Chapter 141: Chapter 133: Painting
"Ah!"
"Argh..."
Tie Yan roared in fury. Beneath her helmet, her eyes bulged to their limits, bloodshot veins surrounding her pupils.
She frantically exerted her strength, balling her hands into fists and striking wildly.
Her Fist Force, capable of effortlessly shattering boulders and tearing apart Fierce Beasts, merely caused Zhu Ju’s Skin and Flesh to dent slightly, inflicting no real damage.
But she!
She was the one left dizzy and disoriented by the storm of punches raining down on her. Her supposedly indestructible Divine Armor was actually showing signs of coming apart.
BANG!
BOOM!
The two of them fought like ancient Fierce Beasts, colliding and tearing at each other among the rocks.
Boulders as tall as a man were smashed to pieces. Zhu Ju grabbed her arm and slammed her against the mountainside as if she were a mere toy.
BOOM!
A vicious kick landed.
Tie Yan’s chest plate caved in, and her body, weighing over a thousand pounds, was sent flying more than ten meters.
Before she could even recover, a figure descended upon her, wrapped in Giant Power using the Sumeru Mountain Pendant Method, and crashed down viciously from above.
THUD!
The ground trembled.
A crater appeared right beside her. If she hadn’t rolled away in time, her head would have been smashed to a pulp.
"Is that all you’ve got?"
"What are you without that suit of armor!"
Zhu Ju flickered and reappeared in front of Tie Yan, unleashing a flurry of kicks and punches that drove her back step by step.
"Ah!"
Tie Yan shrieked, charging forward with all her might, only to be slapped so hard her knees went weak, forcing her to the ground.
Rage!
Indignation!
...
Her violent emotions were like a burning furnace, blowing the lid clean off and filling her eyes with madness.
"Get away from me!"
The savage Evil Qi she had accumulated inside her burst forth. Within a radius of dozens of feet, the plants and trees instantly withered and died.
"Evil Qi?"
Zhu Ju sneered, his eyes narrowing.
"Showing off your broadsword in front of Guan Gong? Get that back inside!"
Five Elements True Evil!
BOOM!
An Evil Qi far more violent and condensed than hers erupted from his body, crushing Tie Yan and making her tremble violently.
"You think you’re so strong?"
"You’re nothing but trash!"
Zhu Ju sneered again, stepping forward to grab her arms. He flexed, and the sound of creaking armor filled the air.
"I’m curious to see what’s under this armor. Why are you so afraid of the light?"
"Ngh..." Tie Yan struggled with all her might, but she was no match for Zhu Ju’s Giant Power. Her arms were slowly being torn apart.
"Ah!"
She roared at the heavens. Inside her Divine Soul, the Strong Bull Demon Visualization Image grew clearer and clearer. Her rage was so intense it nearly caused the Strong Bull Demon to leap out into reality.
Power!
Power!
...
BOOM!
The thin wisps of black smoke had unknowingly transformed into a black mane, exuding a sense of pure, raw strength.
It was as if there wasn’t a person under the armor, but a bull.
A savage bull!
However...
What good was a savage bull?
If he hadn’t reached Minor Achievement in his Earth Evil True Body, he might have felt some pressure. But there were no "ifs".
CRACK!
A cold smile spread across Zhu Ju’s face. The veins on his arms bulged as he suddenly yanked backward, tearing off one of Tie Yan’s arms amidst her agonized screams.
Huh?
The inside of the armor was empty, filled with nothing but wisps of smoke.
"Heh..."
His expression froze for a second before he snapped out of it, a look of disdain on his face.
"So, you’re just a Puppet. You don’t even have a human form. No wonder you’re always wearing a helmet."
"Ah!" As if he had struck a nerve, Tie Yan’s voice grew hoarse. She struggled to grab at the figure before her with her one remaining arm.
"I’ll kill you!"
"Kill you!"
Before she could finish, a fierce gust of wind rushed at him from behind, aiming for the vital points on his back.
He sidestepped and used Instant Teleportation.
BAM!
The suddenly appearing spear struck empty air, creating a sonic boom.
A Fire Cloud Cavalry!
At some point, a member of the Fire Cloud Cavalry had appeared on the field. The heavily armored rider on horseback held his spear at a diagonal.
An invisible Stern Slaughter Intent descended as if it were a tangible thing.
"Wooo..."
Along with it, two ghostly figures materialized out of thin air. They stretched out their pale white arms and sharp claws, ignoring all defense as they plunged them into Zhu Ju’s body.
Fierce Ghosts!
And they were extremely powerful Fierce Ghosts.
"Tss..."
The moment the Fierce Ghosts touched Zhu Ju, it was like they had been thrown into a deep fryer. They shrieked in pain as the roiling Evil Qi enveloped them.
"Ah!"
