Chapter 264: One Sword Slays
Huang Yanchen felt a sense of crisis and looked at Zhang Ruochen with suspicion, asking, "Junior brother, what exactly is this sword formation? Why have I never heard you mention it before?"
"It's just a sword formation," Zhang Ruochen said lightly.
Han Qiu suddenly understood. So Zhang Ruochen had never taught the Yin-Yang Two Forms Sword Formation to Huang Yanchen. Such a powerful sword formation, not passed on to his fiancée, but given to her instead.
A hint of secret delight arose in her heart.
Zhang Ruochen did not pay attention to the expressions of Huang Yanchen and Han Qiu, his focus entirely on the distant battlefield.
The Three-Legged Fire Crow, Si Xingkong, and Zhang Tiangui fought fiercely, shattering the entire ancient city into pieces. Streets, houses, altars, and plazas were completely engulfed in a sea of flames.
"The Half-Saint Blood Scroll suppresses seventy percent of the Three-Legged Fire Crow's power. With Si Xingkong and Zhang Tiangui's strength, defeating the Fire Crow shouldn't be difficult... Ling Xiansu is trying to escape."
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Ling Xiansu immediately left the Three-Legged Fire Crow to hold off Si Xingkong and Zhang Tiangui's attacks. He mounted the Fire Cloud Wolf and fled toward the outskirts of Yueji City.
How could Zhang Ruochen let him escape?
"I'll pursue Ling Xiansu. You all deal with the other fourth-rank savage beasts and birds."
With a *clang*, he drew the Abyssal Ancient Sword and charged forward in large strides, chasing after Ling Xiansu. Having broken through to the Earth Extreme Realm Middle Stage, Zhang Ruochen's speed had increased significantly, with a maximum burst speed reaching two hundred and forty meters per second.
The Fire Cloud Wolf was originally extremely fast, reaching the speed of sound, but under the suppression of the Half-Saint Blood Scroll, its speed slowed several times, and Zhang Ruochen quickly caught up.
"Ling Xiansu, what about the deal I first proposed to you? Have you considered it? Want to think it over again?" Zhang Ruochen moved ahead of the Fire Cloud Wolf, blocking Ling Xiansu's path.
He swung his sword horizontally, forming a wave of sword energy that forced the Fire Cloud Wolf and Ling Xiansu to stop.
Ling Xiansu gritted his teeth and said, "Youngster, I am a man of status. Even if I die, I will not submit to you."
Under Ling Xiansu's control, the Fire Cloud Wolf charged at Zhang Ruochen again.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and slashed at the wolf's leg.
The Fire Cloud Wolf raised its legs, its entire body burning more fiercely, and its two metal-hard hooves stomped down toward Zhang Ruochen's head.
Zhang Ruochen immediately changed his move, bending his legs and raising his sword with both hands to slash at the wolf's abdomen.
*Pfft!*
With the sharpness of the Abyssal Ancient Sword, it easily broke through the wolf's protective Heavenly Gang. Its abdomen was torn open by the sword energy, and blood gushed out.
The Fire Cloud Wolf let out a mournful howl, charging forward several hundred meters before finally collapsing to the ground in unwillingness.
*Whoosh!*
Ling Xiansu leaped more than ten meters into the air, stabilized himself midair, and landed lightly on the ground.
"Boy, if not for the suppression of the Half-Saint Blood Scroll, you wouldn't stand a chance against the Fire Cloud Wolf."
Ling Xiansu refused to believe that Zhang Ruochen's strength had suddenly improved so much. He attributed the Fire Cloud Wolf's defeat solely to the Half-Saint Blood Scroll.
Zhang Ruochen approached, holding the blood-drenched sword, and said, "Why aren't you running now?"
A strange look flashed in Ling Xiansu's eyes. He put away his anger and smiled, "I've suddenly had a change of heart and decided to submit to you. But you have to tell me, what benefits can you offer me?"
