Chapter 136: Chapter 127: Evolution 1

Inner City, Central Ring Plain.

A pure white carriage with silver trim sped toward a certain location in the Outer Ring, escorted by more than ten Silver Scale Cavalrymen.

The carriage was sealed shut, but the faint sound of chanting could be heard from within.

It was a woman’s voice, her tone hurried, as if tinged with anxiety and suppression.

The sky was gray. Though it was noon, the light already resembled that of dusk.

A fierce wind howled across the plain, and fine, sand-like particles constantly drifted down from the sky.

The carriage pressed on against the strong wind, moving straight and steady along its intended route.

But it hadn’t gone far before a figure in blue descended lightly from the air, blocking the carriage’s path.

“I didn’t expect one to have slipped through the net… Apologies, but this road is closed.”

The man in blue raised his head slightly, revealing a pale chin from beneath the hood of his robe.

The escorting Silver Scale Cavalrymen stared at him with unfamiliar and perplexed expressions.

“Friend, we’re not a cargo carriage or a merchant caravan,” the captain of the Silver Scale Cavalry said grimly, urging his horse a step forward.

His voice sounded tired and hoarse amidst the howling wind.

“I don’t care what kind of carriage you are. All vehicles are forbidden from passing through here,” the man in blue said flatly.

“Friend…” The cavalry captain started to say more, but the chanting from inside the carriage grew more frantic. The woman’s voice seemed to become increasingly unstable and terrified.

“That’s it… an Absolute Primordial Being… I knew I was in the right place.” A slight smile touched the lips of the man in blue as he heard the voice.

Hearing him use that title, the expressions of the surrounding Silver Scale Cavalrymen changed instantly, their pupils constricting behind their visors.

“The intelligence from the Qinghe Sect was accurate after all… Friend in the carriage, allow me to introduce myself. I am Zhao Yuehang. I’m not here to cause trouble. On the contrary, I heard about your situation and came all the way from the Outer Ring specifically to rescue you…” the man in blue said with a smile.

The woman in the carriage didn’t answer. Instead, her chanting grew even more hurried and loud.

“Are you insane!? Do you have any idea what we are escorting?!” The cavalry captain, realizing the man’s intentions, looked utterly horrified and roared, “Back off! Get away while you still can! Don’t provoke her!!”

“Weaklings like you could never hope to stop them, of course. But I’m different…” Zhao Yuehang smiled, taking step after step toward the carriage.

“I’ve cultivated arduously for a hundred years. I’m exceptionally talented and have traveled an immense distance to get here. I didn’t come all this way just to listen to your feeble warnings.”

He soon reached the side of the carriage, only to realize that the cavalrymen were ignoring him completely. Instead, they had all turned their horses around and were frantically spurring them on, galloping wildly into the distance.

’They look like… they’re fleeing for their lives?’

Zhao Yuehang glanced back in confusion. ’When did my reputation become so formidable?’ he wondered.

’To make the Core Area’s Silver Scale Cavalry turn and flee without even attempting a fight.’

But before he could process it…

Suddenly, his surroundings fell completely silent.

The chanting was gone.

The wind and sand were gone, too.

It was as if everything had been plunged into a vacuum-sealed chamber. All sound seemed to have fled this place for its life.

Zhao Yuehang seemed to sense something. His expression changed abruptly, and he whipped his head around to look at the carriage.

He was shocked to see that the vehicle, which had been drawn by three horses just moments ago, was now lying tilted on the ground.

The three horses had vanished at some point, leaving not a single trace behind.

And from within the carriage came the faint sound of bones being crushed, as if something was chewing… eating…

“Friend… aren’t you coming out? I’ve already driven off the Silver Scale Cavalry.” A seed of vigilance sprouted in Zhao Yuehang’s heart as he slowly backed away, creating distance.

“It hurts…”

“So painful…”

A woman’s agonized voice drifted out of the carriage.

BOOM!!

The next instant, the carriage exploded. A massive torrent of dark red flesh surged out, blanketing the sky as it lunged toward Zhao Yuehang.

