However, as Wang Zhan dealt with the mad man before him, his murderous intent boiling in a fight to the death...

「In Jing State, S3 District.」

Inside a luxurious and comfortable mansion, the atmosphere was equally intense, as if a grand drama was unfolding.

Among them, Qin Ying, dressed in red, was indifferently watching TV, occasionally picking at some small snacks. She didn't spare a glance for the woman beside her, dressed in white, who exuded an ethereal aura and grew increasingly radiant and captivating.

Yao Yao.

A powerful experimental subject who had joined the Federal Laboratory midway, she was currently its most formidable achievement and its calling card.

On the other side was Yuan Mengru, who had been reluctantly roped in by that old fox, Yun Tianyi, to serve as a bodyguard for important figures.

Although she felt uneasy all over, this feeling was especially pronounced when looking at the two beautiful women who ignored each other both overtly and covertly. But all Yuan Mengru could do was silently and wistfully console herself in her heart.

Powerful men are always surrounded by many admirers; this only proves I haven't misjudged him…

With this thought, her gaze lost some of its vibrancy, tinged with sorrow. Sadly, Wang Zhan had never given her a proper look. It seemed to him that she, a chosen daughter of heaven blessed with figure, looks, and Talent, was merely a passerby.

So much so that when facing two beauties in no way inferior to herself, she couldn't even muster a sense of rivalry, as if they were all mutually irrelevant, strangers to the point of posing no threat whatsoever.

Suddenly, a thought struck her. When did I start having such ideas? I actually considered becoming the other woman… No, no, no, not even the third, but the fourth!

Perhaps women's intuition and self-awareness were always exceptionally sharp. Just as Yao Yao had felt a slight threat upon first seeing Qin Ying, no matter how Yuan Mengru let her thoughts run wild, the other two never paid her any mind. That was true disregard.

No one knew Yun Tianyi's intentions in gathering these three women—all of whom seemed to have ambiguous relationships with Wang Zhan—together. He didn't seem to fear that Jing State wouldn't be able to handle the situation.

Fortunately, just as this strange and chaotic atmosphere was about to reach its peak, a phone call snapped all three of them back to attention.

TRING TRING...

"Hello, this is Qin Ying!"

Qin Ying glanced at the number displayed on the phone in her hand, her expression solemn, and answered directly. In the blink of an eye, she immediately asked in a deep voice, "Where are you? I'll come find you!…"

It had been three days since Qin Ying arrived in Jing State. For Yao Yao, a month had passed since her prominent involvement began, and it had also been a month since Wang Zhan went missing. Every day he was gone, their brows were furrowed with worry.

But this call ignited Qin Ying's fighting spirit like a flame, something Yao Yao and Yuan Mengru clearly witnessed.

A flash of urgency flickered in Yao Yao's eyes, but she forced herself to remain calm and asked softly, "Is there news?"

Yuan Mengru's heart also skipped a beat, but she dared not speak. After all, she and Wang Zhan didn't really have much of a connection.

Qin Ying glanced at her lightly but didn't expose her thoughts. Instead, she seemed to let out a sigh of relief and said softly, "We still haven't found him, but we've discovered a clue. What's certain is that he's still alive…"

Instantly, it was as if a heavy stone had been lifted from the hearts of all three women. They were no ordinary women, and perhaps only Wang Zhan could command such concern from them.

「Meanwhile.」

In Edward's office, atop Han Jin Palace at the Royal Martial Arts Academy.

Li Chengyuan, his face rugged and uneven, slowly hung up his phone. He then walked unhurriedly to the balcony and gazed down at the magnificent scene below.

It was an endless expanse of twinkling lights, merging into a miraculous ocean of luminescence. Compared to the Beast Clan, which knew only plunder and slaughter, this was a marvel only humankind could create.

He fell silent. Edward, however, had no leisure to pay him any mind, engrossed as he was in the miscellaneous tasks before him.

After a long while, a weary, aged voice suddenly spoke from behind Li Chengyuan. "You're still not leaving?"

Li Chengyuan turned and looked at the old man before him, whose figure was beginning to stoop, and smiled faintly. "Where else could I go?"

Edward chuckled, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "Do you really think I don't dare to touch you, or do you believe I no longer can?"

It wasn't that he hadn't met Li Chengyuan before, nor was he unaware of Li Chengyuan's means. But that was all in the past; the Federation, though young, was changing constantly.

Without the protective talisman of his authority, Li Chengyuan was now more exposed. He was a genius, to be sure—one whose realm, though not yet at the Martial Emperor stage, was beyond what an ordinary low-level Martial Emperor could challenge. But Edward was no ordinary low-level Martial Emperor.

Even if Li Chengyuan truly reached his realm, were they to fight to the death, he, the old man, was confident he would be the one left standing.

Li Chengyuan appeared unfazed, gently shaking his head. "Why bother? If you can't kill me, it's best not to show your hostility. Otherwise, you should understand clearly: I despise those who serve the Royal Family most, especially their lackeys. You know what the consequences will be if I survive this."

