Chapter 163: Defending at All Costs and a Turning Tide

Before the elevator, the atmosphere became exceptionally awkward, resembling a newly moved iceberg that emanated chilling air in rustling waves.

A look of unpleasantness surfaced on the glamorous face of Lisa, the secretary.

Gazing at the figure that had emerged from the elevator, she was momentarily at a loss for words.

After all, the other party's words had struck out fiercely like a head-on collision!

It was as if he had choked on gunpowder.

"Chief Engineer Lü..."

Lisa parted her lips.

The old man kept his hands clasped behind his back and glanced sideways at Lisa. "You must be Ye Zong's secretary, right?"

"Just in time, lead the way. I demand an explanation from Ye Zong. If he fails to give this old man an explanation today, I will certainly throw away all cordiality."

"The researchers in our R&D Office toil day and night, working overtime and pouring their hearts and souls into researching and creating artificial taboo artifacts. The young people are losing handfuls of hair, yet instead, they end up getting beaten up."

"If I don't get a reason, this old man is going to camp right here today!"

The old man had a fiery temper. As soon as these words left his mouth, they directly choked Lisa to the point where she had no idea how to respond.

Du Fang furrowed his brow slightly, staring at the old man.

Zhu Hao, standing behind the old man, wore a triumphant smile across his face.

Weren't you being arrogant?

Weren't you being cocky?

He, Zhu Hao, also had backing. The R&D Office was not an organization that just anyone could afford to offend.

Since they had offended the R&D Office, they had better prepare themselves to face the storm!

That the R&D Office had actually marched right up to the entrance of Ye Zong's office was something Du Fang had never anticipated. After all, as the Grand President of the Dream-Crossing Masters Association, Ye Zong possessed immensely formidable strength.

He was one of the ceiling-level powerhouses of the Great Xia Nation. Why would the old man in front of him dare to come and demand accountability with such great fanfare?

Without the slightest concealment, Du Fang released his dream spirit, intending to perceive and probe the old man's strength. After all, since there was animosity between them, Du Fang could not be bothered to exchange polite pleasantries.

However, the old man seemed to be draped in a layer of strange gauze that completely blocked Du Fang's probing perception.

The old man's eyes were deep as he stared at Du Fang. "Good lad, you've certainly got some nerve!"

As the old man's words fell,

he took a step forward, and a single hand lunged out to grab Du Fang.

Du Fang's expression was cold and calm. Since the other party was making a move, he naturally would not continue to be polite.

He threw out a horizontal punch, smashing directly toward the hand reaching out from the old man.

However,

pitch-black, fine metallic fragments suddenly sprouted from the old man's fingertips, as if emerging from the capillaries beneath his skin.

Subsequently, these metallic fragments gradually covered the old man's arm, resembling a pitch-black steel armor that enveloped his entire arm!

Du Fang's punch collided with the old man's palm!

A colossal force, akin to a roaring tsunami, swept outward!

Du Fang instantly activated his Red Garment State.

Boom!

Amidst the collision of forces, invisible energy ripples surged and churned.

Secretary Lisa and researcher Zhu Hao were both blasted backward by several steps involuntarily from the shock of this force.

Looks of utter shock surfaced on both of their faces.

Zhu Hao was stunned that Du Fang was actually able to trade blows with the old man.

This was the Chief Engineer of their R&D Office!

The red trench coat on Du Fang fluttered continuously, and his expression was exceedingly solemn.

He could feel it—he could sense the immense power of this old man. Although he could not perceive the other's dream spirit, the sheer physical force of the opponent gave Du Fang the feeling of a crushing mountain!

Extremely powerful!

The instant they collided, the Hand of the Wife erupted with a special force.

Otherwise, under this single punch, Du Fang would likely have suffered a heavy loss.

National-level?

Or perhaps... a ceiling-level powerhouse?!

"Oh? You actually blocked it?"

The old man raised an eyebrow. "Not a bad ability. A transformation-type special ability?"

Du Fang looked at him indifferently, offering no reply.

The Hand of the Wife had long since emerged from the small wooden house in the dream space, quietly perching on Du Fang's shoulder.

Then, crawling like a spider, it made its way down to Du Fang's arm and gripped his forearm.

The next moment,

the power in Du Fang's arm began to continuously mount, growing stronger and stronger!

The old man narrowed his eyes.

The pitch-black metal covering his arm seemed to faintly roar; *creak, crack*, it sounded as though countless insects were writhing underneath.

The old man's strength grew ever stronger, and the power in Du Fang's arm likewise surged!

The relaxed and casual look on the old man's face vanished, replaced by solemnity...

and astonishment!

This youth...

The Fallen God within his body was truly outrageously powerful!

No wonder Zhu Hao had set his sights on him and gone to such lengths to scheme against him.

Suddenly,

a figure materialized between Du Fang and the old man.

