The youth observing Evan, hearing such disdain aimed at him, did not rashly jump to conclusions despite his inner turmoil. He stepped forward, fixing his gaze on Chen Feng, and inquired, "I sent them to deliver the challenge letter to you—did you injure him?"

Chen Feng had no time for such petty squabbles. He spoke coolly, "Move aside. I have matters to attend to and have no intention of fighting today!"

Hearing Chen Feng’s arrogant tone, Evan believed the rumors he’d heard to be seven-tenths true. As the undisputed champion of the academy's year-end tournament, now possessing the strength of a five-star Battle Master, he had never before been treated with such contempt. A nameless, fierce anger burned within him as if stoked by fire.

"I heard that Instructor Liu Yu-dong has taken you on as an advanced student? I was actually here to see Instructor Liu Yu-dong, but running into you gives me an opportunity to teach you a lesson instead!" Evan stated coldly.

After delivering this line, he expected at least a flicker of concern on Chen Feng's face. To his surprise, the other man remained completely unconcerned, maintaining an icy demeanor. This instantly sent him into a rage. "Boy, don't be so presumptuous! Do you think being an advanced student makes you special? Let me tell you, in my eyes, you amount to nothing!"

The crowd behind him simultaneously cheered in support: "Boss Evan, beat him up! Beat him up..."

Xiao Hu blinked his large eyes twice, looking at Evan and innocently asking Chen Feng, "Boss, this... he's only a five-star Battle Master barking in front of you. Isn't his brain malfunctioning..."

Xiao Hu's voice was piercingly clear, and every word reached Evan’s ears, making him feel even more ridiculed, his face flushing deep red.

Xiao Hu’s transformed appearance was quite slender, making him seem somewhat weak. For him to speak with such disrespect toward Evan immediately enraged the men standing behind Evan.

"What right does a brat like you have?"

"Are you tired of living? How dare you speak to our Boss Evan like that. Let me teach this ignorant punk a lesson..."

Xiao Hu glanced at the "righteously indignant" crowd and said to Chen Feng, "Boss, they are so amusing. Let me play with them!"

This statement nearly made the crowd spit blood. Evan could no longer tolerate such mockery and disdain. He clenched his fists, his Battle Qi rapidly gathering, forming a powerful force around his knuckles. With a loud shout, he swung his fist directly at Chen Feng.

In Evan's mind, Chen Feng was the central pillar of the trio. Dealing with the scrawny boy was a task fit for his subordinates.

Chen Feng watched the incoming fist without concern. He sent a mental message to Xiao Hu, "You play, just don't kill him!" With a slight shift of his body, he moved out of the range of Evan's punch.

Hearing his boss’s instruction, Xiao Hu became visibly excited. He leaped forward, bringing his own small fist to collide directly against Evan's.

"You’re asking for death, don't blame me!" A sliver of viciousness entered Evan's heart as he added two more points of force to his punch. The air around his fist cracked with violent sonic booms.

"Bang!" The two fists met.

Evan, a five-star Battle Master expert, didn't even have time to utter a scream before he tumbled backward through the air, snagging on a nearby tree branch.

The men behind Evan stared at each other, their eyes wide as saucers, as if they had witnessed a ghost. Boss Evan was a five-star Battle Master, yet he couldn't withstand a single exchange from the opponent...

"Who else wants to play with me?" Xiao Hu asked with a slight smile.

The men exchanged nervous glances, let out a collective "Ah!" and in a flash, they all bolted away. To face someone who could send a five-star Battle Master flying with one punch—playing against him was just courting death...

Seeing that everyone had fled, Xiao Hu felt a sense of anticlimax and returned to Chen Feng, saying, "I know why you didn't move. These people were completely pathetic!"

Chen Feng said lightly, "Alright, no more fooling around. We need to keep moving!" He then walked forward.

"Chen Feng..." An anxious voice called out.

Chen Feng turned around and saw An Liya.

The commotion caused by the clash with Evan had drawn a crowd, and An Liya had naturally hurried over upon hearing the disturbance.

Seeing Chen Feng’s worried expression, An Liya quickly said, "I finally found you! Ling Feng, she... Ling Feng, she..."

Chen Feng clenched his fists and asked, "What happened to Ling Feng?"

"You... you’ve been missing for two days. I suspected the academy captured you, so when Ling Feng woke up, I told her. She said she was going to find you, and she disappeared right after leaving the library..." An Liya anxiously explained.

Chen Feng asked, "When did this happen?"

"About half an hour ago!" An Liya replied.

"Half an hour?" Chen Feng pondered for a moment, then said, "It’s fine. I will find her. You should go back first!" With that, he placed his right hand on her shoulder and retracted the flame energy he had sent into her body.

He had been at the academy for half an hour. If someone with Dou Zun strength had been fighting, he absolutely would have sensed it. Since there was no indication now, it meant Ling Feng was still safe, so he withdrew the flame from An Liya.

"You..." An Liya looked at Chen Feng.

Chen Feng paid the girl no more mind, leading Xiao Hu and Luo Bo toward the Dean's residence.

Since Ling Feng intended to rescue him, the first person she would seek out was undoubtedly Dean Xia Liubinqing.

He had only taken two steps when a strong surge of energy suddenly erupted ahead.

"It's Ling Feng!" Having sparred with Ling Feng for two months, Chen Feng was quite familiar with her unique flame domain. Upon sensing the energy fluctuation, he instantly knew it was her.

