“Roar!” In the piercing howl of the black panther, it swatted the Nian steel on the ground away with a single paw, then turned its head, its blood-red eyes glaring fiercely at Zhang Wen. This beast’s intelligence was clearly not low; although Zhang Wen’s unexpected strike had injured its abdomen, it hadn’t harmed its core. After knocking away Zhang Wen’s weapon, it still had ample strength to seek revenge, making Zhang Wen taste the might of the forest’s king!
A low growl, the stench of the beast pungent. Thick, sticky blood dripped from its abdomen to the ground, staining the yellowed leaves crimson. As the black panther spread its wings, preparing for some bizarre attack, Zhang Wen smiled calmly and slowly raised his left hand. The panther’s blood-red pupils suddenly trembled. Unbeknownst to it, Zhang Wen had grabbed its tail. During their earlier encounter, Zhang Wen had not only scratched its vulnerable abdomen with his toes but also seized the panther’s long tail. For the first time, fear flickered in the eyes of this jungle king as it faced this unpredictable enemy.
But before the panther could react, Zhang Wen struck first. The pinnacle of the Spring Water Technique was ruthlessness! Gentle as spring water, yet carrying the will of ultimate softness and ruthlessness. Like rivers flowing into the sea, any enemy who dared to attack would face the impact of countless waters surging into the ocean! A roaring, surging ocean wave!
Zhang Wen’s figure suddenly moved, ignoring the strange double gravity and the thin air. His left hand jerked violently, and silver combat energy erupted. Along with it, the panther’s whip-like tail was severed, a spray of blood bursting from the middle. The severed tail fell to the ground, twitching and writhing. As the panther howled in agony, Zhang Wen’s figure had already ghost-like mounted its back, his legs like flexible ropes tightly wrapping around the panther’s body. His left hand gripped its neck, while his right hand formed a fist, carrying an intensely concentrated combat energy, and struck towards the panther’s waist.
All felines, whether cats, wolves, or panthers, share a common weakness—the waist. Break its spine, and even a dragon would be forced to the ground. “Boom!” Zhang Wen’s fist smashed into the panther’s sturdy waist bone, the collision of combat energy and hard object erupting in a bright silver light. The panther, in a frenzy of pain, turned its head to bite Zhang Wen’s skull. This beast’s bones were incredibly strong!
Zhang Wen was also slightly shocked. His punch could normally pierce through rock and steel, and even a peak-level martial artist wouldn’t withstand it, yet the panther was only in pain, not seriously injured. His hand was numb from the impact. The panther roared and leaped, trying to throw Zhang Wen off, its sharp fangs just inches from biting him. “Boom!” Zhang Wen’s second fist struck like lightning, landing in the same spot. This time, he used the Phoenix Eye Fist! His right index finger slightly protruded, the second knuckle striking the panther’s spine, all combat energy concentrated into a single point and released.
The knuckle’s contact with the panther’s spine flashed with white light, countless energies penetrating its body. “Crack! Snap!” A series of terrifying popping sounds, the massive panther’s spine shattered inch by inch from the tailbone, emitting a deafening roar as it threw Zhang Wen off. Rolling on the ground and standing up, Zhang Wen saw the strange-looking panther lying motionless, blood trickling from its nostrils—clearly dead.
Zhang Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief. This creature was truly tough. If it were outside, it might have been manageable, but in this primeval forest, his speed and strength were significantly affected, and without his sword, defeating it with just his fists was no small feat. Looking at his right index finger, the skin was broken and bruised, likely affecting his ability to wield a sword.
Catching his breath, Zhang Wen stepped on the scattered leaves, about to retrieve his Nian steel when a sudden sense of danger shot up his spine. Almost instinctively, Zhang Wen’s body stiffened and fell forward, his toes pushing off the ground just before impact, propelling him like an arrow. “Swoosh! Swoosh!” A few faint sounds, a sharp silver thread grazed Zhang Wen’s back, leaving a trail of blood. The thread sliced through a row of thick trees ahead, silently retracting. “Rumble…” The next second, those trees were cleanly severed, the upper halves crashing down towards Zhang Wen like a massive wall.
Just half an inch slower, and Zhang Wen would have been the one cut in half! The double gravity had already greatly affected his speed, and this sudden ambush was unexpected. With an unknown assassin behind him and towering trees collapsing in front, accompanied by the deafening roar, Zhang Wen’s body was crushed under countless massive trees.
“Hahaha… Andre, you’ve finally met your match!” Amid the swirling debris and dust, three figures emerged from the shadows of the giant shrubs. The first was a bald, short, and fat man, holding a fishing rod. The silver thread that had attacked Zhang Wen was the line from his rod. A powerhouse from the Infinite Arena, nicknamed “High Rod.” His weapon was a fishing rod, capable of channeling combat energy into a single thread, killing without a trace. His level was peak Saint-tier.
From the other side emerged a skinny man with inverted triangular eyes. If the fat man resembled a meatball, this one was a lean skeleton and bamboo pole. His nickname, ironically, was “Hunk.” His weapon was a massive, one-man-tall battle axe, weighing at least two to three hundred pounds. Yet, the Hunk carried it on his shoulder as if it were weightless, stepping on the soft leaves without sinking in.
The last to emerge was a woman with an androgynous appearance. She wore a black male tailcoat, and if not for her prominent chest, her plain, unremarkable face would make it hard to believe she was a woman. She carried no weapon. Yet, High Rod and Hunk seemed to hold her in great respect, nodding to her and saying, “Queen, that guy should be half-dead by now, right?”
“Not yet,” the androgynous woman, referred to as Queen, gently brushed her tailcoat. Her short hair was neatly tied up, making her look like a young boy. Shaking her head, she continued, “Be careful. You all know how formidable Silver Fox Andre is. This guy is too cunning. Proceed cautiously and tighten the encirclement slowly.”
“Haha, Queen, you’re being too cautious. With the three of us, even face-to-face, we can take down Silver Fox. His reputation was never built on strength!” The short, fat man scratched his oily bald head.
Queen’s face suddenly darkened. Her expressionless face was already cold, but now it seemed to be covered in frost. “Do you want to die, High Rod?”
The latter shivered, swallowing his words. Hunk remained silent throughout, as if he didn’t exist. The three of them stopped talking and slowly closed in on Zhang Wen, who was buried under the massive trees. Eventually, they formed a five-meter-diameter encirclement. Within this range, they could ensure their safety while preventing Zhang Wen’s sudden counterattack.
Queen gave High Rod a look, and the short, fat man nodded, swinging his fishing rod. Combat energy flowed into the thread, casting a long silver light. The hook on the thread latched onto the pile of massive logs, lifting them with a clever use of combat energy. If the academy teachers saw this, they would be stunned—it was a textbook example, no, even better than the textbook! The empire’s use of combat energy in martial arts was still in its infancy, and such ingenious applications were rare.
