As the Heavenly Harm Guardian cast a gentle True Energy pat that landed on Hou Lin’s chest, Hou Lin’s body trembled. The moment he woke up, the night soil in his mouth spouted out maniacally.
“Barf!”
Right away, the group of young people below the high platform quickly retreated. There were thinly veiled hints of disgust in their eyes.
This was a man who had just come out of a manure pit after all.
“Duan Ling Tian!” After Hou Lin had returned to his senses, he finally understood what had transpired to him. Instantly, the gaze that looked at the purple figure on the high platform was once again filled with venom.
His body was now quivering violently in humiliation, rage, and hatred.
“Duan Ling Tian, if I don’t kill you, I, Hou Lin, swear that I’m not human!” With both of his eyes crimson red, Hou Lin was on the verge of breaking down now for the way he was humiliated in front of so many people. He continued to rage and roar in his heart while making Duan Ling Tian his mortal enemy.
Upon hearing Hou Lin shout his name out word for word, Duan Ling Tian merely cast a nonchalant glance at him.
Of course, he had noticed the hatred in Hou Lin’s eyes, but he was not fazed by it at all.
After Hou Lin consumed a pill and was finally able to stand up by force after resting for a while, he ran out of the Latent Dragon Camp frantically, trying to find a place to wash himself off. Let alone the others, even he himself could not stand the stench on himself.
After Hou Lin left, the streaks of gaze landed back onto Duan Ling Tian in unison, making him the spotlight of the crowd.
“Guo Li.” Duan Ling Tian looked at Guo Li. He already knew that Guo Li had been defeated by Hou Lin and was now eliminated from the 13 Gangsters. “There’s one more month to go. You…”
“Don’t worry, I have faith.” Of course, Guo Li knew what he was going to say. With a nod and smile, she proceeded to walk to wooden house Number 12 and issued her challenge.
The owner of the wooden house Number 12 was a Dao Cultivator who was at the Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage.
This Dao Cultivator of Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage was ranked 11th among the 13 Gangsters three months ago before Duan Ling Tian and Guo Li were there.
However, due to Duan Ling Tian defeating Zhang Ji Long and cutting the queue to enter the 6th place among the 13 Gangsters, he was forced to retreat by one rank too.
“Guo Li? Do you want to challenge me?” The Dao Cultivator who walked out of the wooden house was a young man dressed in a loose, long robe. He was also the only Dao Cultivator among the 13 Gangsters.
One could easily imagine just how powerful this young Dao Cultivator was just from the fact that he stood out among the group of Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage Martial and Dao Cultivators in the Latent Dragon Camp and became a member of the 13 Gangsters.
“Yes,” Guo Li affirmed to the young man before taking an attacking pose.
“Dao Cultivator?” Duan Ling Tian raised his brows. This would be his first time seeing a Dao Cultivator make his moves after he came to Dao Martial Saint Land.
“I wonder what’s the difference between the techniques the Dao Cultivator here in Dao Martial Saint Land compared to the Dao Cultivators that I’ve met at the Overseas Saint Islands…” Duan Ling Tian could still remember that when he was still at Half Moon Island of the Overseas Saint Island, the Dao Cultivators that he met could easily mobilize a small thunder strike and rely on the awe-inspiring Nature Energy when they made their move.
Compared to the Martial Cultivators, the Dao Cultivators’ technique was much more magnificent.
Most importantly, they excelled in long-range offensive techniques. Once they had established the upper hand, the Martial Cultivators would basically be unable to get near to them.
As Guo Li began to be locked in a battle with the young Dao Cultivator, Duan Ling Tian was shocked to see that the fight moves of this Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage Dao Cultivator did not seem to be as beautiful as the Dao Cultivators’ he had met on Half Moon Island.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
…
The loose, long robe on the young Dao Cultivator fluttered and in that instant, the wind blades that were twining around his body swept out towards Guo Li as they blotted the entire sky. No matter where Guo Li tried to escape to, they still kept chasing up to her.
“The loose, long robe on his body is his Saint Weapon.” It was easy for Duan Ling Tian to notice this.
“Ah!” As Guo Li snarled out loud, the long black whip in her hand also gave a little start. In the twinkling of an eye, it became a barrier in front of her body. She had cast a defensive technique.
Just when she cast the defensive technique, Guo Li dodged the wind blades and pounced forward towards the young Dao Cultivator.
Facing Guo Li who was pouncing at him with all her might, the young Dao Cultivator appeared to be particularly solemn as he soared after stomping on the ground. As he rose up into the air, a glimmer flashed across his eyes as he struck out with a hand saber.
At that instant, all of the wind blades entwining around his body flew on top of his head and transformed to become a gigantic wind blade. It was like a gigantic blue saber that emitted gushes of sharp aura.
In the next moment, the gigantic blue saber finally moved and hacked downwards towards Guo Li. The saber tip seemed to be able to tear through everything.
When she saw the terrifying saber, Guo Li’s face was extremely taut. With great difficulty, she barely dodged the attack.
However, one could see that some strands of her black hair were cut in the air. It was easily imaginable just how alarmingly dangerous that moment was.
“Is that the Saint Grade Dao Tactic? Wow, it’s really amazing! If this were the Guo Li three months ago, she’d definitely be no match for him, but now…” Duan Ling Tian could see that although the Saint Grade Dao Tactic that the young Dao Cultivator performed was remarkable, the saber just now seemed to be his strongest technique. Furthermore, he could see through this from the expression of the young Dao Cultivator.
Just now, when Guo Li had dodged the attack of the saber just now, the young Dao Cultivator’s calm and collected face finally experienced a change.
