Basement Level Two of the Honglu Martial Arts Gym.
Click.
Gavin King gently pulled open the iron door, a trace of regret flashing in his eyes.
Beside him stood two middle-aged men, one tall and one short, both sporting thick beards and wearing troubled expressions. Both were First Rank martial artists.
"We were ordered to keep watch over Andrew Han's parents. This is extremely dangerous."
"Andrew Han is Miles Ning's disciple. Although Miles Ning isn't in Riverdale right now, when he returns in a couple of days, what should we do?"
They exchanged glances, then shook their heads and sighed.
Now, there was only one option: to follow Mr. Stone and flee a thousand miles away, avoiding Miles Ning's wrath. As for watching Andrew Han's parents, they didn't think there was anything wrong with it.
As long as the benefits were enough, it was worth it.
If Andrew Han refused to cooperate with Mr. Stone, surveillance would naturally turn into kidnapping and robbery, forcing Andrew Han to face reality.
"Mr. Stone."
They glanced inside and saw Mr. Stone sitting upright in the center of the training room, his back facing them.
The tall First Rank martial artist glanced at Gavin King, "Alright, you go ahead upstairs. We have matters to discuss with Mr. Stone, and you're not qualified to know about them."
"Yes."
Gavin King nodded and turned to walk up the stairs.
A trace of pity flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes. He understood that Gavin King had already been abandoned, doomed to face Miles Ning's wrath.
Bang.
The iron door closed.
With heavy hearts, the two men walked toward the silent Mr. Stone.
Suddenly.
The tall First Rank martial artist froze for a moment, then furrowed his brows, suspicion flashing in his eyes: "Something's wrong! There's a scent of blood here!"
"What's going on?"
"Mr. Stone? What happened here? Is Andrew Han already dead?"
They asked tentatively, unsure why a chill seeped through their bodies, giving them a bad feeling.
However.
No matter how their voices echoed through the training room, Mr. Stone didn't react at all.
"Could it be—"
Their eyes widened in shock as they hurried forward, circling around to face Mr. Stone. Staring at his bloodstained, deathly pale face, they were terrified—their hearts nearly stopped.
Gulp.
It was as if they had been struck by lightning, barely able to swallow their saliva.
Mr. Stone, a martial artist of great power, was actually dead... Who killed him? And Gavin King had led them here—did he know about this?
Confusion, fear, and horror—all kinds of emotions churned in their hearts.
"Leave immediately."
Gritting their teeth, their voices heavy, they spoke in unison. There was no way they dared to stay any longer.
Just at that moment—
Click.
The iron door to the training room was gently pulled open.
Andrew Han, dressed in a clean short-sleeved shirt and jeans, his hands hanging at his sides, a faint cold smile at the corner of his mouth, said, "Do you think you can leave without asking me first?"
......
At the main entrance of Honglu Martial Arts Gym.
The blazing sunlight poured down on the earth, scorching hot.
On both sides of the street, some people stood with anxious faces, still worried about whether an earthquake had really occurred, not knowing that the tremor was caused by Andrew Han's full-force eruption.
"What's going on? That tremor just now was very clear."
"Yeah, I felt it too... But somehow, it seemed more like a bulldozer crashing into a wall."
They discussed anxiously, their faces full of worry.
After consulting the local authorities, they learned there had been no earthquake, and only then did their anxious hearts calm down.
Beside the entrance of the martial arts gym.
Gavin King bowed slightly, carefully recalling recent unusual events: "Sir, that's everything that happened."
"Hmm."
Andrew Han squinted his eyes.
"Andrew Han is just too fierce."
"He just killed a martial artist and two First Rank fighters, and now he wants to confront Louis Zheng?"
Qian Gao quietly clicked his tongue, standing silently beside Andrew Han. He couldn't help but feel a surge of awe, mixed with inexplicable shock and panic.
He couldn't make sense of it.
A freshly graduated high school student, capable of killing with such decisiveness—could there really be someone born to thrive in the Martial Arts World?
"Alright, I'll head to Riverdale Martial Arts Academy first."
Andrew Han nodded calmly, pulled out his phone to check the location of Riverdale Martial Arts Academy, and glanced at Qian Gao, whose face was drenched in sweat.
"Hmm?"
Andrew Han's pupils contracted sharply as he paused for a moment.
In that instant, something seemed to stir in his mind, slowly taking shape.
It was a strange sensation—almost like intuition, almost an illusion, yet utterly real. Andrew Han felt the world around him suddenly sharpen into focus, as if a thin veil had been lifted.
It wasn't a matter of eyesight, nor was it simply about hearing.
It was as if a diamond mirror faintly reflected the peculiar radiance of everything around him... The building of the academy ahead, sturdy and imposing... Or Qian Gao, sweating nervously, yet seemingly harmless.
"Strange."
"Could this be a trait of the First Rank?"
Andrew Han stared at Qian Gao as if nothing had happened, pondering quietly.
