Promise!

Chapter 251, Ten Thousand Swords

Emerging from the frozen lake in the underground cave and leaving Yunchi Mountain, Zhuang Jin prepared to return to Cangzhou City. Looking at the strange beasts marked on the map, he pointed his finger at the Fire Phoenix.

He hasn't forgotten the grudge from back then; he's kept it all in his little notebook.

When I came here, I didn't go looking for it because: firstly, there are priorities, and refining attributes is the most important thing; secondly, because I had stolen the Heaven and Earth Essence and the Panlong Wood Heart and other treasures from the True Qi Realm circle, I heard that this guy had already tempered his three internal organs, and I might not be able to beat him at that time.

Therefore, he had taken a long detour when he came, but now the situation is different, and Zhuang Jin plans to go and meet him.

Shangguan Yunchang was also there and did not separate. Zhuang Jin told her about her experience of being 'robbed' by the Fire Phoenix and her plans. She found it amusing and prepared to go with her, saying that she would try it out first.

Well, her thoughts were that she was not as good as Zhuang Jin now, but because of the cultivation technique, she was confident that she would be able to surpass Zhuang Jin in the future. Moreover, there was the 'marriage into the family' agreement, so she regarded Zhuang Jin as half of her own. She was protecting him and could not let outsiders... uh, outside beasts bully him!

—From the first meeting, I knew from the matter of Shangguan Yunhong that Shangguan Yunchang was extremely rational in front of outsiders, weighing the pros and cons, but she was somewhat protective of her own people. Now Zhuang Jin was also enjoying this treatment.

Zhuang Jin quickly understood Shangguan Yunchang's thoughts and did not stop her.

If you can live off a woman, why don't you?
Furthermore, making Shangguan Yunchang make sacrifices can deepen their bond, or to put it more bluntly, it increases their sunk costs.

Unlike Chen Yun, Mu Qing, and Shen Xujun, even now, the external factors between Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang far outweigh their feelings.

……

A double-dead zone, a broad-leaved parasol tree forest.

The paulownia trees here are extremely tall, generally four or five zhang high, and as thick as a person can hug, like towering giants in a primeval forest, with leaves as broad as banana leaves.

As the saying goes, "the phoenix perches on the parasol tree." Although the fire phoenix is ​​not a phoenix, it has the bloodline of the phoenix and likes this kind of environment, so it lives here.

Let the purple kangaroo stay behind. Zhuang Jin and Shangguan Yunchang followed the scent and came to the Fire Phoenix. When they were almost face to face, the Fire Phoenix noticed the two two-legged creatures and immediately cried out and took off.

This is naturally their way of concealing their presence.

The Holy Spirit Pearl inherently possesses the function of concealing one's aura, and Zhuang Jin, relying on his presence, found it to be indeed effective.

According to Shangguan Yunchang, a treasure of such caliber as the Holy Spirit Pearl can conceal its aura and realm so well that even a martial artist at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm who has come into contact with the Divine Fusion Heaven and Earth level would be unable to detect it.

As for the Yin Spirit Realm, she wasn't entirely sure, but as long as it wasn't done in person, it was highly unlikely to be discovered. Hmm, Shangguan Yunchang said she'd have her ancestor test it out later and then inform Zhuang Jin of the specifics.

The Suspended Sky Realm of the Suspended Sky Division has a conventional detection capability that is only equivalent to that of a martial artist in the Innate Corpse Severing Realm. Unless there is suspicion and a special investigation is conducted, it is difficult to detect.

The Yin-Yang Cleansing Jade is of the same rank as the Holy Spirit Pearl and has the same function. However, it is unnecessary for Shangguan Yunchang. People from a prestigious family like her usually do not need to hide anything. The more talented she appears, the more valued she is in her family and the higher her status.

"Wow!"

The Fire Phoenix took to the air, its body flashing with strange power as if it were on fire. Feathers fell from its body like fiery meteors, each trailing a trail of light that reddened the sky, like a brilliant sunset.

