After more than an hour of high-speed travel, Zhang Wen finally returned to the Thaumus Academy.
It was nearly sunset. The sky was ablaze with fiery clouds, casting everything within Thaumus Academy in a deep crimson glow.
To avoid being caught and pranked by students from Thaumus Academy, Zhang Wen specifically instructed the driver to stop the psychokinetic hovercar at a secluded spot where few people would notice. Then, covering most of his face with a scarf, he got out and made his way back to the hotel where the visiting delegation from Almace Academy was staying.
Just as when he had sneaked out, Zhang Wen first waited for a quiet moment before leaping over the back wall of the hotel. With a powerful jump, he landed neatly through the open window into his room.
He pulled down the curtains and closed the back window carefully. Then, he cautiously extended his senses to detect any presence outside the room. The spies sent by both Thaumus Academy and Katjeyna were still lurking in the hallway, secretly watching his door.
Phew! Zhang Wen exhaled deeply, relieved once again by the apparent calm. Obviously, none of them had noticed that he had slipped out long ago and spent the entire afternoon wandering around Babylon City.
Even if Katjeyna had discovered his actions, Zhang Wen wasn’t particularly worried about what she could do to him. Still, no one enjoys being nagged endlessly by an older woman.
Dong! Dong! Dong! Just then, the psychokinetic clock in the room chimed.
According to imperial records, the final chime before sunset marked the traditional dinner hour in the Empire. Of course, even in a society that revered tradition, such ancient customs had largely faded from daily life in modern times.
However, since Zhang Wen had coincidentally returned at this hour, following tradition for once didn’t seem like such a bad idea. So, he confidently stepped out of his room and made his way to the door of the room where Xiao Xi and Amyris were staying. Yet, to his mild surprise, no matter how long he knocked, there was no answer.
Those two little brats… He had clearly warned them not to wander off. Sigh! If he had known this would happen, he shouldn’t have infused Xiao Xi with the Spring Water Combat Energy earlier. That way, she would have been too weak to move from her bed. Zhang Wen couldn’t help but clench his teeth in frustration.
Before departing for the planet Thaumus, Zhang Wen had accidentally discovered that by channeling Spring Water Combat Energy into Xiao Xi’s body, he could suppress the effects of the ancient Zero Serum within her, allowing her to move freely away from him.
However, the Spring Water Combat Energy would gradually deplete over time, and once it ran out, Xiao Xi would once again lose her strength due to the Zero Serum’s effects—making her seem like a robot needing recharging.
Before heading off to meet Shura, Xiao Xi had stubbornly begged Zhang Wen to refill her “energy.” At the time, Zhang Wen had a faint premonition that once she was fully charged, the little girl wouldn’t be content to stay in the room.
Was this what people meant by “if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beams will be too”? Zhang Wen sighed inwardly, suddenly realizing he probably wasn’t in a position to scold the two girls.
Well… It would be dark soon. The combat energy he had infused into Xiao Xi that morning should be nearly depleted by now. It wasn’t safe for the two girls to be wandering around outside. Resigned to the situation, Zhang Wen returned to his room, retrieved his psychokinetic communicator, and clipped it to his ear. After channeling a small amount of psychic energy, he quickly connected to Amyris’s communicator.
“Hello?” The voice from the other end sent a chill through Zhang Wen’s heart. It wasn’t Amyris’s voice—it was a cold, male voice.
“Who are you?” Zhang Wen asked as a matter of routine.
“Hehehe! You don’t need to know who I am. You must be Lord Zhang Wen, right?”
“That’s right.”
“I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time. I’m sure you already understand. Your three students are in my hands.”
“Three students?” Zhang Wen furrowed his brow.
“Yes. Hehe! One named Garret, one named Amyris, and another named Xiao Xi. Three very beautiful girls—you must really like them, don’t you?” The man on the other end of the communicator chuckled coldly.
“Xiao Xi…”
Frankly speaking, when Zhang Wen first connected to Amyris’s communicator and heard that cold male voice, he had assumed it was just another prank by the students of Thaumus Academy. But now, he realized the situation was far more serious than he had imagined.
If only Amyris and Garret had been taken, Zhang Wen wouldn’t have found it particularly strange. But now, even Xiao Xi had fallen into their hands!
After all, Xiao Xi was a formidable ninth-stage martial artist, and a speed-type fighter at that—the most difficult type to deal with in battle, especially when facing multiple opponents. Unless her captors were martial artists of tenth-stage strength or higher, it would be practically impossible to capture a battle-hardened speed-type fighter like her!
No matter how skilled the physical combat students of Thaumus Academy were, there was no way they had tenth-stage masters among their ranks. And as for the instructors of Thaumus Academy—who certainly included tenth-stage experts—how could they possibly target students from the visiting delegation of Almace Academy?
But if the ones who captured Xiao Xi weren’t from Thaumus Academy, then who were they? As this thought crossed his mind, Zhang Wen suddenly recalled Edward’s last, sinister glare.
“Who exactly are you?” Zhang Wen’s eyes narrowed, his voice suddenly deepening.
“Hehe! Don’t you already know who I am? Anyway, your three lovely students are in my hands. If you want to see them alive, come to Training Ground No. 3 at midnight. Remember, come alone. If I find out you’ve told anyone about this, I can’t guarantee what will happen to those three lovely girls. Hehehehe…” With a sinister laugh, the caller cut off the communication without warning.
Zhang Wen tried to connect to Garret’s and Xiao Xi’s communicators, but all he received were the same unresponsive signals.
Those three troublesome girls… They really fell into their hands. Without a word, Zhang Wen tossed the communicator aside.
For Zhang Wen, there was no point in speculating about the identity of his opponent now. Since the three girls had been captured, no matter what the captors’ motives were, Zhang Wen had no choice but to follow their instructions and go alone to Training Ground No. 3 at midnight.
This is going to be dangerous… Zhang Wen sighed deeply.
After the first communication, Zhang Wen was unable to contact the kidnapper again. However, the fact that these people had managed to track down his identity and infiltrate Thaumus Academy to abduct his students meant that they must be monitoring him very closely.
