Chapter 159: Mysterious Flood Dragon
When he became the top freshman of the Western Campus, the Martial Market Academy rewarded Zhang Ruochen with three thousand contribution points, which he had not used until now.
Previously, he had never lacked cultivation resources, so naturally he had not spent the contribution points.
The place to exchange contribution points was the Contribution Tower.
As soon as he entered the Contribution Tower, many students recognized Zhang Ruochen, all staring at him with curious gazes.
“He is Senior Brother Zhang, the top freshman among the four campuses of the Martial Market Academy. It is said he is a prodigy comparable to the three great demonesses,” said a young boy, looking at Zhang Ruochen with an admiring gaze as he walked into the tower.
In his eyes, Zhang Ruochen was his idol, the goal he strived to achieve.
A rather beautiful woman at the Mysterious Extreme Stage Great Extreme Position had excitement shining in her eyes. “Have you heard? Not long ago, Senior Brother Zhang defeated the elites of various countries in Qianshui Commandery using a broken sword, and his name shook the world overnight.”
“Senior Sister Xu, could it be that you have taken a liking to Senior Brother Zhang?” another girl in white laughed.
The woman called Senior Sister Xu looked at Zhang Ruochen with a lovesick expression. “Which woman wouldn’t be attracted to an outstanding man like Senior Brother Zhang? Even if it were just a night of fleeting romance, I would be willing.”
The girl in white beside her covered her mouth and laughed. “If you really had something with Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Sister Huang would chase you to the ends of the earth.”
The female students of the Western Campus were very bold and spoke quite explicitly, making Zhang Ruochen somewhat embarrassed.
If not for the deterrence of Huang Yanchen, Zhang Ruochen would probably have been surrounded by female students again.
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath, trying to stay calm, and began selecting the items he needed in the Contribution Tower.
The Contribution Tower had thirteen floors, each floor containing various cultivation resources. The higher the floor, the more contribution points were required.
The first floor of the Contribution Tower held only low-level cultivation resources. The cheapest were second-grade blood pills, which could be exchanged for one hundred pills with a single contribution point.
Zhang Ruochen did not lack blood pills for now, so he did not exchange for them.
The most expensive item on the first floor did not exceed five contribution points, which held little value for Zhang Ruochen. He did not stay long and proceeded to the higher floors.
It was not until he reached the seventh floor that Zhang Ruochen finally found the item he wanted to exchange.
Wind Wings.
The Wind Wings looked like two silver iron pieces connected together, densely engraved with “wind” attribute inscriptions.
By infusing true qi into the Wind Wings, they could carry the martial artist into the sky, unleashing a terrifying speed of one hundred meters per second.
To put it in perspective, even an ordinary martial artist at the early stage of the Earth Extreme Stage could only reach a speed of sixty meters per second. Only a martial arts master at the middle stage of the Earth Extreme Stage could achieve a speed of one hundred meters per second.
All martial artists who could enter the “Mysterious Ranking” were top-tier geniuses, which was why their speed was comparable to that of early-stage Earth Extreme Stage martial artists.
Zhang Ruochen was well aware that entering the intermediate ruins would be extremely dangerous.
What was most important?
Survival was most important.
After all, he was only going into the intermediate ruins to explore. As long as he kept his life, there was no need to push himself too hard.
Lower-quality Wind Wings:
Flight speed: one hundred meters per second. Number of uses: three. Exchange cost: five hundred contribution points.
Medium-quality Wind Wings:
Flight speed: two hundred meters per second. Number of uses: five. Exchange cost: five thousand contribution points.
High-quality Wind Wings:
Flight speed: three hundred meters per second. Number of uses: ten. Exchange cost: fifty thousand contribution points.
Zhang Ruochen had originally wanted to exchange for a medium-quality Wind Wing, so that even if he encountered Earth Extreme Stage Great Perfection savage beasts, monsters, or evil cultivators in the intermediate ruins, he would have a chance to escape.
But after seeing the exchange price, Zhang Ruochen decisively abandoned that idea.
Too expensive!
Zhang Ruochen only had three thousand contribution points in total, far from enough to exchange for a medium-quality Wind Wing.
“A lower-quality Wind Wing is not bad either. Although it can only be used three times, that is enough to save my life three times.”
Zhang Ruochen took out his token from the Martial Market Academy and placed it into the recess on the formation wall.
The inscriptions on the token lit up layer by layer, connecting with the inscriptions on the formation wall.
“Whoosh!”
A crack appeared in the formation wall, and a cyan spirit paper was presented. White light characters flowed on the spirit paper, depicting the pattern of the Wind Wings.
With this spirit paper, Zhang Ruochen could go to the main hall of the Contribution Tower to claim the Wind Wings.
Zhang Ruochen retrieved his token and found that five hundred contribution points had been deducted. Only two thousand five hundred contribution points remained in the token.
He continued to purchase other items.
Next, Zhang Ruochen exchanged for five Thunder Pearls.
Each Thunder Pearl was worth one hundred contribution points. Once detonated, it would explode like a thunderclap.
Even an Earth Extreme Stage martial artist, caught off guard by a Thunder Pearl’s attack, could potentially fall.
Of course, Earth Extreme Stage martial artists were very fast. If they noticed Zhang Ruochen throwing a Thunder Pearl, they could escape at top speed, and the Thunder Pearl would not harm them.
