Getting Stronger By Fighting

A heaviness settled in Yu Tai's heart.

Wang Zhan had already lost hope, but Yu Tai himself had nearly overlooked the fact that this young man was merely a Warrior.

But could he save Wang Zhan? He is the dean of Yanjing Martial Arts Academy and carries the lives of tens of millions of commoners in the Federation on his shoulders. If he leaves, he will be an eternal criminal of the Human Race, and his conscience will torment him forever.

In fact, among the Martial Emperors, there was one other who had met Wang Zhan before—the old ancestor of the Yang family.

But he didn't try to save Wang Zhan either; his face remained silent and solemn.

He is the ancestor of the Yang family, not Wang Zhan's. He didn't actually have a deep connection with Wang Zhan, so his inaction was understandable.

But only Wang Zhan knew that although he seemed to be in the limelight, he was still like rootless duckweed adrift on the water.

Fragile, lonely, insignificant—these were his true descriptors.

"Do… do you hate me? Answer me!"

Yuan Mengru saw Wang Zhan spacing out and repeated her question once, twice, three times, until Wang Zhan, anger welling up from within, glared, his eyes wide.

Even though it was just an illusory projection, it exuded an endless, domineering aura.

"Shut up!"

He was also talking to himself. He didn't need to pity himself, let alone undervalue himself. He merely needed time, battles, and to constantly become stronger. Someday, he would become his own greatest support.

Yuan Mengru's eyes instantly reddened, and a mist formed over them. Unbeknownst to her, Wang Zhan was staring at her coldly, and his gaze instantly made all her grievances plummet.

The flower may pine, but the stream flows on unheedingly. It was all just unrequited love.

Since it was unrequited love, why did she have to see this rascal Wang Zhan? Did he even know?

Ever since Lin Xiaoyin had told her about this rogue—who accused others of snatching his spoils of war, yet tirelessly, if often ineffectively, helped others—she had started paying attention to him, laughing till it hurt.

Her thoughtlessness during their first meeting was actually because Yuan Mengru subconsciously regarded him as a long-lost friend; she never imagined he would grab her by the throat.

Wang Zhan ignored her; he might die soon.

Besides, if he were to be honest, he already had girlfriends—more than one, in fact. He liked women, but that didn't mean he would like *many* women. So, he could only remain silent and, incidentally, tell Yuan Mengru.

"Later, I'll stuff you into a safe place. Remember, don't move. If something unexpected happens, perhaps you can become the pinnacle of the Federation's young Martial Artists again."

Yuan Mengru raised her head and looked at Wang Zhan's dashing side profile and his charming smile. She immediately sobered up, her face paling.

"What do you mean?"

"Many people say I stole your title as the pinnacle of the Federation's young Martial Artists. Well, I don't like taking things from women, so I might just return it to you today."

Wang Zhan said calmly. Then, with a shift of his feet, he targeted a high-level Martial General beast and gently tossed her.

"Ah!"

Yuan Mengru landed securely on his back.

"You watch the show for a bit; I'll go stretch my limbs."

"Eight Extremes Fist——Military Killing Fist Variation! Press! Mountain! Shoulder Strike!"

BOOM. The beast was slammed to the ground. Wang Zhan immediately followed up with a punch that gouged out its brain core, killing it instantly.

But for some reason, Yuan Mengru didn't feel disgusted or find it bloody at all. She just found herself staring, mesmerized, even feeling an urge to sniff Wang Zhan's scent, only to find the smell of mud, earth, and blood.

Of course, Wang Zhan noticed. That audacious little minx Yuan Mengru had actually nuzzled against his neck. How infuriating! She won't even let an energy body go! Shameless, despicable, lewd!

"Stop moving! I'm just a clone. No matter how many hundreds of times you move, I won't be stirred."

Of course, it's not my fault I remember that soft feeling... Wang Zhan thought.

But Yuan Mengru was still embracing his neck, mumbling something, her gaze blurred and hazy.

"I know, but… I'm scared…"

"Scared of what?"

WHIR!

The clone flickered, seeming as if it were about to fall apart, looking increasingly hazy.

Yuan Mengru cried without explaining, just hugging him tightly.

"No… Don't leave me. Even if you really die, I hope to see you die with my own eyes…"

Wang Zhan was shocked.

This little wench is so vicious! She actually wants to watch me die with her own eyes? Didn't she just confess that she liked me? So this 'love' is all about mutual destruction, like some spider mating ritual story?

"...Don't worry. When you die, I will definitely avenge you! I won't cling to you, and I won't die for you. I just want to remember that I was here, that I knew you, and then you left!"

Wang Zhan was silent. Then, with another flicker, his form became more unstable. He struggled to maintain it before finally speaking.

"I'm out of time! Get in there now, or you'll die too!"

Yuan Mengru clung to him desperately, her arms like a constricting hoop, squeezing so hard that Wang Zhan suspected his real body would have suffocated.

"Take me with you; we can't separate! You're about to die, so how do you know if I'll survive? If we really die, at least I'll have you with me on the way."

In the distance, the ring was drawing closer and closer.

Wang Zhan's main body only sensed the approaching aftershock, but it caused the connection with his clone to become intermittent.

