Gao Wu: Ten years of sparring experience, one move and the world knows him.

Chapter 196 Times have changed
Zhao Rui was eager to return to his hometown.

After having a long-awaited breakfast at Qingcheng Mountain, we set off for Dongqi Province.

Zhou Moyun was accompanied by three women.

As for He Wenhua, he rushed to Zhongnan Mountain, where the Quanzhen Sect was located, partly to report on the situation of the Quanzhen Sect in Guixu, and partly to convey the goodwill of the Qingcheng Sect.

The Five Dragon Envoys were sent by Zhao Rui to Jiangsu Province to infiltrate the Holy Lotus Sect.

After the Five Dragon Envoys explained, Zhao Rui realized that the so-called Holy Lotus Sect Leader of the Eastern Japan was not the true supreme ruler of the demonic sect.

He was merely the Left Saint of the sect, and due to disagreements with other leaders within the sect, he led a portion of his subordinates to Blue Star.

The true Holy Lotus Sect is currently in the northwest of Guixu, both eroding the Shang Dynasty and causing chaos in the Song Dynasty.

Very busy.

With the two men sent out, the remaining girls naturally had to stay by their side.

After all, the three girls each have their own strengths, so it's easy to arrange them.

Sichuan Provincial Airport.

Zhao Rui and the three women boarded a plane to Jeju City.

Although they had experience riding in a car before, this time, flying in an airplane at an altitude of 10,000 meters still made Zhou Moyun and the others tremble with fear.

After all, they don't have Zhao Rui's ability to fly through the air.

If you really fell from that height, you would die.

"Sir, would you like something to drink?"

The beautiful flight attendant slightly bent her knees, and beneath her short, narrow skirt, her long, slender legs, encased in stockings, were long and smooth.

Zhao Rui casually ordered four drinks and handed them to the other three.

"Mr. Zhao, are they also waiters?"

"Ok!"

"The kind found in brothels?"

"..."

Two hours later!
The plane slowly landed at Jeju Airport.

Zhao Rui and his group got off the plane and took a taxi to Dongqi University.

"I've rented a place for you. Please stay here for now. I'll come find you once everything is settled."

Zhao Rui first rented a triple room for them at a hotel near the school gate for them to stay temporarily.

He then went to Dongqi University alone.

Familiar place, familiar scenery, yet it feels like an experience from a very, very long time ago.

Zhao Rui was somewhat dazed.

With the Mingchan Temple in sight, he paused slightly, his brows furrowed, and then suddenly vanished from the spot.

At the Narumi-in Martial Arts Arena!
Wang Dalong stared intently ahead with a serious expression, his body tense, like a fierce tiger ready to pounce at any moment.

Opposite him, a beautiful woman stood on the wall, looking at him with an arrogant expression.

"Your Dragon Subduing Palm technique is far inferior to the others."

The woman said calmly.

"Stop talking nonsense. If you want to fight, then fight. If not, then get out of here. You're not welcome here."

"court death!"

The woman flew into a rage, her figure blurred, and her palms flew like lightning, attacking Wang Dalong in an instant like a storm.

After a fight with Zhao Rui, Wang Dalong gained some insight. His palms unleashed a torrent of true energy, resembling a flock of dragons soaring through the air, forming a protective barrier.

They withstood the opponent's offensive.

"You are still too young!"

The woman narrowed her eyes, changed her palms into claws, and her two arms seemed to grow out of thin air.

It instantly broke through his Dragon Subduing Palm technique.

Wang Dalong was terrified. He retreated rapidly, kicking the sand and stones on the ground into streaks of starlight as he met the woman's sharp claws.

A series of crackling sounds rang out, and the sand and stones were sent flying as if they had hit a block of iron.

Wang Dalong's eyes widened as he gathered his palm power and unleashed a powerful strike.

The woman's sharp claws were like divine weapons, cutting through iron like mud, instantly shattering his palm strike.

"not good!"

Just then, Cai Zhengyang quickly pointed his fingers like a sword, and streaks of sword energy shot out, all striking the woman's vital chest without missing a beat.

"Two against one, is this the level of our Eastern Qi?"

The woman dodged the attack and unleashed a claw strike, forcing Cai Zhengyang back.

At this moment, Wang Dalong also took advantage of the opportunity to dodge her attack, and with a quick step, retreated rapidly to stand side by side with Cai Zhengyang.

"Luo Min, you were once a student at Dongqi University. What you've done is going too far."

One of the girls in the audience shouted angrily.

This woman was none other than Luo Min, who had disappeared for a long time and entered the Demonic Sect.

"Noisy!"

Luo Min scoffed, glared, and instantly unleashed his Soul-Shifting Demonic Technique on the girl who had spoken.

"careful!"

Qin Rui was shocked and pulled the girl away. At the same time, she waved her hands repeatedly, and a surge of spiritual power instantly blocked the demonic power.

