A furious shout immediately halted the Old Man's attempt to provide assistance, leaving him frozen in his tracks.

A sudden flicker of rage crossed his face, and his usually kindly eyes took on a ruthless edge.

"You're nothing but the remnants of the dead, yet you dare act so presumptuously before me! Die!"

In an instant, a brilliant light erupted from his body.

A loud RUMBLE echoed, brightening the entire Book Collection Pavilion as if it were day. The air everywhere seethed with a boiling tide of Spiritual Energy.

…

"What—what happened?"

All the Sect Elders whom the Old Man had previously led to the hidden depths of the Book Collection Pavilion were abruptly awakened. They could sense two incredibly potent auras clashing within the pavilion.

"What exactly happened? Did someone break into our Small World?"

One should know that this was their territory. It was unimaginable that an expert capable of contending with Old Master Zao would appear out of nowhere.

If this happened a few more times, would it mean their tranquil lives and their seclusion to escape worldly tribulations were nothing but self-deception? If the enemy wanted to kill them, it would be as effortless as lifting a hand.

Instantly, all these Elders, who had held high positions for one or two hundred years, felt that this Small World had also become perilous, fraught with heart-stopping dangers at every turn.

"No, impossible! Barring some accident, no one can easily enter the Small World. Don't forget, the only recent arrival in our Small World was that little bastard…"

Someone with insight immediately thought of a name, causing the expressions of the others to change.

"That's right, it's him!"

"Are you saying he attracted the enemy?"

"So what should we do now? Even though we are Martial Kings, we can't possibly intervene in a confrontation of that level!"

Regardless of whether Wang Zhan was involved, they suddenly realized that against an enemy of such caliber, even Martial Kings like themselves could only wait helplessly for news. If Old Master Zao was defeated, then everyone would become turtles in a pot, ripe for the slaughter.

The tension in the air was unprecedentedly heavy.

Someone said in a sinister tone, "I never thought a mere youngster could bring such a cataclysm upon us!"

"If it truly is him, and he survives this, I will hunt him to the ends of the earth! Even if it means fighting He Miaomiao to the death, I won't hesitate!"

"Agreed! He Miaomiao has gone too far, bringing such a risk to our Sect! This time, not even the Sect Master can protect her!…"

Amidst the clamor of voices, they had already decided the nature of this incident.

As for whether there were any ulterior motives, that became something everyone knew but tacitly chose not to mention.

…

「Far away.」

At Dr. Xu's residence, within the Great Hall where Wang Zhan had once recuperated for some time, Yang Qi, Su Tao, and a group of Human Race warriors all felt a terrifying premonition of doom wash over them.

Their expressions changed drastically, minds taut with anxiety.

"What on earth happened? Why do I feel so intensely uneasy?" someone stammered.

Though Su Tao's face was also pale, he managed to retain some rationality. Glancing around, he suddenly asked, "Where is Wang Zhan?"

He suspected this matter was definitely related to Wang Zhan.

Anyone familiar with that kid's track record knew he was practically a jinx.

Venturing into a godforsaken place like the Chu State Wilderness, he'd somehow managed to stumble upon an experimental base of the Original Organization.

Then, the Federation finally managed to organize a Martial Arts Academy competition, only for Wang Zhan to attract a dozen menacing Martial Generals from the Original Organization, completely ruining it and turning it into a half-baked fiasco.

Even the Military Department nearly had a major incident because of an assassination attempt on Wang Zhan, implicating countless individuals and forcing the Original Organization to shift from overt to covert operations.

Later, even more outrageously, those complacent Federation bureaucrats, failing to see Wang Zhan's true nature, moved the competition venue from the wilderness back to Jing State.

As a result, many families in Jing State were thrown into turmoil, not to mention that in the end, it seemed even the heavens favored Wang Zhan, directly conjuring a Beast Nest Sky Curtain. Who knows how many died? They themselves were merely survivors.

So, wherever Wang Zhan was, why wouldn't another 'minor' cataclysm occur?

…

However, the others lacked Su Tao's particular mindset; he was, after all, a reporter.

But as warriors, especially those who had once followed Wang Zhan to battle in the Jing State Wilderness Area, upon hearing Su Tao's question, they immediately felt as if they had found their pillar of support.

Especially the only Grandmaster among them—perhaps the sole surviving one—who immediately took stock of his usable weapons and declared grimly, "The reporter's right. Find Wang Zhan! With him around, even if we die, at least we can take one or two with us to break even, instead of dying like cowards!"

"…Yes, find Wang Zhan!"

Yang Qi was the first to agree. Though his impressions of Wang Zhan were few, he had never seen him truly face a life-or-death crisis.

So, as long as they stuck with Wang Zhan, they would surely be safe.