Without further hesitation, he carried Yuan Mengru on his back and dived into the beast's belly.

The next moment, all his mental energy was utterly shattered, and the clone reverted to its original numb state, devoid of expression or movement.

Slowly, without the mental energy of the main body as an anchor, the clone gradually dissipated, like a misty rain.

Although she was in the belly of a General-level beast, surrounded by stickiness and a slight warmth, Yuan Mengru cried again—a desolate, mournful cry. She clutched at the empty air before her, finally ending up hugging herself.

She didn't know whether Wang Zhan was dead or alive, but she knew his clone had died. The clone to whom she had confessed, whom she had embraced, and even secretly kissed, had thus turned into a wisp of energy that vanished with the wind, dissipating into the air. It seemed to foreshadow Wang Zhan's own impending doom.

「In just a moment.」

The area where Wang Zhan was located was completely enveloped and shrouded in brilliant white light.

At a glance, it was like a divine miracle; perhaps only the rising Sun could produce such splendor.

However, all the Martial Emperors fell silent.

"Can they… survive?"

The warriors summoned by Wang Zhan, nearly eight hundred in total, included numerous Grandmasters and quite a few Martial Generals.

But in the end, of these brave and skilled fighters, only about one hundred and thirty around Wang Zhan remained. It was unknown if all of them, including Wang Zhan, would be buried in the Jing State Wilderness Area this time.

These individuals were the true warriors of the Human Race! Compared to Wang Zhan and his group, even though they were Martial Emperors, they felt an endless shame and the agony of betrayal for the first time. If they could have spared a few people to bring those warriors out one by one, perhaps they would have immediately become the seeds of the Federation, allowing it to forge ahead through immense suffering and reach even greater heights. But now, it was all too late. No one, not even Martial Emperors, dared to abandon the tens of millions of lives behind them. Ignorance might have been excusable, but to know and not save them would make them public enemies of the Human Race, destined to become traitors to the Federation and their own conscience.

"Let's hope so! It all depends on whether their fate is strong enough. What we must do now is to stop this destructive power outside Jing State, preventing it from impacting Jing State…"

On this night, nearly three thousand Jing State warriors were stationed in the Wilderness Area.

Over two thousand warriors and over eight hundred Grandmasters; not a single one survived.

On this night, in the Jing State Wilderness Area, a rainbow pierced the Sun, its brilliance illuminating the surroundings for a hundred li.

As far as the eye could see, all barriers, hills, and obstacles were annihilated, turning to dust, gouging the earth several feet deep.

On this night, thirty-seven Beast Nest Sky Curtains of the Federation descended from the heavens.

Three human Giant Cities were obliterated, and nine more within their blast radiuses were destroyed. Human Race casualties were innumerable.

On this night, Wang Zhan, the young hero of the Human Race Federation, along with the Federation's four geniuses—Yuan Mengru, Zhou Tong, Hanqing, and Chu Yuming—all vanished in the Wilderness Area, their whereabouts still unknown.

「On this night.」

The great sorrow of the Human Race.

「On this night.」

Internal strife in the Federation.

BOOM!

A large palm slammed down on the sandalwood table in front of him, startling the dozens of dignitaries seated around, their expressions changing slightly.

"Some of you are very bold, daring to betray the Federation! Very good! Excellent!"

The information blockade lasted an entire night, and it wasn't until the next day that the news reached the Federation Presidential Palace Platinum Building. One can only imagine the fury of the Federation's President.

This wasn't just a betrayal of the Federation; it was a betrayal of the Human Race! An unpardonable crime! They deserved to die by a thousand cuts!

Just then, the door creaked open.

An old man with white hair, who looked somewhat familiar, directly opened the door to the President's office. He calmly walked to the President's side, meeting the varied gazes of those present, handed the file in his hand to the President, and said via mental transmission,

"It has been investigated. Mr. President, you can look at the latest relevant information found by the Federation Security Bureau."

The President looked at the cover of the report in his hand, his expression exceptionally cold, and immediately ordered everyone to leave.

But when he actually opened the report and read its contents, he wished his eyes would retract into his skull, to see no evil and be at peace.

"...In 2253... the Original Organization acted as an intermediary. After confirming Prince Zhan Shi's willingness to communicate, they successfully arranged a meeting with Antaiser Wolf, the grand chieftain of the Hell's Three-Headed Hound tribe, and conducted secret talks...

Meeting records show that Prince Zhan Shi and the Hell's Three-Headed Hounds reached a consensus. They agreed to launch the Beast Nest Sky Curtain in 2258 to destroy Federation ground forces at and above the Martial Emperor level, thereby assisting Zhan Shi.

Antaiser Wolf promised that, afterwards, Earth of the Federation would be jointly ruled by the Hell's Three-Headed Hound tribe and the Royal Family, with Prince Zhan Shi revered as the Federation's monarch...

Elder's statement: Clues exist, objective unclear. Current leads point to the Beast Nest Sky Curtain. The Federation must be vigilant against internal infiltration by demonic races and subversion by the enemy..."

One didn't need to think to know the extent of the President's fury; his roaring mental energy directly shredded the report in his hands.

"Useless! You're useless!"