Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
In Kunlun’s Field, Masters of Spiritual Power enjoyed an elevated status. Some specialized in forging weapons, others in refining pills, while others subdued beasts or created powerful fighting formations.
Every force would try to rope in a strong Master of Spiritual Power to their side. The Black Market and the Demonic Sect were no exceptions.
Zhang Ruochen remained calm. He fixed his gaze on Fang Jie and Cao Ying and nonchalantly said, “If both of you can get away within three breaths, I will spare your lives.”
“So what if you are a Master of Spiritual Power? Anyone who dares to oppose the Blood Cloud Sect is asking for death.”
Fang Jie cycled Genuine Qi around his body once. He suppressed his injury and abandoned Mu Lingxi, grabbing his Twin Lethal Spears. He started attacking Zhang Ruochen instead.
The two short spears rotated quickly in his hand, one giving off an icy air, the other emanating blazing fire. Both sets of energy gyrated to form a giant vortex.
“You’ve overestimated yourself.”
Zhang Ruochen mobilized his Spiritual Power and raised his arm.
Suddenly, a purple thundercloud condensed in front of his palms. Streaks of lightning snaked through the thundercloud, making crackling sounds.
“Nine-fold Lightning Knife!”
Zhang Ruochen swung his arm in a chopping motion toward Fang Jie.
The purple thundercloud instantly condensed into a lightning knife that smashed Fang Jie with incredible power.
Fang Jie was stunned by the sheer power of the first lightning knife. He was thrown back ten meters.
The Nine-fold Lightning Knife was a Level One Magic Art. It could strike out nine times in succession, each strike more lethal than the last.
The second lightning knife cut through Fang Jie’s defense, leaving a 30-centimeter gash on his chest.
“SWOOSH!”
The third lightning knife cleaved Fang Jie’s body into halves.
The bloody halves flew out in opposite directions—left and right.
Zhang Ruochen drew back his arm and stopped attacking.
Duanmu Ya’s beautiful eyes stared at the calm, mysterious man sitting by the pond. She said to herself, “What a powerful Master of Spiritual Power! Fang Jie was killed easily even though he was more than 30 meters away. And this man is still so young! I’m sure he is not someone without a reputation.”
An unpoisoned Duanmu Ya could, at best, defeat Fang Jie, but it was impossible for her to kill him.
Cao Ying saw Zhang Ruochen’s powerful skills and decided to withdraw, desperately trying to escape. He flew out of Qingxuan Pavilion and headed quickly for the outskirts of Liyuan City.
“Trying to escape? You think you can?”
Zhang Ruochen released his Spiritual Power and directed his power to surround Cao Ying completely. He pointed a finger to the sky.
The crash of thunder sounded.
A flash of lightning as thick as a bowl tore across the vault of heaven. It resembled a purple saber connecting the heavens and the earth, striking down to the ground.
“BOOM!”
The entire Liyuan City quaked slightly.
A 30-meter-long charred crater appeared at the city gate of Liyuan City. Tiny lightning marks scarred the streets around the crater, wriggling like electric earthworms upon the earth.
Inside the crater was a charred corpse.
It was Cao Ying who had just been fleeing.
At the Qingxuan Pavilion, Zhang Ruochen stood up and took Fang Jie’s Twin Lethal Spears into his hands. He walked out and said, “Proprietress, I shall look you up in three days at Wuwang Inn in the county town. I hope you won’t disappoint me.”
Just as his voice faded, he disappeared from Qingxuan Pavilion. He reappeared at the city gate of Liyuan City, standing beside the large, charred crater.
Zhang Ruochen took Cao Ying’s sword, and then he boldly walked out of the city gate and left.
Fang Jie and Cao Ying’s weapons were top-grade Genuine Martial Arms. They could be used to elevate the class of Ancient Abyss Sword.
Cao Ying’s death by lightning caused a huge commotion in Liyuan City.
Cao Ying and Fang Jie were famous big shots from the Demonic Sect. In the eyes of the Liyuan City warriors, they were no different from devils.
Two top masters killed by a mysterious young man. The news rocked Cyan Cloud County.
At Qingxuan Pavilion.
Mu Lingxi stared in the direction that the mysterious man had gone. Her eyes glittered fervently. “He is Zhang Ruochen. He must be Zhang Ruochen… ”
She wanted to pursue him but Duanmu Ya stopped her.
“Lingxi, Zhang Ruochen was killed by Nine Serenity Sword Saint. That man is not Zhang Ruochen. You are not obsessed, are you?” said Duanmu Ya.
Mu Lingxi shook her head and said very firmly, “He is definitely Zhang Ruochen. I can tell from the silhouette of his back even though he was wearing a mask. I could tell that man apart even if he turned into ashes. Aunt, we have to go after him and make him remove that mask. He is definitely Zhang Ruochen.”
Duanmu Ya took a Detoxification Pill and started healing herself, running Genuine Qi around her body. She sighed as she did so. “That man is a Master of Spiritual Power. Zhang Ruochen specialized in the Tao of the sword. They can’t be the same person.”
“But Zhang Ruochen is also a Master of Spiritual Power,” said Mu Lingxi.