The flesh resembled the tentacles of a giant octopus, its surface covered in countless blisters and pustules. The mass was dozens of meters wide, like a vast, fleshy fungal carpet, and in the blink of an eye, it enveloped the area where Zhao Yuehang stood.

Zhao Yuehang had no time to react. He could only stand frozen, his eyes wide with terror.

SPLAT.

In a hundred-thousandth of a second.

Everything returned to calm.

On the plain, a colossal monster of dark red flesh, topped with the giant, pale face of a woman, gradually elongated its body like a massive python.

Rows of dense legs sprouted from its underside, and it quickly transformed into a human-faced python dozens of meters long, slithering toward the distant populated areas of the Inner City.

*

*

*

「The next day.」

Outer City, in the residence behind Qingfeng Temple.

Lin Hui was slowly practicing Body Tempering with his sword, familiarizing himself with the various subtle changes of the Purgatory Internal Power within his body.

Suddenly, Ding Ning hurried in through the courtyard gate and curtsied to him.

“Young Master Hui, a message has arrived from your father. He says you are not to enter the Inner City for the time being.”

“For the time being? Did he say for how long?” Lin Hui asked, lowering his sword.

“He didn’t say. The news supposedly came from the Liu Family. They said a very serious incident occurred in the Inner City yesterday, causing some situations to spiral out of control. It might be dangerous to enter the Inner City now,” Ding Ning relayed.

“Alright, I understand,” Lin Hui nodded.

’I don’t need to go to the Inner City anytime soon anyway, so waiting is fine. For the news to come from the Liu Family today, something big must have happened in the Inner City to affect the surrounding districts.’

After waving Ding Ning away, he paused for a moment, then arranged for a disciple to summon Tao Xuehai, Wang Hongshi, Chen Sui, Xue Meng, and the others for a small meeting in the assembly hall.

Before long, the top five disciples and the three Elders—Xue Meng and the others—had all arrived.

Tao Xuehai strode in bare-chested, sword in hand, completely unconcerned about not wearing an outer robe, revealing his strong, well-proportioned, broad-shouldered physique.

Once everyone had gathered, Lin Hui sat down in the grand master’s chair and gestured for the others to be seated.

“I’ve just received news that there’s been a disturbance in the Inner City. Does anyone know what happened?”

“This disciple also received news. They say an extremely troublesome and destructive creature has appeared in the Inner City’s Central Ring. It can’t be suppressed, and they can only wait for it to calm down on its own before re-entry is possible. Many populated areas in the Inner City are now sealed off. My family also told me to stay in the Outer City for now,” Tao Xuehai replied.

“A destructive creature… a Fog Area creature?” Xue Meng asked, puzzled. “I haven’t heard anything about it.”

“I’m not sure. But if it really is a Fog Area creature, what level would it have to be for even the Inner City Moon Tower to do nothing but wait instead of dealing with it?” Tao Xuehai shook his head. “Can’t be suppressed, can only wait… Doesn’t that just mean they’re waiting for it to finish its business, get tired, and vent all its energy before they clean up the mess?”

“Keep an eye on the other merchant families entering and exiting the South Nine Gates over the next few days. See if there are any changes and report back to me immediately,” Lin Hui ordered.

“Yes.”

Everyone cupped their fists in acknowledgement.

“By the way, aren’t the students from the Inspectorate still training at the temple? Why not ask them?” Wang Hongshi suggested.

“Even I don’t know the details. They’re just ordinary members, not as well-connected as I am. It’s unlikely they’d know the inside story,” Tao Xuehai shook his head.

“Alright, that’s enough. Tao Xuehai, come with me,” Lin Hui said, rising to his feet. He walked toward the rear residence with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Yes.”

The others dispersed, leaving only Tao Xuehai to follow, which made everyone else a little envious.

Everyone could see how much importance had been placed on Xiaotao recently.

The Observatory Master often gave him private lessons. If it weren’t for Tao Xuehai being tactful and generous with his wealth, some would have started grumbling with resentment long ago.

The two of them arrived in the residence’s courtyard.

