Chapter 129: An Unexpected Encounter?

The five‑hundred‑year‑old sky‑blue fruit and the six‑hundred‑year‑old white‑ghost fruit were swallowed together.

A normal Soul Master's physique cannot absorb all the potency of the medicinal bath; the two spirit fruits not only soothe the wounds but also help you absorb the bath's medicinal power.

After fully absorbing the medicinal power, the water in the wooden barrel turned back into clear water.

For the next three days, Tie Li only needs to meditate normally, refining the medicinal power to heal the wounds; the bruised blood will be expelled through the skin.

After the injuries healed, Tie Li could clearly feel his body much lighter.

But he still rested an extra three days.

Coincidentally, Gu Yu Cheng was unsettled these days; the local Black Market clashed violently with a passing caravan. A ordinary caravan would pose no problem for the Black Market, but this one came from the Flame Trade Guild.

Behind the Flame Trade Guild stood the Fire Leopard Sect.

At night, while Tie Li lay on the bed, he heard a faint sound and saw a graceful figure enter his room; she seemed injured.

Her long black hair fell over her shoulders, her skin was fair, and her extremely voluptuous figure did not match her age; opposite the fiery physique, her eyes were a pure, cold clarity.

She seemed to have been pursued and was forced to hide in Tie Li's room.

The episode lasted a full three hours; having apparently escaped the pursuers, she let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you," the girl's voice made Tie Li smile faintly.

Sure enough, she had seen through him.

She came to the Tiandou Empire to look for Dai Mubai? That's several months ahead of the original timeline.

Dai Mubai could not bear his family's pressure, enraged by fate's injustice; he abandoned her in the Xingluo Empire, then came alone to the Tiandou Empire to indulge himself, carefree and happy.

Zhu Zhuqing, of the Zhu family, must constantly guard against her sister's assassination; a slight slip could lead to a tragic accident.

Perhaps unwilling to give up, or perhaps still hoping for Dai Mubai, she crossed the Xingluo Empire alone to reach the Tiandou Empire.

Her proud figure and flawless looks always bring her unnecessary trouble.

It's hard to imagine how many hardships she has endured along the way.

"Shh," Tie Li made a silencing gesture.

Footsteps sounded outside the room, accompanied by a few insulting remarks.

"Damn, they actually let that fiery little girl escape."

"If we knew earlier, no need for chatter, just take her down directly."

"I've never seen such a perfect woman; it's truly a damn shame."

But at that moment, the door was violently forced open; Zhu Zhuqing's face turned pale and she stepped back immediately.

"What a pity, the little girl's scent is too strong; we'd have a hard time losing her, hahaha."

There were four of them in total, each wearing a lecherous expression, their ill‑intent gazes lingering on her.

The leader, seeing another man in the room, reluctantly shifted his gaze from Zhu Zhuqing, his fierce eyes fixed on Tie Li, not at all believing Tie Li could threaten them.

"I'm in a good mood today, get out."

Zhu Zhuqing's look toward Tie Li contained a hint of pleading.

"Kid, don't be ignorant of good and bad."

Another Shou Pi Hou, seeing Tie Li unmoved, immediately shouted angrily, about to stand up to chastise Tie Li.

A white and two yellows—three Soul Rings appeared beneath him; he turned out to be a Three Ring Soul Honorable, though his appearance was unremarkable.

The moment his hand touched Tie Li's shoulder, a deep near‑black Lightning Light surged out like a Poison Snake, biting fiercely into his arms.

Two yellows and two purples—the optimal Soul Ring Configuration.

"Four... Four Ring Soul Sect?"

Shou Pi Hou looked at Tie Li in disbelief; not only had his cultivation surpassed his, but his Soul Ring Configuration had also reached the ultimate setup.

Only in his early twenties, an age usually seen among disciples cultivated by major powers.

Tie Li seized the Shou Pi Hou's right arm, swung sharply, instantly producing a bone‑rending sound and a scream.

"We misread you, we're leaving!" the leading big man said, showing sense.

He worried whether Tie Li had elders accompanying him; if they acted rashly, it would provoke those elders to intervene, and his whole group would die here.

"Come and go on a whim? You really think too highly of yourselves," Tie Li's eyes flashed with a cold light.

Since they've acted, they must be eradicated; keeping them alive would only be a disaster.

"Don't go too far."

The leading big man revealed his martial soul and Soul Rings: one white, two yellows, one purple—a decent Soul Ring Configuration.

His martial soul was a bear; upon entering martial soul embodiment, his body protected a radius of two meters and became unusually massive.

The other two also entered martial soul embodiment, respectively a wolf martial soul and a rhinoceros martial soul, both beast martial souls of the strong‑attack type.

All had a one‑white‑two‑yellow Soul Ring Configuration, just like the Shou Pi Hou earlier.

The four of them displayed their martial souls and Soul Rings, mainly to intimidate Tie Li.

"Sss"

Unfortunately, Tie Li didn't buy into their routine,

His sudden form instantly appeared before the leading big man, the first and second Soul Rings igniting.

In Thunder Hammer Form, the second soul skill is a pure single‑target attack with extremely high damage.

"What?"

The leader was startled; his third Soul Ring lit up, a earth‑yellow aura emanating from his body, greatly boosting his strength and defense.

Boom

But under Tie Li's hammer, his body deformed and sank at a visibly rapid speed.

Boom—Bang

Boom— the room's wall shattered, breaking into another room, slamming hard against the wall; the wall behind him spread with spider‑web‑like cracks.

The deformed, sunken wound bore obvious burnt, charred blackness.

The other three didn't react, and their own leader was crippled by a single hammer blow.

Puff—

The big man spat out a mouthful of Black Blood, his gaze filled with something unwatchable.

"You…"

A chain entwined with Lightning Light, like a Poison Snake waiting for its chance, lunged out at the right moment and, under Tie Li's control, pierced the chests of the three.

The deep, near‑black Lightning Light eroded their vitality and soul power; in a heartbeat they became three corpses.

There was no trace of the calm composure that had just been in the big man's eyes; fear had taken over completely.

Tie Li's figure grew more terrifying in his eyes; in his final moments he saw a deep, near‑black lightning transformed into a giant python, its gaping blood‑filled maw biting him to death, and he had to endure excruciating pain before dying.

Zhu Zhuqing's complexion turned ghastly pale, her lips pursed, and Tie Li's ruthless tactics made her feel uneasy.

"Thank you," Zhu Zhuqing said.

Even though she was expressing gratitude, the chill in her tone seemed innate—a pure, clean cold.

"The commotion's getting a bit big; let's leave first,"

"Alright."

One went ahead, one followed, and before the people from Cheng Zhu Fu and the Spirit Hall arrived at the inn, they left this place.

The two arrived at an inn in the southwestern district.

"A single room?" The innkeeper, a middle‑aged man with a faintly knowing smile, looked at Tie Li and Zhu Zhuqing.

Appearing at the inn and hotel at this moment, he was far too familiar with what would happen next.

(End of chapter)