Chapter 29: Reencounter with the Iron Tower

The young man standing in the middle, named Cheng Mingxiang, smiled and said, "I wouldn't miss this show for anything." As he spoke, Cheng Mingxiang glanced at Jian Chen, a look of disdain appearing on his face, and he said with a mocking tone, "You must be Changyang Xiangtian, right?"

"Indeed, Young Master Cheng, he is the one who injured the four of us," Karl, who was standing beside him, quickly replied as soon as Cheng Mingxiang finished speaking.

Cheng Mingxiang nodded slightly and said in a haughty tone, "Changyang Xiangtian, you're quite something, daring to hit someone I protect." His voice grew increasingly low and ominous as he spoke.

Jian Chen already knew that these were a group of unreasonable and spoiled young men. Reasoning with them was useless; the only way was to speak with strength. With this thought, Jian Chen decided not to waste any more words and coldly snorted, "So what if I hit him? If you're not satisfied, just make your move. Why waste so many useless words?"

Upon hearing Jian Chen's words, Cheng Mingxiang's face gradually turned ashen with anger. He said furiously, "Fine, fine, fine, let me see just how capable you are." As he spoke, Cheng Mingxiang's body flickered, and in the blink of an eye, he had crossed nearly ten meters to stand in front of Jian Chen, throwing a punch directly at his nose. Dealing with a freshman who hadn't even reached the Saint level, Cheng Mingxiang had no intention of using a holy weapon.

Jian Chen knew that Cheng Mingxiang was much stronger than Kadiyun, with a holy power far beyond his own. Therefore, he did not choose to block Cheng Mingxiang's attack head-on. Just as Cheng Mingxiang's fist was about to hit Jian Chen's head, Jian Chen slightly tilted his head, narrowly avoiding the punch. At the same time, he instantly raised his arms, grabbed Cheng Mingxiang's arm, and then, lowering his waist and sitting back, he pulled Cheng Mingxiang's arm backward with all his might.

When Cheng Mingxiang initially threw his punch, his body's center of gravity was already leaning forward. Now, with Jian Chen's pull, his body lost control and leaned forward. However, Cheng Mingxiang quickly reacted, immediately stepping forward and leaning backward to regain control of his body. But at that moment, Jian Chen suddenly released Cheng Mingxiang's arm, his hands forming palms, and with a lightning-fast, overlapping motion, he struck Cheng Mingxiang's chest with all his strength.

Cheng Mingxiang's body, already leaning backward, was pushed back by Jian Chen's near-full-strength blow, causing him to stagger and retreat rapidly. The urgency of his retreat made it seem as though he might fall to the ground at any moment.

After retreating more than ten steps, Cheng Mingxiang finally managed to stabilize himself, but his face had turned a dark, liver-like color, and his eyes were filled with venomous resentment. As a top-tier powerhouse in the academy, he had just suffered a significant loss at the hands of someone much weaker, who hadn't even reached the Saint level. This made him furious. If this incident spread throughout the Kagas Academy, not only would he lose face, but he would also become a laughingstock.

Thinking of this, Cheng Mingxiang couldn't help but feel a surge of murderous intent towards Jian Chen. For him, this was an unbearable humiliation.

At this moment, the surroundings had become deathly silent. Everyone, including Luo Jian, was stunned, their eyes filled with surprise, shock, and disbelief. This outcome had clearly exceeded everyone's expectations. No one could have imagined that Cheng Mingxiang, a well-known genius in the Kagas Academy, would suffer such a significant loss in a brief confrontation with someone who hadn't even reached the Saint level, and in such a humiliating manner.

Cheng Mingxiang glared at Jian Chen with a dark, angry expression, and a silver-white two-handed greatsword gradually appeared in his hand. He roared, "Changyang Xiangtian, today I will cripple you." With that, Cheng Mingxiang charged at Jian Chen, wielding the silver-white greatsword.

"Stop!"

Just as Cheng Mingxiang began to move, a deep voice suddenly echoed from outside the area. Then, a sturdy, dark-skinned young man slowly walked in.

When Jian Chen saw this sturdy young man, a look of surprise appeared in his eyes. This was none other than the man with innate divine strength he had met at the freshmen martial arts competition—Iron Tower.

When Luo Jian and Cheng Mingxiang's group saw Iron Tower, their expressions changed slightly, and a hint of wariness appeared in their eyes.

Luo Yun, who didn't recognize Iron Tower, arrogantly shouted at him, "Who are you? This is a matter between Young Master Luo and Young Master Cheng. It's best you don't get involved, or else..."

"Shut up!" Luo Jian suddenly shouted, interrupting Luo Yun before he could finish. Ignoring Luo Yun's stunned expression, Luo Jian smiled and bowed slightly to Iron Tower, saying, "It's Brother Iron Tower. What brings you here, Brother Iron Tower?"