Duanmu Ya could see that Mu Lingxi was elated and agitated. She suddenly changed her mind.
If Mu Lingxi believed Zhang Ruochen was still alive, she might perk up sooner. That did not seem like a bad thing.
Duanmu Ya laughed and said, “Alright! I suppose he could be Zhang Ruochen. Why don’t you accompany me to Wuwang Inn after three days? We could verify his identity then.
“Right now, we have to return to the county town immediately and contact the regional chiefs of each branch. They have to guard against the Blood Cloud Sect and hide.
“At the same time, we need to submit our report to the higher authorities. The High Priest must take precautions against the Sect.
“Since Blood Cloud Sect already struck against us, the branches from other counties must have been attacked as well. We have to fend off these attacks no matter what and stand our ground in the Eastern Evil Land.”
Because Mu Lingxi absolutely believed that the man in the mask was Zhang Ruochen, her mood improved and she began analyzing the situation. She pondered seriously. “Aunt, although Fang Jie and Cao Ying were top evil masters, they ranked only eighth and ninth among the killers from Blood Cloud Sect. Many more powerful people were above them.
“Seeing as two of their highly skilled masters were killed this time, the Blood Cloud Sect won’t rest. They will dispatch more powerful killers later.”
Duanmu Ya said, “We were in trouble this time because someone disclosed information about our whereabouts. In other words, someone from the Black Market has infiltrated our organization. We have to remove the mole. Then we can take our time dealing with the Blood Cloud Sect.
“I believe the Black Market won’t dare provoke us too much. They are more likely to attack us on a small scale to test how far they could go.
“Besides, Hades Department has already surrendered to our Sect. We may not lose even if Blood Cloud Sect starts a war. Hades Department is our trump card. Now’s the time to play this card.”
Hades Department had once been under the Black Market. It was the most powerful dominator among evil forces of Omen Ridge until it offended Di Yi and had to seek the protection of the Moon Worship Demonic Sect.
Now, they were controlled by Duanmu Ya and were a secret card she could play.
Mu Lingxi nodded and said, “As it is, we should return to the county town first and observe how things go.”
Mu Lingxi and Duanmu Ya returned to the county town of Cyan Cloud County that very day.
The mountain gate to the Blood Cloud Sect was built bordering the God Falling Ridge. It was hidden in the mountain ranges. Very few people could find the entrance unless someone led the way.
At this moment, a detachment of Glazed Knights had just traversed the perilous mountain road and arrived at the mountain gate of Blood Cloud Sect.
A lavish carriage drawn by two Magical Ants pulled up.
Red Wish Emissary was wearing a long robe studded with rubies. A loose, date-red fur cloak was draped over her shoulders. She lifted the carriage curtain and alighted.
Her figure was seductively graceful and her skin was as fair as alabaster. Her slender frame was enclosed in a red mist, giving her beauty an added dimension of hazy mystery.
Red Wish Emissary’s feet, fair as snow, were bare. Gold and blue anklets adorned her ankles. Her feet stepped on crimson clouds in the void space, resembling a pink demon of the night as she entered through the mountain gate of Blood Cloud Sect.
“Our respects to Red Wish Emissary.”
The warriors of Blood Cloud Sect all knelt down in front of Red Wish Emissary and the Glazed Knights. No one dared to breathe out.
“Where is Xu Hong?” Red Wish Emissary asked from her elevated position.
“Master is in the main hall.”
“Lead the way.”
A warrior of the Blood Cloud Sect led Red Wish Emissary outside the main hall and then left respectfully.
The Master of the Blood Cloud Sect, Xu Hong, was seated in an armchair made out of stacked skulls at the head of the main hall. He slammed his palm on a table in front of him. BAM! The green bronzed table was left with a deep indentation—a huge handprint half a meter long.
“Useless bums! Two persons sent to assassinate Duanmu Ya together and both failed! They deserved to die! They really deserved to die!”
Xu Hong was infuriated and his eyes were bloodshot.
His body exuded a formidable power that pervaded the entire hall.
The disciples of Blood Cloud Sect all knelt below him.
Their bodies could not stop shivering. They were afraid that in his fury, Xu Hong would display the Qi Sucking Skill and absorb all of their Qi, leaving just their desiccated corpses.
“Master Xu, what happened? Why are you so angry?”
Red Wish Emissary stepped on void space and entered through the main door. She stopped in the middle of the main hall.
Xu Hong immediately calmed down upon seeing Red Wish Emissary. He left his seat and walked down the steps, halting at her feet. He bowed and said, “My respects to Red Wish Emissary.”
Although Xu Hong was the Master of the Sect and, at the Ninth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm, his cultivation level exceeded hers, he dared not act haughty before Red Wish Emissary.
Red Wish Emissary was not only an Emissary chosen by Black Market Excellence Hall, but she was also a disciple of Phantom Saint.
The Blood Cloud Sect could pretend to be the overlord of Cyan Cloud County, but before the Phantom Saint, the Sect was just a trifling—a fourth-class Suzerain. The Phantom Saint could exterminate it just by moving a finger.
