12: Chapter 12: Mentors' Encirclement and Slaughter, Arrows Whistling Through the Sky, Shaking the Villains

The life aura of the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit still permeated the valley. The wound on Lin Zhou's shoulder had completely healed, and the new skin was as smooth as before, without even a single scar left. The moment he stored the fruit into his storage space, the sounds of footsteps and shouting coming from the valley entrance were already clearly audible.

Dozens of figures rushed forward, carrying a chilling Killing Intent. The three leaders were all dressed in the tutor uniforms of Jiangcheng Martial Arts University, their auras steady and restrained; they were all powerhouse Grandmasters. At the head was a middle-aged man with a sinister face, holding a blood-colored long saber. He was the martial arts tutor of the Core Class—Blood Blade Luo Sha. Beside him were a female tutor who controlled green poison vines and an Assassination-type Instructor who could conceal his figure and possessed an erratic aura.

Behind the three of them followed more than twenty students from the Core Class, including members of the external aid teams that had been defeated by Lin Zhou previously. At this moment, the eyes with which they looked at Lin Zhou were filled with resentment and greed. Wang Hu's lackeys were also mixed in the crowd, shouting the loudest.

"Lin Zhou! Hand over the nine-turn soul resuscitation fruit and the demon core of the Nine-Life Demon Cat, then cripple your own cultivation, and we might spare your dog life!" Blood Blade Luo Sha stopped in his tracks, his blood-colored long saber pointing directly at Lin Zhou, his voice bone-chillingly cold.

As his words fell, the students behind him immediately chimed in, their murderous gazes fixed on Lin Zhou as if they already viewed him as a prize in their pockets.

Qin Yue and the other three quickly gathered around Lin Zhou. Although their injuries had not yet fully recovered, there was not a trace of fear in their eyes. Qin Yue held her long sword, her clear and cold voice echoing through the valley: "Tutor Luo Sha, the Secret Realm trial is a matter of individual ability. As a tutor, you lead a crowd to ambush a student. Aren't you afraid that if this spreads, you will be ridiculed by the entire martial arts world?"

"Ridiculed?" Luo Sha laughed wildly as if he had heard a huge joke. "In this core area of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, who will know if I kill you? Besides, a common man is guiltless, but he who carries a jade treasure is guilty. This kid Lin Zhou possesses supreme treasures and a Heaven-Defying secret. Killing him not only secures the treasures but also removes a hidden danger for the school. Why wouldn't I do it?"

The poison vine female tutor also spoke with a charming laugh, her voice carrying a hint of silkiness: "Little girl Qin Yue, you should just surrender obediently. Following this kid Lin Zhou only leads to death. If you submit, this elder sister can guarantee your life will be safe."

"In your dreams!" Qin Yue's eyebrows shot up, and she held her long sword across her chest, already prepared for battle.

Su Ye stared with wide, angry eyes, gripping the giant axe beside him as he roared, "You hypocritical bastards! You are simply the scum of the martial arts world! If you have the guts, come and fight! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"

Ye Ying silently vanished into the shadows, his eyes sharp as knives, staring fixedly at the Assassination-type Instructor—the other was his natural enemy and the target he had to restrain.

Liu Yiyi gripped her staff, ice-blue magic light slowly condensing in her palm. Although she was nervous, her face was filled with determination.

Lin Zhou looked at the pack of wolves before him, his eyes indifferent as ice. He slowly raised the explosive sniper bow, and the pale gold Domain of Archery expanded once more. Within the fifty-meter radius Domain, Spiritual Qi surged frantically, and the arrows in the Demon-Breaking Quiver emitted an excited hum.

"If you want my things, you must be prepared to pay the price with your life." Lin Zhou's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. "No matter who it is, if they dare touch my teammates, I will make them pay in blood!"

"What boastful talk!" Luo Sha's face darkened, and the thick Killing Intent on his blood-colored long saber surged. "Attack! Kill them!"

Following his command, the twenty-odd students behind him rushed toward Lin Zhou's team like hungry wolves pouncing on prey. Various Martial Skill lights flashed, and the glint of sabers and swords intertwined into a terrifying display of power.

"Yiyi, control the field!" Qin Yue shouted clearly. Her sword left its scabbard, the sword light like snow as she took the lead to meet the first few students. Her swordsmanship was exquisite, every strike pointing at vital spots. In the blink of an eye, two students were slashed by Sword Qi and flew backward while screaming.