One by one, the towering logs were lifted, revealing a human-shaped hole in the ground, but Zhang Wen was nowhere to be seen. High Rod was stunned, Hunk’s inverted triangular eyes sharpened, and Queen’s face darkened, almost dripping with water.
“Behind!” As Queen turned like lightning, her hands rubbed together, and a golden fan-shaped light arc spread out. The air was torn by combat energy, emitting a terrifying crackling sound, as if the entire space was being cut by an invisible force.
At the same moment, ten meters behind Queen, a large hole opened in the thick layer of leaves, and Zhang Wen jumped out. He had protected himself with combat energy when the logs fell and cleverly used the thick leaves to hide, quietly escaping. He had planned to counterattack, but as soon as he emerged, he saw a deadly light arc coming his way.
It wasn’t just light—it was sixteen golden cards, each with a sharp edge spinning with enough force to slice through the hardest alloy, and they carried a special combat energy that felt like the scorching sun. Zhang Wen even sensed a dangerous aura from them—destruction!
The invisible force filled the space around him, leaving no room to dodge. Fortunately, he had already retrieved his Nian steel. The classical Chinese sword suddenly burst with dazzling starlight, thrusting towards the golden light arc. This strike was his full power, a burst of energy at the level beyond Saint-tier. It seemed like a single thrust, but the sword tip trembled, striking sixteen times in an instant. Missing even one would be fatal!
Normally, Zhang Wen kept his power hidden, following the Spring Water Technique’s cultivation method, but at this life-and-death moment, he unleashed it all. The calm river surged into a massive wave, devouring everything!
“Boom!!!” The dazzling starlight collided with the golden light arc, creating a blue combat energy ripple. All standing plants within a radius of tens of meters were instantly flattened, revealing a circular, barren area.
After the brilliant light arc and shockwave faded, Zhang Wen was pushed back ten meters by the invisible force. His vision returned to normal, and he was surprised to find himself surrounded by the three strange figures. They seemed completely unaffected by the combat energy explosion, indicating their strength was not to be underestimated.
Zhang Wen adjusted his breathing, letting the combat energy in his body flow rapidly with the Spring Water Technique to reach his peak condition. At the same time, he tried to buy time with words. “You all…”
“Silver Fox Andre, have you forgotten your old comrades?” High Rod sneered, swinging his fishing rod. “Back in the Infinite Arena, you always had the upper hand. Weren’t you so arrogant then?”
Hunk remained silent, his inverted triangular eyes flashing with hatred. His shoulder moved, and the massive battle axe swung down in front of Zhang Wen, who deftly turned to avoid it. A red combat energy light shot out, plowing a five-meter-deep, twenty-meter-long trench in the ground!
This lean man’s body contained incredible destructive power. What made Zhang Wen most wary was his strange strength. Wielding a one-man-tall battle axe with a metal blade half a man’s height, it was unimaginable how much strength it took to swing it effortlessly with one hand. Yet, the axe felt weightless in Hunk’s hands, as if he were wielding a toothpick. The axe swung down like lightning and was instantly pulled back to his shoulder, as if it had never been swung.
What puzzled Zhang Wen most was that Hunk’s arms showed no trace of muscle, as if they were just skin and bones. Among the three, the woman made Zhang Wen the most cautious. Though her appearance was unremarkable, her earlier move showed her strength far exceeded that of an ordinary Saint-tier.
“What if I told you you’ve got the wrong person? Would you believe me?” Zhang Wen smiled wryly at the three, another downside of being mistaken for Andre. Since being identified as that dead man, he had seen no benefits, only a slew of enemies. The more he thought about it, the more he felt it was a raw deal.
“Bullshit!” The short, bald High Rod squinted his small eyes, scratching his oily bald head vigorously. “Andre, we’d recognize you even if you turned to ashes! That stench of yours, the aura of crawling out of hell, can’t fool my nose… Besides, someone already told us about you…” After a glare from Queen, High Rod shuddered and swallowed his words.
Zhang Wen was slightly surprised. Why did their words sound familiar? It reminded him of something he had told Melissa. He pursed his lips, realizing that even a faint scent on him was being linked to Silver Fox Andre. There was no way to clear this up.
Queen took a step forward, her left hand open, a golden card spinning eerily in her palm, emitting a “whooshing” sound. “Silver Fox Andre, do you remember me?” As she spoke, her plain face suddenly shifted, revealing a delicate, fox-like visage. “Remember when we came to the Infinite Arena to compete for rankings? You told me we’d build our own legacy together, but… you’re truly cunning. Not only did you deceive my body, but you also took my life. In the end, you reaped all the benefits… Heartless and ungrateful, that’s what you taught me, and I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.”
This beast’s intelligence was clearly no small matter. Although Zhang Wen’s unexpected strike had wounded its abdomen, it had not seriously injured it. After knocking Zhang Wen’s weapon away, it still had enough strength left to exact revenge and show Zhang Wen the might of the forest’s king!
A low, rumbling growl rumbled through the air, accompanied by the beast’s pungent, blood-soaked breath. Thick, viscous blood dripped from its belly down to the ground, staining the withered yellow leaves a deep crimson.
As the black panther unfurled its wings, preparing some unknown attack, Zhang Wen simply smiled calmly and slowly raised his left hand.
The beast’s blood-red pupils suddenly trembled. Somehow, Zhang Wen had managed to grab its tail. It must have happened when they had passed each other earlier — not only had Zhang Wen slashed its vulnerable belly with his toe, but he had also seized the panther’s long tail.
For the first time, fear flickered in the eyes of this jungle monarch, faced with an unpredictable enemy.
But before the panther could react, Zhang Wen had already launched his counterattack.
The highest realm of the Spring Water Technique was mercilessness — like an endless stream, it followed the will of supreme gentleness and absolute emotionlessness. Like rivers rushing into the sea, anyone who dared attack would have to endure the impact of the entire ocean’s might!
A roaring, surging tidal wave!
Zhang Wen suddenly moved, defying the strange double gravity and the thin air. His left hand jerked violently, unleashing a burst of silver battle energy.
Along with it, the panther’s whip-like tail was blown apart in a spray of blood, severed in half. The severed tail writhed and twitched as it hit the ground.
At the moment the panther howled in unbearable pain, Zhang Wen had already ghost-like mounted it. His legs coiled around its body like tough ropes, binding it tightly. His left hand gripped its neck while his right hand clenched into a fist, charged with concentrated battle energy, and struck toward the beast’s waist.
No matter the cat, wolf, or leopard, they all shared a common weak point — the waist. If you broke its spine at the waist, even a dragon would have to kneel.
“Boom!” Zhang Wen’s fist smashed into the panther’s thick waist bone, and the collision of battle energy against the hard bone emitted a brilliant silver glow. Roaring furiously, the beast twisted its head, attempting to sink its fangs into Zhang Wen’s skull.
