Chapter 965

Zhou Zhiruo had come here only to complete the mission assigned by the Qinglong Society.

She wouldn't be staying long.

It was just that Master Yeyu, after all, was a person of Mount Emei, although not of the same Emei Sect as herself.

But the Emei sword art just now, vague as it was, and the way she fed moves like an elder guiding a junior.

Not only did it push Zhou Zhiruo's Emei sword art to a higher level, it also filled her with goodwill toward Master Yeyu.

Yet she didn't want to reveal her own sect, so she could only say something vague.

"Very well! Then let it wait for fate! Farewell, Miss Zhou, do take care of yourself."

Although Master Yeyu had lost, there wasn't the slightest resentment in her heart.

She cupped her fists toward Cao Zhengchun on the ridge and said,

"Eunuch, Yeyu's skill is no match; I shall not linger any longer, and take my leave now."

"You—"

An Eastern Depot eunuch was so angry he nearly burst out cursing.

Fortunately Cao Zhengchun knew that Master Yeyu had indeed given her all.

Keeping her any longer would only offend the Emei Sect, with no other benefit whatsoever.

At this point Cao Zhengchun had not yet achieved true sole dominion over power, and naturally would not offend the Emei Sect.

He gave a slight smile, nodded, and said,

"Many thanks for your trouble, Master Yeyu.

However, seven days from now, this Eunuch will be at Yunzhou Shaolin, summoning the worthy of the Wu Lin under heaven to hold the Tudao Assembly.

When the time comes, Master Yeyu, please do honor us with your presence."

The Tudao Assembly?

Shangguan Haitang's heart gave a jolt at the words, pounding wildly.

When Cao Zhengchun said this, he glanced—intentionally or not—at the horse carriage.

Clearly the "Tudao" he spoke of was most likely connected to this horse carriage, or rather the person within it—Benefactor Guihai.

Tudao, Tudao—was the one to be slaughtered none other than Benefactor Guihai?

But with Zhou Zhiruo present now, and Cao Zhengchun's men also bringing along this group of righteous Wu Lin folk.

For the sake of jianghu rules and morality, they had to take turns one by one.

In this way, how could they snatch Benefactor Guihai away from Zhou Zhiruo?

If they couldn't take Benefactor Guihai away, how could they hold any Tudao Assembly?

Shangguan Haitang felt it strange inside, always sensing Cao Zhengchun still had a follow-up move.

"What the Eunuch invites, how could Yeyu dare disobey."

Clearly Master Yeyu had long known the origin of this Tudao Assembly, and immediately agreed.

Then she took her long sword, called over the Emei disciples by the dense forest, and left together with them.

Before departing, she nodded to Zhou Zhiruo, signaling her to be careful.

Zhou Zhiruo hadn't even used the Great Exorcism Heavenly Divine Sword, let alone the many supreme arts of the Nine Yin Scripture, nor the abundant true qi of Nine Yang and Nine Yin.

One could say all her hidden cards were still in hand.

And just like this, she had already defeated an Eastern Depot expert, the Emeizhang Sect.

She truly felt that this jianghu was only so-so, that there was no one here who could threaten her.

But Master Yeyu's kind intentions—she also nodded in acknowledgment, showing she received them.

After the Emei Sect people left, the scene once again returned to a standoff.

Shangguan Haitang was pondering—even the Emeizhang Sect had been defeated; could it be that the other side was going to send Liaofan into action next?

At this moment Cao Zhengchun shook off the fur cloak from his body, stepped through the empty air as if treading on nothing, and drifted down like an immortal to a spot not far in front of Zhou Zhiruo.

"Miss Zhou, your cultivation is truly not bad.

But our household has received the current Sage's decree, and must capture that Benefactor Guihai who killed Master Liaokong.

If offense is given, please be magnanimous."

Shangguan Haitang's face changed drastically; she had never expected that with Liaofan not making a move, it would be Cao Zhengchun himself stepping in!

