No one knew how long Yuan Mengru had been searching, nor how many times she had passed the place where Wang Zhan had previously been.

But there were no clues, no scent, no sign of that familiar figure.

"Meng Ru..."

"Wang Zhan?"

Yuan Mengru's face lit up with joy. She quickly turned her head, and then her expression suddenly froze. The burning flame in her eyes turned once more into unmelting ice.

It was Chu Yuming.

Actually, her relationship with Chu Yuming was quite good, though no one knew it.

Their two families had been allies for generations, and they themselves got along quite well. However, Yuan Mengru had no romantic intentions toward Chu Yuming, and he felt the same way about her.

So, they had tacitly chosen different Martial Arts Academies to express their lack of mutual interest.

At this moment, Chu Yuming was also covered in mud, looking utterly disheveled. Even his perpetually neat and straight clothes were now as tattered as the emperor's new clothes.

"What do you want?" Yuan Mengru asked, her tone numb.

Chu Yuming nodded. "I'll help you search."

"Why?"

Why do you want to help me find the man I love?

Chu Yuming felt a strange unease, a sense that something wasn't quite right. He remained silent for a moment.

"If you really like him, and if there's a real possibility between you two, I think he might actually become my brother-in-law. So, why shouldn't I help you find him?"

Unfortunately, even when they searched together—and even with the addition of Lin Xiaoyin, Hanqing, Asus, the Grandmaster Realm expert following them, and the rescue team later dispatched by Yun Tianyi—there was still no news at all.

Not one person, not two people, but nearly five or six hundred individuals in the Jing State Wilderness Battlefield had all vanished without a trace, their fates unknown.

However, Yun Tianyi and the others didn't seem to care much. They had already given up hope, sensing that these people were more likely dead than alive.

Couldn't they see that even a Martial Emperor couldn't withstand its onslaught? Even if the attack was deliberate, the power to injure a Martial Emperor was undeniable. Such power would pose a mortal threat even to a Martial King, so what could a Grandmaster do?

They couldn't overturn the heavens!

So, when he sent the rescue team, Yun Tianyi once again instructed the leading mentor.

"Although the four ancient divine weapons also disappeared in this incident and are most likely destroyed, their materials are still incredibly rare. So, if there's a chance, have them search for fragments of the ancient divine weapons. Especially Meng Ru.

She probably doesn't want to face a situation like this again, having to rely on others' protection to survive... Sigh."

Yun Tianyi sighed inwardly.

Although Wang Zhan had been somewhat reckless, according to what he himself had said, he had reached his limit.

In that case, hiding inside a beast's body would have been the most prudent approach, at least adding another layer of protection.

Hadn't they seen that Yuan Mengru, despite being closer to the core of the battlefield than Chu Yuming and the others, was far less disheveled? It was precisely because of the "nest" Wang Zhan had provided for her. Although it couldn't completely negate the damage, it had acted as a buffer, allowing her to survive.

What he hadn't expected was...

"Wang Zhan, oh, Wang Zhan, if you're not dead, that's one thing. But if you really died... believe it or not, even if you were truly dead, I'd dig you up from your grave and whip your corpse!"

He was too exasperating; he seemed to never think before acting.

Yun Tianyi wasn't unaware that Wang Zhan had a girlfriend. Of course, that wasn't the main point.

The main point was the few words Wang Zhan had said to Yuan Mengru. In fact, Yun Tianyi had been secretly eavesdropping at the time... COUGH COUGH COUGH.

In short, flirting and dating without the intention of marriage was simply hooliganism.

And yet, Wang Zhan's final act, even at the cost of a clone's energy, was to stay by Yuan Mengru's side, giving her a beautiful, longed-for illusion.

Now, this was a fine mess. A heroic rescue that captures a maiden's heart might not be an issue if it never happened. But once it did, it would be remembered for a lifetime, especially when one is at an age where love is blossoming.

For a young woman in the springtime of her youth, this was simply a deadly poison.

"He's simply a scoundrel... No wonder that girl in the lab is so worried about this kid..."

Fortunately, Wang Zhan didn't appear before him in time. Otherwise, while Yuan Mengru might have been happy, Wang Zhan might have truly lost his life.

There was no other reason. He was a quintessential jerk.

「However, at this moment.」

Wang Zhan, whom the old fox Yun Tianyi repeatedly cursed as a jerk, didn't even have clear consciousness; he was completely immersed in darkness.

There was no sound of wind, rain, life, or reading from the Federation; no sounds of wailing, heroic laments, crying, or farewells from Yun Tianyi's vicinity; nor the incessant calls of longing from that foolish girl Yuan Mengru, who, despite her disheveled appearance, refused to give up searching for him…

He had only himself, only darkness.

Of course, if the System counted as a person, then perhaps one more could be added.

'Strength +1'

'Agility +1'

'Physique +1'

Host: Wang Zhan

Strength: 3,600

Agility: 3,600

Physique: 3,600

Charm: 240

Wisdom: 100

Mental Power: 4,800

This intense mental fluctuation finally roused Wang Zhan somewhat, his eyes instantly drawn to the rapidly fluctuating numbers.

