66: Chapter 66 The Mountain-Suppressing Stone

The three of them had just caught their breath, and Zhao Yu was just putting that piece of Body Refining crystal into his Storage Pouch, when a soft rustling of branches and leaves suddenly came from the woods.

"Who is it?" Zhang Wen's spine tightened instantly, and Lightning Radiance flared up in his palm again—the rubble from their previous fierce battle was still smoking, and a new presence was already approaching with a sense of oppression.

Five figures walked slowly from behind the trees. The leader wore a black uniform with gold embroidery, his fingers casually turning a jade thumb ring. His gaze swept over the three unconscious people from Black Wind Academy on the ground, and finally landed on Zhang Wen: "You just finished off three small fry, and now you've run into us. Consider yourselves lucky."

Su Qingyue quietly gripped Zhao Yu's wrist and whispered: "They are from the Kyoto Xinghui Academy. In Kyoto, they are second only to our Azure Mist. The leader is the S-rank Gu Changfeng."

Zhao Yu tightened his grip on his sword hilt; his arm, which had just taken the stone spikes head-on, was still numb: "Why are they here?"

Zhang Wen narrowed his eyes, and the Lightning Radiance at his fingertips dimmed—the five opponents had steady auras; clearly, they had come prepared.

Someone behind Gu Changfeng suddenly laughed: "Things that that bunch of trash from Black Wind couldn't take, should naturally be taken by us." His gaze swept over Zhao Yu's Storage Pouch, "Hand over that 'Mountain-Suppressing Stone'."

Gu Changfeng raised his hand to stop his companion, saying slowly: "I know you just finished fighting, so it's not too late to admit defeat now." He shook his jade thumb ring, "After all, no one wants to escape the Dragon's pool only to enter a tiger's den."

Zhang Wen suddenly laughed, the sound accompanied by the crackling of electricity: "A tiger's den? That depends on whether you're qualified enough to be tigers." He turned to the side and signaled to Su Qingyue and Zhao Yu, "Tired or not, when trouble comes knocking, it must be cleared away."

Zhao Yu took a deep breath, and the sword blade glowed with a yellowish-brown halo again. This time, the halo was faintly entwined with bloodstains—the defense of Unbreakable Bedrock was pushed to its limit.

Su Qingyue retreated to their side. Water droplets seeping from the ground condensed into a half-foot-high water wall beside her feet, with tiny ice flowers flowing across its surface.

The smile on Gu Changfeng's face faded: "It seems you don't understand human speech." He raised his hand and waved it forward, "Since you want to fight, then—"

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Wen suddenly moved. He didn't rush toward the enemy, but instead stomped fiercely onto the ground—"Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks!"

A shockwave even more violent than before exploded. This time, it wasn't for a breakthrough, but to use the recoil force to make Su Qingyue and Zhao Yu leap backward instantly! Amidst the flying rubble, he stood alone opposite the five of them, the Lightning Radiance condensed in his palm now blindingly bright: "If you want to fight, get past me first."

Gu Changfeng's pupils constricted slightly: "Interesting." He nodded to the four people behind him, "Finish this quickly."

Four figures lunged out simultaneously, their Qi energy churning the fallen leaves into a frenzy. And Zhang Wen's figure had already transformed into a blur of purple electricity within the Lightning Radiance.

The moment the purple electricity tore through the air, Zhang Wen had already rushed in front of Gu Changfeng. The first form of Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist, "Startling Thunder Arises," carrying crackling electrical currents, aimed directly at his face.

Gu Changfeng's eyes narrowed, and his jade thumb ring suddenly lit up with a pale cyan halo. He didn't dodge or evade, instead raising his hand to meet the attack—the moment his fist touched the finger, Zhang Wen felt a dense, web-like Qi energy spread along his arm, actually dissipating most of the Lightning Radiance.

"Hmm?" His heart jolted. Using the recoil force, he spun and retreated, just barely avoiding a pincer attack from two others. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Zhao Yu being entangled by two people; the yellowish-brown sword light flickered in the siege, clearly struggling.

