Before Zhang Wen in the psychokinetic car could react, the two figures standing on the rooftop of a steel skyscraper hundreds of meters above the ground had already leapt off without hesitation.
“Ahh!” As the two plummeted like stones toward the ground, the surrounding crowd couldn’t help but let out piercing screams. Even the previously cursing passengers in the psychokinetic cars were left stunned and speechless.
However, what shocked the people even more was yet to come.
When the two had fallen halfway, the shorter of the two, as if impatient to die quickly enough, actually pushed off the wall several times with great force. With each thunderous impact of his feet against the steel wall, he accelerated again, hurtling downward like a meteor.
Boom! A deafening explosion echoed through the center of the crossroads as Edward struck the ground. At the moment of impact, his body was suddenly enveloped in blinding battle energy. Instead of the expected sight of a human body splattering into a pulp, the ground beneath him cracked and shattered, forming a crater several meters deep from the sheer force of his impact!
Simultaneously, the shockwave flipped several psychokinetic cars nearest to Edward into the air, sending them rolling sideways.
At the same moment Edward hit the ground, Phoenix, the other jumper, also landed—but not on the ground like his shorter companion. Instead, he crashed heavily onto the psychokinetic car Zhang Wen was riding in.
Thud! Amidst the dazzling glow of battle energy, Phoenix completely flattened Zhang Wen’s psychokinetic car, crushing it into a mangled heap of metal.
However, the moment Phoenix’s feet touched the car, Zhang Wen had already kicked the door open and leapt out with all his strength.
“Ahh!” Screams rang out again from the crowd.
Witnessing the two leaping from the skyscraper and smashing the ground, even a fool could tell they weren’t trying to commit suicide. The display they had just shown was more than enough to prove that both of them were at least tenth-level battle masters.
Unwilling to be caught in the crossfire, bystanders scattered in panic. Passengers and drivers in the psychokinetic cars, screaming in terror, pushed and shoved to escape through the doors.
Yet the two responsible for the chaos didn’t even glance at the fleeing crowd. From the moment they locked eyes on Zhang Wen’s location, their gazes never left him.
Zhang Wen had barely exited the psychokinetic car, his feet not even fully planted on the ground, when from the corner of his eye he saw the man who had leapt from the skyscraper and crushed the vehicle now stomping heavily onto the wrecked remains of the car, launching himself toward Zhang Wen like an arrow from a bow.
At the same time, Edward, the short, stocky man who had punched a crater into the ground, without hesitation grabbed the nearest psychokinetic car and hurled it straight at Zhang Wen.
Frankly, Edward’s tactic of throwing the psychokinetic car caught Zhang Wen somewhat off guard. Given the size of the vehicle, the attack wouldn’t target Zhang Wen alone! If Phoenix didn’t dodge, he too would be struck directly by the flying car.
In most situations, even a gang thug wouldn’t recklessly use a move that endangered his own allies. But this short, stocky man did exactly that! Even more surprising to Zhang Wen was that the tall, thin man, clearly aware that continuing his charge would result in mutual destruction—or even death—still charged forward headlong, without dodging or hesitating, his entire body radiating battle energy.
These two men who had leapt together from hundreds of meters in the air were obviously no strangers to working together. Their timing was extremely precise. If Zhang Wen had been any other martial artist, no matter what choice he made, the best outcome would likely have been a mutual exchange of injuries, followed by being struck by Edward’s flying psychokinetic car.
But unfortunately for them, their opponent today was not “any other martial artist.” He was Zhang Wen. Facing Phoenix’s all-out strike, “other martial artists” might have had no choice but to choose between a desperate counterattack or dodging. Zhang Wen, however, had no such inclination.
As he assessed the situation around him, Zhang Wen’s feet touched the ground. Glancing at the psychokinetic car and Phoenix closing in from either side, a faint smirk curled his lips. With a slight push from his legs, he leapt into the air, directly toward Phoenix.
In that brief moment, Zhang Wen had no time to fully exert his strength. He barely had time to adjust his posture before Phoenix was already upon him.
A dark, cold smirk played across Phoenix’s face. This ambush move had been used countless times before with his partner. Zhang Wen’s posture adjustment was something Phoenix had never seen before in all his past missions.
But Phoenix had neither the time nor the interest to ponder the meaning behind Zhang Wen’s movement. In his mind, it was just a meaningless, panicked reaction from a cornered opponent—nothing significant.
