Chapter 521: Setting Sail
Xu Longyi still found it hard to believe, thinking he might be hearing things. He asked again, “Really?”
Zhang Ruochen grew a bit impatient, his gaze darkening as he said, “If you don’t leave now, I might change my mind.”
Sensing the chill emanating from Zhang Ruochen, Xu Longyi didn’t linger any longer. He immediately activated his movement technique, leaping up and landing on the rooftop of a building beside the street.
“Shua!”
With a few more flashes, he vanished completely from sight.
“Amitabha!”
Standing Monk walked out, carrying the massive blade in its scabbard on his back. He stopped not far from Zhang Ruochen, revealing a simple, honest smile.
Seeing Standing Monk was like spotting a plague. Zhang Ruochen frowned, immediately activating his movement technique and heading toward the Ruins Realm Ferry.
Standing Monk employed a profound Buddhist movement technique, unhurriedly chasing after Zhang Ruochen like a piece of sticky candy, truly latching onto him.
...
At the Myriad Realms Tavern, in a rather ornate detached villa.
Xu Hai, the heir of the Xu Holy Clan; Green Robe Star Envoy from the Black Market First Class Hall; Yin Wuchang, the third disciple of Ghost Saint; and dozens of other evil path martial artists had all gathered here, standing by a pond.
Whether it was Xu Hai or the evil path martial artists, they all stared at the newly returned Xu Longyi with eerie expressions.
Xu Hai’s gaze was sharp and cold. “Did Zhang Ruochen really tell you he’s going to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm, and that it’s today?”
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Xu Longyi still steeled himself and said, “That’s right. He also said that if you want to kill him or rescue Orange Moon Star Envoy, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity.”
Xu Hai took three steps forward, stopping in front of Xu Longyi. “You didn’t reveal the secret of the alliance between the Xu Holy Clan and the Black Market, did you?”
A powerful oppressive force radiated from Xu Hai, making the air seem to solidify and stop flowing.
Xu Longyi felt as if a mountain were pressing down on him. He quickly said, “No, no. How could I possibly tell him something so confidential?”
“Is that so?”
Xu Hai sneered. “Do you take me for a fool? If you hadn’t told him, would he have let you come back? I think you’re already his man now!”
Xu Longyi’s face turned pale with fear. His legs went weak, and with a “dong,” he fell to his knees, trembling as he said, “Young… Young Master, please believe me. I would never dare betray the clan… Ah…”
Xu Hai struck the top of Xu Longyi’s head with his palm. With a “pa,” four bloody cracks split open on Xu Longyi’s skull, spreading from the crown down to his neck.
Crimson blood gushed out from the cracks, gurgling and staining his robes red.
Xu Hai withdrew his hand, took a white silk handkerchief from his sleeve, and wiped the blood from his fingers, smiling. “I failed to control my subordinate. Brother Yin and Lord Green Robe Star Envoy must be amused.”
Green Robe Star Envoy let out a cackling laugh. “We can all see that Xu Longyi has been won over by Zhang Ruochen. Zhang Ruochen must have set a trap, which is why he sent Xu Longyi to lure us to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm, hoping to catch us all in one net.”
Xu Hai snorted coldly. “Zhang Ruochen is still too green. Using such a low-level trick to deal with us, does he really think we’re all fools? Still, since Zhang Ruochen has declared he’s going to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm, it is indeed an opportunity for us. Should we turn the tables on him?”
Green Robe Star Envoy thought for a moment. “Let’s wait a bit. Zhang Ruochen isn’t so easy to deal with. We absolutely must not let our guard down.”
Just then, an evil path martial artist in a black robe and mask hurried in from outside. “Reporting to Lord Star Envoy. A disciple from the Blood Cloud Sect just reported that Zhang Ruochen has gone to the Ruins Realm Ferry and registered with the Ministry of War. He’s about to head to the Ruins Realm battlefield of the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm.”
Green Robe Star Envoy’s expression shifted. “How many people did he bring?”
“Only himself.”
Green Robe Star Envoy paused for a moment. “Are you sure it’s just him?”