Although the power of the soul is weak, it can still provide some resistance.

Taking advantage of this opening, Qin Rui had already dodged away.

"Ok?"

Luo Min frowned slightly, and said with a hint of disgust, "Zhao Rui passed it on to you, didn't he? He's like a persistent ghost. Even in death, he still causes trouble."

"You're not allowed to talk about him like that! He's not dead yet."

A look of intense anger flashed across Qin Rui's fair face.

"I watched him get swallowed by the monster with my own eyes, how could he not die? Haha. He deserved to die."

Luo Min laughed somewhat maniacally.

"No, he's not dead, he's still alive."

Qin Rui shook her head vigorously, trying to force Luo Min's words out of her ears.

Zhao Rui has been missing for more than two months.

This was nothing unusual; he often went to Qingcheng Mountain for seclusion.

But this time, it involves the Guixu Passage and the chaos caused by the strange beasts of the Eastern Japanese.

News came from the East Japan that an elder of the Qingcheng Sect in China, named Zhao Rui, had been swallowed by a strange beast and entered the Guixu Passage.

I don't know where this news came from.

And so it spread openly and legitimately throughout the Chinese martial arts world.

People then began to inquire about who Zhao Rui was.

As a result, after making inquiries, some people revealed how amazing he was in the Battle of Mount Tai.

He is a rising star in the martial arts world of the Central Plains.

Then someone dug up that Zhao Rui had once fought hundreds of rounds with the demon-possessed Cangwuzi, and the battle ended in a draw.

Moreover, he was the direct person involved in Cangwuzi's demonic possession.

After several stories of his gaining fame spread, everyone knew that there was such a powerful and arrogant person.

Sadly, he died!

As the story spread, the tone changed, portraying him as arrogant, conceited, and complacent.

It turns out that no matter how awesome a person is, if they don't live long, they'll just be a piece of trash!
The way things unfolded was rather strange, but at least it put Zhao Rui's name on the radar.

"If he doesn't die, who will?"

"Why shouldn't he die? He's just an ordinary student who achieved some success by chance. Why does he look down on me?"

"Where am I inferior to him? Where am I inferior to that Miao Miaomiao... and you... in terms of martial arts, looks, and figure, how can you compare to me?"

As Luo Min grew angrier, she leaped into the air and reached out to grab Qin Rui.

Wang Dalong and his companion rushed forward to defend them.

The three of them worked together to fend off Luo Min's attack.

"You worthless wretch, what makes you think you can compare to me? Once my Holy Lotus Sect conquers Eastern Qi, I will make you wish you were dead!"

Luo Min's face was pale and gloomy, clearly indicating that practicing demonic arts had greatly affected her mental state.

The three were furious, but unfortunately the difference in strength was too great. After lasting for about ten moves, they were all knocked to the ground by Luo Min.

Luo Min revealed a wicked smile, and in a flash, he appeared beside Qin Rui, extending his claws and placing them on Qin Rui's collar.

"I'll strip you naked and let everyone see if Zhao Rui's girlfriend has a good figure!"

Luo Min's smile was sinister.

"Enough, Robin!"

Just then, a masked man on the wall coldly stopped her.

"You've gone too far."

The man said in a cold voice.

"You've gone too far? What? You're going to protect her? You don't have a crush on her too, do you?"

Luo Min stood up unhappily and looked coldly at the masked man.

"How dare you speak to me like that now?" the masked man said coldly.

"You are my lord, and you are second-in-command. You are disobeying the words of the leader?"

Luo Min remained unfazed, staring at him with a cold expression.

"This is not a matter for the sect. I advise you to restrain yourself and not force me to take action."

The masked man's tone was tinged with coldness, as if he would take action if Luo Min dared to make any rash moves.

"So she's got her eye on Zhao Rui's woman. Men are all the same, none of them are any good."

Luo Min sneered and withdrew her finger from Qin Rui.

"Alright, it's getting late, we should head out."

The masked man looked at the familiar place and the familiar surroundings, and said with a slight touch of emotion.

"You've gotten off easy. Just wait a little longer. The day my Holy Church arrives will be the day you see me again, hahaha!"

Luo Min laughed wildly, his once handsome face now appearing sinister and terrifying.

I don't know if the Holy Church will come, and you probably won't be able to see it.

Just then, a gloomy voice, like a thunderclap, resounded throughout the entire training ground.

"That sound?"

The masked man was startled, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

"Zhao, Zhao, Zhao Rui, you..."

Luo Min was so frightened that she stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

"Team Leader Zhao, it's Team Leader Zhao's voice."

The tense and fearful crowd in the training ground suddenly had bright eyes.

They all shouted excitedly.

"Zhao Rui is not dead."

"Great!"

