Chapter 422 - 241: A Series of Surprises
From his hiding spot, Lü Zhong watched the two of them fighting and chuckled to himself.
’Two self-righteous fools. They have no idea someone is about to play the fisherman and reap the rewards.’
His gaze shifted to Tang Chengchu, who was embedded in the wall. The man must have used some kind of Secret Technique to fool the eyes of two Core Formation Cultivators. If not for his scene-replaying ability, even he would have been deceived by the act.
’Hmph, go on and fight. After you’re finished and the fisherman has taken his prize, then it’ll be my turn to strike!’
Lü Zhong was in no hurry. He quietly waited for the right moment to make his move.
A hundred breaths later, the battle between the two in the hall was decided.
The prowess of a Mystic Cultivator was not in the least bit apparent in Zhong Pan.
Instead, it was the advantages of a Family Cultivator that Fang Hongshang displayed to their fullest extent.
During the combat, she used her comprehensive array of offensive and defensive techniques, along with her vast knowledge, to quickly overcome the disadvantage of being cornered. She then proceeded to utterly crush and kill Zhong Pan, the entire process as smooth as flowing water.
Just as her gaze shifted toward the depths of the hall, toward the clusters of crystalline, glowing Bone Jade...
PSHHHT!
Fang Hongshang stared at the sword tip protruding from her chest, her face a mask of utter shock.
Tang Chengchu, the one who had thrust the sword, let out a dry laugh. His complexion was now ruddy and his aura was the same as before. He didn’t look the least bit like he was on the verge of death.
A Golden Talisman slowly peeled off his body and spontaneously combusted into ash.
"Didn’t see that coming, did you? This is a Tier Four Concealing Breath Secret Talisman. Since you’re a Family Cultivator, Fellow Daoist Fang, you must know its origin, so I won’t bother explaining."
Tang Chengchu viciously pulled out his longsword. He gave Fang Hongshang no chance, beheading her on the spot.
’A Returning Void Secret Talisman!’
Lü Zhong, still hidden, was also astonished when he saw that Secret Talisman.
No wonder Fang Hongshang hadn’t noticed Tang Chengchu’s movements. A Tier Four Secret Talisman was a Nascent Soul Level tool. He reckoned that even with his Celestial Net Eye, a moment of carelessness would have caused him to miss it too.
’That was close!’
’Now, it’s my turn to reap the harvest.’
Lü Zhong wasn’t confident he could approach Tang Chengchu stealthily.
The man had an endless supply of techniques and trump card treasures. He couldn’t be treated like an ordinary Loose Cultivator. A sneak attack was likely impossible; the best way was to take him down with sheer strength.
He erupted into action. The Star Mirror shot out more than a dozen beams of Mirror Light.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
The beams struck "Tang Chengchu" square in the back, blasting him to pieces.
Seeing this, Lü Zhong’s face showed no sign of relief. Instead, a deep sense of alarm washed over him. The Celestial Net Eye between his brows flashed with light as he spun around abruptly!
CLANG! The sound of metal on metal rang out.
Somehow, Tang Chengchu had appeared behind him.
"You... how is that possible!"
Tang Chengchu’s face was filled with horror as he stumbled backward.
On his body, a Returning Void Secret Talisman slowly burned away, quickly turning into a pile of ash. The talisman’s effect was astounding, but it only lasted for a single breath’s time.
"Fellow Daoist F—"
Before Tang Chengchu could finish his sentence, Lü Zhong launched a ferocious attack.
During the exchange, his opponent tried to activate a Returning Void Secret Talisman several times, but Lü Zhong’s quick reflexes interrupted him each time. Then, relying on his superior cultivation, he severely wounded Tang Chengchu in just a few moves.
SQUELCH! He was disemboweled.
Lü Zhong closed the distance in an instant. One Sword Slash pierced Tang Chengchu’s Qi Sea, and another lopped off his head.
THUD... RUMBLE RUMBLE...
The head rolled to a stop, its eyes coming to rest directly in front of Fang Hongshang’s, which were wide open in death.
Lü Zhong looked at the scene, his expression unchanging.
The Magical Treasure, Rouge, slipped from his sleeve. He flicked his hand, sending it shooting behind him to precisely strike an incoming Flying Needle. It then continued onward, streaking toward the rapidly fleeing Zhong Pan.
Sword Qi crisscrossed the air!
Compared to the cunning Tang Chengchu who feigned death, Zhong Pan had been forced into it. His injuries were real, and his strength was only twenty or thirty percent of what it was at his peak.
In just a single breath, his life was forfeit under the Rouge sword.
’Whew, it’s finally over!’
Lü Zhong collected the three Storage Bags but didn’t begin to inspect them immediately. Instead, he pulled over Fang Hongshang’s Four-layered Restriction Magical Treasure Flying Sword and Tang Chengchu’s Second-Layer Prohibition Magical Treasure Flying Sword. Only after erasing the lingering Divine Soul Auras on them did he place them in his Storage Bag.