What tough bones this beast had!
Zhang Wen couldn’t help but feel a bit startled. His punch earlier could have shattered rock or steel plates. Even a peak-level physical martial artist wouldn’t have survived it, yet the panther only showed pain without serious injury. His own hand was numb from the impact.
The panther roared and thrashed, trying to throw Zhang Wen off, its sharp fangs just inches from biting his head.
“Boom!” Zhang Wen’s second punch came like lightning, striking the same spot. This time, he used the Phoenix Eye Fist!
His right hand’s index finger protruded slightly, using the second knuckle to strike the panther’s spine. Again, he channeled the Spring Water Technique, condensing all his battle energy into a single point and unleashing it.
A flash of white electricity erupted where his knuckle met the beast’s spine, and countless waves of energy surged into its body.
“Crack! Snap!!” A series of terrifying popping sounds followed. Starting from the tailbone injury, a long section of the beast’s spine shattered inch by inch. With a deafening roar, it flung Zhang Wen off with one last convulsion.
After rolling to his feet, Zhang Wen saw the monstrous black panther lying motionless, blood trickling from its nose — clearly dead beyond any doubt.
Zhang Wen finally exhaled in relief. That creature had been no easy opponent. If this had happened outside the forest, it wouldn’t have been so bad. But here, in this primal wilderness, his speed and strength were noticeably weakened. Without his sword, defeating this beast with just his fists had been no small feat.
He glanced at his right index finger’s knuckle — it was scraped and bruised. Holding a sword might be difficult for a while.
“Roar!” Amid the piercing howl of the black panther, it swatted the steel weapon on the ground away with a single paw, then turned its head, its blood-red eyes glaring venomously at Zhang Wen.
This beast’s intelligence was clearly not low. Although Zhang Wen’s unexpected strike had injured its abdomen, it hadn’t hit any vital organs. After knocking Zhang Wen’s weapon away, it still had plenty of strength to exact revenge, letting Zhang Wen taste the might of the king of this forest!
A low growl rumbled, the stench of the beast’s breath assaulting the senses. Thick, sticky blood dripped from its abdomen to the ground, staining the yellowed leaves crimson.
As the black panther’s wings spread, unsure of what bizarre attack it was preparing, Zhang Wen smiled calmly and slowly raised his left hand.
The panther’s blood-red pupils suddenly trembled. Unbeknownst to it, Zhang Wen had somehow grabbed its tail.
During their earlier clash, Zhang Wen had not only managed to scratch its vulnerable abdomen with his toes but had also seized the panther’s long tail.
For the first time, the king of the jungle showed fear in its eyes, facing this unpredictable enemy.
But before the panther could react, Zhang Wen had already launched his counterattack.
The highest realm of the Spring Water Technique was ruthlessness! Gentle as spring water, yet carrying the will of ultimate softness and ruthlessness. Like a river flowing into the sea. If the enemy wanted to attack him, they would have to endure the impact of the torrential waters!
A roaring, surging ocean wave!
Zhang Wen’s figure suddenly moved, ignoring the strange double gravity, ignoring the thin air, his left hand flicked sharply, and silver combat energy exploded.
Along with it, the black panther’s whip-like tail was severed, a burst of blood flowers erupting from the middle. The severed tail fell to the ground, twitching and writhing.
Just as the panther let out a pained howl, Zhang Wen’s figure had already ghost-like mounted its back, his legs like flexible ropes tightly entwining the panther’s body. His left hand gripped its neck, his right hand clenched into a fist, carrying an intensely concentrated combat energy, striking towards the panther’s waist.
All felines, whether cats, wolves, or panthers, share a common weakness—the waist. Break its spine, and even a dragon would be forced to kneel.
“Boom!” Zhang Wen’s fist struck the panther’s sturdy waist bone, the collision of combat energy and hard object erupting in a bright silver light. The panther howled in fury, twisting its head to bite Zhang Wen’s skull.
This beast’s resilience was astonishing!
Zhang Wen couldn’t help but feel a bit shocked. His earlier punch could have shattered rocks and steel plates, even a peak-level martial artist wouldn’t have been able to withstand it, yet the panther was only in pain, not seriously injured. His hand was numb from the impact.
The panther roared and leaped, trying to throw Zhang Wen off, its sharp fangs just inches from biting him.
“Boom!” Zhang Wen’s second fist struck like lightning, landing in the same spot. This time, Zhang Wen used the Phoenix Eye Fist!
The index finger of his right fist slightly protruded, the second knuckle striking the panther’s spine. Again, he used the Spring Water Technique to concentrate all his combat energy into a single point.
The knuckle’s contact with the panther’s spine flashed with white electric light, countless energies penetrating its body.
“Crack! Snap!” A series of terrifying popping sounds, the massive panther’s spine shattered inch by inch from the point of injury at its tailbone, letting out a deafening roar, throwing Zhang Wen off.
After rolling on the ground and standing up, Zhang Wen saw the bizarre-looking panther lying motionless, blood trickling from its nostrils. It seemed to be dead beyond doubt.
Zhang Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief. This creature was truly difficult to deal with. If it were outside, it might have been different, but in this primeval forest, he felt his speed and strength were significantly affected. Without his sword, relying solely on his fists to take down this beast was no easy feat.
Looking at the bruised and skinned knuckle of his right index finger, he realized it would likely affect his ability to wield a sword.
Zhang Wen took a few deep breaths, stepping on the scattered leaves, about to retrieve his steel weapon when a sudden sense of impending danger shot up his spine. Almost instinctively, Zhang Wen’s body stiffened and fell forward, his toes pushing off the ground just before impact, propelling him like an arrow.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
A few faint sounds, a sharp silver thread almost grazed Zhang Wen’s back, leaving a trail of blood. The thread silently sliced through a row of large trees before retracting.
“Rumble…” The next second, those trees were cleanly cut in half, the upper halves crashing down towards Zhang Wen like a massive wall.
Just half an inch slower, and Zhang Wen would have been the one cut in half!
Under double gravity, Zhang Wen’s speed was already greatly affected, and this sudden ambush was completely unexpected. With an unknown assassin behind him and a row of towering trees collapsing in front, accompanied by the deafening noise, Zhang Wen’s body was buried under countless massive trees.
“Hahaha… Andre, you’ve finally met your match!”
Amid the swirling debris and dust, three figures emerged from the shadows of the large bushes.
The first was a bald, short, and fat man. He held a fishing rod in his hand, the silver thread that had attacked Zhang Wen was the line from his rod.
A top-tier fighter from the Infinite Arena, nicknamed “High Pole.” His weapon was a fishing rod, capable of infusing combat energy into a single thread, killing without a trace. His level was peak Saint-tier.
