115: I beg you, don't talk so much nonsense

"Also, your methods for provoking me are too clumsy; they're really mind-numbing, you know?"

"You're supposed to be someone of some standing, so use your brain. If you managed to pull a fast one on me, I'd actually respect you."

The atmosphere suddenly grew tense. Zheng Peng couldn't save face after what Xu Jingzhe said, his face turning alternating shades of green and red.

"Lu Fei, we're all teammates, don't say things like that." Qin Shuang spoke up, not wanting Xu Jingzhe to start off on such bad terms with Zheng Peng.

For the five of us to work together, we must trust our teammates without reservation.

"Qin Shuang." Bai Binger tugged at her; this was a matter between men.

Since they didn't respect each other, they might as well just fight.

Violence is how men conquer men.

"Kid, you've got guts. Do you know how strong our Brother Peng is? You dare to go head-to-head with him?" Yang Shuang goaded him.

Xu Jingzhe glanced at him and sneered, "If you're not convinced, you can come at me together."

"Lu Fei, don't be impulsive. Zheng Peng and Yang Shuang are indeed very strong," Qin Shuang advised.

"Boom!"

However, Zheng Peng didn't give him a chance. His red hair stood on end, and a powerful burst of energy erupted!

At such a close distance, it arrived in an instant.

In the air, visible energy ripples spread out like waves on a lake, kicking up dust from the ground.

"Swish!"

Xu Jingzhe tapped his toes on the ground, reacting quickly. He directly utilized the energy of the Golden Contamination Core to put some distance between himself and Zheng Peng.

He drew his Black Gold Long Saber and watched Zheng Peng quietly. This must be one of his abilities; the damage output instantly multiplied several times over. At such close range, if he hadn't reacted in time, he would have definitely suffered a heavy blow.

"Heh heh... tough talk, but soft bones. Why are you running!" Zheng Peng pressed the attack.

A heatwave struck, scorching and suffocating.

"Explosion!" He roared, and the ripples swept through with destructive force, causing trees within a kilometer to collapse one after another.

Xu Jingzhe gripped his Black Gold Long Saber, retreating again and again. The ripples clashed with the saber, emitting 'crack' and 'snap' sounds.

This energy was too tyrannical; he was worthy of being a man who could pursue Qin Shuang.

"You really disappoint me. All you know how to do is run. I heard your physique is very tough, and I'd really like to test that." Zheng Peng's red hair stood straight up, as if he were wearing a red hedgehog on his head.

"Entangle!"

He extended his right hand, splaying his five fingers, and five green vines shot out from his fingertips, crisscrossing as they coiled toward Xu Jingzhe.

These were Zheng Peng's two abilities: one was energy explosion, the other was vine entanglement.

They were truly complementary; the moment he caught an enemy, he would pull them close and use the energy explosion to kill them instantly.

Xu Jingzhe swung the long saber in his hand, hacking at the vines.

But a surprising scene unfolded: the vines were incredibly resilient, and a single strike didn't cut them. Furthermore, the vines coiled with great speed, wrapping around Xu Jingzhe's wrists in a heartbeat.

He tried to shake them off, but he couldn't break free at all.

In just a few breaths, he had tightly bound Xu Jingzhe, leaving only his nose and mouth exposed to breathe.

"Disappointing indeed. Qin Shuang, what's the point of adding him? Is he just going to drag us down?" Zheng Peng mocked without restraint.

"That's right, Qin Shuang. The competition will be full of experts, and any weak link could cause all our years of hard work to go to waste." Bai Binger also shook her head, feeling very disappointed in Xu Jingzhe.

His face was indeed nice, but his strength was truly lackluster.

"Qin Shuang, forget it. Our opponents are the Adam Five and the Eve Five Princesses; they are not ordinary people. The water capacity of a wooden bucket isn't determined by the longest plank, but the shortest one."