With another scream, the two Fierce Ghosts were washed away by the Evil Qi, dissipating in the blink of an eye.
"How is this possible?"
Daoist Bai Zhi, Duster in hand, landed lightly on the ground. The sight made his scalp tingle.
"How can you still practice Magic with such dense Evil Qi in your body? Why isn’t your Divine Soul affected by it?"
"And that Physical Body..."
"Even the Daoist Sect’s supreme Method, the Giant Spirit Divine Skill, might not compare."
He had never seen a Cultivator who could use their Physical Body alone to completely overwhelm Tie Yan, whose Divine Soul inhabited a Divine Armor.
The Fire Cloud Cavalry!
Tie Yan!
Daoist Bai Zhi!
Every one of them was an outstanding figure among Mages.
And now, the three of them stood in a circle surrounding Zhu Ju, their expressions grim, not daring to make a rash move.
Or perhaps...
They were stalling for time.
"Hmph!"
Zhu Ju snorted coldly, tossed the arm guard to the ground, and took a tentative step forward.
"VMMMM..."
The air around him suddenly rippled. Daoist Bai Zhi was the first to act. His eyes transformed into two vortexes, their power silently descending.
Soul-Binding Technique!
Zhu Ju froze mid-step.
He could clearly feel an invisible force wrapping around his Divine Soul, trying to drag it down.
In the past, Secret Techniques that directly attacked the Divine Soul were the most difficult to deal with. But now, he possessed the Purifying Heart Bodhi, so the force that actually reached him was negligible.
Besides, Zhu Ju himself was a Mage with a powerful Divine Soul.
"A Magical Artifact that protects the Divine Soul!"
Daoist Bai Zhi frowned instinctively. With such a Magical Artifact for protection, many of his techniques would be useless.
A stable Divine Soul and a formidable Physical Body—anyone would find such an opponent a tough nut to crack.
SWISH!
Tie Yan, with only one arm left, charged forward. She wielded a four-foot-long saber, gritting her teeth as she swung down in a furious slash.
"Saber Technique?"
Zhu Ju raised an eyebrow. The Cross and Vertical Saber was unsheathed in an instant.
CLANG!
TING...
In a flash, he struck twice. One slash parried Tie Yan’s attack, and the other sent the Fire Cloud Cavalry’s spear flying.
At the same time, he formed a Sword Pointing gesture with his left hand and aimed it forward.
SWOOSH!
Five cold glints of light shot out like lightning.
Five-Pointed Flying Saber!
The Flying Sabers shot toward Daoist Bai Zhi, the five cold glints weaving together in midair like a great net falling from the sky.
POOF!
Daoist Bai Zhi took a step back. A thick black smoke rose from his feet, and he vanished within it.
Hm?
Zhu Ju’s brows twitched. A faint sense of warning surfaced in his mind.
He didn’t know much about their techniques, and reinforcements could arrive at any moment.
’Time to go!’
Gripping the hilt of his saber with one hand, Zhu Ju’s eyes lit up.
Ghost God Limit!
First Limit—Thousand Mountains Locking Mist!
Beams of saber light appeared from nowhere, weaving into a dense net. The Saber Qi condensed without dissipating, gathering into a misty formation that evoked a range of shrinking mountains. In an instant, it enveloped the entire area, followed by a tidal wave of Evil Qi rolling outward.
"Fall back!"
"Fall back, now!"
Daoist Bai Zhi’s expression changed dramatically as he shouted urgently. Even in their heavy armor, Tie Yan and the Fire Cloud Cavalry scrambled to retreat.
When the saber light on the field finally dissipated, Zhu Ju was gone.
*
*
*
「Dragon Head Peak.」
The snow was still falling.
"I never thought Yidu would fall into chaos."
"It won’t be convenient to go there for a while."
Although he didn’t stay in the Magic World for long periods, he would visit whenever he had the chance.
After all, there were many things in the Ghost Market that could be brought back and exchanged for Spirit Stones.
A single trip could net him anywhere from a few to over a dozen Spirit Stones. This was pure profit, enough to make even Core True Disciples envious.
And that wasn’t even mentioning the other gains.
CRUNCH... CRUNCH...
The sound of his feet on the snow had a unique rhythm, leaving shallow prints in his wake.
After being announced by a handmaiden, Zhu Ju met with Pei Jingque, who was dressed in purple.
She was entertaining a guest.
The guest was a Female Cultivator with delicate features and a profound aura. Her beautiful eyes fell upon him with a probing gaze.
"I’ve been so busy lately, I completely forgot about the trouble I asked of you, Junior Brother."
Pei Jingque said apologetically, gesturing with her hand.
"Let me introduce you, Junior Brother. This is my good friend, Zhongli Changuang, a True Disciple of the Flying Phoenix Lineage."