From the other side emerged a skinny man with inverted triangular eyes. If the fat man looked like a meatball, this one was a stick-thin skeleton. His nickname was “Strongman,” because his weapon was a massive, two to three hundred-pound battle axe, which he carried on his shoulder as if it weighed nothing, stepping on the soft leaves without sinking.
The last to emerge was a woman with an androgynous appearance. She wore a black male tailcoat, and if not for her prominent chest, her plain, unremarkable face would make it hard to believe she was a woman.
She carried no weapons.
High Pole and Strongman seemed to hold great respect for this androgynous woman. They nodded to her, saying, “Queen, that guy should be half-dead by now, right?”
“Not yet,” the woman known as Queen gently brushed her tailcoat, her short hair neatly combed, making her look like a young boy. Shaking her head, she continued, “Be careful, the Silver Fox Andre’s prowess is well-known. This guy is too cunning, be cautious and slowly tighten the encirclement.”
“Haha, Queen, you’re being too cautious. With the three of us, even face-to-face, we can take down the Silver Fox. That guy was never known for his strength!” The short, fat man scratched his shiny bald head.
The Queen’s face suddenly darkened, her expression already cold enough, now it seemed to be covered in frost.
“Do you want to die, High Pole?”
The latter shuddered, swallowing his remaining words.
Strongman remained silent throughout, following them as if he had no presence.
The three of them stopped talking, slowly moving towards the area where Zhang Wen was buried under the massive trees. Eventually, they formed a five-meter diameter encirclement. Within this range, they could ensure their safety while preventing any sudden counterattacks from Zhang Wen.
The Queen gave High Pole a look, and the short, fat man nodded, flicking his fishing rod, infusing combat energy into the line, sending a long silver light, the hook on the line catching the pile of massive logs and lifting them.
The combat energy’s power was so skillfully applied that it lifted the massive logs, one by one.
If the academy teachers had seen this, they would have been stunned. This was a textbook example! No, it was even more perfect than the textbooks. The empire’s use of combat energy in martial arts was still in its infancy, such a clever application was rare.
The towering trees were lifted one by one. Finally, a human-shaped hole was revealed on the ground, but Zhang Wen was nowhere to be seen.
They had anticipated many scenarios, but never this. High Pole was stunned, Strongman’s inverted triangular eyes shot sharp glints.
The most terrifying was the Queen, her face so dark it seemed like water could drip from it.
“Behind!” As the Queen turned like lightning, her hands rubbed together, a golden fan-shaped light arc spread out.
The air was torn by combat energy, emitting a terrifying cracking sound, as if the entire space had been cut by an invisible force.
At the same moment, ten meters behind the Queen, a large hole suddenly opened in the thick layer of leaves, and Zhang Wen jumped out. He had used combat energy to protect himself when the massive trees fell, cleverly hiding under the thick leaves and quietly escaping. He had planned to counterattack, but as soon as he emerged, he saw a deadly light arc coming his way.
It wasn’t just light, but sixteen spinning golden cards, each sharp edge rotating with enough force to slice through the hardest alloy, and the combat energy they carried was a special kind, giving off a scorching, sun-like sensation.
Zhang Wen even faintly sensed a dangerous aura from them—destruction!
In all directions, this invisible force filled the space, this attack had to be faced head-on, there was no avoiding it!
Fortunately, he had already retrieved his steel weapon, the classical Chinese sword suddenly burst with dazzling starlight, thrusting towards the golden light arc.
This strike was also without reservation, fully unleashing his Saint-tier level. An explosive strike.
It seemed like just one thrust, but in reality, the sword tip trembled like a bee’s stinger, thrusting sixteen times. If even one was missed, a single card could be fatal!
Normally, Zhang Wen kept his power hidden, following the Spring Water Technique’s cultivation method, only unleashing it fully in life-and-death moments. The calm river surged into a massive wave! Devouring everything!
“Boom!!!”
The dazzling starlight collided with the golden light arc, creating a blue ripple of combat energy. Within a radius of dozens of meters, all standing plants were instantly flattened, revealing a circular, empty area.
After the brilliant light arc and shockwave subsided, Zhang Wen was pushed back ten meters by the invisible force. His vision returned to normal, and he was surprised to find himself already surrounded by the three bizarre figures.
They seemed completely unaffected by the earlier combat energy explosion.
This also indicated that the strength of these three was absolutely not to be underestimated.
Zhang Wen adjusted his breathing, letting the combat energy within him flow rapidly according to the Spring Water Technique, reaching its optimal state. At the same time, he tried to buy time with words.
“You all…”
“Silver Fox Andre, you haven’t forgotten your old comrades, have you?” High Pole sneered, flicking his fishing rod. “Back in the Infinite Arena, you always had the upper hand, weren’t you so arrogant?”
Strongman remained silent, his inverted triangular eyes flashing with hatred, his shoulder moved, and the massive battle axe swung down in front of Zhang Wen, who deftly turned to avoid it. A red combat energy light shot out, plowing a five-meter deep, twenty-meter long trench in the ground!
This skinny man’s body contained an incredible destructive force. What made Zhang Wen most wary was his strange strength. Wielding a one-man tall battle axe with a single hand, the metal blade alone was half a man’s height, it was unimaginable what kind of strength was needed to swing it so effortlessly.
But the axe in Strongman’s hand felt as light as a toothpick, as if he wasn’t wielding a two to three hundred-pound object, but a light stick. It swung down like lightning and was instantly pulled back to his shoulder, as if he had never swung it at all.
What puzzled Zhang Wen the most was that his arms showed no sign of muscle, just skin and bones.
Yet among the three, the one Zhang Wen was most wary of was the woman. Although her appearance showed no distinctive features, her earlier move indicated her strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Saint-tier.
“What if I told you you’ve got the wrong person, would you believe me?” Zhang Wen looked at the three with a bitter smile. This was another downside of being mistaken for that dead man Andre. Since being recognized as that ghost, he hadn’t seen any benefits, only a heap of enemies. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had drawn the short end of the stick.
“Bullshit!” The short, fat High Pole squinted his small eyes, scratching his shiny bald head vigorously, “Andre, even if you turned to ashes, we’d recognize you! That stench of yours, the aura of someone who crawled out of hell, can’t fool my nose… Besides, someone already told us, you…” After being glared at by the Queen, High Pole shuddered, swallowing the rest of his words.
Zhang Wen was a bit surprised, why did their words sound familiar? It was as if he had said them to Melissa.
He curled his lips, realizing that even a bit of his scent was being linked to the Silver Fox Andre. There was no way to clear this up.
The Queen took a step forward, her left hand open, a golden card stood obliquely on her palm, spinning eerily, emitting a “whooshing” sound.
“Silver Fox Andre, do you remember me?” As she spoke, her plain face suddenly morphed, revealing a delicate, fox-like visage.
