Chapter 1306: Prisoner in Chains
"Boom!"
The silver kitchen knife slashed out, colliding with the attack unleashed by Zangxin Blood Saint.
A ripple of silver energy radiated outward, sending Zhang Ruochen and Zhu Qingyi flying backward. They crashed through giant trees, tumbling for over ten miles before finally hitting the ground.
"Pfft!"
Blood spilled from Zhang Ruochen's mouth. Even though he had used defensive measures in advance, he still suffered some injuries.
Zhu Qingyi was not faring well either. She knelt on one knee, clutching her chest with her palm, and spat out a mouthful of blood. The blood was not a vivid red but was tinged with a faint golden glow.
Once poisoned by the Golden Bat Giant Serpent, a cultivator's blood would gradually turn gold. When the blood became completely golden, death would follow.
Zangxin Blood Saint had been slain.
His sacred body had been shattered into pieces by the power unleashed by the silver kitchen knife.
Seeing Qing Mo walk out of the shattered battlefield, holding the blood-drenched kitchen knife, Zhu Qingyi realized she had miscalculated completely.
That little girl's strength was far too great. She was undoubtedly a figure capable of contending with Heaven-Connecting Realm Saints. Previously, Zhu Qingyi had been completely fooled by her harmless appearance.
"Both of you are masters of deception, one after the other."
Zhu Qingyi was furious. She felt that Zhang Ruochen and Qing Mo were both liars. Despite possessing immense power, they pretended to be weak and fragile, lacking the imposing demeanor a Saint should have.
"Whoosh—"
Zhu Qingyi did not continue to fight these two deceivers. She activated her movement technique, transforming into dozens of black streams of energy that surged into the white mist.
"This is our best chance to deal with her. We cannot let her escape. If she manages to neutralize the poison, the consequences will be endless."
Zhang Ruochen was already injured on top of previous wounds. Gritting his teeth, he gathered his last reserves of strength, reached out with both hands, and performed Space Distortion.
With a loud bang, Zhu Qingyi fell from midair, landing in the open space between Zhang Ruochen and Qing Mo. She hit the ground in a disgraceful heap.
Exhausted, Zhang Ruochen sat down and began to regulate his breathing.
Qing Mo pressed her hands forward. Her fingers and arms transformed into vines, burning with blue Unbound Sacred Flame, and coiled around Zhu Qingyi.
"I, a dignified Heaven-Connecting Blood General, how could I lose to you?"
Zhu Qingyi was formidable. A blood-red light surged from within her body. With a thunderous roar, she shattered all the vines. She then pointed a finger, striking Qing Mo in the chest.
"Bang."
Qing Mo lacked combat experience. Caught off guard, she was sent flying backward, spitting blood. She crashed heavily to the ground, creating a crater dozens of meters wide, and suffered severe injuries.
Of course, after unleashing that strike, Zhu Qingyi also seemed to have exhausted all her strength. She collapsed to the ground, gasping heavily. She struggled several times but could not get up.
All three had sustained serious injuries. It was a three-way mutual defeat.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged on the ground, unable to move. However, his spiritual power was unaffected. He condensed a ball of lightning and struck Zhu Qingyi, knocking her unconscious.
When Zhu Qingyi woke up again, she found heavy, cold iron chains binding her arms and legs.
She strained her arms, trying to break the chains.
"Sizzle."
Bolts of lightning and fire surged from the chains, striking her body.
Zhu Qingyi writhed on the ground in pain, convulsing. Yet, her willpower was strong, and she did not cry out.
A young man's voice reached her ears: "These are the chains your Undying Blood Clan uses against human Saints. How does it feel to have them used on you now?"
Zhu Qingyi looked up at Zhang Ruochen and said coldly, "Why not just kill me? You should know you won't get anything valuable out of me."
Zhang Ruochen sat on a stone, a faint smile on his face. "Do you think I'm keeping you alive to extract secrets from the Undying Blood Clan?"
"Isn't that the case?"
Zhu Qingyi was surprised, then a mocking smile appeared in her eyes. "Or are you after my body?"
"Do you think you're beautiful?"
Zhang Ruochen reached out a hand, touched behind her ear, and removed her black veil, revealing a cold, enchanting, and seductive face.
She was indeed a beauty among beauties. Among the Undying Blood Clan women Zhang Ruochen had seen, few could compare to her.
"Not bad," Zhang Ruochen said flatly.
Zhu Qingyi did not particularly care about her appearance, but hearing Zhang Ruochen's evaluation still angered her.
The number one beauty of the Azure Heaven Tribe had only been deemed "not bad."
Zhang Ruochen continued, "I've killed women more beautiful than you, so your looks and body don't hold much appeal for me."
"Meaning they hold some appeal," Zhu Qingyi sneered.
Zhang Ruochen did not deny it. "Beauty is always an advantage. At least, it's pleasing to the eye."
Zhu Qingyi's voice turned grim. "What is your real purpose in keeping me alive?"
"To sell you, of course. Maybe I can get a good price," Zhang Ruochen said.
Zhu Qingyi did not believe Zhang Ruochen's intention was merely to sell her. "Sell you to whom?"
"Stu Fengcheng."
Zhang Ruochen said it seriously, as if he were not joking.
