Chapter 88: Cloud-Soaring Sword

Qin Feng saw this scene, his face full of bitterness, he turned his head away and didn't answer at all.

"The Heavenly Star Order, it's actually the Heavenly Star Order!"

Zhu Ge Qing Ming, upon seeing this token clearly, was startled and cried out loudly, his voice unusually loud, causing echoes in the surrounding mine tunnels, a buzzing roar that lingered on.

Lu Fan blinked slightly and asked, "Sir, do you recognize this token? I don't know its origin."

Zhu Ge Qing Ming's expression turned solemn, as if he had thought of something momentous, he sighed and said, "This is the Heavenly Star Order of the Heavenly Star Palace. Obtaining this token and going to the Heavenly Star Palace brings a great opportunity; as for other things, I don't know."

He clearly doesn't know much, his words are vague, but his face is full of astonishment and admiration, with a hint of longing in his eyes.

Lu Fan nodded slightly and gently gripped the "Heavenly Star Order". Zhu Ge Qing Ming was once a peak Fu Zun, just one step away from a Grand Sorcerer, his vision extraordinary. Since the other party values this so highly, it will surely be useful to him in the future.

"Heavenly Star Palace? It seems to involve dealing with the stars; I don't know if it's astrological divination or the power to shift stars and change battles."

He questioned Qin Feng, but the latter just gritted his teeth and refused to say a word.

"Young Master Lu, the matter of the Heavenly Star Order can wait; let's quickly study this war chariot, it might come in handy later!"

Zhu Ge Qing Ming gave Qin Feng a cold glance, then reminded Lu Fan, "Three days from now the Dao Propagation Assembly will be held; I fear there will be hidden currents. Originally I disagreed with Lu Fan coming here, but now with this opportunity and having obtained this rune war chariot, the Dao Propagation Assembly will have confidence."

"Enough! What you say is correct. This war chariot indeed has some problems; it probably needs proper repair, otherwise it won't be fit for great use."

Lu Fan nodded, casually placed a restriction on Qin Feng, then called Ge Rui and Qian Shirong, climbed onto the war chariot, and began to tinker, forming seals and casting spells.

This war chariot has been abandoned here for thousands of years; although not destroyed, countless years have weakened many of its restrictions and formations, making it unsuitable for heavy use. Moreover, it was originally the core of a mining formation, its original function altered long ago, no longer bearing the might of a fifth-rank war chariot.

In just a moment, Qian Shirong and Ge Hui began to complain, openly saying the original owner had wasted heavenly treasures and deserved death ten thousand times.

"How can this energy gathering formation be so crude, only caring about power and not durability? I'm afraid it won't last more than two or three hours before collapsing, forcing us to stop!"

"Alas, truly unlucky. This is hardly the famed fifth-rank war chariot; it's clearly just a haphazard pile of formations, merely an empty shell of a rune war chariot!"

Even two first-rank Fu Xiu could see the war chariot's true nature; with Lu Fan's insight, he naturally understood its details. Yet he remained silent, sinking into thought, completely absorbed in repairing the war chariot.

The rune war chariot is a consummate Fu Lian creation, a perfect combination of various formations, integrating offense and defense, akin to a moving fortress. However, this one has been altered, transformed into a special chariot for mining.

Strictly speaking, it is somewhat similar to the mining Fu chariot Lu Fan refined. Nevertheless, it remains a rune war chariot; as long as we reverse the altered formations, it can become a true fifth-rank war chariot, integrating offense and defense, a mighty artifact stronger than a fifth-rank restriction Mystic Formation.

Qian Shirong and the others don't understand, but Lu Fan does. He is completely immersed, to the point that those around him have faded from his consciousness; the whole world contains only the war chariot and the heavenly-earthly talismans.

Talisman and formation Dao is the manifestation of heavenly-earthly rules; each seal and each pattern contains the supreme truth of heaven and earth, profound and endless.

When talisman seals gather and talismans take shape, they can move seas and mountains, pluck stars. By crafting talismans through Fu Dao, turning heavenly-earthly rules to one's own use is to borrow power from heaven and earth.

Since his rebirth, Lu Fan has experienced many things, each time turning danger into safety. Tracing to the root, it can be summed up in two words—borrowing power.

