"It seems the relationship between you and Jia Xin is bound by an inseverable chain. I truly envy young people like you, having such a close friend. After all, no one is perfect; you can make up for each other's shortcomings.
"I once had such a friend as well. His talent and strength surpassed mine in every aspect, but unfortunately, he died far too early. Keep striving, young man. Since you regard him as such an important friend, do not give up on him so easily."
When Bodhi finished speaking, he vanished from Zhang Chen's side. Zhang Chen sheathed "Tooth Slash" behind his back, let out a faint sigh as he recalled what had happened earlier, and quickly returned from the city gate to the street where his temporary inn was located.
"I never expected Jia Xin to truly embark on the path Azathoth planned for him. It is not his inner demons at work. When I spoke with him, he was perfectly clear about his own position. Charging into the Apostle Forbidden Zone now would only lead to death. I must quickly improve myself and complete the 'Ghost Devouring' section of the 'Body Devouring Heart Sutra' as soon as possible."
The direct clash with Great Emperor Dongji had made Zhang Chen realize that he still had a considerable gap between himself and the true top echelon of the current Zero Realm. The internal injuries he had suffered were especially difficult to heal because he had cut countless wounds into his spirit body. He did not know whether he could make it in time for tomorrow's sixth preliminary match.
"At worst, I'll drop one place in the rankings. It won't have much impact on the finals."
Zhang Chen focused wholeheartedly on healing. By the time the wounds across his body