Chapter 15 The Villain's Acting Skills

Shi Guoliang was an efficient and agile martial artist, despite approaching middle age. His swift movements in the city of Fuzhou indicated his expertise in martial arts. Not only was he skilled in hard bow and hard horse techniques, but his light-footedness was also impressive.

Du Yu, on the other hand, had the ability to catch up with Shi Guoliang effortlessly due to his high movement speed. However, Du Yu's main objective was to have Shi Guoliang unknowingly carry the cylinder for him, surviving the remaining 30 minutes without letting the distance exceed 100 meters. There was no need for Du Yu to catch up with him directly.

As Shi Guoliang continued to run, Du Yu secretly chuckled, observing the passing time. Suddenly, a wounded figure with Yilin in his arms rushed towards Du Yu—it was Tian Boguang.

Du Yu inwardly groaned, wondering why Yilin hadn't escaped. He was puzzled as to how Tian Boguang managed to evade the pursuit of the masters.

Tian Boguang, upon seeing Du Yu, laughed openly and exclaimed, "Damn it! Those sect masters were like mad dogs biting each other. I took a few sword strikes and simply passed the burden onto Yue Buqun. They're probably fighting amongst themselves now. However, on my way back, I encountered a weeping young beauty."

He held Yilin up and wickedly smiled at Du Yu, saying, "This little beauty... do you want to let her go?"

Du Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he responded with a wry smile, "Brother, this little beauty happens to be a high-achieving disciple of the Heng-Shan Sect. You know my skills. Not long after you left, she threw me to the ground and almost took my life."

Yilin woke up slowly, tears welling up in her eyes when she saw Du Yu. She exclaimed, "My dear brother, I regained consciousness outside Lixu. You were trying to deceive me by belittling yourself! We must face death together!"

Du Yu could only smile wryly, as Yilin saw through his lie in an instant. However, Tian Boguang found amusement in the situation and didn't make things difficult for Du Yu. He said, "What a beautiful woman filled with deep affection. She doesn't deceive me, but she won't let go of her life and death commitment to her brother. Everyone loves beauty. This time, I'll spare you, brother. But remember, if you want to let her go again, I'll poke eighteen blood holes in your body!"

Tian Boguang's words carried a serious tone, implying the consequences of any betrayal.

A sense of murderous intent welled up within Du Yu. After spending so many days with Yilin, he had grown fond of her pure and adorable personality. Regardless of the mission, he wanted to rescue Yilin from Tian Boguang.

However, Du Yu maintained a calm expression and pointed towards Shi Guoliang, who was running ahead. He said, "He has the evil sword manual."

Tian Boguang sneered and replied, "This man's martial arts skills are extremely ordinary. Watch me capture him."

But as they looked ahead, numerous figures rushed towards them, and Tian Boguang's expression changed. He exclaimed, "These guys! Brother, I am seriously injured, so I won't engage with them anymore. Let's leave first. You can find me in the largest brothel in Fuzhou City."

It seemed that Tian Boguang had been frightened by the other martial artists, prompting him to retreat. He swiftly vanished, taking Yilin with him.

Du Yu felt frustrated, but he had no choice but to continue following Shi Guoliang, concealing his true intentions and treasures.

He glanced at his watch, realizing that half of the 30 minutes had passed. If he persisted for another 15 minutes, the evil sword manual would be his.

The figures in front of them were Yue Buqun, Yu Canghai, Master Fang Sheng, Master Dingyi, Fei Bin, and others. Linghu Chong, the protagonist, was among them. Alongside him were Huashan's jade girl Ning Zhongze, Yue Lingshan, Lao Denuo, Liu Monkey Lu Dayou, and other disciples who had regained their composure. It seemed that the main force of the Huashan faction had come to offer their assistance.

Upon seeing Shi Guoliang running towards them, Master Fang Sheng shouted, "Guoliang! Why are you running if you haven't arrived yet?"

Shi Guoliang gritted his teeth, torn between the orders of his master and possessing the evil sword manual. He put aside his loyalty and continued running. Making a sharp turn, he entered a side alley, attempting to escape.

Master Fang Sheng was taken aback, and the two Shaolin lay disciples Yi Guozi and Huang Guobai, who were by his side, began shouting and cursing as they rushed to capture Shi Guoliang.

Shi Guoliang displayed impressive agility, despite his skills being inferior to those of his senior brothers. He navigated through the streets, making sharp turns like a slippery loach. However, he was ultimately trapped in a dead end after three minutes.

Though Shi Guoliang had anticipated this outcome, he drew out the evil sword manual and knelt down, saying, "Master, my mind was clouded by foolishness. I offer this treasure to Shaolin."