Draped in a blood-red robe, Ye Zong unhurriedly extended his hands, grasped the arms of both Du Fang and the old man, and slowly separated them.

"Alright, that's enough of the childishness."

"Lü Taiheng, you've gone far enough. You're a man with one foot in the grave, yet you're bickering like a child, and you even went so far as to unleash the power of the Serial Taboo Artifact 005, 'Ghost God Armor.' Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

Ye Zong said with a faint smile.

The Hand of the Wife returned to rest on Du Fang's shoulder, while Du Fang cast a glance at Ye Zong.

A trace of shock rippled through his heart.

This intervention actually displayed Ye Zong's true strength very intuitively.

Ordinary people simply lacked the capability to intervene so effortlessly.

This time, Du Fang had relied on the assistance of the Hand of the Wife.

The magnitude of that power was not to be underestimated!

Lü Taiheng, the Chief Engineer of the R&D Office, gave Ye Zong a deep look.

Through this brief exchange of blows, Lü Taiheng had gauged Ye Zong's cultivation realm. He truly lived up to his reputation as a ceiling-level powerhouse.

However, Lü Taiheng was even more shaken by Du Fang.

After all, he had utilized the Serial Taboo Artifact 005, 'Ghost God Armor,' which was the highest-grade serial taboo artifact in the Great Xia Nation!

Under the coverage of the Ghost God Armor, his strength was formidable to the extreme.

Yet, it had been blocked by a mere teenager.

Although he had only struck casually, his power could not be underestimated; ordinary national-level experts might not even have been able to withstand it.

With this thought,

Lü Taiheng turned his head to glare at Zhu Hao standing behind him.

The fact that Zhu Hao had taken a punch and not been beaten to death

could genuinely be considered incredible luck.

Of course, it was likely also due to the fact that Du Fang had not held onto too much grudge against him.

"Grand President, you must uphold justice for the researchers of my R&D Office."

Lü Taiheng took a step back, the metallic armor on his arm sinking back beneath his skin until not a single trace remained visible.

The red garment on Du Fang also dissipated, restoring his calm and collected demeanor.

He had to admit that the old man before him was the first truly tricky individual Du Fang had encountered.

If he wanted to beat him to death...

The Hand of the Wife might not be enough.

Perhaps he would have to add Little Pig Qiqi, Luoluo, and the Sister-in-law...

If the whole family took action and engaged in a sequential gang beatdown,

they should be able to beat him to death with a hundred percent certainty.

"Grand President, please uphold justice for me!"

As soon as Lü Taiheng finished speaking, Zhu Hao behind him let out a loud cry, his eyes brimming with tears.

"What's wrong with you?"

Wearing round-framed glasses, Ye Zong scratched his fluffy gray hair and asked.

"He assaulted someone, beating Zhu Hao in full public view. Many people can testify to it."

Lü Taiheng said coolly.

"And then?"

Ye Zong smiled as he looked at Lü Taiheng.

"Compensation."

Lü Taiheng said.

"What kind of compensation?"

"A vial of blood."

"Whose blood?"

"The blood of the assailant."

Ye Zong and Lü Taiheng engaged in a round of questions and answers.

The surrounding atmosphere grew extremely stagnant and chillingly stern,

as if the temperature had suddenly plummeted by several degrees.

Ye Zong gazed calmly at Lü Taiheng, sparks seemingly crackling between the two of them.

It was no exaggeration to describe it as tit-for-tat.

Du Fang, on the other hand, stood quietly to the side.

Secretary Lisa and Research Director Zhu Hao felt goosebumps erupt across their skin as they sensed a heavy pressure weighing down on their hearts.

One was the Grand President of the Dream-Crossing Masters Association, and the other was the Chief Engineer of the R&D Office.

Both were immensely influential figures within the Great Xia Nation.

Lisa was genuinely terrified that Ye Zong might directly make a move against Lü Taiheng.

If that happened, given the temper of the R&D Office, the council members controlled by the financial conglomerates would likely subject Ye Zong to scathing verbal attacks, slash the welfare benefits of the Dream-Crossing Masters Association, and resort to protest measures such as cutting off the sales of artificial taboo artifacts.

"You want Du Fang's blood?" Ye Zong burst into a smile.

"So this was your true objective all along. For the sake of research, you people are truly crazy enough.

"However, regarding this matter—forget about it. Everyone, head back."

Ye Zong said indifferently.

"Grand President, he absorbed a miniature divine core from a member of the Divine Core Organization. Our R&D Office has made considerable progress in our research on miniature divine cores lately, but there are still some bottlenecks we have yet to overcome. If we had a ready-made miniature divine core for research, we might be able to achieve a major breakthrough that benefits both the country and the people.

"Therefore, Grand President, could you let Du Fang cooperate with us in our research?"

Lü Taiheng continued.

Ye Zong's eyes abruptly turned sharp. He turned his head to glare at Lü Taiheng. "I said, forget about this matter."