Because experience had long taught Phoenix that the only viable counter to their combined attack was to stand firm, gather all your strength, and clash head-on.
In the last mission before being captured, his target had done exactly that, resulting in mutual injuries. Though that target was later killed by Edward, the desperate counterattack had led directly to Phoenix and Edward being captured by the Imperial Army and thrown into Prisoner’s Hollow, the high-security prison for dangerous criminals.
And now, his current opponent clearly hadn’t found the only correct solution.
The next moment, a dagger appeared in Phoenix’s hand. Without hesitation, he lunged at Zhang Wen with full force. At such close range, Phoenix could almost smell the blood that would soon spray from his opponent. Yet at the same time, he was shocked to see that the cornered target showed no sign of panic—his face bore a strange, eerie smile!
Before Phoenix’s brain could even process Zhang Wen’s unsettling smile, he was even more stunned to discover that his outstretched arm had been grabbed—by the opponent!
Impossible! A scenario that had never even crossed his mind left Phoenix completely thrown off balance.
Of course, Phoenix had no idea that the moment Zhang Wen leapt toward him, he had already set a complete trap. And Phoenix’s all-out dagger strike was exactly as Zhang Wen had predicted.
In fact, as Zhang Wen adjusted his body into the optimal position, he had already focused all his attention on Phoenix. He was simply waiting for the moment his opponent would strike.
Because in that instant, Phoenix would channel all his strength into a single point of attack, leaving himself unable to change tactics or evade.
At the peak of his attack, he would also be at his weakest!
Therefore, the moment Phoenix lunged with his dagger, Zhang Wen’s stored Spring Water Battle Energy erupted. His hands moved faster than Phoenix’s by several times, catching Phoenix’s arm just as he struck.
Then, Zhang Wen’s body suddenly seemed to lose balance, tilting backward. At the same time, his Spring Water Battle Energy surged into his arms. With a swift motion, he accelerated Phoenix in a half-circle around his body, then hurled him like a cannonball straight at the psychokinetic car flying toward him from behind.
As Zhang Wen launched Phoenix, Edward’s psychokinetic car was practically upon him. Phoenix had no time to react before he slammed headfirst into the flying vehicle.
Boom! The dagger Phoenix had aimed at Zhang Wen plunged deep into the underside of the psychokinetic car. Then, the battle energy Phoenix had poured into the dagger and the energy Edward had infused into the car both detonated simultaneously, unleashing a deafening explosion.
The violent shockwave sent Edward’s psychokinetic car spinning sideways, crashing into a nearby steel building, and turning it into a twisted wreck of metal.
Phoenix, however, fared no better. He hadn’t braced for a direct clash when he attacked Zhang Wen. So although his battle energy explosion saved his life by deflecting the car, the full force of that energy backlash was absorbed by his right arm—which was not protected by battle energy. In an instant, his right arm was shattered.
But Zhang Wen’s attack wasn’t over yet. After hurling Phoenix, Zhang Wen pushed off the ground with full force, chasing after him toward the psychokinetic car flying straight at him. Bright blue battle energy flickered wildly around his hands, clenched tightly at his sides.
Just as the psychokinetic car was deflected by Phoenix’s impact, Zhang Wen appeared right behind him. Still reeling from the collision, Phoenix had no idea Zhang Wen was even there before Zhang Wen’s fist came crashing into his head with full force.
Crack!
Phoenix spun like a top, flying across the intersection and slamming into a building on the opposite street. He slid down the wall, limp and lifeless.
Though Phoenix was a tenth-level master, after clashing head-on with another tenth-level master and then taking a full-power punch to the head from Zhang Wen, even an iron man wouldn’t be able to stand. To be honest, even if Phoenix had survived the punch, the concussion alone from the blow would be enough to keep him unconscious for at least ten days.
Edward, the stocky man, glanced over at Phoenix’s limp body by the roadside, gritted his teeth, and his face twisted into a snarl.
The psychokinetic car had blocked his view, so Edward hadn’t seen exactly how Zhang Wen had turned the tide in such a short time. One moment, he had seen Phoenix deliver what seemed like a killing blow, victory all but assured. The next, he realized it was Phoenix himself who had collided with the psychokinetic car—not their target.
What kind of magic did that guy use? How could Phoenix lose? What the hell happened? Edward kept his eyes locked on Zhang Wen, who had just defeated Phoenix. Rather than retreating in fear at losing his partner, Edward’s expression grew even more savage, like a wounded beast.
