"Just how far has your cultivation reached?" Teacher Kailyn was jolted awake first, stepping forward to stare intently at Chen Feng as she asked.

"Me... haha, not much progress!" Chen Feng said lightly, unwilling to elaborate.

"Not much progress?" Teacher Kailyn shook her head with a wry smile. "If you told me your cultivation was still at the First Tier Dou Zun, I wouldn't believe you if you beat me to death! And if you haven't improved at all, we should all be utterly ashamed!"

"That's right, I just remembered!" Warren exclaimed, slapping his forehead. "That guy, just like you, seemed to be Fire Attribute too! He could use the power of the Fire Attribute, and he was incredibly strong!"

"Fire Attribute?" Chen Feng paused in surprise.

"Yes, after he defeated all the masters in the entire academy, he stood where he was and sighed. I still remember exactly what he said!" Warren recounted. "He said, 'What a bunch of trash. If you want revenge, go find Cao Jing!'"

"He said Cao Jing?" Chen Feng froze on the spot, a tempestuous shock churning inside him.

"Yes, exactly! But how were we supposed to know who Cao Jing was? Even the Deans hadn't heard of such a person! In the end, we commissioned the Four Great Empires to inquire, and only His Majesty Austin of the Fenlai Empire knew. But since the Fenlai Empire was on the verge of ruin, they staged the 'Battle of the Sinking City,' and he absolutely refused to cooperate. If the academy hadn't applied pressure on the Luoqi Empire, there wouldn't have been the Tianfeng Tournament..." Warren muttered distractedly.

Chen Feng finally understood. When he heard that Austin had requested aid from the Tianfeng Academy, he had originally thought the academy acted out of benevolence. It turned out they were merely seeking information.

In that case, the mysterious fellow’s mention of Cao Jing must have been referring to him.

However, if he wanted a fight, he could have come directly. Why go through all this trouble just to be vaguely referenced?

While he wasn't a major celebrity, he had won the championship at the Five Finals Tournament on the overseas continent. Finding a path to him should have been easy enough.

After pondering for a long time without finding a satisfactory answer, he let the thought go.

"And this is... Lingfeng?" Anliya inquired.

It turned out that upon hearing the others mention searching for Cao Jing, Lingfeng and Xiaohu no longer concealed themselves and stepped out. The two knew everything about Chen Feng using the alias Cao Jing and his history with Iori Yagami. Naturally, they understood the implication of the other party's words.

Lingfeng also recognized Anliya. A smile touched her lips; she had, after all, saved Anliya once before. Seeing her now brought her genuine joy.

The other students had not experienced Lingfeng's challenge, so they didn't recognize her, but they were instantly captivated by her beauty, secretly lamenting fate's unfairness that they couldn't encounter such a lovely girl.

"Senior Brother, what do you think? Do you think she's prettier than me?" The Dinosaur Junior Sister looked thoroughly aggrieved.

The Senior Brother glanced at her expression, then turned away again and loudly vomited...

"Senior Brother, you're not going back on what you promised me after the danger passed, are you? How will I ever show my face in public then?" The Dinosaur Junior Sister wailed, sounding like a woman abandoned by a fickle lover.

"Ugh..." The Senior Brother was speechless.

"I hesitated for a long time and struggled internally before agreeing to let you have my first time," the Dinosaur Junior Sister added bashfully.

"Ugh..." The Senior Brother wished for death.

"Just give in to me..."

"Aargh..." The Senior Brother's eyes rolled back, and he promptly fainted.

.....................................................

"Searching for Cao Jing..." Lingfeng glanced at Chen Feng with a hint of worry.

"It's fine!" Chen Feng wasn't concerned. Although he didn't know the opponent's objective, he felt it was inconsequential. Battling experts was a form of refinement for his cultivation.

The others didn't grasp the meaning behind those few sentences either and had no opening to interject.

"Do you want to return... to the academy to check things out?" Anliya asked after a moment of hesitation.

"The academy?" Chen Feng shook his head. "I'm afraid those people back at the academy are still looking for me. Wouldn't going back be throwing myself into a trap?"

"You... you're joking!" A trace of despondency crossed Anliya's face. She was well aware of the academy's previous decree. While others might not know, she knew the situation intimately. Chen Feng had used three of the academy's super-experts as shields to fend off Kozmo and then rescued Lingfeng, infuriating the academy's higher-ups. That pursuit order was still active.

"Brother Chen Feng, it’s fate that we meet again. Who knows when we’ll meet next. Come on, let's go out for a drink together!" Warren roared boisterously.

Chen Feng considered that he had nothing pressing to do and had a good feeling about Warren, so agreeing was fine.

Since the group couldn't fly, they had to leave Dragon Map Mountain by retracing their steps. Along the way, they encountered two Mid-Tier Magical Beasts. Chen Feng walked up, struck each massive beast with two punches, and instantly dropped them both, netting the group two Magic Cores for their trouble. Only then did the team members look at Chen Feng with utter awe.

The group emerged from Dragon Map Mountain and arrived at a small town, entering a tavern—the very place where Chen Feng and Xiaohu had met and eaten two years prior.