“Do you remember when we came to the Infinite Arena to compete for rankings? Back then, you told me we would create our own legacy together, but… you, you’re truly cunning. Not only did you deceive my body, but you also took my life. In the end, you reaped all the benefits… heartless and ungrateful, these are the lessons you taught me, and I will remember them for a lifetime.”
“Shishish!”
A few faint sounds followed. A bundle of sharp silver threads nearly grazed his back, leaving a trail of blood. The threads sliced through a row of thick trees ahead, then silently retracted.
“Rumble…” A second later, the trees were cut cleanly in half. Their upper halves crashed down toward Zhang Wen like a collapsing wall.
Only a hair’s breadth away — if he had reacted half a second slower, he would have been the one cut in two!
Under the double gravity, Zhang Wen’s speed was already greatly reduced. This sudden ambush was even more unexpected. With an unknown assassin behind him and falling trees ahead, the thunderous crash buried Zhang Wen beneath countless massive trunks.
“Hahaha… Andre, you’ve finally met your end!”
From the swirling dust and debris, three figures emerged from the shadow of a large bush.
The first was a bald, short, fat man holding a fishing rod. The silver threads that had attacked Zhang Wen were from his fishing line.
An Infinite Arena warrior, known as “High Pole.” His weapon was a fishing rod capable of channeling battle energy into a single thread, killing silently and invisibly. His level was Peak Saint.
From the other side stepped a thin man with slanted, triangular eyes. If the fat one looked like a meatball, this one was a walking skeleton — a walking bamboo pole. His nickname was ironically “Macho,” because his weapon was a massive cleaver, over a person’s height, weighing two or three hundred pounds. Yet he carried it on his shoulder as if it weighed nothing, stepping lightly on the soft leaves without even sinking slightly.
The last to emerge was an androgynous woman. She wore a black tailcoat meant for men. If not for her prominent chest, one might mistake her for a boy. Her face was plain and unremarkable, with short, neatly combed hair.
She carried no weapon.
Yet both High Pole and Macho seemed to deeply respect this androgynous woman.
“Queen, that guy must’ve lost half his life by now?” High Pole nodded toward her.
“Not yet,” the androgynous woman, known as Queen, gently brushed her tailcoat. Her face, already expressionless, grew even colder. “Be careful. You all know how formidable Silver Fox Andre is. This guy is too cunning. Let’s be cautious and slowly tighten our encirclement.”
“Haha, Queen, you’re too cautious,” the bald fatty scratched his oily head. “With our three’s strength, even head-on we could take down Silver Fox. That guy’s never been known for brute force!”
Queen’s face darkened instantly. Already cold and expressionless, it now seemed to be covered in frost.
“Do you want to die, High Pole?”
The latter flinched, swallowing the rest of his words.
Macho remained silent throughout, following them like a shadow.
Without further talk, the trio slowly approached the pile of fallen trees where Zhang Wen was buried. Eventually, they formed a five-meter diameter encirclement. Within this range, they ensured their own safety while preparing for any sudden counterattack from Zhang Wen.
Queen gave High Pole a look. The bald man nodded, swinging his fishing rod. Channeling battle energy into the thread, he cast it out with a silver flash. The hook caught the pile of massive logs and lifted them with surprising precision.
If any academy teachers saw this, they would be stunned — this was practically a textbook example! No, even better than the textbook. The Empire’s application of battle energy was still in its infancy, and such clever usage was extremely rare.
One by one, the towering trees were lifted. Finally, what was revealed was a human-shaped hole in the ground — Zhang Wen was nowhere to be seen.
They had anticipated many scenarios, but this was the last thing they expected. High Pole was stunned, and Macho’s slanted eyes flashed sharply.
But the most terrifying was Queen. Her face was so dark it seemed to drip with water.
“Behind us!” Queen spun like lightning, her hands clapping together. A golden fan-shaped arc of energy spread outward.
The air split with a terrifying explosion, as if the very space had been sliced apart by invisible force.
At that exact moment, ten meters behind Queen, a large hole burst open in the thick layer of dry leaves, and Zhang Wen leapt out. Just before the trees fell, he had used battle energy to protect himself and cleverly hidden beneath the thick leaves to escape. He had planned a counterattack, but as soon as he emerged, he was met with a deadly wave of light.
It wasn’t just light — it was sixteen golden cards, spinning rapidly. Each razor-edged card, propelled by its rotation, could slice through the hardest alloy. And infused with a special battle energy that felt like the scorching heat of the sun.
Zhang Wen could even faintly sense a dangerous aura from them — destruction!
Above, below, and all around, this invisible force filled the space. This was an attack that could only be met head-on — no dodging was possible!
“Roar!” Amid the piercing howl of the black panther, it swatted the steel staff on the ground with a powerful paw, sending it flying. Then, it turned its head, its blood-red eyes glaring fiercely at Zhang Wen.
This beast’s intelligence was evidently not low. Although Zhang Wen’s unexpected strike had injured its abdomen, it hadn’t dealt a critical blow. After swatting away Zhang Wen’s weapon, it still had ample strength to exact revenge, letting Zhang Wen taste the might of the forest’s king!
A low growl rumbled, and the pungent stench of the beast filled the air. Thick, sticky blood dripped from its abdomen to the ground, staining the withered yellow leaves crimson.
As the black panther’s wings spread open, hinting at some bizarre form of attack, Zhang Wen calmly smiled and slowly raised his left hand.
The panther’s blood-red pupils suddenly trembled. Unbeknownst to it, Zhang Wen had somehow managed to grab its tail.
During their earlier clash, Zhang Wen had not only nicked the panther’s vulnerable abdomen with his toes but also seized its long tail.
For the first time, fear flickered in the eyes of this jungle’s apex predator as it faced this enigmatic foe.
But before the panther could react, Zhang Wen had already launched a counterattack.
The pinnacle of the Spring Water Technique was ruthlessness! Gentle as spring water, yet embodying the highest will of softness and indifference. Like a river flowing into the sea, any enemy seeking to attack him would have to endure the impact of countless waters surging into the ocean!
A roaring, surging tidal wave!
Zhang Wen’s figure suddenly moved, disregarding the strange double gravity and the thin air. His left hand jerked violently, and silver combat energy erupted.
Along with it, the black panther’s whip-like tail was severed, a burst of blood spraying from the middle. The severed tail fell to the ground, twitching and writhing.
In the instant the panther let out a pained howl, Zhang Wen’s figure had already ghost-like mounted its back, his legs like resilient ropes tightly entwining the panther’s body. His left arm wrapped around its neck, while his right hand clenched into a fist, carrying an intensely concentrated combat energy, and struck towards the panther’s waist.
All felines, whether cats, wolves, or panthers, share a common weakness—the waist. Breaking its spine would render even a dragon helpless.
“Boom!” Zhang Wen’s fist smashed into the panther’s sturdy waist bone. The collision of combat energy with the hard object erupted in a bright silver flash. The panther, enraged, turned its head to bite Zhang Wen’s skull.
