Having escaped death, Wang Zhan flung the woman onto the grass. He charged at the injured intermediate Soldier-level beast in the distance that was struggling to get up.

"Eight Extremes Fist! The Eight Styles of Golden Vajra—Descending Dragon!"

"Crouching Tiger!"

"Splitting Mountain!"

"Riding Elephant!"

One move after another, Wang Zhan fought purely on physical body defense against the intermediate Soldier-level beast. The beast's head, body, limbs, and even its soft belly became Wang Zhan's primary targets.

In no more than a moment, the beast lay at his feet, leaving him soaked in blood.

Wang Zhan looked at the corpse in front of him, his heart undisturbed. He simply turned around, carried the woman on his back, and walked out of this battlefield in the wilderness.

"Hmm..."

The woman let out a soft groan as her consciousness slowly returned. Her pretty face was a mess, but she immediately smelled the strong scent of blood on Wang Zhan. Her hand felt sticky.

But for some reason, she felt a sense of security from his wide back. It seemed like she could fear nothing, whether at the ends of the earth or the farthest reaches of the sea, as long as she was on his back.

However...

"You really dared to take me with you to die?" the woman asked coldly.

Wang Zhan paused for a moment, then continued to walk forward at a steady pace.

"Didn't you want to die? Now it seems you almost have. Are you satisfied?"

Wang Zhan had no feud with her and naturally would not use any cruel means. He was just annoyed, especially since the woman was acting erratically, so he simply decided to teach her how one should behave.

That's what he had asked in Jing State City: whether the woman had the guts. Because only the living are truly people.

But she was just a woman, and there was no reasoning with her.

"Let me down!" she commanded, as if ordering a well-trained pet dog, her attitude towards Wang Zhan completely unchanged.

What an idiot. Wang Zhan stopped and loosened his hands that were holding the woman.

But he found that she was still clinging to his neck. What is wrong with her?

"Hurry up and get down. I have to go back to the Martial Arts Academy Competition. Don't waste everyone's time."

"AH!"

The woman bit Wang Zhan's neck. Even with his Martial General level defense, it felt a bit sore. However, he couldn't be bothered with her anymore. Once out of the wilderness, they would naturally go their separate ways.

Suddenly, a large patch on Wang Zhan's neck felt wet.

Then, the woman jumped off his back like a madwoman. She clawed and kicked fiercely, her face covered in tears, shouting and roaring continuously.

"Since you took his mission, why did you let him die there, you bastard! Why didn't you bring him out? Why? Why?! You clearly have the strength... WAHHH..."

Wang Zhan was stunned. The cause and effect became instantly clear. Therefore, he could only let the woman vent her emotions while he remained silent.

So, it was about Qin Yuan…

Yes. Not only did he take over his mission, he also took his credit. So, this woman in front of him was probably his girlfriend or his fiancée. She was only seeking justice for Qin Yuan.

"Bastard, bastard, bastard..."

The woman kept cursing, her earlier calm demeanor now completely desolate.

Finally, Wang Zhan spoke.

"If you are here for Qin Yuan, I promise you, I will not take any of his credit. In fact, I've said it many times: I don't like being regarded as a hero, and I never want to be one."

All he wanted was to ensure his mother would never again have to worry about food, clothing, or her safety. He wanted his sister to break free from the military's predetermined Fate, return to his side, and resume her original role—a delicate and lovely woman.

All he wanted was to keep his family intact.

The woman suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with hatred and bitterness.

"Don't think I will believe your bullshit! I'm telling you, you took his credit and blatantly used his name! I, Qin Ying, will never forgive you in my life, unless you die! Don't even think about participating in the Martial Arts Academy Competition anymore. You don't stand a chance. A student with Martial General strength has no qualification to set foot in the arena. You're no genius; you're a demon! You must die! HA HA HA HA..."

A madwoman.

Wang Zhan turned and started to leave. He wasn't a fool; he knew to avoid those he couldn't afford to provoke. However…

"Come back! If you dare to leave, I'll kill myself, and the Chu State Military Martial Academy will surely be implicated!"

SWISH.

Wang Zhan's arm shot out, grappling Qin Ying's neck. He hoisted her from the ground and threatened, "Don't think I really don't dare to kill you!"

But Qin Ying, who was struggling to breathe, didn't resist at all, apart from her ragged, intermittent gasps.

"Go on, kill me! If you don't dare to kill me, you're a real coward!"

This time, Wang Zhan admitted defeat. For the first time in his life, he had tasted defeat at the hands of a woman.

He was not invincible. Above him was the vast and profound Federation.

「...」

「It was nine o'clock in the morning.」

In the Temporary Stadium, the Federal Martial Arts Competition—the Team Extra Time Competition—began again.

