Pff!
Tang San's face turned pale as he coughed up blood uncontrollably. The force of the blow was so intense it could crush boulders, and his Xuan Yu Hand couldn't dissolve it. His internal organs had been shaken, causing him to bleed internally.
Crack!
Tang San screamed as his face turned even paler. Both his arms were broken, and his hand bones were fractured.
"Ahh!"
Another scream erupted as Tang San spat out a mouthful of blood. He couldn't hold on any longer and dropped to his knees.
"That's enough, Xiao Chen!" Flender suddenly interjected, stopping the fight.
Despite everything, Tang San was the last disciple of the master before his passing. Seeing him in such a miserable state pained Flender, who felt that Chen Xuan had gone too far.
The Shrek members were extremely worried. With Tang San's hand bones broken, he likely wouldn't be able to compete for a while.
At the same time, they were horrified. The Tang San they thought to be invincible and unbeaten had lost today—even after using hidden weapons. And he lost to Chen Xuan, of all people.
"Ahh!"
Another scream sounded, accompanied by the sound of bones cracking. Tang San's chest caved in, and he spat out another mouthful of blood as he flew through the air, colliding with a large tree that shook from the impact.
"Stop! What are you doing?" Flender's eyes reddened at the sight.
"Brother San!" The Shrek members shouted in alarm. Tang San's caved-in chest indicated broken ribs, possibly even damage to his lungs. If left untreated, the injuries could be permanent.
Liu Erlong was furious, her eyes burning with rage. This was her beloved Xiao Gang's last disciple, and in her mind, she had already come to see Tang San as her child. To see him treated like this was unacceptable.
Yet Chen Xuan moved even faster, reaching Tang San before anyone could react.
"Chen Xuan, what are you doing? This is just a sparring match—don't do anything reckless!" Flender, Liu Erlong, Dai Mubai, and the others cried out, trying to stop him. At this rate, Tang San would be stripped to his bones, if not outright killed.
The killing intent in Chen Xuan's eyes was undeniable; he genuinely wanted to kill Tang San.
"Chen Xuan, you're inhuman! Third Brother just wanted to spar with you, yet you treat him so ruthlessly. You're nothing short of a demon!" Tai Long shouted in anger, his words filled with condemnation.
Driven by his loyalty to Tang San, Tai Long was deeply agitated. Seeing Tang San in such a state pained him deeply, and he wanted to avenge him, but he dared not act.
Even Liu Erlong, Flender, and the others refrained from making any moves, choosing instead to try to talk Chen Xuan down.
This was because Chen Xuan was holding Tang San by the neck, lifting him like a chicken, his figure appearing pitiful.
Chen Xuan's arm was wrapped in lightning, and his grip was terrifying. He could crush steel, let alone a human neck.
Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and the others could only watch tensely, afraid that a single impulse from Chen Xuan could crush Tang San's neck, beyond saving.
"Xiao Chen, don't act recklessly! Let go of Xiao San, and we can discuss this calmly," Flender pleaded anxiously, fearing the worst.
Dai Mubai also tried to reason with him. "Brother, we Shrek members are a family; we've lived together for so long, we're like family. Do you really want to be so heartless toward Xiao San?"
Xiao Wu, who usually stood by Tang San, remained surprisingly silent, neither supporting nor opposing either side.
With Tang San's life in Chen Xuan's hands, no one dared provoke him. They could only plead for his mercy.
Yet Tai Long, fiercely loyal to Tang San, couldn't control himself. Tang San was the young master of the Strength Clan, a person even his grandfather Titan respected. Seeing him treated so inhumanely, Tai Long's rage was boundless.
"Chen Xuan, you bastard! Stealing Third Brother's woman wasn't enough; now you want to kill him too. You're heartless, and you lack the basic decency of a human being!" Tai Long cursed, his face red with fury.
Chen Xuan looked at him coldly. "Anyone who tries to kill me will face the same. If you're not happy, come talk to me about it."