This beast’s resilience was astonishing!
Zhang Wen couldn’t help but feel a bit shocked. His punch, which could normally pierce through rock and steel, and which even a peak-level martial artist couldn’t withstand, had only caused the panther pain without serious injury. His hand was numb from the impact.
The panther roared and leaped, trying to throw Zhang Wen off, its sharp fangs mere inches from biting him.
“Boom!” Zhang Wen’s second fist struck like lightning, landing in the same spot. This time, he used the Phoenix Eye Fist!
The index finger of his right fist protruded slightly, striking the panther’s spine with the second knuckle. Again, he channeled the Spring Water Technique, concentrating all his combat energy into a single point.
The knuckle’s contact with the panther’s spine flashed with white electric light, and countless energies penetrated its body.
“Crack! Snap!” A series of terrifying popping sounds erupted. The massive panther’s spine shattered piece by piece from the point of injury at the tailbone. With a deafening roar, it flung Zhang Wen off.
After rolling on the ground and standing up, Zhang Wen saw the strange-looking black panther lying motionless, blood trickling from its nostrils. It seemed to be dead beyond doubt.
Zhang Wen finally breathed a sigh of relief. This creature had been tough to deal with. If it were outside, it might have been manageable, but in this primeval forest, his speed and strength felt significantly hampered. Without his sword, relying solely on his fists to take down this beast was no small feat.
He glanced at the bruised and skinned knuckle of his right index finger, realizing it might affect his ability to wield a sword.
After catching his breath, Zhang Wen stepped over the scattered leaves to retrieve his steel staff when a sudden sense of impending danger shot up his spine. Instinctively, he threw himself forward, and just before hitting the ground, he pushed off with his toes, shooting forward like an arrow.
“Whoosh! Whoosh!”
A few faint sounds followed as a sharp silver thread grazed Zhang Wen’s back, leaving a trail of blood. The thread sliced through a row of massive trees ahead, silently retracting.
“Rumble…” The next second, the trees were cleanly severed at the waist, their upper halves crashing down towards Zhang Wen like a massive wall.
Just half an inch slower, and Zhang Wen would have been the one cut in half!
Under double gravity, Zhang Wen’s speed was already greatly affected, and this sudden ambush was unexpected. With an unknown assassin behind him and towering trees collapsing in front, Zhang Wen was buried under countless falling trees.
“Hahaha… Andre, you’ve finally met your match!”
Amid the swirling debris, leaves, and dust, three figures emerged from the shadows of the massive shrubs.
The first was a bald, short, and stout man. He held a fishing rod, and the silver thread that had attacked Zhang Wen was the line from his rod.
A top-tier fighter from the Infinite Arena, nicknamed “High Pole.” His weapon was a fishing rod, capable of channeling combat energy into a single thread, killing without a trace. His level was at the peak of the Saint rank.
From the other side emerged a skinny man with inverted triangular eyes. If the fat man resembled a meatball, this one was a walking skeleton. His nickname, ironically, was “Hunk,” because his weapon was a massive, two to three hundred-pound battle axe. Despite its size, he carried it effortlessly on his shoulder, barely sinking into the soft, leaf-covered ground.
The last to emerge was a woman with an androgynous appearance. She wore a black male tailcoat, and if not for her prominent chest, her plain, unremarkable face would make it hard to believe she was a woman.
She carried no weapon.
Yet, High Pole and Hunk seemed to hold her in high regard, nodding to her and saying, “Queen, that guy should be half-dead by now, right?”
“Not yet,” the androgynous woman, referred to as Queen, gently brushed her tailcoat. Her short, neatly combed hair gave her a youthful appearance. Shaking her head, she continued, “Be careful. You all know how formidable Silver Fox Andre is. He’s too cunning. Let’s tighten the encirclement slowly.”
“Haha, Queen, you’re being too cautious. With the three of us, even face-to-face, we can take down Silver Fox. His reputation was never built on strength!” The short, bald man scratched his oily scalp.
Queen’s face suddenly darkened. Her expression, already cold, now seemed to be covered in frost.
“Do you want to die, High Pole?”
The latter shuddered, swallowing his words.
Hunk remained silent throughout, almost as if he were invisible.
The three of them stopped talking and slowly closed in on Zhang Wen, who was buried under the fallen trees. They formed a five-meter diameter encirclement, ensuring their safety while preparing for any sudden counterattack from Zhang Wen.
Queen gave High Pole a look, and the short, bald man nodded. With a flick of his fishing rod, he channeled combat energy into the line, sending a silver flash that hooked onto the pile of massive logs and lifted them.
The combat energy’s force was so precise that it effortlessly lifted the logs, one by one.
If the academy’s teachers had seen this, they would have been stunned. This was a textbook example—no, even better than the textbook! The empire’s use of combat energy in martial arts was still in its infancy, and such a refined application was rare.
The towering trees were lifted one by one, revealing a human-shaped hole in the ground, but Zhang Wen was nowhere to be seen.
Having anticipated many scenarios, this outcome was unexpected. High Pole was momentarily stunned, and Hunk’s inverted triangular eyes gleamed sharply.
But the most terrifying was Queen, her face darkening as if it could drip water.
“Behind!” As Queen turned with lightning speed, her hands rubbed together, and a golden fan-shaped arc of light spread out.
The air was torn by combat energy, emitting a terrifying cracking sound, as if the entire space had been sliced by an invisible force.
At the same moment, ten meters behind Queen, a large hole opened in the thick layer of leaves, and Zhang Wen jumped out. He had used combat energy to protect himself when the trees fell and cleverly hid under the thick leaves, sneaking out. He had planned to counterattack, but as soon as he emerged, he saw a deadly light coming his way.
It wasn’t just light—it was sixteen spinning golden cards, each with sharp edges that could slice through the hardest alloy, and the combat energy they carried felt like a scorching sun.
Zhang Wen even sensed a dangerous aura from them—destruction!
The invisible force filled the space around him, leaving him no choice but to face the attack head-on.
Fortunately, he had already retrieved his steel staff. The classical Chinese sword in his hand suddenly burst with dazzling starlight, thrusting towards the golden arc.
This strike was no holds barred, unleashing his full power beyond the Saint rank. A single thrust, but the sword tip vibrated like a bee’s stinger, striking sixteen times in an instant. Missing even one could be fatal!
Normally, Zhang Wen kept his power hidden, following the Spring Water Technique’s philosophy. Only in life-and-death moments did he unleash his full strength. A calm river could surge into a tidal wave, devouring everything!
“Boom!!!”
The dazzling starlight collided with the golden arc, creating a blue ripple of combat energy. Within a radius of dozens of meters, all standing plants were instantly flattened, leaving a circular, barren patch.
