Teacher Han had left the university for personal reasons before the last departmental competition, and his Battle Network status had been offline ever since.
Although Xu Wuyi hadnât fallen behind in his training, thanks to his teacherâs previous guidance and his own diligent practice, he had accumulated quite a few questions.
He immediately sent a message to Han Mo through his personal communicator.
After sending the message, he waited with some trepidation.
However, the reply came much faster than he expected.
Barely a dozen seconds later, his communicator vibratedâit was a direct call request from Han Mo.
Xu Wuyi answered at once. "Teacher Han!"
"Yes," Han Moâs calm voice came through the line. "I saw your message. Come see me in person; Iâll send you the address. Itâs not convenient for me to get on the Battle Network these days."
âNot convenient to get on the Battle Network?â A flicker of doubt crossed Xu Wuyiâs mind.
The Battle Network was one of the very foundations of Star Martial University; even most classes were held on it.
But he didnât ask any more questions, replying quickly, "Yes, Iâll be right there."
The call ended, and a precise address within Star Martial Universityâs faculty housing district was transmitted to Xu Wuyiâs terminal.
He didnât dally. After tidying up briefly, he left Hidden Dragon Garden and walked toward the faculty housing district.
The faculty housing district was quiet and serene, shaded by an abundance of trees. Individual small buildings were dotted throughout, a style vastly different from the student apartment complexes.
Following the address, Xu Wuyi arrived before a nondescript, gray-white house.
He straightened his clothes and rang the doorbell.
A moment later, the door slid open soundlessly.
Han Mo was sitting inside, dressed in a simple gray training uniform. His face looked a little pale.
"Youâre here. Come in." Han Mo gave him a slight nod.
Xu Wuyi thanked him and entered the room. The living room was simple yet elegant, somewhat similar in style to his own Lingyun Small Building.
His gaze swept unconsciously over Han Mo. When it landed on the other manâs right shoulder, his pupils shrank, and he froze in place.
Han Moâs right sleeve... was empty.
His right arm was severed clean at the shoulder!
The cloth at the stump had been cut away neatly, revealing not a bloody, mangled wound, but a membrane of light that seemed to be coalesced from deep-blue Energy. It was constantly twisting and fluctuating.
The deep-blue light was like a living thing, occasionally flashing with a heart-stopping arc of electricity and faintly emitting an aura that was an intertwining of icy coldness and destruction.
But this aura also carried a unique suggestion of Stealth, as if it could deceive a personâs perception.
Xu Wuyi should have noticed it right away, but it wasnât until he was standing right in front of him that he suddenly realized what he was seeing.
"Teacher Han! Y-Your arm!" Xu Wuyi cried out, his face a mask of utter disbelief.
âHow could an expert of the Quasi-Grandmaster Level, an associate professor at one of the Federationâs top universities, lose an arm?â
âAnd what is that Energy on the wound?â
Han Mo looked at Xu Wuyiâs shocked expression and gave a slightly resigned smile.
He gestured for Xu Wuyi to sit with his remaining left hand.
"Have a seat. Did I scare you?" His tone was perfectly calm, as if losing an arm was a trivial matter.
Xu Wuyi did as he was told and sat, but he couldnât tear his eyes away from the stump. His throat felt dry. "Teacher, this..."
"Itâs nothing, just a minor injury," Han Mo said dismissively. "I ran into a bit of trouble on the âStar Realm Battlefield.â Got ambushed by a Quasi-God from the Werewolf Race."
âThe Star Realm Battlefield! The Werewolf Race!â
Xu Wuyi was shaken to his core.
This was the first time he had ever come into real contact with information of this caliber.
He knew the Federation was at war with other worlds and dimensions, but for a new student like him, the specific details were still far too remote.
âTeacher Han was injured *there*!â
"Then... the wound..." Xu Wuyi looked at the deep-blue membrane of Energy.
Han Moâs tone remained unperturbed. "Itâs not a big deal. Once my own master comes out of seclusion, he can erase this thing. Then Iâll just get a new arm attached."
He spoke casually, but Xu Wuyi knew it was nowhere near that simple.
Leaving aside the question of when Grandmaster Yue would finish his seclusion, reattaching a severed limbâeven with the Federationâs current technologyâwould come at an immense cost.
This wasnât a case of an ordinary person having a limb reattached; this was the severed arm of a Quasi-Grandmaster!
At a level approaching that of a Grandmaster, oneâs fundamental life essence is completely different from an ordinary personâs. You could almost say theyâre two different species.
"Donât worry about me." Han Mo seemed to see right through Xu Wuyiâs thoughts. He picked up the teapot on the table with his left hand and poured himself a glass of water. "You, on the other hand... your training is progressing well. Youâve advanced to Martial Artist? Your Qi and Blood have also become much more refined."
Xu Wuyi suppressed the storm of emotions raging within him and nodded. "Yes, I broke through just recently. Itâs all thanks to your earlier guidance."
"Mm. With a solid foundation, the rest will naturally fall into place." Han Mo took a sip of water, his gaze resting on Xu Wuyi as he spoke with a smile.
"Donât mind this injury of mine. If you ever go to the battlefield and run into any of those Werewolf Race bastards, just kill a few extra for me."
Upon hearing this, Xu Wuyi shot to his feet, his chest rising and falling slightly. After a moment, he spoke with force, "I will remember that, Teacher."
Seeing Xu Wuyiâs reaction, Han Moâs face broke into a gratified smile.
He waved his hand. "Alright, sit down. Revenge is a matter for the future. Your main priority right now is to increase your strength. Go on, tell me what new problems youâve run into with your training lately."
Xu Wuyi sat down again, temporarily suppressing his churning emotions.
He knew Teacher Han didnât need his sympathy; what he needed more was to see his student grow and progress.
He gathered his thoughts and began to consult Han Mo about the recent difficulties he had encountered with the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*.
This instructional session lasted for nearly half an hour.
Xu Wuyi gained a tremendous amount from it; many of the sticking points that had been troubling him were suddenly cleared up.
Not wanting to disturb him for too long, he proactively stood up to leave once he had more or less finished asking his questions.
"Teacher, please rest and recover well. I will take my leave now," Xu Wuyi said respectfully.
"Mm, go on." Han Mo nodded, not asking him to stay, but then added, "Lately, make sure to review your experience from when you first learned the *Hundred Refinements Melting Furnace*."
Xu Wuyi paused, unsure why Teacher Han was telling him to do this. But he didnât overthink it; since his teacher had said so, he would simply do as instructed.
He bowed once more, then turned and left Han Moâs residence.
As he walked out of the gray-white house, the bright sunlight fell upon him, but Xu Wuyi felt his heart grow heavy.
The image of Han Moâs severed arm, of that deep-blue Energy writhing, replayed endlessly in his mind.
If even a Quasi-Grandmaster could suffer such a fate, it was a chilling glimpse into the cruelty of the Star Realm Battlefield.
He looked up at the azure sky, his gaze seeming to pierce through the clouds toward that distant, unknown battlefield.
His desire to grow stronger had never been this intense.
And if before he had wanted to grow stronger simply so he wouldnât be bullied, now there was something more driving him.