Chapter 278 - 162: Suppression! Dragon Roar
While it didn’t put him on equal footing with her, it was enough to make her treat him with respect and take him seriously.
Chen Sheng’s gaze swept past the voluptuous and beautiful Bai Qing, then slowly landed on Lu Xuanzhou.
"For Sect Leader Bai’s sake, I’ll spare your life today. From now on, when you see me, you’ll act like your brother Lu Maozhi and keep your head down. Understand?"
Lu Xuanzhou stared directly at Chen Sheng, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. His entire appearance was a wreck, a stark contrast to his previous handsome and distinguished air. He gritted his teeth at Chen Sheng’s words.
Fear, horror, and anger warred in his eyes. He did not want to bow his head to Chen Sheng.
"Did you hear me?"
When Lu Xuanzhou didn’t answer, Chen Sheng’s gaze turned cold. His hand slowly closed around the hilt of his saber, and an undisguised, bone-chilling intent washed over Lu Xuanzhou.
In an instant, Lu Xuanzhou felt as if he had been plunged into an ice cellar. The hair on his body stood on end as the shadow of death enveloped him. He had no doubt that if he refused to submit, Chen Sheng would truly strike him down.
The color drained from his face in horror.
"Lu."
Bai Qing frowned and looked at Lu Xuanzhou.
Swallowing another surge of blood, Lu Xuanzhou opened his mouth.
"I... I..."
PTHOO.
Lu Xuanzhou sprayed another mouthful of blood and passed out on the spot.
Of course, no one knew whether he had truly fainted or was just faking it. After all, under the circumstances, it was entirely possible Lu Xuanzhou had done it deliberately.
"Captain Chen, he is already severely injured and unconscious. Let us leave the matter here."
Bai Qing said, seizing the opportunity, her tone gentle.
Chen Sheng glanced at the unconscious Lu Xuanzhou on the ground and gave a slight nod.
"Sect Leader Bai, don’t forget to collect the Elemental Crystals from Luoyun Manor."
"I won’t forget. Captain Chen, please, come to the main hall and have a seat. I will immediately send someone to fetch the Dust-Reducing Spirit Pill," Bai Qing invited warmly, a faint smile on her face.
If Bai Qing had been somewhat reserved before, then after witnessing Chen Sheng’s true strength, she had now made a decision.
’No matter what, I have to win Chen Sheng over.’
’If she could sleep with Chen Sheng and convince him to help the Danxia Sect in the battle at Wushan Mountain, then she would have a much greater chance of securing their share.’
"In that case, thank you."
Chen Sheng nodded and turned to walk toward the main hall.
The crowd of Danxia Sect disciples who had gathered around quickly parted, their gazes filled with awe as they watched Chen Sheng walk away.
"Someone."
Bai Qing’s gaze swept over the surrounding elders as she said in a serious tone:
"Send someone to take Lu Xuanzhou back to Luoyun Manor immediately. Remember, you must explain exactly what happened from beginning to end. Also, go to the Alchemy Room, fetch a Rejuvenating Jade Dew Pill, and feed it to him."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
A deacon hurriedly bowed in assent.
"Elder Cheng, go to the treasury and retrieve a Dust-Reducing Spirit Pill."
Here, Bai Qing paused for a moment before continuing,
"And bring the Dragon Roar Blade from the treasury as well."
Elder Cheng, whose hair and beard were completely white, looked surprised. He was well aware of how precious the Dragon Roar Blade was. ’She can’t be planning to just give it to Chen Sheng for free, can she?’ But seeing the Sect Leader’s serious expression, he didn’t dare to question her. He could only cup his hands in a salute and say,
"Yes, Sect Leader."
.....
"Captain Chen, your battle today truly astonished me. To comprehend a Mental Realm with only an Earth Fiend Cultivation... Such talent is unmatched in all of Ning’an."
Bai Qing praised him with a smile, her gaze fixed on Chen Sheng.
And these were her sincere words, not mere polite flattery.
Before this, there had never been any public reports of an Innate Martial Master in Ning’an Prefecture comprehending a Mental Realm. The fact that Chen Sheng had managed it spoke volumes.
When word of this eventually spread, it was certain to cause a massive stir throughout Ning’an Prefecture.
It was even possible that the two great powers, Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple, would feel the pressure.
’The battle at Wushan Mountain is less than two months away. Right now, Chen Sheng can already defeat an opponent of a higher realm like Lu Xuanzhou. If he breaks through to the Profound Gang realm... then who in all of Ning’an Prefecture below the level of Profound Mastery could possibly be his match?’
’It might even mean the outcome of the battle at Wushan Mountain would be a foregone conclusion.’
’The Government Office would be guaranteed the largest share.’
And in every past battle at Wushan Mountain, it had always been Golden Spring Temple and Qingfeng Temple that came out on top.
"Sect Leader Bai, you flatter me."
Chen Sheng smiled faintly, showing no hint of arrogance.
"I’m actually a bit curious. In the fight just now, Captain Chen, were you deliberately holding back your strength and using Lu Xuanzhou to sharpen your blade skills?"
