Chapter 236: Something Has Happened

Cang You's massive body sank deep into the rock wall.

Xuan Zhu stood atop Cang You's head, but she too was blown away by Wu Tie's overbearing, violent strike, fluttering like a fragile orchid in a gale, spinning toward the rear rock wall, and just before her small face hit the wall, she forcibly halted her motion.

Behind her, a deep blue cold light flickered, and countless ice crystals sprayed from beside Xuan Zhu with a faint 'ding ding' sound, quickly covering her body within a radius of several li with a thin layer of Xuanbing ice.

She stared at Wu Tie from afar, the smile vanished from her pretty face, her visage twisted ferociously, like a vengeful ghost.

"I sense on you the same aura as theirs."

"Rough, overbearing, cruel, savage."

"Yet within this violence lies the rhythm of heaven and earth that perfectly matches this world's laws."

"I have remembered this power. You and they are allies. Since they are gone, I have remembered you."

Xuan Zhu uttered a few cold grunts, then pointed fiercely at Cang You.

With his head completely sunk into his chest cavity, Cang You let out a low roar; his massive body exploded, countless blue light points burst outward hundreds of meters, then swiftly collapsed inward.

The blue light swirled, and a brand-new Cang You coalesced from nothing.

Cang You exhaled Cold Qi in big gulfs, his eyes shooting deep-blue cold light, staring fixedly at Wu Tie with a low growl.

"Not human speech, but Wu Tie understood the meaning hidden in Cang You's roar—'If my true body were here, I could smash you with one claw… mortal, you have provoked the great Cang You, I have remembered you'!"

Wu Tie wasted no words, he lifted White Tiger Split and strode toward Xuan Zhu and Cang You.

The spear angled forward, Wu Tie stepped into the void, his huge metallic wings flapping behind him, amid a 'bang bang' sound of breaking air, he flickered like teleportation, each flash covering more than a li, and in an instant he reached Xuan Zhu's front.

The spear thrust straight out.

Overbearing, direct, tyrannical, an unstoppable white cold gleam stabbed straight at Xuan Zhu's chest.

Xuan Zhu repeated her old trick, just as she had against Huaguang, her stiff, twisted face suddenly breaking into a full smile, she let out a soft, coquettish moan, thrusting her chest forward to meet Wu Tie's spear tip.

"You, you, you're so ruthless—just kill me!"

White Tiger Split's spear tip instantly reached Xuan Zhu's chest; when Huaguang drew his sword, he still hesitated a bit. Huaguang's hesitation was whether his sword should burn the 'filthy blood' of Xuan Zhu, whom he looked down upon.

And Wu Tie had not even that hesitation.

His face was like cold iron, his heart like a high mountain, his whole body exuding a stern, resolute aura; the spear thrust straight, its tip trailing a wisp of cold light, tearing a bit of flesh from Xuan Zhu's chest.

A slight prick of pain frightened Xuan Zhu out of her wits.

This body of hers, like Cang You's, is not her true form; each incarnation incurs a huge cost, and even she cannot endlessly obtain such bodies without limit.

One of her bodies had already been destroyed by Zhu Rong Blast and company; if another were ruined now, Xuan Zhu could truly burst into tears.

'Ding, ding, ding!'

Xuan Zhu retreated hastily, a hexagonal Xuanbing ice shield formed from three sides of Cold Qi materializing before White Tiger Split.

Three transparent Xuanbing ice shields, each half a foot thick, were shattered by a single spear; Wu Tie seemed utterly unhindered, his spear pointing straight at Xuan Zhu's heart, thrusting forward firmly and irresistibly.

Xuan Zhu gritted her teeth, her eyes turning deep, dark blue.

Above the dome, a thick blue gloom as wide as a water jar poured down heavily upon Xuan Zhu. She donned a heavy layer of Xuanbing Ice Armor, grasped a beautifully shaped Xuanbing Ice Kite Shield in her left hand, and held an Ice Lance in her right.

Wu Tie thrust his spear swiftly; Xuan Zhu's eight-foot-long exquisite lance in her hand unleashed countless points of pear-blossom-like cold light, enveloping Wu Tie's whole body like a sky-full of snow.

White Tiger Split shuddered violently, as Xuan Zhu's Ice Lance and White Tiger Split continually clashed.

Wu Tie's arms bulged with muscle; he added more force, White Tiger Split let out a low tiger roar, the spear and air rubbed violently, scattering broad sheets of firelight.

Dots of cold light drifted down like snow onto Wu Tie.