"Distraction is not a good thing." Gu Changfeng followed like a shadow, his palm wind sweeping over with the scent of decaying vegetation. Zhang Wen tapped his toes on the ground, Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks activated again, and his figure suddenly moved sideways by three zhang, the purple electricity at his fingertips surging: "Thousand Mechanisms of Purple Lightning Transformation!"

This time, the electric snakes were no longer a fine net, but condensed into three arm-thick lightning pillars, which blasted toward Gu Changfeng in a triangular formation. Gu Changfeng, however, suddenly took out a bronze token from his chest. When the patterns carved on the token lit up, they actually supported a layer of translucent light shield in front of him. The lightning pillars slammed into the shield, only stirring up a ripple.

"You have some knowledge." Gu Changfeng weighed the token, "The 'Spirit-Suppressing Shield' of Xinghui Academy, specifically designed to counter you lightning users."

Zhang Wen didn't reply; his attention had already shifted to the other side—Su Qingyue's water wall was being scorched by someone using flames. Amidst the rising steam, her ice shards were becoming increasingly sparse. And Zhao Yu's shoulder now had a bloody gash; the opponent had clearly figured out the defensive blind spot of Unbreakable Bedrock and was attacking his lower stance.

"Played enough." Zhang Wen suddenly let out a low shout, and the Lightning Radiance around him suddenly retracted. When it erupted again, it transformed into a silver-purple thin line.

"Thunder Wrath: Instant Prison Kill!"

The moment his figure disappeared, Gu Changfeng turned his head sharply—a scream from a companion came from behind! When he turned back, he only saw Zhang Wen's fist withdrawing from someone's chest. A charred hole had exploded in the person's chest, and the whole person flew backward like a kite with a broken string.

"You're courting death!" Gu Changfeng roared as he lunged, his palm wind almost condensing into substance. Zhang Wen, however, did not clash with him head-on, using the explosive power of the Lightning Radiance to weave through the crowd, as the second form of Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist, "Thunder Net Locking Truth," suddenly activated—a pale purple electric net exploded beneath the feet of the four, instantly entangling the ankles of two of them.

"Zhao Yu!" Zhang Wen roared.

Zhao Yu responded by slashing horizontally with his sword, the sword light carrying a mist of blood as it swept toward the two entangled by the electric net. Those two had already been numbed by the electric current, their bodies half-stiff, and were sent flying by this sword strike, crashing into a tree and passing out.

The situation reversed instantly.

Gu Changfeng looked at his only remaining companion, his face ashen. Su Qingyue seized the opportunity, her water wall suddenly transforming into a sky full of ice needles, forcing the last person to retreat repeatedly. Zhang Wen took the opportunity to close in, his fingertips pressing against the person's back: "Don't move if you don't want to die."

Gu Changfeng gripped the token tightly, his knuckles turning white: "Let them go, I will stay here."

Zhang Wen raised an eyebrow: "Now you know how to negotiate terms?" He glanced at the three unconscious people on the ground, "Take them with you and tell your academy's people—" The Lightning Radiance in his palm brightened again, "The Mountain-Suppressing Stone belongs to Zhao Yu. Whoever dares to snatch it again, ask the thunder in my hand first."

Gu Changfeng stared fixedly at Zhang Wen. After a long while, he suddenly turned around, shouldered his unconscious companions, and left staggeringly with the last person. Only heavy footsteps remained in the woods, gradually disappearing into the depths.

"Phew..." Zhao Yu leaned against a tree as if drained of all strength, the bloody gash on his shoulder still oozing blood, "Now... surely no one else will come, right?"

Su Qingyue handed over the medicine, her fingertips still trembling slightly: "Not necessarily, but at least we can catch our breath."

Zhang Wen shook his numb arm, looking in the direction where the Xinghui Academy people had disappeared, deep in thought: "Mountain-Suppressing Stone... how did they know this name?"

A gust of wind blew by, picking up the scorch marks and ice shards on the ground. The three of them looked at each other, and all saw gravity in each other's eyes—the secrets hidden in this Secret Realm were likely more than they had imagined.