If Zhang Wen tried to seek help from others out of fear of walking into a trap, the kidnappers would certainly discover his actions and retaliate without hesitation. Zhang Wen couldn’t afford to take such a risk.
He waited in the hotel through a long night. Thirty minutes before midnight, he opened the window again and leaped out of his room.
According to the traditions of most imperial academies, Thaumus Academy enforced a strict curfew at midnight. Therefore, the academy grounds were now eerily quiet, with no one on the streets—Zhang Wen no longer needed to be as cautious as he had been when sneaking out in the afternoon.
Although Training Ground No. 3 was located at the far eastern end of the academy, far from the hotel where Zhang Wen and his group were staying, Zhang Wen reached the isolated building atop a small hill in no time at all, moving at full speed.
Just like the other buildings in Thaumus Academy, the training ground was dark and unlit. Moreover, the moon that night happened to be positioned directly behind the training ground. Under the silver moonlight, the hill cast a massive shadow over the entire structure, adding an eerie and ominous atmosphere.
Standing before the seemingly haunted Training Ground No. 3, Zhang Wen saw that the front door was wide open. However, the interior was pitch black. Even with his vision enhanced by the Spring Water Technique, he could see nothing inside.
Drip! Suddenly, a sound like a drop of water hitting the floor echoed from inside the dark building. Any educated citizen of the Empire would recognize it immediately—it was the sound of psychic energy filling a psychic reservoir.
Soon after, two dim psychic lamps flickered to life inside the training ground. In their faint glow, Zhang Wen saw the silhouettes of three girls—Amyris, Garret, and Xiao Xi—hanging before him.
At first glance, they didn’t seem to have suffered any physical harm. Their hands were bound and tied to a beam above their heads with thick ropes. Their legs were similarly bound together, their eyes covered with thick cloth, and their mouths gagged with white towels.
“Mmmph!” As soon as they sensed the light from the psychic lamps, the girls realized that their rescuer—Zhang Wen—had arrived. They immediately began struggling in excitement.
But just as quickly, the lights went out again. Then, the same cold, sinister laughter Zhang Wen had heard over the communicator rang out from the darkness.
“Hehehehe… I didn’t expect you to be this foolish—actually coming alone.”
“Yeah, well… Who told me to have such disobedient students? I told them to stay in the room, but they wouldn’t listen. Now they’ve gone and gotten themselves captured! What can I do?” Zhang Wen shrugged helplessly, feigning nonchalance while subtly preparing himself for combat.
Although he couldn’t see any enemies within his line of sight, Zhang Wen could clearly sense that there were at least ten people hiding in the darkness, watching him like predators ready to strike.
“Hahaha! You’re quite the joker. But no matter how many jokes you make, it won’t change your current situation,” the cold male voice spoke again.
“Alright, no more jokes. Let’s get serious. Your target is me, right? Now that I’m here, why are you still holding them hostage?”
“Hehe! Do you think I’m an idiot? I’ve heard all about your skills in martial arts—especially your speed. Even a tenth-stage martial artist might struggle to keep up with you in battle. If I release them and you just run away, what can I possibly do to stop you?”
“Oh? You’re quite cautious,” Zhang Wen smiled faintly, though inwardly his anxiety was growing. The opponent had managed to gather such detailed information about him in such a short time—something he hadn’t anticipated.
After all, unlike his official role within the Almace Academy delegation, his martial arts expertise wasn’t something easily accessible through public records.
Except for a few teammates who had fought alongside him in the Sandra Forest and a handful of bounty fighters in the Casares Arena who were on good terms with him, Zhang Wen had rarely displayed his martial prowess in front of others. How had this opponent obtained such information?
Damn it! Zhang Wen cursed silently in his mind.
“Hehe! Better safe than sorry,” the cold voice now carried a tone of mockery, perhaps because he believed he had already gained the upper hand. “Now, I want you to seal your own combat energy!”
“Mmmph!” This time, the moment the cold voice finished speaking, not only Garret but also Amyris and Xiao Xi began struggling violently, their muffled cries echoing in the darkness. Even though the training ground was still pitch black, Zhang Wen could easily imagine the flushed, determined expressions on the girls’ faces as they fought desperately against their restraints.
“Seal my own combat energy?” Zhang Wen’s brows furrowed deeply.
Under these circumstances, even Zhang Wen had to admit he was facing a difficult choice. Sealing his combat energy would essentially leave him defenseless. Yet, if he refused to comply, these ruthless criminals would certainly not hesitate to harm the girls.
“Hesitating? Don’t want to obey? Hahaha! Think carefully—you have no room to negotiate. Your students are in my hands.”
“I understand.” Zhang Wen nodded coldly.
Back when he first arrived in this world and began practicing the Spring Water Technique, Zhang Wen had often wondered: if he were to fight without using any combat energy—relying solely on his physical strength, just like he used to on Earth—how far could he go? Although he had never actually tested this theory, the question had always lingered in his mind.
As his understanding of the Spring Water Technique and combat energy deepened, the answer to that question had gradually taken shape in his mind—though still somewhat vague.
When Zhang Wen solely relied on his physical strength against an opponent who could wield battle energy, it became extremely difficult for him to overcome the opponent’s defensive battle energy with mere physical power alone. However, if he could push the Spring Water Art’s advantages in techniques to the limit, it wouldn’t be easy for the opponent to defeat him quickly either.
Of course, all of this was just Zhang Wen’s personal assumption, never tested in actual combat. But with no other choice left, Zhang Wen could only decide to take a gamble.
Hey! He hoped that after Phoenix and Edward were out of the picture, these guys wouldn’t be able to gather other tenth-stage experts too soon. Even if the Spring Water Art techniques had their advantages, with only physical strength, facing a tenth-stage expert meant being instantly killed without a doubt! Zhang Wen thought helplessly, yet somehow found himself smirking without realizing it.
“Hurry up!” An impatient, icy male voice urged again.
Without expression, Zhang Wen glanced into the pitch-black training hall. Suddenly, a dazzling bright blue battle energy burst forth from his right hand. The energy gathered there gradually became brighter and brighter until, at the moment it became almost blinding, it suddenly exploded like an overinflated balloon.
“Good!” Seeing the battle energy burst from Zhang Wen’s right hand, the icy male voice uttered with satisfaction.