The Ice Lance pierced Wu Tie's body at least hundreds of times; Eagle God Armor emitted a faint black light, firmly protecting his body, where the lance struck there appeared specks of frost, which were instantly swept away by the dark divine light.

'Thud!'

The Ice Lance shattered.

White Tiger Split thrust straight through.

Xuan Zhu struggled to shift her body slightly.

The spear pierced her right shoulder; Wu Tie's hand trembled, the spear shook violently, a crisp crack rang out, and Xuan Zhu's right arm severed at the shoulder, spraying a great mist of blood far away.

Xuan Zhu let out a muffled groan.

She glared angrily at Wu Tie, gritting her teeth and hissing: "If I…"

"Your true body here?" Wu Tie laughed: "I'm curious—is it because this isn't your true body that you're acting so… wanton and base?"

Xuan Zhu's face turned somewhat strange.

She let out a low bellow; another band of blue cold light poured down from the dome, swiftly covering her body.

Her shattered right arm 'whoosh'ed, and countless tiny ice crystals instantly sprouted; Xuan Zhu's complexion simultaneously turned deathly pale in a short span, clearly from over-expending her essence and energy in an instant.

She flickered backward, her whole body flashing with deep-blue cold light, instantly teleporting to atop Cang You's head, then she pointed fiercely at Wu Tie, then at distant Huaguang; the deep-blue cold light flashed again, and she vanished together with Cang You, leaving no trace.

Wu Tie lifted his head.

This scene was very familiar.

The day Gongsun Sheng and Wa Yao fled, they vanished instantly in this deep-blue divine light.

Xuan Zhu's status differed; she escaped by borrowing the power of a so-called heavenly artifact, obviously far cheaper than Wa Yao and Gongsun Sheng.

Huaguang glided over on a wisp of cold light, speaking from afar: "I am Huaguang. More than a year ago I met the Master. Then my mind was at its most troubled and confused; the Master broke my mental knots and guided me to the Great Lake Region."

Wu Tie turned to face Huaguang.

"I am Wu Tie; since childhood… the Master has taught me many things, though he often mutters that he hasn't read enough books to teach me much. But he is my closest kin." Wu Tie bluntly asked Huaguang: "Where is the Master?"

Huaguang laughed: "In the royal library of the Great Peacock Dynasty there is a huge archive storing countless ancient texts. Having seen those books, the Master could not possibly leave with me."

Shaking his head, Huaguang said solemnly: "He remains in Three Linked Cities studying."

Wu Tie raised his eyebrows, then saw no need to ask whether Grey Master was safe or such.

Huaguang's eyes were clear and bright, filled with lively spirit; he is an extremely clever and wise person, capable of arranging for Grey Master to study in the Great Peacock Dynasty's royal library, surely he would come to no harm.

"I want to see the Master—can you arrange it as quickly as possible?" Wu Tie fixed his gaze on Huaguang.

His reason for coming to Three Linked Cities was to find Grey Master.

Find Grey Master, bring Grey Master away—this is Wu Tie's greatest purpose for this trip.

"Of course." Hua Guang nodded vigorously: "Between Big Lake City and Three Linked City, there is a fixed teleportation array..."

He sneered, Hua Guang said calmly: "If not for that, how could those esteemed gentlemen taste the freshest seafood from Big Lake City? They precisely grasp the timing of when those fish, shrimp, turtles, and crabs emerge from the water."

Because of Grey Master, Hua Guang and Wu Tie quickly became acquaintances in the shortest time.

Not bothering with those who failed to capture Wu Tie, instead losing their own clan's Chonglou Realm cultivator, Hua Guang enthusiastically invited Wu Tie and company to board the four-wheeled war chariot, preparing to drive back to Big Lake City.

But before departure, Hua Guang glanced at the three Life Pond Realm cultivators of the Udumbara Clan captured by Wu Tie, and lightly shook his head.

"Hua Rong, Hua Ke, Hua An… you three, take the men and continue patrolling outside… Well, frankly speaking, as long as I remain in Big Lake City, you need not return. Every time I see you, I recall the disgraceful deeds you did with that woman…"

Hua Guang shook his head, seemingly not seeing the twisted ugly expressions of Hua Rong and the others, and said calmly: "You know, I'm a cleanliness freak."

The three Life Pond Realm Udumbara clansmen thumped to their knees with a 'dong', screaming shrilly: "Lord Hua Guang, we, we were seduced by that woman; we, we are innocent…"

Wu Tie pursed his lips.

Shi Fei patted his own round belly, completely made of layers of solid muscle: "Men, before doing anything, you must consider the consequences… For example, I love to eat, so I must bear my 'fat'!"

