"Not good!" Yuan Shisan realized something was wrong, but it was already too late.

"What I want is not the power you gave me. What I have always wanted is not so-called power..." Yao Yao's voice was bleak, a desperate smile on her face, her gaze fixed on Wang Zhan in the distance.

"Yao Yao..." Wang Zhan trembled, struggling to get up, but Wang Qi held him down firmly.

"Don't move. Now is not the time for you to play the hero," Wang Qi said coldly.

Yuan Shisan paid no heed and said urgently, "There's no time for your tantrums! Come with me!"

He reached out to grab Yao Yao's arm again, then his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at her.

"You severed your own meridians?! You despicable person, do you know how much effort I've poured into you?! Do you think your life is your own?!"

"Fine! You don't want to come with me, right? Then you might as well die!" Yuan Shisan's face was ferocious as he raised his hand to slap Yao Yao.

Nearby, Lv Zhenglong had already rushed over. However, Yuan Shisan was also a Grandmaster. At such a close distance, even Lv Zhenglong couldn't stop him.

"You dare!" Lv Zhenglong roared.

SLAP!

The blow landed. Yao Yao didn't resist or dodge. Even at the last moment, she was still looking at Wang Zhan.

"I... I just wanted to catch up to you," Yao Yao's lips parted slightly.

The next moment, the enormous force sent her flying. She crashed through more than a dozen sturdy tree trunks before falling into the dense forest, showing no sign of life.

"No!" Wang Zhan's eyes blazed with anguish. He finally couldn't hold back a roar, but it was too late.

These were the methods of a Grandmaster; he wasn't qualified to intervene.

Wang Zhan struggled violently, finally breaking free from Wang Qi's grasp, then rushed headlong into the jungle where Yao Yao had fallen.

"You two, go watch him!" Wang Qi said to Huang Fu and Song Dongming.

"Okay!" Huang Fu and Song Dongming hurriedly followed.

Meanwhile, Lv Zhenglong and Yuan Shisan began their second battle.

This time, however, Yuan Shisan fought while constantly retreating, clearly intending to escape, while Lv Zhenglong was forced to be cautious.

After all, the Original Organization never operated alone. Since Yuan Shisan had shown up, who knew if he had reinforcements hidden in the shadows? Besides, Lv Zhenglong's primary mission wasn't to eliminate Yuan Shisan, but to ensure the safety of the students present.

Wang Zhan, Wang Qi, Huang Fu, and Song Dongming were all students the Academy was absolutely unwilling to lose.

In comparison, Yuan Shisan, who had just advanced to Grandmaster, wasn't necessarily that important.

Finally, after a brief stalemate, Yuan Shisan noticed Lv Zhenglong had no desire to continue the fight. He fiercely exchanged a few blows, then seized the opportunity to flee while Lv Zhenglong was retreating.

"Lv Zhenglong, the Organization will seek retribution from your Military Arts Academy for today's events! Just you wait! Forcing years of our Organization's efforts to go down the drain—this matter is far from over!" Yuan Shisan shouted from afar.

Lv Zhenglong didn't bother to pursue him.

"If you want to run, then run! Enough with the pointless talk!"

Only after watching Yuan Shisan disappear into the distance did Lv Zhenglong finally let out a sigh of relief and approach Wang Qi and the others.

When they found Wang Zhan, he was sitting dazedly on the ground, cradling Yao Yao's body.

Seeing this, Wang Qi started to walk over but was stopped by Huang Pufeng and Song Dongming.

Song Dongming shook his head slightly. "Let him be alone for a while."

Wang Zhan's eyes were red, but not a single tear fell. He just stared blankly at the dying Yao Yao in his arms.

"I... I can be this close to you again," Yao Yao's voice was faint, as if it could fade away at any moment.

"What exactly happened? Yao Yao, you... why did this happen to you?" Wang Zhan asked, choking back tears.

His bond with Yao Yao was deep. Although they never officially got together, Yao Yao always held a place in Wang Zhan's heart.

They had shared a desk for three years, spending their days together. Wang Zhan had never denied his feelings for Yao Yao.

The last time they met, he had been overjoyed for Yao Yao's breakthrough to Martial Artist and that she had people looking after her at the Martial Arts School.

But who knew that in less than a month, he would be facing her death.

Even with Wang Zhan's usual resilience, his heart was now in pieces, pierced by waves of stabbing pain.

"Don't... don't ask." Tears streamed down Yao Yao's face, yet the corners of her mouth curled slightly. "Everything I did... was just to catch up to you. It just seems the results weren't very good."

"I'm always so clumsy. I can't do anything right—not cultivation, not studying... You used to be just like me."

"I... I..." Wang Zhan choked out.

Yao Yao, however, seemed to use all her remaining strength to raise her hand and place it on Wang Zhan's lips.

Feeling the delicate touch of her hand, he caught the metallic scent of fresh blood.

It was Yao Yao's blood.

