Beyond Hancheng, figures flickered through the air, darting toward the hills outside the city.
Yang Chen was among them.
With each flicker, he covered dozens of meters in a single burst.
Several S-Class ability users looked at Yang Chen in surprise.
There weren't many S-Class ability users, and most knew one another. Yet Yang Chen was completely unfamiliar to them.
He seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"Who's that kid? He's so young, and he's already S-Class?"
"No idea. Anyway, Grandmaster Meng arranged for him to come, so he must have S-Class strength!"
"Damn, is he really that ridiculously talented?"
The S-Class ability users chatted among themselves.
Yang Chen's ears twitched slightly. He heard their discussion, but paid it no mind. Instead, he sped up, secretly using his Gale Ability.
His speed suddenly increased.
Some of the S-Class ability users had no choice but to speed up as well.
There was no way they could let a junior overtake them!
"Damn, isn't that kid tired? He's so fast!"
One of the experts cursed under his breath.
Yang Chen merely twitched the corner of his mouth, then sped up again.
He was nowhere near his limit yet!
Yang Chen's actions immediately stirred the competitive spirit of the S-Class experts. One by one, they urged their abilities to catch up with him!
After all, Yang Chen wasn't just S-Class—he also had a Grandmaster Body!
Yang Chen's speed was already comparable to a Grandmaster's. With his Gale Ability boosting him further, the S-Class ability users couldn't keep up unless their abilities specialized in speed!
"Damn it!" Many of the ability users glared at Yang Chen in frustration.
They were all S-Class. There was no need to compete like this, was there?
A few older ability users managed to keep their composure, but they were in the minority. Most of the others were riled up by Yang Chen's arrogant behavior.
"Kid, being fast doesn't mean anything. Strength is what matters!"
One middle-aged S-Class expert finally spoke up. He couldn't stand Yang Chen's arrogance or how he showed no respect for them.
Did the kid have no idea what humility was?
Yang Chen glanced at the man, then turned back and picked up the pace again.
"Catch up to me first."
Yang Chen's calm voice rang across the wide-open terrain.
His whole body drifted through the air like a feather, weightless, and he quickly widened the distance between himself and the S-Class experts.
They couldn't even keep up with his speed, yet they wanted to talk about strength?
Were they out of their minds?
Yang Chen sneered at their behavior. They had probably been in positions of power for too long, their minds clouded by all the glitter and excess around them.
"Arrogant!"
Anger flared in the middle-aged man's eyes. His face hardened, and he punched toward Yang Chen.
He had a Flame Ability too!
Yang Chen noticed the movement behind him and raised an eyebrow. Flames burst around him as he turned and met the man's punch with his own!
Boom!
"Looking for death!"
Yang Chen's gaze turned cold. His Grandmaster Body erupted, pouring strength into his punch.
The moment the middle-aged man's fist met Yang Chen's, a terrifying force burst over his knuckles!
Crack!
A sharp sound rang out. The middle-aged man's fist bones shattered!
"Ah!"
The man clutched his fist, cold sweat breaking out across his face. Yang Chen had smashed it with a single punch!
His hand had been crushed to pieces.
"What's going on?"
Meng Yao appeared, her expression cold. The temperature around them seemed to drop several degrees.
"Grandmaster Meng, this kid provoked us!"
Seeing Meng Yao, the middle-aged man scrambled to his feet and immediately started complaining to her.
Meng Yao gave Yang Chen an odd look. These S-Class experts didn't know how strong he was, but she did. He definitely had the combat strength of a Grandmaster.
With strength like that, why would he need to provoke them?
Yang Chen shrugged and said indifferently, "What do you think?"
"Outrageous! You dare show such disrespect to Grandmaster Meng? Is that how your elders taught you to behave?"
Before Meng Yao could speak, the middle-aged man jumped in, clearly trying to get his side of the story in first.
Meng Yao looked at him coldly, amused.
Yang Chen's elders?
Liu Feng, perhaps!
By seniority, Yang Chen was on the same level as her. He didn't really need to show her that kind of respect.
Meng Yao knew all this.
So why were you stirring things up here?
Besides, Shan Shou was nearby!
Shan Shou was Yang Chen's senior brother!
Were you trying to get yourself killed?
The more Meng Yao thought about it, the more irritated she became. She snapped at the middle-aged man, "Get lost!"
"Grandmaster Meng, what do you mean?"
The middle-aged man stared at her, baffled, and asked hesitantly.
"I said get lost. Can't you hear me?"
Meng Yao's aura suddenly surged, and the temperature around them dropped even further, like the depths of winter.
The S-Class experts nearby looked away, unwilling to provoke Meng Yao. The people involved might not see things clearly, but bystanders did.
They could tell Meng Yao was protecting Yang Chen. If the middle-aged man kept talking, wasn't he just asking for trouble?
"I—"
The middle-aged man seemed ready to argue, but Meng Yao slapped him away before he could finish. He flew dozens of meters backward before finally coming to a stop.
"Say one more word and I'll ruin your mouth!"
Meng Yao spoke to the man without mercy.
Yang Chen watched from the side like he was enjoying a show. All he needed was some snacks and a drink.
Meng Yao turned to Yang Chen, looking helpless. "You. You could've just beaten him half to death yourself. Why did you need me to step in? These people haven't been through much, so they're a little too full of themselves. It's good to put them in their place now, or they'll get themselves killed when they reach the ruins!"
Just as Meng Yao finished speaking, a crimson pillar of light shot up from the ground in the east of Hancheng.
Boom! Boom!
The earth trembled. A terrifying, oppressive presence seemed to fill the whole world, and everyone turned to look at the crimson pillar of light.
Then the light slowly faded, revealing what lay within.
A colossal portal appeared out of nowhere, hovering in midair and radiating boundless power!
Meng Yao and the others looked at the portal, their expressions grave.
"The ruins!"
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