Chapter 418: Beginning the Action
Seeing Zhang Ruochen, Chang Qiqi’s expression relaxed. He thrust his war blade back into the ground and let out a loud laugh. “Haha! Junior Brother Zhang, you’re finally here! Senior Brother and I have already taken Wind Spirit City. There are other students in the city, but none of them are a match for us. So, in Wind Spirit City, Senior Brother and I are the supreme overlords.”
He continued, “Anyway, Senior Brother and I have already accumulated a hundred military merit points, which means we’ve passed the third round of the assessment. Why not take advantage of the remaining twenty-plus days to enjoy ourselves? Once we return to the Holy Academy, we won’t have such opportunities. By then, we’ll already be lay disciples of the Buddhist sect.”
“Junior Brother Zhang, you’ve arrived just in time. Join us for some fun. Tell me what kind of woman you want—petite and delicate, or seductive and voluptuous. Before nightfall, I’ll have her delivered to your bed.”
Chang Qiqi patted his chest, speaking with absolute certainty.
The next moment, when he saw Huang Yanchen also walking in through the main gate, his excited expression immediately fell. He let out a dry chuckle. “Uh... so Princess Yanchen is here too. What a coincidence!”
Huang Yanchen’s sapphire-blue eyes swept over the scantily clad women around them. She snorted coldly. “Men really are no good. Once they gain the power to suppress everything, they reveal all their bad habits.”
Chang Qiqi gave an awkward smile and signaled with his eyes. The beautiful women immediately withdrew.
At the same time, Chang Qiqi transmitted his voice to Zhang Ruochen, lowering it. “Junior Brother Zhang, when I build my own city in the future and become a true city lord, I’ll recruit countless beauties and invite you over as a guest. Since Senior Sister Huang is here today, we’ll have to hold back a bit, so we don’t upset her.”
Zhang Ruochen just smiled and didn’t respond.
With her profound cultivation, Huang Yanchen naturally noticed Chang Qiqi transmitting his voice to Zhang Ruochen. She said coldly, “Senior Brother Chang, if you have something to say, why not say it to my face?”
Chang Qiqi let out a hearty laugh. “Nothing, nothing. I was just telling Junior Brother Zhang that from now on, I’ll turn over a new leaf, focus solely on martial arts, and be an honest and upright person.”
Huang Yanchen’s gaze shifted to Si Xingkong. “Senior Brother, you’ve always been steady and mature. Why are you joining Chang Qiqi in this nonsense? Don’t you know that the Five Elements Ruins Realm is very dangerous? The Evil Wood Palace is just five hundred li away at Cracked Yin Mountain. They could attack Wind Spirit City at any moment. With your strength, can you hold off a Dharma King?”
Si Xingkong’s hair was disheveled, and he was still savoring his wine. He laughed. “Xiao Chang and I have already fully refined the dragon blood. Besides, before coming to the Five Elements Ruins Realm, our master each gave us a treasure. So, even if we can’t defeat a Dharma King, escaping wouldn’t be a problem.”
The master Si Xingkong referred to was the Half-Saint A Lan of the Holy Academy.
Si Xingkong was naturally a free-spirited person, so he didn’t force himself to kill people for military merit. Rather than killing two more native humans, he’d rather drink two more cups of fine wine.
Huang Yanchen stamped her foot in frustration. “You’ve accumulated a hundred military merit points, so you can indulge in pleasure and stop striving. Have you never thought about making it onto the Heavenly Ranking?”
Chang Qiqi sighed. “To get onto the Heavenly Ranking, you need ten thousand points. In the Five Elements Ruins Realm, it’s impossible to accumulate that many military merit points.”
Si Xingkong said, “Actually, Xiao Chang and I took over Wind Spirit City to build a reputation. That way, you could find this place faster and join us. Then, combining all our strength, we can attack the Evil Wood Palace and seize the Purple Cloud Agarwood.”
Chang Qiqi nodded vigorously. “Senior Brother and I have already recruited fifteen talented students. They all look up to us now. Since Junior Brother Zhang has arrived, we now have a top-tier expert. We can attack the Evil Wood Palace right away.”
Zhang Ruochen narrowed his eyes. “Are those fifteen talented students reliable? Why would they submit to you and Senior Brother?”
Zhang Ruochen was naturally suspicious. After all, the students who passed the first two rounds were all top-tier talents from the Eastern Domain, each with their own pride.
Chang Qiqi and Si Xingkong weren’t descendants of saintly clans, so why would these arrogant students submit to them?
Chang Qiqi laughed heartily. “Senior Brother and I are both geniuses, and we’re strong, but as you said, Junior Brother Zhang, those talented students still wouldn’t accept us.”
“But what can they do? We’re from the Demon Ridge, and two of the six young kings of the Eastern Domain’s new generation are our junior brothers and sisters. When Senior Brother and I announced our names, they immediately flocked to us, willing to be our underlings. Haha!”
Zhang Ruochen and Luo Shuihan’s names were now thunderous in the Eastern Domain, making them idols for countless young martial artists.
Even Chang Qiqi and Si Xingkong’s status had risen with the tide. With Chang Qiqi’s silver tongue, they had tricked a large group of talented students into following them.
Who wouldn’t want to follow two young kings? Would they still fear having no future?
Zhang Ruochen finally understood the situation. He smiled. “We definitely need to attack the Evil Wood Palace, but before that, there’s something else to do.”
Si Xingkong’s expression turned serious. “What is it?”