Edward fell silent and turned to leave. Reaching the doorway, he looked back and said gravely, "You'd best leave as soon as possible! The Royal Family is not as simple as you imagine, and we… will absolutely not accept any threats!"

At this moment, his aged face, etched with numerous unnoticed wrinkles, was filled with a grim, murderous intent.

Li Chengyuan chuckled softly, then looked at him intently. "I can leave, but I need a promise from you!"

"Speak!"

"Wang Zhan must not come to harm. If anything happens to him… I guarantee you, whoever is responsible, they will absolutely not see a good day."

No one knew what Li Chengyuan was truly thinking. But at this moment, even though he maintained his composure, his savage-looking face, combined with his tone, was enough to send shivers down one's spine, making it impossible to take his words lightly.

So, Edward departed, whether he had heard or not remained uncertain. Li Chengyuan also left, unconcerned whether Edward had heard.

「At the gates of the Royal Martial Arts Academy.」

Li Chengyuan gazed at the dimly lit street before him and chuckled. "Wasn't it here that Wang Zhan killed someone from the Tang Family?"

An alluring, veiled woman with an exquisite figure had mysteriously appeared by Li Chengyuan's side. She responded softly, "Yes. However, I suppressed that video footage. The Four Greats are, after all, the Four Greats; they cannot appear before the public too often."

A slight smile touched Li Chengyuan's lips. He turned his head, glanced gently at this lovely, delicate-looking beautiful woman, and said with a note of pity, "It will be hard on you from now on… Mingyue."

If anyone familiar with them had heard this, they would have been utterly astonished. Who could believe that the ice queen of the past had now transformed into such an alluring, fiery, and captivating beauty?

Mingyue smiled, her radiance exceptionally dazzling. "It's nothing. This is what I ought to do."

"Sigh! Perhaps I shouldn't have dragged you into this quagmire back then. Who knew it would come to this, that you can no longer even show your true face to others."

Li Chengyuan smiled bitterly, sighing with resignation.

Mingyue replied with a serious expression, "The path may be tortuous, but brightness always lies ahead. What are a few hardships to me? There's no need to worry about me. Instead, you must be even more careful in the future; those places are more terrifying than even the Star War Battlefield. Besides, since Wang Zhan has entered your sights and possesses sufficient ability and Talent, how could I stand by and watch him drift further from our ideals? As it happens, since I've completely changed my appearance, this presents an excellent opportunity…"

No one knew what they discussed in private. But it was clear this was destined to become a series of secrets buried behind the scenes, never to be known.

And so, Li Chengyuan followed the path Wang Zhan had once walked, as if tracing the steps of a former leader, carrying his memories with him as he vanished without a ripple from Jing State.

Mingyue vanished too. From then on, no one knew her name or her face. Perhaps only Li Chengyuan, the last person to see her, would remember the truth of that meeting.

"Sigh… What does all this struggle amount to? In the end, we are merely pawns…"

In the darkness, a sigh drifted.

When no one is present, there is nowhere to turn.

「Back in the Small World.」

「By the Pure Yuan Poolside.」

Although Wang Zhan was in a wretched state, covered in bloodstains—it was unclear if they were from new injuries or old ones that hadn't fully healed—his aura was more formidable than ever. He grew increasingly calm and composed, as if immune to everything happening around him, unperturbed by any change.

He held the Liyun Blade, looking like a god of slaughter. His pace never slowed as he trailed the mad man, stating indifferently, "Still trying to flee? You have no chance left."

Over the past three days, Wang Zhan had witnessed the mad man's true capabilities multiple times. Almost as if possessed by a war god, at every critical moment, the mad man would fight desperately to turn the tables, completely disregarding his own life and death.

In such circumstances, Wang Zhan naturally couldn't avoid injury. He had sustained countless wounds, some so deep that bone was visible. In the most harrowing instance, his heart had nearly been pierced.

But how could Wang Zhan ever give up? The more dangerous the mad man became, the firmer his resolve grew. An opponent this unpredictable, whose thoughts were impossible to fathom, was better off completely dead.

This was the most crucial lesson he had learned in the Book Collection Pavilion. Some had, through a moment's underestimation, allowed formidable foes to emerge. Though righteousness would ultimately prevail over evil, a terrible price was often paid.

"HUFF… HUFF… If you have any guts… stop and give me time to recover!"

The mad man, chased until he was gasping for breath, had already circled the Pure Yuan Pool an unknown number of times. The entire pursuit had been fraught with heart-stopping terror and perilous moments.

Although he had shredded countless of Wang Zhan's clones, there had been many instances where he was nearly killed by that Fatal One Slash.

Despite being by the Pure Yuan Poolside, where both of them should have had opportunities to replenish their energy, Wang Zhan somehow always recovered instantly. Otherwise, why would it take me at least half an hour to recover, while Wang Zhan can be back in the fight, blade ready, in the blink of an eye? It's so unfair! How can anyone be so shameless? Are you the illegitimate son of Pure Yuan energy or what?!

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