Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio
The Military Base of the Yuan Mansion was in the northwest of Central Yuan County. They camped around the Ziyong Pa.s.s and Great Torch City. There were more than three million soldiers there year-round. Thus, the camp was also very large and easy to find.
The Military Base of the Yuan Mansion ruled over the 36 counties. Not only did they have to fight against the Demonic Sect and the Crypt of Sacred Central, they also had to kill savage beasts, demons, evil spirits, evil sects and more.
This was why the Military Base was also filled with strong cultivators.
Zhang Ruochen stood outside the Ziyong Pa.s.s. He activated the Heavenly Eyes between his eyebrows and looked toward the pa.s.s. He saw rays of powerful Holy Qi shoot into the sky, connecting with the clouds.
This was the "Heavenly Eye Seeing Qi." It was a method that only Spiritual Power Half-Saints could use.
Everything had a spirit; everything had Qi. Without a doubt, the stronger a Monk's cultivation was, the thicker his Qi. If one became a Saint of Spiritual Power, one could even see the Qi radiating from a sect and use it to predict the sect's fortune.
Every ray of Qi light that came from the Ziyong Pa.s.s represented a Half-Saint's power. They were communicating with the world and comprehending the Saintly Way's mysteries as they tried to reach a higher level.
Some of the rays looked extremely sacred. They were completely purple and shaped like dragons or tigers. They were like thousands of dragons shooting into the sky, thousands of tigers pouncing at the sun.
Looking from afar, Zhang Ruochen was already shocked.
"As expected, there are so many strong cultivators with hidden powers," Zhang Ruochen mumbled to himself. "I can't break in forcefully."
Li Min extended two fingers and tugged Zhang Ruochen's sleeve. "In that case, let's leave," she whispered. "Let's not anger them."
Even the powerful Demonic Sect and Crypt of Sacred Central didn't dare to attack the Military Base. If Zhang Ruochen actually thought about provoking the Military Base, then Li Min thought that he must be crazy.
"Let's go!"
Arms crossed behind his back, Zhang Ruochen took Li Min away. They walked through the fallen leaves into the wild forest. The two left the Ziyong Pa.s.s and went into the distance.
Li Min was finally relieved. Thankfully, she'd stopped Zhang Ruochen. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
They didn't stop until they were around 800 miles from Ziyong Pa.s.s. There was a 300-meter-high yellow stone mountain. It was shaped like a huge sprawling tortoise.
Blackie was circling the hill and carving runes with its claws. It laid down a formation and buried various crystals into the mountain.
"How is it?" Zhang Ruochen asked. "Did you finish carving the formation?"
"My work is always reliable!"
Blackie stood on the mountain and chuckled. Then it sent Holy Qi into the mountain, activating the formation.
Whoos.h.!.+
Strands of white mist fell from the sky, shrouding the mountain. A moment later, the entire mountain disappeared before Zhang Ruochen and Li Min.
Li Min widened her eyes and pursed her lips. "Invisibility Formation?"
Blackie walked out of the formation and glared at her. "Little girl, what do you know? I established my formation according to the uniqueness of the geography. It's the Xuanwu Sky-concealing Formation. As long as it's activated, even a Saint won't be able to find us."
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "Not bad. If we hide into this formation, even the War Saints of the Military Base won't be able to find us."
Just then, he'd used his Heavenly Eye and Spiritual Power, but he still couldn't find any way to break into the formation. It was obvious that Blackie's Xuanwu Sky-concealing Formation was quite advanced.
"In that case, let's begin."
Zhang Ruochen walked up the mountain and entered the formation.
Li Min was confused. "Begin what?" she asked.
Zhang Ruochen didn't answer her. Instead, he pulled out the Taotian Sword and activated his Holy Qi, pouring it into the sword. The various runes emerged, making the sword radiate with a white glow. It gradually rose into the air.
The power that radiated from the Taotian Sword grew stronger and stronger. It was like a blazing sun hanging in the air with the Destruction of the Thousand-patterns. The savage beasts in the forest all trembled in fear.
"Go!"
Zhang Ruochen activated Sword Intent at the level of a Sword Saint. It transformed into a tangible pillar of light and rushed out, becoming one with the Taotian Sword.
With a whoosh, the Taotian Sword became a blur of white. It flew toward the Ziyong Pa.s.s, ten times faster than the speed of sound.
Outside the Ziyong Pa.s.s.
Jian Kongzi landed before the city gate. He seemed travel-worn. "I have returned," he thundered. "Open the formation immediately!"
He hadn't found Zhang Ruochen even after searching for days. He was clearly frustrated.
Seeing Jian Kongzi outside the pa.s.s, the formation masters inside quickly opened the Defender Formation. At the same time, the two heavy gates formed by steel opened slowly.
Zhuang Xuankong walked out of the city to welcome Jian Kongzi. "How is it?" he asked. "Did you track down Zhang Ruochen?"
Jian Kongzi's expression darkened as he shook his head. "His saint decree must be from Sword Saint Xuanji. His speed is comparable to Sword Saint Xuanji. I can't catch up at all."
Zhuang Xuankong's expression darkened as well. A bit worried, he said, "The Ministry of War has lost four lower-region kings in a row. Lord Wan is very angry. Be careful when you go see him later."
