Chapter Thirty-Seven: I, Old Zhang, Am Willing to Call Him the Strongest Newcomer of the Past Thirty Years

Du Fang held his fist in midair.

Few had truly seen the punch he’d just thrown.

Zhang Changlin had been sent flying, landing far away. His hood had been knocked off, revealing a head tightly wrapped in bandages and a face black as ink.

On that darkened face, there was a hint of astonishment and disbelief.

How… had he just been hit?

A moment ago, he’d been provoking Du Fang, hoping to spark a surge of fighting spirit in him—a fighter’s edge.

But never in his wildest dreams had he expected this.

Du Fang’s leap in ability was immense! As if he harbored some deep-seated grudge.

Rubbing his chest, Zhang Changlin’s expression grew odd. That punch… actually hurt! It almost felt like he’d been hurt internally.

And what was Zhang Changlin’s physical constitution? Nearly ten thousand units of dream energy, a top-tier Dream Transcender who had mastered both flesh and mind. His body was formidable; even without channeling dream energy, his skin was far tougher than any ordinary person’s.

Yet still, Du Fang’s single punch had left him with a touch of internal injury…

“You…” Zhang Changlin drew a deep breath.

He scrambled to his feet, his face growing even darker.

“You’ve got something, it seems you’re not clueless when it comes to fighting.”

“I was careless. Again!”

Zhang Changlin refused to accept it. With his combat skills, how could he be bested by a greenhorn like Du Fang?

All around, Si Nan, Zhao Lu, and Su Jiuming had already stood up, their playful smiles wiped clean. Captain Zhang… had been struck?!

Immediately, even Chen Xi and the others couldn’t suppress their laughter.

An old hand like Zhang Changlin, outdone by Du Fang?

Trying to show off had only gotten him beaten up instead—what a comical sight.

Su Jiuming was laughing so hard she almost doubled over, thinking old Zhang must have been terribly unlucky to dodge straight into Du Fang’s fist.

To be this much of a jinx… he was truly pitiful.

Zhang Changlin put his hood back on, his expression grave.

Meanwhile, Du Fang was quietly delighted.

He could feel the “Wife’s Hand” pressing firmly on his back, his entire body undergoing some indescribable transformation.

Was his wife’s hand controlling his body?

His wife was fighting in his stead!

So this was another use for her hand!

On the ring, Du Fang moved again.

The Wife’s Hand on his back gripped his spine like a spider, filling him with strength and uncontrollable speed.

At times, Du Fang’s own mind couldn’t keep up with his movements!

He became a blur, agile as shadow, darting toward Zhang Changlin.

Zhang Changlin stood firm, deadly serious.

Fists flashed, palms clapped, blows exchanged. Du Fang’s fist barely brushed his opponent’s defense before snapping back and swinging forward again—so fast it defied physics!

Zhang Changlin tried to suppress the oncoming assault, but could only defend passively!

Bang, bang, bang!

In the span of a single breath, Du Fang landed three consecutive punches.

Too fast.

Unbelievably nimble.

Zhang Changlin couldn’t dodge at all, struck again and again.

Soon, his defense was in shambles.

Du Fang’s fists rained down like a storm, long legs sweeping out to strike Zhang Changlin’s waist, back, and injured hip…

Zhang Changlin was pummeled throughout the arena, howling a few times.

And Du Fang’s moves grew only more dazzling—

Backflipping in place, performing spinning kicks and other acrobatic feats with effortless grace.

Even his bones bent in impossible arcs, unleashing attacks that carried a shocking force.

The onlookers—Su Jiuming and the rest—fell silent. Genuine awe filled their eyes.

Though Zhang Changlin was no hand-to-hand specialist and hadn’t yet used his dream energy, he was still a top Dream Transcender. How could Du Fang possibly suppress him?

“I give up!”

“Enough!”

Zhang Changlin had no wish to take further punishment.

He quickly called out, realizing that Du Fang was a natural at combat. At least in terms of pure fighting skill, he might truly not be a match for him.

“What’s your story?” Zhang Changlin, now sporting a bruised and battered look, couldn’t help but ask.

He was genuinely curious—where had Du Fang learned to fight like this?

Du Fang, panting with excitement, knew he couldn’t tell the truth. He couldn’t possibly admit that his wife was fighting in his place.

“It’s instinct,” Du Fang said after a moment’s thought, his tone solemn. “I was simply born to fight.”

“Just now, I slipped into a fighting state without even realizing it… Captain, your moves all looked impossibly slow to me.”

“Both your left and right hands moved in slow motion.”

Zhang Changlin narrowed his eyes beneath his hood.

Was Du Fang telling the truth?

He believed him.

