Chapter 166

Subsequently, Lu Zhangsheng returned to Qin Ruoshui's side, quietly watching the other party collect the tokens.

"I'll just keep five of these tokens."

Qin Ruoshui smiled gracefully and threw all the tokens in her hand over.

These things could be exchanged for some spiritual objects after going out; she wasn't lacking in cultivation resources, so keeping the five needed for promotion was enough.

"Then I won't be polite."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled and took the tokens, and then the two flew forward.

The two flew side by side, traveling through the dense forest.

The wild wind blew their robes, making them look like a perfect couple.

Over the next few days.

Lu Zhangsheng took Qin Ruoshui and searched wildly for the traces of other martial artists in the Mountain and River Map.

The tokens in his hands also became increasingly numerous.

Not only that, as Lu Zhangsheng eliminated more and more martial artists, the red python of fortune above his head was also growing steadily.

Lu Zhangsheng's name also became even louder, making the martial artists still in the Mountain and River Map tremble like tigers.

Many people even regarded Lu Zhangsheng as a top-tier expert comparable to the top ten on the Heavenly Pride Ranking.

Days like this flew by for more than a month.

Soon, it was the few days before leaving the Mountain and River Map.

On this day, early morning.

On a desolate plain of scattered stones.

Black clouds covered the top, and sinister winds roared.

Lu Zhangsheng stood with his hands behind his back in the high sky, his expression as calm as water.

Beside him lay a large pile of tokens, clearly having experienced a not-so-small battle not long ago.

"Roar, roar..."

The fortune above Lu Zhangsheng's head surged crazily, and countless fortunes in the void began to gather.

In this battle, he directly broke a battle formation of over a thousand people, causing his own fortune to soar again.

And after these days of fighting, the giant python above his head had long since reached about six chi.

Now, following the massive amount of fortune pouring into his crown, the red python of fortune began to roar.

"Six chi."

"Seven chi."

"Nine chi."

Who knows how much time passed; when the red python of fortune grew to nine chi nine, it finally stopped.

Lu Zhangsheng felt that this layer of fortune had already reached its limit, only one step away from the next transformation.

This left him quite joyful.

Under the massive amount of fortune gathered on himself, his mind became increasingly clear, and even cultivating the Killing Domain became much easier.

Even without resources to add points, he could cultivate the Killing Domain step by step.

This was the huge benefit brought by aptitude.

Beside him, Qin Ruoshui was still collecting tokens, her face always full of smiles.

The people in the outside world saw this scene and all revealed strange expressions.

The familiar actions of these two made them look increasingly like a couple.

"Your subordinate congratulates the Marquis; you are about to gain a fine son-in-law."

On the high platform, Di Zhiyu smiled and offered his congratulations.

He could also clearly see that Lu Zhangsheng likely had the strength of the top ten on the Heavenly Pride Ranking.

He even had a glimmer of hope of becoming the strongest dark horse in this world and forcefully winning first place.

Plus, Lu Zhangsheng and Qin Ruoshui clearly had a deep relationship, so he naturally spoke to offer his congratulations in advance.

"We congratulate the Marquis."

Many high-ranking officials below offered their congratulations.

The chaotic sounds echoed through the main hall, lingering for a long time.

Upon hearing this, Qin Chaoyang's mouth twitched slightly.

He did not speak either.

His own daughter had long since been "eaten clean" by the other party, and now Qin Ruoshui seemed to have some intentions toward Lu Zhangsheng; it was truly a sin.

He couldn't explain anything either, so he could only smile awkwardly and pretend to be ignorant.

Even Luo Tianxiang felt somewhat surprised in his heart.

Being able to hook a son-in-law from the top ten of the Heavenly Pride Ranking was also a joyous occasion.

Qin Chaoyang's expression made him somewhat unable to fathom.

"Could it be...?"

His eyes flickered slightly, and he instantly had a thought.

Inside the Mountain and River Map.