Watching Xu Jingzhe, who was tightly wrapped in green vines and unable to move, Qin Shuang couldn't hide her disappointment.

Sixteen years old, just sixteen.

She wanted so much to accompany him as he grew up, but time waits for no one. Just as Bai Binger had said before, a genius is only a genius if they manage to grow up; if they die halfway, they are nothing.

"Beg me, and I'll let you go."

"Otherwise, my vines can devour you completely." Zheng Peng laughed happily, feeling very satisfied.

He wanted to completely destroy Xu Jingzhe's image in Qin Shuang's heart.

"I, I beg you," Xu Jingzhe said slowly.

"Hahahaha..." Zheng Peng laughed even more unrestrainedly, saying, "Qin Shuang, look at him. Not only does he have no strength, but he also has no backbone."

"What use is a man like that!"

Bai Binger also nodded with disdain, agreeing with Zheng Peng's words.

"I beg you, stop with, stop with all the nonsense!"

"Ah!"

Suddenly, Xu Jingzhe let out a roar!

Between the gaps of the vines, a brilliant golden light flared. With a "bang," under the force of his immense power, Xu Jingzhe forcibly tore himself free from the vines' restraint.

Green sap and broken vines splattered everywhere, showering everyone with it.

Then, the three of them—Qin Shuang and the others—felt a blur before their eyes, and Lu Fei and Zheng Peng vanished instantly.

Immediately after, they saw a trench plowed through the dense forest, emitting wisps of white smoke. It was thousands of meters long and stopped at the foot of a large mountain.

Following this was a sound like a thunderclap.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

One sound after another; they didn't know what was colliding with what.

The three of them exchanged glances—what terrifying speed. They simultaneously set off, leaping over rocks and branches, and quickly arrived at the foot of the mountain.

They saw an incredible scene!

Zheng Peng was being held by his flashy red hair by Xu Jingzhe, who was pinning his neck with one hand and slamming his rather handsome face against the mountain side again and again.

The smooth mountain rock had already been smashed into a basin-sized crater, with dense, spiderweb-like cracks surrounding it.

Looking closely, the rock was stained with quite a bit of crimson blood.

"Ex..."

"Boom!"

"plo..."

"Boom!"

The two were so close they were practically pressed against each other. Zheng Peng desperately wanted to unleash his explosive ability, but every time he tried, Xu Jingzhe would ruthlessly slam his head against the rock.

Dazed from the impacts, Zheng Peng couldn't concentrate, let alone unleash the energy within his body.

"Alright, that's enough," Qin Shuang said, feeling wonderful inside. The disappointment she felt just moments ago vanished instantly.

"I admit, you're strong." Yang Shuang also acknowledged Xu Jingzhe from the bottom of his heart; he had the strength to be his teammate.

Bai Binger very sensibly shut her mouth; this time, she didn't say anything.

"Clatter~"

Xu Jingzhe held Zheng Peng by the neck and tossed him aside casually, not even wanting to spare him another glance. He casually pulled his Black Gold Long Saber from the mountain wall and dusted off his clothes.

Casual, dashing.

But this kind of fight was really satisfying; strength would improve rapidly.

"I hate people who talk too much during a fight," Xu Jingzhe said indifferently.

The other three looked at Zheng Peng, who was sprawled on the ground, and felt some sympathy.

It was indeed as Xu Jingzhe said; he had been careless. How could he let his guard down when the opponent hadn't even unleashed their ability yet? The first rule of the battlefield: regardless of whether your opponent has an ability, you must always treat them as an enemy who does.

Until you have completely killed them, you cannot consider yourself victorious!

However, if it weren't for Xu Jingzhe's sudden burst of power, even if he could have defeated Zheng Peng, it wouldn't have been this easy; nine times out of ten, it would have ended in mutual destruction.

"Cough..."

Zheng Peng shook his head and spat out a mouthful of blood.

He wasn't convinced. This kid played dirty, intentionally feigning weakness!

He wanted to fight again!