Clearly, it has broken through to a higher level, and this move is now much more refined than before, making it incomparable to what it was before.

Swish!
Shangguan Yunchang lunged forward, and with a single sword strike, purple snowflakes fell, swirling and dancing around her as she met the attack.

The two collided in mid-air, but the result was one-sided. The red meteor shower dimmed and lost its color. An extremely cold aura enveloped the area, and the air seemed to be frozen, solidified like a block of ice or amber. The strange power burning on the Fire Phoenix Bird was extinguished instantly, and its entire body was frozen in mid-air.

This result surprised even Shangguan Yunchang herself. Just now, she hadn't used a combination of martial arts and secret techniques; it was just an ordinary sword strike with the martial art 'Snowflakes Falling in the Mortal World.' Yet, even so, she had easily and effortlessly crushed the Fire Phoenix.

She instantly realized that it wasn't that the Fire Phoenix was too weak, but rather that she herself was now too strong.

'The Fire Phoenix has tempered the three internal organs, and Shangguan Yunchang is at the second level of the Innate Qi Realm, so they are considered to be in the same realm. Between people of the same realm, beasts are stronger than martial artists, but at this moment, the latter is fighting the former, and it seems to be an effect of crushing the opponent's realm.'

'This is the terror of ultimate attributes. No wonder they say that condensing ultimate attributes allows one to fight against opponents of higher levels.'

Zhuang Jin, who was watching from the sidelines, was also slightly surprised by what he saw.

"Wow!"

The Fire Phoenix hovered in mid-air for five or six breaths before the flames formed from its supernatural power rose again, but they were no longer as vigorous as before. It was clearly weakened by the attribute being completely countered, and at this moment, it had no fighting spirit at all and turned to run away.

Shangguan Yunchang followed up with a sword strike, freezing the bird once more. She wanted to kill the Fire Phoenix, but the Fire Phoenix had already died long ago. She was merely adapting to her own strength and also wanted to subdue this Fire Phoenix.

She wasn't doing it for herself, but for Zhuang Jin. This Fire Phoenix had taken Zhuang Jin's Heaven and Earth Essence, so it was only natural for Zhuang Jin to ride it as a mount!
This is indeed Shangguan Yunchang's nature—she holds grudges, but at this moment she is holding a grudge on behalf of Zhuang Jin.

Over here, Shangguan Yunchang is trying to subdue the Fire Phoenix.

Zhuang Jin looked to the other side, where another strange beast was approaching from afar. It was a dazzling moth covered in spots, like a small sun.

'Is that a Fire Moth?! This kind of beast has an extremely volatile temper. Perhaps it sensed the aura of the Extreme Ice earlier, felt uncomfortable, and felt provoked, which is why it came here? Its aura seems significantly stronger than that of the Fire Phoenix, probably indicating it has tempered its five internal organs.'

'Alright, now that you're here, don't leave.'

Compared to the Fire Phoenix, the Fire God Moth was not very appealing, but Zhuang Jin did not hold back and made a move.

Swish swish!
A dense array of pale purple ice-soul sword energies formed behind him.

With a flick of his finger, the flames gathered and passed through the Fire God Moth, extinguishing its strange fire. The remaining force did not diminish, and the trees within a hundred feet behind it instantly froze, becoming crystal clear and exuding an icy aura under the sunlight.

'With my current strength, I can easily overwhelm any beast of the same realm. Even when facing a warrior at the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm… well, without using the Holy Spirit Pearl, I should have some ability to protect myself.'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, then nodded slightly in satisfaction.

On one side, he disposed of the fire moth's corpse, while on the other side, Shangguan Yunchang subjected the fire phoenix to a brutal beating, yet the latter still failed to subdue it.

—Although mythical beasts possess some intelligence, they are even more arrogant and difficult to submit to humans. This is why mounts are so rare. Fire-attribute mythical beasts, such as the Fire Phoenix, are often short-tempered, making them even more so.