"Chu State Military Martial Academy Team versus Gan State Military Martial Academy Team! Both teams, to the field immediately!"

The battle began in earnest, the atmosphere in the arena blazing.

After the near-schism last night and the news that Wang Zhan had now entered the Martial General Realm, the earlier arguments had dissolved into a deathly silence. Even so, a clear rift had undeniably formed within the Chu State Military Martial Academy Team.

Zhou Weiqing explicitly stated he would no longer accept Wang Zhan's leadership, and Zhou Weiya could only wear a helpless expression, trying to protect his younger brother.

Therefore, as soon as the team took the stage, many sharp eyes immediately noticed the changes in the Chu State Military Martial Academy Team that day.

"Only six people? Where is Wang Zhan? Does the Chu State Military Martial Academy Team really think they can compete with so many other teams without him?"

"Who knows? Perhaps they've gotten arrogant. A young genius ranked third in the Federation, who knows if the Chu State Military Martial Academy is already preparing to become one of the top four..."

"HA HA, how interesting. Already short one member with Wang Zhan gone, and now there's infighting. It seems this is the end of the road for the Chu State Military Martial Academy. Indeed, upstarts without a solid foundation shouldn't leap too high, or they'll fall to their deaths."

The surroundings buzzed with discussions. The Chu State Military Martial Academy Team, so formidable over the past month, had now become a complete laughingstock.

However, the expression on Liu Zhenfeng's face, seated among the spectators, did not change at all. Only the occasional flicker of complexity and anger in his eyes hinted at his thoughts.

Where did Zhou Weiqing find such audacity to betray the Chu State Military Martial Academy? Liu Zhenfeng could figure that out with minimal thought.

But what could be done? Wang Zhan, originally just a Warrior, had leaped forward to become a Martial General—an expert already almost invisible to the truly powerful. No one would let a Warrior realm student face such a figure. It was as ridiculous as asking a nursing infant to battle a robust man capable of taking on three opponents by himself.

A path to certain death.

Mingyue observed the situation on the field with a calm smile, as if this team wasn't one she had trained herself.

"With Wang Zhan gone, it seems the Chu State Military Martial Academy has turned into scattered sand, everyone fighting for themselves. President Liu, shouldn't you have something to say to me?"

Liu Zhenfeng remained silent for a moment, then apologized, "I'm sorry to have made a fool of myself. It's our fault as old mentors for not disciplining our students strictly enough, leading to such an unworthy student. But I can assure you, the Federation's resources invested in the Chu State Military Martial Academy will not be squandered because of one rotten apple spoiling the bunch."

No one knew Mingyue's true identity. Although she usually deferred to Wang Zhan's decisions, she made Liu Zhenfeng, the current president of the Academy, appear remarkably humble.

At this moment, Mingyue's gaze towards the Zhou Weiya brothers finally showed a hint of something unusual.

"Rest assured," she said. "While we don't meddle in internal strife, it doesn't mean we're unaware. The Federation has always seen and valued the Chu State Military Martial Academy's contributions."

Liu Zhenfeng bowed deeply, filled with immense gratitude.

On the field, the battle between the Chu State Military Martial Academy Team and the Gan State Military Martial Academy Team was finally drawing to a close.

Huang Pufeng, like a madman, charged forward, knocking down two members of the Gan State Military Martial Academy Team before enduring the focused attacks of the remaining three. Chen Mengshu relentlessly entangled the Gan State team captain, completely disregarding her own injuries.

Song Dongming stepped forward, regaining his former glory and strength as the top sophomore year student of Chu State Military Martial Academy. Coordinating with Sun Kelan's harassment, his internal Essence Energy surged violently.

"Wind Breaking Palm!"

This palm technique was derived from the Wind and Cloud Break. It instantly incapacitated three members of the Gan State Military Martial Academy Team, leaving only two.

Just as the Gan State team captain prepared a sneak attack to counter, Sun Kelan unexpectedly charged onto the main battlefield. Risking injury, she launched continuous assaults, completely disrupting his plan.

Then, Huang Pufeng and Chen Mengshu launched a fierce joint offensive. They gave their opponents no time to react, driving the entire Gan State Military Martial Academy Team from the battlefield.

Song Dongming, achieving a one-for-one trade at his Limit, had succeeded.

The cost, however, was that if there were another match, the Chu State Military Martial Academy would be decisively eliminated here.

「...」

"Are you sure you don't want to go in?" Qin Ying asked, her face expressionless.

Previously, she had insisted on getting off Wang Zhan's back, only to later insist on getting back on.

The reason was simple. The first time was because she hated Wang Zhan. The second time was because Wang Zhan was now indebted to her.

Wang Zhan gazed at the Temporary Stadium before him, as if he had returned to Chu State Military Martial Academy...

"HUFF... Forget it, let's go."

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