Astra, enraged by the taunt, lunged forward with blinding speed. His fist nearly grazed Xing's face—when suddenly, they switched places. David, who had been behind them, seized the moment: leaping high, he struck Astra square in the chest with both feet.
The powerful impact sent Astra flying backward, but before he could even process what happened—Xing swapped their positions again. This time, Astra was right beside him. Xing's fist slammed into his gut.
"My barrier isn't fully restored yet... but I can still block this atta—" Astra couldn't finish. A sharp, upward strike slammed into his body with explosive force.
Xing spoke calmly, though a hint of pride slipped through his voice.
"Dragon Fang Strike. It looks simple, but that's just an illusion. It creates mirages to confuse the enemy, then delivers a precise upward blow… like the bite of a dragon. That's the essence of my technique."
"So that's… what it was…" Astra gasped, clenching his fists.
Xing smirked.
"You know what your problem is, demon?"
Astra glared at him silently.
"It's that you met me… and my best friend. And in this battle—we're going to win with a hundred percent certainty!" Xing shouted.
"How arrogant…" Astra muttered, wiping the blood from his lips.
"That's just who I am. Can't help it." Xing grinned.
David stepped forward, his expression cold.
"I'm fully synced with the flow now. And there's only one thing I want—to crush this bastard."
"Perfect. Then let's win this!" Xing's eyes burned with determination.
The two charged together. First strike, second, third—blows rained down one after another. In five seconds, over a thousand attacks had been exchanged. The three of them fought within a confined circle, and Xing kept swapping their positions, creating utter chaos.
Seconds passed—and Astra once again found himself trapped at the center of a storm of punches and slashes. His body could barely endure; blood poured from his mouth.
"What… is this feeling?.. Am I… going to die?.. Why can't I escape?.." His thoughts blurred as the assault continued relentlessly.
Then—he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, a radiant glow surrounded his body. His barrier had been restored. David's blade and Xing's fist froze mid-strike, unable to break through.
Astra formed the Hand Sign of the Rat. Xing's eyes widened in shock.
"David! Run!"
His shout echoed across the entire forest. Hearing the cry, Yu Lan turned to Arthur.
"Quickly!"
Astra activated Other Dimension. Space distorted; the air itself trembled. Within moments, the dimension nearly consumed David and Xing—
But suddenly, the barrier enveloping the forest—spanning five kilometers—shattered. The almost-formed dimension collapsed into fragments under immense pressure.
Astra's body slammed into the ground with a thunderous crash, leaving a crater ten meters wide. Arthur had restrained his power just enough not to harm the students nearby.
Yu Lan appeared beside the demon, his gaze cold as ice.
"A half-high-level demon… and so young. Barely three or four days since his birth. Yet he can already use Other Dimension. He'll become a threat to humanity. He must be destroyed."
He raised his hand—but at that very moment, space behind him cracked apart. A black fissure tore through the air, as if the sky itself was splitting.
Yu Lan turned, and the moment his hand touched the rift—it twisted and was severed up to the elbow.
He grimaced but didn't utter a sound. Then, emerging from the fissure, a figure in a cloak stepped out.
"So… our new participant evolved this quickly. He even used Other Dimension?" the cloaked man's voice was low and eerie.
"You…" Yu Lan hissed, aiming his finger at them both.
"Technique—Annihilation!"
A beam of pure energy shot from his fingertip toward them—but the cloaked man merely gave him a cold look and whispered:
"Rift."
Another spatial tear opened before him—and the same beam emerged from behind David and Xing.
"Damn it!" Yu Lan cursed.
But Arthur acted in time. Appearing behind them, he swung his hand, deflecting the beam. The air erupted with a deafening shockwave. Yu Lan stumbled back, joining Arthur's side.
The cloaked man spoke calmly:
"It seems the time has come to reveal our organization to the world. It's an honor to introduce myself before the two strongest men alive."
Yu Lan narrowed his eyes.
"Who are you? And what is your goal?"
The cloak shifted, and a quiet laugh echoed from beneath the hood.
"Our goal?.. Let's just say… even if I told you, nothing would change."