Chapter 116: The Second Test

The killing intent permeating the hall terrified the two poor young maids, leaving their legs weak and trembling. Yet, instead of being able to hide away, they had no choice but to force smiles and serve these fierce tenth-rank martial artists. No wonder that the moment Zhang Wen appeared, he was immediately seen as their savior. By his side, they finally found a bit of security.

“Would you like some lemon juice? Or perhaps red eggplant juice?” After breathing in a few gulps of fresh air, the two pretty maids finally calmed themselves. They then cheerfully brought the tray in their hands over to Zhang Wen.

“Red eggplant juice,” Zhang Wen casually picked up a glass of juice from the tray.

Under normal circumstances, Zhang Wen standing alongside the two pretty maids would surely have drawn countless envious glances. But right now, hardly anyone in the hall paid attention to him. Only Ryan pouted angrily, stomping his foot, while others didn’t even spare Zhang Wen a glance.

Minute by minute, the martial artists gathered in the hall grew increasingly restless. The noise in the hall gradually became chaotic. Shura and Agate still hadn’t appeared, yet Zhang Wen didn’t seem the least bit anxious.

Zhang Wen continuously observed every martial artist in the hall. Before agreeing to Laila’s request, he hadn’t cared much about who exactly the participants of Hassan’s selection match were. But now, he had to figure out who his strongest opponents would be in this competition.

Gro’s provocation gave Zhang Wen a great opportunity. Right now, these hotheaded martial artists were barely holding onto their emotions. In their angry state, most of them unconsciously used battle energy in their every move, making it easy for Zhang Wen to estimate the strength of the majority.

At first glance, among the martial artists in the hall, the three Saint-ranked experts were the strongest.

Compared to the Saint-ranked experts Zhang Wen had encountered before, these three had not yet reached the level of the golden-haired leader among Leika’s five Saint-ranked experts—the one who was only a step away from advancing to the Super Saint rank. However, the battle energy level of these three was already at the peak of Saint rank. Compared to the other four among the Five Saints, the three in the hall were slightly superior in strength! Moreover, these three were all battle-hardened warriors who had fought their way through life-threatening situations, and their combat experience was no worse than that of Leika’s five Saint-ranked experts.

However, among all the martial artists, the ones who most caught Zhang Wen’s attention were not these three Saint-ranked experts, but two individuals standing at opposite ends of the hall, as if echoing each other from north and south.

Unlike those three ostentatiously powerful Saint-ranked experts, the two martial artists noticed by Zhang Wen did not display battle energy far surpassing the others. The battle energy Zhang Wen sensed from them was almost the same as that of most other tenth-rank experts present! Yet, Zhang Wen noticed a subtle detail that hinted these two were not as simple as they appeared—the detail was the space they occupied.

Of the two individuals Zhang Wen noticed, the one on the southern side of the hall was casually sitting on the ground with his right leg bent, leaning against the wall. He wore a so-called “commoner’s coat” often seen in the empire, and his handsome face bore a friendly smile, as if hoping to make friends with others.

Yet, Zhang Wen carefully noticed that within a semicircle of twenty meters radius centered on this smiling man, there wasn’t a single martial artist! Even when a few martial artists occasionally entered this area, they soon left, as if feeling uncomfortable.

This scene made Zhang Wen realize something. The most remarkable aspect of these tenth-rank experts who had fought their way through the wilderness was their intuition. When approaching within twenty meters of this martial artist, although they themselves didn’t feel anything, their instincts subconsciously urged them to stay away from that dangerous zone.

To stimulate the danger instincts of these tenth-rank thugs to the point they can’t even approach within twenty meters without realizing it themselves…

Could this guy really only be a tenth-rank expert? A slight curve appeared on Zhang Wen’s lips as his gaze shifted toward the other martial artist he had noticed earlier.

In stark contrast to the first suspicious figure Zhang Wen noticed, the second martial artist who aroused his interest not only failed to create a vast empty zone around himself, but was instead seemingly ignored by everyone!

If a person were walking alone on a dark road and encountered a stranger approaching, as the distance closed, he would naturally feel nervous and alert. This is an instinctive reaction shared by all living beings. Any normal person would react the same way in such a situation.

Yet, the martial artists in the hall aboard the Star Moon were professional thugs with extreme vigilance. Compared to ordinary people, their instincts were sharper, and their alertness higher—this had already been perfectly proven by the previous “dangerous figure.”

However, with the second martial artist who caught Zhang Wen’s attention, this collective vigilance instinct seemed to vanish!

