Hu Xianfeng, who stood to one side, glanced at the two of them and then said, "How much longer do you plan to stay here chatting?"

Only then did Wang Zhan and Han Junxiong realize they were still standing in the forest—though calling it a forest now seemed somewhat peculiar, given that it had been transformed into ruins.

After glancing at Hu Xianfeng beside him, Wang Zhan finally said with a smile, "Alright, alright. Let's get back to your house. I have a few things that I need your help with." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Upon hearing this, Hu Xianfeng's eyes widened, and he hastily moved aside, asking, "What are you going to have me do this time?"

He knew Wang Zhan's nature well; he wouldn't visit without a reason and certainly wouldn't ask for help lightly.

Meanwhile, Han Junxiong quickly ran to the side, pulled the longsword from the ground, returned to them, and passed it to Hu Xianfeng.

Hu Xianfeng waved his hand indifferently. "I have no interest in this thing at all. Unless faced with a formidable enemy, I wouldn't even activate it. Besides, I had hoped never to cross paths with this old friend again in my life."

"Now that it serves no purpose, I won't hold onto it. If you like it, take it. Otherwise, just discard it."

Hearing this, Han Junxiong's eyes widened in surprise. This item was no ordinary thing; it could even be compared to Wang Zhan's Deep Fire Blade. Yet, in Hu Xianfeng's eyes, it was worthless. One should know that those fellows earlier were even preparing to join forces to snatch it.

Looking at Han Junxiong's stunned expression, Hu Xianfeng asked, "What's the matter? Is accepting this so complicated for you? If you don't want it, just like I said before, toss it. Why overthink it?"

Han Junxiong quickly shook his head, stashing the longsword into his robes. How could he refuse such a good thing?

Moreover, with the addition of this weapon, his strength would also receive a boost.

Han Junxiong narrowed his eyes slightly and said with a smile, "In that case, I'd be honored to accept. Thank you, Hu Lao."

Hu Xianfeng waved his hand, not minding at all.

Despite this, Han Junxiong felt deeply grateful. For all these years, he had been a Bounty Hunter. His goal was simple: to find good equipment or gather useful items from demonic beasts. Only by these means could he continuously enhance his strength. Yet, after all this time, he hadn't found any exceptionally powerful equipment. He never expected Hu Xianfeng to be so generous. He was so excited he was on the brink of tears.

Han Junxiong, for his part, paid no mind to this. Meanwhile, Hu Xianfeng, who had returned to Wang Zhan's side in an instant, shot him a sidelong glance and said hastily, "Let me make things clear first, kid. Don't try any tricks on me. If you're scheming something, I'll make sure you won't like the outcome."

Wang Zhan quickly waved his hand. "How could that be possible?"

"I just want you to fulfill your promise."

Hu Xianfeng paused and looked at Wang Zhan in confusion. "What promise do I need to fulfill?"

"Have you forgotten what you just promised me?" Wang Zhan retorted. "I remember it clearly. You told me that if we could deal with Qiu Lingdu, you'd teach me the Art of Alchemy. Did you think I would risk my life fighting Qiu Lingdu if not for that?"

Actually, Wang Zhan was just joking. Regardless of the circumstances, he wouldn't have let Qiu Lingdu off easily. If Qiu Lingdu had managed to enter Kui City, it would have meant trouble for everyone. Although Wang Zhan had no connection to the people in Kui City, he didn't want to see innocent people brutally murdered.

Wang Zhan then continued with a smile, "Of course, if you, old fellow, intend to go back on your word, I'll just burn down your house. That wouldn't be too much, would it?"

"And don't think I can't tell that your strength has also been diminished to some extent. But thanks to your elixir, I've recovered to my peak state. Although I might not be your match right now, if I wanted to escape, you wouldn't be able to catch me easily."

"I'm telling you all this just so you can rest assured... that I'm genuinely prepared to burn down your house and then run for it."

Hu Xianfeng gritted his teeth. Who on the entire Star War Battlefield dared to speak to him this way? Especially in recent years, he had become a renowned figure. But he never would have imagined that Wang Zhan would actually dare to threaten to burn down his house.

The next second, Hu Xianfeng clenched his fist and swung it at Wang Zhan.

