Translator: Transn Editor: Transn
“Ch-ch!”
The Wind and Thunder Finger condensed into a lightning spindle that struck Luo Shi on his left shoulder and tore off the muscles on his shoulder.
A bloody mess clung to his shoulder, neck, and armpit, and the white of his shoulder bone was exposed.
“So… formidable.”
Enduring the pain, Luo Shi turned to try to run away.
He had grossly underestimated his opponent’s capabilities. Zhang Ruochen’s Spiritual Power had likely reached the 44th level, and he had wounded him by merely employing Level One Magic Arts.
If Zhang Ruochen had used Level Two or Level Three Magic Arts, he would not even have the chance to escape.
Having made a mistake in his strategy, Luo Shi had lost the opportunity to assassinate his opponent on this day. He could only return home to nurse his wounds and make another assasination attempt when he recovered.
How could Zhang Ruochen let Luo Shi off so easily?
Luo Shi was highly skilled in his ability to converge Qi, as well as his ability to make himself invisible. It would have been very difficult for Zhang Ruochen to pinpoint his position if he had not made use of the Space Domain.
If Zhang Ruochen were to let Luo Shi off this time, Luo Shi would be even more cautious the next time he tried to ambush Zhang Ruochen. Then, Zhang Ruochen might not be so lucky.
Therefore, it was necessary for Zhang Ruochen to get rid of him while he was injured, so as to prevent further trouble.
The reason why Luo Shi was a top-notch killer was that he was fast in his movements and attacks. If he intended to flee for his life by wielding these skills, even a master who had reached the Ninth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm might not be able to catch up with him.
Luo Shi could successfully flee from a monk who had reached the Ninth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm.
Zhang Ruochen would not be able to catch up with him using the Rolling Thunder Skill.
However, because Luo Shi had been severely wounded, somehow he was not able to optimize the mysterious skill of camouflage. So, Zhang Ruochen managed to follow closely behind him through his Spiritual Power.
Finally, Zhang Ruochen pursued him all the way until he came to a manor just at the outskirts of Cyan Cloud County. He stopped and took a look at the gate of the manor and decided he should not enter hastily.
He spotted some traces of blood on the floor. He lifted his eyes to see a horizontal board with the inscription, “Red Willow Heights.”
The manor emanted a creepy atmosphere all around, and its inside was pitch-dark and exceptionally quiet. Not a shadow could be seen in it.
Large manors always have lots of defenses.He would be putting himself in danger by entering it.
Enter?
Or not to enter?
Two distinct powers, one cold and the other hot, emerged in his chest. They were like a block of ice and a burning flame below his layer of clothes.
“The Treasure Hunting Compass seemsto have detected something. Could the Holy Stone be within this manor?”
Zhang Ruochen took out the Treasure Hunting Compass and placed it on his palm. He saw one white and one black Qi current emerging from the center of the compass to form a Tai Chi print one meter in diameter. It rose above his palm and began to swirl around slowly.
The response of the Treasure Hunting Compass led Zhang Ruochen to believe that the Holy Stone was indeed within the grounds of this manor.
“Since I am already here, I will force my way in to have a look, even if it’s dangerous.”
Even though Zhang Ruochen knew that there would be ambush, his confidence was boosted by his capabilities, so he decided to barge in.
Mankind has always been naturally curious.
Zhang Ruochen put the Treasure Hunting Compass back into the Spacial Ring and started to ascend the stone steps. He reached the main door on top of the steps and pushed it open.
The door opened slowly, making a creaking sound.
There was not a single soul in the manor, only an eerie silence and stillness.
A mist surrounded the trees, houses, grounds, and pavilion. The whole manor looked as if it had been abandoned for a long time.
Zhang Ruochen abruptly stopped in his tracks, and he said with a smile, “This level of sorcery can deceive my Sky Eye. It’s useless.”
“A Master of Spiritual Power indeed. This is interesting.”
The seductive voice of a woman rang in the air.
The scene Zhang Ruochen had just witnesses was entirely an illusion.
Once the sorcery was removed, the mist in the air dispersed, and the manor returned to its original appearance.
The manor was brightly lit.
Surrounding Zhang Ruochen were numerous Evil Warriors, wearing sinister smiles on their faces and carrying Genuine Martial Arms.
Two hundred men in black stood further away. They were all wearing armor and carrying bows and arrows. In fact, they had all drawn their bows back and pointed their arrows at Zhang Ruochen. If they just relaxed their fingers, they would release numerous arrows.
There were a dozen of the Fish-Dragon Realm monks among them.
The combined power of having so many superiors gathered at one manor was comparable to having the capabilities of an entire level four Suzerain.
However, Zhang Ruochen appeared unflappable. He surveyed his surroundings and fixed his gaze on Luo Shi, who had tried to escape a while ago.
At this moment, Luo Shi was standing on higher ground. His eyes sparkled, and he was holding on to the hilt of his sword for support.
From the sight of it, he was definitely badly wounded from the earlier battle. Furthermore, he had been pursued by Zhang Ruochen and missed the crucial moment to nurse his wounds. As a result, his injuries were made worse.
Another master stood beside Luo Shi.
This man was Ji Gui. He looked to be in his thirties, and he was the disciple of a Half-Saint of the Black Market.
Ji Gui was trying to size Zhang Ruochen up. He smiled coldly and said, “Luo Shi, is this the man who beat you up so badly that you had to flee?”