This martial artist had beautiful silver hair and a cute baby face. Leaning against a sculpture, he smiled and looked around restlessly. Surprisingly, the thugs appearing near this young martial artist seemed to completely ignore his presence, walking past him again and again. Several times, two martial artists even chatted and laughed while brushing past the baby-faced martial artist, not even glancing at him!

Vicky!

The moment Zhang Wen saw this scene, the name of that girl who nearly took his life with a sharp knife suddenly popped into his mind.

Exactly. The baby-faced martial artist gave Zhang Wen the same feeling as that unpredictable, hard-to-guard-against Vicky. However, this baby-faced martial artist’s strength was likely at least one level higher than Vicky’s! After all, Vicky’s unpredictable ability only worked in complete darkness. In bright conditions, Zhang Wen could still sense Vicky’s danger.

But this baby-faced figure could remain completely unnoticed even in broad daylight. Even those hardened thugs rolling in bloodshed couldn’t sense the slightest danger.

These two must be the most difficult opponents in this competition… Zhang Wen mused silently.

The noisy situation in the hall continued for a while longer before the east door finally creaked open again.

Bang!

As Gro’s figure appeared at the entrance, the previously noisy hall instantly fell silent. All sounds vanished in an instant, so quiet that even a pin dropping could be heard.

Of course, this wasn’t because Gro had stunned everyone with his presence, but because a pack of beasts had spotted their prey and were holding their breath, preparing for the upcoming hunt.

“Master Zhang Wen…” The atmosphere in the hall, seemingly frozen solid, made the two pretty maids beside Zhang Wen tremble slightly.

The power of a single full-strength strike from a tenth-rank expert was enough to sink this Star Moon ship! Now, with six or seven tenth-rank experts gathered together, if their fury erupted simultaneously, the destructive force would be no less than dropping a nuclear bomb into a small room!

“Don’t worry, everything will be fine,” Zhang Wen smiled reassuringly at the two frightened maids, then took a step forward, shielding the two terrified girls behind him.

Zhang Wen’s gesture calmed the two maids somewhat, their complexions improving. Once they felt safe, their natural female curiosity took over. After all, a gathering of hundreds of martial arts experts like this was a once-in-a-century event in the Southlands.

Soon, the two pretty maids were peeking curiously from behind Zhang Wen.

“Hey! Master Zhang Wen, do you know that guest over there?” After watching for a while, the golden-haired girl on Zhang Wen’s left suddenly patted his arm, pointing toward a corner across the hall.

“Who?” Following the golden-haired girl’s finger, Zhang Wen looked over and immediately smiled, nodding. The “guest” she pointed at was none other than Ryan.

When Zhang Wen looked at Ryan, Ryan deliberately turned his head the other way. But the golden-haired maid immediately exposed his trick.

“Haha! That guest is so funny. Just now he was looking over here nervously, but now he’s ignoring you. So funny! Just like…”

“Just like what?” A spark of realization lit in Zhang Wen’s mind.

“Just like a jealous girl.” The golden-haired maid giggled, covering her mouth.

“You two really enjoy teasing people,” Zhang Wen chuckled quietly.

Like the two frightened maids, Ryan’s face was also somewhat pale. Although he tried hard to appear indifferent, he couldn’t control the slight trembling of his fingers. The fear brought by the anger of dozens of tenth-rank experts was not something that could be overcome by willpower alone.

Seeing Ryan’s timid expression, as if a white rabbit surrounded by wolves, Zhang Wen couldn’t help but sigh. “Come with me,” he motioned to the two maids and walked toward Ryan.

Ryan was clearly watching Zhang Wen the whole time. Seeing him approach, Ryan turned his head even more stubbornly to the side, pretending not to see him.

“Alright, stop pretending. You’ll break your neck,” Zhang Wen suppressed a laugh and strode up to Ryan.

“I don’t need your help!” Ryan finally turned around, glaring at Zhang Wen in a huff.

“Did I offend you?” Zhang Wen looked at Ryan curiously, suddenly grinning as he whispered, “You don’t like one of those two girls, do you?”

“I… how could that be!” Ryan almost shouted out in embarrassment and anger.

“Then why do you act like you’ve swallowed gunpowder when you see me? Oh! Did you have your eye on the one from the floating staircase?”

“Stop making things up!” Ryan’s face turned even redder, his hands flailing in frustration.

“Oh! So if it’s not that, then you’re not jealous?”

“Of course not!” Ryan was almost hopping with frustration.

“Then why do you always stick around me?”

“This… this… I never always stick around you!” Ryan tried to defend himself. Unfortunately, his lying skills were too poor, and his flushed face gave him away immediately.

“Haha!” Seeing Ryan’s flustered state, both maids couldn’t help laughing out loud. Handsome young boys were naturally likable, and a handsome, shy young boy was even more endearing to the two pretty maids.