Taking advantage of Zhang Wen still being mid-air, Edward grabbed another psychokinetic car and hurled it at him with all his might. Then, to everyone’s shock, Edward’s figure suddenly “vanished”!
Oh? Seeing his opponent disappear without a trace, Zhang Wen didn’t show the slightest sign of panic. Instead, a knowing smile curled his lips.
Using visual illusions to create the impression of invisibility and then striking when the opponent panics—this was one of Zhang Wen’s favorite tricks. He didn’t even need to use his Spring Water Battle Energy to sense it—he already knew exactly where Edward was. Clearly, the moment Edward threw the psychokinetic car, he had leapt into the air and hidden himself behind the vehicle.
It had to be admitted—Edward’s hastily devised attack was indeed cunning. If an unsuspecting martial artist tried to block the flying psychokinetic car, Edward might have turned the tide again. But since Zhang Wen had already seen through Edward’s trick, the rest became simple.
Because in Edward’s self-proclaimed brilliant counterattack, Zhang Wen had spotted a fatal flaw. In his plan, Edward had overlooked one crucial detail—the psychokinetic car blocked his opponent’s view of him, but it also blocked his own view of the opponent.
As the psychokinetic car flew toward him, Zhang Wen’s signature Ghost Step technique activated at full power. In an instant, he accelerated to an unbelievable speed, leaving behind a ghostly afterimage as he silently landed on the side of a nearby building.
After several quick directional changes off the walls, Zhang Wen’s figure curved like an arc, appearing behind the tumbling psychokinetic car.
Edward was still clinging tightly to the car, his full attention focused forward, ready to leap out the moment Zhang Wen deflected the car, delivering a surprise fatal blow.
The next moment, Zhang Wen suddenly appeared behind Edward.
From the psychokinetic car’s unusual reflection, Edward realized he had become the hunted, not the hunter. But instead of retreating, the enraged dwarf turned like a rabid beast, glaring fiercely at Zhang Wen behind him, his battle energy suddenly flaring wildly across his body.
This guy was going to self-detonate. From Edward the Short and Stout’s gaze, Zhang Wen could clearly see the mad idea forming in his mind.
However, Edward’s final struggle was now utterly futile. Before he could accumulate enough battle energy to self-detonate, Zhang Wen’s full-force strike had already slammed into him.
Boom! With the full eruption of the Spring Water Battle Energy, Zhang Wen’s punch sent both the psychokinetic flyer and Edward crashing back to the ground. On the stone-paved street, a massive crater several meters deep instantly formed.
Hiss! Hiss! Hiss-hiss-hiss!!!
From a distance came the whistles of the Imperial Security Bureau’s guards. Zhang Wen saw that at the far end of the long street, where the passersby had long since fled, several people dressed in the uniforms of the Imperial Security Bureau were running toward the scene, blowing their whistles with all their might.
Zhang Wen frowned, glancing at the crater he had just created.
At the bottom of the crater, Edward the Short and Stout was leaning against the now-mangled psychokinetic flyer, panting heavily. From his bloodied appearance, it was clear that Edward no longer had the strength to stand, his consciousness seemingly blurred. Yet, having survived Zhang Wen’s full-strength strike without any defense, Edward’s vitality was enough to surprise Zhang Wen.
Although Zhang Wen had many questions he wanted to ask the short and stout Edward and the tall, thin man, compared to his curiosity, he was more unwilling to deal with the guards of the Imperial Security Bureau under these circumstances. Moreover, judging from the two assassins’ earlier performance, Zhang Wen could sense they probably wouldn’t be interested in answering his questions.
No choice then…
Before the guards of the Security Bureau reached a position where they could see Zhang Wen, he sighed softly, turned around, and disappeared at the end of the street. After sprinting madly for several minutes down the traffic-jammed street, Zhang Wen finally found another rental psychokinetic flyer by the roadside. After telling the driver the name of the hotel where Xie Luo and his companions were staying, Zhang Wen finally leaned back in the rear seat of the flyer and let out a long sigh.
Although the final result of that battle was a decisive victory for Zhang Wen, during those brief one or two minutes, he had actually danced along the line between life and death several times. In the course of the fight, had he hesitated for even a second or made any wrong decision, it wouldn’t have been those two lying on the street now—it would have been Zhang Wen’s corpse.