“When a physical martial artist gathers battle energy, if they ignore the limit their own battle energy can fuse and concentrate excessively at one point, it may result in an overcharge phenomenon, causing the gathering of battle energy to fail. The consequence of a failed battle energy gathering will cause a large amount of battle energy to surge back into the body, resulting in internal chaos in the battle energy, making it impossible to use for quite a while.” This was one of the most basic principles in the martial arts textbook of the Empire.
Boom! Another echoing sound resonated as psychic energy was poured into the psychic slot.
The next moment, the Third Training Hall suddenly became brightly lit.
“Wuwuwuw!” The three girls who had just heard the entire process of Zhang Wen sealing his battle energy began to struggle fiercely, shaking their heads desperately at Zhang Wen.
“Now you can come in.” The cold male voice sounded again. This time, Zhang Wen finally got a clear look at the figure.
It was a long-haired youth, looking about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a short-sleeved combat outfit commonly seen in arenas. He stood beside the three bound girls, hugging a seemingly ordinary crystal energy sword in his hands.
When Zhang Wen relied solely on physical strength to face an opponent who could utilize combat energy, it became extremely difficult for him to win, as mere physical power was insufficient to break through the opponent’s energy defense. However, if he could maximize the advantages of the Spring Water Technique in his moves, it wouldn’t be easy for the opponent to defeat him quickly.
Of course, these were just Zhang Wen’s own speculations, untested in actual combat. But now, with no other options, Zhang Wen had no choice but to take a gamble.
“Hey! I hope that after Phoenix and Edward are gone, these guys won’t be able to summon other tenth-tier powerhouses so quickly. Even with the advantages of the Spring Water Technique, relying solely on physical strength, I’d be instantly killed if I faced a tenth-tier powerhouse!” Zhang Wen thought helplessly, inexplicably curling the corner of his mouth.
“Move faster!” a cold male voice impatiently urged again.
Zhang Wen glanced expressionlessly into the dark training hall, and a dazzling bright blue combat energy suddenly burst from his right hand. The energy gathered in his hand grew brighter and brighter until it reached an almost blinding intensity, then exploded like an overinflated balloon.
“Good!” the cold voice said with satisfaction upon seeing the burst of energy from Zhang Wen’s hand.
“In the Empire’s combat manuals, it’s a basic principle that if a martial artist ignores the limit of how much energy they can gather and accumulates it endlessly at one point, it can lead to an energy overload, causing the energy to fail to gather. The result of this failure is that a large amount of energy will surge back into the body, causing internal energy chaos and rendering the user unable to use their energy for a considerable period.”
Thud! Another sound echoed as energy filled the energy slot.
In the next moment, the third training hall was suddenly illuminated.
“Ugh! Ugh!” The three girls, who had just witnessed Zhang Wen sealing his own energy, struggled fiercely, desperately shaking their heads at him.
“Now you can come in,” the cold voice spoke again. This time, Zhang Wen finally saw the person clearly.
It was a long-haired youth, around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a common short-sleeved combat outfit from the arena. He held an ordinary-looking energy sword in his arms, standing beside the three bound girls.
“Hmph!” The long-haired youth sneered triumphantly, raising his energy sword and pointing it carelessly at Zhang Wen.
When Zhang Wen saw the long-haired youth, he was indeed so shocked that he froze. The look of disbelief on his face only made the youth more smug.
“What’s wrong? Too scared to come in? If you don’t come in soon, I can’t guarantee what I might do to your cute little students! Hehehe!” The long-haired youth’s cold laughter now carried a lewd undertone.
Zhang Wen silently stared at the youth for a moment, then finally stepped forward, crossing the threshold of the training hall.
Bang! As soon as Zhang Wen entered, the heavy training hall door slammed shut behind him.
“Hehehehe!” About twenty or so kids, no older than sixteen or seventeen, surrounded him with mischievous grins, quickly encircling Zhang Wen.
Sigh… Looking at the young faces around him, Zhang Wen sighed with mixed emotions. Their appearance confirmed his earlier suspicion. When he saw the long-haired youth, he realized that the youth wasn’t some desperate criminal. His demeanor and actions were completely different from cold-blooded killers like Phoenix or Edward.
As for the identities of these kids, Zhang Wen would bet a year’s salary that they were the students of the Themist Academy, whom Katerina had repeatedly warned him to be careful of.
“Hehe! No matter how much you act tough, it’s useless! Your energy overload earlier means your combat energy will be sealed until tomorrow morning. Without it, no matter how strong you are, you’re just a sitting duck!” The long-haired youth laughed triumphantly as his “prey” was surrounded by his companions.
“Hey! What should we do with him? Like that idiot Fox last year, strip him and hang him upside down from the clock tower?” The kids surrounding Zhang Wen all laughed, eyeing him maliciously like a pack of wild dogs eyeing a captured rabbit.
“Eh! That’s no good! Repeating the same thing lacks artistic flair! Hehe! Doesn’t this guy have three cute students? Why don’t we strip him naked and throw him in with those three beauties, then film something interesting? We could call it ‘Beastly Teacher vs. Naughty Schoolgirls.’ The folks on the psychic network would love it!” A girl with only half an earring on her right ear smirked, pulling out a psychic monitor she had prepared earlier and quickly setting it up against the wall.
“Haha! That’s a great idea!” The kids burst into raucous laughter, with several of the boys whistling loudly.
“Ugh! Ugh!” Hearing the increasingly vulgar suggestions from the “kidnappers,” the three girls were nearly driven mad. Xiao Xi’s face turned red as she desperately tugged at the ropes binding her hands and feet, causing the steel beams of the training hall to creak.
Zhang Wen remained silent, standing listlessly among the kids, letting them laugh and mock him.
“Alright, alright!” After letting his companions laugh and vent their amusement, the long-haired youth raised his hand to quiet them down. Then, he turned to Zhang Wen with a smug look.
“So, are you going to cooperate with us willingly, or do we have to do it ourselves? Hehe! I’ll warn you in advance—if you cooperate, we’ll just film a little video and let you go. But if we have to do it ourselves, you’re in for a rough time!”
“Heh, is that so? I’ve heard your proposal,” Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled into a smile. “But unfortunately, I’m the type who prefers punishment over rewards.”