Only by throwing the Thunder Pearl unexpectedly could it kill an Earth Extreme Stage martial artist.
Then, Zhang Ruochen spent one hundred contribution points to exchange for a Poison-Avoiding Pearl.
By carrying the Poison-Avoiding Pearl on his person, he could resist most poisonous mists and miasmas. To be safe, Zhang Ruochen also exchanged for a bottle of Detoxification Pills.
After that, Zhang Ruochen exchanged for some other cultivation resources and life-saving treasures, spending all three thousand contribution points.
Returning to the Dragon Martial Hall, Zhang Ruochen prepared enough drinking water, filling two space rings and one space jade bracelet.
The next morning, under the leadership of Vice Dean Qinghua, the top ten students of the Western Campus rode Vice Dean Qinghua’s mount, leaving the Western Campus and flying deep into the Demon Ridge.
The top ten students of the Western Campus were: Luo Shuihan, Huang Yanchen, Duanmu Xingling, Tuo Muzi, Zhang Ruochen, Sikong Shu, Ju Hailan, Mo Qinglong, Cai Chen, and Zi Qian.
The other eight students were all senior students who had been in the Western Campus for over three years. Only Zhang Ruochen and Zi Qian were freshmen.
Sikong Shu had a very bold personality. Standing on the back of the griffin, he asked, “Vice Dean, is the intermediate ruins we are going to the Red Void Secret Mansion?”
Vice Dean Qinghua nodded and confirmed, “It is indeed the Red Void Secret Mansion. I don’t need to elaborate on the dangers of the Red Void Secret Mansion. I believe you have all made thorough preparations. Zhang Ruochen, Zi Qian, you two are freshmen. Are you ready?”
Zhang Ruochen and Zi Qian both nodded simultaneously.
The Western Campus was established on the outskirts of the Demon Ridge. Although there were many savage beasts, they were mostly first-order and second-order beasts, with very low danger.
However, the Red Void Secret Mansion was deep within the Demon Ridge, separated from the Western Campus by a great distance. The area was filled with treacherous mountains, dangerous waters, and many powerful savage beasts, making it extremely perilous.
If an outer sect disciple dared to venture alone into the depths of the Demon Ridge, they would surely die. Even a martial arts myth at the Heavenly Extreme Stage risked falling if they entered ten thousand miles deep into the Demon Ridge.
The further they flew into the depths of the Demon Ridge, the taller and steeper the mountains became, and the thicker the trees grew. Some ancient vines were so thick they coiled around entire peaks, looking like coiled dragons.
Some regions were perpetually covered in miasma. Ordinary savage birds that flew over the miasma would die from poisoning within moments, crashing to the ground and shattering into pieces.
Among the rugged mountains, massive rivers flowed.
Those rivers also harbored powerful aquatic savage beasts. As Zhang Ruochen and the others flew over one such river, a earth-shattering roar suddenly erupted from the water.
The river’s flow was disrupted by the shockwave.
The ten students sitting on the griffin’s back all had their ears ringing from the sound, their blood qi churning. Fortunately, their cultivation was strong; otherwise, they would have fainted.
A powerful force surged, tearing the ground around the river. Huge ancient trees were shattered by the waves of true qi, turning into wooden debris.
A black Mysterious Flood Dragon rose from the river. Its body was over sixty meters long, its neck as thick as a water vat, and it had a pair of fleshy wings on its back. It charged toward Ning Xiaochuan and the others in the air.
“How dare you! Attacking disciples of the Martial Market Academy? You are seeking death!”
Vice Dean Qinghua stood on the griffin’s head, his eyes cold. He took out a white scroll formation diagram and unfolded it, forming a huge spherical light shield with a diameter of one hundred meters, protecting the griffin and the ten young students inside.
“Boom!”
The Mysterious Flood Dragon’s blood-red eyes shot out two pillars of flame, striking the surface of the white light shield, causing it to shake violently.
Vice Dean Qinghua’s expression grew even colder. He raised his wooden staff and infused it with true qi.
The inscriptions on the staff were activated. The staff, originally only two meters long, became as thick as a bowl and stretched to fifty-six meters.
Vice Dean Qinghua’s aged body became incredibly vigorous. His bones seemed to protrude, and his legs bent slightly. His body shot out like an arrow from a bow, leaping from the griffin’s head. He swung the staff, smashing it onto the Mysterious Flood Dragon’s head.
“Boom!”
The Mysterious Flood Dragon’s massive body plummeted straight down, crashing into the river three hundred meters below, splashing waves over ten meters high.
The river water turned blood-red. Clearly, Vice Dean Qinghua’s strike had severely injured the Mysterious Flood Dragon.
Vice Dean Qinghua executed a movement technique, stomping his feet in the void, and his body rebounded upward, landing back on the griffin’s back.
The ten students on the griffin’s back all stared at Vice Dean Qinghua with shocked expressions.
No one had expected that the old man, who seemed to totter even when walking, could unleash such powerful martial arts strength.
That Mysterious Flood Dragon was a fourth-order savage beast, with combat power comparable to a martial arts myth at the Heavenly Extreme Stage. Yet, Vice Dean Qinghua had severely injured it with a single strike, forcing it to flee back into the water.
Among Heavenly Extreme Stage martial artists, Vice Dean Qinghua was likely one of the very powerful ones.