Chapter 450: Return
The dragon pearl soared upward, radiating a dazzling brilliance like a golden miniature sun, its heat astonishing, seemingly capable of melting the earth itself.
If the dragon pearl could strike down the Langhuan Golden Bell, the sealed city district would open. The experts in the Thirty-First City would naturally discover the Black Market cultivators attacking the Silver Sky Mercenary Group.
Especially the imperial court.
The imperial court of the First Central Empire harbored a deep hatred for the Black Market. Once they discovered Black Market cultivators in the city, they would immediately dispatch the Ministry of War’s army to annihilate them.
Just as the dragon pearl was about to collide with the Langhuan Golden Bell, a thin, gray-robed old man suddenly flew out from above the pearl.
The gray-robed elder appeared as if from nowhere, incredibly eerie. He stepped through the void, dashing rapidly toward the dragon pearl.
A purple crescent imprint emerged on his brow.
“Whoosh!”
A sacred force surged from the crescent imprint, transforming into a pillar of light that struck the dragon pearl, sending it flying backward. It crashed into the ground with a thunderous roar.
The earth shook violently, and a massive crater appeared.
Golden flames melted the mud and stone around the crater, turning it into a scorched black mirror.
“Someone actually managed to knock down the dragon pearl!”
The warriors of the Silver Sky Mercenary Group all changed expression, able to sense the immense power of that strike.
The gray-robed elder halted, hovering in midair. A surging aura radiated from him, condensing into tangible waves of air that descended from the sky.
The martial artists of both the Black Market and the Silver Sky Mercenary Group were all suppressed, forced to kneel.
Only a few, like Di Yi, Zi Feng Star Envoy, and Yin Yue Lunkong, remained standing.
Zhang Ruochen quickly summoned the dragon pearl back, holding it above his head as he continuously infused true qi into it. By relying on the pearl’s power, he barely managed to withstand the elder’s pressure.
“Nascent Soul Old Demon.”
Zhang Ruochen’s expression shifted as he recognized the gray-robed elder in midair. It was the Black Market half-saint who had rescued Di Yi from the Tongming River—Yuan Ying.
The Black Market’s half-saint had finally appeared.
Di Yi frowned, clasped his hands, and bowed. “Greetings, Elder Yuan Ying.”
“Di Yi, you have disappointed me. Dealing with a mere Silver Sky Mercenary Group, and you still failed,” Yuan Ying Old Demon said sternly.
Although Di Yi was the young master and held a high status, he was only at the Heavenly Extreme Realm. Before a half-saint, he was still a junior.
This operation against Yin Yue Lunkong was originally a trial for Di Yi and the Seven Sha Star Envoys by the Black Market. Although Yuan Ying Old Demon accompanied them, he was only to intervene if their lives were in danger.
Di Yi did not offer much explanation. “Please grant me another quarter-hour, Elder. I will capture Zhang Ruochen and Yin Yue Lunkong.”
“No time left. The Ministry of War’s experts have already arrived. We must leave.”
Yuan Ying Old Demon cast a cold glance at Zhang Ruochen and Yin Yue Lunkong. “Today, you are lucky.”
“Whoosh!”
He waved his sleeve, and a freezing gale blew in from the eastern sky, sweeping Zhang Ruochen and the Silver Sky Mercenary Group’s warriors away.
“Pfft!”
Some warriors with lower martial cultivation were torn apart by the gale, reduced to bloody bones.
Zhang Ruochen felt a dizzying spin. When he landed again, the Black Market cultivators had vanished entirely. The ground was littered with shattered remains.
Only seventeen warriors of the Silver Sky Mercenary Group remained alive.
The splendid buildings once built by the group were now ruins. The mercenary warriors were either dead or wounded, leaving only seventeen powerful ones alive—a devastating loss.
Of course, many mercenaries were still out on missions. The losses today amounted to about thirty percent of the group’s total combat strength.
“They got away!”
Zhang Ruochen clenched his fists, frustrated. If he could have killed even one Star Envoy, it would have truly hurt the Black Market.
Training a Star Envoy cost more resources than training a hundred Glass Knights.
“I saw the Black Market half-saint appear, but then they all vanished?” Tu Ling said, gripping her serpent-shaped sword and taking a deep breath, her legs still trembling.
Even a top expert like her, ranked on the Heavenly List, would tremble and feel immense fear before a half-saint.
“Probably the half-saint stationed in the Thirty-First City sensed the disturbance at the Silver Sky Mercenary Group and rushed over. That’s why Yuan Ying Old Demon had to flee with the Black Market members,” Zhang Ruochen guessed.
A third eye appeared on Zhang Ruochen’s brow as he gazed at the sky.
He saw two half-saint auras, like pillars of light, clashing as they rapidly left the Thirty-First City, heading into the distance.
The Thirty-First City, a hub for mercenaries, was filled with experts, conflict, and bloodshed. It was normal for the imperial court to station a half-saint there.