Experiencing that razor-thin margin between life and death, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but recall the details of his fight with the two assassins. Then, suddenly, he sat upright again.
Because the battle had been a life-or-death struggle all along, during the fight Zhang Wen hadn’t had the mind to think of anything else. But now, as he recalled the battle with those two, a very strange feeling suddenly arose in his mind.
Those two guys… they definitely weren’t ordinary gang thugs! Looking at the scenery rapidly receding on both sides of the street, Zhang Wen frowned deeply and murmured to himself.
In both his past and present lives, Zhang Wen had seen no shortage of gang thugs. The most common kind were like TK Group’s Sandro. When bullying the weak, they could be ruthless and cruel, not valuing others’ lives at all. However, when these people themselves encountered danger, they would be just like ordinary people—cowardly and afraid to die. Therefore, these people were merely “killers.”
This guy is about to self-destruct. From the look in the eyes of the short, stocky Edward, Zhang Wen could clearly see his insane thoughts.
However, Edward’s final struggle was futile at this point. Before he could accumulate enough energy to self-destruct, Zhang Wen’s full-force strike had already landed on him.
Boom! With the full eruption of the Spring Water Technique’s combat energy, Zhang Wen’s punch sent both the levitating car and Edward crashing back to the ground. The stone-paved street immediately bore a massive crater several meters deep.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!!
In the distance, the whistles of the Imperial Security Bureau guards sounded. Zhang Wen saw that at the end of the long street, where all the pedestrians had long since fled, several people in Imperial Security Bureau uniforms were blowing their whistles and running desperately toward the scene.
Zhang Wen frowned, glancing at the crater he had just created.
At the bottom of the crater, Edward, leaning against the now-crushed levitating car, was gasping for breath. From his bloodied appearance, it was clear he no longer had the strength to stand, and his consciousness seemed to be fading. However, the fact that he was still alive after taking Zhang Wen’s full-force strike without any defense was enough to surprise Zhang Wen.
Although Zhang Wen had many questions for the short, stocky man and the tall, thin man below, he was more reluctant to deal with the Imperial Security Bureau guards in this situation than to satisfy his curiosity. Moreover, based on the two assassins’ earlier behavior, Zhang Wen could sense they likely had no interest in answering his questions.
No choice…
Before the guards could reach a position where they could see him, Zhang Wen sighed softly, turned, and disappeared into the distance. After running down the congested street for several minutes, Zhang Wen finally found another rental levitating car. After giving the driver the name of the hotel where Xiu Luo and his group were staying, Zhang Wen lay back in the rear seat and let out a long breath.
Although the final outcome of the battle was Zhang Wen’s overwhelming victory, in those brief one or two minutes, Zhang Wen had teetered on the edge of life and death several times. During the fight, if Zhang Wen had hesitated for even a second or made a single wrong move, it wouldn’t be those two lying on the street now—it would be Zhang Wen’s corpse.
Reflecting on the life-and-death experience, Zhang Wen’s mind involuntarily replayed the fight with the two assassins. Then, Zhang Wen suddenly sat up straight.
Since the fight had been a constant struggle for survival, Zhang Wen hadn’t had the mental space to think about anything beyond the battle. But now, recalling the fight, Zhang Wen suddenly felt a strange sensation.
Those two… they weren’t ordinary gang thugs! Watching the scenery rapidly recede on either side of the street, Zhang Wen furrowed his brow and muttered softly to himself.
In both his past and present life, Zhang Wen had encountered many gang thugs. The most common type was like TK Group’s Sandro—ruthless and cruel when bullying the weak, but as cowardly as anyone else when faced with danger. Such people could only be called “killers.”
However, the Phoenix and Edward Zhang Wen had just encountered were different! To corner Zhang Wen, Phoenix had immediately chosen a mutually destructive tactic. Similarly, when Edward realized he was in a desperate situation, he didn’t think of fleeing or begging for mercy—he chose to self-destruct without hesitation, aiming to take Zhang Wen with him!
Phoenix and Edward didn’t just disregard others’ lives—they disregarded their own as well! Such people weren’t mere “killers”; they were outright desperadoes!
In Zhang Wen’s experience, most influential gangs did indeed keep desperadoes like Phoenix and Edward. But…
Two desperadoes at the tenth-tier level? Could a mere TK Group afford that? If they truly had such strength, they wouldn’t be ranked second on Fira Planet. Moreover, even if we assume TK Group had secretly cultivated two such desperadoes, would such valuable assets be at the command of someone like Sandro?