Liu Yiyi raised her staff high, and ice-blue light poured down, instantly freezing a thick layer of ice on the ground. Countless ice spikes erupted from the earth, freezing the leading students in place, unable to move.

Su Ye brandished his giant axe, crashing through like a human tank. The wind generated by the giant axe easily neutralized the attacks of several students. With every swing of his axe, he could send an opponent flying, showing immense power.

Ye Ying's figure moved through the shadows, locked in a struggle with the Assassination-type Instructor. Both were experts at concealment and sneak attacks, their figures flickering in the woods, occasionally clashing with sparks and muffled sounds of combat.

Meanwhile, Lin Zhou stood at the rear of the team, becoming the most stable long-range firepower point. His Rapid Hunt talent was pushed to the limit, and the string of the explosive sniper bow vibrated into a blur. Demon-Breaking Arrows shot out one after another, carrying the dual elemental damage of lightning and fire, along with the triple effects of Elemental Space-Breaker, accurately targeting the stragglers.

"Pfft! Pfft!"

The sounds of arrows piercing the air and screams rose and fell. Those Core Class students were completely vulnerable before Lin Zhou's arrows. The Demon-Breaking Arrows pierced through their defenses and tore through their bodies. Fire and lightning ravaged them, and in an instant, seven or eight students lay in pools of blood.

"Damn it! How can this kid's archery be so strong!" Luo Sha's face turned ashen as he watched his students fall like harvested wheat. He hadn't expected that in such a short time, Lin Zhou's strength would have improved by such a large margin again.

"Attack together! Kill him!" Luo Sha roared, holding his blood-colored long saber as he took the lead to charge at Lin Zhou. His speed was extremely fast, his figure like a ghost. On his long saber, the blood-colored light surged, condensing into a massive blade light that hacked down fiercely toward Lin Zhou.

The poison vine female tutor was not to be outdone either. With a flick of her slender fingers, dozens of poison vines as thick as arms erupted from the ground like venomous snakes, carrying potent poison as they coiled toward Lin Zhou's limbs.

The two Grandmaster powerhouses attacked together with world-shaking power. The surrounding air was torn apart, making a sizzling sound, and even space itself was slightly distorted.

Qin Yue wanted to provide support but was forced back by Luo Sha's blade light, only able to watch helplessly as the attacks fell toward Lin Zhou.

"Lin Zhou, be careful!" Qin Yue's voice carried a hint of anxiety.

Lin Zhou's eyes sharpened, but he did not panic at all. He took a deep breath, the Spiritual Qi in his body surging frantically as his Boundless Spirit Sea talent operated to its limit, his Spiritual Qi rushing like a vast ocean. He drew the explosive sniper bow into a full moon, and a charged arrow, condensed with all his power, slowly took shape on the bowstring.

This arrow not only stacked the triple effects of Elemental Space-Breaker and the double amplification of the Domain of Archery but also incorporated a hint of shadow power from the newly unlocked Shadow Stealth skill. On the arrow, purple-gold light and black shadows intertwined, forming a strange and terrifying torrent of energy.

"Demon-Breaking Shadow Arrow!"

Lin Zhou gave a low shout and released the bowstring.

The arrow was like a meteor streaking across the sky, carrying the power to tear through heaven and earth. It instantly crossed the distance of dozens of meters, shooting toward Luo Sha's blood-colored blade light.

"Clang—!"

A deafening roar sounded as the arrow and the blade light collided violently. A terrifying energy shockwave erupted instantly. The purple-gold light and blood-colored blade light intertwined and clashed frantically in mid-air, the resulting airwave uprooting the surrounding trees.

Luo Sha only felt a terrifying force transmit from his long saber, splitting the web of his thumb and numbing his arm. His body was shaken back repeatedly, and a trace of blood leaked from the corner of his mouth. He looked at the arrow that had pierced through the blade light and continued toward him with unabated momentum, and for the first time, a look of horror appeared in his eyes.

"How is this possible!" Luo Sha cried out in shock, hastily twisting his body to dodge.

The arrow grazed his shoulder, bringing a spray of blood before embedding itself deeply into the stone wall behind him. The stone wall instantly shattered, fragments flying everywhere, leaving behind a bottomless black hole.

Luo Sha clutched his bleeding shoulder and looked at the black hole, his eyes filled with fear. He could clearly feel the terrifying power contained in that arrow just now. If he had been hit head-on, even he would have certainly died!