The martial artist said, “I’ve already checked. It’s only Zhang Ruochen, and he’s already boarded the ship heading to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm. I also checked all the forces that have ties with him—the Holy Academy, the Chen Clan, the Silver Sky Mercenary Corps—none of them have deployed anyone on the ship. So Zhang Ruochen is indeed going to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm alone.”
Xu Hai couldn’t help but glance at Xu Longyi’s corpse, thinking to himself, Could it be that I killed the wrong person?
Still, even if he had killed the wrong person, Xu Hai felt no regret.
He simply thought Zhang Ruochen was too cunning. By deliberately letting Xu Longyi return and having him deliver the message, Zhang Ruochen had misled him, leading him to strike Xu Longyi dead.
So he also blamed Xu Longyi’s death on Zhang Ruochen.
Xu Hai’s gaze turned icy. “Zhang Ruochen is far too arrogant. He actually dares to go to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm alone.”
Green Robe Star Envoy laughed loudly. “Zhang Ruochen is just a martial artist from a small place. Suddenly becoming the king of the younger generation and taking first place on the Heavenly Ranking, shaking the world, it’s inevitable that he’d become proud and swell-headed.”
Xu Hai also laughed. “I thought Zhang Ruochen was a man with no weaknesses, but I didn’t expect him to be so arrogant. Does he really think he can stand against the Xu Holy Clan and the Black Market with just his own strength?”
“Since he’s so arrogant, we’ll teach him a proper lesson. We need to make him clearly understand that one should be more low-key in life,” Green Robe Star Envoy said with a hoarse laugh.
Xu Hai led three Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators, while Green Robe Star Envoy and Yin Wuchang, the third disciple of Ghost Saint, also led evil path experts from the Black Market as they rushed toward the Ruins Realm Ferry.
...
The Black Tortoise Ruins Realm was a top-tier medium-level ruins realm, vast in territory, fraught with danger, and home to countless powerful native beings.
The war between the Kunlun Realm and the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm had been deadlocked for a hundred and twenty years, yet the Kunlun Realm had still not fully conquered it.
It was said that the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm had a Saint-level native king, incredibly powerful, who had even killed some Half-Saints from the Kunlun Realm.
At this moment, the ruins realm ship had not yet set sail.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the deck, holding a book in his hands. It contained maps of parts of the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm and explanations about its native creatures.
He had bought it for three Spirit Crystals from a young ruins realm warrior at the ferry.
Standing Monk was not far from Zhang Ruochen, still carrying the blade on his back, sitting cross-legged like a rock or a withered tree, completely motionless.
“A medium-level ruins realm, and it has a Saint-level native. Looks like I’ll need to be very careful this time. If I get targeted by some Half-Saint-level native, I’m as good as dead.”
Zhang Ruochen closed the scroll and put it away.
He had already memorized everything in it.
Feeling eyes on him from behind, Zhang Ruochen turned to glance at the ruins realm warriors, then looked away, muttering to himself, “So many people have followed me. It seems I’ve become a hot commodity—everyone wants a bite.”
There were over six thousand ruins realm warriors on this ship, the weakest being at the Heavenly Extreme Realm Initial Stage. About one in thirty had reached the Fish-Dragon Realm.
That meant there were nearly two hundred Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators on this ship alone.
Zhang Ruochen could sense that at least fifty of those Fish-Dragon Realm warriors had their attention fixed on him. Without a doubt, they were all here for him.
And that was just the Fish-Dragon Realm warriors. Among the Heavenly Extreme Realm warriors, there were likely even more with the same goal.
Some were probably after the Dragon Pearl and the Sacred Sword, while others sought the Black Tortoise’s inheritance.
“It looks like this trip to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm will be fraught with danger.”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head with a smile. Despite the difficulties, he felt no fear.
Whether it was to break through to the Supreme Extreme Realm or to find the Black Tortoise’s inheritance, he had to go to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm. Of course, Zhang Ruochen wasn’t reckless or arrogant. Since he dared to go, he naturally had a way to escape.
Just then, two more groups boarded the ship.
Zhang Ruochen recognized the leaders: Xu Hai of the Xu Holy Clan and Green Robe Star Envoy of the Black Market First Class Hall.