Iron Tower gave Luo Jian a strange look and gruffly said, "Who are you? I don't know you." Then, without paying any attention to Luo Jian's sour expression, Iron Tower walked straight to Jian Chen, patted him on the shoulder, and laughed, "Changyang Xiangtian, I didn't expect to run into you here. I haven't seen you for a few days."

Jian Chen smiled slightly and said, "Iron Tower, let's chat later. I need to deal with these troubles first."

Hearing this, Iron Tower's gaze slowly swept over Cheng Mingxiang and Luo Jian's group, and he pointed at them, saying gruffly, "Changyang Xiangtian, are they bullying you?"

"Um... you could say that," Jian Chen said, crossing his arms and speaking in a calm tone.

Upon hearing this, Iron Tower immediately rolled up his sleeves, looking fiercely at the group, and shouted, "Changyang Xiangtian is my brother. Bullying him is bullying me. Anyone who wants to fight, step forward. Even though you're stronger, I, Iron Tower, am not afraid of you."

Hearing Iron Tower's words, Jian Chen was slightly taken aback and looked at him with confusion, not understanding when he had become his brother.

Cheng Mingxiang and Luo Jian's group's expressions changed slightly, and they exchanged glances, seeing a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes. Clearly, they all had a deep sense of wariness towards Iron Tower. Although Iron Tower's strength was not great, and they could easily defeat him, he had a powerful backer behind him, which made them dare not touch him in the Kagas Academy.

No one spoke, and Karl and Luo Yun's group, seeing Luo Jian's attitude, also remained silent, realizing that Iron Tower was no ordinary person. The atmosphere became somewhat eerie.

After a moment of silence, Luo Jian broke the calm, saying, "Brother Iron Tower, this is a matter between Changyang Xiangtian and me. I hope you don't get involved." Luo Jian's tone was extremely polite. He knew that although Iron Tower was a commoner, his status was no less than his own, and might even be slightly higher. Even if he became the head of the Luo family in the future, he would still be on equal footing with Iron Tower.

Luo Jian's words greatly surprised the students watching in the library. Many of the older students recognized Luo Jian and Cheng Mingxiang, knowing that they were not only powerful but also backed by large families. Yet, they were now being so polite to this suddenly appearing Iron Tower, causing the students to speculate about Iron Tower's background, wondering what kind of backing he had that made even the usually arrogant Luo Jian and Cheng Mingxiang so cautious.

Unfortunately, Iron Tower didn't appreciate the courtesy and bluntly said, "I already said, Changyang Xiangtian is my brother. His matters are my matters. If you have any issues, just come at me."

Hearing this, Luo Jian's expression changed slightly, and a serious look appeared in his eyes. He really didn't dare to offend Iron Tower too much.

At this moment, Cheng Mingxiang, with a dark expression, coldly snorted and stared sharply at Iron Tower, saying, "Iron Tower, are you really going to get involved in this?" Having suffered a significant loss at Jian Chen's hands, Cheng Mingxiang had developed a deep hatred for him. Being forced into such a humiliating situation by a freshman who hadn't even reached the Saint level was a huge disgrace for him. If he couldn't wash away this shame, he wouldn't be able to continue in the academy.

"Of course, I am," Iron Tower said firmly, his voice loud. Despite knowing that Cheng Mingxiang was very strong, Iron Tower showed no fear.

Jian Chen pulled on Iron Tower's arm and said, "Iron Tower, this is between me and them. Don't get involved, or you'll just get yourself into trouble."

A look of anger flashed in Iron Tower's eyes, and he suddenly turned to Jian Chen, frowning unhappily, "Changyang Xiangtian, what are you saying? Do you think I'm a coward? Do you still consider me a friend?"

Hearing this, Jian Chen felt a bit puzzled, not understanding when he and Iron Tower had become so close. They hadn't met many times, and their only interaction was at the freshmen martial arts competition.

"Hmph, Iron Tower, since you're asking for it, don't blame me. Don't think that being the headmaster's disciple will stop me. Let's see just how capable the headmaster's disciple is." With that, Cheng Mingxiang charged at Iron Tower.

Hearing Cheng Mingxiang's words, Jian Chen was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected that Iron Tower had become the headmaster's disciple. If this news spread in the academy, it would likely cause a huge stir.

At this moment, Cheng Mingxiang was already in front of Iron Tower, throwing a punch directly at his chest. Given Iron Tower's special status, Cheng Mingxiang didn't dare to seriously injure him, so he only used about fifty percent of his strength. In his view, even at fifty percent, it was more than enough to handle Iron Tower, who hadn't even reached the Saint level.

Facing Cheng Mingxiang's attack, Iron Tower didn't dare to be careless. His expression turned extremely serious, and he let out a loud shout. His right arm instantly hardened like steel, and he clenched his fist, striking back at Cheng Mingxiang's punch without fear, meeting force with force.

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End of the excerpt.