Even if Sandro had seen through my flaws and knew I was heavily involved in Kruel’s death, would the TK Group’s bosses so easily reveal their hidden trump card for an eighth-tier thug they pulled from a high-security prison?
Then, if they weren’t from TK Group, who sent them after me? The Assembly? Mithril? Federal spies? Tch! Have I really stirred up so much trouble lately that I’m being hunted without even knowing who sent the assassins?
Zhang Wen stared expressionlessly out the window, seemingly lost in thought, but his mind was racing.
It didn’t take long for the levitating car carrying Zhang Wen to stop in front of the hotel where Xiu Luo and his group were staying. Two bounty fighters, clearly under Xiu Luo’s orders, had been waiting at the entrance. As soon as Zhang Wen got out, they approached and escorted him back to Xiu Luo’s room.
“You’re back! How did it go?” Seeing Zhang Wen enter his room, Xiu Luo stopped his routine training and stood up to ask.
“Hmm… not bad, not terrible,” Zhang Wen shrugged. “The bad news is, the top Imperial fighters at the Babylon Arena aren’t the ones you know anymore. There are five Imperial fighters now, each affiliated with the five largest local gangs.”
“Oh?” Xiu Luo nodded lightly, showing little surprise at the bad news Zhang Wen brought. “And the good news?”
“The good news is, I’ve seen the strongest of the five, Titan, in action. He hasn’t broken through to the Saint-tier yet. With some luck, even if you face him, you still have a chance to win.”
“That is good news,” Xiu Luo replied, always choosing to say as little as possible.
“By the way, there’s something I need your help with.”
“Go on.”
“I remember you spent some time in the Fira Planet arenas. You should be fairly familiar with the tenth-tier fighters here, right?”
“Of course. Tenth-tier fighters don’t just pop out of thin air.”
“Do you know anyone named Phoenix or Edward?”
“…No,” Xiu Luo thought for a moment before shaking his head definitively. “Why? Is there a problem?” he asked.
“Yeah. On my way back, two tenth-tier fighters named Phoenix and Edward fought me. I almost didn’t make it back.”
“Oh?” Xiu Luo frowned. “Do you remember what they looked like? Maybe they were using fake names.”
“Hmm… Phoenix was a tall, skinny guy. Edward was a short, stocky one. Also, they definitely weren’t bounty fighters—they were pure desperadoes.” Zhang Wen briefly explained the encounter he had at the arena.
“Prisoner’s High-Security Prison?” When Xiu Luo heard this name from Zhang Wen, his expression shifted slightly. Having spent three years on Fira Planet, Xiu Luo knew exactly what that name implied.
“Two tenth-tier desperadoes? TK Group definitely doesn’t have the resources for that…” Xiu Luo muttered to himself, then turned to Zhang Wen with a serious expression. “I’ve noted everything you said. I’ll contact Iron Mask and Angelica later and have them investigate. I’ll find out who those two are.”
“Thanks, I appreciate it,” Zhang Wen smiled, then stood up to bid farewell to Xiu Luo and the other bounty fighters.
Zhang Wen knew Xiu Luo well—he was a man of his word. Since Xiu Luo had promised to help Zhang Wen uncover the origins of Phoenix and Edward, he would undoubtedly get to the bottom of it.
As Zhang Wen left the hotel where the Casares bounty fighters were staying and boarded a levitating car, speeding toward Themis Academy, a slender black-haired girl somehow managed to squeeze into the cordoned-off battle scene on the street where Zhang Wen had just fought Phoenix and the others.
“Hey! Little girl, this isn’t a place for kids. Go play somewhere else! Guards! Guards!” It wasn’t until the girl reached the two injured men receiving emergency treatment that a doctor suddenly noticed her presence. The doctor shouted in panic, calling for the guards to take the girl away.
“Hmm…” The girl gave the doctor a cold glance and, before being led away by the guards, silently touched the heads of the two injured men.
“Ah!” Shortly after the girl was taken away, the doctor treating Phoenix and Edward cried out in alarm. “Quick! Guards, these two are done for! Damn it!”
“The problem’s been solved, Sister Lyca,” the girl, now outside the restricted area, walked straight to a street corner and took a telepathic communicator from her small bag, placing it to her ear.
“Well done, Vicky,” came a voice as grating as sandpaper from the communicator. “Come back now.”
“Okay,” the girl nodded softly and put the communicator away.