"She's over there!" Chen Feng no longer cared about being discovered. He stomped his foot, and with a bang, his domain expanded as he shot off toward Ling Feng's location!

Xiao Hu and Luo Bo followed closely behind, both taking to the air.

Their sudden flight stunned the surrounding onlookers.

"Dou Zun level powerhouses... Why... do they all look so young..."

Evan, still dangling from the treetop, was utterly aghast. He had just challenged a Dou Zun-level powerhouse and intended to teach them a lesson... Wasn't that sheer suicide? Overwhelmed by shame, anger, and anxiety, he promptly fainted...

……………………………………………………………

"The Dean has been abducted?" The Dean of Academic Affairs was furious at the thought.

Tianfeng Academy was the continent's premier institution. If the dignified Dean were taken hostage, how could the academy possibly continue recruiting students if the news got out?

The more he worried, the faster he moved, charging toward the Dean's small courtyard.

"Boom..."

Before the Dean of Academic Affairs even reached the residence, a massive energy sphere exploded before him, sending him tumbling backward in mid-air and nearly causing him to fall.

"Are you blind!" he roared, instantly expanding his domain. When he focused his vision, he saw a powerfully built young man standing before him.

Luo Bo stared coldly at the Dean of Academic Affairs and stated, "My Master is currently occupied below. All unnecessary personnel are forbidden entry!"

"Who are you? And who is your Master?" The Dean of Academic Affairs sensed the energy fluctuation from the young man—a nine-star Magic Mentor—and dared not act carelessly, asking nervously.

"This is not something you need to concern yourself with!" Luo Bo replied, then stopped moving in mid-air.

"Thank you," Ling Feng said calmly as Chen Feng flew toward her.

Chen Feng had reverted to his original appearance; his shocking scarlet hair was dazzlingly conspicuous.

Ling Feng had heard the entire account from An Liya after she awoke from her coma, so she naturally knew that if Chen Feng hadn't intervened, she likely would have died.

"We sparred together for two months. Saving you is what I should do. With this, we are even," Chen Feng explained briefly.

"I benefited greatly from sparring with you, so I owe you," Ling Feng replied before turning her gaze away from Chen Feng.

Chen Feng knew that although Ling Feng's temperament was tranquil, she never backed down from something she was set on. If she said she owed him, she would certainly find a way to repay it, so he stopped arguing.

In reality, the connection between Chen Feng and Ling Feng was strangely deep; their personalities were very similar, allowing them to understand each other's intentions with just a few words, often requiring no lengthy explanation to grasp the other's meaning.

Ling Feng looked at Xia Liubinqing, whom she had subdued, and asked faintly, "Why did you try to kill me?" Her tone carried no trace of malice, as if the inquiry concerned someone else entirely.

The injuries sustained by Xia Liubinqing were far more severe than Ling Feng's. Without Chen Feng’s blood to aid his recovery, even though he was conscious now, his strength was greatly diminished, allowing Ling Feng to restrain him immediately upon attacking.

"I had no intention of killing you, and I guarantee no one else in the entire academy did either!" Xia Liubinqing explained.

"No intention?" Ling Feng murmured, tossing two daggers casually. They were the same ones that had stabbed her. Chen Feng had removed them earlier and placed them nearby; she had simply picked them up when leaving.

"These are..." Xia Liubinqing glanced at the daggers but failed to recognize any peculiarity about them, showing confusion in his eyes.

Chen Feng saw that Ling Feng intended to extract information and showed a hint of disdain.

If the person wanted to kill you and is now in your grasp, they will naturally deny it. What is there to interrogate? If it were him, he would simply kill the culprit; all this questioning was a waste of breath.

At Tianfeng Academy, with Luo Bo, a nine-star Magic Mentor Dragon, acting as their shield, as long as no Dou Sheng-level powerhouse appeared, there was no need for concern. Even if a Dou Sheng did arrive, they would at least have to respect the Dragon race's standing. Realizing this, Chen Feng had no qualms about eliminating Xia Liubinqing.

Ling Feng stared at the Dean for a moment before dropping the topic. "You lost the contest. Hand over the item."

Chen Feng recognized that the terms of the contest between Ling Feng and Xia Liubinqing were about to be settled, and he spoke, "I'm leaving."

Chen Feng held no interest in the specifics of why Ling Feng and Xia Liubinqing had dueled or what the stakes were.

"You're leaving?" Ling Feng seemed genuinely surprised that Chen Feng would depart so casually.

Chen Feng offered no further words. He activated his aerial movement technique, his body slowly ascending. Just as he rose, he heard Luo Bo exclaim from above, "Dou Saint..."

ps: To those who support Laoya, Laoya asks a favor of you: when you finish reading a Great God’s book, please take a moment to leave an advertisement for Laoya in their comment section, okay? It doesn't need to be complicated, just write, "‘King of Fighters: Journey Across Worlds’ is a good book," and that will suffice... Let's also showcase the power of our King of Fighters fans. One post could attract one new reader, right? I believe if each of Laoya's over a thousand loyal readers leaves one sentence, we can gain over a thousand new readers and friends in a day. Thank you everyone... I beg you all... If I had time, I would use alternate accounts to advertise myself, but I don't have the time; I need to focus on writing and delivering content to everyone, so I must entrust these matters to you all!! (To be continued. For the next developments, please log on to wwwidiancomm. More chapters available. Support the author, support genuine reading!) First published