Chapter 412: Encountering Xu Qing Again
Zhang Ruochen, as promised, escorted the seventeen women imprisoned in the dungeon out of Demon Ape Ridge. It took half a day before they reached the official road built by the Gilt Federation.
They all knelt on the ground, bowing to Zhang Ruochen.
"Thank you, benefactor, for saving our lives. May we ask your name, so we may always remember it in our hearts?"
Zhang Ruochen stood atop the demon ape's head, his bearing heroic and his demeanor exceptionally ethereal, like a young saint. "I am merely an outsider who will soon leave this world. My name holds no meaning for you."
After a moment's thought, he added, "Furthermore, the Five Elements Continent should now be in chaos. Your homes may already be destroyed. It would be best for you to stay on the outskirts of Demon Ape Ridge for a month before returning."
The seventeen women were startled, not fully understanding Zhang Ruochen's words.
To save someone completely, one must see it through to the end.
Most of them were ordinary people with no combat ability. Given the current situation in the Five Elements Ruins Realm, returning home would only lead to death.
Since he had already rescued them from Demon Ape Ridge, he could not simply watch them go back to their doom.
Zhang Ruochen lightly touched his Space Ring and retrieved two hundred Second-Rank Blood Pills. With a whoosh, he scattered them into their hands.
Each received ten or eleven Blood Pills.
Da Ye Fa Shi and Xiao Ye Fa Shi stood on either side of the demon ape, staring at the pills in their hands, licking their lips with envy.
This master could even subdue a demon ape. Even the worst of the pills he bestowed must be extraordinary divine medicine.
They had originally planned to escape but were caught by the demon ape and brought back.
Zhang Ruochen still had use for them, so he kept them in tow.
Zhang Ruochen looked at the seventeen women. "Swallow one Second-Rank Blood Pill, and you will not feel hunger for three days. It will also improve your physiques to some extent. Do not waste them."
Second-Rank Blood Pills were useless to Zhang Ruochen now.
But to ordinary people who had never cultivated martial arts, they were still precious treasures. After refining ten pills, they would have no trouble taking on two or three strong men.
From then on, they would have some ability to protect themselves.
For Zhang Ruochen, it was a trivial effort. For them, it could change the course of their lives.
As the ancients said, doing one good deed a day is better than earning a fortune.
The seventeen women were so moved they knelt again, clutching the Blood Pills tightly as if they were immortal elixirs.
Zhang Ruochen glanced at Xue Yiyi. "You have decent talent. I found a copy of the 'Five Elements Codex' in Long Ze Da Fa Shi's cave dwelling. It should be a decent cultivation manual. Take it and study it. You are responsible for protecting their lives."
With that, Zhang Ruochen took out a metal-forged ancient book and tossed it to Xue Yiyi.
The "Five Elements Codex" was a top-tier spell cultivation manual. Long Ze Da Fa Shi had obtained it through a stroke of luck.
Even Xue Yiyi, the daughter of the Snow Leaf City lord, was overjoyed to receive it. She hugged it tightly, unable to put it down.
"Sir, will the Five Elements Continent truly face a catastrophe?" Xue Yiyi asked, clutching the "Five Elements Codex," her smile fading into worry.
"To be precise, the catastrophe arrived five days ago. If I am not mistaken, Snow Leaf City may no longer exist. Do not return for now. Hiding in the desolate mountains might help you survive."
Although Zhang Ruochen disliked killing innocents, that did not mean other students felt the same. When one world invades another, it is always brutal.
The weaker world is only slaughtered, enslaved, and trampled, with no one to answer their cries.
The war between worlds is an unstoppable tide, beyond the power of any single person to reverse.
If a stronger world invaded the Kunlun Realm, Zhang Ruochen and its people would face the same tragic fate.
Thus, one must keep advancing and keep cultivating.
Zhang Ruochen sat cross-legged on the demon ape's head and soon disappeared over the horizon, stepping onto the battlefield of the Five Elements Ruins Realm. He was a member of the Kunlun Realm, with his own camp and stance.
Time to fight.
With his cultivation reaching the Heavenly Extreme Realm Minor Position and his strength greatly increased, it was time to test the top experts of the Five Elements Ruins Realm.
Da Ye Fa Shi and Xiao Ye Fa Shi walked ahead of the demon ape, leading Zhang Ruochen toward the Evil Wood Palace.
One of the five spiritual treasures, the "Purple Cloud Sinking Wood," was the Evil Wood Palace's greatest treasure.
Moreover, according to Xiao Ye Fa Shi, among the five great mage sanctuaries of the Five Elements Continent, the Evil Wood Palace was the weakest. Thus, targeting it was more feasible.
Zhang Ruochen had also confirmed with Xue Yiyi that the Evil Wood Palace indeed ranked last.
Of course, that did not mean the Evil Wood Palace was a soft target. As a top-tier power in a ruins realm, its strength was not to be underestimated.
Da Ye Fa Shi said, "Currently, the Evil Wood Palace has four Mage Kings, who have transcended mortality. Their strength is terrifying, each a monster who has lived for over a century."