Then, she knelt on one knee, facing the spot where Phoenix and Edward had been, and assumed a posture resembling a prayer.
“Warriors die by the blade that delivers their lives, their souls return home. Close your eyes in peace, courage remains in the world,” the girl softly recited these prayer-like words in a gentle voice before standing up, slipping into an alley, and disappearing after a few turns.
Meanwhile, in the private lounge atop the Babylon Arena belonging to the Black Baron, a woman in a sexy evening gown, draped in a crimson cloak, with dazzling blonde hair covering half her face, also removed the communicator from her ear. Upon closer inspection, one could see a scar on her throat, as if cut by a scalpel.
“Heh… I never thought a snake without fangs could still find a way to survive. The failure of the Hornet Brothers is my responsibility,” the Black Baron said, setting down his wine glass and nodding to the woman.
“Blaming oneself is pointless. If anything, I share the blame for trusting your intelligence too easily. Spending too long in Prisoner’s Prison has dulled my judgment. But I hope your next piece of information will be more accurate,” the woman replied coldly, her voice as grating as sandpaper.
“Certainly. I don’t want any more surprises in our plans. Now, about Andre Stein…”
“There is no one in this world who can kill my subordinates and live freely,” the woman said expressionlessly, her hoarse voice filled with undeniable authority.
“Heh… Of course. Only fools would dare offend the dignity of the Terror Queen, Lyca,” the Black Baron glanced at Zhang Wen’s face on the screen and smiled lightly.
Phoenix and Edward not only disregarded others’ lives—they also completely ignored their own! These people weren’t just “killers” anymore; they were utterly reckless desperadoes!
From Zhang Wen’s previous experience, it was true that most powerful gangs did indeed keep some desperadoes like Phoenix and Edward. However…
Could the TK Group, with merely its resources, afford to maintain two ten-tier level desperadoes? If they really had such strength, they wouldn’t be ranked only second on Phira Planet right now, would they? Moreover, even if one stretched the imagination to the extreme and assumed that the TK Group had indeed secretly stockpiled two ten-tier level desperadoes, would such precious combat forces really be under the command of a mere eighth-tier thug like Sandro, who had been pulled out of a maximum-security prison?
Even if Sandro had indeed discovered Zhang Wen’s weakness and figured out that the cause of Kruel’s death had a lot to do with him, would the TK Group’s leaders really be willing to easily reveal their carefully hidden trump cards just for an eighth-tier thug pulled out of a maximum-security prison?
Then, if they weren’t from the TK Group, who sent them to cause trouble for Zhang Wen? The Jishe? Mythril? The Federal Secret Service? Tsk! Have I caused too many troubles recently? So much so that I’ve reached the point of being hunted down without even knowing who sent the assassins…
Zhang Wen stared expressionlessly out the window, seemingly lost in thought, but his mind was spinning rapidly.
It didn’t take long before the psychokinetic flyer carrying Zhang Wen stopped in front of the hotel where Xie Luo and his companions were staying. Two bounty fighters were clearly following Xie Luo’s orders and had been waiting at the entrance all along. As soon as Zhang Wen got off the flyer, the two approached him and brought him back to Xie Luo’s room.
“You’re back! How did it go?” Seeing Zhang Wen walk into his room, Xie Luo stopped his routine training, stood up, and asked.
“Hmm… neither good nor bad.” Zhang Wen shrugged. “The bad news is, the top imperial gladiators at the Babylon Arena are no longer the ones you used to know. There are now five imperial gladiators in total, and each of the five belongs to one of the five largest local gangs.”
“Oh?” Xie Luo nodded lightly, not showing much surprise at the bad news brought by Zhang Wen. “What’s the good news then?”
“The good news is, I’ve already seen the strongest one among the five imperial gladiators—Titan—in action. He hasn’t broken through to the Saint Tier yet. If we’re lucky, even if you end up facing him, there’s still a chance you can win.”
“That’s indeed good news.” Xie Luo, when speaking with others, had always been someone who spoke as few words as possible.
“Oh, by the way. There’s something else I’d like to ask you to help me with.”
“Go ahead.”
“I remember you spent some time in the arenas on Phira Planet. You should be pretty familiar with the ten-tier level fighters here, right?”
“Of course. Ten-tier fighters don’t just pop out of rocks.”
“Do you know anyone named Phoenix or Edward?”