Su Tao was dumbfounded. *Damn it, I never realized you were this kind of Yang Qi! Are you even a Grandmaster anymore?*

The others paid no heed to his thoughts; one immediately waved his hand and declared, "Then let's move out! Find Wang Zhan, and with him, we'll carve a bloody path out! If the humans here bear ill will towards us, then kill them too! No need to be courteous!"

They had figured it out long ago.

These people, though seemingly vaguely aware of the Beast Clan invasion from the outside world, were all indifferent, acting as if it had nothing to do with them.

This filled them with immense anger!

For this reason, if Wang Zhan had clashed with these people, they were genuinely willing to follow him and wreak havoc, turning everything upside down.

…

Just then, Elder He returned to the Great Hall with Xu Yuyu. Spotting these rough-looking men, practically sharpening their blades, her brow instantly furrowed.

"Where do you think you're going?"

She wasn't a three-year-old child; how could she fail to see the fierce, murderous aura emanating from them and their determination to fight?

The group met Elder He's gaze without flinching.

The Grandmaster, temporarily acting as their leader, stepped forward without yielding an inch and said in a low, firm voice, "We want to see Wang Zhan! Are you trying to kill him?"

Elder He was aghast. *Have these people lost their minds?*

Don't they know I'm a Martial King? Without much effort, a single slap from me could likely kill them all.

Yet, facing these dozens of warriors, their gazes like drawn swords, some even burning with a scorching flame, she suddenly understood something.

What virtue or ability did Wang Zhan possess to make these people willing to die for him? Truly die for him, without hesitation.

Elder He's tone softened slightly, her expression indifferent as she said, "He will return soon. Have you considered that when he does, this situation might be very difficult to resolve?"

The Grandmaster shot back, his voice chilling, "We don't care! Hand over Wang Zhan! We want to see him, alive, or his corpse, if dead! Otherwise, today, blood will stain these five steps!"

"You!"

Elder He's heart shook, her chest heaving. She was truly enraged. In all her years as a Martial King, had anyone ever dared to be so disrespectful to her? Yet today, she had stumbled before them.

Fortunately, there was still the kind-hearted Xu Yuyu.

She quickly tugged Elder He's sleeve, softly calling out, "Grandmother." Then, with a bravery belying her gender, she stepped directly in front of them and said gently, "Do you still remember me?"

"…Is that the little lady who saved Wang Zhan?"

"It's her. Wang Zhan said if not for this young lady, he would have died long ago," Su Tao explained.

The current situation was like riding a tiger—hard to get off. A buffer was needed.

So he had to step forward to slightly dampen their fervor, to prevent them from being completely overwhelmed by anger.

He continued, addressing the Grandmaster, "Qing Shu, speak with her calmly. My intention earlier wasn't really to fight them to the death; I just suspected Wang Zhan might have caused this commotion… If Wang Zhan is fine, then good. But what if our actions lead to him being held responsible?"

Indeed! Qing Shu, the Grandmaster, was inwardly shaken.

If Wang Zhan had fallen into a dangerous predicament because of their actions, then what could they do? Even if they fought desperately, they couldn't save him…

Su Tao sighed inwardly.

He understood now. These people hadn't considered these issues at all. They only thought that if they didn't make a fuss, Wang Zhan might die, so they had to fight desperately.

But why should you crude martial artists bother using your brains? Don't you know your own limitations?

Qing Shu's aggressive stance softened slightly. Looking at Xu Yuyu, he asked, "Young lady, I want to know, where exactly is Wang Zhan now? Is he alright?"

An apologetic look appeared on Xu Yuyu's face, making everyone's heart sink with a bad premonition.

"Wang Zhan… it's all my fault. He's encountered some danger now…"

Seeing the sudden change in their expressions and their fierce auras, she quickly added, "But please don't worry too much! My Martial Grand-Uncle is saving him right now. My Martial Grand-Uncle is incredibly powerful! He turned me into a Martial Student with just a point of his finger! Wang Zhan will definitely be fine!"

Only then did everyone realize that Xu Yuyu before them had indeed embarked on the martial arts cultivation path, becoming a Martial Student. Moreover, her internal energy was abundant, comparable to those talented geniuses who had trained arduously.

They were immediately surprised. Although still mostly skeptical, they now believed a little in the abilities of the Martial Grand-Uncle she mentioned.

Elder He snorted coldly.

The way these people treated her versus her granddaughter was like heaven and earth.

But a young girl was a young girl, after all; her way of doing things still lacked a certain decisiveness and the ability to persuade with reason.

She waved her hand dismissively and said to them directly, "I wouldn't deign to lie to you. But that brat Wang Zhan's situation is indeed not optimistic; he might really die. If you're willing, I can take you there now to see for yourselves, so you can't say I'm speaking without proof.

"However, let me state this upfront: it's very dangerous there right now. If something goes wrong and a few of you end up as collateral damage, don't blame me!"

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