C48 Anger

Girls might be prone to shyness, but there are certain things they are well-suited for, such as offering apologies.

"Lulin, I'm sorry. I misunderstood you earlier. I thought you were like Wei Luchong, trying to take Junyu's Jade Plate."

After Wei Lulin had clarified everything, Wei Xiangxue proactively stood up and bowed to apologize to him.

Wei Lulin quickly glanced at her and waved his hand, saying, "Sister Xiangxue, it's okay!"

Wei Xiangxue, now seventeen and soon to be eighteen, was at an age where her figure was fully developed.

To take part in the Hunting Competition, Wei Xiangxue donned a loose-fitting warrior's outfit, which nearly caused the spirited Wei Lulin to get a nosebleed, prompting him to quickly turn away.

Luckily, no one caught on to this, and Wei Lulin breathed a sigh of relief.

With the misunderstanding cleared up, the mood lightened, and they even shared a few light-hearted jokes. Once his backlash injury had fully healed, Wei Lulin stood up, clasped his fists, and announced, "Mr. Fanzhou, esteemed brothers and sisters, I must now focus on gathering Jade Plates to improve my standing. I'm afraid I can't stay with you any longer, so I'll be taking my leave."

Wei Junyu had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Stage Level Six, and the others were also strong. Unless they faced opponents like Xie Jutong or Jiaang Que, they were generally safe from danger.

Considering Xie Jutong, Jiaang Que, and others were probably already at the central area, Wei Lulin needed to hurry there to collect enough Jade Plates.

"Take care," Wei Junyu said, understanding that their abilities would not only fail to aid Wei Lulin but might even hinder him. He harbored no resentment towards Wei Lulin for choosing to depart.

With a final wave, Wei Lulin dashed off toward the central area at full speed.

Although Wei Lulin was only at the peak of the Qi Refining Stage Level Four, his true strength had reached the peak of Level Seven. Now, with his recent breakthrough, he doubted that even someone at the peak of Level Eight could match him.

Throughout his journey, Wei Lulin could be described as an unstoppable force. Whether facing Magical Beasts or other contestants, he paid no mind to those who did not provoke him. However, those who dared to challenge him were met with a lethal response.

Originally, it would have taken Wei Lulin nearly a day to reach the central location, but he managed to arrive at a spot just five miles from the center in less than half that time.

Upon reaching this place, Wei Lulin paused to survey his surroundings. He had stopped for a significant reason: Wei Lulin had an important task ahead of him.

After parting ways with Wei Junyu and the others, Wei Lulin had been making a beeline for the center at full speed. Along the way, if he encountered any contestants allied with the Wei family who were in trouble, he would lend a hand.

This was why, when Wei Lulin rescued a member of a minor family, the contestant informed him that the Jiaang family had just recently departed, led by their top expert, Jiaang Que.

With more than a day remaining in the Hunting Competition, it seemed likely that the four major families would claim over eighty percent of the Jade Plates.

Among these families, the one holding the most Jade Plates wasn't the formidable Xie Jutong, nor the cunning Yao Yafeng, but rather Jiaang Que, notorious for his devious tactics.

Xie Jutong, though strong, was too proud to attack the weak. Yao Yafeng, ever the strategist, preferred to wait for the opportune moment to strike, aiming to maximize gains with minimal effort. As a result, it was unlikely that either had amassed many Jade Plates.

Jiaang Que, however, was a different breed. His treacherous nature drove him to use any means necessary to achieve his goals, even going so far as to rob the weakest cultivators at the Qi Refining Stage Level Three of their Jade Plates.

If one were to guess who had claimed the most lives in the competition, the dubious honor would likely go to the sinister Jiaang Que.

To ensure victory and secure the chance to spend three days in the Hidden Dragon Pavilion, Wei Lulin knew he had to devise a strategy to acquire a substantial number of Jade Plates. Searching for them one by one would be time-consuming and risk alienating many.

Given the circumstances, Wei Lulin decided it would be best to seek out the individual in possession of a substantial number of Jade Plates, and that individual was Jiaang Que. Aside from the possibility of him holding a significant number of Jade Plates, the deep-seated enmity between the Jiaang and Wei families alone was reason enough for Wei Lulin to seize this chance to strike a heavy blow, or even to annihilate him.

Based on the information provided by a competitor from a lesser-known family, Jiaang Que and his group had departed not long before. Considering their intended destination and their pace, they were likely to be in the vicinity.

Wei Lulin surveyed his surroundings but found no trace of them. He closed his eyes, tuning into the ambient noises. A faint moaning from the northeast caught his attention, and he immediately headed in that direction.

The source of the moaning wasn't far from Wei Lulin. He quickly found the person emitting the weak sounds. His expression darkened as he swiftly moved to the individual's side and asked with urgency, "Who did this to you?"

The injured party was a Wei's disciple who had sustained serious injuries, and Wei Lulin recognized him as Wei Zhi. Wei Zhi's talent was modest, rated at High Rank Grade Nine, which was considered quite average. However, he was fortunate to have a powerful relative in the Wei family, the Sixth Elder.

The Sixth Elder was among the few in the Wei family who had achieved Great Perfection at the Body Refining Stage Level Ten, holding a position of considerable influence. Thanks to his connection, Wei Zhi, despite his ordinary talent, had access to abundant cultivation resources. Within two years, he had reached the peak of the Qi Refining Stage Level Five and was on the cusp of advancing to Level Six.

A year prior, during Wei Lulin's Talent Test, he was received by the Patriarch Wei Bochen and several elders, including the Sixth Elder. Recognizing Wei Lulin's potential to become a mainstay of the Wei family, the Sixth Elder introduced his grandson to Wei Lulin, instructing Wei Zhi to follow and learn from him. As a result, the two had become acquainted through several encounters.

After Wei Lulin was deposed and exiled to Lindorin Town, Wei Zhi began to follow Wei Luchong. Since then, the two had not seen each other.

If Wei Zhi wasn't always with Wei Luchong, how did he end up with such severe injuries?

"Who are you?" Wei Zhi noticed the newcomer was dressed in the Wei family's attire and seemed vaguely familiar, yet he couldn't quite place him.

"Never mind who I am. Tell me what happened," Wei Lulin urged, eyeing the critical wounds on Wei Zhi's body. He sensed that the assailant was exceptionally cunning and dangerous, which made him concerned for the safety of the other Wei family disciples, leaving him no desire to introduce himself.

"It was Jiaang Que from the Jiaang family who did this!" Realizing that Wei Lulin had no intention of revealing his identity, the gravely injured Wei Zhi didn't press further. Instead, he recounted the recent events.

"Foolish!" Wei Lulin was incensed by Wei Luchong's actions after hearing Wei Zhi's account.