Then, he turned his gaze to the Bone Jade.
The Bone Jade grew in crystalline clusters. According to ancient records, this substance was born from the convergence of Earth Qi. Considering the hall was deep underground, its presence here was not surprising.
Lü Zhong did not touch it directly.
There was a specific method for harvesting it. It had to be struck with an object of pure gold, or it would immediately crumble to dust.
Inside Tang Chengchu’s Storage Bag, he found the harvesting tools the man had prepared. It took him less than fifteen minutes to gather all the Bone Jade into his possession.
Just as he was about to leave, a roar came from outside.
Along with a surge of air, an ink-blue Flood Dragon charged into the hall. It seemed to know someone was inside, and it lunged straight for Lü Zhong with its maw wide open.
Seeing this, Lü Zhong thought it was perfect timing.
’Time to settle new and old scores. Eat my Thunderous Spear!’
CRACKLE!
A bolt of lightning roared, directly piercing the Water Flood Dragon’s Scale Armor, causing it to howl in pain.
The Flood Dragon Claw that had been aimed at Lü Zhong went off course due to the intense pain. It slammed into the ground, carving out a deep crater. The beast then flew into a rage, shaking its head and whipping its tail.
Missing one strike, it immediately followed with another.
Lü Zhong dodged half of the attacks, all the while continuously firing off his Thunderous Spear.
Electric serpents danced wildly, and rubble flew everywhere.
The battle between man and Flood Dragon had become white-hot from the very beginning.
After taking a claw strike head-on, Lü Zhong fired another Thunderous Spear at the Water Flood Dragon’s wound. The beast’s hide was incredibly thick. It had taken more than ten of his Thunder Spears and was only severely injured. A normal Core Formation Cultivator would have been grievously wounded by two at most, which showed just how tough a Flood Dragon’s body was.
HISS!
With a sharp screech, the Water Flood Dragon went berserk from the pain, once again thrashing its tail wildly.
But Lü Zhong had already grown familiar with its limited set of moves.
He was only hit once, dodging all the other tail whips.
He continued his fierce assault.
This was a rare opportunity. From what Lü Zhong had observed, the beast’s old wounds had likely not yet healed, and its strength was not at its peak.
Even better, it had charged into this underground hall on its own, leaving it unable to use its Water Manipulation Divine Technique.
Lü Zhong gestured with his hand, recalling Rouge and Cyan Glaze.
While fiercely activating his Star Mirror, he also used Sword Control to charge forward. He leaped onto the Water Flood Dragon’s back and, while directing his two Magical Treasure Flying Swords to attack, he formed a Thunderous Spear in his left hand and ruthlessly plunged it into its wound.
After a prolonged struggle, the Water Flood Dragon finally grew fearful and tried to escape the hall.
But Lü Zhong wasn’t about to let it get its way. He naturally pressed his advantage, giving it no quarter.
PSHHHT! Flood Dragon Blood splattered.
Rouge pierced through the Water Flood Dragon’s eye. Its momentum carried it forward, scrambling the creature’s brain into a pulp and killing it instantly.
The Water Flood Dragon’s massive body shuddered violently, then began to thrash about wildly.
Lü Zhong kept his distance, wary of being caught in the frenzy.
After waiting for some time, the Water Flood Dragon’s body finally calmed down, twitching only occasionally.
There was no time to waste. He immediately began to collect his spoils.
First was the Water Flood Dragon’s Flood Dragon Essence.
The collection process was quite simple; he just had to draw it out with a Sacrificial Artifact. It was a miniature Water Flood Dragon radiating a soft blue light. The fact that it was motionless indicated its True Spirit had long since dissipated.
Next was the Flood Dragon Pill.
The Pill of a Tier Three Flood Dragon was a great supplement for any Demon Beast. Lü Zhong planned to give it to his Great Honey Insect to help it break through to Tier Three sooner.
After that, he spared nothing: the Flood Dragon Claws, Flood Dragon Scales, Flood Dragon Meat, Flood Dragon Blood, and even the Flood Dragon Whip were all collected.
It was the perfect time for revenge, and Lü Zhong was a man of his word.
After gathering everything, his Storage Bags were filled to the brim.
"Hahaha, the gains from this trip will be enough to keep me busy for ten or twenty years." Lü Zhong was already making plans. When he got back, he would start collecting Magical Treasure blueprints and find a way to convert these materials into strength.
After collecting his loot, he didn’t forget to cover his tracks.
After confirming that this Ancient Cultivator’s Cave Mansion was deserted and held nothing else of value...
Lü Zhong cast Thunder Swamp twice in a row, completely obliterating the battle scene within the hall. In the future, not even a Nascent Soul True Monarch who came in person would be able to find any useful information.
Then, he cleaned up his tracks all the way back along the path he came.
After a flurry of activity, he finally finished tying up all the loose ends.
Only then did he shoot into the sky, transforming into a streak of rainbow light as he began his journey home.