It was exactly as Duan Ling Tian had predicted. After Guo Li had dodged the saber, she kept gaining the upper hand ever since. After 30 moves, she finally was able to get near him successfully and reached in front of the young Dao Cultivator.
Striking her palm out, a gust of wind was formed easily and it sent the young Dao Cultivator flying with a blast.
“Thanks for letting me win.” Guo Li nodded faintly at the slightly pale, young Dao Cultivator who had now finally come to a halt after being sent flying for more than ten meters away.
“Thanks for having mercy towards me.” After taking a deep breath and swallowing a pill, the young Dao Cultivator finally healed his injuries a little and went to the front of wooden house Number 13, preparing to enter it to cultivate.
“I think unless you can defeat the person who’s ranked before you, you don’t really have to go in anymore,” Guo Li reminded.
“What do you mean?” The young Dao Cultivator frowned.
Soon, he heard a series of discussions coming from below the high platform and finally obtained his answer. Hou Lin had made a breakthrough to the Mortal Shedding Stage Mastery Stage! And not only that, but he also defeated Guo Li?
The young Dao Cultivator felt morose right away.
One more month and the Lord City Governer would come out of his closed-door cultivation.
By that time, he would set a test for the 13 Gangsters and pick a disciple among them. If he were eliminated from the 13 Guardians, he would lose the opportunity to join the test.
“Hou Lin is back!” Somebody shouted out loudly. Hou Lin who had washed up and changed into a new set of clothes was walking back into the Latent Dragon Camp.
However, his face was extremely grave.
Well, of course.
He had been thrown into the manure pit in front of so many people and anyone who was in his shoes would not be able to accept that.
After Hou Lin entered the Latent Dragon Camp, his icy gaze was always locked on Duan Ling Tian. Right then, he wholly regarded Duan Ling Tian as his mortal enemy. He would never rest until he killed him.
Rising up to the high platform, Hou Lin challenged the 7th of the 13 Gangsters. It was a Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage Martial Cultivator who had yet to make a breakthrough. He was someone whom Hou Lin was far from being able to compare to last time.
“Hou Lin?” The moment he saw somebody challenging him, this Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage Martial Cultivator walked out. He was slightly taken by surprise the instant he noticed that it was Hou Lin.
Having been cultivating with all his heart in the wooden house Number 7, he did not know what had happened just now. As he smelled the stench from Hou Lin’s body, he just casually voiced it out with a frown, “Hou Lin, your body… seems to have a smell. You kinda smell like the manure pit…”
“It looks like Hou Lin didn’t clean himself properly.”
“Well, how do you expect him to clean himself properly? That’s a manure pit for God’s sake…”
Many people whispered to each other under the high platform.
“Manure pit?” Before the Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage Martial Cultivator who had just walked out of wooden house Number 7 realized what was happening, a thunderous loud snarl had already exploded by his ear, “You’re going to die!”
It was none other than Hou Lin who was growling madly.
With a raise of his hand, Hou Lin instantly sent the original owner of wooden house Number 7 flying with just one blow. It was basically a given for him to defeat a Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage Martial Cultivator, having made a breakthrough to the Mortal Shedding Stage Mastery Stage.
“Y-you’ve made a breakthrough?” The Mortal Shedding Stage Intermediate Stage Martial Cultivator, who was already defeated before he realized what was happening, stared at Hou Lin with shock in his eyes once again.
“Hmph!” As Hou Lin snorted and swept an icy glance at where Duan Ling Tian was standing, he brought his enmity and hatred with him as he strode into wooden house Number 7.
At once, the young Dao Cultivator was eliminated.
As for Guo Li, she had also returned to wooden house Number 13. She was first defeated by Hou Li and then won against the young Dao Cultivator. Therefore, she successfully remained behind at the high platform and retained the title of being part of the 13 Gangsters.
Then, the high platform regained its peace again.
Duan Ling Tian also returned to his wooden house and after he had shut the door, he took out the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda. With a deep breath, he entered it and went up to the second level before continuing to cultivate his Saint Grade Martial Tactic Colossal Aerolite Arrow.
Time passed by quietly.
Duan Ling Tian became even more adept in his mastery of the techniques in the Colossal Aerolite Arrow.
A month later would be the day when the Governor of Mound Hill City came out of his closed-door cultivation.
Among the 13 Gangsters, except for Hou Lin who had yet to learn about the fact that the City Governor was going to recruit a disciple and other than Duan Ling Tian who had completely no interest in becoming the chosen disciple, the other eleven people worked with all their might to cultivate.
After cultivating for two months in the second level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda, Duan Ling Tian came out of the pagoda.
It was not that he did not want to continue to cultivate, but it was then he kind of felt numb cultivating until then. He knew that this feeling was caused by his rush and desperation.
Right now, he needed to catch his breath first.
“I’ve yet to go out of the City Governor’s Estate although I’ve already been here for so long. Now that my cultivation base has finally improved in such a short period, and the Colossal Aerolite Arrow has also reached its bottleneck now, it’s time for me to go out to catch my breath.” In a heartbeat, Duan Ling Tian retrieved his Seven Treasures Exquisite Pagoda and walked out of wooden house Number 6.
After he exited, he walked to the multi-story pavilion right away. If any member of the Latent Dragon Camp wanted to leave the campsite, they would need to report to the Overseer of the Latent Dragon Camp, the Heavenly Harm Guardian.
The moment Duan Ling Tian reached the front of the pavilion, he heard an icy voice resonate in the air.
“You’ve left the Latent Dragon Camp once twenty days ago without even reporting anything to me. For this reason, unless it’s an order from the City Governor’s Estate, you’re not allowed to step out of the Latent Dragon Camp for the next three months.” It was the voice of the Heavenly Harm Guardian.