71: Chapter 69 Influence

Bai Chen's words cleared everyone's doubts, and much of their inner worry dissipated.

"Everything the captain said makes sense," Fang Yu said in a low voice. "However, just to be safe, after returning to Starry Sky Base this time, we should temporarily stop coming out to hunt."

"As long as we don't come to the Wilderness Area, even if that Earth Martial Artist comes in person, there is nothing they can do to us," Fang Yu said.

"Right."

"Our harvest from this actual combat is already big enough; if we don't come, we don't come."

"We've already completed the school's trial requirements, so we can focus on cultivating peacefully for the remaining dozen or so days." Bai Chen, Qin Yang, and Xiong Meng spoke one after another, approving Fang Yu's plan.

In the Wilderness Area, without supervision, mutual slaughter and infighting among Martial Artists were common.

But at Starry Sky Base, let alone an Earth Martial Artist, even a Sky-Patrol Martial Artist could not kill someone without a sound.

Even on Blue Star, as long as one didn't go to remote Wilderness Areas and stayed inside the city, the supervision was extremely strong, making it very safe as well.

Fang Yu had also thought things through thoroughly.

This time, he had indeed been impulsive and caused a huge disaster... But as long as they endured this period and he grew rapidly, the trouble he had caused now would amount to nothing.

Becoming powerful oneself was the most important thing.

Like today, if his life level were Tier 30, he could easily have killed the Wolf King; how could he have been forced to this extent?

"Let's go."

"Return to the base as soon as possible; the earlier we return, the more advantageous it is for us," Bai Chen urged, and the group quickly set off, hurrying toward Starry Sky Base.

Along the way, everyone also communicated and refined the details of "Xia Tao encountering an attack by an Advanced Vicious Beast."

...

While Fang Yu and the others were still on their way.

After Xia Tao's complete death, his communication star-ring emitted a mysterious signal and then directly stopped working. Just one second later, on the Senior Total Score Leaderboard of Huguang Martial Arts University, Xia Tao's information instantly vanished, completely blocked.

Any student from the Earth Academy would receive high attention from the school.

Inside Teacher Li's office.

"Teacher Li, alert," a robotic voice sounded. "On the total score leaderboard, the data of Earth Academy student 'Xia Tao' has been blocked."

"In addition, the coefficient scores of three elite students and one ordinary student simultaneously dropped by 0.1."

"What? Xia Tao? Data blocked?" Teacher Li instantly stood up. "Xia Tao is dead?"

Although he loathed Xia Tao.

Furthermore, he had just returned from Associate Professor Tang's office, where he had informed Associate Professor Tang about lowering Xia Tao's coefficient score.

No matter how much he loathed him, he was unwilling to see Xia Tao die; he knew very well what a huge trouble Xia Tao's death would bring.

"Quickly, report all data to me, especially the information of those four students whose coefficient scores just dropped. Summarize which combat teams they belong to for me," Teacher Li said solemnly. Soon, a large amount of information appeared on his computer screen, and he began to examine it.

"Xia Tao's time of death is 9:36 in the morning."

"Fang Yu, Bai Chen, Qin Yang, and Xiong Meng all belong to the same Martial Artist team, and their coefficient scores also dropped by 0.1 at 9:36." Teacher Li's expression turned grave.

In this world, how could there be such a coincidence?

At past 8 o'clock, someone died in the Xuanbing Team where Xia Tao was, and Xia Tao's own coefficient score dropped by a huge margin, while the Chiyan Team's total score ranking rose at the same time.

Merely an hour or so later.

Xia Tao died, and the coefficient scores of everyone in the Chiyan Team dropped again?

"Boom!"

Teacher Li did not dare to hesitate at all. Transforming into a stream of light, he rushed out of the office and sprinted rapidly toward Associate Professor Tang's office... As a Tier 39 Senior Martial Artist, his movement speed was extremely astonishing.

A moment later.

Inside Associate Professor Tang's office.

"You're saying Xia Tao is dead?" A trace of surprise flashed in Associate Professor Tang's eyes, as this was beyond her expectation, and she quickly checked the relevant information content.

"Fang Yu?" Associate Professor Tang frowned slightly.

She hadn't expected this matter to involve Fang Yu.

"Associate Professor Tang, I have reason to suspect that Xia Tao had a conflict with everyone in the Chiyan Team and was directly killed by the Chiyan Team," Teacher Li said with a grave expression.

"Where is the evidence?" Associate Professor Tang didn't even raise her head.

"Their coefficient scores dropped simultaneously, and also..." Teacher Li just wanted to speak.

"This is just your guess," Associate Professor Tang interrupted him. "The fact that the coefficient scores of everyone in the Chiyan Team all dropped only proves that they are suspected of 'causing a Martial Artist's death'... But whether they are the direct perpetrators or indirect perpetrators remains to be determined."

"Besides, is the Martial Artist who died because of them necessarily Xia Tao? There are still many societal Martial Artists in the Wilderness Area," Associate Professor Tang said coldly.

Teacher Li was stunned.