"Changuang, this is Junior Brother Zhu Ju."
Zhongli was an uncommon two-character surname. Moreover, her full name was famous among the younger generation of the Bright Void Sect.
"So it is Senior Sister Zhongli," Zhu Ju said, clasping his hands in a salute.
"I have long heard of the famous Flying Phoenix Cicada Wing Saber. It is an honor to meet you today."
"I’ve heard Sister Pei mention you as well." Zhongli Changuang nodded in acknowledgment.
"Junior Brother Zhu possesses extraordinary Talent and has even mastered the Ghost God Limit. With time, you will surely become a pillar of the Dragon Head Lineage."
"You flatter me, Senior Sister." Zhu Ju lowered his head, took out a scroll, and presented it.
"Senior Sister, my skills are limited. This is the best I could do with the painting."
"You’ve put a lot of effort into this, Junior Brother." Pei Jingque took the scroll. As their fingers brushed, a flash of surprise crossed her beautiful eyes.
’This Physical Body...’
"Junior Brother, have you already cultivated your Earth Evil True Body to Minor Achievement?"
Zhongli Changuang, standing to the side, also raised an eyebrow. To reach Minor Achievement in the Earth Evil True Body right after Breaking One Acupoint was no less impressive than her own achievement back in the day.
The key was, she was a Core True Disciple, and the resources and Cultivation Techniques she had access to far surpassed those of an Inner Sect Disciple.
’No wonder Sister Pei praised him. If he were to join the Flying Phoenix or Celestial Sword lineages, he would surely become a Core True Disciple.’
"Yes."
Zhu Ju replied.
"The last time I went to the Xiao Family Marketplace, I bought some Body Tempering Elixirs and was lucky enough to cultivate my Earth Evil True Body to Minor Achievement."
"The Marketplace..." Pei Jingque’s expression grew complicated.
"You’ve worked hard, Junior Brother."
Once, back when the Bright Void Sect hadn’t declined, Sect Disciples never lacked the various Elixirs needed to aid their Cultivation.
But now...
even an Inner Sect Disciple in whom she had placed high hopes had to find his own way to earn money for medicine.
"Junior Brother Shen told me you have an excellent talent for Body Forging. I was skeptical before, but now I see it’s true." Pei Jingque smiled and handed him a porcelain vial.
"I have a few Body Tempering Elixirs here. Take them as payment for the painting."
"Senior Sister..." Zhu Ju looked up in surprise. Seeing her serious expression that brooked no refusal, he could only nod.
"Thank you, Senior Sister."
"Quickly," Zhongli Changuang said, her pretty eyes twinkling as she changed the subject.
"Hurry up and open the painting! I want to see how Junior Brother Zhu has painted you."
"You!"
Pei Jingque smiled indulgently and slowly unrolled the scroll. The beautiful figure of a woman in purple, leaning against a railing, came into view.
"Wow..."
Zhongli Changuang blinked, instinctively reaching out to stroke the painting.
"This painting..."
"It’s so beautiful!"
"It is." Pei Jingque’s expression was also complex. As a Core True Inheritance of the Dragon Head Lineage, she bore many responsibilities. She was usually stern, with a cold and aloof expression, and never allowed herself to relax.
But in this scroll, while her coldness remained, it was softened by a feminine grace. The worry lines between her brows had smoothed out, and she was so stunningly beautiful that one dared not look directly at her.
"So beautiful!"
"Aren’t you embarrassed, Sister?" Zhongli Changuang couldn’t help but laugh.
"Praising yourself like that."
"..." Pei Jingque’s pretty face flushed slightly at her words. She quickly rolled up the scroll and nodded to Zhu Ju.
"I’ve troubled you, Junior Brother."
"It’s no trouble," Zhu Ju said, shaking his head.
"Cultivation requires a balance of tension and relaxation. Painting is something I enjoy, and doing a few in my spare time helps me unwind."
"Junior Brother Zhu, how about you paint one for me too?" Zhongli Changuang turned to him with a smile.
"It doesn’t have to be as beautiful as Sister Pei’s. Something similar will do."
"Of course," Zhu Ju nodded.
"When would you like it, Senior Sister?"
"Not so fast." Pei Jingque raised a hand to stop them, her expression returning to its usual coldness.
"Junior Brother, you cannot be distracted these next few days. Focus on your Cultivation and honing your Saber Technique. There is important business ahead."
"We can talk about other things after this is over."
Zhongli Changuang also wiped the smile from her face and nodded slowly.
Hm?
’Something is about to happen?’
The two women’s expressions were serious, tinged with a faint Stern Slaughter Intent, which made Zhu Ju furrow his brows.
’Just as I thought!’
’The atmosphere on Dragon Head Peak has been strange lately. They must be preparing for this.’