"Really?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"Of course!"
Ling Xiansu walked up to Zhang Ruochen. Suddenly, a half-foot-long silver needle appeared between his two fingers, aimed straight at Zhang Ruochen's brow.
*Swish!*
He struck unexpectedly. If Zhang Ruochen had truly been off guard, he would have had his brow Qi Sea shattered.
But Ling Xiansu underestimated Zhang Ruochen. Just as he struck, Zhang Ruochen swung his sword.
*Sizzle!*
The Abyssal Ancient Sword accurately severed Ling Xiansu's throat, leaving a line of blood.
With a *thud*, Ling Xiansu fell stiffly to the ground, his eyes wide open, staring at the sky, no longer breathing.
Looking at Ling Xiansu's corpse, Zhang Ruochen sighed, "An excellent opportunity was placed before you, yet you chose the path of death."
If Ling Xiansu had sincerely surrendered, Zhang Ruochen would not have hesitated to pass on some high-level Beast Taming Inscription Runes to him, allowing him to go further on the path of a beast tamer.
Of course, it was too late to say anything now.
Zhang Ruochen walked over, picked up the purple crystal from Ling Xiansu's hand, and held it in his palm, feeling a chill.
The surface of the crystal was engraved with complex inscription runes, flowing with strands of spiritual energy radiance. It was clearly no ordinary item.
"This Beast Taming Crystal is worth at least five million silver coins. It's quite a good treasure!"
Zhang Ruochen put away the Beast Taming Crystal into his Space Ring.
He then walked to the corpse of the Fire Cloud Wolf and dug out a piece of Spirit Meat weighing a hundred jin.
This piece of Spirit Meat was crystal clear, red like jade, and emitted a rich fragrance.
The Spirit Meat produced by a fourth-rank savage beast was more precious than many spirit pills and medicines. It was easily absorbed by martial artists and was the essence of the beast's body.
Zhang Ruochen planned to bring this Spirit Meat back to Heavenly Demon Martial City and give it to Kong Xuan, Bing Xue, and Zhang Shaochu. It would be of great benefit to them.
Afterward, Zhang Ruochen separated the Fire Cloud Wolf's bones, eyes, and teeth, storing them in his Space Ring.
A fourth-rank savage beast was valuable all over. Even the wolf's meat and blood could fetch a high price.
But since Zhang Ruochen now had plenty of spirit crystals and wasn't short on money, he didn't bother taking the wolf meat and blood, to avoid letting Zhang Tiangui discover he possessed a space treasure.
With Ling Xiansu dead and no one controlling the Beast Taming Crystal, the savage beasts naturally fled, retreating like a tide in all directions.
*Caw!*
The Three-Legged Fire Crow flew out of Yueji City, like a massive fireball, heading toward the horizon and quickly leaving the city's domain.
Not only the Three-Legged Fire Crow, but another fourth-rank savage bird, the Dragon Eagle, also escaped, flying into the vast Heavenly Demon Ridge and disappearing among the towering mountains.
The fourth-rank savage bird, the Swallowing Cloud Sparrow, also tried to escape but was suppressed by the Half-Saint Blood Scroll and fell to the ground.
Si Xingkong, holding the Half-Saint Blood Scroll, leaped onto the Swallowing Cloud Sparrow's back, carrying Chang Qiqi, Huang Yanchen, and Xuanji's Twin Peaks, flying out of the ruined ancient city and stopping outside.
Chang Qiqi, carrying a war blade on his back, stood on the sparrow's head and called out from afar, "Junior Brother Zhang, the crisis here is resolved. Let's hurry back to Heavenly Demon Martial City to report."
"Alright!"
Zhang Ruochen flashed nine times in the void, leaping nine times, and landed on the Swallowing Cloud Sparrow's back.
Standing at a high altitude, Zhang Ruochen looked back and asked, "What about the others?"