Previously he borrowed power from others; this time it is the ultimate simplicity of the Great Dao, tracing to its source, borrowing power from the entire heaven and earth.

Saying this is easy, but doing it is extraordinarily difficult. Not to mention borrowing the mighty force of heaven and earth; even mundane power cannot be driven or used by ordinary people.

In Jade Yang City, as the Dao Propagation Assembly is about to begin, many forces have gathered now. Some are excited, some delighted, some harbor ulterior motives and ill intentions.

In the East City Jade Flower Hall, a graceful, jade-tree-like young lord swayed his feather fan, seated in the center of the main hall. To his left and right stood a black-robed old man, seemingly a steward or guard, and a lovely sixteen- or seventeen-year-old maiden, smiling sweetly, she asked Chen Dongming, who knelt below:

"Chen Dongming, I ask you, is the rumor true? Not long ago Lu Fan was merely a good-for-naught, yet overnight he made rapid progress, rising to the forefront of fame?"

Chen Dongming lowered his head, face full of humiliation, he clenched his teeth, his deathly pale forehead covered in a chill. A faint pressure came from before him, making his whole body tremble uncontrollably. Yet even so, he did not frown nor utter a word.

"Hmph! I want to see how much backbone you, a petty warrior, have!"

The black-robed old man snorted coldly, shook his sleeve, and made a move to grab Chen Dongming's shoulder.

"Haha! Wang Yicai, you slave, you know how to act fierce, using such methods against a warrior. If those fellows found out, they'd surely laugh their teeth out!"

A hearty laugh floated up from nowhere, drifting aimlessly, traceless.

Seeing this, the black-robed old man's hand paused, his brows sank, his face grew grim.

"Uncle Yang, don't mind it; Zhang Heng this brat is just this arrogant, let me teach him a lesson and vent your anger!"

Wang Yicai waved his folding fan, smiled at the black-robed old man, seemingly recognizing the owner of that voice, he gracefully flicked his sleeve toward the corner.

With a "pa-la" sound, light and shadow shattered, a youthful figure appeared, wearing a scholar's robe with a jade belt, smiling all over.

"Tsk tsk, it seems Zhang's gentlemanly conduct isn't quite refined yet; I was so easily seen through by you, embarrassing, embarrassing!"

Zhang Heng laughed heartily, showing no trace of shame, he sauntered forward, helped Chen Dongming up, and said, "Chen Brother, your unyielding might is truly the model of a true man; I am Zhang Heng, pleased to meet you, pleased to meet you!"

Chen Dongming felt as if a spring breeze had washed over him; his previously trembling heart unknowingly calmed, and he inexplicably felt a hint of goodwill toward the person before him.

"Hmph! Zhang Heng, you've gone far enough; your Gentlemen's Hall's empty pretense—there's no need to use it on a warrior good-for-naught!"

Wang Yicai snorted coldly, seemingly unable to bear the sight of the person before him.

Zhang Heng, however, was not angry in the least; he smoothed his sleeves and said softly, "I heard that not long ago Lu Fan wasn't even a warrior, and in this short time, Wang Wu's little sister lost her soul. In broad daylight, under the clear sky, her clothes are disheveled, her behavior ambiguous..."

He shook his head and swayed his tail, as if reciting poetry, looking like a foolish scholar. But the meaning of his words was entirely otherwise.

Especially Wang Yicai, hearing these words, felt it was the ultimate humiliation. Just a moment ago he was outstanding and graceful; now he was fierce, gritting his teeth and saying, "Zhang Heng, you're courting death; I want to see what prowess the seventh genius of the Wang family, with his minor mastery of Gentlemen's Conduct, actually possesses!"

"Zhang may be lacking, but I also wish to witness the methods of the Wang family's seventh genius!"

Zhang Heng gave a light chuckle, his gaze sharpened, and he leapt forward.

Wang Yicai's pupils contracted; the feather fan in his hand snapped shut and was swung out. Clearly just a light feather fan, yet in an instant it transformed into a peerless sword, sword qi surging, scorching everywhere.

"Still Water Sword Decree!"

"Plucking Flowers and Leaves!"

Without another word, the two immediately clashed. True qi burst forth, magnificent to the extreme. Though only a small space, it seemed as if the entire heavens were involved, neither's moves hindered in the slightest.