Jian Kongzi nodded. He clenched his fists tightly as hatred grew in his heart. He vowed that he would find Zhang Ruochen and skin him alive.
Just then, Jian Kongzi and Zhuang Xuankong sensed something. They both looked outside the pa.s.s. All they saw was blinding sword light blazing over. It was like a sun rising for the first time or a star cutting across the sky.
Jian Kongzi's expression changed drastically. "Immediately activate the Defender Formation!" he roared. "Someone's attacking Ziyong Pa.s.s."
The sword on Jian Kongzi's back trembled rapidly. Then with a sharp clang, it flew out of its sheath. The sword light from the distance was coming quickly. The Defender Formation had only turned on halfway when the powerful Sword Qi had already arrived.
Kaboom!
With a world-shaking boom, thousands upon thousands of Sword Qi rained down. Ziyong Pa.s.s' city gates and walls were ripped apart at once. A path dozens of miles long and many feet wide appeared on the ground. It cut the First Fortress of the Yuan Mansion and Ziyong Pa.s.s in half.
Jian Kongzi had already taken out his sword for defense, but the Taotian Sword had the Destruction of the Thousand-patterns. He couldn't fight against it.
Jian Kongzi's robe became tattered and covered in blood. He sat dozens of feet under the ground, gasping for breath. That one strike had thrown him dozens of miles away into the bottom of the trench.
Thankfully, he had high cultivation and was a swordsman, so he wasn't killed.
Zhuang Xuankong wasn't so lucky. His entire body was embedded into the ground, covered in b.l.o.o.d.y holes. Only a faint aura showed that he hadn't died.
Wan Zhaoyi was inside the camp, meeting with the Saint Lady.
Saint Lady had just pa.s.sed him the Empress' verbal message, giving Wan Zhaoyi great pressure. After all, the Empress wanted him to capture Zhang Ruochen within three months. This wasn't easy.
If Zhang Ruochen hid or left the Central Region, it would be harder than finding a pin in the haystack.
At that moment, an extremely powerful burst of Sword Qi surged in from afar. It divided his tent in half. Thankfully, Wan Zhaoyi and the Saint Lady were both top-tier figures. They were alert and retreated at once.
Thus, the Sword Qi didn't actually hurt them.
Did someone really dare to break into the Military Base? Who was so brave?
Wan Zhaoyi was obviously furious. He ran out of his tent and flew into the air. When he saw the hovering Taotian Sword, his anger burned even more intensely.
"Zhang Ruochen, I didn't go find you, so you came voluntarily?" Wan Zhaoyi reached out. The rules of the world quickly materialized into a huge golden palm that grabbed at the Taotian Sword.
Whoosh.
The Taotian Sword transformed into a beam of light. It rushed out before the golden palm could materialize and flew away from Ziyong Pa.s.s.
Wan Zhaoyi wiped away his anger and seemed happy instead. Sneering, he chased after the Taotian Sword, quickly disappearing in the horizon.
The Saint Lady was dressed in an ivory robe. She was quiet and graceful. Her pure and intelligent eyes stared at the flying Taotian Sword. "Zhang Ruochen," she uttered.
Since Demonic Sect and the Ministry of War had guessed that Zhang Ruochen was Lin Yue from the Yin and Yang Sect, someone as intelligent as the Saint Lady obviously did so as well.
Thus, when she saw the Taotian Sword, her heart trembled. A very familiar figure appeared in her mind.
That figure had been branded in her saint heart like a demon. She couldn't erase it or destroy it. Even now, she wondered if it had really become a demon in her heart.
"Is he really Lin Yue?"
Saint Lady's eyes kept changing. Finally, she waved her fan. A huge ma.s.s of saintly words flew out of the fan, transforming into a bridge that connected to the sky. She used it to pursue the men.
Zhang Ruochen stood on the mountaintop and retrieved the Taotian Sword. Then he swallowed a mouthful of Xuanwu Saint Blood to recover his Holy Qi. Even in the Half-Saint Realm, using the Destruction of the Thousand-patterns still used up 70% of his Holy Qi.
Weakness overtook him.
Sizzle. Suddenly, golden light rained down from the sky. The ground turned golden.
One could vaguely see a handsome man dressed in blue dragon's armor. He stood in the air. Every strand of his hair shone with gold. He was like a G.o.d of war.
"Such terrifying aura," Li Min whispered. "Who is he?"
Zhang Ruochen looked at him. "Don't you know the heroes of the world? How come you don't even recognize Wan Zhaoyi?"
"What? That's Wan Zhaoyi of the Central Region, the man who rides the white saint dragon, wears the armor of the blue dragon, wields the Chaotic Universe Sword and killed ten Saints?"
Li Min was both extremely excited and terrified.
She was excited because Wan Zhaoyi was the top legendary talent of the entire Kunlun's Field in the past 100 years. He was known as the "Little Saint G.o.d" and was undefeatable. Any girl would be excited if such a legendary figure was right before her, let alone Li Min.
She was also terrified because if Wan Zhaoyi discovered them, they would be utterly and completely dead.
Zhang Ruochen dared to provoke Wan Zhaoyi. His crazy arrogance once again shocked Li Min.
