After exchanging a few words with the Heavenly King Elders of the inner academy, Zhang Fan turned his gaze back to Ziqiong. He nodded with a smile—a face that was quite ordinary yet carried a special charm, like a spring breeze gently brushing one's face—and said lightly, "Junior Sister Ziqiong, just now you mentioned someone was a stranger, someone you'd never seen before."
Hearing Senior Brother Zhang Fan personally inquire about this, Ziqiong's face flushed with a mix of shyness and delight. Just as she was about to point at Ye Chen, suddenly, Zhang Fan's expression turned serious. He immediately looked toward the eastern sky, and the other Heavenly King Elders followed suit, their faces grave and unprecedentedly solemn.
Zhang Fan's face lit up with pleasant surprise: "He's here!"
"He's here?"
Who was 'he'?
The many students in the inner academy, including Ziqiong, were all unclear about who this 'he' in Zhang Fan's words could possibly be.
Ye Chen, however, also looked over and revealed a faint smile: "Indeed, that little fellow has arrived as well."
Boom—
A streak of light cut through the sky, traversing the outer academy and entering the inner academy grounds at an astonishing speed.
Accompanying it was a vast, heaven-and-earth-shaking blood energy, so immense it seemed about to drown and explode this very space.
Within Withered State Academy, the heavens shook and the earth trembled. Countless students found it difficult to withstand that level of pressure, trembling in fear, their bodies stiffened, not daring to make the slightest movement.
"This... this is—"
Even many of the academy's elders were startled. This level of might far surpassed that of a Heavenly King, making it difficult for them to resist.
At that moment, a Supreme Elder at the Great Power realm was roused. Soaring into the sky, he unleashed his Great Power aura to withstand that vast, abyss-like, vigorous blood energy. A hoarse, aged voice slowly arrived: "Withered State Academy welcomes Your Highness Huang Hu's esteemed presence."
A Supreme Elder at the Great Power realm had personally appeared.
Huang Hu!
Upon hearing the visitor's name, the entire Withered State Academy erupted in an uproar.
Countless students were filled with excitement, no less than when they had met Zhang Fan.
Huang Hu, the peerless Heaven's Pride of the current generation's Ancient Barbarian God Clan. It was rumored he had once studied under the contemporary Dominator of the Heavenly Realm, receiving his guidance. His cultivation surpassed his predecessors, profound and miraculous, making it difficult to find an opponent of his generation throughout the ages.
Like Zhang Fan, he was known as one of the Twin Stars of the Ancient Barbarian Kingdom, both considered peerless Heaven's Prides with limitless potential. Not to mention the Divine King realm, it was said he had hopes of reaching even the legendary Quasi-Sovereign or even Ancient Monarch levels.
"Hahaha, my sudden visit, please don't blame me, Elder," divine light exploded, and boundless blood energy boiled between heaven and earth as Huang Hu laughed heartily.
He was quite burly, standing over ten feet tall, resembling a wild man. He wore simple beast hides that accentuated his towering, majestic physique, truly an awe-inspiring presence.
Although still of the younger generation, his appearance put the Great Power realm Supreme Elders of Withered State Academy on high alert, not daring to treat him lightly as a mere junior.
In the current era, everyone knew how terrifying Huang Hu's strength and background were. Few in the world could afford to provoke him.
One must know that the Ancient Barbarian Kingdom was now unprecedentedly powerful, subtly rivaling the Huang Shen Kingdom as one of the two most powerful immortal empires of the current era.
This was because an ancestor of the Ancient Barbarian God Clan had returned—a former Dominator of the Heavenly Realm who later evolved a Forbidden Zone of Life, standing at the pinnacle of the Great Dao, a peerless Sovereign of the current generation, incomparably powerful.
A hundred years had passed. This peerless Sovereign, Huang Xu, led the Ancient Barbarian God Clan to further prosperity. The clan produced numerous powerful experts, its bloodline flourished, to the extent that even Huang Shen Wang had become a Quasi-Sovereign, the clan's former patriarch had become a Divine King, and the remaining elders all had hopes of achieving the Divine King realm.
Huang Hu, this rumored peerless Heaven's Pride of the Ancient Barbarian God Clan comparable to Emperor Sons and Daughters, had also become a Great Power within a mere two hundred years, looking down upon his peers, finding few rivals.
