"I'll go with you to see him," Wang Zhan agreed.

Since trouble had come knocking, there was no use hiding. It was better to face it head-on. Furthermore, If the top man of the Jing State Internal Affairs Department is a hidden pawn of those who wish me ill, then for me, the Federation is no longer a safe haven, but a dangerous place.

What Wang Zhan didn't notice was that after he and the middle-aged man had gotten into a sleek black sedan, a curvaceous figure quietly appeared beneath the residential building where he lived, silently watching his departing figure. She murmured to herself, words only she could hear.

He's achieved combat strength comparable to a Martial King? It seems he gained a lot on the Star War Battlefield... Moreover, he's even more demonic in his talent than his father. Perhaps this is the real reason you chose him? Or do you know other hidden secrets?

Leaving the light, she stepped into the darkness. She left all her voluptuousness and beauty to the approaching night.

No one knew that from a very, very long time ago, she no longer had her own exclusive name. Even if that body held the world's most beautiful memories, only a codename remained.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH.

Throughout the journey, Wang Zhan sat quietly behind the Martial King named Chen San, making no sound, only listening to the baptism and buffetting of the oncoming wind and dust.

About half an hour later, the black sedan finally came to a stop at a warehouse.

Wang Zhan, whose mental energy was constantly focused on his surroundings, immediately tensed but didn't expose the middle-aged man's intentions. The middle-aged man did nothing else out of the ordinary, simply turning around to say quietly, "Student Wang Zhan, please wait here for a moment. I need to go and report to the State Governor."

Wang Zhan nodded nonchalantly. "Sure, go ahead."

However, just as Wang Zhan watched the middle-aged man leave the car, a storm of mental energy abruptly appeared beside him. It instantly transformed into a madman exuding vital energy, his expression exceptionally ferocious and enraged.

The moment he saw Wang Zhan, he seemed on the verge of going berserk, bellowing his desire to fight Wang Zhan to the death.

But…

"If you dare to move an inch, after today, I will smash you to pieces! Don't think I can't do anything to you just because you're left with only a remnant of your spirit. Then, I'll make it so you can't even die if you wanted to!"

Wang Zhan looked emotionlessly at the red figure that had suddenly appeared beside him. From the outside, it looked as if Wang Zhan was alone, muttering to himself. However, the madman opposite Wang Zhan, though still baring his teeth, seemed to sense a great threat and abruptly quieted down, only letting out low roars from time to time.

"You dare command me! I will kill you! I will definitely kill you! Definitely!…"

A cruel arc formed on Wang Zhan's lips. "You? Just a loser. Everything you have now, I gave to you—even your right to continue living. So, what qualification do you have to be presumptuous before me? Madman, you can fool others, but you can't fool me, your master. You're not mad, nor are you stupid. Although your spirit has been impacted, you still have your consciousness. So, if you don't want to die, be my shield! Don't waste words with me. When I want to kill someone, I never negotiate, unless you truly wish to die."

"SNARL…" The madman bared his white teeth, his eyes brutal and violent, yet he didn't dare to move a muscle, just stared fiercely at Wang Zhan.

Wang Zhan shook his head. "Stop looking. Even if you stare at me for decades, I'll still be like this, and I'll only become stronger than I am now. In short, show your worth. Protect my safety. Otherwise, if I die, you die…"

With that said, Wang Zhan ignored him, simply closing his eyes to rest, with no intention of trying to take a single step out of the black sedan.

This wasn't fear; it was ample confidence. He not only possessed the Spirit Shield and the Liyun Blade—two ancient weapons—but he also had countless medicinal herbs and enough Pure Essence Pills to sustain him in battle for days and nights. These things were enough to cultivate in him the composure to remain unfazed even if the earth quaked and mountains crumbled.

He was no longer the insignificant figure of the past.

If he still couldn't win with all this, then he would die no matter where he went, so why bother struggling over it? Besides, while evasion might prolong another's life, for Wang Zhan, it was a meaningless act that would only be the first step in weakening his own strength.

If he wanted to live, wanted to become stronger, he had only one path: battle!

And so, at that very moment…

BOOM!

It was as if an enormous cage had suddenly descended from the sky. Then, a raw, hoarse voice slowly reached Wang Zhan's ears.

"Are you Wang Zhan?"

One could tell it was the voice of a somber, solemn middle-aged man, his words and actions carrying an air of dignity, likely someone long accustomed to a high position.

A thought stirred in Wang Zhan's mind. So, this must be the State Governor who wanted to see me!

Wang Zhan rose from the sedan and stepped outside. Only then did he realize that the massive cage that had descended from the sky had firmly trapped him within this small area; his only range of activity was the entire warehouse. Clearly, they had come prepared.