Zhu Qingyi was an extremely intelligent woman. She immediately understood and asked, "What do you want from him?"
"The Burning Heaven Sword."
A sharp glint flashed in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
Zhu Qingyi's expression shifted. She roughly guessed Zhang Ruochen's identity. "Are you from the Nether King Sword Tomb?"
"Yes and no. Either way, the Burning Heaven Sword should not be in the hands of the Undying Blood Clan. I believe it must be reclaimed," Zhang Ruochen said.
"Hah."
Zhu Qingyi laughed, as if mocking Zhang Ruochen's ignorance. "I won't deny you have some skill. But if you truly think you can take the Burning Heaven Sword from Stu Fengcheng, you're courting death. He could crush you with a single finger."
When she mentioned Stu Fengcheng, a hint of admiration and affection appeared in her cold eyes.
In Zhu Qingyi's heart, Stu Fengcheng was a godlike man, unbeatable by anyone. She regarded Zhang Ruochen's words as a joke.
"Today, you didn't kill me. You'll regret it later."
Zhu Qingyi's lips curled into a beautiful yet sinister smile.
Zhang Ruochen was indifferent. In his view, the Burning Heaven Sword's value far exceeded that of a Zhu Qingyi.
At the same time, Zhang Ruochen was very interested in Stu Fengcheng. He wanted to meet this man who had taken the Burning Heaven Sword from Canglan Martial Saint and see just how powerful he truly was.
Of course, even if he were to trade for the Burning Heaven Sword, he would have to wait until he had reconnected his three meridians. Only with his injuries fully healed could he take risks.
In the forest, a patch of golden mist silently spread toward Zhang Ruochen, Qing Mo, and Zhu Qingyi.
Zhang Ruochen's senses sharpened. He detected a dangerous aura and said coldly, "Who's there?"
"Ssss."
A strange hissing sound came from within the golden mist.
Seeing the golden mist, Zhu Qingyi's eyes widened in horror. "It's the Golden Bat Giant Serpent. It's nearby. With your strength, you can't defeat it. Give me the Ice Toad Pill. Only after I've refined the poison and recovered my strength can I deal with it. Otherwise, we'll all die here."
Zhang Ruochen ignored her. With a bang, he struck her unconscious with a palm strike.
"Master... Master, what do we do? Is it really the Golden Bat Giant Serpent?"
Qing Mo gripped the silver kitchen knife with both hands, her fingers trembling as she hid behind Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen was speechless. "Your cultivation is so strong, what are you afraid of? Even if you can't defeat the Golden Bat Giant Serpent, escaping shouldn't be hard. If worst comes to worst, treat it as an ingredient. A dish made from the Golden Bat Giant Serpent would surely have a unique flavor."
"Really?" Qing Mo asked.
"The more venomous the snake, the more delicious it is, isn't it?" Zhang Ruochen said.
"That makes sense."
Qing Mo's eyes lit up, and she nodded vigorously. Her fear vanished, replaced by a spirited excitement.
"Whoosh—"
Qing Mo unleashed a wave of Unbound Sacred Flame, forming a wall of fire to block the encroaching poison mist. The silver kitchen knife in her hand spun continuously, emitting an increasingly bright light.
Zhang Ruochen noticed that Qing Mo's demeanor had completely changed. Where was the timid girl from before?
Judging by her expression, she looked like she was about to devour the Golden Bat Giant Serpent alive. She was incredibly excited.
Qing Mo's pupils turned entirely cyan, like two sacred gems. Her gaze pierced through the golden mist, catching a glimpse of part of the Golden Bat Giant Serpent's body. Then, she shot forward like a streak of light.
"Golden Bat Giant Serpent, come out and die!"
The silver kitchen knife radiated blinding light, unleashing its origin power. It tore through the golden mist and struck the Golden Bat Giant Serpent's body, carving a deep, bloody gash.
The Golden Bat Giant Serpent's body was enormous, thicker than a millstone. Each golden scale was as large as a palm leaf. It raised its triangular head, let out a roar, and spewed golden poison mist from its mouth.
Protected by the Unbound Sacred Flame, Qing Mo was immune to the poison mist. She raised the silver kitchen knife and slashed at the serpent's neck, aiming to sever its head.
In her eyes, that was the best part of the serpent.
On the Golden Bat Giant Serpent's back grew a pair of massive bat wings, each tipped with sharp claws. One claw swiped out, striking the side of the silver kitchen knife, sending Qing Mo and the knife flying.
Qing Mo retreated to Zhang Ruochen's side, staring up at the colossal creature above. She found it extremely troublesome. "We can't beat it. Forget it. Maybe poisonous snake meat isn't tasty anyway. Should we run?"
Zhang Ruochen did not flee. Instead, he stared in the direction behind the Golden Bat Giant Serpent and said, "Senior Gu Songzi, I am a friend of the Wine Madman. He sent me to find you, hoping you would appear."
As he spoke, Zhang Ruochen took out the yellow ancient jade the Wine Madman had given him, held it in his palm, and raised it above his head.
...
(Please vote for recommendation tickets. Xiaoyu wishes he could write three chapters a day, but his ability falls short of his desire. He can only try his best. For now, he will stabilize at two chapters a day. If he can write a third, he will definitely update it.)