Chapter 100: No One Leaves!

At the cave entrance.

"Huh? Why's it silent now?"

Qian Yu tilted his ear, puzzled: "Has the winner been decided?"

"Possibly," Chen Mu agreed with a nod.

"Decided that quickly?" Qian Yu sighed, then chuckled, "I wonder who got the Heaven River Sword Scripture."

"And the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword," Chen Mu kept his expression unchanged, adding again, "An upper-grade mystery weapon—curious how powerful it is."

"Of course it's powerful, but fully subduing it won't be simple," Qian Yu explained. "I don't know the specifics of the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword, but upper-grade mystery weapons possess immense sentience. Ordinary people can't suppress them, let alone subdue them. If you can't subdue the mystery weapon, how can you control it?"

"I see."

Hearing this, Chen Mu suddenly understood: "If that's the case, the one who got the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword is probably Wei Dongliang?"

"It could also be Zhao Fuzhou," Qian Yu said seriously. "This Lord Zhao of the Pacifying Garrison has few combat appearances, but his strength isn't weaker than a Potential Dragon prodigy. Or rather, if Zhao Fuzhou wanted to, he'd have been on the Potential Dragon List long ago!"

Potential Dragon prodigies?

Impressive, Lord Zhao!

Chen Mu inwardly admired, yet felt no great surprise.

Zhao Fuzhou's age fits the Potential Dragon List's eligibility.

Under thirty!

The Potential Dragon List records experts under thirty years old in the Foundation Establishment or Innate realms, ranked by combat record.

Zhao Fuzhou's strength rivals that of a Earth Altar realm expert—he should easily qualify, yet he's not on the list.

One reason is his few combat appearances; the other is his lack of notable victories.

What counts as a notable victory?

An Innate Third Stage expert killing a Foundation Establishment Third Stage expert—that's a notable victory, a heavenly-level feat that can make you famous overnight across the entire Da Zhou!

He'd definitely make the Potential Dragon List—top ten, no, top three!

But if an Innate Second Stage expert kills a Foundation Establishment Third Stage expert, it's merely decent.

In small regions, like Nan Yun, it might cause a minor stir.

But across all nineteen provinces of Da Zhou, it's utterly insignificant.

…

…

"Someone's coming out."

Qian Yu focused on the tunnel inside the cave, watching a figure step out slowly.

"My lord!"

Chen Mu recognized the person and bowed, calling out.

The first person to emerge from the cave was none other than Zhao Fuzhou.

"We can return to Huicheng."

Zhao Fuzhou said as he walked, "This cave was indeed the place where the Heaven River Sword Elder passed away, but there's no Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword, and the jade slip recording the Heaven River Sword Scripture is gone."

"... May I ask, Lord Zhao, what do you mean by 'the jade slip is gone'?" Qian Yu asked curiously.

"Literally."

Zhao Fuzhou spoke calmly: "Fang Yuanzuo seized the jade slip. When Fang Yuanzuo fled the cavern, Shi Kuangsheng killed him—and then the jade slip vanished."

"Ah?" Qian Yu was stunned.

"How could that be?" Chen Mu feigned shock. "If Fang Yuanzuo seized it, the jade slip must've been on him. Even if he dropped it, it should've been near his body."

"That logic makes sense, but it's simply gone," Zhao Fuzhou's eyes flickered. "Everyone inside searched every corner. They stripped Fang Yuanzuo's corpse bare. The jade slip? It's just not there."

"This..." Chen Mu fell silent, barely suppressing a laugh inside.

Even dead, Fang Yuanzuo can't rest in peace!

As for Fang Yuanfu's rage, it's useless.

Wei Dongliang, Zhao Fuzhou, Di Chunlei, Huang Keqin, Shi Kuangsheng—these five together? If Fang Yuanfu doesn't want to die, he can only stay silent, raging impotently...

"Let's go, let's go."

A low voice rang out as Di Chunlei strode out of the tunnel. "Sister, let's leave. Let them fight over the Heaven River Sword Scripture."