He knew that Du Fang was one of the lucky few who had survived a Ninth-Tier Nightmare Catastrophe. Perhaps the spiritual radiation from that disaster had altered Du Fang’s body in some way. Powers that should have awakened as special abilities had instead been channeled into his physique.

A physical-type Dream Transcender? It was possible!

“But don’t get cocky. Your fighting skills are decent, but I didn’t use my dream energy. Once I do, I’ll make you wish you were dead,” Zhang Changlin said coolly.

“Dream Transcenders have countless tricks and strange abilities. Domain-type Dream Transcenders are especially terrifying… The only way you’ll be able to contend with them is by mastering your forbidden artifact.”

“Control over your forbidden artifact is your true strength.”

Zhang Changlin spoke earnestly.

Du Fang nodded with equal seriousness.

“All right, keep training. You don’t need much more practice with fighting techniques. Focus on mastering your forbidden artifact—the more familiar you are, the better.”

“Show me what you can do with it now.”

Zhang Changlin had no desire for further hand-to-hand; remembering that Du Fang only had limited control over his artifact, he regained some of his swagger. “Attack me boldly!”

As he finished, dream energy flared around Zhang Changlin.

With his dream energy active, his confidence returned.

Next was the test of forbidden artifact control.

Du Fang was eager to try.

But nearby, Luoluo hugged her pink pig plushie, Qiqi, and tilted her head with a smile.

“Daddy, Mommy says Luoluo gets to play!”

Du Fang hesitated. With both his wife and daughter asking, how could he refuse?

“All right, then,” Du Fang replied.

Almost as soon as he spoke, Luoluo grasped his hand.

Auntie’s cards slipped from her pocket, dream energy rippling outward.

A card shot out, spinning at high speed.

Whoosh! Like a black thread, it sliced through the air past Zhang Changlin’s ear, seemingly cleaving the very air in two!

Zhang Changlin’s pupils constricted.

A single strand of hair drifted down.

A sense of foreboding washed over him.

Whoosh!

A second card spun toward him.

Zhang Changlin’s eyes turned red in an instant.

But it was too late to dodge—the black-thread card struck his shoulder, biting deep.

Hummm…

Waves of dream energy rippled outward.

Zhang Changlin let out a guttural groan; his defenses unbroken, but the pain made him bare his teeth.

His eyes reddened with urgency.

This third-tier forbidden artifact… was rather formidable.

Was this what Du Fang had meant by “just a little skill”?

Among the spectators, Chen Xi and Su Xiaoyu both shivered.

These cards, the very embodiment of their nightmares—had reappeared!

Luoluo, still holding Du Fang’s hand, pouted unhappily.

In the next instant, all the cards from the box shot outward, swirling like a scattering of heavenly maidens, all whistling toward Zhang Changlin.

In a heartbeat.

Zhang Changlin felt as though he were being pelted by a meteor shower.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Explosions rang out across the ring.

Zhang Changlin’s dream energy flared, blocking each card as best he could. But with every block, his lips twitched involuntarily.

Luoluo grew more and more excited with each strike.

“Daddy, he’s really tough! Luoluo is so happy! I’m going to get serious now!”

Luoluo lifted her chubby little fingers, dancing them in the air as if playing the piano.

All the cards began spinning at high speed!

Like blades slicing through bone!

The very air resounded with the sound of rending and shattering!

“Stop!”

“Stop, I said!”

Zhang Changlin raised a hand, palm out, shouting desperately.

He could feel each spinning card was charged with intense personal emotion!

Du Fang had to call Luoluo off, though she was clearly unwilling.

“That’s enough.”

“You’re… very impressive.”

“For the Newcomers’ Dream Transcender Invitational, I have every confidence in you. Get ready, and hurry along to compete with Chen Xi.”

Having been struck so many times by flying cards, Zhang Changlin felt blood boiling at the back of his throat, but he couldn’t spit it out. On the surface, he maintained his composure, projecting the dignity befitting a captain, and spoke with calm detachment.

He finished, then turned quickly, limping away without a backward glance.

Su Jiuming, Zhao Lu, and Si Nan hurried after him.

Just outside the training room, they saw Zhang Changlin, hood removed, hair disheveled, slumped against the wall as if life had lost all meaning, eyes brimming with tears, blood trickling from his mouth.

“Damn! That hurts like hell!” he cursed.

Noticing Su Jiuming and the others approaching, tears glistened in Zhang Changlin’s eyes. His face, black as night, twisted in pain, making him look like a demon of the night.

There was pain, yes, but also a strange sense of satisfaction.

“This kid…”

“For thirty years, I, Old Zhang…”

“I am willing to call him the strongest rookie Dream Transcender in decades!”

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