Just as Lu Zhangsheng and his companion were about to leave, a sudden change occurred.

"Whoosh..."

Whistling sounds came from the distance, and a large group of figures was seen flying rapidly toward Lu Zhangsheng.

Their speed was as fast as a thunderbolt.

Before long, this group surrounded Lu Zhangsheng and his companion, and the atmosphere on the scene instantly became very solemn.

The leader was dressed in a white robe, his face like jade, and he held a feather fan in his hand, looking very carefree.

"Not good, this person is the top-tier expert ranked eleventh on the Heavenly Pride Ranking, Zhong Yuntao; he cultivates the Fire Domain, and his divine abilities and strength are extremely terrifying."

Qin Ruoshui was filled with solemnity.

Although she guessed that Lu Zhangsheng had the strength of the top ten, she had never verified it, and she felt somewhat uncertain in her heart.

Now that the two were surrounded by a large group of people, the situation was quite dangerous.

"Lu Zhangsheng, I want your fortune; surrender obediently, and I will let you leave the Mountain and River Map."

Zhong Yuntao shook his feather fan, his tone very arrogant, and the contempt in his eyes was self-evident.

In his view, Lu Zhangsheng was merely famous in name only.

Many Heavenly Prides were rumored to have the strength of the top ten on the Heavenly Pride Ranking, but they were all easily suppressed by him.

Moreover, his own strength was not weaker than those few in the top ten, so he naturally wouldn't take Lu Zhangsheng seriously.

As he spoke, the fortune above his head suddenly erupted.

"Roar, roar, roar..."

Accompanied by dragon roars, a giant orange serpent appeared above his head.

A powerful dragon might permeated the air; the giant serpent's eyes were like lightning, and the pressure was extremely astonishing.

It made everyone in the surroundings find it difficult to breathe.

Lu Zhangsheng looked at the fortune above the other party's head, his expression flickering slightly.

The giant serpent above the other party's head was about three zhang long, hornless but with dragon whiskers, and its head was flat; it was already quite close to a true dragon.

As one of the dragon species, the serpent was clearly one rank higher than the python and had a magical kind of pressure.

This made him somewhat curious.

"This person has such strong fortune."

Qin Ruoshui's eyes turned stern, and she was very worried in her heart.

The other party must have defeated a large number of Heavenly Prides to accumulate his fortune to such a level.

He was not far from the next step; it was truly somewhat terrifying.

The group of people around them also looked at Zhong Yuntao with awe.

They had also witnessed the other party's strength; except for those few top-tier figures, he had crushed everyone along the way.

Lu Zhangsheng was definitely no match.

"Guess how many moves Lu Zhangsheng can block?"

"I think he will definitely be defeated within fifty moves."

"I think he can hold on for thirty moves at most."

The group of people actually began to discuss this, and none of them were optimistic about Lu Zhangsheng.

Many Qingning Prefecture martial artists in the outside world saw this scene and also revealed worry.

Fang Qing and her younger brother saw Lu Zhangsheng and his companion fall into a crisis and could only pray in secret.

The group stared fixedly at the scene in the Mountain and River Map, all waiting for the final outcome.

On the high platform, Qin Chaoyang frowned, also breaking into a cold sweat for Lu Zhangsheng in his heart.

This battle was likely Lu Zhangsheng's biggest challenge in the Mountain and River Map.

Beside him, Luo Tianxiang smiled slightly; in his view, Qin Ruoshui and Lu Zhangsheng were likely about to be eliminated.

Just as everyone was discussing, changes occurred again in the Mountain and River Map.

"If you want my fortune, you can come and take it yourself; it just depends on whether you have the ability."

Lu Zhangsheng was expressionless, his tone very indifferent.

It seemed he didn't take Zhong Yuntao seriously at all.

"How bold."

Zhong Yuntao roared, his murderous intent fully revealed.

A powerful momentum suddenly erupted, suppressing Lu Zhangsheng and his companion.