Chen Dongming stared dumbfounded, face trembling, his heart churning, his lips quivering, "Grand Master! This must be a Grand Master! Though he seems even stronger than the Lu mansion guard commander Li Bokang, how is this possible?"

Although he cannot be considered a top talent of the Mingyue Empire, he knows the upper echelon, and there are certainly no such two. Such outstanding skill must be from outsiders, seemingly here for Lu Fan, coming with great momentum, likely not good!

Thinking of this, he realized something. No longer caring about anything else, he turned and left; he must inform Lu Fan, otherwise these two might bring great trouble to Lu Fan.

"Hmph! Old man, let you go? Stay!"

The black-robed old man snorted coldly, a hand reached out, turning into a palm shadow that covered Chen Dongming's back.

Chen Dongming's mind jolted; he felt a deadly threat loom over his head, but with his abilities he could not dodge. A tremendous force from behind already pressed upon him, like a mountain crashing down, impossible to resist.

"Such a big mouth! Do you really think the Mingyue Empire has no one?"

This loud shout just rang out, and before Chen Dongming appeared a white jade long sword, bringing a icy chill, it brushed past his shoulder and slashed toward his rear.

Ah!

The black-robed old man let out a miserable scream; blood kept flowing from the palm he had just swung out, his bodily aura instantly dissipated, and the palm shadow likewise collapsed, turning into nothing.

Chen Dongming broke out in a cold sweat, feeling he had just escaped disaster. Yet he didn't dare slow his steps; indeed he sped up a bit, about to burst out the gate.

Just then, a youthful figure appeared before him, his face like polished jade, wearing a gentle smile, and said: "Chen brother, you want to leave just like that, making me feel a bit cold-hearted! No matter what, I saved your life—don't you want to see the face of your savior?"

Chen Dongming's expression froze, his feet halted. Unable to stop his momentum, he nearly bumped into Zhan Xiao, stammering: "So it was Brother Zhan who made a move; Dongming is deeply grateful, but I have urgent matters now and can only repay you later."

Having said that, he was about to turn and sidestep Zhan Xiao, but Zhan Xiao grabbed his shoulder in one grip, and his entire bodily power was suddenly sealed.

"Alas! Chen brother, why are you in such a hurry? The trouble before us isn't settled yet—you ought to be a witness."

Having spoken, Zhan Xiao turned his gaze toward the interior. There he saw the black-robed old man with a ferocious face, his palm dripping blood, and in his eyes a flicker of shock, as if he couldn't make sense of the situation!

He laughed heartily, lightly waved his hand, summoning back the white jade treasure sword, and said: "Aren't you surprised? I, a grand martial artist of the Bone-Tempering Realm, how could I wound you, a king of the Opening Origin Realm?"

Hearing this, the black-robed old man stared, his face growing even colder. His eyes held a trace of shock, mixed with deep bewilderment, unable to comprehend what was happening.

Zhang Heng and Wang Yicai were also interrupted by this sudden scene; they halted and withdrew, staring at Zhan Xiao with bewilderment, a faint fighting spirit flickering on their faces.

"A profound-grade Cloud-Soaring Sword—what relation do you have to the Zhan family?" Zhang Heng seemed to have realized something, fixing his gaze on the white jade treasure sword in Zhan Xiao's hand, and asked thus.

Upon hearing that, Zhan Xiao's pupils widened slightly, seeming a bit surprised, and he said: "Brother Zhang, your eyesight is excellent—you recognized at a glance the true and false aspects of this fourth-rank profound artifact, the Cloud-Soaring Sword. I admire you!"

He never disclosed his origin, but he did not deny that the white jade cold sword in his hand was indeed the Cloud-Soaring Sword.

"So your surname is Zhan!" Wang Yicai nodded slightly, suddenly realizing: "It seems you are Zhan Xiao, the legitimate heir of the Zhan family. You came here several years ago, didn't you, for the Dragon Tower secret realm—you've really gone to great lengths!"

Zhan Xiao laughed heartily, his expression bold and unrestrained, saying: "So what if it's me! This poor, remote place—you lot wouldn't want to come here." He paused slightly, his face taking on a strange look, then added: "Your Wang family's Wang Wu arrived even earlier than I did; speaking of painstaking scheming, she outdoes me!"