"You've crippled my cultivation?" Terry's eyes were filled with rage, blood streaming down his face.

"Keeping your cultivation would only let you go around bullying people. I think it's better without it!" Chen Feng stated.

A moment ago, Chen Feng's punch had unleashed a force that shattered Terry's cultivation, dissolving all the power within his body. If nothing unexpected happened, this man named Terry was finished for life.

"You..." Terry, in his fury, felt the blood rush to his head, causing him to vomit another mouthful of blood before collapsing unconscious.

Silence descended upon the room like a shroud. Everyone had expected Chen Feng to be powerful, but the sheer act of dismantling Terry's cultivation with a single punch left them utterly stunned, scarcely daring to draw breath.

A Fifth Level Dou Zun! A figure counted among the elite even across the continent!

"Senior Brother, Senior Brother..." Evan was already petrified by the situation, utterly flustered. Normally, he was quite decisive, but facing a monster like Chen Feng was beyond him. If his Senior Brother's cultivation could be scattered by one punch, what hope did he have?

He now deeply regretted provoking such a freak as Chen Feng.

"Right, find Master!" A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as a sudden resolve hardened him. He extended his right hand, giving a gentle squeeze, and a faint blue light emanated forth.

"That's a Communication Crystal! Chen Feng, maybe you should leave quickly; he must be sending a message to his Master!" Anliya suddenly exclaimed, her face etched with anxiety.

"Leave? No!" Chen Feng replied, showing no urgency whatsoever.

"Anliya is right. His father is a hidden powerhouse in our academy. Though he was injured in the battle half a month ago, we have all completely recovered now, so he should be fine too. Let's hurry and go!" Warren also began to worry.

"If I leave, aren't you afraid of being implicated?" Chen Feng inquired.

Chen Feng was a wanted man by the Tianfeng Academy. Warren and the others had shared meals and drinks with him; reporting him to the academy would certainly lead to expulsion. Even Teacher Kailin would likely be cast out immediately.

"We're not afraid!" Warren declared with conviction, "I consider you a friend!"

Chen Feng suddenly felt a surge of emotion, a bittersweet sensation rising in his heart. "Thank you! If you aren't afraid, what should I be afraid of!"

This might be a small incident, but how many people would disregard their own standing for the sake of a friend? How many people in the world would insist on helping a friend if they knew it meant risking expulsion from their academy?

Chen Feng was a man who repaid favors and avenged slights. Although Warren had only known him three times, the moment he uttered those words, Chen Feng considered him a friend.

"If you aren't leaving, then I'm not leaving either. At worst, when he gets here, we'll reason with him; after all, they are in the wrong!" Warren stated.

"Reasoning?" Chen Feng shook his head. If these self-important powerhouses could be reasoned with, the matter would be simple. However... if he refused to reason, Chen Feng could simply beat him until he saw sense!

With this thought, he surveyed the room, looking at everyone. "I am wanted by the Tianfeng Academy. Anyone afraid of being implicated by me is welcome to leave now!"

The others exchanged glances, their resolve beginning to waver.

"Don't hold back; I won't blame you. Whoever wants to go, please do!" Chen Feng said lightly.

"Then... we... we'll go then!" Several students stood up and backed toward the exit. They admired Chen Feng, certainly, but admiration couldn't feed them, and they feared being implicated if trouble arose.

"You guys..." Warren roared when he saw them leaving. "If Chen Feng hadn't stepped in just now, you would all be dead under the claws of the Swift Iron Beasts! Now that danger is gone, you flee? How disloyal! Neil Qi, he's usually good to you; are you leaving today too?"

The person named Neil Qi, the senior who had been pestering the 'Dinosaur Junior Sister,' visibly paled at Warren's shout. He stood at the door, unsure whether to advance or retreat. "I... I, well, the Junior Sister and I share mutual affections, and since she's left, it wouldn't be right for me to stay..."

At this critical juncture, Neil Qi immediately thought of the Dinosaur Junior Sister, bringing her up as an excuse. However, his grand declaration reached the ears of the Junior Sister, who hadn't gone far. Her heart swelled with joy, and she scampered back, clutching his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. "Senior Brother, I'm yours from now on..."

Neil Qi suppressed the urge to kick her away and vomit, instead looking at Warren.

"Scram! All of you, get out, you unprincipled wretches!" Warren's face darkened. "Damn it, I've always treated these guys well, but when push comes to shove, they all bolt!"

In an instant, out of the people seated at four tables, only one remained.

"Don't you leave. Stay here for me!" Chen Feng said calmly as he watched Jacob backing away, a wisp of flame sparking at his fingertip. He had planted fire within Jacob previously and hadn't removed it yet, so he wasn't concerned about resistance.

"Yes... I wasn't planning to leave. I was just going to check by the door to see if anyone has arrived yet..." Jacob lamented inwardly but declared outwardly.

"I hope you're telling the truth!" Chen Feng dismissed him.