"You don't speak. Let me talk for once," Yao Yao sighed softly. "Back in school, you were always so forceful. I always listened to you then. This time, you should let me have my say."

"Go on, I'm listening."

"You used to be like me, without any particular talent, but you were always so cheerful. Others were so infuriated by you, they gritted their teeth, but it was precisely that part of you that attracted me."

"You probably don't know this, but when your strength advanced rapidly in the second semester, others might have been genuinely happy for you, but I never was."

"It wasn't jealousy. I wished for your martial fortune to be everlasting. I wished for you to become a powerful expert admired by all! I wanted to see you like King Xing on the day of the College Entrance Examination, admired by tens of thousands, standing at the pinnacle of Martial Artists."

"But I was also afraid. I was afraid you were moving too fast, standing too high, seeing too far. I was afraid your eyes wouldn't see me anymore... Later, everything I worried about really happened."

"I'm sorry. I never knew... I really didn't know," Wang Zhan finally couldn't hold back his tears.

He never knew he meant so much to Yao Yao.

He thought of how he had left without a word after graduation, of Yao Yao's delighted surprise when they met a month ago, and of the three years in high school they had spent day and night together.

Wang Zhan couldn't restrain his emotions any longer.

He would even give up everything, just for Yao Yao to live, even if they both became ordinary people now. What did it matter if you became a Martial Artist, dealt with beasts, or interacted with humans! What was the point of learning martial arts? Above Martial Artists were Warriors, then even stronger ones, and then Grandmasters! Who knew what lay beyond Grandmasters! He couldn't even protect the person he cared about. Who knew where the end of martial arts was? Who the hell knew how strong one had to become to not endure such pain, such suffering, like today!

"You've truly become dazzling: second in the Federation, first in Chu State. The four major Martial Arts Academies personally came to your door, vying for you. King Xing himself met with you! Your progress is soaring. Even previously stern mentors have become amiable in your presence. Those who used to dislike you wouldn't dare reveal a hint of their true thoughts before you."

"But your eyes have also seen too much, so much that there's no place for me in your line of sight anymore."

By the time she said this, Yao Yao's voice had become very faint.

Wang Zhan's embrace tightened. He foolishly thought this childlike method might keep Yao Yao with him.

But it was all in vain.

"I... I really wanted to catch up to you... even if it was just watching you from behind..."

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry... I'm sorry!"

"Don't apologize. You did nothing wrong," Yao Yao shook her head slightly and sighed, but a smile curved her lips.

"Actually, this is quite good... At least... at least now, your eyes only see me."

Her gaze began to wander, and her pupils started to dilate.

Wang Zhan realized what was happening, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Finally, he heard Yao Yao's voice, as faint as a mosquito's hum.

"To be in your arms..."

Her voice abruptly stopped.

Wang Zhan's taut nerves finally snapped. He stared numbly at Yao Yao's pale yet peaceful face, at the lingering curve of her lips, and felt an unbearable, twisting pain in his heart.

He tried to stand up while holding Yao Yao's body, but his usually immense strength couldn't even bear the weight of a hundred-odd pounds.

He stumbled and fell. Yao Yao's body dropped to the ground, and he collapsed weakly beside her, his vision blurring.

His sight grew increasingly dim, and his consciousness gradually faded.

In the last moment before losing consciousness, Wang Zhan only saw Wang Qi's anxious face.

Then, everything went completely dark.

Wang Qi looked with pity at Wang Zhan, who had fainted on the ground. After witnessing everything that had just happened, she could imagine the pain Wang Zhan was enduring.

Compared to physical torment, the wounds of the heart were the most despairing.

"Sigh." Lv Zhenglong stood beside Wang Qi, his eyes also filled with regret.

Although he didn't know the full story, he had witnessed and experienced too many such heart-wrenching partings.

Because of this, Lv Zhenglong understood how profoundly unforgettable a first such experience could be.

"This is the path Martial Artists must walk. The scum of humanity you faced this time is just one example. Compared to them, humanity has far more detestable enemies. Similar situations are unavoidable for all of you in the future."

"But... my brother... he just started his first year of university, he just came of age! Why him!" Wang Qi suppressed her anger. "Why not someone else? Why not me?"

"That's just fate, I suppose," Lv Zhenglong sighed deeply, unable to find many comforting words.

Any words of comfort were just empty platitudes. In situations like these, one could only overcome it by figuring it out and accepting it themselves.

This was an inevitable path for every Martial Artist; Wang Zhan had just started on it a bit too early.

"Let's go. Back to the Academy," Lv Zhenglong shook his head slightly. "Most of this mission is over. You don't need to participate in the rest."

Wang Qi nodded. Disregarding her own injuries, she took the initiative to carry Wang Zhan on her back.

Lv Zhenglong reached out and took Yao Yao's body.

As an experimental subject of the Original Organization, Yao Yao still held some value, even in death.

But when Lv Zhenglong touched Yao Yao's body, his expression instantly changed to one of surprise.

"Huh?"

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