Now, the Ancient Barbarian God Clan placed great hopes upon him, believing he had the potential to prove his Dao and become an Emperor.
For he was a Great Perfection Supreme Genius, a true Emperor Son-level figure, personally taken as a disciple and taught by Huang Xu.
In the current era, he subtly possessed the prestige of the next patriarch of the Ancient Barbarian God Clan. The world speculated that within a thousand years, he had hope of becoming an Ancient Monarch.
For such a Great Perfection Supreme Genius could not be treated lightly. Like the Heavenly Kingdom's Empress Mother and the Dominator's descendants, they had all reached the Ancient Monarch level within a thousand years.
It could be said that even though Huang Hu had only recently stepped into the Great Power realm, such a peerless Heaven's Pride was far beyond comparison with ordinary Great Powers.
Even many veteran Great Powers, when facing Huang Hu, would not dare claim they could match him.
"Your Highness Huang Hu, you flatter me. Withered State Academy could not be more welcoming," the Supreme Elder said with a bitter smile.
At this moment, Zhang Fan stepped forward and gave Huang Hu a heavy embrace, laughing heartily: "Brother Tiger, you're here."
His words were affectionate, and his form of address was unusual, clearly indicating an extraordinary relationship.
"I'm here."
Huang Hu embraced Zhang Fan forcefully in return, causing Zhang Fan's bones to crackle within that mighty chest, almost as if they were about to shatter.
Boom—
Zhang Fan struggled free with effort and punched the other's shoulder. It clanged like striking metal, and he glared: "Damn, are you trying to crush me to death?"
That towering, majestic physique left Zhang Fan speechless; the bear hug just now made him feel he was almost squeezed to death.
There was no helping it. Huang Hu was too robust. He was of the Ancient Barbarian God Clan and followed the body refinement path. The strength of his physical body was unmatched among his peers in the current era, his brute force incredibly powerful. He was truly someone not to be provoked.
Huang Hu laughed heartily: "It's just that you're a bit weak."
Zhang Fan glared: "Get lost. You think everyone has an invincible physical body like you, you big oaf?"
Huang Hu laughed uproariously, his deafening laughter carrying a hint of arrogance: "I'm not boasting, but in the current era, my physical body is invincible. Few dare to engage me in close combat."
The crowd was solemn, yet no one refuted him.
Everyone knew how powerful Huang Hu was. He was not inferior to Emperor Sons and Daughters or Immortal Dao descendants of the same generation. The strength of his physical body was truly unparalleled throughout the ages; he could shatter Great Power weapons with his fingers and palms. Indeed, few dared to fight him up close, even the Emperor Sons and Daughters of the Mythical Imperial Clans would regard him with extreme caution.
"Oh, is that so?"
Suddenly, a voice tinged with amusement broke the silence.
Everyone looked over, especially Ziqiong and the others, who frowned because the speaker was none other than Ye Chen.
"Who are you?"
The Heavenly King Elders and the Supreme Elder of the inner academy all slightly furrowed their brows, as they had no impression of this youth.
Zhang Fan let out a surprised sound, feeling this person was very familiar.
Huang Hu was first pleasantly surprised, but then his brows also slowly knitted together.
Both felt this person looked very familiar, yet the more they looked, the stranger he seemed.
At this moment, Ziqiong frowned and lightly chided: "This is Your Highness Huang Hu. You cannot casually offend him. Hurry up and step back."
Her beautiful eyes darted about, repeatedly signaling for Ye Chen to retreat.
Although Ye Chen was unfamiliar, and there had been some unpleasantness between them earlier, her kind-hearted nature did not wish for Ye Chen to be blamed by Huang Hu.
Who was Huang Hu? The most outstanding figure of the Ancient Barbarian God Clan's younger generation, with exceptionally high status. Even though he was not yet a Divine King, he was someone who could sit as an equal with the Divine Kings of the Ancient Kingdom.
If he offended Huang Hu, few in this world could help Ye Chen.
This little girl is quite kind-hearted.
Ye Chen inwardly nodded slightly but ignored her warning. Soundlessly, he appeared before Huang Hu and smiled: "Little fellow, have you forgotten me?"