"And you? You're a teacher; surely you won't sacrifice your career for me!" Chen Feng fixed his gaze on Kailin.

"Warren is right. If you hadn't acted just now, we would all have perished under the Swift Iron Beasts. You saved us. Even if it costs me my job and being expelled, I must discuss with the academy to lift the warrant on you!" Teacher Kailin declared.

"And you?" Chen Feng asked Anliya.

"I'm not leaving!" Anliya stated plainly, offering no reason, yet her tone was utterly firm. "From the moment you returned my Memory Stone, I knew you were a good person!"

Only seven people remained in the tavern now; excluding Jacob, everyone else felt they should stay. Chen Feng had driven away several people just to gauge the attitude of the rest.

"What if the Tianfeng Academy ceased to exist?" Chen Feng asked quietly.

"Cease to exist? What do you mean?" Warren asked, confused.

"Nothing!" Chen Feng replied, but his eyes narrowed to a thin line. He mused internally, "I hope they know what's good for them. They severely injured Lingfeng and chased me relentlessly—that debt hasn't been settled. If their performance this time doesn't satisfy me, I won't mind seeing the Tianfeng Academy wiped from the continent!"

Having made up his mind, he relaxed and was about to raise his wine cup when he glanced outside with a slight smile. "They're here!"

As his words fell, a voice drifted in from outside the tavern.

"What's the meaning of this?" The first word sounded distant, perhaps hundreds of meters away, but by the time the last syllable was uttered, the speaker had materialized inside the tavern.

"What happened to Terry?" The newcomer bent down, a sharp light suddenly shooting from his eyes. "Who did this?"

"Master..." Evan saw the old man and immediately fell to his knees, tears instantly streaming down his face. "It was him! He's that Chen Feng wanted by the academy! Senior Brother saw him and originally intended to have him return to the academy to assist with the investigation, but he actually attacked and injured Senior Brother!"

The newcomer touched Terry's arm and drew a sharp breath. "Severed all his meridians with one punch—a truly ruthless move!" He then stood up and looked at Chen Feng, his tone chillingly cold. "You injured my apprentice?"

"Sir... it's like this..." Warren tried to intercede on Chen Feng's behalf.

"Silence!" The newcomer roared, turning back to Chen Feng. "How dare you injure my apprentice? I don't care who you are; if you don't provide a reason today, I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Keeping his cultivation was a menace; it's better to have it abolished!" Chen Feng replied lightly, completely disregarding him.

"Good, good!" The newcomer roared with anger and sneered coldly. "A fine 'better abolished.' I don't know who your Master is, but today I will teach you a lesson about the consequences of carelessly injuring people!"

He took a step forward. This step seemed light, yet it caused the entire tavern to tremble as if an earthquake had struck.

"Mid-stage Saint Domain?" Chen Feng identified the opponent's cultivation instantly and said coldly, "Apologize to me now, and I won't pursue this matter further."

"Hahaha..." The newcomer threw his head back and laughed loudly. "After sixty years away from the Tianfeng Academy, I, Einstein, am being looked down upon by a mere stripling? Fine! Today, I will let you all witness the true power of the God of Slaughter, Einstein!"

"Boss, is this guy... mentally unstable?" Xiao Hu's voice sounded at an inopportune moment.

"I only intended to teach one person a lesson, but it seems I'll have to exert myself more today!" Einstein roared in anger, clenching his fists until an earth-yellow wave of energy began to roll around him like a current. In his rage, he exerted his full power and locked down the elemental forces of the entire tavern with a sweep of his hand.

"Lord Einstein, you are also a distinguished elder; why resort to violence without discerning right from wrong?" Teacher Kailin stood up and spoke with integrity.

"You have no standing here to speak! Those who aid the academy in pursuing fugitives will await the academy's highest punishment: cultivation severance and exile to the Tower of Agony!" Einstein snarled, his face contorted with ferocity.

"Sir..." Teacher Kailin attempted to say more but felt a hand rest on her shoulder as a voice cut in. "It's useless. Reasoning with someone this self-important is like playing music to a bull!"

"A bastard only knows how to argue verbally, but you don't have much time left for chatter either!" Einstein sneered, stamping his foot on the ground as his iron fists smashed toward Chen Feng's head!

"Chen Feng, watch out!" Teacher Kailin, Anliya, and Warren cried out simultaneously.

However, before they could react, they saw a figure flying backward, crashing heavily near the tavern entrance.

"I genuinely don't understand how you have the nerve to posture with that level of cultivation," Chen Feng said with a hint of helplessness, looking at Einstein, who lay on the ground, barely breathing.

ps: A new year has begun. I wish everyone a fresh start, that all your wishes come true, that you achieve everything you desire in the new year, that lovers find their union, and that those who seek wealth gain vast riches!!!

Also: Since the new year has started, I hope everyone can continue to support Fist King. Please give all your Monthly Tickets and Recommendation Tickets to Old Ya. Thank you all!! (To be continued. For further developments, please log in to m for more chapters, to support the author, and to support genuine reading!)