As Zhang Wen uttered the last word, the psychic steel he had been holding in his hand suddenly extended, transforming into a three-foot-long energy sword. Although Zhang Wen had sealed his combat energy, it didn’t stop him from using the psychic steel, which was powered by psychic energy.
The arrogant Themist Academy students clearly hadn’t expected Zhang Wen, in such a desperate situation, to still have the courage to fight back. Before they could react, Zhang Wen flicked his wrist, and the sword flashed upward, slicing past the earring girl who was holding the psychic monitor.
Crack! The psychic monitor in the girl’s hand snapped in two. The stored psychic energy burst out, startling the girl into screaming and throwing the remaining half of the monitor aside.
It took a while for the pale-faced girl to realize that Zhang Wen’s strike had only cut the monitor and hadn’t harmed her. However, she didn’t feel grateful for Zhang Wen’s mercy. Instead, she felt humiliated in front of her companions and glared at him furiously as soon as she regained her composure.
“Hey, brats, don’t think just because you’ve tied up an adult’s hands, you can mess around with them. If you go too far, you’ll still get your butts spanked!”
Even surrounded by over twenty martial arts students, even with his combat energy sealed and unusable, Zhang Wen was still Zhang Wen. Even if he wasn’t certain he could win, making him bow and admit defeat was always just two words: a dream!
When Zhang Wen relied solely on physical strength to face opponents who could harness combat energy, it became extremely difficult for him to defeat them, as pure physical power was insufficient to break through their combat energy defenses. However, if he could maximize the advantages of the Spring Water Technique in his moves, it wouldn’t be easy for his opponents to defeat him quickly either.
Of course, these were merely Zhang Wen’s own speculations, untested in actual combat. But now, with no other options left, Zhang Wen had no choice but to take a gamble.
*Heh! I hope after Phoenix and Edward are gone, these guys won’t be able to summon other tenth-tier experts so quickly. Even with the advantages of the Spring Water Technique, relying solely on physical strength against a tenth-tier expert would mean instant death!* Zhang Wen thought helplessly, his lips curling into a faint smile for some reason.
“Hurry up!” A cold male voice urged impatiently once again.
Zhang Wen glanced expressionlessly into the dark training hall, and suddenly, a blinding blue light of combat energy erupted from his right hand. The energy gathered in his palm grew brighter and brighter until, at its peak intensity, it exploded like an overinflated balloon.
“Good!” The cold voice said with satisfaction upon seeing the burst of energy from Zhang Wen’s hand.
“When a martial artist gathers combat energy, if they ignore the limits of their own energy capacity and endlessly concentrate it at one point, it can lead to an overload, causing the energy gathering to fail. The result of such a failure is a surge of energy back into the body, leading to internal chaos and rendering the user unable to use combat energy for a considerable period.” This passage was one of the most basic principles in the Empire’s martial arts textbooks.
*Thud!* Another resonant sound echoed as energy filled the energy chamber.
In the next moment, the third training hall was suddenly illuminated with bright lights.
“Mmmph! Mmmph!” The three girls, who had just witnessed Zhang Wen sealing his combat energy, struggled fiercely, shaking their heads desperately at him.
“Now you can come in,” the cold voice spoke again. This time, Zhang Wen finally saw the speaker clearly.
It was a young man, around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a common short-sleeved combat outfit often seen in arenas. He had long hair and was holding an ordinary-looking crystal energy sword, standing next to the three bound girls.
“Hmph!” The long-haired young man sneered triumphantly, pointing his crystal energy sword casually at Zhang Wen.
When Zhang Wen saw the long-haired young man, he was indeed stunned. The look of disbelief on his face only made the young man even more smug.
“What’s wrong? Too scared to come in? If you don’t step in soon, I can’t guarantee what I might do to these cute students of yours! Hehehe!” The long-haired young man’s cold laughter carried a lewd undertone.
Zhang Wen silently stared at the young man for a moment before finally stepping forward, crossing the threshold of the training hall.
*Bang!* As soon as Zhang Wen entered, the heavy doors of the training hall slammed shut behind him.
“Hehehehe!” About twenty or so teenagers, no older than sixteen or seventeen, surrounded him with mischievous grins, quickly encircling Zhang Wen.
*Sigh…* Zhang Wen let out a complex sigh as he looked at the young faces around him. Their presence confirmed his earlier suspicions. When he saw the long-haired young man, Zhang Wen realized that he wasn’t some desperate criminal. His demeanor and movements were completely different from cold-blooded killers like Phoenix or Edward.
As for the identities of these youngsters, Zhang Wen would bet a year’s salary that they were the students of Themist Academy, whom Katerina had repeatedly warned him to be cautious of.
“Hehe! No matter how much you pretend, it’s useless! That energy overload earlier means your combat energy will be sealed until tomorrow morning. Without it, no matter how strong you are, you’re just a sitting duck!” The long-haired young man laughed triumphantly as his companions surrounded their “prey.”
“Hey! What should we do with him? Like that idiot Fox last year, strip him and hang him upside down from the clock tower?” The youngsters surrounding Zhang Wen laughed loudly, eyeing him maliciously like a pack of wild dogs inspecting a captured rabbit.
“Nah, that’s too boring! Repeating the same thing lacks artistic flair! Hehe! This guy has three cute students, right? Why don’t we strip him naked, throw him in with the three beauties, and film an interesting little movie? We’ll call it ‘Beastly Teacher vs. Naughty Beauties.’ The folks on the psychic network would love it!” A girl with half an earring on her right ear smirked, pulling out a psychic monitoring device she had prepared earlier and quickly setting it up by the wall.
“Haha! That’s a great idea!” The group burst into raucous laughter, with several of the boys whistling loudly.
“Mmmph! Mmmph!” Hearing the increasingly vulgar suggestions from the “kidnappers,” the three girls were nearly frantic with desperation. Xiao Xi’s face turned red as she struggled against the ropes binding her, causing the steel beams of the training hall to creak under the strain.
Zhang Wen remained silent, standing listlessly in the middle of the group, letting them mock and laugh at him.
“Alright, alright!” Once the group had laughed enough, the long-haired young man raised his hand to quiet them down. Then, he turned to Zhang Wen with a smug look.
