“Great, that’s great!”
The Elder stared at Zhang Ruochen severely. “You’ll have to pay for what happened today. Wait and see!”
He left the School of the Martial Market with Yan Yunhuan.
The Elder’s threats didn’t scare Zhang Ruochen. Since he was a genius disciple of the School, no matter how powerful the Yan Family was, they wouldn’t dare challenge the School of the Martial Market.
At least, they wouldn’t dare to attack him in broad daylight.
After the Elder left, students who were rubbernecking suddenly lost their interests and gradually dispersed.
Especially Qiu Lin, Yan Yunhuan’s biggest fan. He had left long ago, perhaps scared that Zhang Ruochen would beat him up.
It was believed that if he saw him in the future, Qiu Lin would only dodge away from Zhang Ruochen.
“Even Yan Yunhuan was defeated by elder brother Zhang. I think his capability has already surpassed elder brother and senior sister disciple Luo. He is the number one master of the School of the Martial Market.”
“Where’s Qiu Lin? Didn’t he say offending Yan Yunhuan would be self-destruction? Where has he gone?”
“It’s said that Qiu Lin offended elder brother Zhang at the auction. Let’s see how he’s going to survive in the School of the Martial Market now! Haha!”
“If he wants to survive in the School, I’m guessing he will visit elder brother Zhang’s mansion with treasures tomorrow and ask for forgiveness.”
…
…
A strong warrior displayed a formidable character, they were feared and respected.
It was obvious that Zhang Ruochen was one of the school’s strong warriors. All the other disciples had to please him, fear him, and respect him.
If Commandery Princess Yanchen didn’t stand at his side so fiercely, many female students would approach him, or even throw themselves at him.
Being a strong warrior was an honor.
“Boom!”
The Yan Family Elder was riding in an old carriage driven by a Chi Lin Lion-vulture, a fourth-level savage beast. He was taking Yan Yunhuan away from Devil Martial City, preparing to return to the Yan Family.
The old carriage exited the city gate.
The wings on the Chi Lin Lion-vulture’s back expanded. It flapped hard and the carriage rose into the sky.
There were several groups of people staring at them from the ground.
One of them was the Commandery Prince of Minshu, whom Yan Yunhuan had offended.
Elder Ji was like an aged bamboo stick, tall and slender, yet emitting a frosty Martial Arts Qi.
His face was lined with wrinkles. He stood behind the Commandery Prince of Minshu, laughing. He said, “That fellow from the Yan family went to the School of the Martial Market wanting to trouble Zhang Ruochen, yet he was seriously wounded. I heard that he had to be carried out of the School.”
“He deserves it!”
The Commandery Prince of Minshu watched the carriage leaving. He sneered, “He thinks that just because he is the heir of the Yan Family he can be boast and despise Omen Ridge? Does he really think he is superior?”
“However, Zhang Ruochen being able to defeat him when he ranks 375th on the Earth Board caught me by surprise.”
“Yunwu Commandery has nurtured Zhang Tiangui, and now Zhang Ruochen. In another decade or so, I’m afraid they will rule Omen Ridge.”
“You’re worrying too much, Commandery Prince!” Elder Ji exclaimed. “As far as I know, Zhang Tiangui and Zhang Ruochen get along like cats and dogs. They’ll fight against each other soon. Given how talented they are, even the Yunwu Commandery Prince isn’t able to suppress them. Perhaps there will be a civil war in the Yunwu Commandery soon. We just need to give them some time and enjoy the show.”
Commandery Prince of Minshu nodded. He shifted his sight towards where Yan Yunhuan had disappeared. “We can’t just let Yan Yunhuan leave Omen Ridge with the two Space Treasures. Remember, I just want to get the Space Treasures back, don’t hurt him. Moreover, there can be no trace that it was us. We don’t want the Yan Family after us.”
“Understood.”
Elder Ji finished speaking and left.
Half a day later, news spread to the Devil Martial City that the Space Treasures had been stolen from the Yan Family heir by a Martial Arts master.
Zhang Ruochen smiled calmly. He had anticipated this.
Yan Yunhuan had offended all of Omen Ridge’s big players at the auction. Of course, someone had gone after him.
In the Martial Arts world, there were many who had kind hearts, free of hatred, but there were also many people who only focused on interests at hand.
Two Space Treasures had been significant enough for them to steal using all means.
However, after a short laugh, Zhang Ruochen had to face another severe problem.
He had already met with Chen Xier and she had told him her suspicions.
He had to say she was indeed a very smart woman. She had been able to figure out the truth from just a few clues.
Zhang Rouchen’s target was not the Middle-aged ancient cave, but Underwater Dragon Palace. It was not important where he went but the news could not be leaked out.
“I’m too careless!” he thought to himself.
What should he do now?
Did he really have to bring her with them?
The truth was, Zhang Ruochen did not trust Chen Xier.