"If you and I reach the Innate Corpse-Slaying Realm and come into contact with the Divine Fusion of Heaven and Earth, we can subtly influence this Fire Phoenix with our spiritual power, and it will gradually become closer to us and will not betray us," Shangguan Yunchang said regretfully.

"It's alright. Even if we succeed in subduing it this time, it's not appropriate to take it back. My current cultivation level is not high enough to subdue such a strange beast. It's better to keep it here for now and come back another time!"

Such a visually appealing flying beast is rare even in the entire Funiu Mountains, so there's really no need to kill it. Besides, killing the Fire Phoenix would only yield one more Six-Fu Realm beast core. Zhuang Jin has already absorbed the entire Xuanbing Marrow from the Ice Lake in the underground cave, making him wealthy and not lacking in such things. He plans to come back later to collect one as a mount. After that, the two didn't linger in the Second Level of Peril and quickly returned. To maintain secrecy, they parted ways at the edge of the First Level of Danger.

Before parting, Shangguan Yunchang gave Zhuang Jin a special token, saying that he could use it to contact her if needed.

Next, Shangguan Yunchang went first, while Zhuang Jin, along with the purple kangaroo, strolled around a dangerous area in the Funiu Mountains before leisurely returning.

Outside the east gate of Cangzhou City, he looked at the bustling scene of people coming and going, which he hadn't seen for many days, and his feelings were somewhat complicated.

Although this trip into the mountains lasted only about twenty days, his condition had changed dramatically.

'This trip has allowed me to refine my attributes, break through my realm, obtain the Holy Spirit Pearl, and significantly improve my aptitude. My cultivation speed will also skyrocket in the future. From now on, I'll have Shangguan Yunchang protecting me at the Suspended Heaven Division. It can be said that my path to the Yin God Realm is almost smooth sailing.'

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, checked again to confirm that his cultivation level was perfectly concealed by the Holy Spirit Pearl, before entering the state city.

……

Cangzhou City, Second Ring Road.

When Zhuang Jin returned to his residence, Ji Tongxiu came over at noon that day to tell him something. During the half month that he had been away in the mountains, Ming Guangxie's close associates and subordinates had been targeting the Ji and Teng families.

The Ji and Teng families worked for him, so they were naturally seen as his forces. The Ji family, in particular, was a 'weak point' in the open, which was a firewall set up in the past. Now that Ming Guangxie deeply hated Zhuang Jin, he naturally took his anger out on these two families.

It can only be said that the Ji family and the Teng family have benefited from relying on Zhuang Jin. They have made leaps and bounds in the past few years. Now, they will naturally be implicated and implicated because of Zhuang Jin's grudges. This is only natural. There is never anything in the world that only has benefits and no drawbacks!

That was bad enough, but the worst thing was that Ji Tongxiu's younger brother, Ji Tongwei, was also bullied at Bailu Martial Academy because of this, but in the end he escaped unharmed.

This was Zhuang Jingang's small circle of Qi Realm cultivators, along with Ge Mingzhi, Ji Tongwei's classmate mentioned earlier, who helped to withstand a lot of pressure.

At the same time, this was also because it was not Ming Guangxie who took action personally, but only instructed his close associates and subordinates. These people were not fools, so the action was all bark and no bite, and they were relatively restrained and kept their distance.

After all, Zhuang Jin just went out, not died. Getting too involved in this kind of thing can easily lead to "gods fighting and mortals suffering." Besides, who knows when the tables might turn? It's always good to leave some room for maneuver!

Ming Guangxie actually knew that these little tricks wouldn't do anything to Zhuang Jin; they were more about deliberately trying to annoy him.

Indeed, upon hearing this, Zhuang Jin felt as if a toad had crawled onto her foot.

"I know about this."

He frowned slightly, then suddenly thought of something and made up his mind, but he did not reveal it.