Luo Shi said coldly, “Don’t you underestimate him, Gui Ji. His Spiritual Power has likely reached the forty-fourth level.”
“Forty-fourth level in Spiritual Power? How is that possible?”
Ji Gui’s expression became serious, and he decided not to underestimate Zhang Ruochen.
If he had reached the forty-fourth level of Spiritual Power and also practised the level four spells, apart from Half-Saints, he would only be a level lower than a Saintly Being who had reached the Ninth Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm. In that case, who would dare to underestimate him?
Ji Gui did not believe Luo Shi’s words. If this masked man standing before him were a Master of Spiritual Power who had reached forty-fourth level, how had it been possible for Luo Shi to successfully flee to Red Willow Heights?
Ji Gui bowed slightly to the Red Wish Emissary, who was sitting on higher ground, and said, “Your Excellency, please allow me to test his abilities.”
The Red Wish Emissary, who was sitting at the highest ground, was holding a two-meter long holy crystal staff. A red Holy Stone the size of a fist had been inlaid on the top of the staff.
The red Holy Stone emitted streams of Holy Qi which surrounded the staff, adding to its mystery.
The Red Wish Emissary was a very attractive lady. As she sat there casually, the evil warriors at the scene were seduced by her beauty. They were all ready to lay down their lives for her.
Who would not want to impress such a beauty?
What’s more, this beauty was the high and mighty Red Wish Emissary.
Zhang Ruochen was the exception. He fixed his gaze on the red Holy Stone inlaid on the holy crystal staff and thought to himself, “If the red Holy Stone on the holy staff were to be divided, it could be split into three Holy Stones. The aura detected by the Treasure Hunting Compass must have come from it.”
Zhang Ruochen could tell from the look of the Red Wish Emissary’s staff that it was a remarkable Psychic Staff.
Only a Master of Spiritual Power would be able to operate a Psychic Staff.
A Master of Spiritual Power with an instrument in his hand and one without an instrument in his hand were two totally different concepts.
A Master of Spiritual Power who utilized an instrument could increase the speed at which Spiritual Power was condensed, elevate the power of a spell, and enhance the capabilities of the Master.
In terms of natural talent, the Red Wish Emissary was considered mediocre among the Seven Star Emissaries. However, the Spiritual Power of the other six Star Emissaries combined was nowhere near hers.
She had practiced Martial Arts because a monk needed to attain a Spiritual Power level of forty before he possessed the power to attack. He was only slightly stronger than a layman.
After breaking through the fortieth level, she began to specialize in Spiritual Power and sorcery. Athough occasionally she would still practice Martial Arts.
Presently, she had reached the forty-second level of Spiritual Power, and she was just a step away from the forty-third level.
Just recently, Phantom Saint had bestowed her with a Half-Saint grade holy staff. With her current capability, she might be able to stand up to Di Yi in a confrontation.
The Red Wish Emissary gently lifted her slender legs. She said, “Be careful, Ji Gui. He can see through my illusion. If his Spiritual Power has not reached the forty-fourth level, it must be at the peak of the forty-third.”
“Be at ease, Emissary. Red Willow Heights is within our jurisdiction. What can he do, even if he is powerful?” Ji Gui said with a laugh.
At this moment, Zhang Ruochen was still staring at the holy crystal staff in the Red Wish Emissary’s hand, and an amused expression broke out on his face. He wished he could have in his possession something like the Psychic Staff.
Zhang Ruochen thought in his heart, “If the Red Wish Emissary’s holy crystal staff were to be auctioned, it would fetch a price of one billion Spiritual Crystals. If I owned a holy crystal staff, it would boost my abilities to a much higher level.”
However, it was not Zhang Ruochen’s intention to take the Red Wish Emissary’s holy crystal staff by force.
It was, after all, extremely valuable. Zhang Ruochen would have alarmed the Red Wish Emissary’s protector had he snatched it away.
The Red Wish Emissary had already attained the level of capability to fight for the position of the young master of the Black Market Excellence Hall with Di Yi. In this light, her protector was likely someone of the Half-Saint Class.
If it were just some minor conflict, the Half-Saint might not be bothered to intervene, even if dozens of Evil Warriors died.
However, the Half-Saint would definitely appear if Zhang Ruochen snatched the holy crystal staff away.
Although Zhang Ruochen was not afraid of a Half-Saint, he did not wish to offend one over a holy crystal staff.
When Ji Gui saw the spellbound and thrilled expression in his eyes, he thought Zhang Ruochen was enchanted by the Red Wish Emissary’s beauty. A feeling of disdain arose in Ji Gui’s heart.
A toad lusting after a swan’s flesh. How could he covet Her Excellency, the Red Wish Emissary?
Ji Gui descended the stairway to walk up to Zhang Ruochen. He hissed, “How audacious of you to come after the life of our man from the Black Market.”
“He wanted to kill me. Why can’t I return the favor?”
“It is perfectly justifiable for the Black Market to murder and kill. On the contrary, you better weigh yourself before thinking of killing someone from the Black Market. Take off your mask and let me see who you are, exactly.”
Zhang Ruochen smiled and said, “It’s not for you to know who I am.”
“Hmph! What an arrogant fellow!”
Ji Gui was outraged and he reflexively clenched his fists. He was, after all, the disciple of a Half-Saint, and he had reached the cultivation level of the Seventh Change in the Fish-Dragon Realm. Not even people within the Black Market Excellence Hall dared to disrespect him.
