Silence.
As the blood-soaked words left “Bai Feifei’s” mouth, space itself seemed to freeze.
Everyone remaining in the training hall felt as if a pause button had been pressed.
Zheng Ziyun’s mouth hung open, but the slanderous accusations that had flowed so smoothly moments ago were now stuck in his throat.
The air was thick with the smell of blood, a pungent and nauseating mixture of human scent and the stench of an aberration.
Then, the crowd watched as the murderous figure on the arena slowly looked up, her gaze sweeping across everyone present.
Those bottomless eyes caused the other instructors who had been about to charge to freeze in their tracks.
The aura Xu Mo exuded after his clean decapitation of Li Yan made them feel an inexplicable chill in their bones.
They couldn't quite understand what faction she belonged to or how she had achieved such power.
Below the arena, the students of the Elite Class were utterly dumbfounded, their mouths agape.
Only one thought occupied their minds—thank God they hadn't stayed stubborn and acted like troublemakers when they first met her.
Ye Yu stared blankly at the blood-stained figure on the arena. She felt a strange sense of familiarity, yet this was not the “Bai Feifei” she knew.
From any perspective, this coldness and violence felt more like that person... Sinking Black.
As expected of someone from that organization.
“...Great Evil God?” Bai Feifei’s voice asked tentatively in his mind. “Maybe... we should calm down a bit?”
Xu Mo ignored her, simply savoring the sensations coming from his heart.
Bai Feifei called out a few more times, but there was still no response.
She could feel the Heart of Reality in her chest throbbing wildly, leaking out black energy.
She had never seen Xu Mo’s “Sinking Black” state before, and she was currently filled with wonder.
On the arena, the instructors who had wanted to rush forward and apprehend him were now exchanging glances, none of them daring to make the first move.
Their colleague from just now had also been a Rank 5 Scavenger, yet he had been killed in a single strike without even having time to react.
Only a fool would still believe “Bai Feifei” was merely at the Rank 4 Scavenger level; they were now completely uncertain.
But Xu Mo didn't give them much time to think.
He moved.
The black figure lunged forward, even faster than before, with the longsword in his hand now enveloped in streaks of black energy.
Among these instructors, some had only recently reached Rank 5 by relying on potions. Neither their strength nor their mental fortitude was up to par.
Sword light wove into a net, and another person collapsed.
The remaining instructors’ faces paled. They lacked the temperament of the East District Scavengers who fought in the Outer City year-round. Having spent their time managing students, they were instantly terrified.
They actually turned around, jumped off the arena, and began to flee.
But since he had already drawn blood, Xu Mo had no intention of stopping. He chased after them immediately.
Watching these people expose their backs to him, a flash of disdain crossed Xu Mo’s eyes. The psychological resilience of these Inner City people was far too weak.
This could no longer be called a battle; it was more like a hunt!
As he pursued and cut them down, blood splattered across the training hall floor and onto the cameras set up by the reporters.
The entire training hall was in total chaos. While the Qingping Academy side remained relatively calm, the Yaoguang side was paralyzed with fear.
Non-stop screams, cries, and the sound of crashing tables and chairs merged into a cacophony of terror.
“Wait! Wait! Listen to me...” A Yaoguang Academy instructor parried a few strikes before falling to the ground. He quickly turned back to plead with “Bai Feifei.”
“I was only following orders! I’m just an instructor!”
“Killing me is different from killing someone who mutated! You...”
His legs kicked at the ground as he desperately scrambled backward, his words becoming incoherent.
Even now, he was actually hoping that “Bai Feifei” would follow the rules.
Xu Mo stopped and looked down at him.
“Do you only beg for mercy when you’re about to die?” His voice sounded like he was talking to himself, his lips curling upward.
“Interesting.”
For the first time, he stayed his hand and looked the man straight in the eye.
“Don’t worry. I’ll forgive you once you’re dead.”
As the words fell, the blade swept across the man’s throat.
Blood erupted, splattering across Xu Mo’s face. He raised a hand to wipe it away, but instead of cleaning it, he only smeared the red across half of his face.
With a face drenched in blood, he looked around to see if he had missed anyone who had tried to attack him earlier.
By now, the students of Yaoguang Academy were crowding toward the exit like madmen, knocking over cameras and losing their shoes in the stampede.
Zheng Ziyun stood in a corner, all color drained from his aged face.
It had been too long since he had been on the front lines of combat. Looking at “Bai Feifei” now, he actually felt a surge of fear.
The moment that feeling appeared, he was immediately overcome with shame. He was a senior! He was an Edgerunner!
This person shouldn't even be in the same league as him. How could he be afraid?
No, he definitely wasn't afraid!
Gritting his teeth, his eyes turned fierce. He took a deep breath, and a thin layer of mist began to swirl around him.
The mist spread from beneath his feet, growing thicker until he began to float, his physical form becoming blurred.
This was the Escape Art he had mastered after becoming an Edgerunner—Cloud Escape.
“Bai Feifei,” his voice echoed from within the mist, carrying a condescending authority.
“You have slaughtered your colleagues, twisted the truth, and slandered the pharmaceutical policy. Your crimes are unforgivable. Surrender now, and there might still be a sliver of hope for you.”
Xu Mo stopped and turned around.
He looked at the thickening mist and grinned.
“Oh?”
As he spoke, he even beckoned Zheng Ziyun forward.
“If I kill you, will I have two slivers of hope?”
Zheng Ziyun huffed coldly. The mist suddenly expanded, surging toward Xu Mo to envelop him.
You sharp-tongued, cold-blooded junior! Today, this old man shall execute you in the name of Dawn City’s laws!
The mist exploded outward before collapsing toward the center. Xu Mo instantly felt a powerful sense of constriction.
A black light flashed in his eyes. He knew that, at this stage, there was still a gap between him and an Edgerunner.
He would have to draw more power from the heart. He just had to be careful not to fully manifest the Sinking Black form, or things would get messy.
If that happened, he’d have to silence everyone here, which would be a hassle...
Just then, a beam of green light descended from above, blowing away the clouds and suppressing the restless Xu Mo.
“Enough!”
An aged voice rang out.
“Both of you, things have already reached this irreparable state. Please, both of you, calm down.”
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