Smirking, Shi Fei proudly shook his head: "But my luck is good—I can turn all my flab into muscle… You lot don't have such luck, so just be honest and behave yourselves."

The war chariot whistled away; Hua Rong and the others knelt on the ground, faces twitching, full of helplessness and sorrow.

Additionally, hundreds of Chonglou Realm cultivators stood dazedly to the side, spacing out.

They still haven't figured it out to this day.

Earlier, the Big Lake Region Garrison General's Office issued a bounty order to capture Wu Tie's party alive.

But now, the Garrison General Hua Guang and the person who issued the bounty and wanted notice have become friends—what is this?

Did their clansmen die in vain?

Did their clan heads die in vain?

Are they just dumped here, abandoned? What is this? What is this?

Hua Rong and the others rose lazily, angrily shouting at that bunch:

"What are you standing around for? Didn't you hear Lord Hua Guang's order?"

"From today on, you are our three's subordinates."

"You have been enrolled as official subordinates of the Big Lake City Garrison General's Office, following us three to patrol the entire Big Lake Region."

"Enjoy it secretly—you also count as direct troops of our Udumbara Clan; from now on, no one dares to move a single blade of grass or tree of your families."

A group of Chonglou Realm cultivators stared, looked at each other, and suddenly burst into loud cheers.

The anxiety and despair brought by the collapse of the family's mainstay instantly vanished.

Chonglou Realm cultivators of the same family began eyeing their own kin tigerishly.

They started calculating: since no one dares to scheme against their family's territory and wealth, what they now need to guard against is their own kin brothers.

As for those old fogeys of the Life Pond Realm… they died well!

Wu Tie's party doesn't care about these people's thoughts or actions; this originally had nothing to do with them.

Arriving at Big Lake City, Hua Guang directly activated the teleportation array to Three Linked City.

As streaks of light rose on the teleportation array, Hua Guang stood before the array several meters in diameter, hands behind his back, wearing a faint smile as he looked at Wu Tie: "You really trust me to board my teleportation array to Three Linked City?"

Wu Tie smiled at Hua Guang: "I believe you."

Hua Guang nodded, then shook his head: "Alright, but… still have my people bring Grey Master over here."

Smiling, Hua Guang shook his head: "Three Linked City… hehe. That Xuan Zhu woman escaped; although far away, who knows what means she has to notify my fellow clansman, the clan head elder brother?"

Wu Tie glanced at the teleportation array, his gaze sweeping over the Demon Chapter King standing aside.

The Demon Chapter King, whose appearance was altered to resemble Wu Tie by seventy to eighty percent, stared blankly at the teleportation array—once you step on it and activate it, you can go straight to Three Linked City.

The Demon Chapter King's arms trembled slightly.

Then he closed his eyes, never looking at the teleportation array again.

Wu Tie chuckled: "Actually, I used to be the fastest. But what you say also makes sense. Heading to Three Linked City, we might run into trouble. Rather than fighting it out there, let your people bring the Master over."

Hua Guang laughed, clapped his hands, and a youth in golden armor quickly stepped forward, bowing respectfully to Hua Guang.

Hua Guang gave the youth a few instructions; the youth nodded, stepped onto the teleportation array.

Light flickered, the youth vanished.

Wu Tie stood beside the teleportation array, patiently chatting with Hua Guang.

As Hua Guang himself said, he loves reading; before the Great Peacock Dynasty fell, he often went to the imperial library to read books; after the imperial family was exterminated, Hua Guang spent a long time living in the library.

Thus Hua Guang's knowledge reserves are rich; his experience and insight far surpass most contemporaries.

Meanwhile, Wu Tie has the knowledge inheritance of Old Tie; in both breadth and depth, he surpasses Hua Guang.

Hua Guang grew increasingly excited as he spoke, his cheeks flushing, eyes shining, gesturing wildly as he discussed various topics with Wu Tie.

Wu Tie also patiently conversed with Hua Guang.

Time passed bit by bit; after about an hour and a bit, the teleportation array suddenly lit up.

Then a head silently appeared on the teleportation array.

Wu Tie was stunned.

Hua Guang was stunned.

The head exuded a strong bloody smell; clearly it was the youth Hua Guang had just sent out.

"Hua Ze… he is my paternal cousin… among peers of the Udumbara Clan, he is the only decent little fellow; all his peers' brothers are a bunch of utter scoundrels…"

"I didn't want him to become a scoundrel, so I brought him to the Big Lake Region."

"But…" Hua Guang stared blankly at Hua Ze's head, his pupils suddenly turning completely red.

Wu Tie's face turned grim.

Something happened over in Three Linked City.