Chapter 161: Fierce Battle in the Secret Mansion
Guo Haidong grinned slightly, his five fingers tightening around the crimson long spear. "Zhang Ruochen, you really don't take me seriously. I am a powerhouse ranked 874th on the Xuan List, and you're not even a Xuan List martial artist."
"Since you still want to stall for time, then I won't be polite anymore!"
Zhang Ruochen had already given Guo Haidong a chance, but he didn't cherish it. Now, he wouldn't give him any more opportunities.
He took three steps forward in succession, each step spanning seven zhang. The three steps together covered twenty-one zhang.
With a booming sound, when Zhang Ruochen's third step landed, he had already rushed in front of Guo Haidong, leaving a shallow footprint indentation on the ground.
A flash of sword light, and seven sword Qis appeared before Guo Haidong's eyes.
Seven sword chimes sounded in his ears.
Guo Haidong's expression changed again. Gripping the crimson long spear with both hands, he spun it rapidly to block the incoming sword light.
"Bang! Bang!"
Seven consecutive impacts produced seven sparks of fire. Zhang Ruochen knocked the crimson long spear in Guo Haidong's hands askew, causing it to tremble incessantly.
The powerful force transmitted through the long spear, numbing Guo Haidong's arms.
After the seven impacts, the tiger's mouth between his thumb and index finger split open, revealing a bloody crack. The crimson long spear nearly flew out of Guo Haidong's hands.
Guo Haidong retreated in a flustered manner, feeling Zhang Ruochen's terror for the first time. Not only was he fast, but his strength was also astonishing.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen's sword slashed down on Guo Haidong's arm. A flash of blood, and a severed hand flew up.
"Hiss!"
The cold Qi from the Snow Dragon Sword emanated, freezing a layer of white ice crystals over Guo Haidong's right arm stump. The blood was frozen solid, like red crystal agate, translucent and sparkling.
Guo Haidong let out a miserable cry. Clutching the crimson long spear with his left hand, he staggered backward, drenched in cold sweat from the pain. The muscles on his face twisted, looking extremely pained.
"Zhang Ruochen, you've cut off one of my arms today. In the future, I will surely sever your hands and feet to avenge this hatred."
Guo Haidong glared fiercely at Zhang Ruochen, a venomous look in his eyes.
He turned and fled, rushing toward the depths of the Chi Kong Secret Mansion, reaching a speed of sixty-three meters per second.
But Zhang Ruochen was faster. With just nine steps, he crossed a li, leaping over Guo Haidong's head and surpassing him.
"Go to hell!"
Guo Haidong took out a formation diagram painted on spirit paper from his bosom, opened it, infused it with true Qi, and struck it toward Zhang Ruochen.
"Boom!"
On the surface of the formation diagram, lightning inscription patterns emerged, emitting dazzling light, forming a circular attack formation eight meters in diameter that enveloped Zhang Ruochen.
"Haha! Zhang Ruochen, this is a second-rank attack formation diagram called the 'Electric Cloud Formation.' Even a martial artist at the initial stage of the Earth Extreme Realm would be suppressed and killed by this formation." Guo Haidong stood outside the formation, letting out wild laughter.
"A mere second-rank attack formation—how could it trap me?"
Zhang Ruochen gripped the sword hilt with both hands, his robe billowing, his long hair flying. A blood formation nine meters in diameter appeared beneath his feet.
The blood formation was condensed from blood Qi, with countless blood patterns converging to form a mysterious design.
The blood formation spun, unleashing a powerful vortex force that tore the Electric Cloud Formation apart.
"Pfft!"
The formation diagram floating in mid-air suddenly shattered, self-igniting and burning to ashes.
All the lightning power was expelled by the blood formation, turning into thin strands of electric threads flowing in all directions.
"Your blood formation... it's a Saint-level blood formation..." Guo Haidong stared in shock at the blood formation beneath Zhang Ruochen's feet. He decisively took out a Wind Wing, preparing to use it to escape.
Any martial artist who had condensed a Saint-level blood formation possessed formidable combat power. Guo Haidong knew he was no match for Zhang Ruochen. Now, he could only flee.
Just as Guo Haidong infused a wisp of true Qi into the Wind Wing, before he could fully activate it, he saw a flash of sword light before his eyes, stinging his eyes with pain.
"Pfft!"
Zhang Ruochen's sword pierced through Guo Haidong's brow. Cold Qi surged from the sword body, freezing Guo Haidong's entire head in ice, centered on the brow.
"Bang!"
Guo Haidong's corpse fell heavily to the ground.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew the Snow Dragon Sword. The blade was unstained by a single drop of blood, still as clean as snow-white jade.
"He who sows sin reaps his own doom."
Zhang Ruochen picked up the Wind Wing from Guo Haidong's hand and examined it. It was a lower-grade Wind Wing that could be used three times.
He put away the Wind Wing and also stored Guo Haidong's crimson long spear into the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal. It was a fifth-rank True Martial Treasure, quite valuable.
Guo Haidong carried a bundle on his back containing three bags of water, four bottles of pills, a Poison Evasion Pearl, a Thunder Pearl, and eight spirit crystals.
Zhang Ruochen packed everything away, planning to sort it out slowly once he reached a safe place.
Just as he stood up, suddenly, he felt a surge of cold Qi behind him. Every muscle in his body tensed instantly. His body turned into a phantom, dashing five meters sideways.
"Whoosh!"
A cyan beam of light flew from the spot where Zhang Ruochen had just stood, arcing beautifully through the air before flying back.