Lin Hui sat down in the pavilion where he often had tea with Wang Yueheng and pointed to the cushion opposite him, motioning for Tao Xuehai to sit as well.

“I called you here for two reasons. First, to get an update on your current Cultivation. Second, the expedition team is setting out for the third time, and I plan to appoint you as the leader. What do you think?”

“This disciple’s Cultivation is proceeding smoothly. Although my progress is a bit slow, I can clearly feel myself advancing every day. I estimate I’ll be able to break through to the next grade of Body Tempering in about three months,” Tao Xuehai answered earnestly. “As for the expedition team, what are the Observatory Master’s intentions?”

“The map you brought from your family was a huge contribution, supplementing the one we had drawn and marking many important resource points, ruins, and monster colonies. The Purple Crystal Ruins are too dangerous, so I don’t plan on going back, but we can certainly probe the other locations. It will be a form of training for everyone.”

Lin Hui explained.

This was what he truly thought. The Fog Area had too many resources and treasures. Aside from the extreme danger, it was truly a treasure trove that could provide a continuous supply of resources.

Upon careful consideration, the strongest person in the temple now was surprisingly not Xue Meng, but Tao Xuehai, who had only joined a short while ago.

“Just scouting the surrounding areas, testing our strength against various monster groups, and trying to fight different types of Fog Area creatures… That should be fine. The materials from some Fog Area creatures fetch a high price. I’ve been on expeditions with my family’s team before. As long as we’re not greedy, it shouldn’t be a problem.” Tao Xuehai nodded, accepting the task.

His combat power was already close to the Circulation realm. Now, after joining Qingfeng Temple and cultivating the perfect version of the Qingfeng Sword, his Body Technique and speed had greatly increased, causing his strength to skyrocket.

He spoke with much more confidence now.

“Then it’s settled. You will lead the third expedition. Don’t worry about how many resources you bring back. The most important thing is to ensure everyone’s safety and get some training,” Lin Hui instructed.

“Master is benevolent. This disciple accepts the order,” Tao Xuehai said with a bow.

After settling on the team leader, Lin Hui began to brew tea again, only to see Tao Xuehai hesitating, as if he wanted to say something.

“What is it? Something on your mind?”

“It’s like this, Master. A few days ago, an envoy from the Inner City’s New Martial Alliance came, demanding that our Qingfeng Temple pay a shared fee. The man was arrogant and overbearing. This disciple couldn’t stand him insulting our sect, so I… accidentally got into a fight and severely injured him.” Tao Xuehai’s voice grew quieter as he spoke.

“The New Martial Alliance? That new union of martial arts schools, right? I already humored them once. I didn’t participate in the Martial Alliance’s grand competition, and now they dare to come looking for trouble?” Lin Hui said calmly.

“If you beat him up, you beat him up. Pay them no mind.”

“Well, Master, the New Martial Alliance’s Elders are all at the Circulation realm, and the Alliance Leader and Vice Leader are even Little Sanhe Grandmasters… This disciple… can’t defeat them,” Tao Xuehai said in a small voice.

“When do you estimate you can break through to the Circulation realm?” Lin Hui asked.

“I’m not sure. The Martial Arts Master taught me isn’t part of the Circulation system’s framework, so progress in one doesn’t aid the other. This means this disciple’s Cultivation is effectively the same as before…” Tao Xuehai replied earnestly.

“Then do you think you can defeat a Circulation realm expert now?” Lin Hui asked with a slight smile.

“I’m not sure… However, this disciple was planning on finding out,” Tao Xuehai replied. “The path Master has pioneered is unprecedented. This disciple is also very curious to see what kind of scenery awaits at its peak.”

“Keep working hard.” Lin Hui poured a cup of tea for each of them. “Speaking of which, have you ever seen a Priest in action? I’ve lived in the Outer City for a long time and have never encountered one. If you have, could you tell me about the Summoner system?”

’Master is truly Master. He can face his own disciple, ask questions directly without hiding his doubts, dare to admit his own shortcomings, and immediately seek to remedy them. No wonder Master was able to comprehend a Martial Art as profound as Gale Swordsmanship at such a young age. Truly… ’

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