Chapter 308: Sword Cultivator Encounters Sword Cultivator
“Ji Lei Bird, this is Tongming River, the territory of aquatic savage beasts. Restrain your power first, lest you provoke the overlords of the savage beasts in these waters.”
Jinchuan chased from the direction of the valley and stood on a protruding reef by the riverbank.
He wore a golden robe, appearing quite aged, with graying hair fluttering incessantly in the wind.
Though he spoke calmly, Jinchuan’s voice had already reached the sky.
Above the heavens, the enormous black shadow immediately withdrew its lightning power, circled once in the air, and landed atop a small hill by the riverbank.
From a distance, the Ji Lei Bird’s body was as massive as half a small mountain. It had the body of a black eagle, but its neck was covered in scales, and its head was like that of a serpent or python.
It resembled a primordial savage beast, exuding a terrifying aura, coiling its serpentine head around its neck. Ordinary martial artists dared not approach it.
Zhang Tiangui arrived at the Tongming River’s edge, staring at the still-churning waters with a cold, grim expression.
Clenching his fists, Zhang Tiangui felt an indescribable jealousy. “He still escaped!”
If it had been him, he would certainly have died tonight. Zhang Ruochen’s escape only proved that Zhang Ruochen was truly stronger than him—and not just by a little.
He was consumed by envy of Zhang Ruochen’s strength. The more he envied, the more he loathed him, wishing Zhang Ruochen could be torn to pieces.
“Shua! Shua!”
Four figures flashed down: Jin Yeyun, Cao Lin, Guo Shisan, and Yinshan landed in a row, each exuding formidable auras, like four mountains standing by the river.
“We set up an inescapable net, yet he still got away. If that brat doesn’t die, he’ll become a great threat,” Jin Yeyun said.
Yinshan added, “Zhang Ruochen is already severely injured. Even if he fled into the Tongming River, he might die in the belly of an aquatic savage beast.”
“Don’t be careless. The Commandery Prince ordered: capture him alive if possible, find his corpse if not,” Jinchuan said.
“Rumble!”
A herd of mammoth elephants charged out of the forest. On each mammoth’s back stood a heavily armored soldier wielding a long spear.
They formed a square formation of two hundred men, each a top-tier martial artist.
Jinchuan gave the order: “Each of you lead a squad of mammoth cavalry along the Tongming River, split up and pursue. Make sure to kill Zhang Ruochen while he’s still gravely wounded.”
“And be careful. The Tongming River waters are home to many powerful savage beasts, known as a ‘human forbidden zone.’ When chasing Zhang Ruochen, don’t provoke the aquatic overlords.”
“Understood!”
The four experts each led fifty mammoth cavalry and vanished into the night.
They spread out along the river’s upper and lower reaches, searching for traces of Zhang Ruochen.
Just then, a red, enchanting shadow flew across the water’s surface, like a ghost suddenly halting in the mist, leaving only a curvaceous, beautiful silhouette.
Seeing the red figure standing on the water, Jinchuan and Zhang Tiangui immediately knelt in salute, reverently saying, “We pay homage to Red Desire Envoy. What matter has disturbed your esteemed presence?”
Red Desire Envoy’s feet were as white as jade, standing on the water, her toes touching the surface, creating ripples.
She said, “The Young Master has arrived at Tongming River. He told me to inform you of something: he discovered traces of the Demon Sect’s Saintess in Death City. It’s likely that Demon Sect experts have also come to the Tongming River waters. He told me to warn you to act cautiously and not to ruin his important plans.”
“What? Why would the Demon Sect’s Saintess come here?” Jinchuan looked up, his expression shifting dramatically.
Everyone felt an instinctive fear of the Moon Worship Demon Sect.
Red Desire Envoy said, “The Young Master is also investigating this. If the Moon Worship Demon Sect has learned of the Dragon Relic’s whereabouts, our operation at the underwater Dragon Palace will certainly be hindered. Weren’t you killing some so-called genius from Demon Ridge? Did you succeed?”
“I had set up an inescapable net, but... that brat was too cunning. He fled into the Tongming River, and we’re searching for him now,” Jinchuan said awkwardly.
Red Desire Envoy chuckled, “You can’t even handle such a trivial matter. Truly a bunch of useless fools. I hope you can resolve this quickly and not delay the Young Master’s plans.”
With that, Red Desire Envoy transformed into a red mist, flew away, and vanished over the water.
Only after the oppressive pressure disappeared did Zhang Tiangui look up at where Red Desire Envoy had stood. He asked, “Senior Jinchuan, who is that Red Desire Envoy? Even you fear her so much?”
Jinchuan stood up, dusted the dirt from his knees, and said with reverence, “She is one of the Seven Fiend Star Envoys of the Black Market First Class Hall. Each of the Seven Fiend Star Envoys is a genius among geniuses, an expert among experts. In Demon Ridge, you might be one of the top talents, but in their eyes, you don’t even make the cut.”
Is that so?
Zhang Tiangui felt a defiant will. He refused to believe he was truly inferior to the so-called Seven Fiend Star Envoys or that so-called Young Master.
