Dust still hung above the bluestone ground as a breeze brushed through the leafy shade. The entire crowd of onlookers sank into profound shock.
Every disciple present stared at Zhang He, who lay sprawled on the ground in a sorry heap.
Their pupils trembled, their minds churned, and towering waves surged through their hearts. After a deathly silence fell over the scene, only wordless horror remained.
No one could accept what they had just witnessed.
Who was Zhang He?
He was a renowned Half-Step Core Realm powerhouse in the Outer Courtyard, one of its strongest fighters.
For years, he had ranked among the Outer Courtyard's upper echelon. With deep reserves and formidable strength, he was someone its disciples considered extremely dangerous to provoke.
He had once weathered more than ten moves from a Core-Realm Expert without losing. His battle record was astonishing, and his usual conduct domineering. Few dared to challenge his edge.
Yet this veteran powerhouse, who could swagger unchecked through the Outer Courtyard, had lost a head-on fight before everyone's eyes to a new disciple who had joined the academy less than two months ago!
He had lost utterly, disgracefully, without the slightest ability to fight back.
Now Zhang He's breastbone was cracked, his blood and qi devastated, and blood spilled from his mouth. His body was covered in raw abrasions as he lay limp in the dust, his breathing weak and listless. All his inner force had scattered, leaving him without even the strength to brace a hand against the ground. He looked utterly wretched, like a dead dog someone had casually beaten into the dirt.
The staggering contrast between before and after struck every watching disciple with breathtaking force.
The clash had happened too quickly, in a flash of lightning. From Zhang He gathering momentum for