Lang Xin stood beneath the massive stone gate, catching the returning cyan beam.
That cyan beam turned out to be a half-foot-long carved flying knife. The hilt was inlaid with polished spirit crystal beads, and the blade was cyan and extremely sharp.
This flying knife was a fifth-rank True Martial Treasure, with twenty-seven inscription patterns carved inside.
Lang Xin pinched the flying knife between two fingers, glanced at Guo Haidong's corpse, and spat out two cold words: "Worthless."
His gaze shifted to Zhang Ruochen, and Lang Xin said coldly, "It seems everyone underestimated you. To kill Guo Haidong in such a short time, your strength could definitely rank in the top five hundred of the Xuan List."
Lang Xin appeared to be about twenty years old, quite young. His arms were slightly longer than average, his shoulders broader. He had thick black eyebrows and a straight nose bridge, giving him a resolute and decisive look.
Zhang Ruochen stared at the flying knife in Lang Xin's hand. "What rank are you on the Xuan List?"
"Five hundred and eightieth," Lang Xin said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "You still want to kill me?"
Lang Xin raised his eyelids slightly. "Who told you to offend Xun Guihai? The stupidest thing you did was steal his woman. You even dared to covet the Yanchen Princess of the Qianshui Commandery. Your guts are not ordinary. Don't you know that within the inner palace of the Martial Market Academy, there are many top-tier powerhouses you need to look up to who are pursuing her?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then why are you helping Xun Guihai kill me?"
"Do you think I'm killing you just for Xun Guihai?" Lang Xin's eyes showed a hint of coldness. He looked up at the underground world within the Chi Kong Secret Mansion. "Since I've entered the Chi Kong Secret Mansion, I don't need to suppress my realm anymore. Now, I'll break through to the Earth Extreme Realm."
Lang Xin took out a thumb-sized pill and swallowed it. Immediately, crackling sounds came from his body. His entire skin turned red. Strands of true Qi emanated from his body, forming a massive cloud of true Qi that completely enveloped him.
To participate in the intermediate relic exploration exam, Lang Xin had suppressed his realm at the Great Extreme Position of the Mysterious Extreme Realm for four years. Now that he had entered the Chi Kong Secret Mansion, there was naturally no need to suppress it anymore.
It wasn't just Lang Xin. Xun Guihai, Luo Shuihan, Huang Yanchen, Duanmu Xingling, Tuo Muzi... all of them had the same plan. Once they entered the Chi Kong Secret Mansion, they would immediately break through their realms.
Moments later, Lang Xin's cultivation broke through to the initial stage of the Earth Extreme Realm. His combat power had increased by who knows how many times. With his current strength, even the top five powerhouses of the Xuan List might not be his match.
"Ran away?"
Lang Xin looked around. Where was Zhang Ruochen? He had already vanished without a trace.
How could Zhang Ruochen not flee?
Lang Xin was originally a Xuan List martial artist. Once he broke through to the Earth Extreme Realm, his strength would surely increase severalfold. With Zhang Ruochen's current cultivation, he was definitely no match for him.
Zhang Ruochen activated the Wind-Riding Flying Dragon Shadow. With each step, he crossed dozens of zhang, reaching a speed of sixty-six meters per second.
He didn't use the Wind Wing. After all, each Wind Wing could only be used three times. Every use counted, so it was best not to use it unless necessary.
"Zhang Ruochen, you can't escape!"
Lang Xin's voice sounded behind Zhang Ruochen, growing closer and closer.
"So fast!"
Zhang Ruochen glanced back and judged that Lang Xin's speed had nearly reached seventy-four meters per second. Even the speed of the number one powerhouse on the Xuan List couldn't match him.
"Whoosh!"
Lang Xin closed within a hundred meters of Zhang Ruochen. He swung his arm, and the cyan flying knife shot from between his fingers, turning into a cyan rainbow, aimed at Zhang Ruochen's back.
As the cyan flying knife entered the Time Domain, Zhang Ruochen used the power of Space Distortion to forcibly alter its flight trajectory, sending it flying back toward Lang Xin.
Lang Xin was slightly startled and immediately dodged.
"Boom!"
The flying knife struck the ground behind Lang Xin, creating a half-meter-deep pit. A large cloud of dust rose, and the cyan flying knife was embedded at the bottom of the pit.
The Chi Kong Secret Mansion was located deep underground, with the ground consisting of dark red, hard rock layers. The fact that the cyan flying knife could create a half-meter-deep pit in the ground showed the immense power of that strike.
Lang Xin extended his arm, and a beam of true Qi shot from his fingertip, enveloping the cyan flying knife.
The flying knife trembled, flew up, and returned to Lang Xin's hand.
"Impressive, Zhang Ruochen. What martial technique did he just use?"
Lang Xin looked at the spot where Zhang Ruochen had disappeared again, a hesitant expression in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "I should still attend to the main business. There will be time to kill Zhang Ruochen later. According to what the chairman said, all the strong ones from the Black Market are imprisoned in the Lava River Valley. Once I release our Black Market powerhouses, I will definitely kill all those Martial Market Academy students. As for those few stunningly beautiful female genius students, it's best to capture them alive and sell them in the Black Market. They'll fetch a sky-high price."
Lang Xin took out a fragmentary beast-hide map, found the location of the Lava River Valley on it, and with a flash of his figure, disappeared into the dim miasma.
After Lang Xin left, Zhang Ruochen emerged from the Time Domain, staring in the direction Lang Xin had gone, muttering to himself, "So he's a Black Market infiltrator!"