“…No.” Xie Luo thought for a moment, then shook his head firmly at Zhang Wen. “Is there a problem?” he asked.
“Yeah. On my way back, I had a fight with two ten-tier fighters named Phoenix and Edward. I almost didn’t make it back.”
“Oh?” Xie Luo furrowed his brow. “Can you remember what they looked like? Maybe they used fake names.”
“Yeah… Phoenix was a tall, thin guy. Edward was a short, stout man. Also, they definitely weren’t bounty fighters—they were pure desperadoes.” As Zhang Wen spoke, he briefly explained to Xie Luo the situation he had encountered at the arena.
“Pulisen Maximum Security Prison?” When he heard this name from Zhang Wen’s mouth, Xie Luo’s eyes changed slightly. Having spent three whole years on Phira Planet, Xie Luo clearly understood what this name represented.
“Two ten-tier desperadoes? There’s absolutely no way the TK Group has that kind of resources…” Xie Luo muttered to himself for a few sentences, then turned around seriously. “I’ve noted everything you said. I’ll contact Iron Mask and Angel later and have them help investigate. I’ll definitely find out where those two came from.”
“Then I’ll leave it to you.” Zhang Wen smiled, stood up, and bid farewell to Xie Luo and the other bounty fighters.
Zhang Wen knew Xie Luo’s personality well—he was the kind of man who always kept his promises. Since Xie Luo had agreed to help Zhang Wen investigate the origins of Phoenix and Edward, he would definitely dig up every detail about those two.
When Zhang Wen left the hotel where the Cassares bounty fighters were staying and got back onto a psychokinetic flyer, speeding toward the Thamis Academy, on the street where he had just fought a fierce battle with Phoenix and others, a slightly frail black-haired girl somehow squeezed into the combat scene, which was now surrounded by guards.
“Hey! Little girl, this isn’t a place for kids to play. Go play somewhere else! Guard! Guard!” Until the girl reached the side of the two injured men who were receiving emergency treatment, a doctor only then suddenly noticed her presence. The doctor hurriedly shouted a few times, ordering the guards to take the girl away.
“Hmm…” The girl coldly glanced at the doctor. Before being taken away by the guards, she silently reached out and touched the heads of the two injured men.
“Ahh!” Not long after the girl was taken away, the doctor who was giving emergency treatment to Phoenix and Edward suddenly cried out in panic, “Quick! Guards, these two are done for! Damn it!”
“The problem has been resolved, Sister Reka.” The girl, now taken out of the restricted area, walked straight to a street corner, took out a psychic communicator from her small bag, and put it to her ear.
“Good job, Vicky.” The voice coming from the communicator was a grating female voice, like the scraping of stones. “Come back now.”
“Mm.” The girl nodded lightly and put the psychic communicator back into her bag.
Then, she knelt on one knee, facing the position where Phoenix and Edward had been earlier, assuming a posture similar to prayer.
“A warrior dies by the blade he has devoted his life to; his soul returns home. Close your eyes in peace, and may courage remain in the world of the living.” After softly reciting these prayer-like words in a melodious voice, the girl stood up, slipped into a narrow alley between buildings, and disappeared after a few turns.
Meanwhile, in the private lounge at the top of the Babylon Arena, belonging to the Black Viscount, a woman wearing a sexy evening gown and a crimson cloak, with her dazzling golden hair covering half her face, also simultaneously removed the communicator from her ear. If one looked closely, one would notice a scar on her throat, like it had been sliced open by a scalpel.
“Hehe… truly unexpected. Even a snake without its fangs has its own way of survival. It’s my fault that the Poison Brothers failed this time.” The Black Viscount also put down his wine glass and nodded at the sexy woman.
“Assigning blame is meaningless. If I must say something, I’m also at fault for trusting your intelligence too easily. Staying too long in Pulisen Prison has dulled my judgment. However, I hope your next intelligence will be more accurate.” The sexy woman shook her head coldly. The voice coming from her mouth was the same grating sound as before.
“Absolutely. I also don’t want any more unexpected incidents in the upcoming plans. Now, regarding Andrei·Stan…”
“There absolutely cannot be anyone in this world who dares to kill my subordinates and still remains free. He must be eliminated.” The sexy woman said expressionlessly, her hoarse voice filled with unquestionable authority.
“Hehe… Of course. Anyone who dares to offend the dignity of the Terror Queen Reka is a fool.” The Black Viscount glanced at Zhang Wen’s face on the screen and smiled easily.
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