Judy took two deep breaths, violently suppressing the urge to explode, and glared fiercely at Chen Feng.

What exactly was this guy made of? Was he even human? Every time she spoke to him, she felt an overwhelming impulse to strike him. If it weren't for her own low cultivation, knowing she was no match for him, she would have surely charged forward long ago!

“Do you think everyone is as abnormal as you are?” Judy couldn't hold back any longer, losing the reserved composure she usually maintained.

Chen Feng looked at the girl, who once carried herself like a celestial being viewing the world from above, now finally knocked down to the dust of the mortal world. A barely perceptible smile touched his cold features.

“If I can’t find a suitable teammate before the competition, then I’ll consider teaming up with you!” Chen Feng added as an afterthought.

This statement struck even harder. Judy, known in the Imperial Capital as a genius maiden, was now being treated with such disdain, relegated to the status of a backup. It was a searing irony.

Of course, Chen Feng had the foundation to utter such words; all respect was built upon strength. If he lacked power, saying this wouldn't be arrogance, but suicidal folly!

Precisely because Chen Feng possessed such formidable strength, Judy swallowed her raging anger despite his harsh words, agreeing to his seemingly impudent demand.

Since Judy was now his “reserve member,” Chen Feng couldn't simply leave alone. He took Judy with him and set off towards the direction of the Imperial Capital.

Gramu Town was thrown into turmoil after the City Lord’s mansion was suddenly destroyed by a Wyvern. Many shops and merchants descended into chaos due to the lack of governance. Bandits and petty thieves naturally increased in number.

Chen Feng inquired and learned that Gramu Town did not possess a Teleportation Array. The nearest one was in Kuta Town, at least a week’s journey away. After confirming the direction, Chen Feng hired a carriage and headed towards Kuta Town with Judy.

Chen Feng had preferred to travel on foot, but Judy's stunning beauty guaranteed a hundred percent head-turn rate everywhere they passed, making Chen Feng feel constantly watched. After fending off seven waves of clueless youths attempting a ‘hero saves the beauty’ stunt to curry favor, Chen Feng reluctantly chose the carriage. Hiding inside with Judy, the situation immediately improved.

Kuta Town was renowned as a place rich in magic ore, saturated with magical elements—known as paradise for mages. It was once thriving, with a population exceeding ten million, but after a sudden incident, the population began to slowly dwindle.

After seven days without stopping, Chen Feng and Judy finally reached the outer perimeter of Kuta Town’s walls.

“Halt!” A sturdy soldier clad in armor blocked the carriage’s path just outside the gate.

The driver was a young man in his late teens named Andy, whom Chen Feng had hired in Gramu Town. Andy was quite sharp; upon seeing the soldier obstruct them, he quickly stopped the carriage and nodded, “Officer, what are your orders?”

“Pay the entrance fee!” the soldier boomed.

“Entrance fee?” Andy looked confused. “Brother Soldier, I’ve been to Kuta Town before; we never had to pay an entrance fee.”

“Where did all this nonsense come from?” the soldier retorted. “Three copper coins per person, five copper coins for the carriage—that makes fourteen!”

At Chen Feng’s insistence, Judy had covered her face with a scarf. The soldier inside the carriage didn't get a clear look at her features, so he wasn't shocked.

“Fourteen copper coins! This is outright robbery!” Judy burst out first.

A medium-sized town like Kuta Town typically wouldn’t charge an entrance fee. Even if the town’s lord had a sudden whim to impose one, three copper coins per person was exorbitant! The Imperial Capital, Norbia City, only charged two copper coins per person. For such a small town to charge more than the Capital was simply unjustifiable.

Chen Feng disliked wasting time arguing with low-ranking soldiers. He casually tossed out a silver coin. “No need for change!” He then turned to Andy. “Let’s go!”

One silver coin equaled one hundred copper coins. The guard at the gate had just made a significant profit.

“You can’t leave yet!” the soldier shouted again. “We haven’t finished inspecting!”

The soldier pulled back the carriage curtain and yelled at Chen Feng and Judy. “You two, get out of the carriage! Arriving at Kuta Town’s gate and still refusing to alight—how arrogant!”

.For reading novels on the computer .16. .For reading novels on the mobile phone .16.

Chen Feng didn’t frown upon hearing the soldier’s increasingly disrespectful tone; he was beginning to get angry.

“Look at your dyed red hair; you look like a delinquent the moment I see you!” the soldier shouted at Chen Feng, then looked at Judy. “And you, why the veil? Take it off quickly so I can see if you are a wanted fugitive!”

Saying that, he started to climb into the carriage to rip off Judy’s veil.

Chen Feng, naturally proud and arrogant, was infuriated by a mere common soldier acting this way. Just as he prepared to teach the overconfident fellow a lesson, a deep voice sounded from outside the carriage.

“Get lost!”

Then came a scream. The carriage shook violently, and the roof was ripped off by a powerful impact.

The soldier who had managed to climb onto the carriage quickly retracted and jumped out upon hearing the commotion outside.

