"How… how can he be this strong?"
At that moment, Wu Hao and Lu Mu both felt a chill creep down their spines. Bai shan may have been a terrible person, but his strength was undeniable. And yet, he had been defeated in a single blow.
"Even though I know I can't win… I still want to fight you!" Wu Hao shouted, eyes burning with determination. "If you can withstand my strongest attack, no matter the outcome, I swear I'll never appear in front of any of the girls again!"
Rather than fading, his fighting spirit surged. Only a battle at this level could truly satisfy his craving for combat. At that moment, his eyes held no hesitation, only the desire to clash head-on with Goku. Win or lose, he wanted to give it everything he had.
Lu Mu let out a long sigh.
"Man… I was just about to admit defeat, but now you've made me feel too ashamed to back out. Fine. Looks like I'm just signing up to get beat down."
"Oh? You two sure have guts," Goku said with a smirk, a glint of admiration flashing through his eyes. "Alright. Since you're that determined, I'll hold back a little. Come on, show me your strongest moves! Otherwise, you won't get another shot."
Lu Mu gave a low shout, and in his palm, blue flames suddenly erupted, twining around him and forming into two smooth arcs of fire. Like sentient azure serpents, they danced around his body, guarding him closely.
He extended both hands, and the blue flames began spinning rapidly. In mere seconds, they condensed into a sharp, palm-sized spiral of fire.
"Heh… Goku, this is a specialized offensive technique developed by our Alchemy Division. It converts flame into explosive energy. Its power is no less than any advanced combat skill! We call it the Pillfire Art—and it's the strongest technique I've mastered so far. You'd better be careful!"
"Bring it on," Goku said calmly, standing in place without flinching, waiting for Wu Hao's attack.
Wu Hao raised his hand, summoning a massive greatsword into his grasp. Blood-red battle aura surged from his body like a flood, radiating overwhelming pressure. A brutal, high-level combat skill began building up—his power escalating with each passing second.
"Bloodcleave Slash!"
With a sharp glare, Wu Hao unleashed his attack. His greatsword trembled, and a wave of savage crimson energy blasted forward. The stone floor split and cracked wherever it passed, sending fissures spidering all the way to the edge of the training plaza.
"Haah!"
At the same moment, Lu Mu shouted and hurled his rotating flame cone. It shot forward like a meteor, sweeping a wave of scorching heat across the plaza. In the spectator stands, students instinctively turned their heads and shielded their faces from the sudden heatwave.
The two attacks, one flame and one blood-red energy, seemed to strike in perfect unison—converging on Goku in a devastating explosion. The power they unleashed had even the spectators holding their breath.
But Goku didn't move.
He stood still, completely unfazed. Only when the two attacks were mere inches away did he slowly lift his right hand. Before the shocked eyes of the entire crowd, he caught both incoming blasts with his bare hand—just like that.
Time seemed to freeze.
The crowd was stunned into silence. Mouths hung open. Goku's tall, muscular frame stood like a god of war amidst the swirling energy. With just one hand, he held back both violent attacks, unmoving. No matter how fierce the power, how wild the storm—before him, it was utterly insignificant. The surging waves of energy couldn't do anything more than make his clothes and hair ripple slightly.
Beneath him, the stone tiles shattered and crumbled, yet Goku remained standing, as steady as a mountain.
The entire plaza fell into silence.
The storm raged on. The wind howled. Goku slowly lifted his head, meeting the stunned gazes of Wu Hao and Lu Mu.
"That… was your strongest move?" he asked coldly.
He clenched his right fist. With a faint pop, both the Bloodcleave Slash and the Pillfire cone vanished without a trace—completely dispersed.
With a flick of his arm, a wave of force blasted Wu Hao and Lu Mu across the plaza. They slammed to the ground and coughed up blood. Compared to Bai shan, though, they were lucky—just minor injuries.
Once again, the crowd fell into dead silence. Then, a moment later, the girls in the stands screamed in excitement.
"So! Damn! Cool! He's literally the prince I've been dreaming about!"
"Oh my god! I can't take it anymore!"
"I've made up my mind! From now on, I'm marrying no one but him!"
...
As the screaming intensified, the male students sat in stunned silence. That shocking display had left even them speechless, let alone the girls. In the Jia Nan Academy, only someone like Goku could draw such attention. In a blink, he had become the idol of the outer court girls—and the mortal enemy of every guy on campus.
With a flash, Goku appeared beside the group of girls.
Xue Ni was the first to rush up to him, eyes sparkling.
"Goku! That was amazing! My heart's still thumping from watching you!"
Xiao Yu's best friend leapt over, eyes filled with teasing mischief.
"Yeah, yeah! Hot stuff! Want a live-in maid? I'm warm and cuddly!"
"Ugh, you boy-crazy pervs!" Xiao Yu snapped, knocking them both on the head. She sneaked a glance at Goku, cheeks tinged with pink. Then she sighed softly in her heart, 'He's amazing… just too much of a flirt, that's the problem.'
"Not gonna lie," Ya Fei said, casting Goku a sultry smile. "You were so hot just now—even I couldn't take my eyes off you." That brief moment of charm made Goku's heart skip a beat. She really was an enchantress through and through.
"Tch! There he goes showing off again! Look at that smug face!" muttered Saya, pouting in annoyance.
Yuriko chuckled and ruffled her hair.
"If you're jealous already, you're in for a rough time."
"Jealous? As if! I'm just… annoyed, that's all," Saya grumbled, cheeks reddening.
"Goku! You were so cool back there!" Karin ran over, eyes sparkling like the other little girls'. "Will you tell us the Little Red Riding Hood story again when we go back?"
"Of course! Let's go. This place is getting way too heated with all the fangirls."
