounded by Zhong Shenxiu’s retort.
These students knew this instructor well; his temper was notoriously explosive, and he had frequently berated them. They never expected anyone to dare speak to him this way. Truly, this was the audacity of a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger!
"Looks like these newcomers are going to be unlucky."
"They’re incredibly bold. I wonder which class they belong to."
"Maybe we should back up, lest we get caught in the crossfire!"
The atmosphere instantly became exceptionally tense. Silence descended, broken only by the eager eyes watching the confrontation, savoring the potential chaos.
As for the instructor, his nose was practically twitching with suppressed rage, and his expression was a complex mess!
"Which class are you from?" the instructor managed to ask, forcing down the anger boiling inside, already plotting his revenge: Just you wait until later!
What he didn't expect was for Zhong Shenxiu to simply let out a cold snort. He didn't answer the question at all; instead, he turned and began walking away.
"So arrogant?" The surrounding students were witnessing an unprecedented spectacle.
The instructor’s patience had reached its limit, especially in front of so many witnesses—he could not tolerate this insult. He suddenly lunged out a hand to grab Zhong Shenxiu.
However, he completely overlooked the presence of the other child!
Robin would not allow anyone to treat her master with such disrespect. With a mere flick of her small hand, the instructor was sent flying, crashing through who knew how many bushes and flowers in his trajectory!
Judging by the destruction caused, the instructor must have been seriously injured; climbing back up would not be an easy task.
At this point, Zhong Shenxiu and his party continued walking without pausing, leaving the assembled students utterly dumbstruck.
Bizarre. It was utterly bizarre!
These students’ eyes were nearly bulging out of their sockets. They still hadn't processed what had just happened!
How could the instructor, who had been so assertive moments ago, simply be flung away for no apparent reason? What in the world was going on?
The students exchanged bewildered glances, fear palpable in each other's eyes.
Just then, a voice cut through the silence: "What are you all doing here?"
The other instructors had returned from searching for food!
These students were likely too shell-shocked to form coherent sentences. They could only point their fingers toward the spot where the first instructor had been violently propelled.
Of course, even without their pointing, the other instructors had already seen the scene, which was why they had asked their question.
But when they finally saw the full extent of the damage, they were aghast. One of them roared, "Who did this?"
After walking for another half hour, Zhong Shenxiu’s group finally stopped. As before, they first erected their temporary shelters, then began foraging for food.
These individuals were clearly much more adept than they had been at the start. Both setting up camp and finding provisions were now happening exponentially faster!
Effort truly yields reward—this saying proved undeniably true.
They planned to stay here for ten days, and starting from this day, Zhong Shenxiu began to instruct them in various techniques.
More often than not, this involved practical application, with Angellia and Rhys naturally serving as sparring partners.
Zhong Shenxiu made sure not to neglect his two dedicated partners, setting up a separate cooking area for them during rest periods. This filled Rhys and Angellia with delight, leading them to train with even greater fervor during their sparring sessions.
Perhaps influenced by how Xia Luo had previously sparred with them, Rhys and Angellia showed no mercy, pummeling the other students nearly to death every day. Some students even tried to secretly offer them gifts or pull strings, begging them to hold back slightly during their practice bouts!
However, the meager offerings they presented held no sway over Rhys and Angellia. Having followed Zhong Shenxiu for so long, they had seen all manner of rare treasures and were entirely unimpressed by these little trinkets!
And so, these students endured this relentless battering for a full ten days!
Poor things, they probably never dreamed this outing would involve both grueling labor and beatings!
Yet, it must be admitted, the results were spectacular. Over these ten days, their progress was astonishingly swift. Both their control over their Dou Qi and their actual combat experience achieved a qualitative leap!
With their current strength, they were no longer inferior to those students who had gained admission to the 'Jiali Dun Magic and Martial Arts Academy' based on raw power alone—they simply didn't realize it yet.
Naturally, being beaten every day prevented them from recognizing their own improvement, much like Angellia had experienced initially.
Next, the group prepared to move on. This time, things were different: they were heading toward the interior of the "Damp Forest"!
Hearing they were about to enter the core of the "Damp Forest," the hearts of Wayne and the others leaped into their throats. They had heard terrifying tales about the interior—ordinary people without significant strength who entered absolutely never returned!
They had also heard that the magical beasts inside were experts at ambushing, with hidden dangers lurking everywhere!
What made them even more nervous was the statement Zhong Shenxiu had made: Be prepared for death!
Every one of them felt the urge to retreat, yet none dared to leave unilaterally. Not only did they have to consider Zhong Shenxiu and Robin, but they also knew that if they fell behind, they might die even faster!
These individuals now fully understood what it meant to be trapped on a sinking ship!
However, what they didn't realize was that, from start to finish, Zhong Shenxiu was teaching them their second lesson. And the name of that class was: "How to Become Stronger"!
All these students had improved in various aspects; the only missing ingredient was tempering through perilous situations.
Great catastrophe and immense hardship can mature a person. Life-or-death peril, conversely, can unlock latent potential.
Everyone harbors hidden potential and incredible strength; to excavate it, one must first push that person to their absolute limit!
Zhong Shenxiu was perhaps deliberate in this: not long after they entered, they encountered several waves of magical beast attacks. Except for the very first encounter where Robin intervened, all subsequent battles were handled by Angellia and Rhys leading the charge to repel the beasts.
Engaging magical beasts was vastly different from sparring; a slight lapse in concentration could mean becoming dinner!
In these few battles, several people sustained injuries. Wayne was wounded by a magical beast while protecting a dazed Daisy, nearly costing him his life!
Now, these individuals finally understood that Zhong Shenxiu had not been joking. If they weren't careful, they truly could die!
None of them wanted to die; nobody wanted to perish! Stimulated by the sheer will to survive, their latent capabilities began to awaken bit by bit, and their bond of friendship deepened immeasurably! Daisy, consumed by guilt after her inattention led to Wayne's severe injury, trained with desperate intensity. She never once complained of fatigue, nor did she shed another tear. She had grown strong!
When they encountered more magical beasts, these students transformed into something wilder than the beasts themselves, charging forward with shouts and roars, their eyes gleaming with cold light. Some lower-level magical beasts, sensing their aura, chose to retreat!
These people had genuinely grown stronger, undergoing several metamorphoses in the span of time without even realizing it.
Zhong Shenxiu knew this lesson needed to conclude, with only one final element remaining: Despair!
Transforming amidst despair would instill in them the permanent conviction that they must always strive for progress! If you wish to know what happens next, please log in to Xin, where more chapters await. Support the author and enjoy genuine reading!