And at this very moment, at the warehouse's main entrance, outside the cage, a middle-aged man with graying temples was looking at him with bright, piercing eyes, his demeanor solemn and dignified.

The State Governor of Jing State, Shi Zhongming!

What Wang Zhan didn't know was that from the moment he first set foot in Jing State, his existence had entered Shi Zhongming's field of vision. So Wang Zhan nodded slowly. Although he showed some respect due to an elder, there wasn't a trace of awe in his voice.

"I am Wang Zhan. I wonder why the esteemed State Governor would personally seek out me, a mere student from the Martial Arts Academy?"

Shi Zhongming stared solemnly at this boy who had caused him no small amount of trouble since entering Jing State, and said indifferently, "Very well! You still have some youthful spirit. Boy, do you have any idea how much trouble you caused me when you first entered Jing State? Let's be direct. You wanted to see me; first, let me vent some anger. You should also think about how you're going to survive this!"

"HEHEHE, State Governor, is it this boy? Can I leave after I kill him?"

As soon as Shi Zhongming's voice fell, a sinister laugh immediately followed his words.

Wang Zhan looked up. At the top of the cage, another figure, as gaunt as a monkey, had appeared at some unknown time, bound by a Soul-binding Lock. And now, that figure was being held by Martial King Chen San, looking down at Wang Zhan from above, only a pair of eyes glinting with green light visible.

Shi Zhongming glanced at him, his face expressionless. "Survive first, then we'll talk. And I hope you don't misunderstand. When I say leave, I mean giving you the freedom to join the Suicide Squad on the Star War Battlefield, not the freedom to return to the Federation."

The figure retorted arrogantly, "HEHEHE, isn't that even better? These ants in the Federation are too weak. I always feel unfulfilled. I wonder what the flesh and blood of those fierce beasts native to the Star War Battlefield taste like. I'm dying to try it…"

He sighed with some emotion, yet his words were filled with an endless longing that could easily send a chill down one's spine.

Wang Zhan also gave him a few more glances. The Beast flesh this fellow is talking about... it's probably not the same as the Beast flesh usually mentioned in the Federation, is it? He felt the surrounding atmosphere turn somewhat frigid, but a cold sneer played on his lips.

If he didn't possess powerful mental energy, he might have truly become a helpless captive, with no way to fight back. But as Wang Zhan fully unleashed his mental energy—which had been compressed by the System and then undergone certain mutations—he instantly sensed everyone in the vicinity, whether significant or minor. Some figures were hiding in the darkness, bound by Soul-binding Locks, completely immobile.

Clearly, these were likely the consumables meant to test Wang Zhan. They would surely not be simple; instead, their difficulty would escalate progressively, all of them tough opponents.

Of course, Wang Zhan knew Shi Zhongming had no intention of killing him, or he would have acted already. It's probably just to vent his anger, right? However, if Wang Zhan were to carelessly die on this stage, then he couldn't blame them for an inadequate rescue effort. After all, this was an unspoken rule of the Federation—never explicitly stated, but known to everyone.

A pity… Even though Wang Zhan himself had chosen to walk into Shi Zhongming's setup, essentially becoming a guest who was also a cornered beast. But if Shi Zhongming hadn't prepared any King-level entities, then Wang Zhan could only offer him his apologies. Well, Chen San excluded.

With these thoughts, Wang Zhan allowed the madman to remain near him. He raised his head, puffed out his chest, and met those eyes, saying, "If that's the case, then bring it on! Let me see if the opponents you've chosen for me can actually kill me."

"Very well." Shi Zhongming looked at him and waved his hand.

Above, the figure in Martial King Chen San's hands plummeted. Then, the Soul-binding Lock restraining the figure abruptly deactivated, revealing a gaunt form from within. As his aura erupted, he stood arrogantly in mid-air, utterly unshaken. He then limbered up his muscles and bones, smiling cruelly as he said, "HEHEHE, kid, will you come up to your death, or shall I go down and help you?"

Wang Zhan's lips quirked upwards as he looked up at this figure, but his gaze passed through it, settling on Chen San behind the cage. He calmly said, "Then I'll be the one to send you off. Wouldn't it be better to just live a good life?"

After hearing this, the figure's body began to tremble violently, shaking non-stop.

Suddenly, a torrent of crazed, bloodthirsty, indifferent, and rampant laughter suddenly roared out, "HEHEHE, then hurry up and come for me! I so want to die!…"

It was obvious he thought he'd found a very amusing toy. Yet, he didn't know that for Wang Zhan, its only purpose in existing was to hear his next words.

"You know, just because your laugh is hideous doesn't mean anyone's scared of you."

BOOM!

Wings unfurled from Wang Zhan's back. A shadow suddenly appeared where he stood, and in the next instant, he shot skyward…

"Huh?"

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