One day, he too would rise above others, earning everyone’s admiration and fear.
...
...
Zhang Ruochen, clad in the Flying Fish Armor, swam along the riverbed, speeding downstream.
After an unknown time, Zhang Ruochen stopped but did not leave the water. Instead, he opened the inner space of the Space Crystal.
Entering the inner space, the Flying Fish Armor on Zhang Ruochen immediately vanished, reverting to a fist-sized red iron ball.
“Cough, cough!”
Zhang Ruochen knelt on one knee, coughing up droplets of blood.
A sharp pain flared in his back, as if a flame were burning within his flesh and blood.
“The Four Directions Commandery sent so many experts to kill me. It seems the news of my ranking ninety-eighth on the Earth List has shaken them, and they want me dead at all costs.”
What worried Zhang Ruochen more was Zhang Tiangui. Previously, as a disciple of the Yuntai Sect Mansion, Zhang Tiangui had always held back, not daring to act too openly.
Now that he had joined the Black Market, he no longer needed to be as cautious.
Zhang Ruochen knew his secret. How would Zhang Tiangui deal with him now?
Would he directly target Zhang Ruochen’s mother, Consort Lin?
No, Zhang Tiangui had to be eliminated, or his mother would certainly be in danger.
“Cough, cough!”
Zhang Ruochen coughed up another mouthful of blood and quickly cleared his mind of distractions.
First, heal his injuries, then plan his next move.
Zhang Ruochen swallowed a healing pill and began refining the medicinal energy to mend his wounds.
Half a day later, Zhang Ruochen’s injuries had mostly recovered.
The rapid recovery was due to two reasons. First, during the months of training in the gravity cultivation chamber, Zhang Ruochen had refined large amounts of Bone-Tempering and Tendon-Forging Pills, strengthening his physical body to the level of a Heavenly Extreme Realm late-stage martial artist.
A strong physique naturally healed faster.
Second, thanks to the Flying Fish Armor’s protection, the flame true qi power of the Phoenix Feather Arrow was completely blocked outside the armor, never entering Zhang Ruochen’s body.
The hardest injuries to heal were those caused by true qi and sword qi entering a martial artist’s body.
For instance, if Zhang Ruochen struck someone with his sword, it wouldn’t just leave a wound; sword qi and true qi would invade the victim’s body through the cut.
If the victim couldn’t neutralize Zhang Ruochen’s sword qi, they would die from severed meridians.
The Flying Fish Armor’s strength lay in its ability to block a martial artist’s true qi and sword qi, and even help Zhang Ruochen absorb seventy percent of the impact force.
With his injuries mostly healed, Zhang Ruochen immediately left the inner space of the Time-Space Crystal, burst out of the water, and planned to head to Death City first to rendezvous with Si Xingkong, Huang Yanchen, and the others before making further plans.
Not long after Zhang Ruochen left the Tongming River, he suddenly sensed a faint fluctuation of true qi in the forest.
The air trembled, shaking fallen leaves into the air, colliding with a “chi chi” sound.
Such powerful killing intent.
“Hua!”
Zhang Ruochen’s aura shifted. He drew the Abyssal Ancient Sword, its blade emitting a cold light. “Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
A gray-robed man emerged from the forest.
He appeared quite lean, carrying a simple iron sword on his back.
As he approached, a chilling aura emanated from him. It was an intangible killing intent, impossible to hide even if he tried, giving off a sharp, exposed feeling.
“A Le!”
Zhang Ruochen stared at the man, a surge of joy rising within him. He sheathed the Abyssal Ancient Sword, never expecting to meet him here.
A Le’s eyes held an indescribable determination, like a sword that would never bow to anyone.
But before Zhang Ruochen, he lowered his head and said briefly, “Benefactor, I came specifically to find you. There’s something important I need to tell you.”
“What is it?” Zhang Ruochen’s expression turned serious.
Back then, Zhang Ruochen had saved the dying A Le and taught him the “Nine Revolutions Life-Death Art” on a whim, never expecting A Le to repay him later.
After all, the “Nine Revolutions Life-Death Art” was a deathly technique. Each breakthrough nearly required surviving a life-or-death tribulation, and few martial artists could cultivate it beyond the third layer.
At the time, A Le’s meridians were all severed, leaving this as his only path. Zhang Ruochen passed on the technique to give him a glimmer of hope.
Later, A Le joined the Black Market.
In just two short years, the once meridian-broken youth seemed to have grown strong enough.
He must have killed countless people to gather the icy killing intent on his body, as if it could freeze a person’s blood.
A Le said, “The Four Directions Commandery King, Huo Shilin, has sent many experts to hunt you down.”
“I know. I’ve already clashed with them,” Zhang Ruochen said with a smile.
A Le continued, “The Four Directions Commandery’s experts are formidable, but the person behind them is even more terrifying.”
“Who? The Black Market?” Zhang Ruochen asked.
A Le said, “The Black Market First Class Hall has a Young Master of mysterious identity who has come to Demon Ridge.”
(One more chapter, consider it a bonus.)