Bai Qing hadn’t noticed it at first, but the more she replayed the fight in her mind, the more something seemed off. Chen Sheng had clearly been using the fight to hone his skills. The more she considered this, the more astonished she became.
’Because if Chen Sheng had gone all out instead of using Lu Xuanzhou as a whetstone, could he have won even without comprehending Sword Intent?’
’If that were the case...’
’...then that would be utterly terrifying.’
"You’re overthinking it, Sect Leader Bai."
Chen Sheng smiled and took a sip of his tea, clearly having no intention of explaining further.
Seeing that Chen Sheng was unwilling to elaborate, Bai Qing felt a touch of regret but knew better than to press the issue. In her heart, however, her estimation of his importance quietly rose by another notch.
"Greetings, Sect Leader."
After a few moments of pleasantries, Elder Cheng entered the main hall. He was carrying a tray covered with a red cloth, which he placed on the table beside Chen Sheng. He then took a porcelain vial from his sleeve and set it down as well.
"You may leave us for now, Elder Cheng."
Bai Qing waved her hand. After the elder had withdrawn, she pointed to the porcelain vial and said,
"Inside this vial is a top-grade Dust-Reducing Spirit Pill. I had originally intended to offer it as a gift to start a friendship with you, Captain Chen. Unexpectedly, Lu Xuanzhou stepped in to cover the cost, and it wasn’t my place to refuse. Since Luoyun Manor is providing the Elemental Crystals, please, accept it. The Danxia Sect will send someone to collect the payment later."
"Thank you."
Chen Sheng accepted it without hesitation and took the vial.
Then, Bai Qing gestured to the object covered by the red cloth.
"When you held back your attack earlier, Captain Chen, I noticed your Treasure Saber was damaged. Even if you were to reforge it with a Cold Stone, it would be difficult to fully repair, and you might just end up wasting such a precious material."
"So, after some consideration, I had a top-grade Treasure Saber brought from the treasury. If you are interested, Captain Chen, please feel free to take a look."
Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow. His Cold-Intimidating Blade did indeed have several cracks. They had formed when he channeled his Sword Intent, as the blade was unable to withstand the power. After all, the quality of the Cold-Intimidating Treasure Saber was, relatively speaking, quite ordinary.
He had been planning to reforge it with the Cold Stone, but he hadn’t expected Sect Leader Bai to proactively offer him a new Treasure Saber. After a moment’s thought, Chen Sheng reached out and pulled away the red cloth.
It revealed the Treasure Saber underneath.
The blade was as black as ink, and its shape was similar to his Cold-Intimidating Treasure Saber. However, the body of the blade was covered in layered patterns that, on closer inspection, resembled dragon scales. The hilt was shaped like a dragon’s head and radiated a faint metallic luster. It was clearly an extraordinary weapon.
Chen Sheng gripped the Treasure Saber and gave it a light shake.
VMMMM!
A cold light instantly flashed from the long saber, and it emitted a resonant hum that sounded like a dragon’s roar.
"A fine saber!"
Chen Sheng couldn’t help but exclaim his praise. In terms of quality, this saber was far superior to the Cold-Intimidating Treasure Saber.
Seeing Chen Sheng’s satisfaction, Bai Qing couldn’t help but smile.
"This blade is called Dragon Roar. It is a masterwork born from the painstaking efforts of Master Huoyunzi, forged from numerous precious materials. It is a top-tier Treasure Saber, and its potential is considerable. If, in the future, you have the opportunity to slay a Flood Dragon, Captain Chen..."
"...you can temper it with the Flood Dragon’s essence blood and reforge it using the Dragon’s Tooth. Doing so would dramatically increase its quality, allowing it to develop a spirit of its own and become a Spiritual Soldier. In fact, it would be considered a top-tier weapon even among Spiritual Soldiers."
"A Flood Dragon?"
Chen Sheng’s heart skipped a beat. ’I know there’s a Flood Dragon in the Poisonous Flood Dragon Pool... If I...’
"You must be thinking of the Flood Dragon in the Poisonous Flood Dragon Pool, aren’t you, Captain Chen?"
Bai Qing remarked suddenly, noticing Chen Sheng’s pensive expression.
"You’ve hit the nail on the head, Sect Leader Bai."
Chen Sheng nodded slightly.
But Bai Qing sighed.
"To be honest, Master Huoyunzi originally forged this Dragon Roar Blade with that very Poisonous Flood Dragon in mind. Unfortunately, we only learned later that the creature has an extraordinary background and cannot be killed to enhance a weapon. That’s why we had no choice but to seal the blade away in the treasury to gather dust."
"What’s so extraordinary about it?"
"This Flood Dragon... is connected to Golden Spring Temple."
Bai Qing said in a solemn voice.
A flash of understanding crossed Chen Sheng’s eyes. He had always wondered why no one dared to go after the Poisonous Flood Dragon that had devoured so many Martial Masters. So, Golden Spring Temple was its backer all along.
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Here are three Chapters, a total of 14,000 characters.
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