“They came after all,” Zhang Ruochen said.
Xu Hai led three Fish-Dragon Realm cultivators onto the ship and walked toward Zhang Ruochen, stopping not far to his left without making any immediate move.
Xu Hai acted as if he didn’t know Zhang Ruochen, only speaking in low tones with the three cultivators, occasionally glancing in Zhang Ruochen’s direction.
Unlike Xu Hai, Green Robe Star Envoy’s arrival caused quite a stir on the ship.
Everyone knew about the enmity between Zhang Ruochen and the Black Market First Class Hall.
Green Robe Star Envoy’s appearance was an unusual signal.
As a result, other cultivators who had designs on Zhang Ruochen had to back off. After all, the Black Market was too dominant; ordinary people didn’t dare challenge them.
Green Robe Star Envoy brought only two people: a man and a woman.
The man was Yin Wuchang, the third disciple of Ghost Saint.
Yin Wuchang looked quite refined, but his skin was deathly pale, as if he had lived his whole life without sunlight, giving off a sinister, chilling vibe.
The woman was called “Iron Maiden,” the tenth-ranked assassin trained by the Blood Cloud Sect.
She was quite tall, clad in tight black leather armor that accentuated her full chest and hips, with supple, long legs. She wore metal boots that clanged with every step.
Iron Maiden had a black iron mask covering her eyes and nose, and a dark cloth cape draped over her shoulders. She looked sharp and capable, clearly a top-tier killer who had taken countless lives.
Yin Wuchang walked straight toward Zhang Ruochen, not hiding his hostility at all. “Zhang Ruochen, where have you hidden my junior sister?”
Orange Moon Star Envoy was the fourth disciple of Ghost Saint, naturally making her Yin Wuchang’s junior sister.
When he learned that Zhang Ruochen was going to the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm alone, Yin Wuchang had immediately gone to Zhang Ruochen’s residence but found no trace of Orange Moon Star Envoy.
So he had to follow Green Robe Star Envoy to the Ruins Realm Ferry, hoping to get an answer from Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm. “Who are you? And who is your junior sister?”
“I am Yin Wuchang, the heir of Ghost Saint. Now do you know who my junior sister is?” Yin Wuchang said.
Zhang Ruochen said, “So you’re looking for Orange Moon Star Envoy. Unfortunately, she has already submitted to me. I doubt she’ll be returning to the Black Market.”
“What did you say?”
Yin Wuchang’s eyes turned blood-red. The rage within him made his hands burst into flames.
Ever since arriving at the Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain, Yin Wuchang had heard people talking about how Zhang Ruochen had abused his junior sister in various ways, even turning her into a plaything for his bed.
He hadn’t believed it at first, but after hearing Zhang Ruochen’s words, he finally did.
If Zhang Ruochen hadn’t used despicable means to torment his junior sister, why would she submit to him?
Zhang Ruochen hadn’t expected Yin Wuchang to be so furious, feeling a bit puzzled. But he didn’t bother to think about the reason and simply said, “The Ruins Realm Ferry is still within the territory of the Chaos Myriad Realms Mountain. I suggest you don’t start a fight here.”
Green Robe Star Envoy was worried that Yin Wuchang might lose control of his anger and act rashly, so he immediately stepped in to stop him. “Brother Yin, even if we want to kill him, there’s no rush. Once we reach the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm, we’ll deal with him slowly.”
Yin Wuchang finally restrained himself and temporarily backed down.
Not long after, under the escort of a Fish-Dragon Ninth Change general from the Ministry of War, the formation on the ruins realm ship slowly activated, forming an egg-shaped light shield that enveloped the vessel.
The ruins realm ship set sail, heading toward the Black Tortoise Ruins Realm.
(Annotation: Military Merit Value: In the Heavenly Level Battle Platform challenges, military merit values cannot be stacked. Only the military merit value of the top-ranked Heavenly Ranking martial artist can be replaced. So when Zhang Ruochen reached first place on the Heavenly Ranking, he only replaced Huang Shenyi’s military merit value. His own military merit value cannot be added to it.)
p