“Alright, alright, we know you and Master Zhang Wen are close. Eve, Master Zhang Wen, please stop teasing him,” the golden-haired maid, like an older sister, stepped forward and hugged Ryan into her arms.

“Hehe! Sister’s old habit acts up again. Never thought he’d be such a lady-killer at such a young age. When he grows up, he’ll definitely be a little pervert.” Seeing Ryan’s affectionate interaction with the golden-haired maid, the red-haired maid immediately smirked and whispered into Zhang Wen’s ear.

“Mm!” Zhang Wen nodded in agreement, but his gaze, along with all the martial artists in the hall, fell on Gro who had just entered.

Gro, appearing at the hall entrance, wasn’t wearing battle gear. Instead, he wore only a gray coat resembling a windbreaker and a pair of black trousers. On both sides of the trouser legs hung two bold silver chains, as if declaring his individuality.

Gro had his hands in the pockets of his trousers, his upper gray coat left open, revealing his neatly sculpted muscles. He smiled casually as he walked into the hall, seemingly completely unconcerned about the nearly solidified fury of the dozens of tenth-rank experts present.

Most of the martial artists who came aboard the Star Moon were “professional explorers” surviving in the uncharted territories. The rest were blood-hardened bounty fighters who frequented various arenas.

Anyone who thought such a group of thugs would remain silent after being insulted would be gravely mistaken.

The moment Gro stepped into the central hall, almost all the martial artists naturally formed a circle, subtly surrounding Gro in the center.

With either cold, fierce gazes or gleeful anticipation, the martial artists scattered throughout the hall gradually gathered as Gro approached.

Finally, in the central hall on the third floor, most of the tenth-rank experts who had arrived formed a circle, surrounding Gro in the middle.

The several black-uniformed guards responsible for maintaining order around the hall’s perimeter were now soaked in cold sweat, as if pulled from water.

Yet, Gro, surrounded by dozens of martial artists, showed not a trace of fear. Standing firmly in the center of the hall, Gro coldly swept his gaze around before signaling to the sweating black-clad guards by the door.

“Good! You all arrived on time and are qualified to take my test. Now, close the doors. Any who haven’t arrived yet are disqualified!” Gro’s arrogant tone seemed unshakable in any situation.

“Hmph!” Immediately, one of the tenth-rank experts surrounding Gro sneered, “We’re the trash? Then what are you? Just someone with a good teacher!”

“Exactly! Even if we can’t beat you one-on-one, with dozens of us here, how many can you handle?” The sarcastic voices toward Gro continued, though the tenth-rank experts present were much more cautious than when they had provoked Marian earlier.

“Good!” Gro suddenly turned around, sneering at the crowd. “You’re不服气, huh? I’ll give you a chance to prove you’re not trash. The next test is to defeat me. There are no rules—you can use any means or methods. I even allow you to form teams. There’s no limit to the number of team members—five, ten, or even everyone together is fine. Whoever defeats me gets to pass as a team.”

Boom! As Gro finished speaking, the previously silent tenth-rank experts erupted into a cacophony of voices.

“Hey! Kid, when I fight, I never hold back! What if I accidentally injure or even kill you?” Someone shouted from the crowd toward Gro.

“Injure me?” Gro laughed as if hearing something amusing, “If you have the skill, I’ll still fight injured. Then it’ll be easier for those below. If you really can take my life, then you all pass anyway. How about that?”

“What?” Another wave of uproar swept through the hall. Gro’s words were practically slapping everyone’s face, claiming that even together, they couldn’t beat him!

Dozens of tenth-rank experts combined still not being his match? Even a Super Saint expert would hesitate to make such a boast! If Gro’s earlier use of the word “trash” had already ignited the tenth-rank experts’ fury, then his current victory declaration was like throwing a lit match into an oil barrel!

The third-floor hall of the Star Moon instantly erupted like a volcano. Yet Gro, sitting right on the crater’s edge, remained completely indifferent to the martial artists’ boiling rage. He gestured to the sweating black-clad guards around the hall, who immediately activated the mechanisms.

The walls covered in artworks and rare beasts, and the ceiling embedded with expensive chandeliers, all flipped over with a hiss of psychic energy. Then everyone suddenly realized—the walls of the third-floor hall of the Star Moon were all constructed from massive blocks of sea urchin stone several meters thick!

“This hall was designed as a training ground for martial artists during sea voyages. So you can go all out without worrying about damaging the ship,” Gro said in a slow, composed manner before confidently folding his hands behind his back.