Chang Qiqi chuckled, "They're all from Cloud Platform Manor, so naturally they won't travel with us."
Zhang Ruochen nodded thoughtfully. Zhang Tiangui, Han Qiu, and Lu Qiankun were the three most powerful inner disciples of Cloud Platform Manor, each possessing the strength of a *Earth Ranking* martial artist.
The evil path martial artists of the Poison Spider Merchant Association and the experts from the Four Directional Commanderies shouldn't easily provoke them.
Zhang Ruochen clasped his hands and said, "Thank you, Senior Brother Chang and Senior Brother Si, for coming to help. If not for you, I probably wouldn't have escaped Yueji City."
Chang Qiqi said, "Why thank me? I didn't even get a chance to fight. Thank Senior Brother Si and Junior Sister Huang."
Si Xingkong raised his wine gourd, took a sip, and laughed, "We're all students of the Martial Market Academy. We should help and support each other. Little junior brother's martial arts cultivation surprised me. To be able to easily slay the Fire Cloud Wolf... If not for the Half-Saint Blood Scroll, I might not have been able to defeat you."
"What? Junior Brother Zhang is that strong?" Chang Qiqi exclaimed.
Chang Qiqi knew Zhang Ruochen was powerful and exceptionally talented, but saying he was stronger than Si Xingkong seemed unreal.
Si Xingkong was the leader of the Ten Talents of Heavenly Demon and the number one expert of the younger generation.
Si Xingkong glared at Chang Qiqi and said, "What's so strange? Little junior brother killed three Martial Myth-level experts in a single day. He's already a top expert of the younger generation. You saw it yourselves in Yueji City—he killed a fourth-rank savage beast, the Fire Cloud Wolf, with one sword. Even I couldn't kill a fourth-rank savage beast in a single move."
Chang Qiqi looked at Zhang Ruochen with envy and said, "Junior Brother Zhang, are you a Four-and-a-Half Absolute genius?"
"More than that. I'd say at least Five Absolutes."
Si Xingkong lay back on the Swallowing Cloud Sparrow's back, took another drink, and laughed, "By the time Junior Brother Zhang returns to Heavenly Demon Martial City, the positions of number one genius and number one expert of the younger generation across the thirty-six commanderies of Heavenly Demon Ridge will probably change hands! Haha!"
Zhang Ruochen smiled, "Senior Brother, are you giving up the position of number one expert of the younger generation so easily?"
Si Xingkong's eyes lit up with fighting spirit, and he said, "It won't be that easy for you to become the number one expert of the younger generation. We'll have a chance to compete sooner or later. I hope you'll fight me with all your strength then."
"Definitely," Zhang Ruochen said firmly.
Fighting him with all his strength was the greatest respect he could show.
Huang Yanchen sat cross-legged not far to Zhang Ruochen's left and asked, "Zhang Ruochen, according to news from Dashi City, it's said you've obtained important evidence of collusion between the Poison Spider Merchant Association and the royal clans of the Four Directional Commanderies. Is that reliable?"
"That's right."
Zhang Ruochen nodded.
Huang Yanchen glanced at Chang Qiqi and Si Xingkong, thought for a moment, and said, "Can you come to my cultivation residence tonight? I have something very important to discuss with you."
Seeing Huang Yanchen's hesitant expression, Zhang Ruochen nodded and agreed.
Half a day later, Zhang Ruochen, Si Xingkong, Chang Qiqi, and Huang Yanchen returned to the Inner Palace Academy.
Then, Si Xingkong took Zhang Ruochen alone to the Silver Robe Elder Pavilion.
The master of the Silver Robe Elder Pavilion was named Lei Jing. He oversaw all affairs of the Martial Market Bank across the thirty-six commanderies of Heavenly Demon Ridge. All Silver Robe Elders had to obey him.
In some respects, Lei Jing's authority even surpassed that of the Martial Market Academy's principal.