“So, are you going to cooperate with us willingly, or do we have to do it ourselves? Hehe! Just so you know, if you cooperate, we’ll just film a little movie and let you go. But if we have to do it ourselves, you’re in for a rough time!”
“Oh, is that so? I heard your proposal,” Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled into a smile. “But unfortunately, I’m the type who prefers punishment over rewards.”
As Zhang Wen uttered the last word, the psychic steel he had been holding in his hand suddenly extended, transforming into a three-foot-long crystal energy sword. Even though Zhang Wen had sealed his combat energy, it didn’t stop him from using the psychic steel, which was powered by psychic energy.
The arrogant Themist Academy students clearly hadn’t expected Zhang Wen, in such a dire situation, to still have the courage to fight back. Before they could react, Zhang Wen flicked his wrist, and the sword flashed upward, slicing through the psychic monitoring device held by the earring girl.
*Crack!* The device snapped in two, and the stored psychic energy exploded, startling the girl into dropping the broken device.
It took a moment for the pale-faced girl to realize that Zhang Wen’s strike had only destroyed the device, leaving her unharmed. However, she didn’t feel grateful for his mercy. Instead, she felt humiliated in front of her companions and glared at Zhang Wen with fury.
“Hey, brats, don’t think just because you’ve tied up an adult’s hands, you can mess around as you please. If you go too far, you’ll still get your butts spanked!”
Even surrounded by over twenty martial arts students, even with his combat energy sealed, Zhang Wen was still Zhang Wen. Even if he wasn’t certain of victory, there were only two words for anyone who thought he’d surrender: *Dream on!*
“What’s wrong? Scared to come in now? If you don’t come in soon, I can’t guarantee what I might do to your lovely female students!” He laughed coldly and lewdly.
Zhang Wen silently stared at the long-haired youth for a moment before finally stepping forward, crossing the threshold of the training hall.
Clang! As soon as Zhang Wen’s body entered the training hall, the heavy door behind him was slammed shut.
“Hehehehe!” About two dozen youths, looking no older than sixteen or seventeen, grinned wickedly as they quickly surrounded Zhang Wen.
Sigh… Looking at the young people around him, Zhang Wen sighed heavily with complex emotions. Their appearance finally confirmed his earlier suspicion. When he saw the long-haired youth’s face clearly, Zhang Wen realized that the youth was not some desperate outlaw. His eyes and movements were completely different from cold-blooded killers like Phoenix or Edward.
And if he had to guess the identities of the surrounding youths, Zhang Wen would bet a year’s salary that they were the students of Themis Academy, whom Katerina had repeatedly warned him to be cautious about.
When Zhang Wen faced opponents who could utilize combat energy with only his physical strength, it became extremely difficult to defeat them, as pure physical power was insufficient to break through their energy defenses. However, if he could maximize the advantages of the Spring Water Technique in his moves, it wouldn’t be easy for his opponents to defeat him quickly. Of course, these were merely Zhang Wen’s own speculations, untested in actual combat. But with no other options left, Zhang Wen had no choice but to take a gamble.
“Hey! Hopefully, after Phoenix and Edward are gone, these guys won’t be able to summon other tenth-tier experts so quickly. Even with the advantages of the Spring Water Technique, relying solely on physical strength against a tenth-tier expert would mean instant death!” Zhang Wen thought helplessly, his lips curling into a faint, involuntary smile.
“Hurry up!” a cold male voice urged impatiently once more.
Zhang Wen glanced expressionlessly into the dark training hall, and a dazzling burst of bright blue combat energy suddenly erupted from his right hand. The energy gathered in his palm grew increasingly intense until it reached a blinding brilliance, then exploded like an overinflated balloon.
“Good!” the cold voice said with satisfaction upon seeing the burst of energy.
“In the Empire’s martial arts textbooks, it’s one of the most basic principles: when a martial artist gathers combat energy, if they ignore the limits of their own energy capacity and concentrate it endlessly at a single point, they risk overloading, causing the energy to collapse and surge back into their body. This results in internal energy chaos, rendering them unable to use their energy for a considerable time.”
*Thud!* Another resonant sound echoed as energy filled the containment slot.
In the next moment, the third training hall was suddenly illuminated.
“Ugh! Ugh!” The three girls, who had just witnessed Zhang Wen sealing his own combat energy, struggled fiercely, shaking their heads desperately at him.
“Now you can come in,” the cold voice said again. This time, Zhang Wen finally saw the speaker clearly.
It was a long-haired young man, around seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a common short-sleeved combat outfit from the arena. He held an ordinary-looking crystal energy sword and stood beside the three bound girls.
“Hmph!” The young man sneered smugly, raising his sword and pointing it carelessly at Zhang Wen.
When Zhang Wen saw the young man, he was so shocked that he froze. His expression of disbelief only made the young man even more pleased.
“What’s wrong? Too scared to come in? If you don’t step in soon, I can’t guarantee what I might do to these cute students of yours! Hehehe!” The young man’s cold laughter carried a lewd undertone.
Zhang Wen silently stared at the young man for a moment, then finally stepped forward, crossing the threshold of the training hall.
*Bang!* As soon as Zhang Wen entered, the heavy doors slammed shut behind him.
“Hehehehe!” About twenty or so teenagers, no older than sixteen or seventeen, surrounded him with mischievous grins, quickly closing in.
Sighing softly, Zhang Wen looked around at the young faces with a mix of emotions. Their presence confirmed his earlier suspicions. When he saw the long-haired young man, he realized he wasn’t dealing with a desperate criminal. His demeanor and movements were entirely different from cold-blooded killers like Phoenix or Edward.
As for the identities of these youngsters, Zhang Wen would bet a year’s salary that they were the students of Themist Academy, whom Katerina had repeatedly warned him to be cautious of.
“Hehe! No matter how much you act tough, it’s useless! You overloaded your energy just now, so it’ll be sealed until tomorrow morning. Without combat energy, no matter how skilled you are, you’re just a sitting duck!” The long-haired young man laughed triumphantly as his companions surrounded their “prey.”