Goku glanced around at the horde of girls sending him flirty glances and quickly made his escape with the group. He had even forgotten why he got on stage in the first place.
---
Just one day had passed since the duel, but Goku had already become a legend within Jia Nan Academy.
His barehanded block of two powerful combat techniques, his calm composure in the eye of a storm, and the effortless way he overwhelmed his opponents—all of it had left an indelible impression. Countless lovestruck girls had fallen for his heroic figure, while he simultaneously became the envy—and nightmare—of the male students.
After witnessing that overwhelming display of power, the boys in the academy had become much more self-aware. None of them dared flirt with the girls around Goku anymore. After all, behind those girls now stood a man who could obliterate one of the academy's most prominent figures with a flick of his finger. Who in their right mind would challenge that?
Bai shan was the perfect cautionary tale. After Goku flicked him unconscious, the only reason he wasn't a vegetable was thanks to the expert treatment from Elder Huo in the Alchemy Division. Even so, the poor guy would still have to lie in bed for at least seventeen or eighteen months before making a full recovery.
Later that day, after the girls had returned from studying with Instructor Ruo Lin, Goku made an announcement.
"I've decided—I'm heading out for a while," he said calmly.
Although the girls had known this day would come, they hadn't expected it so soon. Each of them looked reluctant to let him go. The four little girls—Alice, Karin, and the others—clung to his legs with teary eyes.
"Take us with you, please! We'll be good!" they pleaded.
"Be good, okay? Stay here and focus on your training. I want to see all of you get into the Inner Court on your own merits!"
It took quite a bit of coaxing before Goku managed to soothe the clingy little ones.
Truthfully, he didn't want to leave just yet either. But there were still plenty of beauties out there waiting for him! If he delayed too long, that damned Xiao Yan might beat him to it. He could only shelve his pursuit of the hard-to-get Xun'er for now and go chase after the easier targets first.
Although reluctant, the girls eventually nodded in agreement. They were all proud and strong-willed—they didn't want to just be pretty decorations at Goku's side. Ever since joining Jia Nan Academy, they had resolved to train hard. Catching up to Goku might be impossible, but they didn't want to become burdens either.
"18, I'll leave their safety to you. If anyone dares mess with them again—beat them to within an inch of their lives. Don't hold back."
"Hmph. Don't think I don't know what you're really leaving for…" No.18 crossed her arms and gave him a knowing glare.
"Alright, I'm counting on you!" Goku said, cutting her off mid-sentence. He pulled out a map he had gotten from Huo gan and looked it over. "Qingshan Town… Qingshan Town… Ah, there it is!" He pressed two fingers to his forehead to sense the area's location. A moment later, his face lit up. "Found it! Right here!"
He turned to the girls with a grin.
"Alright, my lovely wives, I'm off!"
"Make sure to visit us every few days, okay?!" Shizuka waved both hands at him.
"I will!"
With a flash, Goku disappeared.
"This bastard didn't even let me finish my sentence! Is this what you call asking someone for a favor?!" No.18 grumbled, furious as she stared at the now-empty spot.
---
Near the edge of the Magic Beast Mountain Range sat a small town—Qingshan Town. Because of its proximity to the mountains, it was also commonly known as the Magic Beast Town.
And it was here that Goku had set his sights.
Swish!
With a flicker of movement, Goku appeared on a quiet path just outside town. He looked around—there wasn't a soul in sight—so he started heading toward the main street.
It didn't take long before he noticed a huge crowd hurrying toward the town square. Curious, Goku stopped a passerby.
"Hey, brother! What's going on up ahead? Why's everyone rushing over there?"
"You don't know?" the man said, wide-eyed. "The Wild Bull Mercenary Group just returned from the Magic Beast Mountains. But this time, they were practically wiped out! I heard most of them died, and only their leader and a few others made it back alive. Right now, they're being treated by the Doctor Xiao Yixian! Don't block me—I'm in a rush to go see her! One day without seeing her feels like a lifetime!"
"Doctor Xiao Yixian, huh?" Goku let the man go, a smile playing on his lips. "Famous people really are different. I just arrived, and already I've heard about her. Might as well go check it out myself."
--
"Whoa! That really is the Doctor Xiao Yixian!"
"She's so beautiful… every time I see her, I feel at peace…"
"Right?! If I could marry a woman like that, I wouldn't mind shaving ten years off my life!"
"You idiot! Do you have a death wish? Half the mercenaries in this town owe her their lives. Say crap like that out loud and they'll cut you into pieces!"
"Ah! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking… ha-ha…"
The guy shrank back, his face pale, and hurriedly slipped away from the crowd outside the pharmacy.
The crowd was packed so tightly that not even a fly could squeeze through the door. But that didn't stop Goku. With a flash, he teleported directly into the building. No one even noticed—everyone's attention was already fixed on the graceful figure inside.
The Xiao Yixian wore a pale white dress that clung gently to her curves. While her face wasn't exactly stunning at first glance, it exuded a rare purity and serenity. That ethereal temperament made her beauty soar far beyond what her features alone would suggest.
Her slender waist was wrapped in a soft green sash. Even Goku, who had seen countless beauties, was momentarily stunned by her elegant and delicate figure.
Right now, she was carefully treating a middle-aged man whose chest had two deep, vicious wounds—clearly the bite of some ferocious magic beast. The injuries had punctured both his chest and lungs. That he was still alive at all was a miracle.
As she examined him, her brows knit together slightly. A trace of sorrow flickered in her eyes.
"I'm sorry… I've done all I can. His injuries are too severe—I can't save him."
A man nearby, his arm bandaged tightly like a mummy, shook his head and sighed.
"It's not your fault. We already knew this would happen… we were just hoping for a miracle."
He was a veteran mercenary—accustomed to life and death. But still, watching a comrade fade before his eyes left a dull ache in his heart.
__
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