After the brilliant light and shockwave subsided, Zhang Wen was pushed back ten meters by the invisible force. As his vision cleared, he was surprised to find himself surrounded by the three odd-looking figures.
They seemed completely unaffected by the combat energy explosion.
This indicated that their strength was not to be underestimated.
Zhang Wen adjusted his breathing, letting the combat energy within him flow rapidly according to the Spring Water Technique to reach his optimal state. At the same time, he tried to buy time with words.
“You guys…”
“Silver Fox Andre, have you forgotten your old comrades?” High Pole sneered, flicking his fishing rod. “Back in the Infinite Arena, you always had the upper hand. Weren’t you so arrogant then?”
Hunk remained silent, but his inverted triangular eyes gleamed with hatred. With a movement of his shoulder, he swung his massive battle axe down in front of Zhang Wen, who deftly turned to avoid it. A red combat energy beam shot out, plowing a five-meter-deep, twenty-meter-long trench in the ground!
This skinny man’s body held an incredible destructive force. What made Zhang Wen most wary was his freakish strength. Wielding a battle axe as tall as a person, with a blade half a man’s height, it was unimaginable how he could swing it so effortlessly with one hand.
Yet, the axe felt weightless in Hunk’s hands, as if he were wielding a toothpick rather than a two to three hundred-pound weapon. He swung it down like lightning and instantly pulled it back to his shoulder, as if he had never swung it at all.
What puzzled Zhang Wen most was that Hunk’s arms showed no trace of muscle, as if they were just skin and bones.
But among the three, the one Zhang Wen was most wary of was the woman. Though her appearance was unremarkable, her earlier move showed that her strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Saint rank.
“What if I told you that you’ve got the wrong person? Would you believe me?” Zhang Wen gave a wry smile, glancing at the three. This was yet another downside of being mistaken for Andre. Since being identified as that dead man, he had seen no benefits but had gained a slew of enemies. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had drawn the short end of the stick.
“Bullshit!” The short, bald High Pole squinted his beady eyes, scratching his oily scalp vigorously. “Andre, we’d recognize you even if you turned to ashes! That stench of yours, the aura of someone who crawled out of hell, can’t fool my nose… Besides, someone already told us about you…” After a glare from Queen, High Pole shuddered and swallowed his words.
Zhang Wen was slightly surprised. Why did their words sound familiar? It was as if he had heard them from Melissa.
He smirked, realizing that even his scent was being linked to Silver Fox Andre. There was no way to clear this up.
Queen took a step forward, her left hand open, a golden card spinning eerily in her palm, emitting a “whooshing” sound.
“Silver Fox Andre, do you remember me?” As she spoke, her plain face suddenly morphed, revealing a delicate, fox-like visage.
“Do you remember when we came to the Infinite Arena to compete for rankings? You told me we would build something great together, but… you, you tricked me, not just my body but my life too. In the end, you took all the benefits… Heartless and ungrateful, that’s what you taught me, and I’ll never forget it.”
He held nothing back this time, unleashing the full power of a level beyond Saint. It was an explosive strike.
It seemed like just one thrust, but the blade trembled like a bee’s stinger, landing sixteen precise jabs in an instant. Even one missed would mean death from a single card!
Normally, Zhang Wen concealed his strength according to the Spring Water Technique’s cultivation method, but in this life-or-death moment, he unleashed his full power. A calm river surging into a towering tsunami — devouring everything!
“Boom!!!”
Blinding starlight clashed with golden arcs, sending out a ripple of blue battle energy. Within dozens of meters, every standing plant was instantly flattened, leaving a circular clearing.
After the dazzling light and shockwave faded, Zhang Wen was thrown backward ten meters by the invisible force. As his vision cleared, he was surprised to find himself already surrounded by the three bizarre figures.
They seemed completely unaffected by the previous explosion.
This proved that their strength was nothing to scoff at.
Zhang Wen adjusted his breathing, circulating his battle energy through the Spring Water Technique to reach his optimal state. At the same time, he used words to buy himself time.
“Friends…”
“Silver Fox Andre, you don’t remember your old comrades, do you?” High Pole sneered, flicking his fishing rod. “Back in the Infinite Arena, you always overshadowed us. Weren’t you so arrogant back then?”
Macho remained silent, his slanted eyes flashing with hatred. With a sudden movement of his shoulder, he swung his massive cleaver down toward Zhang Wen. Zhang Wen dodged deftly. A red arc of battle energy tore through the ground, carving out a trench five meters deep and twenty meters long!
This thin bamboo of a man also harbored unimaginable destructive power. What made Zhang Wen most wary was his strange strength. Holding a cleaver taller than himself, with the metal blade alone half his height, it was hard to imagine the strength needed to wield it with one hand.
Yet to Macho, the cleaver was as light as a toothpick. He swung it down like lightning and pulled it back to his shoulder in an instant, as if he had never even swung it at all.
But among the three, the one who made Zhang Wen most cautious was still the woman. Although she showed no obvious features, from her earlier attack, her strength far surpassed that of an ordinary Saint.
“If I said you had the wrong person, would you believe me?” Zhang Wen gave the trio a bitter smile. This was another downside of being mistaken for Andre. Ever since he was mistaken for that dead man, he hadn’t seen a single benefit — only enemies, and more and more of them. The more he thought about it, the more he felt he had been ripped off.
“Cut the crap!” High Pole, the bald fatty, squinted his tiny eyes, scratching his oily bald head furiously. “Andre, we’d recognize you even if you turned to ashes! That scent from hell clinging to you — my nose never lies. Besides, someone already told us — you…” He stopped abruptly after receiving a glare from Queen.
Zhang Wen was slightly surprised. The way they spoke sounded oddly familiar — like something he had told Melissa before.
He smirked slightly, realizing that even the scent on his body was being linked to Silver Fox Andre. There was no way to explain that now.
Queen stepped forward, her left hand opening. A golden card spun strangely in her palm, emitting a “shhh” sound.
“Silver Fox Andre, do you remember me?” As she spoke, her plain, unremarkable face suddenly shifted and transformed, eventually revealing a face of seductive, sinister beauty.
“Do you remember when we came together to the Infinite Arena to fight for rankings? You told me we’d build our own legacy together. But in the end… you were just as cunning as ever. You not only deceived my body but also tried to take my life. You took all the rewards for yourself… Heartless and unfeeling — that was your lesson, and I’ve remembered it for a lifetime.”
Zhang Wen was speechless. What could he say? The other party was convinced he was Andre, and he was stuck carrying this eternal burden. He never expected that even after Andre’s death, he would leave behind such a mess. Faced with this situation, Zhang Wen could only silently curse his misfortune with a bitter laugh.