“Hey! What should we do with him? Like that idiot Fox last year, strip him and hang him upside down from the clock tower?” The youngsters laughed, eyeing Zhang Wen with malicious intent, like a pack of wild dogs sizing up a captured rabbit.
“Eh! That’s boring! Repeating the same thing lacks artistic flair! Hehe! This guy has three cute students, right? Why don’t we strip him naked and throw him in with those three beauties, then film something interesting? We could call it ‘Beastly Teacher vs. Naughty Schoolgirls.’ The folks on the psychic network would love it!” A girl with half an earring on her right ear smirked, pulling out a psychic recorder she had prepared earlier and quickly setting it up by the wall.
“Haha! That’s a great idea!” The group erupted into laughter, with several boys whistling loudly.
“Ugh! Ugh!” Hearing the increasingly vulgar suggestions from their captors, the three girls were nearly frantic. Xiao Xi’s face turned red as she struggled against the ropes binding her, causing the steel beams of the training hall to creak.
Zhang Wen remained silent, standing listlessly in the middle of the group, letting them laugh and mock him.
“Alright, alright!” Once the group had laughed enough, the long-haired young man raised his hand to quiet them. Then, he turned back to Zhang Wen with a smug expression.
“So, are you going to cooperate willingly, or do we have to do it ourselves? Hehe! Just so you know, if you cooperate, we’ll just film a little something and let you go. But if we have to do it ourselves, you’re in for a rough time!”
“Haha, is that so? I heard your proposal,” Zhang Wen said, his lips slowly curling into a smile. “But unfortunately, I’m the type who prefers punishment over rewards.”
As he spoke the last word, the psychic steel he had been holding in his hand suddenly extended into a three-foot-long crystal energy sword. Although Zhang Wen had sealed his combat energy, it didn’t stop him from using the psychic steel powered by mental energy.
The arrogant Themist Academy students clearly hadn’t expected Zhang Wen to resist in such a dire situation. Before they could react, Zhang Wen flicked his wrist, and the sword flashed upward, slicing through the psychic recorder held by the girl with the earring.
*Snap!* The recorder broke in two, and the stored psychic energy burst out, startling the girl into dropping the remaining half.
It took a moment for the pale-faced girl to realize that Zhang Wen’s strike had only cut the recorder, leaving her unharmed. However, she didn’t feel grateful for his mercy. Instead, she was furious at being humiliated in front of her peers and glared at Zhang Wen with burning anger.
“Hey, kids, don’t think just because you’ve tied up an adult’s hands, you can mess around as you please. If you go too far, you’ll still get your butts spanked!”
Even surrounded by over twenty martial arts students, even with his combat energy sealed, Zhang Wen was still Zhang Wen. Even if he wasn’t certain of victory, the idea of him surrendering was nothing but a dream!
“Hey! What should we do with him? Should we hang him by his pants on the bell tower like that fool Fox last year?” The youths surrounding Zhang Wen laughed loudly, eyeing him with ill intentions, like a pack of stray dogs eyeing a captured hare.
“Aww! No, no! Repeating the same thing has no artistic sense! Heh! This guy has three cute female students, right? How about we strip this guy naked and throw him together with those three lovely beauties to shoot an interesting little movie? We can call it ‘Beast Teacher vs. Naughty Schoolgirls.’ The guys on the psychic network will definitely love it!” A girl with only one earring in her right ear grinned wickedly, pulling out a psychic monitor she had prepared in advance and quickly setting it up against the wall.
When Zhang Wen relied solely on physical strength against an opponent who could harness combat energy, it became extremely difficult to win because pure physical power was insufficient to break through the opponent’s energy defense. However, if he could maximize the advantages of the Spring Water Technique in his moves, it wouldn’t be easy for the opponent to defeat him quickly.
Of course, these were just Zhang Wen’s own speculations, untested in actual combat. But with no other options left, Zhang Wen had no choice but to take a gamble.
“Hey! I hope after Phoenix and Edward are gone, these guys won’t be able to gather other tenth-tier experts so quickly. Even with the advantages of the Spring Water Technique, relying solely on physical strength against a tenth-tier expert would mean instant death!” Zhang Wen thought helplessly, his lips curling into a smile for some reason.
“Move faster!” A cold male voice urged impatiently once more.
Zhang Wen glanced expressionlessly into the dark training hall, and a blinding bright blue combat energy suddenly burst from his right hand. The energy gathered in his palm grew brighter and brighter until it reached an almost unbearable intensity, then exploded like an overinflated balloon.
“Good!” The cold voice said with satisfaction upon seeing the burst of energy from Zhang Wen’s hand.
“In the empire’s combat manuals, it’s a basic principle that if a martial artist ignores the limit of their energy capacity and gathers energy without restraint, it can lead to an overload, causing the energy to surge back into the body and disrupt internal energy flow, rendering it unusable for a considerable time.”
*Thud!* Another sound echoed as energy filled the energy slot.
In the next moment, the third training hall was suddenly illuminated.
“Ugh!” The three girls who had just witnessed Zhang Wen’s self-sealing of his energy struggled fiercely, shaking their heads desperately at him.
“Now you can come in,” the cold voice said again. This time, Zhang Wen finally saw the speaker clearly.
It was a young man around seventeen or eighteen, wearing the common short-sleeved combat attire of the arena, with long hair. He held an ordinary-looking energy sword and stood beside the three bound girls.
“Hmph!” The long-haired youth sneered triumphantly, pointing his energy sword casually at Zhang Wen.
Seeing the long-haired youth, Zhang Wen was indeed stunned. His expression of disbelief only made the youth more smug.
“What’s wrong? Too scared to come in? If you don’t come in soon, I can’t guarantee what I might do to your cute little students! Hehehe!” The long-haired youth’s cold laughter carried a lewd undertone.
Zhang Wen silently stared at the youth for a moment before finally stepping forward, crossing the threshold of the training hall.
*Bang!* As soon as Zhang Wen entered, the heavy doors of the training hall slammed shut behind him.
“Hehehehe!” About twenty or so kids, no older than sixteen or seventeen, surrounded him with malicious grins, quickly encircling him.