“Help you improve your strength,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Chang Qiqi sighed. “With our master’s help, Senior Brother and I have fully refined the dragon blood, and our martial cultivation has just broken through to the late Heavenly Extreme Realm. To improve again in just over twenty days... that’s no easy task.”
Huang Yanchen nodded. She had been at the peak of the late Heavenly Extreme Realm for a while, but she still hadn’t touched the threshold of the Minor Extreme Realm of the Heavenly Extreme Realm.
The Minor Extreme Realm of the Heavenly Extreme Realm still seemed far away.
Zhang Ruochen took out a piece of Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal, weighing about ten jin. “What if we have this?”
The three of them immediately stared at the crystal in Zhang Ruochen’s hand.
Although they had never seen Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal before, they could feel the purest water-attribute power emanating from it.
Chang Qiqi licked his lips, his eyes gleaming. “Could it be... could it be the most fundamental spiritual treasure of the Five Elements Ruins Realm—the Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal?”
Zhang Ruochen nodded.
With the confirmation, Chang Qiqi immediately pounced, snatching the Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal from Zhang Ruochen’s hand. He hugged it to his chest, excitedly saying, “My goodness, Junior Brother Zhang, where did you find such a big piece of Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “When I came to the Five Elements Ruins Realm, I encountered a pool, jumped in, and dug up a bunch.”
“What? That simple?”
Chang Qiqi stared at Zhang Ruochen with envy and jealousy. “Junior Brother Zhang, your luck is too outrageous. Why didn’t I run into that pool? Seriously, comparing people is infuriating. With this luck, there’s no one else!”
Zhang Ruochen made it sound easy, but Si Xingkong didn’t think it was that simple. Wherever there were treasures, there were bound to be guardian beasts. If Chang Qiqi had really run into that pool and jumped in, he probably wouldn’t have known how he died.
Chang Qiqi held the Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal for a while but eventually sighed and handed it back to Zhang Ruochen. “Such a precious treasure, I bet you didn’t dig up much, Junior Brother Zhang. I, Old Chang, won’t take it.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled but didn’t take the crystal from Chang Qiqi. Instead, he moved his fingers and took out two more pieces of Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal, each weighing over ten jin, and tossed them to Huang Yanchen and Si Xingkong.
Chang Qiqi was shocked. He seriously doubted whether what Zhang Ruochen had taken out was really Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal. How could such a treasure be given away like throwing stones?
Even Si Xingkong was stunned as he caught the crystal. “Junior Brother Zhang, how much Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal did you get?”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile. “Refine as much as you can. It depends on your strength. But don’t waste it.”
“Whoever wastes a single gram of such treasure is a fool.”
Chang Qiqi sat cross-legged on the ground, holding the Black Water Glazed Gold Crystal, and immediately began refining it.
Huang Yanchen and Si Xingkong followed suit, starting their own refinement.
Zhang Ruochen ordered the demon ape to stay in the city lord’s mansion and guard the three of them.
Leaving Wind Spirit City, Zhang Ruochen headed to Cracked Yin Mountain, where the Evil Wood Palace was located. After spending half a day, he found a mage from the Evil Wood Palace and captured him.
The mage looked to be in his fifties or sixties, short and thin, with a cultivation level roughly equivalent to the early Earth Extreme Realm. He should be considered a decent expert in the Evil Wood Palace.
Zhang Ruochen pressed his sword finger against the mage’s neck. “What’s your name?”
“Wu... Wuteng, sir. I’m an external affairs elder of the Evil Wood Palace... Could there be some misunderstanding?” Wuteng the mage knelt on the ground, trembling all over.
“No misunderstanding. You’re exactly who I’m looking for.”
Zhang Ruochen took out two long wooden boxes and tossed them to Wuteng the mage. “I want you to deliver these two boxes to the Evil Wood Palace’s palace master, the Skeletal Dharma King. Can you do that?”
“I... I can, I suppose.”
Wuteng the master raised his head and asked cautiously, “May I ask, sir, what is your name? What are these things you’re giving to the palace master?”
Zhang Ruochen said, “The two boxes contain the crystal staves of the Green Wood Dharma King and the Ancestral Heart Dharma King. But I’ve already killed them.”
“What?”
Wuteng the mage was so frightened he nearly collapsed. The Evil Wood Palace only had four Dharma Kings, and this man had killed two of them.
Zhang Ruochen said, “Tell the Skeletal Dharma King that my name is Zhang Ruochen. In ten days, I’ll be waiting for him at New Moon City. I hope he can face me in a fair battle.”
“Yes... yes...”
Under Zhang Ruochen’s oppressive aura, Wuteng the mage immediately lowered his head, his old face nearly touching the ground.
When he looked up again, Zhang Ruochen had already vanished without a trace.
“Who... who is that? Is he even human?”
Wuteng the mage wiped the sweat from his forehead and looked at the two wooden boxes. He opened them and saw the crystal staves of the Green Wood Dharma King and the Ancestral Heart Dharma King inside. However, both staves were broken.
Wuteng the mage quickly closed the two boxes, hugged them to his chest, and hurried back to the Evil Wood Palace.
...
(End of the month. Even though the updates are slow, I still have to ask for monthly votes! If the monthly votes break two thousand tomorrow, I, Xiao Yu, have decided that the child I’ve been carrying for three months—if it’s a boy, I’ll name him Zhang Ruochen; if it’s a girl, I’ll name her Zhang Yanchen. Haha! Would that be too hasty?)