As if trying to banish this dangerous thought, Dongfang Wantang quickly walked to the sidelines and joined the others' discussion. However, she couldn't help but glance at the figure standing alone in the center of the field.
The day's training quickly came to an end. Although no one made any further progress with their Star Avatars, everyone successfully condensed and maintained their energy outlines. Han Feng announced that everyone would join him on the first mission since the Reverse Scale Squad was formed.
"You have one more day to replenish your energy." Han Feng's gaze swept over each eager face. "I'll assign the mission details in advance. Remember, this mission is crucial; everyone must be in peak condition."
The team members saluted excitedly and dispersed, except for Su Wanwan, who lingered at the back. She tilted her head and looked at Han Feng: "Hey, you look terrible."
"It's nothing." Han Feng rubbed her head. "Go tell Mengran that you two wait for me in the parking lot; I have something to do."
Su Wanwan pouted, clearly not believing this explanation, but still obediently left. Finally, only Han Feng remained in the training ground. He let out a long sigh, allowing the aftereffects of the Distraction Technique to rage within him. A wave of excruciating pain washed over him, forcing him to hold onto the wall to avoid collapsing to his knees.
"Controlling three clones for so long was indeed too much of a burden for me," Han Feng murmured. "Looks like I'll have to go into seclusion tonight. I wonder what level I can reach in the Tower of Babel now."
"Huff..." Han Feng gritted his teeth and straightened up, forcefully suppressing the pain by circulating his Star Power. The mirror reflected his pale face and tight lips; he couldn't let anyone see him like this.
Inside the parking lot, the three girls had been waiting for some time. Liu Mengran was looking down at a recipe on her phone, Su Wanwan was kicking a tire idly, and Dongfang Wantang kept glancing towards the training field exit. When Han Feng finally appeared, she noticed that his pace was a beat slower than usual.
"Why did it take so long!" Su Wanwan skipped over to greet her. "I'm starving!"
Han Feng casually ruffled her hair, a habitual gesture that caused his sleeve to slip down, revealing a lingering energy burn mark on his wrist. Dongfang Wantang's gaze sharpened, but Han Feng had already quickly pulled his sleeve back up.
"Sorry, I packed some things." He opened the car door, his voice regaining its usual calm. "What would you like to eat?"
\"hot pot!\"
\"Japanese food!\"
"Home-style dishes..."
Three voices rang out simultaneously, then stopped at the same time. Han Feng couldn't help but laugh: "Then let Wanwan decide; she knows best which restaurants are good."
Su Wanwan's eyes lit up, and she began to analyze the pros and cons of the nearby restaurants at length. Han Feng listened as he started the car. In the rearview mirror, Dongfang Wantang's gaze briefly met his; her eyes, which seemed to see through everything, were filled with worry.
Dinner proceeded in a lively atmosphere. Su Wanwan vividly described various embarrassing incidents during training, making Liu Mengran laugh non-stop. Han Feng quietly ate his food, only joining the conversation when called upon. He cleverly used the table to conceal his slightly trembling left hand—the part most severely affected by the backlash from the distraction technique.
"I'm full." Han Feng put down his chopsticks and stood up amidst everyone's surprised gazes. "I need to go into seclusion for a day, so don't prepare any meals for me."
Dongfang Wantang's chopsticks stopped in mid-air: "Start now?" But she immediately realized that she might have been too excited.
"Hmm, I need to digest some of my insights." Han Feng's expression remained unchanged, but as he turned around, there was a slight fluctuation of unstable energy in the wind stirred up by his clothes.
Liu Mengran was about to say something when Su Wanwan tugged at her sleeve. Only after Han Feng's footsteps disappeared on the second floor did the three girls exchange a glance, as if waking from a dream.
After clearing the table, they all gathered on the living room sofa. Dongfang Wantang looked at the two women sitting opposite her and finally broke the silence: "Does Han Feng... often suddenly go into seclusion like this?"
"Why are you suddenly asking this?" Liu Mengran tilted her head in confusion.
Su Wanwan counted on her fingers, trying to recall: "Occasionally... but it seems like it always happens before an important mission..."
The two girls froze mid-sentence. Liu Mengran's pupils contracted slightly: "Wait, you mean Han Feng's seclusions are always related to the missions he needs to complete?"
Dongfang Wantang put down her teacup, her voice extremely low: "That's right! Do you know how much of a burden the Divine Interference Technique places on the caster? Today, he maintained three high-level clones simultaneously for almost an entire afternoon..." She made a gesture of bursting energy, "...equivalent to the backlash of releasing hundreds of full-power attacks consecutively."
Su Wanwan gasped: "So he was just putting on a brave face?"
"And I suspect he's not just recovering from injuries." Dongfang Wantang looked up at the second floor. "Star Soul Masters usually have their own methods of cultivation, but it's also the fastest way to increase strength in the short term..."
Liu Mengran seemed to recall what Han Feng had said to her when he rescued her. She suddenly stood up abruptly, then forced herself to sit back down, her fingers gripping the sofa cover tightly: "That idiot... he never tells the truth..."
The three girls fell silent. Moonlight filtered through the gauze curtains, casting dappled shadows on the floor. After what seemed like an eternity, a muffled thud came from the second floor, like a heavy object falling. The three girls jumped up simultaneously, then hesitated and stopped.
"He... he'll be alright, won't he?" Su Wanwan's voice trembled unusually.
Dongfang Wantang quickly calculated with her fingers, her brows gradually relaxing: "Although the power of the stars is chaotic, there is no immediate danger to their lives." She sighed softly, "The only thing we can do is wait."
Liu Mengran silently walked to the kitchen and began preparing easily digestible porridge and side dishes; Su Wanwan took out the first-aid kit and placed painkillers and energy supplements in a conspicuous position; Dongfang Wantang took out the star chart and set up a small protective array in the living room.
As night deepened, before each of the three girls returned to their rooms, they all looked towards the tightly closed door on the second floor.
Occasionally, a sliver of starlight would peek through, only to be quickly suppressed by an even stronger energy field. The entire villa was shrouded in a peculiar atmosphere, as if quietly awaiting the arrival of some important moment.
At this moment, Han Feng was unaware of what had happened outside. He had just returned to his room when he was thrown to the ground by excruciating pain. Despite the intense pain, he stood up and sat on the bed. With a thought, he arrived at his cultivation space.
"You were practically courting death this afternoon," Zero's figure appeared, speaking calmly.
"Isn't this just something we can't avoid? We always have to push ourselves at crucial moments," Han Feng said with a strained smile.
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