Surging!

Surging!

Surging!

In just a short moment, his original stats had leaped forward remarkably, leaving Wang Zhan astounded.

Host: Wang Zhan

Strength: 4,201

Agility: 4,201

Physique: 4,201

Charm: 480

Wisdom: 200

Mental Power: 14,400

"This..."

Wang Zhan was somewhat taken aback.

He understood that progressing through this ordeal would allow for an upgrade.

However, for his base attributes to skyrocket from the original 3,599 to the current 4,201 was a bit much. An incredible increase of 600 base attribute points—this was truly astonishing.

Moreover, his mental energy had exploded, now reaching an astonishing 14,400 meters—a terrifying fourteen kilometers. He suspected that even Martial Kings might not possess the level of mental power he currently had.

He knew that if he had possessed such mental energy earlier, he might have actually escaped by finding a gap in the Beast Clan group.

Although Wang Zhan had regained some consciousness, he was uncertain about his circumstances. For the time being, he felt trapped in the "small dark room" of his mind. He decided to use this opportunity to carefully reflect on his recent experiences.

...The Fatal One Slash is indeed useful. Though relying on elixirs for it is somewhat wasteful, its power can be indirectly controlled. If my strength truly catches up, this Fatal One Slash might become a 'chicken rib' skill...

Imagine a Martial King unleashing all his strength and mental energy in one strike. It's fine if he has elixirs, but what if he doesn't?

Then he can only be at the mercy of others, like meat on a chopping block.

In comparison, I feel more adept with the Lean Against the Mountain move, which I haphazardly pieced together from the Eight Extremes Fist and the Military Killing Fist. It's also easier to control.

On one hand, its power is no less than that of the Eight Extremes Fist or the Fatal One Slash. On the other, I can wield it as freely as my own arm. That's truly 'nice'.

So, I must accelerate the integration and coordination of these two fist techniques. I need to avoid a strong start but a weak finish, lest I end up abandoning them after some use... This has the potential to become my signature move!

Also... why did the System suddenly give me an extra 600 base attribute points?

After pondering for a long time, Wang Zhan finally reached a conclusion.

It was possible that by constantly pushing and challenging his limits, his body had responded by directly allowing him to break the 4,200-point threshold.

By this calculation, Wang Zhan's strength within the Martial Master Realm was now quite terrifying. Disregarding talent or actual combat prowess, and looking purely at base attributes, he was in a league of his own.

As a level 1 Martial Master, his foundation was a full twice as profound as that of his peers in the same realm!

HEHE, while you guys are out there fighting to the death, I've already left you a whole street behind... HEHEHE...

The ecstatic Wang Zhan even forgot he was still trapped in the "small dark room" of his mind, snickering to himself.

Those brats were stubborn, with unbending spines, refusing to admit defeat in front of him. If they were to face him again, Wang Zhan could truly tell them:

I'll take you on with one hand!

Because, one hand *is* an entire person!

Suddenly, a fleeting tremor surged through Wang Zhan's mind. He immediately spotted several prominent characters on the System Panel.

'System upgrading...'

Wang Zhan was stunned.

What the hell? You're a System, not a mobile phone! Why would a System need to upgrade? What if it accidentally upgrades away my combat bonuses?

Having read a fair bit, Wang Zhan was all too familiar with the annoying tendencies of those who upgraded phone systems, so he immediately cried out in alarm.

"Hey, hey, hey, System, don't go..."

If you leave, even though I'll still be formidable, I'll only be a little bit formidable!

Unfortunately, the System paid him no heed.

Then, Wang Zhan felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. His eyelids began to flutter, as if sensing the scorching light of the outside world, on the verge of opening.

"Dad, Dad, his eyes moved! He's about to wake up! Quick, come over..."

Vaguely, Wang Zhan thought he heard someone calling "Dad." He couldn't make out the rest. His heart tightened, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

I... I couldn't have died and then reincarnated into an old father's body, could I? Does this mean I'm supposed to be a dad to some little loli?

No, no, no, I don't want this! I don't want this! I haven't even gotten married yet; I'm still a virgin today! System, you can't do this to me...

Suddenly!

At last, he opened his eyes.

He seemed to be in a rather grand house, neither a small wooden hut nor a shabby shed.

Instead, it resembled a side chamber he had occasionally encountered in ancient palaces. While not opulent or magnificent, it exuded a simple and tranquil atmosphere.

This led Wang Zhan to mumble to himself.

"Am I alive, or am I dead? Why can't I figure anything out..."

People often say that some who are living are already dead, while some who are dead continue to live.

Judging by his current state, did this mean he had truly been exiled through a hundred lifetimes in the Federal Society?

But a strange and melodious voice giggled incessantly, directly mocking him.

"You're a strange one. So, do you want to be dead, or do you want to be alive?"

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