C6 The Powerful Skills.

The words of the red-haired girl left Bai Tian and her friends frozen in place.

It took a few seconds before Moo Shuqin was the first to snap out of it. With a furrowed brow, she demanded, "Who are you, and who's your boyfriend?"

"I'm Luo Xiaoyan, Di Feng's girlfriend," the girl retorted with a sneer, disregarding Moo Shuqin. She spun around, fixing Bai Tian with a furious glare.

"Shameless woman, seducing someone else's boyfriend behind his back!"

Bai Tian's eyebrows arched, a look of indignation washing over her face.

Just as she was about to retort, Moo Shuqin couldn't contain herself any longer.

"Stop spreading lies. When has Tian ever seduced your boyfriend? It was Di Feng who unashamedly pursued Tian, and she never gave him the time of day!"

Luo Xiaoyan's sneer deepened. "So you did it but won't own up to it? If this woman hadn't lured my boyfriend away, why would he cheat?"

"It's clear you lack the charm to keep your man, and when you discovered his infidelity, you chose to lash out at others. You're a disgrace to women everywhere!"

To everyone's surprise, Moo Shuqin held her own in the verbal skirmish.

Her cutting words sent Luo Xiaoyan's expression into a tailspin.

Finding herself at a loss for words, Luo Xiaoyan turned to the tattooed youth for backup.

"Cousin, teach them a lesson for me!"

The tattooed young man let out a sly chuckle and advanced toward Bai Tian, Moo Shuqin, and their companion.

"Little lady, why mess with my cousin? Now, don't blame me for teaching you a harsh lesson!"

Yin Tian flexed his fists, the knuckles popping crisply.

Bai Tian and Moo Shuqin instinctively stepped back, their complexions turning a shade paler.

After all, they were just high school students, well-behaved girls who had never dealt with thugs like Yin Tian. The sight before them sent a wave of fear through their hearts.

But then, Xie Yang stepped up, positioning himself protectively in front of the three girls.

"Brother!" Bai Tian exclaimed, her eyes wide with astonishment.

Yin Tian just sneered in response.

"Trying to play the hero? Maybe you should check if you've got the strength for it first."

As the last word was spoken, Yin Tian swung a punch at Xie Yang with sudden ferocity. Bai Tian and the other two girls gasped in shock. Yin Tian towered over Xie Yang, his build large and muscular, while Xie Yang appeared scholarly and slight. To any onlooker, a confrontation would surely leave Xie Yang in a sorry state.

But the outcome was astonishing.

With an effortless gesture, Xie Yang reached out and seized Yin Tian's fist with ease. Yin Tian paused, bewildered. When he finally comprehended what had happened, he was seething with anger and struggled to free his fist. To his amazement, Xie Yang's grip was incredibly strong, his hand clamping down like a vice.

Yin Tian exerted all his strength, but Xie Yang's grasp was unyielding. "How is this possible? How can this guy be so strong?" Yin Tian was both astounded and enraged. He swung his other fist in retaliation, but before it could gain momentum, Xie Yang struck him squarely in the face with a counterpunch. The thud of the impact echoed, followed by a chilling scream.

Yin Tian's muscular frame was hurled backward, crashing to the ground several meters away. Silence enveloped the scene.

Whether it was Luo Xiaoyan, Bai Tian, or the other two girls, each one was left speechless by the turn of events. The anticipated beating of Xie Yang never came to pass; instead, it was Yin Tian who lay defeated on the ground. They were thoroughly taken aback by the spectacle before them.

Moo Shuqin, trying to make sense of what she'd just witnessed, turned to Bai Tian and whispered, "Tian, I had no idea Brother Xie was such a formidable fighter."

Bai Tian, however, was just as bewildered. She had never seen Xie Yang in a fight. In her mind, her brother was simply a typical high school student, not someone with exceptional combat skills. Yet, Xie Yang had effortlessly laid low the towering Yin Tian.

Meanwhile, Xie Yang calmly withdrew his fist, his demeanor unruffled. The enhancement from the Physique-improving Crystal had elevated his reaction time and strength well beyond that of an average adult male. Lacking extensive experience in combat mattered little; with his extraordinary reflexes and power, he could easily handle several adversaries.

Someone like Zhao Kang stood no chance against him.

"Cousin!" Wu Ying, snapping back to reality, rushed to assist Zhao Kang, only to be angrily shoved away.

Zhao Kang's face flushed with humiliation.

He had just finished mocking Lin Ze, only to be floored by a single punch. The embarrassment was unbearable.

Fuming, he called forth his pet beast.

A brilliant light heralded the arrival of a massive wolf, its black fur gleaming, as large as a calf, materializing before the onlookers.

The Spirit Wolf!

"I refuse to believe you can defeat my pet beast!" Zhao Kang glared venomously at Lin Ze.

Bai Tian, Zhang Xiaoyun, and the others visibly paled.

The Spirit Wolf was merely a Level E pet, unevolved. Without the enhancement of natural treasures, even at full maturity, it would peak at the first layer of the second rank.

But Zhao Kang wasn't like the students who had only recently bonded with their pets.

His Spirit Wolf was clearly well-nurtured, having reached its mature stage.

In essence, its power was no less than the first layer of the second rank.

They were outmatched.

Especially since Bai Tian, the strongest among them, had a pet of only the ninth layer of the first rank.

Zhang Xiaoyun and Liu Siyan's pets were at the seventh and sixth layers of the first rank, respectively.

Lin Ze's case didn't even bear mentioning.

Little Snowball's combat prowess was negligible.

Even if Lin Ze was a formidable fighter, besting a second rank pet beast was out of the question.

"Oh no! What do we do now, Tian?"

Zhang Xiaoyun and Liu Siyan were visibly shaken.

Bai Tian was equally uncertain.

Only Lin Ze remained composed.

Zhao Kang's rage intensified at the sight of Lin Ze's serene demeanor.

Without further hesitation, he barked an order through clenched teeth: "Attack!"

He couldn't fathom a mere high school student standing up to his second rank Spirit Wolf!

He might not dare to kill Lin Ze, but he was certainly intent on giving him a harsh lesson.

The image of Xie Yang screaming in terror as the Spirit Wolf's claws tore at him filled Yin Tian with a sense of vindication.

The Spirit Wolf's sudden assault took the three girls by surprise.

Bai Tian's face went pale; she was intent on summoning her pet beast. She might not be able to take down the Spirit Wolf, but she'd be damned if she let it harm Xie Yang.

But before she could act, an abrupt chill swept through the area, sending the temperature plummeting.

Out of nowhere, an Ice Fairy, charming and as blue as a little human girl, materialized in front of Xie Yang.

With the menacing Spirit Wolf lunging towards them, the fairy merely lifted a hand. A multitude of razor-sharp ice spikes formed from thin air, hesitating for just a heartbeat before hurtling forward like a tempest.

The air was suddenly filled with the shrill sound of slicing wind.

In mere moments, the Spirit Wolf was engulfed by a relentless barrage of ice spikes.