"You can't break through the bottleneck of miniature divine cores? That's your own incompetence. Why is it that the Divine Core Organization started from scratch and managed to manufacture miniature divine cores, while you cannot? Doesn't this precisely prove that you people are good for nothing?!"

"Du Fang is about to participate in this year's Rookie Champion Tournament. You want his blood, and you want his person? Not a chance in hell!"

"If you make any more trouble, don't blame me for tearing down the R&D Office. Don't think I wouldn't dare."

Ye Zong stated coldly.

The air suddenly grew thick and viscous, as sharp sword qi seemed to begin slicing through the void.

Lü Taiheng's expression shifted slightly. Beneath his skin, black metal seemed to churn continuously, involuntarily threatening to burst out.

That was a spontaneous reaction triggered by Ye Zong's threat.

"You..."

"What about me? If you don't leave, I, Ye Zong... will not be so polite anymore. Even if you're wearing the Ghost God Armor, you might not be able to stop me."

"Don't think that because I've tolerated your R&D Office time and time again, you can actually take me for a pushover!" Ye Zong's voice grew increasingly icy. "If it weren't for your R&D Office's contributions toward artificial taboo artifacts, I would have sliced the R&D Office building in half with a single sword long ago!"

Lü Taiheng took a step back, his expression fluctuating rapidly.

Behind him, Zhu Hao had already covered himself in tattered armor, trembling all over and not daring to let out a single breath.

Never in their wildest dreams had they expected

that Ye Zong would protect Du Fang to this extent, willing even to offend the R&D Office and fall out with Chief Engineer Lü!

"Fine, Ye Zong. Remember your words today."

Lü Taiheng took a deep breath and said.

Then, he turned around and led Zhu Hao into the elevator. The elevator doors slowly closed,

isolating Ye Zong and Lü Taiheng.

The moment the elevator doors shut,

the heavy pressure that had weighed upon the world vanished into thin air instantly.

Ye Zong stretched lazily and patted Du Fang on the shoulder. "Don't worry, the R&D Office won't bother you anymore."

"The R&D Office doesn't actually harbor any malicious intentions; they're just a bunch of stubborn, research-obsessed blockheads. Whenever they encounter something with research value, they lose their sanity, much like a pack of demolition-expert huskies. A good scolding is all they need."

"Go back and get some rest, and prepare well for tomorrow's events."

Ye Zong smiled. Secretary Lisa offered Du Fang a warm smile before tapping her high heels and hurriedly following after him.

Du Fang watched the departing Ye Zong, and then stepped into the elevator.

......

......

R&D Office Building.

Lü Taiheng returned to his office with a dark expression, while Zhu Hao kept his head lowered, uttering not a single word.

"Chief Engineer, are we just going to let him off like this?"

"He definitely absorbed the power of a miniature divine core, and on top of that, this kid harbors Fallen God power within his body—he's an absolute prime subject for research. If we can acquire his blood, we can definitely make a massive breakthrough in our research."

Zhu Hao asked, unwilling to let the matter drop.

Lü Taiheng sat upon the dilapidated wooden chair, his aged eyes casting a sidelong glance at Zhu Hao. "With Ye Zong protecting him right now, who dares to touch him?"

"If you aren't afraid of being beaten to death by Ye Zong, go ahead.

"I won't stop you.

"Besides, Ye Zong was right. Why is it that the Divine Core Organization was able to create miniature divine cores while we can't overcome the bottlenecks? Doesn't that precisely prove that you lot are useless?!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Hao's face flushed crimson. *Chief Engineer Lü, why are you talking like this too?*

*You're also a member of the R&D Office, aren't you? If you put it that way, aren't we all useless together?*

"Alright, get out. Spend more time and effort on your research, and perhaps you would have broken through those bottlenecks long ago."

"Consider today's beating as a lesson learned. Stop constantly scheming against people for no reason, researchers should focus their minds on their research."

"You can consider yourself lucky today; if that kid had genuinely gone all out, you'd be a dead man."

Lü Taiheng's words completely deflated Zhu Hao.

*Wasn't I just sacrificing myself for the sake of research?!*

However, Lü Taiheng had already put on his reading glasses and begun writing in his notebook, clearly having no desire to listen to Zhu Hao's continued nagging. Zhu Hao had no choice but to turn and leave.

After Zhu Hao departed,

Lü Taiheng stopped writing, raised his head, and took off his reading glasses.

The chill on his face had long since vanished without a trace, replaced by the shrewd wisdom of deep contemplation in his eyes.

"For Ye Zong to protect this newcomer so desperately, it seems... he's about to make a major move."

"Could it be related to the Champion Tournament?"

"It looks like Ye Zong intends to use this kid as a spark to ignite the fuse that concerns the entire chaotic Capital City."

"The times are about to change."

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*(Note: "求月票，求推荐票" omitted as instructed since metadata/author notes shouldn't be translated or retained as commentary.)*