High Martial Arts: Unmatched in Reality - Ascending Beyond the Game

"I can kill the black-horned bull with one strike!"

Jiang Qiuran sheathed her knife and raised her eyes slightly, a surge of excitement bubbling within her.

"Sister Jiang, there's another one!"

In the distance, the black-horned bull that was facing Mitchell seemed to be reacting to the deaths of its companions. Its body was surrounded by a dark aura, and it appeared to be on the verge of madness. The bull's black horn relentlessly struck against Mitchell's battered shield.

Jiang Qiuran was too indifferent to pay attention to it. Instead, her gaze shifted toward Yogan.

When she saw him sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, completely ignoring the situation around them, she pouted slightly, feeling an odd discomfort.

"Recover your strength quickly. We need to continue later."

Yogan remained calm as he adjusted his body, preparing for the next challenge. After a moment, he noticed Jiang Qiuran standing there, lost in thought, and couldn't help but smile faintly.

Jiang Qiuran gritted her teeth and nodded, walking over to a large stone, where she silently began practicing basic breathing techniques to regulate her breath.

Ten minutes passed before Mitchell finally succeeded in killing the black-horned bull after a prolonged struggle. Exhausted and dragging his damaged shield, he trudged back with a look of deep grievance on his face.

"Yogan, you're taking revenge for personal gain. I'm going to report this to the teacher!" Mitchell exclaimed.

Yogan, unfazed, responded indifferently, "Let's go."

Jiang Qiuran, her expression still cold, opened her eyes and followed without a word.

"Sister Jiang... You...?" Mitchell asked, his voice filled with confusion as he looked at the girl. Was Jiang Qiuran really following Yogan?

He considered leaving the team, but when he glanced at the dark, foreboding wilderness around them, an inexplicable sense of fear crept into his chest. Trembling, he hurried to catch up.

---

Bang!

The ground shook violently in the forest, its surface covered with dry, dead leaves.

A fierce roar followed, and the spotted mountain cat, several meters long, pounced on Mitchell, who was still carrying his shield. The cat's claws gleamed with sharpness, and its tail lashed like a whip, leaving deep scratches in the shield whenever it struck.

"Meow!"

The piercing cry echoed through the mountains.

Suddenly, the mountain cat leapt high into the air, shifting its focus to a new target—Jiang Qiuran.

The girl had been circling around, keeping the beast at bay. Her presence had pressured the creature, but she didn't back down.

With a swift motion, she advanced as the sharp claws of the mountain cat reached for her. Jiang Qiuran's long knife flashed with bright red blood, and in one smooth motion, she slashed across the white cat pattern on the beast's chest.

In that instant, a streak of blood splattered across the air.

The freezing cold aura surrounding her blade seeped into the wound, causing the violent mountain cat to freeze momentarily. A flash of panic flickered in its deep blue eyes.

"Stop it!" Jiang Qiuran commanded, her voice cold and authoritative.

Mitchell, gritting his teeth, charged forward and positioned himself between the cat and its retreat path, blocking it from escaping.

Another two minutes of struggle passed, and the cold that had seeped into the mountain cat's body gradually took its toll. The creature, unable to withstand the freezing energy, collapsed, its body stiffening in death.

Mitchell, exhausted, sat down on the ground, his shield still clutched in his hand, and let out an excited laugh. "Sister Jiang, we cooperated perfectly! We killed a first-level intermediate beast!"

Jiang Qiuran, still panting, turned her gaze toward Yogan. There, she saw another mountain cat lying at his feet. The beast was just as lifeless as the one they had just defeated.

And judging by its state, it was still a one-hit kill.

Jiang Qiuran's face flushed with frustration. Her lips tightened as she glanced back at Mitchell, who was still basking in the victory, and muttered under her breath.

"Stop laughing! Mark it quickly."

Mitchell, hearing the order, quickly got to work marking the beast's location for the logistics team.

"..."

"If the cold energy you condensed was more domineering, perhaps this battle would have been much simpler," Yogan commented casually as he dealt with the mountain cat's corpse.

Jiang Qiuran curled her lips, trying to mask her annoyance. On the surface, she appeared indifferent, but the sight of the mountain cat lying motionless in the ground without so much as a struggle made her clench her fists. She thought to herself, "The gap has widened again."

"..."

The trio continued on their way, moving quickly through the rugged mountain path. The night was cold and still, with only the sounds of their footsteps breaking the silence.

Jiang Qiuran's eyes flicked to Yogan's steady back. There was something about him that intrigued her, and she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Suddenly, just as she was lost in thought, Yogan stopped in his tracks.

Jiang Qiuran, caught off guard, bumped into him before she could react. Her soft body pressed against his solid back, the unexpected contact causing her heart to skip a beat. The warmth and steadiness of his back sent a strange, comforting feeling through her, and she blinked, her face quickly turning red.

"Jiang Jie, why do you deliberately lean on Yogan?" Mitchell's voice interrupted, full of confusion.

From his perspective, it seemed like Jiang Qiuran was being overly forward.

"Shut up!" Jiang Qiuran snapped, her voice sharp and cold.

Her small hand gripped the scabbard tightly, as if to say that if Mitchell dared to utter another word, she might just slice off his tongue.

"There's movement up ahead," Yogan said, his voice low and serious as he looked to the far right, completely unaffected by the situation behind him.

"Another ferocious beast?" Mitchell asked, his voice filled with exhaustion. He hadn't had much rest, and after battling multiple creatures tonight, he felt like he was running on empty.

"I don't know. Let's go check it out," Yogan said, his voice calm and composed.

Without waiting for a response, he quickened his pace.

Jiang Qiuran pursed her lips, feeling both frustrated and curious. She hurried to catch up.

---

Under the dim light of the night, a group of about a dozen boys and girls had gathered, all with serious expressions on their faces. They stood in a circle, watching something in the distance with tense anticipation.

Two figures leaned lazily against the tree trunks on either side, their eyes gleaming with a sharp, hawk-like focus. Their posture might have been relaxed, but their gaze was intense, tracking every movement of the students like predators observing their prey.

"An Evil Warrior?" one of the students whispered under their breath, the words filled with awe fear.

The tension in the air thickened as the group braced themselves for what was about to unfold.

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