He wondered if that half-saint could detain Yuan Ying Old Demon.
“Boom!”
Soon, a group of soldiers in black heavy armor, riding massive barbarian beasts, arrived outside the Silver Sky Mercenary Group, surrounding all the nearby streets and alleys.
A general in a red cape, riding a fourth-rank barbarian elephant, entered the group’s training ground and spoke with Yin Yue Lunkong.
“Lord Silver Moon, the city lord has sent me to inform you that Yuan Ying Old Demon has fled with the Black Market experts. I am now leading the city guard to clear out the Black Market’s hidden agents around your compound.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ruochen sighed.
Yuan Ying Old Demon and Di Yi had escaped again.
With the power of the Sarira, Zhang Ruochen had briefly gained immense strength. But when he put the Sarira away, a wave of weakness seeped from his bones.
It was the side effect of using the Sarira.
Zhang Ruochen withdrew the dragon pearl into his body, stopped listening to Yin Yue Lunkong and the general, and sat down to circulate his cultivation technique, recovering.
As true qi flowed through his body, he gradually dispelled the weakness.
When Zhang Ruochen opened his eyes again, the city guard had already withdrawn, having arrested a large number of Black Market agents around the Silver Sky Mercenary Group.
Di Yi had planned this attack on the group for a long time. Every agent was one of his pawns.
The city guard’s removal of these agents dealt a heavy blow to the Black Market. From now on, their control over the Thirty-First City would drop significantly.
“Zhang Ruochen, thank you for your help. Without you, the Silver Sky Mercenary Group would surely have been doomed. In the future, if you ever need anything, just send word to the group. Even if it means walking through fire or crossing a sea of blades, Yin Yue Lunkong will come to your aid.”
Yin Yue Lunkong walked to Zhang Ruochen, lowered her proud head, clasped her hands, and bowed.
The wound on her lower abdomen had fully healed, leaving no scar on her fair skin.
Though the external injury was gone, her internal injuries would take time to recover. Even with her Glass Divine Body, she needed at least three days to return to peak condition. It was precisely because she had cultivated this body that she survived such a severe wound.
Anyone else would have died long ago.
Zhang Ruochen quickly said, “Lord Silver Moon, you need not be so polite. Di Yi is not only your enemy but also mine. I believe we will have many opportunities to cooperate in the future.”
This time, although he had used the power of the Sarira’s first seal, he had eliminated Blood Spirit King and gained an ally like Yin Yue Lunkong.
Overall, the gains outweighed the losses.
Di Yi had the Seven Sha Star Envoys and Glass Knights. Zhang Ruochen had a few friends, but few could match the Star Envoys.
With Yin Yue Lunkong as an ally, Zhang Ruochen would no longer be so isolated when facing Di Yi.
Yin Yue Lunkong said, “This time, because of you, Di Yi’s plan failed. He won’t let it go and will surely send experts after you. For the next half-month, let Nie Honglou protect you until you officially enter the Saint Academy and become a saint disciple.”
In half a month, Zhang Ruochen would formally enter the Saint Academy. Even the Black Market wouldn’t dare kill someone there.
Nie Honglou was the deputy leader of the Silver Sky Mercenary Group, a master of the Sixth Change of Fish-Dragon Realm. He could fight two Glass Knight leaders alone, proving his strength.
With him as a protector, as long as he didn’t encounter experts like Zi Feng Star Envoy or Yin Yue Lunkong, Zhang Ruochen would be safe.
Zhang Ruochen had not only saved Yin Yue Lunkong but also Nie Honglou, who was deeply grateful. He had no objections to the arrangement.
After resting for a night, Zhang Ruochen and Nie Honglou healed their injuries.
The next morning, they left the Thirty-First City and returned to the Seventh District.
As soon as he arrived in the Seventh District, Zhang Ruochen met Lu Youcai, the external affairs elder of the Divine Sword Sacred Land.
Lu Youcai, plump and clad in a dazzling black-gold armor, his round belly protruding, squinted as he waited at the Martial Market Courier Station. Seeing Zhang Ruochen enter, he stood up and smiled.
“Brother Zhang, the matter you entrusted to me has some progress!”
“So fast!” Zhang Ruochen’s face lit up with joy.
Lu Youcai glanced at Nie Honglou beside Zhang Ruochen, showing a hint of surprise. “This must be the mercenary expert you hired in the Thirty-First City—the deputy leader of the Silver Sky Mercenary Group.”
“Nie Honglou,” the man said.
Lu Youcai nodded, turning his attention back to the main topic. “Yesterday, Brother Zhang asked me to help buy a mansion in the Seventh District. Today, someone is willing to sell a former half-saint’s residence at a low price—just one hundred million spirit crystals. Brother Zhang, would you like to take a look? The owner of that half-saint’s former home is a senior predecessor who also wishes to meet you.”