Chapter 398: Chapter 61: The Start of the Departure
First, his primary objective was the Infant Spirit Hollow Jade, which he had now obtained. He didn’t necessarily want any of the subsequent items, and they certainly weren’t essential. There was no need to linger.
Second, lingering here for several months, or even half a year, would severely impact Zhang Deming’s idle income, amounting to a daily loss of two hundred and forty Spirit Stones.
Third, half a year of idling in his Cave Mansion would have earned him about four hundred thousand experience, and with the conversion of his Spirit Stones, he now had a total of eight hundred thousand Experience Points.
He was only a little less than half a year away from the one million two hundred thousand Experience Points needed to level up. The time he would waste by delaying here for a few months was enough for him to advance to Duality back in his Cave Mansion.
For all these reasons, Zhang Deming decided to leave at once.
Once he made up his mind, Zhang Deming was not one to procrastinate. After packing his things, he left Huayue Spirit Tower and wandered around the city for a good while.
Zhang Deming then entered a busy-looking shop, used the restroom to completely alter his facial features, and re-emerged.
After repeating this process several times, Zhang Deming finally left Huayue City, heading in the direction of his Sect.
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The very moment Zhang Deming passed through the city gates, back inside Huayue City, Guann Zhenzhen’s expression flickered. She had just arrived at the entrance to Huayue Academy.
For some unknown reason, she looked up, her gaze directed toward the city gates.
Wu Lei, who was walking with her, saw her sudden stop and asked in confusion, "What’s wrong, Zhenzhen? Is something the matter?"
A glint flickered in Guann Zhenzhen’s eyes. "I just remembered something," she said. "I need to make a trip out of the city. Could you ask for a leave of absence from the Dean for me?"
Wu Lei asked, taken aback, "Didn’t you just return the day before yesterday from an errand?"
Guann Zhenzhen nodded. "Mm, I forgot about it while I was handling things before. It only just came to mind."
Wu Lei paused for a moment. "Do you need any help?"
Guann Zhenzhen shook her head. "No, that won’t be necessary. Just asking for the leave is enough."
With that, Guann Zhenzhen was already airborne, gracefully flying away.
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After changing his appearance several times, Zhang Deming left Huayue City under a completely unfamiliar identity.
Once outside the city gates, a gray mist swirled around Zhang Deming, rapidly diminishing his presence.
With his current Tier Three Hidden Breath Skill, even a Duality Cultivator would fail to notice him if they were careless.
With his Hidden Breath Skill active, Light Wings materialized at his heels, and he broke into a sprint. Along the road, small groups of people were also leaving the city. It wasn’t long before Zhang Deming reached the edge of Huayue City’s patrol zone.
Zhang Deming glanced at the boundary marker and whispered, "Flying!"
The Light Wings at his heels vanished as a pair of moderately sized wings sprouted from his back. With a rapid beat, they lifted Zhang Deming into the air. He soared forward over a primeval forest.
After flying for a short while, Zhang Deming landed and began dashing through the branches, his Flying skill now in its Qi Replenishing phase.
After some time, just as Zhang Deming was about to take flight again, his expression shifted and he hesitated. He slowed his pace. A Spiritual Light flickered in his eyes, and the physical details of his surroundings seemed to fade away.
Not far ahead lay an exceptionally well-concealed Array, but it couldn’t escape the combined detection of his Tier Three Array Dao and Tier Three Reconnaissance Technique.
As Runes swirled in his eyes, the secrets of the concealed Array were gradually revealed to him.
Inside was a fairly decent One-Star Trapping Array. Lying in ambush within it was a small team—only five people.
Zhang Deming was taken aback when he saw their Cultivation levels.
’So arrogant? Just five Peak Apprentices, and they dare to ambush a Cultivator returning from the auction!’
After getting a clear look at their Cultivation levels, Zhang Deming decided against avoiding them.
He continued running through the forest as if he hadn’t noticed a thing. A moment later, the ambushers saw him pass by. Showing incredible audacity, they immediately activated the Array and trapped him inside.
However, before the robbers could surround and attack him—they had barely even leaped out from their hiding spots—they suddenly found that the Array was no longer working. Or, to be more precise, they had lost control of it.
While the men stood there, completely baffled, the Trapping Array paused for a second before reversing, trapping them instead. Their clear surroundings became hazy, as if they had been plunged into a thick fog.
"Kneel!"
At his command, dozens of vines erupted from the ground, forcing them all to their knees like giant hands.
Zhang Deming strolled out, his expression cold as he looked down at the five men. "This is a robbery," he said. "Hand over everything of value."
The five men: "..."
"Senior, we admit defeat! We’ll pay a ransom for our lives!
But, Senior, could you give us some time? We just started out and haven’t made a single score yet. We don’t have any Spirit Stones on us.
After all, not many people carry a lot of Spirit Stones on them when they’re out ambushing others," the leader of the group said, barely managing to suppress the terror in his voice.
Hearing this, Zhang Deming’s cold expression grew even frostier. "Is that so," he said lightly. "In that case, you can all just kill yourselves."
"Wait...!"
"No, Senior, don’t! We beg you—"
As Zhang Deming spoke, terror filled the five Apprentices’ faces, but their bodies began to move against their will.
They struggled with all their might, but to no avail.
A long staff materialized before one man, then smashed his skull to pieces.
Another raised his hand, a Wind Blade forming within it, and promptly decapitated himself.
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Under Zhang Deming’s indifferent gaze, prompted by a single sentence, all five men killed themselves, each with their own signature technique.
’Zhang Deming felt not a shred of pity for the five men. He had given them a chance. He had walked right by, barely concealing his true strength, yet they still chose to be overconfident and trap him. They couldn’t even produce the money to ransom their lives. They had brought this end upon themselves.’
’If he had been weaker than them, his own fate would have undoubtedly been far worse.’
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