Huguang Martial Arts University only controlled a portion of the students' data... As for the data of the far more numerous societal Martial Artists? Let alone the university, even the Eight Great Martial Artist Groups or the Blue Moon Alliance had a lag in the various data they controlled.

"Associate Professor Tang."

"Then what should we do? Just let it be and ignore it?" Teacher Li couldn't help saying. "I indeed can't stand Xia Tao, but if he really died at the hands of other students, we will be in big trouble... His uncle, Xia Kaishan, is a Tier 49 Earth Martial Artist. Among the Earth Martial Artists in Huguang Province, his strength can probably rank in the top ten, and he once served as a city general manager of Jixing Group."

Jixing Group was likewise one of the Eight Great Martial Artist Groups.

Just like among Senior Martial Artists, the gap could be huge.

Among Earth Martial Artists, strength and status also had extreme differences... If he were an ordinary Earth Martial Artist, how could Huguang Martial Arts University have tolerated Xia Tao until now?

Clearly.

Speaking of personal strength, Xia Kaishan could be called the Peak of Earth Martial Artists... Speaking of power and influence, he once served as a city general manager of Jixing Group. Although he had now stepped down, his connections were equally extensive, and he could still mobilize extremely astonishing resources.

Looking across the entire Huguang Province, apart from the high-and-mighty Sky-Patrol Martial Artists, there were very few people who could suppress him.

"The most critical thing is."

"Xia Kaishan has no children; Xia Tao is one of his only two nephews," Teacher Li said solemnly. "Previously, he had contacted Professor Wu more than once, which is also one of the reasons Professor Wu always indulged Xia Tao."

Professor Wu was the previous junior-year head, meaning Associate Professor Tang's predecessor.

"Teacher Li."

"You're not required to recite Xia Kaishan's information to me; I know it all," Associate Professor Tang frowned. "But let alone that he is merely an Earth Martial Artist, even if he were a Tier 5 Civilization Warrior, or even a Sky-Patrol Martial Artist... everything still has to be done according to the rules."

"I..." Teacher Li was helpless.

He didn't know whether this Associate Professor Tang was truly not afraid of Xia Kaishan or truly inflexible.

"Your guess is not without reason," Associate Professor Tang continued. "However, wanting to verify your conjecture requires evidence—eyewitnesses, physical evidence, and the murderer's confession..."

"As for physical evidence, we don't know where Xia Tao died, so there is nowhere to investigate from."

"As for eyewitnesses and the murderer's confession, once any member of the Chiyan Team or Xuanbing Team returns to the base, immediately detain them separately and interrogate them," Associate Professor Tang said. "Find out clearly if they had a conflict, and what kind of conflict occurred."

"Yes." Teacher Li felt a weight lift from his heart.

What he worried about most was that Associate Professor Tang wouldn't investigate at all.

As long as they investigated, they could always provide an account.

"Then, should Xia Tao's death be notified to the Xia family?" Teacher Li asked.

"Yes," Associate Professor Tang said. "However, before the truth comes to light, do not mention the Chiyan Team first, lest the students of the Chiyan Team suffer revenge from Xia Kaishan before it has been thoroughly investigated. Once such a situation occurs, that would be our fault... Rest assured, you redraft an electronic application according to what I said, and I will sign it."

"Yes." Teacher Li no longer had any worries.

...

Iron Wall Base, Auxiliary Base No. 3.

Wanting to enter the Wilderness Area from here, one's life level had to reach Tier 30, and at the same time, the tier level needed to be above Tier 2... Students above Tier 30 from Huguang Martial Arts University all engaged in actual combat and honed themselves near this base.

In a continuous mountain range about 120 kilometers away from Auxiliary Base No. 3.

In a dense forest on a steep slope, four Martial Artists were resting, carrying different weapons—three men and a woman. They were all very young, looking to be around twenty years old, and their brows brimmed with strong confidence. Their gazes were like lightning, obviously possessing the demeanor of experts forged through a thousand trials.

"Wanjin," a burly man carrying a pair of battle axes said in a low voice.

"Captain, what is it?" The man who was called had a well-proportioned and slender build. Standing up, his height was probably close to 1.9 meters; he was extraordinarily handsome, dashing, and masculine.

"Xia Tao is dead," the burly man spat out four words.

"Dead?"

"Xia Tao is dead?" The other two both felt surprised.

"Hmm?" Wanjin frowned, immediately lowering his head to check his communication star-ring. He scrolled down the rankings all the way to over a hundred, yet did not find Xia Tao's name.

Really dead?

Although he couldn't stand Xia Tao, he even less wanted to see the other party die.

"Captain, I need to rush back to the base immediately," Wanjin said.

"Hmm, go ahead," the man carrying a pair of battle axes nodded. "Although Xia Tao is a prodigal, he is after all your Senior Brother. If he is truly dead, it's a big matter... You should quickly tell your Master about it."

The other two also didn't feel surprised; they all knew Wanjin's sect Legacy.

Swish!

Wanjin transformed into a stream of light, swiftly hurrying toward the direction of the base.