The Mage Kings of the Five Elements Continent were equivalent to Fish-Dragon Realm experts.
"With your strength, Master, dealing with one or two Mage Kings would be easy. But if all four strike together, even with your heaven-defying power, two fists cannot defeat four hands."
"Moreover, the Evil Wood Palace is said to have a formation left by a Saint-level mage. Three hundred years ago, ten Mage Kings from the Holy Flame Hall tried to breach it and were crushed by the formation. A formation set by a Saint-level mage is extremely fearsome."
Zhang Ruochen realized they were referring to a Half-Saint.
The Five Elements Ruins Realm had existed for over ten thousand years. Even with sparse spiritual energy, there must have been some extraordinary talents who broke through to the Half-Saint realm.
It was said that the five great mage sanctuaries were all founded by Half-Saints, with over a thousand years of history in the Five Elements Ruins Realm.
Though the Half-Saints had long since died, the formations they left behind were still formidable and not easily breached.
Xiao Ye Fa Shi bowed to Zhang Ruochen. "Master, I have a plan that might let us seize the Purple Cloud Sinking Wood from the Evil Wood Palace."
"Speak," Zhang Ruochen said.
Xiao Ye Fa Shi said, "The Evil Wood Palace once sent an envoy to Demon Ape Ridge, hoping to recruit Long Ze as a guest elder. Long Ze refused them."
"If you, Master, were to visit the Evil Wood Palace under Long Ze's identity, they would surely treat you as an honored guest. This way, you could avoid the formation's attack and infiltrate the palace easily. If you decide to do this, I can contact the Evil Wood Palace envoy now."
Xiao Ye Fa Shi's words did tempt Zhang Ruochen.
But he did not trust Da Ye Fa Shi and Xiao Ye Fa Shi.
They were disciples of Long Ze Da Fa Shi yet showed him no respect. How could they be wholeheartedly loyal to Zhang Ruochen?
If Zhang Ruochen entered the Evil Wood Palace alone, and they immediately allied with the palace's experts to ambush him, would he not be walking into a trap?
As Zhang Ruochen pondered, two silver flying knives shot out from the water of a nearby river.
The knives moved faster than sound.
Without a whisper of wind, they pierced the foreheads of Da Ye Fa Shi and Xiao Ye Fa Shi.
Pfft!
The impact was so strong that their heads exploded, blood and flesh flying everywhere, leaving only two headless corpses standing.
Splash!
Two figures burst from the water.
Their bodies were wrapped in true qi. They stepped on the air mid-leap and landed ten zhang in front of Zhang Ruochen.
Xu Jiali extended her slender jade hands, using true qi to retrieve the two flying knives. She laughed, "Two more native experts killed. My military merit is already seventy-seven points. Soon, I'll reach one hundred."
Xu Jiali was a genius student of the Xu Holy Clan, already at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Late Stage. Killing two natives at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Initial Stage was effortless.
With a sneak attack, it was a one-hit kill.
Xu Qing walked forward with his hands behind his back, not even glancing at the two corpses on the ground. His sharp eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen, who sat cross-legged on the demon ape's head. He smirked, "What a small world, Zhang Ruochen. Didn't expect to meet again so soon, did you?"
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, unruffled. "Indeed, I did not."
Xu Qing straightened his back, chin raised, with a proud air. "Do you know why I didn't attack you just now?"
"Why?"
Xu Qing's eyes grew resolute, filled with battle intent. "Losing to you on the Pilgrimage Stairway was the greatest shame of my life. Only by defeating you face-to-face can I wash away that disgrace."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Do you think you have the strength to face me now?"
Xu Qing smirked confidently. "You should know that before entering the Five Elements Ruins Realm, I had already reached the Heavenly Extreme Realm Mid Position. Even then, my strength was not inferior to yours. Now that I've broken through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Position, how many moves do you think it will take me to defeat you?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Breaking through from the Heavenly Extreme Realm Mid Position to the Great Position in just a few days—you must have had a great fortune."
Xu Qing laughed loudly. "Since you won't live past today, I might as well tell you. On the second day after arriving in the Five Elements Ruins Realm, I found one of the five spiritual treasures: the Golden Divine Mushroom."
"I only consumed a small piece, saving me about ten years of bitter cultivation, and broke through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Position. I believe breaking through to the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection within a month is not difficult."
"Not only that, I am close to mastering the Golden Spirit Treasure Body. Once I reach the Heavenly Extreme Realm Great Perfection, I should succeed. Then, with my strength, breaking into the top ten thousand of the 'Heavenly Ranking' will be no problem."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So you found the Golden Divine Mushroom. It seems you have considerable luck as well."
"Do you still dare to fight me now?" Xu Qing laughed.
Xu Qing wanted to break Zhang Ruochen's spirit first, but he did not know that Zhang Ruochen had obtained the Black Water Crystal and had also broken through again.
His arrogant posture seemed ridiculous in Zhang Ruochen's eyes.
(Hehe! Got my marriage certificate today. Only one chapter tonight. Will make up for it tomorrow at noon.)