’This makes no sense!’

Zhang Yuelun truly couldn’t figure out what on earth Gao Neng was thinking.

"Don’t thank me. I’m just teaching you a lesson." A smirk played on Gao Neng’s lips, and an Alloy Machete appeared in his hand.

"You’re either overconfident or just plain stupid!" Zhang Yuelun said before retreating, quickly putting distance between himself and Gao Neng.

He wasted no more words.

He nocked an arrow to his Alloy Bow and instantly drew it to its full extent.

"Don’t waste your energy. You can’t hit me." Gao Neng stood tall, chest puffed out.

"Arrogant bastard!" Zhang Yuelun cursed as he released the arrow.

WHOOSH!

It flew straight for Gao Neng’s throat.

Gao Neng tilted his body slightly, and the arrow flew past his ear.

"BOOM!"

The arrow exploded against a tree.

"You used your Spiritual Power to lock onto the arrow?" Zhang Yuelun’s expression changed slightly. They were less than twenty paces apart—not too far, but not exactly close either.

"Yep. My Spiritual Power is fully developed. Within a hundred-meter radius, nothing can escape my lock. Your arrows can’t hit me, your blade can’t cut me, and your fists can’t land on me. Simply put, you just can’t hit me." Gao Neng nodded.

"Fuck that! I don’t fucking believe you!" Of course, Zhang Yuelun didn’t believe him.

"If you don’t believe me, try shooting a few more arrows. It’s your energy you’ll be wasting, anyway." Gao Neng looked completely unfazed.

"You think all I can do is fight from a distance?"

"Hmm... Besides long-range attacks, you’re also good at running your mouth."

"I’ll kill you!" Zhang Yuelun roared in anger.

He was Gao Neng’s senior, after all. A Tier Three Late Stage expert, just one step away from Tier Four. And now he was being looked down on by Gao Neng?

Zhang Yuelun wasted no more time on words.

His Alloy Bow folded, surprisingly transforming into an alloy staff.

"VMMMM!"

Energy surged from it.

Zhang Yuelun lunged forward.

Gao Neng dodged.

He dodged again.

And again...

He dodged for a full ten exchanges.

He hadn’t swung his machete once.

But neither had Zhang Yuelun’s staff hit him.

"I told you you can’t hit me. Stop wasting your energy and just give up. Two of your teammates are dead, and as their captain, you bear a great deal of responsibility."

"Cut the crap!"

"First of all, your leadership is flawed. You had the advantage, yet you insisted on being defensive. You might think you were being cautious, but that’s not it. It’s just because you lack confidence. You were intimidated by my impressive track record, and deep down, you felt you might actually lose..." Gao Neng ignored Zhang Yuelun’s shouts and continued.

"Shut up!"

"Your insecurity drove you to win by any means necessary. You abandoned your teammates. They were supposed to be your most loyal partners, yet you cast them aside right before a crucial battle to recruit new members on the fly. If you were one of the original members of the Moon Wheel Team, how would you feel?"

"Nonsense! It was for the honor of the upperclassmen!"

"’Honor’ is just a high-and-mighty excuse. Don’t you trust them? They’re your partners. Why don’t you trust them? Because you think they’re not strong enough? Is that why you found some Tier Three Mid Stage teammates and kicked your old ones out of the Moon Wheel Team?"

"Gao Neng, will you ever shut up? You’re trying to provoke me... but it won’t work!" Zhang Yuelun’s chest felt tight. Every word from Gao Neng was like a knife twisting in his heart.

"On the battlefield, it’s not raw power that matters, but teamwork—perfect, unspoken coordination. How long were your original teammates with you? They’re the ones who know you best, yet you didn’t trust their strength. Zhang Yuelun, you’re pathetic. You’re nothing but a coward!"

"ARGH... I’m not!"

’Now’s my chance!’ At that moment, Gao Neng’s eyes flashed.

He saw Zhang Yuelun execute a horizontal sweep with his staff.

He pushed off his feet and leaped high into the air.

"Half-Step Kill!"

Gao Neng’s strike was incredibly sudden.

Combined with the extremely short wind-up time for the Half-Step Kill, Zhang Yuelun had no time to pull his staff back to block after Gao Neng leaped and chopped down.

"BOOM!"

A gash was torn open on Zhang Yuelun’s shoulder.

It stretched from his shoulder all the way to his chest.

"Argh... Gao Neng, you coward!" Zhang Yuelun roared, sweeping his alloy staff again, trying to force back the advancing Gao Neng.

But Gao Neng’s second slash was already on its way.

Half-Step Continuous Kill!

He saw that this slash was aimed at the same spot—from shoulder to chest.

Zhang Yuelun had no choice but to pull his staff back to defend.

"CLANG!"

Zhang Yuelun stood his ground, unmoving.

Gao Neng, however, was knocked back half a step by the impact.

However, the instant he was pushed back, Gao Neng forced another slash.

"Half-Step Triple Kill!"

"BOOM!"

Zhang Yuelun was finally knocked back a step.

"Four Kills in a Row!"

"Five Kills in a Row!"

"Six Kills in a Row!"

Gao Neng pressed forward relentlessly, unleashing slash after slash as if his energy was limitless.

Zhang Yuelun’s face, meanwhile, was gradually growing pale.

He had let his anger get the better of him, allowing Gao Neng to land that first blow on his shoulder. Now, after several more strikes, the wound had burst open.

Just then...

Gao Neng’s Seven-Blade Slash arrived.

"You can’t touch me!" Zhang Yuelun roared, hoisting his alloy staff to his shoulder to block again.

But just then, the unexpected happened.

As Zhang Yuelun focused all his strength on fighting Gao Neng, a figure suddenly shot out from behind him and clamped a hand around his throat.

"Ngh?!" Zhang Yuelun was shocked.

’A sneak attack!’

’Who’s ambushing me?!’

’Didn’t Kong Kun already run away?’

Zhang Yuelun tried to break free, but Gao Neng’s machete was already coming down.