C18 Being Saved
The Skycleaver, once invincible, proved futile against this creature, managing only to leave a faint white mark on its claws.
Zhang Nan was flung away by the monster's swipe once more.
This time, he hit the ground and remained there, his internal organs jarred by the impact.
The creature slowly advanced on Zhang Nan, reaching out with its claws to seize him.
Zhang Nan could only offer a resigned smile, unable to move or resist. How could he possibly rescue Murong Wan in such a state?
As the creature's claws nearly grasped Zhang Nan, a beam of light pierced the darkness.
The monster recoiled and howled at the sudden brightness.
Then, a voice echoed at the entrance of the cave.
"Evil beast, you dare to inflict harm?"
The sound of the voice brought peace to Zhang Nan's troubled heart.
Murong Le soon stood before Zhang Nan, striking the monster on the head with a powerful punch.
The beast recoiled in pain, stumbling backwards.
Murong Le's gaze quickly found Murong Wan, and he demanded sternly, "Release my daughter this instant, you vile creature."
The monster, upon hearing Murong Le's command, hesitated before nodding in acquiescence.
Murong Wan's senses returned to her, and as she took in her surroundings, she noticed Zhang Nan on the ground. Rushing to his side, she cried out, "Zhang Nan, how are you? Is everything okay?"
As Murong Wan came to, Zhang Nan was overwhelmed by drowsiness and slipped into unconsciousness.
Seeing Zhang Nan collapse, Murong Wan called out desperately, "Zhang Nan, Zhang Nan, please wake up!"
Murong Le examined Zhang Nan and, with a sigh of relief, assured, "He's all right, just a bit disoriented. Let's take him back to rest. I'm sure he'll come to shortly."
Murong Wan nodded, then swiftly carried Zhang Nan towards the cave's exit.
After Murong Wan had departed, Murong Le fixed a stern gaze on the monster and warned, "If you persist in this behavior, I will show no mercy."
The monster nodded in understanding.
With the monster's acknowledgment, Murong Le turned to leave. But as he did, the creature's eyes glinted with a renewed malice, clearly plotting its next move.
After leaving the Bionic Forest, Murong Le found out that Murong Wan had taken Zhang Nan back to their dormitory. He decided not to concern himself with Murong Wan any longer and began to investigate the cause of the incident in the Bionic Forest.
Inside the dormitory, Zhang Nan opened his eyes to the comforting sight of Qin Shou and let out a sigh of relief. As he attempted to rise, he noticed Murong Le, who had stayed by his bedside, now asleep with his head resting on Zhang Nan's hand, drool dampening his skin.
Zhang Nan couldn't help but smile at the sight before gently waking Murong Wan.
Upon seeing Zhang Nan awake, Murong Wan immediately asked, "You're awake. Do you feel any discomfort? Should I get my dad to check on you?"
Zhang Nan returned the smile and shook his head. "No discomfort, just a bit of numbness in my hand."
Murong Wan glanced at his hand, saw the drool, and laughed awkwardly. "Oh dear, I just dozed off on your hand. After taking care of you all night, can't I rest on it for a bit?"
Zhang Nan chuckled in response. "Of course, of course. I never said you couldn't."
Murong Wan then urged, "Now that you're awake, you should quickly head over to see my dad. He mentioned he wanted to see you once you were up."
Zhang Nan nodded, then muttered under his breath, "Why does the dean always want to see me whenever something happens?"
Murong Wan, overhearing his comment, felt a sense of resignation.
After tidying up a little, Zhang Nan left the dormitory in haste.
"Look, that's him. That's Zhang Nan, the one who's always in trouble."
"So that's Zhang Nan."
"He's going to compete in the Grand Tournament of the Hundred Academies. Is he up for it? Won't he bring shame to our academy?"
Zhang Nan's brow furrowed at the whispers. Just as he was about to respond, Murong Wan emerged from the dormitory and approached him. She wrapped her arm around his and asked, "Why didn't you wait for me?"
Her gesture elicited a chorus of gasps from the onlookers.
"Why? Why does my goddess have to be with this loser?"
"My goddess, are you blind?"
Zhang Nan couldn't help but smile smugly as he heard the envious howls around him. Taking Murong Wan by the hand, he suggested, "Let's get out of here."
They quickly made their way across the plaza, under the incredulous stares of onlookers.
Before long, they reached the dean's office.
Upon their arrival, the dean immediately inquired, "Zhang Nan, are you feeling better?"
Zhang Nan simply nodded.
"I can't fathom what kind of cultivation technique you're practicing, but your recovery speed is astounding," Murong Le remarked with a hint of admiration.
Zhang Nan could only offer an awkward smile in response.
"Daughter, isn't it about time for you to head to the Central Arena? You're due on stage soon," Murong Le said, looking at Murong Wan with a touch of resignation.
Murong Wan, surprised, exclaimed, "Oh, is it my turn already? I need to get ready then. You two chat—I'll be back soon, Zhang Nan."
With that, Murong Wan hurried out of the office.
Once she was gone, Zhang Nan turned to the dean and asked, "Dean, now that Murong Wan has left, is there something you wanted to discuss?"
Murong Le gave Zhang Nan an approving look and chuckled, "You're quite perceptive. You remember the spirit animal from yesterday, don't you?"
"Spirit animal? Dean, you call that a spirit animal? I've never seen anything like it before," Zhang Nan replied, clearly taken aback.
Murong Le chuckled again and explained, "You're still young; there's a lot you haven't seen. The reason I asked you here is to stress the importance of keeping everything you experienced and saw in the Bionic Forest a secret. If word gets out, it could spell disaster for our academy."
Zhang Nan nodded earnestly and assured him, "You have my word, Dean. I won't breathe a word of it to anyone."
Satisfied, Murong Le nodded and dismissed him, "Good. You can go now. Get some rest; your match in the Grand Tournament of the Hundred Academies is coming up soon."
Zhang Nan nodded once more and left the office.
Back in the plaza, Zhang Nan found his path blocked by a crowd. A man stepped forward and confronted him, "You're Zhang Nan, aren't you?"
Zhang Nan nodded and asked, "Who am I? And who might you be?"
"I'm Tian Le. You may not recognize me, but you're familiar with Soong Jie, aren't you? He's lost to me in the past. Due to certain circumstances, I wasn't selected to represent our academy in the competition. I never imagined that you, of all people, would luck into the opportunity. Let me give you a piece of advice, kid—keep your distance from my goddess."