The tenth-rank experts in the hall remained silent for a moment, then erupted into a boiling cacophony of voices. Almost everyone began seeking out their partners.

The tenth-rank experts in this hall were all as pragmatic as could be. If there was an opportunity to gang up on an opponent, they would never pretend to adhere to chivalric ideals and challenge someone one-on-one.

This upcoming battle concerned not only whether they could obtain more imperial shields from Hassan but also their future reputations! Moreover, they were eager to teach Gro an unforgettable lesson. Since he had arrogantly given them the chance, why wouldn’t they seize this opportunity against this loose-tongued youth?

However, while all the martial artists were excited by Gro’s words, a few people in the third-floor hall hadn’t even moved.

Zhang Wen stood in a corner of the hall, happily sipping his red eggplant juice.

“Master Zhang Wen, what will happen next? Won’t they really gang up and kill Mr. Gro?” The chaotic situation in the hall made the two pretty maids beside Zhang Wen even more nervous. The golden-haired maid who had previously handed Zhang Wen the red eggplant juice couldn’t help but release Ryan from her embrace and nervously approach Zhang Wen to ask.

“Hmph! He deserves it. It’s his own fault for being so arrogant, challenging so many tenth-rank experts alone,” Ryan quickly chimed in before Zhang Wen could speak.

“Well… although Mr. Gro might have been in the wrong, he is still Mr. Hassan’s guest…” The golden-haired maid still looked helpless.

“Sis, can you not be so kind-hearted? None of them are good people anyway. Especially that Gro—he deserves a lesson! A few days ago, that bastard even asked Hassan to send a few of the girls to his room at night. Arrogant, thinking every woman would fall for him,” the red-haired maid grabbed her sister’s arm, secretly making a face at the crowd in the center of the hall.

“Hehe! You may not like Gro, but making him suffer is probably not going to happen,” Zhang Wen then shook his head with a smile, pouring cold water on the three beside him.

“How could that be? Even if Gro is strong, he’s not an expert at the Super Saint level, right? With so many tenth-rank martial artists teaming up, they should be able to defeat him!” Ryan immediately retorted, clearly不服气 (unconvinced and resentful).

“Hehe… If everyone really could attack at once, Gro definitely wouldn’t stand a chance. Unfortunately, the people in this hall can never all rush in together,” Zhang Wen smiled and pointed toward the center of the hall.

At this moment, many martial artists in the hall had already found their teammates. Most of them had formed groups of five or six to seven people. The remaining minority who hadn’t yet teamed up seemed to have decided to watch the show first.

“This… how could this be?” Ryan’s eyes widened in shock, “But weren’t they just…”

“You think they don’t want revenge, don’t want Gro to suffer? You’d be very wrong,” Zhang Wen shook his head with a smile again. “Tenth-rank expert battles aren’t as simple as you imagine. When a tenth-rank expert unleashes their full strength, the space needed for acceleration and the residual waves from their attacks are completely different concepts compared to below tenth-rank. Although this hall is large, it can barely accommodate six or seven tenth-rank experts fighting at full capacity. If more people fight together, they’ll interfere with each other, and their combat effectiveness will actually decrease instead of increasing. Gro knows this, and so do the others.”

“Oh, so that’s why he dared to boast,” Ryan nodded thoughtfully, but soon showed a hint of disdain, “Hmph! Just a trick, I thought he was really that strong, making everyone attack him at once without fear.”

“Heh! Don’t underestimate Gro. His approach does involve some trickery, but these dozens of tenth-rank experts here are all genuine. Even if he only faces six or seven at a time, fighting so many tenth-rank experts in succession would wear down even a Saint-ranked expert. Moreover, among the experts invited by Hassan, Shura isn’t the only Saint-ranked expert.”

“You mean Gro is a Super Saint?” Ryan widened his eyes in disbelief.

“Not quite a Super Saint yet, but definitely not an ordinary Saint-ranked expert either. Otherwise, even if he could cultivate his battle energy to the peak of Saint rank, it still wouldn’t be enough.”

“Is that so?” Ryan was also intrigued by Zhang Wen’s words and instinctively followed Zhang Wen’s gaze toward the center of the hall.

The tenth-rank experts who had survived in the uncharted territories, whether or not they had women around, were all tough enough to act decisively. For example, if they decided to betray a companion, they wouldn’t waste time spouting moral lectures first—they’d seize the chance to stab you in the back without hesitation.

The tenth-rank experts responded swiftly to Gro’s provocation. In just a few short minutes, they had completed their grouping.

“Finished discussing?” Seeing the gradually quieting hall, Gro sneered coldly and loudly clenched his fist with a crisp crack, “Then, who’s first?”