C11 Mysterious Old Man

Murong Wan's insistence on staying put left Zhang Nan somewhat resigned. He ended up watching the ongoing battle from the stands.

Zhang Nan noticed that each of the five arenas was occupied, with competitors already engaged in combat. "Why are they all at the Foundation Building stage? Have the students from other academies become this powerful?" he mused, furrowing his brow as he observed the fights.

Murong Wan had also picked up on this trend and remarked, "Indeed, the students from those academies are exceptionally strong."

Zhang Nan's frown deepened at her words.

After a moment, Murong Wan declared, "Ugh, I can't watch this anymore. Let's go shopping instead. The more I watch, the more frustrated I get."

Zhang Nan responded with a hint of exasperation, "First you want to watch, then you don't. Do you always change your mind so quickly?"

Murong Wan chuckled awkwardly and admitted, "Their strength is just overwhelming. I've lost all interest in watching."

Shaking his head, Zhang Nan accepted the situation.

They left the Central Arena and meandered through the streets.

"Zhang Nan, I didn't expect to see you out here," Faang Tong said, eyeing Zhang Nan and Murong Wan with a fleeting glint of hostility that quickly vanished.

Zhang Nan caught the brief murderous intent in Faang Tong's eyes and retorted with a snort, "What a small world, running into you while out for a stroll. It's quite bothersome."

Faang Tong let out a cold laugh and ominously added, "I hope you'll still be able to talk to me like this tomorrow," before turning on his heel and walking away.

Zhang Nan didn't quite grasp Faang Tong's implication but didn't dwell on it.

As evening fell, Zhang Nan did a quick tally and realized they had spent close to another hundred thousand yuan.

"How much pocket money does your family actually give you?" he asked, unable to hide his bewilderment.

Murong Wan pondered briefly before replying, "About a million yuan a month. It's not that much, really."

Hearing this, Zhang Nan shook his head in disbelief. Thinking of how his own parents had sold their house to afford his medical treatment, forcing the family to move into their ancestral home, he let out a resigned sigh and muttered, "It's maddening how some people live."

"What was that?" Murong Wan, having missed his comment, inquired with curiosity.

"It's getting late; we really should head back," Zhang Nan said, gesturing for them to leave.

Murong Wan glanced at the darkening sky and sighed, "Alright, alright. The day just flew by."

They both made their way quickly toward the academy.

But after only a few steps, a group of black-clad figures burst forth. Without a moment's hesitation, they encircled Zhang Nan and Murong Wan and lunged at Zhang Nan with their swords drawn.

Zhang Nan drew the Skycleaver and deftly parried the assailants' blows. To the attackers' astonishment, their blades shattered upon contact with the Skycleaver.

Chuckling at the sight, Zhang Nan admired his sword, "What an excellent blade this is."

He then swung the Skycleaver, executing the first move of the Skycleaver Sword Technique, the Voidripper. A radiant light emanated from the sword, and he struck out at the black-clad man before him.

The man retreated hastily, but after he thought he had evaded Zhang Nan's strike, he was horrified to see the glowing light flying towards him.

"It's sword energy!"

He screamed, only to be bisected by the sword energy.

The other assailants recoiled in fear.

"Hmph, you're all terrified by a mere youth in the Qi Refining Stage? Pathetic," sneered another figure in black, emerging to berate the others.

Zhang Nan whispered, "Go get your dean. I can hold them off a bit longer. Be quick."

Murong Wan, trembling, replied, "I'm too scared."

"Don't worry, you'll be fine. They're after me, not you," Zhang Nan reassured her with a smile.

Just then, the black-clad figure approached Zhang Nan, looking him in the eye. "Such a waste. A promising martial artist like you, about to meet his end."

Before Zhang Nan could even react, the man in black shattered Skycleaver's defense and charged right up to his face. He delivered a punch to Zhang Nan's abdomen. As Zhang Nan was about to double over, the assailant landed another punch in the same spot.

Unable to withstand the pain any longer, Zhang Nan quickly bent forward. Seizing the opportunity, the man in black landed a kick squarely on Zhang Nan's face, sending him flying through the air.

Though Zhang Nan was thrown away, it created distance between him and his attacker. He rose from the ground, gripping Skycleaver firmly, and urgently said to Murong Wan by his side, "Quickly, go find the dean."

Upon hearing the command, Murong Wan sprinted toward the academy. The black-clad assailants immediately gave chase.

"Enough, don't pursue her. Our target is this man, not the girl. Let her go. We need to capture him quickly," one of them commanded, and they turned their attention back to Zhang Nan.

Zhang Nan, seizing the moment, swung Skycleaver and unleashed the Voidripper technique. A surge of sword energy raced toward the man in black, who nimbly sidestepped it. In a blink, he was back in front of Zhang Nan.

Zhang Nan didn't hesitate, swinging his palm in a Thunderclap Palm strike aimed at the man in black. The attacker, undeterred, met Zhang Nan's palm with his own.

The sound of their genuine energy colliding echoed like a thunderclap. Zhang Nan was sent hurtling through the air, crashing to the ground with a heavy thud. As he struggled to rise, blood spilled from his mouth.

Unbeknownst to Zhang Nan, the man in black had slipped his hand back into his sleeve, his palm shaking uncontrollably.

"Is that the best you can do?" the man in black scoffed with a cold laugh.

He then slowly advanced toward the incapacitated Zhang Nan. Zhang Nan tried desperately to rise, but his body refused to cooperate, and he felt an overwhelming urge to sleep.

The man in black reached Zhang Nan and drew a sharp knife, poised to strike. But just then, a voice rang out, "Young man, always leave room for maneuver."

Startled, the man in black found his knife frozen in mid-air, halted by an unseen force. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't drive it any further.

The man in black abandoned his plan to fatally stab Zhang Nan and turned his attention to the speaker.

Upon closer inspection, the man in black discovered that the speaker was an elderly man, who was now watching him with a bemused smile.

"Old man, you seem to be sticking your nose into too many things. This is a matter between us; it's not your concern," the man in black remarked with a dismissive snort.

"Haha, what a coincidence. I, for one, happen to enjoy meddling in other people's affairs. Is there a problem with that?" the old man replied, all the while caressing his white beard.

"Well, if you're so determined to get involved, then you can't blame me for what happens next."

With those words, the man in black gave a sharp turn of his head to signal the group of men in black standing behind him.