But Wang Zhan seemed to have anticipated his move, dodging to the other side in an instant.

Wang Zhan looked at Hu Xianfeng, crossed his arms, and said slowly, "As I've said, your current speed and strength are both compromised, but I'm still at my peak. So, I suggest you don't try to cause trouble for me. Otherwise, it won't end well for either of us."

"I really don't want to damage our relationship."

"But if you deceive me, then I'll have no choice but to do things I'd rather not."

As he spoke, Wang Zhan revealed the Deep Fire Blade in his hand. Of course, this wasn't to fight Hu Xianfeng. They had just fought side-by-side as comrades, and Wang Zhan knew well that if Hu Xianfeng hadn't intervened, he would be a corpse by now. People are grateful; how could he actually provoke Hu Xianfeng? He merely intended to use his Deep Fire Blade to intimidate Hu Xianfeng. He wasn't planning to fight, but rather to use the Fire Dragons from the blade to destroy Hu Xianfeng's house.

Hu Xianfeng clenched his teeth tightly. After staring at Wang Zhan for a long moment, he finally spat on the ground and said grudgingly, "Fine, you win, kid! Threatening me, are you? We'll see just how tough you are after I've dealt with all my affairs."

"That's going to take some time," Wang Zhan remarked, squinting at Hu Xianfeng. He could tell that Hu Xianfeng was seriously injured. Unlike himself, even with elixirs, it wouldn't be easy for Hu Xianfeng to recover to his peak state. Considering Hu Xianfeng's age and the fact that he had clearly overexerted his essence energy, it wouldn't be beneficial for him if this continued. In the long run, Hu Xianfeng's cultivation would surely be affected, and his physical condition would gradually decline. The eventual outcome was clear.

Thinking about this, Wang Zhan's expression turned grim. He had been on the Star War Battlefield for some time now. Although he had many companions, they had left one after another. Even Xiang Tian and his companion were now missing, and he didn't even know where to begin searching to reunite with them as soon as possible.

「In the blink of an eye, the group had returned to Hu Xianfeng's house.」

Fortunately, Hu Xianfeng didn't seem to intend to make things difficult for him. In fact, it was apparent to everyone that they were merely joking. Even Han Junxiong was extremely envious of their friendship.

After Wang Zhan sat down to one side, his gaze fell on Hu Xianfeng again. He then said with a smile, "Now that we're back, let's not waste any more time. Why don't you teach me the Art of Alchemy quickly? Then you can go back to your room and get some rest. Otherwise, I'll keep pestering you until you teach me the art, and only then will I leave."

"You dare threaten me again, kid?" Hu Xianfeng glared at Wang Zhan, then slammed his hand on the table as he stood up.

Han Junxiong quickly came over and tried to calm Hu Xianfeng down, looking as if he was worried they might actually start fighting.

"Alright, we're all friends here. And I can see Brother Wang doesn't truly want to oppose you. I also heard before that you were planning to teach the Art of Alchemy to Brother Wang, so since that's the case, why be stingy?"

Hu Xianfeng glared at Han Junxiong. "Whose side are you on, kid? Have you forgotten who gave you that weapon?"

"If you dare keep speaking up for him, believe me, I'll take back the weapon and destroy it right in front of your eyes!"

Isn't that a terrible waste of a treasure? Han Junxiong muttered inwardly, but he didn't dare say it out loud.

He glanced at Hu Xianfeng, then quickly lowered his head and said softly, "Alright, alright, I'll keep my mouth shut. You two should resolve your own matters."

Han Junxiong wasn't greedy. He knew the value of the Art of Alchemy. So how could Hu Xianfeng just pass it on to someone else so easily? Perhaps Wang Zhan was qualified, but he himself certainly was not. Moreover, he had gained a lot this time. Not only had he obtained many useful items from the demonic beasts, but he had also taken everything from those Bounty Hunters. Now, he even had a formidable weapon. How could he possibly ask for more?

Hu Xianfeng shot them a sidelong glance and then said, "You two kids are definitely in cahoots! Now I realize it—I've clearly boarded a pirate ship!"

The two looked at each other and smiled, neither saying a word.