He hadn't expected Lu Zhangsheng to be so "arrogant"; no one had ever dared to ignore him before; he was simply courting death.

The people in the surroundings felt as if a giant mountain was pressing on their chests, making it difficult to breathe.

The group looked at Lu Zhangsheng as if looking at a fool.

Lu Zhangsheng provoking Zhong Yuntao like this clearly had no benefits and would only lead to a more miserable defeat.

Everyone was already certain in their hearts.

"I'll cover you to break out of the encirclement later."

Beside him, Qin Ruoshui gritted her teeth.

Her strength was much lower than Lu Zhangsheng's, so even if she were eliminated, the loss wouldn't be great.

If Lu Zhangsheng didn't enter the second round, it would be too much of a pity. At this moment, she only wanted to let Lu Zhangsheng escape.

Yet she was completely unaware that a strange feeling had already arisen in her heart.

When she prepared to cover the retreat for Lu Zhangsheng, she didn't feel the slightest resistance in her heart.

"No need for such trouble; just watch how I slash him."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled confidently, full of dominance, and his tone was unquestionable.

In front of Qin Ruoshui, he displayed his own sharpness for the first time.

Upon hearing this, Qin Ruoshui looked strange, her eyes full of doubt; clearly, she thought Lu Zhangsheng was boasting.

The other party had many people, plus an expert close to a top-tier Heavenly Pride; it was almost impossible for the two to break out of the encirclement.

"Haha... slash me?"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Yuntao laughed out of anger.

This was the biggest joke he had heard in so many years.

Even the people nearby had mocking looks in their eyes as they watched Lu Zhangsheng.

Destined to fail, yet daring to be so rampant—he was truly one of a kind.

A few breaths later.

As Zhong Yuntao's laughter fell, he attacked directly.

The moment he attacked, it was earth-shattering; he only wanted to blast Lu Zhangsheng away quickly.

He saw the Qi and blood within his body suddenly erupt, and a pillar of essence Qi smoke shot straight into the clouds.

The powerful momentum was like ocean waves, sweeping across the entire scene.

At the same time, the entire one-mile radius instantly turned into a sea of fire, extremely dry and hot.

He didn't test him at all and used his own Fire Domain directly.

Clearly, he was truly enraged.

"What a strong Fire Domain."

The people in the surroundings were filled with awe.

They all hurriedly avoided toward the outer perimeter.

Qin Ruoshui's eyes became increasingly solemn; she felt as if she were in the middle of a fire, and her lungs felt somewhat scorched.

Now, even if the two wanted to run, it would be difficult; they could only hope in Lu Zhangsheng's strength.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Just at this moment, Lu Zhangsheng attacked.

The Killing Domain around his body suddenly spread out, instantly overlapping with the Fire Domain.

It neutralized all of its scorching energy.

Not only that, it also suppressed the other party's domain in reverse.

The entire one-mile radius was filled with strands of blood mist, and countless skeletons emerged from the blood mist; the scene was quite creepy.

"This is impossible."

Seeing this scene, Zhong Yuntao was filled with shock.

His domain power was completely unable to match Lu Zhangsheng's.

Clearly, Lu Zhangsheng's domain was already extremely close to twenty percent, not something he could compare to.

Over these days, Lu Zhangsheng's talent had soared, and his understanding of killing had become increasingly profound.

He was getting closer and closer to a twenty percent domain.

At this moment, suppressing the other party's Fire Domain was also very easy.

Even the people in the surroundings were filled with horror.

None of them had expected Lu Zhangsheng's domain power to be so terrifying.

Even Qin Ruoshui secretly felt relieved, a hint of confidence appearing on her face.

The people in the outside world also began to look forward to it; a dragon-and-tiger battle was about to unfold.

Just at this moment, Lu Zhangsheng moved.

He raised the Jinhuang Blade in his hand and slashed forward violently.

The brilliant blade light flickered in the void, as if it would slash through everything, its momentum fierce and peerless.