In the following month, Zhuang Jin participated in two more gatherings within the Gangqi Realm, thanking those close to and affiliated with Ming Guangxie for their help, and also visited the Xuantian Division once.

Hiding their realm with the Holy Spirit Pearl has become the norm, and nothing has been discovered.

……

Second Ring Road, Mingjia.

"Reporting to you, sir, after that Venerable Zhuang returned, he did nothing except participate in the circle's gatherings, and his affiliated forces did not make any unusual moves."

"Well, you go ahead!"

Upon Zhuang Jin's return, Ming Guangxie became vigilant and prepared. He boasted that his strength had improved since obtaining the Wind Spirit Pearl, and planned to wait until Zhuang Jin couldn't help but come to him to argue. Then, with their respective inner circles as witnesses, they would have a fight, giving Zhuang Jin a good slap in the face and collecting some interest in advance.

But Zhuang Jin didn't come, and it seemed that he just tolerated it. With the idea that "a barking dog doesn't bite," he didn't relax his vigilance until half a month or a month had passed, and then his vigilance gradually turned into contempt.

'Zhuang Jin is, after all, an outsider from a small town. Even if he joins the Qi Refining Realm circle, he's still no match for someone like me, a native of Cangzhou City, in terms of connections and influence. It's difficult for him to exact any revenge.'

"At the same time, their previous attack on me, using the Xuan Tian Division as a scapegoat, violated some taboos among the innate martial arts community. Under these circumstances, they probably dare not act further."

'Oh, there are probably others who know I obtained the Wind Spirit Orb, and knowing they can't compete with me in the future, they've chosen to hold back, hoping to settle things peacefully... Heh, that person's dream is quite rosy!'

Thinking of all this, and because he was being watched by the Xuantian Division, Ming Guangxie originally planned not to leave the state city and did not think that Zhuang Jin could do anything or had any opportunity to do anything, until he came out after participating in the roundtable meeting that day.

……

Upon returning and receiving the news that day, Zhuang Jin secretly contacted Shangguan Yunchang and recounted in detail her affair with Ming Guangxie, highlighting the latter's despicable act of stealing the Wind Spirit Pearl and his excessive bullying over the past few days, while also playing the victim.

As for Shangguan Yunchang's reaction, although she said that Zhuang Jin was troublesome and had many things to do, she still paid attention. That night, she sent over a secret technique and two messages.

This secret technique, called "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source," is a complement to, or rather a supplement to, the "Severing Meridian Divine Sword." It can condense multiple sword energies into a single point and also compensates for the directness of the sword energies, allowing them to slightly change direction.

She had already inquired about and verified that by using treasures of the Yin-Yang Cleansing Jade and Holy Spirit Pearl to conceal one's aura, even in the presence of a Yin God martial artist, as long as one is not being watched closely and thoroughly examined, it is possible to hide one's presence.

Another piece of information gave Ming Guangxie details about participating in a roundtable meeting one day, and where he could wait and wait for them.

'Stubborn on the outside but soft on the inside, even this little vixen Shangguan Yunchang has such an adorable side.'

Zhuang Jin found it somewhat amusing.

The secret technique "Ten Thousand Swords Return to the Source" was probably something Shangguan Yunchang noticed when facing the Fire God Moth, so she took note of it and carefully selected it upon returning home.

They also did not forget the matter of concealing their realm with the Holy Spirit Pearl.

Even regarding the matter of Ming Guangxie, although he complained about the trouble, he still got it done, and with great efficiency.

All of this shows that after the two made the agreement regarding the marriage, Shangguan Yunchang's mindset was indeed different, and she truly regarded Zhuang Jin as one of her own.

"Playing the victim is an art. By feigning distress and asking for help, I made Shangguan Yunchang feel needed, which also deepened our relationship and strengthened our connection. It's like how some people intentionally incur favors."

Zhuang Jin thought to himself, shaking his head slightly. He put those thoughts aside for now, his expression instantly turning cold: 'With these, some people deserve to die!'

……

(End of this chapter)