Chapter 595: A Heart That Cherishes Talent
“In that case, let’s settle this with real skill. I want to see if you’re truly that strong.”
Ji Gui extended his right hand and drew a two-foot-long crescent short blade from the armor at his waist.
A flash of blade light appeared, and a wave of icy cold air surged from the edge, rushing toward Zhang Ruochen.
“Shua, shua.”
Within the cold air, over a hundred blade qi condensed into a ferocious beast head, emitting a deafening roar.
Ji Gui’s casual strike was a ghost-grade lower-rank blade technique—the Hundred Beasts Blade Art.
The Hundred Beasts Blade Art consisted of one hundred moves.
To master each move, one had to refine the soul of a powerful barbarian beast and merge it into their martial soul. Finally, it was integrated into the blade technique.
Even among ghost-grade lower-rank techniques, there were differences in quality.
Clearly, the Hundred Beasts Blade Art was at the top tier of ghost-grade lower-rank techniques. It was extremely difficult to cultivate, but its unleashed power was overwhelmingly mighty.
With just this fully mastered Hundred Beasts Blade Art, Ji Gui had the strength to challenge cultivators at the Fish-Dragon Eighth Transformation.
The move Ji Gui executed was the fastest strike in the Hundred Beasts Blade Art—Leaping Leopard Pounce.
At the same cultivation level, a spiritual power master’s strength might surpass a martial artist’s. However, once a martial artist closed within ten zhang of a spiritual power master, the martial artist actually held the advantage.
At this moment, the distance between Ji Gui and Zhang Ruochen was less than ten zhang.
The surging blade qi and the ferocious beast head emitted a “wu wu” sound, rushing to Zhang Ruochen in an instant, leaving deep blade and axe marks on the ground.
Zhang Ruochen reacted swiftly, using the Thunderbolt Technique to dodge quickly.
“Boom!”
The overwhelming blade qi struck empty air, veering to the side and crashing into a layer of formation light curtain. All the blade qi dissipated, turning into wisps of cold mist.
“Impressive blade technique. But though it’s fast, it lacks power,” Zhang Ruochen said.
“You’re just a spiritual power master—how could you understand the true essence of my Hundred Beasts Blade Art? Do you believe I can sever your head within ten moves?”
“No.”
“Dragon and Serpent Dance Together.”
Ji Gui snorted coldly and executed an even more powerful move from the Hundred Beasts Blade Art. The crescent short blade in his hand traced a bizarre arc, accompanied by a “shua shua” sound of breaking wind.
On either side of Ji Gui’s body, blade qi illusions of a ten-zhang-long dragon and python materialized. As Ji Gui charged at Zhang Ruochen, the dragon and python illusions surged forward, creating a spectacular scene of dragons and serpents dancing together.
“The Hundred Beasts Blade Art truly lives up to its reputation.”
“Ji Gui’s cultivation is incredibly profound.”
“Ji Gui has refined a hundred beast souls into his body. Since childhood, he’s drunk the blood of barbarian beasts and consumed their flesh and bones daily. I suspect he might even be capable of cross-realm combat.”
“Impossible! The gap between the Fish-Dragon Seventh Transformation and the Eighth Transformation is enormous—how could he cross it?”
All the evil path martial artists’ expressions changed drastically as they quickly retreated.
If not for the formations in Red Willow Manor being fully activated, just the blade qi from Ji Gui’s “Dragon and Serpent Dance Together” move would have reduced half the manor to ruins.
“This man’s strength is a notch above Luo Shi’s.”
In truth, Luo Shi was also very powerful. If he hadn’t been overly confident in his concealment skills, Zhang Ruochen might not have been able to injure him with just spiritual power attacks.
Ji Gui’s strength, being even greater than Luo Shi’s, naturally put immense pressure on Zhang Ruochen, forcing him to retreat repeatedly in a perilous situation.
Zhang Ruochen unleashed four first-rank spells in succession before breaking Ji Gui’s blade technique.
From her seat above, Red Desire Star Envoy’s captivating eyes showed a hint of surprise. “How strange. His spiritual power has clearly reached the forty-fourth rank, so why does he only use first-rank spells? If he could unleash second-rank and third-rank spells, Ji Gui would have likely been defeated by now.”
Luo Shi stared intently at Zhang Ruochen’s legs, noticing his agile footwork. “This man has trained in martial arts, and his martial cultivation is quite profound.”
Red Desire Star Envoy stroked her chin, revealing a charming smile. “Interesting. Luo Shi, have you suppressed your injuries?”
“After taking the healing pill bestowed by Star Envoy, my injuries are no longer a concern. I await your orders at any time,” Luo Shi replied.
Red Desire Star Envoy said, “In that case, go assist Ji Gui. With the two of you working together, perhaps you can force him to use his full strength. I’m curious—how powerful can a forty-fourth-rank spiritual power master be when unleashing second-rank spells?”
“Yes!”
Receiving the order, Luo Shi immediately soared into the air and joined the battle circle between Zhang Ruochen and Ji Gui.
Drawing a blood-patterned sword, Luo Shi attacked Zhang Ruochen from the side.