Plus the amplification of the Killing Domain, his attack power had already reached the limit.

Strands of blood-colored evil energy emerged around the blade, emitting whistling sounds, as if countless evil ghosts were roaring.

Zhong Yuntao's eyes were full of solemnity.

He sensed an extremely strong threat from Lu Zhangsheng's long blade.

He didn't dare to be negligent and also slashed toward the front with his blade.

The Qi and blood within his body were activated to the limit.

The blade Qi shot straight into the sky, carrying endless cold glints.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

In an instant, the two long blades collided, and violent energy swept in all directions; the trees on the ground were uprooted.

Within the entire one-mile radius, dust and smoke rolled everywhere.

"Pfft..."

With the strike, Zhong Yuntao opened his mouth wide and sprayed blood crazily.

His aura also weakened by a large margin.

His entire person flew backward rapidly, breaking more than ten giant trees along the way, extremely disheveled.

Lu Zhangsheng stood steadily in the void, his expression as calm as water.

With just one strike, he had beaten the other party to the point of vomiting blood, with no power to parry.

The onlookers in the surroundings were all filled with shock.

They found it somewhat unbelievable in their hearts.

"Zhong Yuntao couldn't even block one move?"

Everyone's mouths were slightly open, their eyes filled with extreme fear.

Even Qin Ruoshui was filled with surprise, her understanding of Lu Zhangsheng's strength refreshed once more.

Many martial artists in the outside world had already fallen into a state of shock.

It triggered an extremely enthusiastic response.

"This person Lu Zhangsheng definitely has the strength of the top three."

"This kind of Killing Domain combined with divine ability blade techniques is truly too terrifying."

"Indeed, I hadn't expected a dark horse to appear in this Wanhua Fruit Gathering..."

Many Qingning Prefecture readers cheered one after another, their voices echoing throughout the scene.

Fang Qing and her younger brother were also filled with excitement.

All of this happened in an instant.

Just when Zhong Yuntao hadn't reacted, Lu Zhangsheng attacked again.

He slashed forward with his blade once more.

The momentum was even a bit stronger than the previous strike.

"Not good."

Zhong Yuntao was filled with fear and hurriedly used his blade to resist.

However, in his haste, he hadn't activated much Innate True Qi.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

Lu Zhangsheng's blade instantly pierced through the other party's chest, as fast as a thunderbolt.

Zhong Yuntao's entire person turned into light and dissipated into the void, leaving only dozens of tokens falling to the ground.

Two strikes, and Zhong Yuntao was defeated.

If it were in the outside world, he would likely have been killed.

"Run quickly; this person cannot be fought."

Everyone was filled with panic, fleeing in all directions and scattering like birds and beasts.

Outside.

Zhong Yuntao appeared on the square, still in shock.

At that moment just now, he had truly felt the aura of death.

It left him terrified.

He was certain that Lu Zhangsheng definitely had the strength to contend for first place.

He was clearly not someone he could provoke.

Losing to such an expert was not shameful.

A group of people nearby also kept their distance from Zhong Yuntao, their eyes full of disdain.

Many people thought Zhong Yuntao was famous in name only, not even being able to block two strikes.

Zhong Yuntao didn't explain anything and walked straight toward the back.

In his view, someone would encounter Lu Zhangsheng sooner or later, and then they would know his situation.

He would let others "feel" the terror of Lu Zhangsheng properly.

He thought quite darkly in his heart.

Inside the Mountain and River Map.

Lu Zhangsheng stood in the void, the fortune above his head surging rapidly.

Countless fortunes from the outside world gathered toward Lu Zhangsheng, as if there were no limit.

"Roar, roar, roar..."

Dragon roars rang out, and a giant orange serpent danced above his head, very domineering.

The giant serpent continued to grow.

"One zhang."

"Two zhang."

Not until it grew to about three zhang did it gradually stop.

(End of chapter)