Chapter 442: The Enemy Has Arrived
Silver Moon Lincang stood like a war goddess who had stepped out of a painting, her aura transcendent, exuding a powerful presence. Even just standing there casually, she gave off an immense sense of pressure.
"Nie Honglou said you want to hire me to help you kill a Blood Spirit at the sixth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm. Do you know how high the price is to hire me for a single day?" Silver Moon Lincang said bluntly.
Even standing before a powerhouse like Silver Moon Lincang, Zhang Ruochen showed no fear, remaining very calm. "For a strong one like Silver Moon, the leader of the regiment, silver coins and spirit crystals simply cannot measure your worth. I suspect the payment you require is something else, isn't it?"
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's composed demeanor, Silver Moon Lincang's eyes revealed a hint of admiration. "Zhang Ruochen is indeed Zhang Ruochen. No wonder you were able to defeat that young master trained by the Black Market First Class Hall. Come! Let us enter the Silver Void Tower and discuss this in detail."
She made a gesture of invitation, then her figure shifted slightly and vanished from the spot.
The next moment, she had already returned to that seven-story tower.
Zhang Ruochen stepped onto the stairs and ascended, entering the Silver Void Tower.
Standing on the first floor of the tower, he looked up and saw Silver Moon Lincang seated above on a silver eagle-winged throne forged from silver.
She wore a thin layer of silver armor that only covered her chest and thighs. It was unclear what material it was forged from, shimmering with flowing light and taking on a flame-like shape. Large expanses of snow-white skin were exposed outside the armor.
Faintly, one could see specks of silver light rain falling from midair, as if concealing her behind a curtain of rain.
Silver Moon Lincang's long silver hair draped over her shoulders, cascading down between her slender, seductive neck, giving off a visual impact that was both domineeringly cold and sensually alluring. Two contrasting auras appeared on her at the same time.
Silver Moon Lincang said, "Zhang Ruochen, I will offer two conditions. If you agree to just one of them, I will not charge you any payment. I will personally act to kill that Blood Spirit for you. Additionally, I can dispatch Nie Honglou to stay by your side and protect you for a month."
Zhang Ruochen stood with his hands behind his back, upright in the center of the tower. "What conditions?"
Silver Moon Lincang said, "I know you are the heir of the Buddha Emperor and possess the Dragon Pearl. So, for the first condition, I want to borrow the Buddha Emperor's True Intent Diagram for three days to study it."
"I have now reached the peak of the ninth transformation of the Fish-Dragon Realm, only one step away from stepping into the Half-Saint realm. But that step is incredibly difficult, like a heavenly tribulation that cannot be crossed."
"If I could comprehend the Buddha Emperor's True Intent Diagram, it should greatly help me. Perhaps I could use it to suddenly grasp the true essence of the Half-Saint realm."
Zhang Ruochen shook his head. "I'm sorry, I do not have the Buddha Emperor's True Intent Diagram."
A look of disappointment appeared in Silver Moon Lincang's eyes, but she could understand.
The True Intent Diagram drawn by the Buddha Emperor with his lifelong Buddhist teachings—what a precious treasure it was! Even if she possessed such a treasure, she would not easily take it out for others to study.
However, Silver Moon Lincang had misunderstood Zhang Ruochen. Zhang Ruochen truly did not have the Buddha Emperor's True Intent Diagram.
"Very well!"
Silver Moon Lincang nodded. "In that case, I will state the second condition."
Zhang Ruochen listened attentively, thinking to himself, given Silver Moon Lincang's status and cultivation level, the conditions she proposed would certainly not be low, and definitely not something ordinary people could fulfill.
What would her second condition be?
Silver Moon Lincang said, "Zhang Ruochen, you should have some understanding of the Silver Void Mercenary Corps. It was founded by me, and all members recruited are young prodigies. Although the corps is not yet powerful, it is full of vitality."
"Moreover, the Silver Void Mercenary Corps has an extremely high reputation and has recruited many exceptionally talented individuals. You can imagine that, if it develops smoothly, in a hundred years, it will surely become a super mercenary corps renowned across the Eastern Domain. What do you think? Are you interested in becoming a member of the Silver Void Mercenary Corps?"
Zhang Ruochen was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Silver Moon Lincang's second condition to be an invitation for him to join the Silver Void Mercenary Corps.
"Are you inviting me to join the Silver Void Mercenary Corps?" Zhang Ruochen confirmed again.
Silver Moon Lincang rarely showed a smile. She stood up and walked through the air. "The Silver Void Mercenary Corps has always been known as a prodigy concentration camp, and that is how it is recognized by the outside world. If people knew that Zhang Ruochen, one of the six kings of the new generation, was also a member of the Silver Void Mercenary Corps, it would have a strong promotional effect. I estimate that soon, countless young martial artists with adventurous dreams would come to join, quickly expanding the corps."
"Therefore, the name Zhang Ruochen alone is a priceless treasure. As long as you join the Silver Void Mercenary Corps, I will naturally help you kill the Blood Spirit and also protect your safety."
In truth, Zhang Ruochen was also somewhat tempted to join a mercenary corps, to go on adventures across the world, broaden his horizons, train in martial arts, and enhance his ability to handle affairs.
The Divine Land of the Eastern Domain was vast, and there were many places Zhang Ruochen had never been.
Read ten thousand books, travel ten thousand miles.
The cultivation of martial arts and the sacred path was never about shutting oneself away.
Silver Moon Lincang's invitation to join the Silver Moon Mercenary Corps did stir some interest in Zhang Ruochen.
Just as Zhang Ruochen was still thinking, a man in a purple robe flew over from afar, moving like a ghost, flashing through the void and landing on the top of the Silver Void Tower.
Only after he stood still could his appearance be seen. It was the leader of the seven star envoys of the Black Market First Class Hall, the Purple Wind Star Envoy.
"Whoosh!"
The Purple Wind Star Envoy took out a delicate golden bell, two inches tall, held it in his palm, channeled true qi, and infused it inside.
As the true qi surged out, the inscriptions inside the bell were activated.
The golden bell spun rapidly, flew out, and hovered above the Silver Void Mercenary Corps.
"Boom!"
A massive golden bell-shaped barrier descended, completely enveloping the entire Silver Void Mercenary Corps, trapping it inside the golden bell.
By the time the Purple Wind Star Envoy flew to the top of the Silver Void Tower, Zhang Ruochen and Silver Moon Lincang inside the tower had already sensed him.
"Someone is on the tower top."
Silver Moon Lincang burst through the tower top in an instant, striking a palm toward the Purple Wind Star Envoy.
But she was a step too late. After unleashing the Langhuan Golden Bell, the Purple Wind Star Envoy immediately retreated and vanished without a trace.
"Hum!"
Silver Moon Lincang's palm struck the light wall of the golden bell. It did not shatter the light wall but instead produced a loud sound like a divine bell being struck.
Ripples of sound waves, like water waves, surged downward.
"Crack!"
The Silver Void Tower bore the brunt of it. Under the impact of the sound waves, the seventh floor of the tower shattered, beams and pillars turned to ash, glazed tiles became dust, followed by the sixth floor, the fifth floor...