That night, he assembled Si Xingkong, Chang Qiqi, Huang Yanchen, and Duanmu Xingling together to discuss a strategy.
They were a team and it was good for him to listen to everybody’s opinions.
“This is indeed a frustrating situation,” Si Xingkong said, revealing a serious expression. “Junior sister apprentice Chen is the daughter of the palace and the cousin of junior sister apprentice Huang. There’s no way to kill her. But, if we don’t kill her, we’ll have to bring her along. And if we don’t bring her along, she will definitely leak this to others.”
Chang Qiqi was holding the Greedy Rabbit in his arm. His eyes were sharp. “Why don’t we lock her up for the time-being? Wait until we come back from Underwater Dragon Palace, and then we’ll set her free.”
“That is what you call a bad idea!”
Si Xingkong responded, “Even if we lock her up, we’ll have to set her free eventually. Once that happens, she will still tell people. She may even report us to the chief of the palace and ask him to punish us.”
“Chen Xier isn’t a bad person,” Huang Yanchen said. “She just likes setting herself against me. If we’re fighting for the same thing, she won’t sabotage us.”
In fact, if Zhang Ruochen got to choose, he hoped Luo Shuihan could join their team of six. However, because of Chen Xier, he didn’t know how to choose.
Like Si Xingkong said, she was an important person. They could neither kill her nor do anything to upset her.
“If there’s no other way, I can keep an eye on her,” Huang Yanchen suggested. “Her cultivation is more or less the same as mine, I won’t let her do anything unfavorable to the team.”
Zhang Ruochen was still worried. He looked at Duanmu Xingling. “What do you think, senior sister apprentice Duanmu?”
Duanmu Xingling touched her cheek, blinked, and chuckled. “I don’t have a problem with it. Entering Underwater Dragon Palace is incredibly dangerous. We don’t even know if we”ll make it out alive. If she wants to go, bring her. Sister Chen and I can monitor her together.”
“Alright. Since everyone agrees to bring her along, let’s do it.”
Zhang Ruochen continued, “We still have two months to get ourselves ready. Let’s try our best to improve our cultivation. As for Chen Xier, senior sister apprentice Huang, can you go and tell her?”
After the discussion, Zhang Ruochen headed to the Mount Saint Crossing and continued practicing palm technique.
Each session in the Earth Stage Secret Practice Room was half a month long.
Each time he practiced in the secret room, his palm technique and cultivation improved massively.
After a month, Zhang Ruochen had finally practiced the fifth movement of Dragon and Elephant Prajna Palm, the Nine-folds of Elephant Power, to the Success level.
The success of the fifth movement meant that Zhang Ruochen had reached the Spiritual Stage of Dragon and Elephant Prajna Palm. The power this technique could exert was stronger than most superior class martial techniques.
He had also refined a considerable number of Refined Physique Elixirs. His body density was now equal to a warrior at the Advanced Stage of the Heaven Realm.
He could now explode at 298 meters per second.
The top 10 warriors of the Earth Board were at about the same level.
“My martial cultivation has already reached the peak of the Final State of the Earth Realm. I’m one step away from reaching the Completion of the Earth Realm. Will I reach the Ultimate Realm of the Earth Realm?”
Zhang Ruochen took a deep breath. He grasped his fingers tight and felt power emitting from his bones and muscles.
“Crack! Crack!”
It was as if his bones and muscles were exploding.
Even if he didn’t use the Dragon and Elephant Prajna Palm, his fist power would be strong enough to confront ordinary warriors at the Advanced Stage of the Heaven Realm.
With one month left, Zhang Ruochen decided to enter the internal space of the time and space spinal and continue practicing Sword Ripple of Ten Channels.
Time in the internal space was three times that of the outside world. After spending three months practicing in the internal space, Zhang Ruochen had successfully practiced the Sword Ripple of Ten Channels to the beginner level. He had even broken through the Sun Meridian Ripple into the realm of small success.
“If I want to practice the Sword Ripple of Ten Channels to Success, I have to go somewhere extremely Yin and extremely Yang. Tongming River is one extremely cold place in Omen Ridge. I hope when I go to Underwater Dragon Palace this time, I can practice the Sword Wave of the five strands of Yin nature on my right hand to Success.”
His three months were up. It was time to go.
Zhang Ruochen went to visit Luo Shuihan. He wanted to invite her to go to Underwater Dragon Palace, but she was secluding herself for refining.
“I guess she has started to practice in the Half-Saint’s Sacred Glyph.”
Shortly after he left Luo Shuihan’s practice mansion, he encountered Chang Qiqi and Si Xingkong.
Chang Qiqi was holding a magazine. Excitedly he rushed towards Zhang Ruochen. “You’re brilliant! No wonder you looked down on Yan Yunhuan. You’re strong enough to defeat his sister!”
“What are you talking about?” Zhang Ruochen asked.