"No one leaves!"

Shi Kuangsheng's eyes turned bloodshot as he sprinted out after them. "Before we find the jade slip, no one leaves!"

"Whoosh—Boom!"

Di Chunlei raised his hand and unleashed a furious punch.

A fist-shaped aura, clearly visible to the naked eye, slammed into Shi Kuangsheng.

Shi Kuangsheng barely raised his guard—his entire body erupted in sword qi, his form thrown backward, crashing hard against the cave wall, sending down a shower of shattered rock.

"Get lost!"

Di Chunlei growled, "What are you? Shi Kuangsheng, don't push your luck. If you want the Heaven River Sword Scripture, go ask Fang Yuanzuo for it!"

"Puff~"

Shi Kuangsheng spat dark blood, his bloodshot eyes locked on Di Chunlei.

Di Chunlei wasn't fazed—he stepped forward and roared, "What? Don't accept it? Then let's settle it!"

"..." Shi Kuangsheng shifted his gaze to Qian Yu, then to Chen Mu, gritting his teeth: "Did you two take the jade slip?"

"Pah!"

Di Chunlei spat, the spittle landing squarely on Shi Kuangsheng's face. "You idiot! Do you really think I won't kill you? My sister and Brother Chen never even entered the cave—how could they have taken the jade slip? Huh? You white idiot, how could they take it if they never went in?!"

"..." Shi Kuangsheng swallowed his rage, wiped his cheek, and reluctantly shut his eyes.

The technique-transmitting jade slip is gone!

The only treasure vanished into thin air, right before everyone's eyes!

How could Shi Shi Kuangsheng, who had been half a step away from seizing the true art, not feel aggrieved, not go mad?

The problem was that Di Di Chunlei's words were not wrong.

Qian Yu and Chen Mu hadn't even entered the cave.

In terms of suspicion, the two of them were the least likely!

……

"Pah~"

Di Di Chunlei spat on the ground again and said irritably, "Go crazy somewhere else. If you dare spout more nonsense, I'll kill you!"

Having said that, he called out to Qian Yu and Chen Mu.

"Let's go, junior sister, Brother Chen, we're heading back to Huicheng!"

"……Alright." Chen Mu glanced at Shi Shi Kuangsheng, then turned and left.

Zhao Fuzhou left together with them.

On the road.

Qian Yu asked Di Di Chunlei about the situation inside the cave.

Di Di Chunlei gave a rough account: the invisible exotic beast, Lin Hun dead, Fang Yuanzuo dead, Wei Dongliang's subordinates, the Fang brothers' subordinates, and Huang Keqin's subordinates—each side lost quite a few people.

Sun Jindong, whom Chen Mu most wanted to take down, was fine and dandy, alive and well!

Sun Jindong didn't die in the melee this time—next time, Chen Mu would take matters into his own hands!

……

They returned to Wulong Fucheng.

Chen Mu took stock of this trip's gains.

First, seven Invisibility Cards.

Then, five Qi Cards, ranging from a minimum of three months to a maximum of six and a half months.

Next, four Cultivation Cards, with varying time limits.

One Martial Demonstration Card, five Skill Cards.

Twenty-one Internal Force Cards, six Power Cards; the rest were either Stamina Cards or Energy Cards.

Two of the Skill Cards recorded Innate Wu Gong: one was the martial technique "Hateful Heart Fist," at the Minor Attained Realm.

The other was also a martial technique, "Six Directions Slash," at the Mastery Realm.

Both martial techniques were decent—at least mid-grade.

"Hateful Heart Fist" was a fist art, emphasizing intent; difficult to cultivate, but powerful.

"Six Directions Slash" was an explosive-type Wu Gong, focusing on gathering essence, qi, and spirit into a single force—able to slash in any direction: up, down, left, right, front, back!

Of course.

These two martial techniques paled greatly in comparison to the "Duan Tianhe Sword Canon."

"Whoosh~"

Holding the Equipment Card, Chen Mu unsealed it, and a crystalline, translucent jade tablet instantly appeared……