At the same time, the poison vines controlled by the female tutor were crushed by the pale gold light of the Domain of Archery the moment they approached Lin Zhou, turning into dust that filled the air.

"So strong!" The Poison Vine Female Instructor's face changed drastically; she no longer dared to underestimate him in the slightest.

Lin Zhou pursued his advantage. The explosive sniper bow in his hand vibrated again, and three Demon-Breaking Arrows shot out like meteors chasing the moon, targeting Luo Sha, the Poison Vine Female Instructor, and the Assassination-type Instructor who was fighting Ye Ying.

"Not good!"

The faces of the three changed simultaneously as they deployed defensive measures. Luo Sha brandished his blood-colored saber to parry the arrow; the Poison Vine Female Instructor condensed a poison vine shield; and the Assassination-type Instructor flickered and vanished into the shadows.

But how could Lin Zhou's arrows be so easily blocked?

The split effect of Elemental Space-Breaker erupted, and the three arrows instantly split into nine, covering all the escape routes of the three like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Three muffled sounds rang out in succession. Luo Sha's arm was pierced by an arrow again, the Poison Vine Female Instructor's shield was shattered, and an arrow slashed her cheek, leaving a bone-deep scar. As for the Assassination-type Instructor, he was directly hit by an arrow, letting out a scream as he fell out of the shadows, his breath faint.

"Boss!"

The remaining students saw their tutors injured and were instantly Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. They no longer had any Battle Intent and turned around, wanting to flee.

"Want to run?" Lin Zhou's eyes were icy. The bowstring vibrated again, and arrows shot out like raindrops.

Screams rose and fell, and in an instant, the remaining students were slaughtered to the last, with no survivors.

The valley instantly became deathly silent.

Luo Sha looked at the corpses covering the ground and Lin Zhou's icy gaze, and he only felt a chill rush from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. He knew he had kicked a steel plate today. He gritted his teeth and turned to flee.

"Tutor Luo Sha, do you think you can still escape?" Lin Zhou's voice sounded like it came from the depths of Hell, causing Luo Sha's body to freeze instantly.

Lin Zhou slowly raised the explosive sniper bow, an arrow notched on the string, aiming at the center of Luo Sha's back.

"Lin Zhou! I was wrong! I won't do it again!" Luo Sha trembled all over and fell to his knees with a thud. "Please, let me go! I am a tutor of the university! If you kill me, the university will not let you off!"

"A tutor of the university?" A cold arc curled on Lin Zhou's lips. "When you led the crowd to ambush students, why didn't you think about being a tutor of the university?"

"I... I..." Luo Sha was tongue-tied, unable to say a complete sentence.

Lin Zhou's eyes were indifferent, without a trace of pity. In this Secret Realm, mercy to the enemy was cruelty to oneself.

The bowstring twanged, and the arrow shot through the air.

Luo Sha only felt a chill in the center of his back, followed by a sharp pain. He looked down at the arrow tip protruding from his chest, his eyes filled with unwillingness and despair. His body slowly toppled over, his breath completely gone.

The Poison Vine Female Instructor saw this scene and was Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. She turned to flee but was caught by Qin Yue. With a flash of sword light, her life was ended.

Having dealt with all the enemies, Lin Zhou slowly put away the explosive sniper bow and let out a long sigh of relief.

Qin Yue walked to his side, looking at the corpses everywhere with a complex gaze: "This time, I'm afraid there will be big trouble between us and the university."

Lin Zhou looked up at the sky outside the valley, a sharp light flashing in his eyes: "Trouble? From the moment they chose to act against us, trouble was already destined."

He paused and continued, "However, there are still more treasures waiting for us in this core area of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts. Let's recover from our injuries first, then continue exploring."

Qin Yue nodded. She knew Lin Zhou was right. Since things had come to this, retreating was useless; only by becoming stronger could they deal with the coming storm.

Su Ye and Liu Yiyi began to collect the spoils of war, while Ye Ying stood guard nearby to prevent any stragglers.

Lin Zhou walked to the side of the altar, looking at the corpse of the Nine-Life Demon Cat, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. He could feel that within this corpse, there was still a powerful force hidden.

Perhaps this would be the key to his Breakthrough to the next Realm.

In the core area of the Valley of Ten Thousand Beasts, sunlight filtered through the clouds and shone upon the corpses on the ground, appearing exceptionally glaring.

And a larger storm was quietly brewing.