Chen Feng and Judy also stepped out of the carriage—why stay inside when the roof was destroyed?

Glancing at the force that wrecked the roof, which turned out to be a soldier flung through the air, Chen Feng looked in the direction the soldier had flown. Not far away, a slightly gaunt youth stood coldly, staring at the soldiers who were gathering around.

The youth looked no older than fifteen or sixteen. Whether due to malnutrition or innate weakness, he appeared terribly thin.

“I don’t have any money!” the youth said shyly.

“If you don’t have money, don’t enter the city!” a squad leader among the soldiers yelled.

It seemed the soldiers had demanded the entrance fee from the youth. The youth had no money, and words escalated until the youth struck one of the soldiers away.

Chen Feng examined the slight youth carefully. Judging by the energy fluctuations swirling around his body, he likely possessed only a Third-level Warrior cultivation. While a Third-level Warrior at fifteen or sixteen was rare, it wasn't earth-shattering genius.

“But…” the youth hesitated. “I need to participate in the Empire’s Rising Star Competition, so I must pass through here!”

“Rising Star Competition?” The soldier leader paused, then burst into loud laughter, pointing at the youth’s frail body. “You, participating in the Rising Star Competition? Don’t joke! Brothers, grab this disruptive little guy who injured our comrade!” It seemed the unlucky soldier who was knocked down earlier was named Xiaolu.

The soldiers clenched their fists and closed in on the small youth.

“Tap-tap…” Just then, a rapid sound of hooves echoed from nearby.

“What’s going on?” A lazy voice drifted down from horseback.

Chen Feng turned toward the sound and saw a young man dressed in luxurious robes, riding a dark red horse. The horse was flawless, without a single stray hair, clearly a fine steed.

“Young City Lord!” The soldiers immediately turned and saluted upon seeing the young man. The leader stepped forward and reported, “We were collecting the entrance fee, and this fellow refused to pay and even injured one of our men!”

“Oh? Assault?” The richly dressed youth also showed a flicker of surprise. These gate guards were tall and strong, most of them First-level Warriors. An ordinary person would never be a match for them. Seeing how frail the child looked, he should have been fragile. To injure a soldier was noteworthy.

The richly dressed youth dismounted and walked slowly towards the slender youth. The soldiers automatically parted to create a path as the Young City Lord approached.

The richly dressed youth stared at the slender youth, pointing a long, slender finger at his head, speaking coldly, “You refuse to pay and dare to injure my soldier—your guts are quite large!”

The slender youth looked terrified. “I don’t have money! But I must enter the city!”

“You can enter the city,” the richly dressed youth smiled, his tone beginning to shift. “But…”

“But what?” the small youth asked.

“Kneel down for me and call me Grandpa twice, and I’ll let you pass!” The Young City Lord’s icy words slowly emerged.

Several locals were watching nearby. Hearing what the Young City Lord said, their faces immediately changed color, and they backed away. The Young City Lord’s arrogant and domineering nature was notorious throughout Kuta Town. His words indicated he was already angry; those who didn’t flee now risked becoming collateral damage.

“I won’t kneel!” The youth’s expression was resolute. He must have sensed that this so-called Young City Lord was a Fifth-level Warrior. Despite feeling trepidation, his face showed unprecedented determination.

Chen Feng inwardly praised the boy a bit. To dare say ‘no’ to an opponent with higher cultivation wasn't just about courage; it was a spirit of refusal to yield.

“You won’t kneel?” A chilling shadow crossed the richly dressed youth’s face. He flicked his finger—poof, poof—two soft sounds. Blood immediately welled up at the youth’s knees. The youth winced, his expression tightening, and he swayed before collapsing onto the ground. Yet, he still did not kneel. In that brief moment, the richly dressed youth had used his Dou Qi to restrain him, unleashing his power mercilessly.

“Hmph, refusing a toast only to be forced to drink the penalty!” Seeing the youth so stubborn and unwilling to submit, the richly dressed youth was filled with rage. He roared, Dou Qi swirling around his hands, and savagely struck down towards the head of the seated youth.

The punch was powerful and fierce; if it had truly landed on his head, he would have been crippled, if not killed. The richly dressed youth was clearly accustomed to unchecked arrogance and didn't care if one or two people died, so he struck with full force immediately.

The slender youth, in sheer desperation, roared and managed to recoil two meters away. However, those two meters meant nothing to the richly dressed youth. He took two steps forward, his striking posture unchanged, still aiming for the thin youth’s head.

A look of final resolve crossed the slender youth’s face. Thinking he was certain to die this time, he closed his eyes to await death. But after waiting a long time, the punch never landed. When he opened his eyes, his face instantly registered shock.

The fiercely striking hand of the richly dressed youth was being held by a slightly pale hand. The slender knuckles were faintly white, but this subtly pale hand was grasping the Young City Lord’s punch with only two fingers.

“If you don’t want to die, stop!” A chilling voice whispered softly beside the richly dressed youth’s ear.