Tears streaked down the queen’s delicate, pale face, yet she continued smiling sweetly: “So from the moment I crawled out of my grave, I swore that no matter how far I had to go, no matter how long it took, I would drag you down with me in death…”
Her words had barely faded when golden playing cards whirled from her left palm, emitting blinding rays of light. Simultaneously, several more cards flew from her right hand and sleeves. Nine cards in total formed a deadly spiral, slicing toward Zhang Wen from bizarre and treacherous angles, like dancing hellish butterflies weaving a net of death!
At the exact same moment, the fishing line from Gaogan and the berserker’s massive axe struck simultaneously.
With attacks coming from three directions, Zhang Wen had absolutely no chance to dodge or utilize his speed. In that split second, his expression turned uncommonly serious. Brilliant silver starlight erupted from his body as he flicked his wrist, his longsword flashing behind his back. The tip of the sword, though launched later, reached first, tapping precisely on the side of the descending axe.
“Clang!” Electric sparks burst forth like an exploding firework.
Amid the grating metallic clang, Zhang Wen’s sword bent at a terrifying angle under the axe’s immense force, nearly snapping. But with a flick and pull of his wrist, the sword moved as if manipulating a puppet, redirecting the axe along an impossible trajectory, perfectly intercepting the queen’s nine cards and Gaogan’s fishing line.
“Huh?” For the first time, the berserker expressed astonishment, barely able to believe that a simple-looking slender sword could alter the trajectory of his axe’s devastating strike.
“Berserker, what the hell are you doing?!” Gaogan’s line struck the thick axe and rebounded instantly, bursting into a flare of battle energy.
The queen’s nine golden cards struck the axe face simultaneously. If not for the axe’s interception, Zhang Wen would surely have been dismembered by the spinning cards.
The berserker grunted softly without explanation. Following the golden battle energy radiating from the queen’s cards, his thin arm suddenly bulged with muscle, revealing a right arm as muscular as a bodybuilder’s. It was an eerie sight, especially since the rest of his body remained as thin as a skeleton, with only the right arm suddenly swollen with power.
With a flick of his wrist, the three-hundred-pound cleaver spun like a toy, its massive blade swinging like a frying pan toward Zhang Wen, who was rapidly retreating.
In that instant, his speed even surpassed Zhang Wen’s!
Zhang Wen’s heart tightened. He had no idea where the damned Andre had picked up such troublesome enemies. There was no time to complain now—battle energy flared brilliantly once more.
Twisting his waist, he dove downward faster than the descending axe. The ground beneath was soft with dry leaves, and with battle energy surging into his feet, he could instantly burrow into the earth.
“Damn, this kid wants to dig underground again!” Gaogan shrieked sharply. His fishing line and the queen’s cards nearly struck simultaneously, slicing off a layer of earth.
“Boom!!” The berserker’s axe slammed into the ground, sending shards of leaves and clouds of dust flying, a terrifying display.
But Zhang Wen had already slipped away like a slick fish beneath the surface.
The three watched in frustration as a slight bulge in the dry leaves traced a line retreating into the distance.
“You can’t escape,” the berserker said coldly, his triangular eyes burning with hatred. He shifted the axe to his left hand and raised his right fist.
The queen and Gaogan seemed to have full confidence in him, watching with interest from the sidelines instead of chasing Zhang Wen.
Compared to his thin body, his right arm was already overly muscular. But as he clenched his fist and raised it, the muscles twisted and swelled, doubling in size in an instant. Clearly, he was using a unique technique to channel battle energy into his muscles for explosive strength.
Any expert who reached the Saint level had their own secret techniques.
With a roar, the berserker’s right fist slammed downward like a thunder god’s hammer, sending brilliant battle energy and dazzling arcs into the ground. Strangely, there was no explosion sound.
A current-like surge of battle energy snaked underground, chasing Zhang Wen’s trail. Several breaths later, dozens of meters away, a violent explosion erupted from beneath the surface. Zhang Wen’s body was blasted into the air along with smoke, rocks, and dirt like popping corn.
“I got this!” Gaogan shouted excitedly, slapping his bald head. His right hand flicked nimbly, and the fishing line from his rod shot toward Zhang Wen mid-air, moving too fast for the human eye to follow.
At the same time, the queen sneered coldly. A fierce killing intent flashed in her seductive eyes as she pinched a golden card between her right index and middle fingers, drawing it from her cheek. Blazing golden battle energy erupted as the card shot toward Zhang Wen.
Midair, the card spun, radiating sharp-edged battle energy. One became two, two became four, and finally sixteen, forming an arc that shot forward. No matter how skilled Zhang Wen was, he couldn’t possibly dodge them all.
“Andre, accept your fate. This island is under the arena master’s barrier, and you’re now suppressed by its gravity field. You can barely use six-tenths of your strength…”
The queen declared Zhang Wen’s fate. But the next moment, her seductive eyes widened in shock.
The three attacks suddenly collided with a massive energy shield materialized from psychic energy. Amid a crimson ripple, both the attacks and the shield shattered together. Taking the chance, Zhang Wen landed steadily after several flips, his sword glowing with silver battle energy as he warily faced the queen and the others. Yet his gaze turned toward another direction.
Who had helped him just now in such a dangerous moment?
The queen, the berserker, and Gaogan all turned their furious gazes in that direction. They were about to finish off Andre when someone interrupted. It was infuriating enough to make them explode.
“Who dares interfere with us?!”
The flying debris and swirling dust from the explosion revealed a slender figure slowly emerging from the misty forest in the distance.
It was a woman. Not just any woman, but a young and beautiful one.
She had long, wavy golden hair, and wore a rare dark purple qipao-style long dress. Her waist was tightly accentuated, highlighting her seductive hips. Her long legs moved gracefully, the slit in her skirt occasionally revealing glimpses of pale white skin.
Her ample bosom was full and shapely, bouncing rhythmically like a pair of elastic water balloons.
Any man witnessing this sight would likely lose his mind, desperate to bury his gaze in the deep cleavage revealed by her low-cut neckline.
Yet what captivated people most was her icy demeanor, like a frozen rose. Her eyes, however, carried an alluring, seductive charm. This contradictory mix of icy composure and sensual allure only enhanced her attractiveness, making her seem like a wild rose—cold on the outside but burning with passion within, tempting men to conquer her.
At this moment, the mysterious woman held a small folding fan in her right hand, approaching Zhang Wen.
With a “snap,” she elegantly opened the fan, covering the lower half of her face beneath her nose.
“Queen, Gaogan, and the Berserker, you three want to touch my man? Did you get my permission?” Her voice was soft and alluring, yet it turned the three’s faces pale with fury.
Their bodies involuntarily trembled, eyes wide and fixed on the image on the fan.
A bright red scorpion!
“Red Scorpion, Syrrena!” The queen’s pupils contracted sharply. “The fifth strongest in the Infinite Arena!”
“Andre… you really had a relationship with Syrrena, didn’t you? That’s why you abandoned me back then, right?” The queen’s seductive eyes burned with rage that could set the air ablaze as she glared at Zhang Wen.
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