Sigh… Looking at the young faces around him, Zhang Wen let out a complex sigh. Their presence confirmed his earlier suspicions. When he saw the long-haired youth, he realized that the youth wasn’t some desperate criminal. His demeanor and actions were entirely different from cold-blooded killers like Phoenix or Edward.
As for the identities of these kids, Zhang Wen would bet a year’s salary that they were the students of Themist Academy, whom Katerina had repeatedly warned him to be cautious of.
“Hehe! No matter how much you act tough, it’s useless! Your energy overload earlier means your combat energy will be sealed until tomorrow morning. Without energy, no matter how strong you are, you’re just a sitting duck!” The long-haired youth laughed triumphantly as his “prey” was surrounded by his companions.
“Hey! What should we do with him? Like that idiot Fox last year, strip him and hang him upside down from the bell tower?” The kids surrounding Zhang Wen laughed maliciously, eyeing him like a pack of wild dogs sizing up a captured rabbit.
“Eh! That’s no fun! Repeating the same thing lacks creativity! Hehe! This guy has three cute students, right? Why don’t we strip him naked and throw him in with those three beauties, film a little movie? We could call it ‘Beastly Teacher vs. Naughty Beauties.’ The folks on the energy network would love it!” A girl with half an earring in her right ear smirked, pulling out a pre-prepared energy monitor and quickly setting it up by the wall.
“Haha! That’s a great idea!” The kids erupted into laughter, with several of the boys whistling loudly.
“Ugh! Ugh!” Hearing the increasingly vulgar suggestions from the “kidnappers,” the three girls were nearly frantic. Xiao Xi’s face turned red as she struggled against the ropes binding her, making the steel beams of the training hall creak.
Zhang Wen remained silent, standing listlessly amidst the kids, letting them laugh and mock him.
“Alright, alright!” Once his companions had laughed enough, the long-haired youth raised his hand to quiet them. Then, he turned to Zhang Wen with a smug look.
“So, are you going to cooperate with us willingly, or do we have to do it ourselves? Hehe! Just so you know, if you cooperate, we’ll just film a little movie and let you go. But if we have to do it ourselves, you’re in for a rough time!”
“Haha, is that so? I heard your proposal,” Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled into a smile. “But unfortunately, I’m the type who prefers punishment over rewards.”
As Zhang Wen uttered the last word, the energy steel he had been holding in his hand suddenly extended, transforming into a three-foot-long energy sword. Although Zhang Wen had sealed his combat energy, it didn’t prevent him from using the energy-driven steel.
The arrogant Themist Academy students clearly hadn’t expected Zhang Wen, in such a dire situation, to still have the courage to fight back. Before they could react, Zhang Wen flicked his wrist, and the sword flashed upward, slicing past the girl with the earring who was holding the energy monitor.
*Snap!* The energy monitor in the girl’s hand broke in two. The stored energy burst out, startling the girl into dropping the remaining half of the monitor.
It took a moment for the pale-faced girl to realize that Zhang Wen’s strike had only cut the monitor, leaving her unharmed. However, she didn’t feel grateful for Zhang Wen’s mercy. Instead, she felt humiliated in front of her companions and glared at him furiously.
“Hey, kids, don’t think just because you’ve tied up an adult, you can mess around freely. If you go too far, you’re still going to get your butts spanked!”
Even surrounded by twenty-plus martial arts students, even with his combat energy sealed and unusable, Zhang Wen was still Zhang Wen. Even if he wasn’t certain of victory, the idea of him bowing down in defeat was nothing but a dream!
“Wuwuwuwuwuwuwuw!” Hearing the increasingly vulgar suggestions from the “kidnappers,” the three girls were nearly frantic. Xiao Xi’s face flushed red as she desperately tugged at the ropes binding her hands and feet, making the steel beams of the training hall ring out with each pull.
Zhang Wen remained silent, standing listlessly among the youths as they laughed mockingly at him.
When Zhang Wen relied solely on physical strength to face an opponent who could harness combat energy, it became exceedingly difficult to defeat them, as mere physical power was insufficient to breach their combat energy defense. However, if Zhang Wen could maximize the advantages of the Spring Water Technique in his moves, it wouldn’t be easy for the opponent to defeat him quickly either.
Of course, these were merely Zhang Wen’s own speculations, untested in actual combat. But now, with no other options left, Zhang Wen had no choice but to take a gamble.
“Hey! Hopefully, after Phoenix and Edward are gone, these guys won’t be able to summon other tenth-tier experts so quickly. Even with the advantages of the Spring Water Technique, relying solely on physical strength against a tenth-tier expert would mean instant death!” Zhang Wen thought helplessly, his lips curling into a smile for some inexplicable reason.
“Hurry up!” A cold male voice urged impatiently once again.
Zhang Wen glanced expressionlessly into the dark training hall, and a blinding burst of bright blue combat energy suddenly erupted from his right hand. The energy gathered in his hand grew increasingly intense until it reached a point where it was almost unbearable to look at, then exploded like an overinflated balloon.
“Good!” The cold voice said with satisfaction upon seeing the burst of combat energy from Zhang Wen’s hand.
“In the Empire’s martial arts textbooks, it is stated that when a martial artist gathers combat energy, if they ignore the limits of their own energy and concentrate it endlessly at one point, it can lead to an overload of energy, causing the gathering process to fail. The result of such a failure is a massive surge of energy back into the body, leading to internal chaos and rendering the martial artist unable to use their energy for a considerable period.” This is one of the most basic principles in the Empire’s martial arts teachings.
Thud! Another echo resounded as energy filled the energy slot.
In the next moment, the third training hall was suddenly illuminated brightly.
“Woo woo woo!” The three girls who had just witnessed Zhang Wen sealing his combat energy struggled fiercely, shaking their heads desperately at him.
“Now you can come in,” the cold voice spoke again. This time, Zhang Wen finally saw the person clearly.
It was a young man, around seventeen or eighteen years old, dressed in a common short-sleeved combat outfit from the arena. He held an ordinary-looking crystal energy sword in his hands, standing next to the three girls who were tied together.
“Hmph!” The long-haired young man sneered triumphantly, raising his crystal energy sword and pointing it carelessly at Zhang Wen.
When Zhang Wen saw the long-haired young man, he was indeed stunned. The look of disbelief on his face only made the young man even more smug.