One must know that in this Wu Lin, the strongest of those days was the Invincible Urchin Gu Santong.

Below him were Cao Zhengchun and Zhuge Shenhou.

Cao Zhengchun cultivated the Yuan Tiangang Child Art, his whole body suffused with Primordial Yuan Tiangang true qi—truly unprecedented through the ages.

Shangguan Haitang's Master Lian Wuhen had himself admitted he was no match for Cao Zhengchun.

Her adoptive father Zhuge Shenhou had gone further, declaring Cao Zhengchun to be the great adversary of his life.

With Cao Zhengchun personally taking action now, could Zhou Zhiruo truly withstand it?

"No matter! Make your move!"

In Great Ming of the Nine Provinces, there was also the Eastern Depot Eunuch Cao Zhengchun.

When she had come, Zhou Zhiruo had once seen, from the high platform of the Jixian Court, Cao Zhengchun standing beside the young Emperor.

At that time she had glanced at him in passing, only feeling that this Cao Zhengchun's cultivation was ordinary.

Even without using Nine Yin and Nine Yang, defeating him would not be that hard.

Who would have thought that arriving here, she would once again meet an Eastern Depot Eunuch Cao Zhengchun.

Just from how he had, a moment ago, come down from the ridge to this mountain hollow with effortless ease.

Zhou Zhiruo could sense that this Cao Zhengchun's cultivation far surpassed that of the Cao Zhengchun of the Nine Provinces.

She couldn't help but feel curious—both were Cao Zhengchun, both Eastern Depot Eunuchs, and even their appearances were vaguely alike.

Why is there such a gap in their cultivation between the two?

"Good! Forgive the offense."

Cao Zhengchun smiled faintly, his figure shifted, and with a single palm strike utterly devoid of flourish, he struck straight at Zhou Zhiruo.

In this palm strike, Cao Zhengchun employed the Yuan Tiangang true essence.

What appeared to be an unremarkable palm strike could in truth split a mountain peak with a single blow.

Yet where the palm passed, it was light as a feather, like a strike delivered by a person who knew no Wu Gong at all.

Bystanders could not discern the mystery of this palm strike—how could Zhou Zhiruo fail to?

Only she had no mind to retreat; she directly circulated the Nine Yin Divine Art and unleashed the Heart-Crushing Palm of the Nine Yin Manual.

This Heart-Crushing Palm was further interwoven with Mount Emei's Golden Summit Continuous Palm.

Within its viciousness lay an inexhaustible yielding force.

Boom!

The two great masters met head-on, exchanging a single palm strike utterly without flourish.

A tremendous blast of air surged out from between their palms, whipping up a gust of fierce wind.

It not only sent Shangguan Haitang and the horse carriage staggering back repeatedly, but also the dozen or so Eastern Depot experts gathered nearby.

Beneath the blast of air, none of them could hold their footing.

Caught off guard, they all staggered and swayed.

Huo!

That Zhou Zhiruo had actually managed to receive this palm strike drew great astonishment from the Wu Lin people present as well as the Eastern Depot agents.

No one understood Cao Zhengchun's strength better than they did.

Boom!

Just as they thought Zhou Zhiruo was completely unscathed—

Unexpectedly, Zhou Zhiruo's face suddenly went pale, and her figure retreated seven steps in quick succession.

Each step left a clearly visible footprint on the ground.

By the time she reached the seventh step, the earth around those footprints had even cracked open, producing a heaven-shaking roar.

"The Director's divine skill is invincible, unrivaled under heaven!"

Those Eastern Depot agents, seeing Zhou Zhiruo—who had successively defeated two great masters—finally repelled by a single palm from Cao Zhengchun,

grew so excited they threw all caution aside and began laying on the flattery.

758 Who wins, who loses?

The Wu Lin people such as Liaofan, seeing Cao Zhengchun win with a single palm, were likewise overjoyed and elated.