Red Desire Star Envoy’s eyes remained fixed on Zhang Ruochen, unblinking. She felt his figure was oddly familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.
If she could force him to use his full strength, she might discern clues from the spells he cast.
“In the entire Eastern Domain, there are only so many young spiritual power masters. Those who have cultivated their spiritual power to the forty-fourth rank are even rarer. Who are you?”
Red Desire Star Envoy lightly rested her chin on her finger, her eyes narrowing into a captivating slit.
Luo Shi’s attack speed was astonishing. With a single thrust of his sword, it was like lightning streaking across the sky.
“Shua, shua!”
The entire Red Willow Manor was thrown into chaos. Sand and stones flew as sword qi and blade qi merged into one, shredding trees into wood chips, smashing pavilions into rubble, and freezing ponds into icy pits.
Zhang Ruochen, fighting alone against two top experts, found himself increasingly strained, forced to focus solely on defense.
“If only I’d had time to cultivate advanced spells, the situation would be much better. As a last resort, I’ll have to use martial arts,” Zhang Ruochen thought to himself.
In truth, Zhang Ruochen’s greatest strength wasn’t spiritual power but martial arts.
Those who reached the Fish-Dragon Realm were all one-in-ten-thousand talents. In the Fish-Dragon Realm, even a saintly body could typically only challenge opponents three realms higher.
Zhang Ruochen had cultivated the Three Spirits Treasure Body, which was comparable to a saintly body.
Additionally, he had reached the Supreme Extreme Realm four times, giving him four extra realms.
Thus, theoretically, Zhang Ruochen had the ability to challenge opponents seven realms higher.
Of course, this theory applied only to the strongest, most perfect state.
Having just reached the Fish-Dragon Third Transformation, even by maximizing his martial techniques and sword arts, Zhang Ruochen could at most challenge opponents six realms higher.
Unless his cultivation reached the peak of the Fish-Dragon Third Transformation and he mastered Sword One, he might have a chance to challenge seven realms higher.
Even with just the ability to challenge six realms higher, Zhang Ruochen, at the Fish-Dragon Third Transformation, could already contend with ordinary Fish-Dragon Ninth Transformation cultivators.
If Zhang Ruochen used his sword martial arts, defeating Luo Shi and Ji Gui wouldn’t be difficult.
However, if he revealed his martial arts, news of it could lead suspicious individuals to question his identity.
If word spread that Zhang Ruochen was still alive, it would be extremely detrimental to Xuanji Sword Saint.
Thus, Zhang Ruochen suppressed his impulse. Unless absolutely necessary, it was best not to expose his martial arts.
Although Luo Shi and Ji Gui were top-tier evil path experts, forcing Zhang Ruochen to retreat step by step, they couldn’t truly bring him down.
The battle among the three top experts grew even more intense.
“To hold off both Luo Shi and Ji Gui single-handedly—this battle alone will spread his name across the evil lands of the Eastern Domain.”
“Offend the Black Market and still want fame? This battle will likely be his last.”
All the evil path experts present could see that the masked man was at his limit, on the verge of being killed at any moment.
“Even in this situation, he hasn’t used advanced spells. Could it be that he’s never learned any?”
A flicker of doubt arose in Red Desire Star Envoy’s mind.
It seemed he was a rogue cultivator. Only rogue cultivators would have strong spiritual power yet lack proficiency in advanced spells.
Because advanced spells were monopolized by major powers. Without a faction’s backing, one couldn’t access them.
Red Desire Star Envoy’s lips curved into a smile as a thought of cherishing talent stirred within her. “Di Yi has the Azure Star Envoy, Deep Blue Star Envoy, Purple Wind Star Envoy, and many other top experts by his side. But I have no one who can truly contend with the three great star envoys. Ji Gui and Luo Shi are merely mediocre—they won’t amount to much.”
“If I can recruit him, he’ll become a fierce general under my command. In the future, when I compete with Di Yi for the position of Black Market First Class Hall’s young master, he can at least hold off one star envoy.”
After a hundred thoughts, Red Desire Star Envoy made her decision.
But she wasn’t in a hurry. She continued to wait, intending to recruit him only when he was pushed to the brink.
Another quarter-hour passed. Under the siege of two evil path experts, Zhang Ruochen seemed on the verge of death.
Red Desire Star Envoy stood up, her voice seductive. “If you’re willing to submit to me, your past grievances with the Blood Cloud Sect can be wiped clean. Moreover, I can teach you advanced spells. Are you interested?”
Having been pushed to such a dangerous point yet still using only first-rank spells, Red Desire Star Envoy was now certain he hadn’t learned advanced spells and was likely a rogue cultivator.
If she taught him advanced spells, wouldn’t he be grateful? From then on, he would obediently follow her orders and become her right-hand man.
Zhang Ruochen had been about to use his martial arts, but upon hearing Red Desire Star Envoy’s words, he changed his mind.
Since he could achieve his goal with ease, why take risks?
“This enchantress is ambitious, always wanting to seize Di Yi’s position as young master. If I can use her hand to deal with Di Yi, it will be much easier.”
With this thought, Zhang Ruochen formed a new plan.