“What’s wrong? Too scared to come in? If you don’t come in soon, I can’t guarantee what I might do to these cute students of yours! Hehehe!” The long-haired young man’s cold laughter carried a lewd undertone.
Zhang Wen silently stared at the young man for a moment, then finally stepped forward, crossing the threshold of the training hall.
Bang! As soon as Zhang Wen entered the training hall, the heavy doors slammed shut behind him.
“Hehehehe!” About twenty or so teenagers, no older than sixteen or seventeen, surrounded him with mischievous grins, quickly encircling Zhang Wen.
Sigh… Looking at the young faces around him, Zhang Wen let out a complex sigh. Their presence confirmed his earlier suspicions. When he saw the long-haired young man, he realized that the young man was no desperado. His demeanor and movements were entirely different from cold-blooded killers like Phoenix or Edward.
As for the identities of these young people, Zhang Wen would bet a year’s salary that they were the students of the Themis Academy, whom Katerina had repeatedly warned him to be cautious of.
“Hehe! No matter how much you pretend, it’s useless! Your energy overload earlier means your combat energy will be sealed until tomorrow morning. Without it, no matter how skilled you are, you’re just a piece of meat waiting to be served!” The long-haired young man laughed triumphantly, seeing the “prey” surrounded by his companions.
“Hey! What should we do with him? Like that idiot Fox last year, strip him and hang him upside down from the clock tower?” The young people surrounding Zhang Wen all laughed, eyeing him maliciously, like a pack of wild dogs inspecting a captured rabbit.
“Eh! No, no! Repeating the same thing lacks artistic flair! Hehe! This guy has three cute students, right? Why don’t we strip him naked and throw him in with those three beauties, then film an interesting little movie? We could call it ‘Beastly Teacher vs. Naughty Beauties.’ The folks on the psychic network would definitely love it!” A girl with only half an earring on her right ear smirked, pulling out a psychic monitor she had prepared earlier and quickly setting it up against the wall.
“Haha! That’s a great idea!” The group erupted into wild laughter, with several of the boys whistling loudly.
“Woo woo woo! Woo woo woo woo woo!” Hearing the increasingly vulgar suggestions from the “kidnappers,” the three girls were nearly driven mad with anxiety. Xiao Xi’s face turned red as she desperately struggled against the ropes binding her hands and feet, causing the steel beams of the training hall to creak.
Zhang Wen remained silent, standing listlessly among the young people, letting them laugh and mock him.
“Alright, alright!” After letting his companions laugh and vent their emotions, the long-haired young man raised his hand to quiet them down. Then, he turned to Zhang Wen with a smug look.
“So, are you going to cooperate with us willingly, or do we have to do it ourselves? Hehe! I’ll warn you in advance—if you cooperate, we’ll just film a little movie and be done with it. But if we have to do it ourselves, you might have to suffer a bit!”
“Hehe, is that so? I heard your proposal,” Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curled into a smile. “But unfortunately, I’m the type who prefers punishment over rewards.”
As Zhang Wen uttered the last word, the psychic steel he had been holding in his hand suddenly extended, transforming into a three-foot-long crystal energy sword. Although Zhang Wen had sealed his combat energy, it didn’t prevent him from using the psychic steel powered by psychic energy.
The arrogant students of Themis Academy clearly hadn’t expected Zhang Wen, in such a dire situation, to still have the courage to fight back. Before they could react, Zhang Wen flicked his wrist, and the sword flashed upward in a swift arc, slicing past the girl with the earring who was holding the psychic monitor.
Snap! The psychic monitor in the girl’s hand broke into two pieces. The stored psychic energy exploded, startling the girl into dropping the remaining half of the monitor.
It took a while for the pale-faced girl to realize that Zhang Wen’s strike had only severed the psychic monitor, leaving her unharmed. However, she didn’t feel grateful for Zhang Wen’s mercy. Instead, she felt humiliated in front of her companions and glared at Zhang Wen with furious resentment.
“Hey, kids, don’t think that just because you’ve tied up an adult’s hands, you can mess around with them as you please. If you go too far, you’ll still get your butts spanked!”
Even surrounded by over twenty martial arts students, even with his combat energy sealed and unusable, Zhang Wen was still Zhang Wen. Even if he wasn’t certain he could defeat his opponents, there were only two words for anyone who thought he would surrender: dream on!
“So now, are you going to cooperate with us willingly, or do we have to take matters into our own hands? Heh! I’ll warn you in advance! If you cooperate willingly, we’ll just shoot a little movie and be done. But if we have to take action ourselves, you might have to endure a bit of hardship!”
“Hehe, is that so? I’ve heard your proposal,” Zhang Wen’s lips slowly curved upward. “But too bad, I’m just the kind of person who prefers to drink the punishment rather than the offered wine.”
As Zhang Wen pronounced the final word “wine,” the psychic steel he had been holding tightly in his hand suddenly extended, transforming into a three-foot-long crystal energy sword. Although Zhang Wen had sealed his battle energy, this did not prevent him from using the psychic steel powered by psychic energy.
The arrogant students of Themis Academy obviously hadn’t expected that someone in such a desperate situation would still dare to resist. Before they could even react, Zhang Wen lightly flicked his wrist, and like lightning, his sword slashed upward from below, passing in front of the earringed girl holding the psychic monitor.
Crack! The psychic monitor in the earringed girl’s hand snapped into two pieces. The psychic energy stored in the monitor erupted, startling her into screaming and throwing the remaining half of the monitor aside.
After a while, the pale-faced girl finally realized that Zhang Wen’s previous strike had only destroyed the psychic monitor and that she herself was unharmed. However, she certainly wouldn’t feel grateful for Zhang Wen sparing her. Instead, she felt that Zhang Wen had humiliated her in front of her companions and, as soon as she regained her senses, glared at him furiously.
“Heh! Little brats, don’t think you can just mess around with adults just because you’ve tied their hands. If you go too far, you’ll still get your butts spanked!”
Even surrounded by over twenty martial arts students, even with his battle energy sealed and unusable, Zhang Wen was still the same Zhang Wen. Even if he didn’t have a definite plan to defeat his opponents, making him submit and admit defeat would only result in two words—never in a million years!
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