"I told you he wouldn't die! Good people don't live long, but bad people do... Pshaw!"

You could tell from those words that Cai Zhengyang said them.

Just as everyone was chattering, Zhao Rui's figure gradually appeared at the entrance of the martial arts arena.

His steps were slow, but they possessed a mysterious charm that seemed to calm everyone's minds.

When he walked in, the group, who had been feeling exhausted from fear, tension, and anxiety, seemed to be bathed in brilliant sunshine.

There was no sign of fatigue whatsoever.

"Luo Min, how have you been!"

Zhao Rui looked at the woman in front of him, whose eyes had strange patterns drawn on them and whose clothes were bizarre, making her look like a witch.

He couldn't help but shake his head.

After all, she was once my classmate, and I really can't understand why she harbors such resentment towards me.

The two didn't actually have much interaction.

Why is this so?

"You, you're still alive? How is that possible? How could you have returned from the Ruins of Return?"

"Oh? As you can see, you're back."

After Zhao Rui finished speaking, his gaze suddenly fell on the masked man standing on the wall, and he smiled faintly, "Zhang Kui, long time no see. How have you been?"

"Zhang Kui?"

Qin Rui's eyes widened slightly, her face filled with disbelief.

"Zhang Kui, is it really you?"

The masked man shook his head and slightly removed the mask from his face. It was none other than Zhang Kui.

"Zhao Rui, I never expected that we would meet again in this way."

Zhang Kui's face was deathly pale, as if he had suffered a serious injury.

"Yeah, I didn't expect that either."

Zhao Rui smiled faintly and said, "If you don't mind me killing someone, let's talk again."

Zhang Kui was taken aback and was about to speak.

Zhao Rui's figure blurred, and he had already darted in front of Luo Min.

"You're going to kill me!"

"You're going to kill me!"

"Why, why, for this wretched woman, would you kill me? She..."

With a snap, the words came to an abrupt halt.

Zhao Rui is now so powerful that she can't possibly resist him.

Luo Min's body fell to the ground, shocking everyone present.

"You, you've changed too."

Zhang Kui's voice trembled slightly, even though they had once been good friends.

Even though he had already reached the Dharma Aspect Realm, he was still startled by Zhao Rui's casual killing, breaking out in a cold sweat.

"Times have changed."

Zhao Rui said coldly.

"Yes, times have changed. Seeing you like this puts my mind at ease."

Zhang Kui shook his head with a wry smile.

"Want to get together somewhere? I'll invite Li Xinran."

Zhao Rui stood beside Luo Min's body, speaking calmly as if nothing had happened.

"No, let's do it another day. Can I take her with me?"

"of course can."

"Thanks!"

Zhang Kui put his mask back on, his figure blurred, and he appeared in front of Zhao Rui. Without saying a word, he bent down, grabbed Luo Min's corpse, and in a flash, leaped onto the wall and disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Zhao, Zhao Rui!"

Qin Rui was slightly scared, but when Zhao Rui opened his arms, she ran into his embrace.

She burst into loud sobs.

The surrounding teammates reacted with varying expressions upon witnessing this scene.

There was fear, trepidation, excitement, and panic.

Although a lot has happened in the past year or two, nothing like this, where someone is openly and casually killed right before your eyes.

This still caused some ripples in their values.

"Times have changed; you should go out and see for yourselves."

Zhao Rui comforted Qin Rui, then looked up at everyone and said.

"Team Leader Zhao!"

"Team Leader Zhao!"

Perhaps his words had an effect, because starting with the first person, the crowd gradually gathered and formed a shout that resounded throughout the training ground.

……

Inside the meditation room on the mountain in front of the Cicada Temple.

Zhao Rui and Qin Rui sat facing each other, staring at his face repeatedly.

What are you all looking at?

"It's unbelievable. You really went to the Ruins of Return?"

Upon hearing the news, Li Xinran rushed over and asked with a curious expression.

"Of course! It's the real deal."

What's it like there?

"It's just like a primeval forest, with ancient city walls, ancient tribes, palaces, and sects..."

"You can imagine it as an ancient world inhabited by strange beasts."

"Ah! Did those strange beasts really come from the Ruins of Return? Will they multiply and gradually take over the entire Blue Star?"

Li Xinran's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she asked in a terrified expression.

"This is an inevitable trend. So, times have changed."

Zhao Rui frowned slightly and said seriously.

"Can't the imperial court solve this?"

"I don't know, but at least to some extent, the entire social order will be thrown into chaos..."

Upon hearing his words, Qin Rui and the others lowered their heads and fell into deep thought.

They understood what Zhao Rui meant.

With the invasion of the Guixu people, the rampage of alien beasts, and even the encouragement of the Holy Lotus Sect.

The world will never be able to return to the peaceful times of the past.

In an era where force reigns supreme, everything has indeed changed.

(End of this chapter)