Tai Long gritted his teeth, but knowing he was no match for Chen Xuan, he dared not challenge him.
Flender intervened, "Enough, Xiao Chen! Xiao Wu's pregnancy was inappropriate on your part. You've defeated Xiao San; don't take this any further."
"Chen Xuan, Xiao San is already beaten and has broken bones. Isn't that enough? Must you be so excessive?" Dai Mubai asked.
Chen Xuan sneered. "Excessive? You're only seeing one side. Are you ignoring Tang San's intent to kill me? Isn't that laughable?"
Dai Mubai's face turned red, unable to respond, because Tang San did indeed intend to kill Chen Xuan, a fact that couldn't be denied.
Flender frowned, displeased. "Xiao Chen, you're wrong here. You stole Xiao Wu away; naturally, Xiao San resents you. But you're standing here unharmed, aren't you?"
In his view, any man whose partner was taken would be angry enough to want revenge. Tang San's intent to kill was, in his mind, understandable.
"Exactly," Oscar muttered in agreement.
Zhu Zhuqing and Rong Rong remained silent, feeling hurt by the situation and the impact it had on them.
"Dean, I respect you as a strong figure, but to protect a student you like, you're willing to ignore the truth. It's truly disappointing." Chen Xuan spoke calmly, unwilling to be misled by them.
Flender's face reddened as his bias was laid bare for all to see.
"Chen Xuan, there's no need to deflect. You got Xiao Wu pregnant, so isn't this all your fault?" Liu Erlong demanded angrily.
Turning to Xiao Wu, Liu Erlong urgently asked, "Xiao Wu, tell me—did he force you? If he did, I'll defend you with my life."
The other women—Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Jiangzhu—listened intently, sensitive to such matters.
Xiao Wu averted her gaze, avoiding Liu Erlong's eyes, unable to say a word. Her feelings toward Chen Xuan had softened, and she was no longer as repulsed by him as before. Seeing Tang San attack her had deeply disappointed her, even making her fearful of him.
As Xiao Wu remained silent, Liu Erlong turned her fury on Chen Xuan. "Chen Xuan, answer me! Did you force Xiao Wu?"
The women looked at him, hoping he wasn't as monstrous as they feared.
"No."
Chen Xuan replied seriously, "Whether you believe it or not, I did not coerce Xiao Wu."
He then recounted the events of three months ago: after the competition, Xiao Wu escorted him to his hotel, where she accidentally ate a miraculous fruit in his room, leading to everything that happened afterward.
Shocked, the Shrek members were caught off guard, having expected either coercion or infidelity. They hadn't anticipated such a bizarre truth.
Originally, they didn't believe in a "Dual Cultivation Fruit," but when Xiao Wu nodded in confirmation, they were silenced, each feeling complex emotions.
Jiangzhu sighed in relief. She didn't care about Xiao Wu's involvement; she just felt relieved that Chen Xuan wasn't at fault.
"So, the day Sister Xiao Wu didn't return to the academy..." Ma Hongjun gaped, trailing off.
Dai Mubai sighed, feeling somewhat guilty. If he had taken Chen Xuan back to the hotel, none of this would have happened.
The group pitied Tang San. Thankfully, he was unconscious; otherwise, hearing this story would have broken him.
Liu Erlong, frustrated and with nowhere to direct her anger, found herself helpless. Her goddaughter had unwittingly eaten the fruit, causing this incident, so she couldn't blame Chen Xuan.
It seemed Xiao Wu's quick advancement to rank forty-three was a result of the Dual Cultivation Fruit.
"So your rapid increase in soul power is because of that fruit," Flender concluded, feeling the explanation made sense.
"Yes. If I'd known its effects, I wouldn't have let Xiao Wu eat it."
READ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD OF EVERYONE FOR ONLY $7!
LINK: patr eon.com/SenatusPopulus