The unique trait of First Rank was the fusion of strength and vital energy. Even Miles Ning never mentioned the existence of such a mysterious sense.
Could it be—
Because of his Second Rank foundation, having broken past the strength limit and forged an exceptionally solid base, the fusion of strength and vital energy now granted him abilities beyond reason.
He swallowed hard, momentarily lost in thought.
Andrew Han studied Qian Gao once more.
When he focused intently on Qian Gao, he could faintly sense traces of goodwill, though the feeling was vague and indistinct.
"Interesting."
Whatever this ability was, at least he could be sure Qian Gao was trustworthy for now. He could safely let him handle Mr. Stone’s remaining assets.
Andrew Han let out a quiet sigh of relief.
As for this sudden, mysterious sense—when Miles Ning returned to Sun River, if the opportunity arose, he would try to ask about it.
"M-Mr. Han?" Qian Gao wiped the sweat from his brow.
Although Andrew Han wore a gentle smile, those clear eyes fixed on him made Qian Gao's heart pound with fear, as if an ordinary man were facing a ferocious tiger.
"It's fine."
Andrew Han looked away, smiling faintly.
Just then, his phone vibrated softly—it was a call from Miles Ning.
"Master?" Andrew Han answered the phone, stepped aside, and said, "Mr. Stone used my parents to threaten me, forcing me to go to Honglu Martial Arts Gym. He wanted to kill me."
"Mr. Stone? He must have a death wish!"
A cold, indifferent voice came from the other end of the line.
Miles Ning's sudden fury was like a wild beast awakening, his ruthless eyes opening to unleash a chilling, violent rage.
Andrew Han smiled slightly. "Master, there's no need to get angry."
Miles Ning asked coldly, "What, do you want to plead for Mr. Stone? Get on a plane and leave Sun River immediately. When I return, I'll make sure Mr. Stone pays a price worse than death."
Andrew Han couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.
Plead for Mr. Stone? Even the kindest person wouldn't go that far. Anyone who dared threaten his loved ones would never be forgiven.
"Master, there's no need for that."
Andrew Han glanced at the grand entrance of the gym, smiled beneath the afternoon sunlight, and said, "I've just killed Mr. Stone and am handling the aftermath."
Silence.
The other end of the line fell instantly quiet.
Even the formidable Miles Ning was stunned for a moment before letting out a soft grunt. "Don't hang up yet."
Immediately after—
From the phone came the sound of rustling, followed by a thunderous crash—Miles Ning seemed to be dragging something heavy across the ground.
"Alright."
Miles Ning's voice was low and resonant, laced with awe. "Let me ask you: You're only Second Rank—how did you kill Mr. Stone? A martial artist's inner power is enough to crush a Second Rank."
Even if a Second Rank possessed immense strength, at best they could match a peak First Rank.
For a Second Rank to kill a martial artist is almost impossible—unless using heavy firearms, there's only a slim chance.
Miles Ning had no way of knowing.
With a terrifying strength of thirty thousand pounds, combined with his berserk state, these were the keys that allowed Andrew Han to defeat a martial artist.
The next moment—
Andrew Han offered the excuse he'd prepared in advance: "I've reached First Rank."
A Second Rank killing a martial artist would be too shocking.
Fortunately, he’d broken through on the spot and reached First Rank; otherwise, it would have been impossible to give his master a reasonable explanation.
"Whew."
Miles Ning’s slow exhale was clearly audible.
To reach First Rank in such a short time was already extraordinary, let alone to kill a martial artist as a First Rank. Even after all he’d experienced, Miles Ning couldn’t help but feel astonished.
"Master?" Andrew Han probed gently.
A Second Rank killing a martial artist was truly beyond belief.
But the fact that he’d killed Mr. Stone couldn’t be hidden forever. He only hoped that killing a martial artist as a First Rank wouldn’t seem too outrageous.
Miles Ning replied calmly, "Good, good disciple. I will return to Riverdale the day after tomorrow."
With that,
He hung up the phone.
At that moment, Miles Ning stood among the mountains, surrounded by lush greenery, the sounds of creeks and birdsong echoing around him.
And before him—
A monstrous serpent, over twenty meters long and more than a meter thick, lay lifeless on the ground, its massive body crushing several green trees.
"Interesting."
Miles Ning, expressionless, rubbed his fingers together, conjuring a flame to light a cigarette.
Sss.
He took a drag, glanced at the long-dead serpent demon, and murmured to himself.
"I thought Andrew Han had reached the limit of Second Rank, unable to break through to First Rank. I took this mission to capture a demon gall to help him push his vital energy to the edge and break through."
"But this kid—"
"He quietly advanced to First Rank on his own and even killed Mr. Stone?"
Sss.
Miles Ning finished his cigarette in one long drag, then gripped the serpent demon’s tail with his skeletal right hand and effortlessly flung it into the depths of the forest, snapping trees and shaking the earth.
Boom!
He stepped into the air, sending a shockwave through the atmosphere, and left the mountains behind.