Du Yu stood quietly within 100 meters, aware that as long as he remained in the proximity of the treasure's owner, he wouldn't be detected.

Master Fang Sheng clasped his hands together and spoke solemnly, "The sea of suffering is vast, but you can find the shore by turning your head. If you can awaken, becoming my disciple will not be a difficult task. Go back now, and you will face the punishment of hard labor."

Shi Guoliang wryly smiled, but before his smile could fully form, a faint blue silver needle pierced his chest. Yu Canghai, rolling his eyes, shouted, "Seven Flower Poison Needles! The Sun Moon God Sect has come to cause trouble!"

Reacting swiftly, Yu Canghai lunged towards Shi Guoliang, attempting to snatch the cassock. These adventurers were quick to seize the opportunity, attempting to create chaos and seize the cassock. Whoever possessed it would have control over the cost and copying, reaping all the benefits.

Master Fang Sheng rushed to Shi Guoliang's side, applying pressure to vital points on his chest to halt the poison's spread. It was unclear who had delivered the poisoned needle, but the chaos made it difficult to identify the culprit.

With Yu Canghai joining the pursuit, Yue Buqun and others shouted, "Stop! Leave the cassock!" They leaped forward to intercept Yu Canghai.

Du Yu quietly smiled. The more intense the conflict, the better it was for him. As a reward system based on villain value existed, creating conflicts and chaos could potentially earn him reward points.

However, as the evil sword manual fell into Yu Canghai's hands, the adventurers lost hope of obtaining it. Their greedy eyes turned toward Du Yu once again.

Killing Du Yu would at least ensure the completion of the second task. As for

 the third task, as long as they found a location, it would be a matter of time before they passed the level.

In other words, Du Yu's survival was not guaranteed.

Wang Peng, Wu Liang, and Qingkong, surrounding Du Yu, prepared to attack him. Du Yu felt a sense of urgency. If he was hindered by these people and failed to catch up with Yu Canghai in time, he would lose the evil sword manual within seconds.

Du Yu made a ruthless decision and charged towards the man with glasses. The man sneered, having witnessed Du Yu's speed before. Although it was remarkable, it wasn't unbelievable. Performing the most powerful move of Huashan swordsmanship, "You Feng Lai Yi," the man aimed for Du Yu's heart, assuming his 20-point movement speed was insufficient to avoid the strike. An aura of Changhong penetrating the sun erupted above his head.

However, unbeknownst to the man with glasses, Du Yu had activated his Coach Leggings, granting him a burst of speed. This ability had only been used twice, but its effect was astonishing. Du Yu's speed suddenly increased, becoming unbelievably fast.

The Coach Leggings increased Du Yu's action speed by 10 points. Coupled with his natural speed of 30 points, he now possessed a remarkable 30-point action speed. In the context of the newcomer trial, this value was exceptional, even astronomical.

How fast was 30 points of action speed?

Imagine a 20-year-old prime man with a speed score of 10. Usain Bolt, the record holder of the human 100-meter sprint, could complete the race in 9.58 seconds, averaging around 10 meters per second. Bolt's action speed would be approximately 20 points.

If Du Yu were to run 100 meters at this moment, he would be 50% faster than Bolt, covering 15 meters in just one second.

The man with glasses felt his vision blur as a figure swiftly passed him, evading his sword. The decent adventurers, who had survived until now, couldn't help but feel fear. Du Yu's unparalleled speed had shaken them to their core.

They all wondered, if they were to face Du Yu, who possessed such extraordinary speed, could they escape his rapid onslaught?

This truth required no explanation—it was deeply understood by all.

"As expected of Tian Boguang's apprentice, his speed is on par with Tian Boguang's," Rou Rou exclaimed.

The surrounding adventurers, who hadn't made a move, echoed her sentiment, their faces clouded with unease. It was evident that provoking such an individual was not in their best interest.

Du Yu, unaware that his Coach Leggings had such a powerful effect, continued his pursuit of Yu Canghai. Yue Buqun, feeling the threat posed by Du Yu's remarkable speed, frowned. However, their primary objective was to prevent Yu Canghai, their formidable enemy, from absconding with the Evil Resisting Sword Manual.

Yu Canghai, as a master of his generation, was exceptionally fast. Even with Du Yu's 30-point movement speed, keeping up was a challenge.

Yet, a problem arose.

The Coach Leggings were only effective for 30 seconds.

After struggling for 30 seconds, Du Yu could no longer maintain the pace. Glancing at the time, he realized that he had to persevere for another five minutes before he could escape the ill-fated grasp of the Sword Manual of Resisting Evil.