"It's you! It's been over two years, hasn't it?"

Seeing Xiaohu, the bartender rushed over with a welcoming smile.

"You still remember me?" Xiaohu winked proudly, clearly signaling to Chen Feng that the bartender had forgotten him, but he was unforgettable.

"How could I forget? You ate everything in our entire establishment in one go! Forget two years, I'd remember you ten years from now..." the bartender explained.

However, he failed to notice that Xiaohu’s face had turned the color of swamp algae.

Chen Feng burst out laughing. Lingfeng, not understanding, Chen Feng explained the situation to her, which made her break into a smile as well.

The entire party took up one large table: Chen Feng, Lingfeng, and Xiaohu on one side, with Anliya, Teacher Kailyn, and Warren on the other. Jacob, though trailing behind, was so intimidated by Chen Feng that he didn't dare approach, squeezing in with the others at a separate table.

Just as they raised their cups, the curtain of the tavern was swept open, and a group strode in.

"It's Evan!" Warren stated with a low voice.

Anliya saw Evan, then looked at Chen Feng, recalling the conflict between them from two years ago. Evan, the academy's annual champion then, a Fifth Tier Dou Shi, had been sent flying into a tree by a single punch from Xiaohu during his challenge against Chen Feng—a tale that was hardly a secret anymore.

Now, Evan had earned the favor of a hidden expert in the academy and, in just over two short years, his cultivation had rocketed to the level of an Eighth Tier Dou Shi. The man beside him was his senior brother, who had now reached the terrifying strength of a Fifth Tier Dou Zun. Even within the academy, these two were considered powerhouses. Furthermore, Evan was known for never letting an insult slide, suggesting a confrontation was inevitable.

Based on Chen Feng's ability to shatter magic crystals, his cultivation had to be high. But Anliya had personally witnessed him advance to First Tier Dou Zun two years prior. Even with excellent talent, it was impossible for him to surpass a Fifth Tier Dou Zun, meaning he was likely to be at a disadvantage.

"Oh? Teacher Kailyn, you're here too?~ Ah, Anliya, you're here as well!" Evan approached with a smile, but as he drew closer, his eyes suddenly fixed on Chen Feng and Xiaohu sitting nearby, instantly turning bloodshot with rage.

"It's you?" Evan narrowed his eyes, a surge of fury rising.

"Who is this?" the young man beside him asked calmly—his senior brother.

"Senior Brother Terry, this is the guy I told you about last time, the one named Chen Feng!" Evan explained bitterly.

"Chen Feng? You mean that youth the academy has been pursuing?" His senior brother Terry asked curiously.

"Yes, it's him!" Evan hissed venomously.

"Heh heh, don't fret. Before our Master arrives, Senior Brother will vent your anger for you!" Terry said with a smile, showing no regard for Chen Feng or his companions.

Terry walked up to Chen Feng and said with a smile, "Brother, you have two choices right now. First, come back to the academy with me to receive your punishment. Second, I beat you half to death, and then you come with me!"

Chen Feng nearly snorted out loud when he heard this, feeling a weary sense of irony—why was bravado so common everywhere, and especially so this year?

"Go be wherever it's cool!" Chen Feng stated flatly, dismissing the arrogant man.

"Senior Brother, look! He clearly doesn't respect you at all!" Evan roared.

"I see that," Terry replied, looking back at Chen Feng. "Kid, you're quite arrogant. I doubt you even know who I am!"

"Terry, what are you trying to do?" Teacher Kailyn stood up, her delicate eyebrows drawn tight in anger.

"What am I trying to do?" Terry laughed. "Teacher Kailyn, surely you haven't forgotten? You encounter a high-priority fugitive from the academy, yet instead of capturing him, you sit and drink with him. If I report this to the academy, who do you think will face more trouble?"

"You... you wouldn't dare!" Teacher Kailyn roared in fury.

"What wouldn't I dare? Heh heh," Terry chuckled. "If you don't want trouble, keep your mouth shut, or I won't mind reporting you."

Although Teacher Kailyn trembled with rage, she said no more.

Terry lightly tapped the table in front of Chen Feng. "Brother, have you thought it over? Come with me, or take a beating first?"

Chen Feng shook his head. "You are currently asking for trouble."

"Pfft..." Terry burst out laughing. "You claim to be arrogant, yet you act so smugly. Let me tell you: having strength is called being bold; having no strength is being an idiot! Acting tough in front of me? I'll make you the real idiot!"

He shouted and threw a punch, but just as he did, he felt a fist expanding rapidly before his eyes, instantly filling his vision. He tried to dodge, but his body felt frozen, completely unable to move.

"Bang!"

With a sharp crack, Terry was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground in utter disbelief.

"You..."

"My apologies. It seems you are the idiot!" Chen Feng said faintly, without even lifting his head, still sitting beside the table.

PS: There will be one more chapter before midnight. Evan's teacher will appear—it will be more exhilarating and violent. I hope everyone supports this! (To be continued. To learn what happens next, please log onto www**, more chapters available, support the author, support legitimate reading!)