Chapter 46: Return to the Market
Only when Second Lei unleashed his full power did Zhao Zuo truly sense the immense gap between them. He hadn’t expected anyone to be able to block the Sky-Breaking Saber’s surprise attack from that distance. An unprecedented pressure bore down on him, as if he were trying to uproot an ancient tree that had stood for centuries.
Zhao Zuo was keenly aware of the chasm between them. For a brief moment, hesitation and the urge to retreat flickered in his heart, only to be immediately replaced by resolve. All he could do was continuously use his Golden Light Mirror to block the onslaught, trying to stall Second Lei.
In truth, Second Lei also knew that retreating was the most rational choice. However, he couldn’t stomach having paid such a price only to fail at killing a mere ant. Besides, he was overcome by greed for the two Middle Grade Magical Artifacts.
The Golden Light Mirror danced through the air, constantly shifting its position. It managed to perfectly block an attack every time, each collision producing a deafening crash. As the glow on the Golden Light Mirror’s surface began to dim, Zhao Zuo could only pour all his Mana into controlling and stabilizing it.
"Get out of my way!" Second Lei roared. Though bathed in blood, his aura was still terrifying. He gave off the impression of a ferocious Demon Beast, and Zhao Zuo felt as if he could be torn to shreds at any moment.
"Shove it!"
Zhao Zuo showed no sign of retreat or weakness, continuing to relentlessly block the attacks.
The wind and snow seemed to intensify. In Zhao Zuo’s eyes, there was only Second Lei. He could clearly perceive the angle and force of every one of the man’s attacks as the surrounding snow was blasted away.
In a blur, a red-clad figure shot in from behind. She wielded a longsword wreathed in roaring flames, swinging its Sword Peak directly at Second Lei’s neck and taking on the pressure of his frontal assault.
Shen Yunjiao possessed an incredible wealth of combat skill, handling Second Lei’s assault with ease. They traded blows, exchanging dozens of moves in just over ten seconds. Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Zuo recalled his Sky-Breaking Saber and gripped his other Dark Iron Dagger.
During the fight, the longsword suddenly transformed. The flames on its Sword Peak swelled to several times their size. Shen Yunjiao’s red robes seemed to ignite, making her look like a dancing goddess of fire. Her Sword Peak grew swifter, and the snow beneath her feet began to melt from the intense heat, the water seeping deep into the snowpack.
Zhao Zuo seized the opportunity, lunging at Second Lei from behind. Although Second Lei knocked him back with a punch, dealing no damage, the interruption disrupted his offensive rhythm. Zhao Zuo then retreated calmly. ’I only have enough Mana left for a single strike. I have to find the perfect opportunity.’
He then took out a Willow Leaf Dart and threw it directly at Second Lei.
At the same time, with a subtle motion at his waist, Zhao Zuo sent the Sky-Breaking Saber flying. It wasn’t aimed at Second Lei, but instead cut off his retreat path from Shen Yunjiao’s attack.
Second Lei instinctively tried to dodge, but out of the corner of his eye, he saw Zhao Zuo moving in from the side. He spotted the silver short blade cutting off his escape. Recalling the terrifying power of that Magical Artifact, he had no choice but to throw a punch to meet the Willow Leaf Dart head-on.
"Disperse."
Shen Yunjiao’s left hand formed a Sealing. The flying Willow Leaf Dart instantly transformed, breaking apart into more than a dozen differently shaped metal shards. They scattered in all directions like a blooming lotus, with three even faster red shards shooting out from the center like the flower’s pistil.
"SHING! SHING! SHING! SHING...!"
The metal shards tore through the air, like buckshot from a shotgun.
The scattered shards covered all of Second Lei’s possible escape routes. Seeing this, Zhao Zuo immediately fell back to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. At the critical moment, Second Lei dove to the ground, dodging most of the attack. However, several shards still embedded themselves in his back, causing blossoms of blood to erupt.
"THUNK! THUNK! THUNK...!"
Snowflakes danced in the air. Fresh blood stained the ground, a glaring crimson against the pure white world. Though covered in wounds, Second Lei was not yet dead. He scrambled to his feet and began to flee into the distance.
But his pace grew slower and slower, his stamina seemingly unable to support his escape. His thoughts seemed to slow as well; his mind grew confused as the blood continued to flow unabated.
To his senses, the surroundings seemed to grow even colder, the wind and snow more desolate.
’I can’t die here,’ Second Lei thought desperately. ’I still haven’t seen Boss Lei achieve Foundation Establishment with my own eyes.’
Nearby, Zhao Zuo’s pupils contracted. ’Logically, the shards embedded in his body shouldn’t be fatal. They shouldn’t even be enough to make Second Lei this weak and listless. This can only mean one thing: the shards were coated with something else, like a potent poison.’
Shen Yunjiao quickly caught up and finished him with a single sword strike to the throat. She then ripped the Storage Bag from his waist before dismembering the corpse and stowing the pieces in her own Storage Bag.
Even in death, Second Lei couldn’t understand how a mere Loose Cultivator at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer could possess two Middle Grade Magical Artifacts.
"Let’s go," Shen Yunjiao said.
Zhao Zuo immediately followed. The two set off again in the direction of Moyun Market. A moment’s thought made it clear that returning to the market was the safest choice. If they tried to go back to Qingni Lane, they would very likely run into Boss Lei—Lei Zhen—and his band of Tribulation Cultivators.
Less than five minutes after the pair left, three figures arrived at the scene of the battle. The leader bore a resemblance to Second Lei and stood around 1.8 meters tall. But he had long hair and wore an ill-fitting black Taoist Robe. Three scars on his cheek gave him an even more savage appearance.
He glanced at the bloodstains on the ground, then bent down to carefully examine the surrounding snow, as if searching for an important clue. After circling the battlefield, he returned to the spot where the blood was thickest.
Lei Zhen turned to his gathered subordinates, his voice low and hoarse.
"We’re too late. The enemy already killed my second brother and took his body."
"We must avenge Second Brother!" shouted Liu Yunshan, who was positioned near the front behind Lei Zhen. His own strength was not remarkable; he had reached his current position by being skilled at reading people.
Lei Zhen took a deep breath, barely suppressing the rage boiling within him as he issued his orders.
"Send three men to the stall district in the Market and ask around. The targets are two people, likely injured. One of them is tall and should be a practitioner of a Body Refining Technique. The other is skilled with fire."
Lei Zhen knew that Lei Ming wouldn’t have pursued an unbeatable foe. That meant the enemy’s strength couldn’t exceed the Qi Cultivation Sixth Layer, and there weren’t many of them. Furthermore, there were only three sets of footprints in the battle zone. Recalling how Second Mo’s chest had been caved in by immense force, he naturally deduced that one of the enemies also practiced a Body Refining Technique.
"Understood," his men replied at once.
"Put out the word. A bounty for the ones who killed my brother: three hundred Spirit Stones!"
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