Chapter 279 - 202: ’Heroic Spirit’ in the Tower

Chapter 279: Chapter 202: ’Heroic Spirit’ in the Tower

Seeing the strange shadow strike his opponent twice instead of attacking him, the man’s eyes lit up. He wasn’t about to let this opportunity slip by. He charged forward, blade in hand, immediately suppressing his enemy and seizing the upper hand.

Xie Yuan retreated to the side, shaking his hand and thinking to himself:

’The strength of a Second Transformation Realm expert is truly on another level. I can’t afford to clash with them head-on right now.’

But with his interference, the master from the Western Regions found his hands tied. Suppressed by a Great Li master of comparable strength, he was now in constant peril, his defeat all but certain.

He quickly ran to another cluster of stone pillars and repeated the process, saving a master from the Central Plains. This time, the master and the invisible Xie Yuan coordinated perfectly, felling their opponent in just two moves!

"There’s a heroic spirit from the Central Plains in this tower?"

The Great Li master murmured to himself, bowing to the empty air, which made Xie Yuan chuckle inwardly.

’Yes, yes, that’s right. I’m a heroic spirit.’

After a few more exchanges, despite the chaos, word began to spread among the Great Li forces: there was a ghost in these ruins. A ghost from Great Li, wandering the halls, specifically helping their masters in moments of crisis. This instantly negated the disadvantage they had against an enemy more familiar with the terrain.

Meanwhile, panic was spreading through the ranks of the people from the Western Regions, who discussed it in hushed tones:

"Did Lu the Third not tell us everything?"

"He definitely held something back! Haven’t you noticed Lu Tianyong has vanished?"

"Don’t tell me this place is actually haunted? I’ve heard it’s normal for the lingering regrets of powerful masters to remain in ruins... but why would it be a ghost from Great Li?"

"Enough arguing!"

Roto’s roar silenced the crowd.

His face was already as dark as charcoal, so his foul expression wasn’t particularly noticeable.

"I don’t care what kind of ghost it is. If it comes near me, I’ll smash it to pieces with a single punch! Now follow me."

Roto snorted angrily. Seeing that they couldn’t get the better of the Central Plains people on this first level, and feeling extremely uncomfortable with that bald donkey from Prajna Temple constantly staring at him, he took the lead and headed for a stone house—the one containing the stairs to the second floor.

The Great Li masters saw the people from the Western Regions leaving first. Since their path was already blocked, they couldn’t rush ahead, but they followed closely behind, not letting them get away.

At the edge of the stone pillars, Qin Zhenyang killed a man from the Western Regions with two thrusts of his sword. He watched the man clutch his throat and fall silently, then gave a dismissive wave to the grateful Great Li master beside him, his brow furrowed.

Suddenly, a whisper reached his ears:

"Second floor... third floor..."

Qin Zhenyang’s eyes widened slightly. He glanced around but saw nothing.

’Could it be true, what they were saying? Is there really a heroic spirit from Great Li here?’

’Better to believe it than not.’

A sense of solemn respect washed over Qin Zhenyang. He raised his sword in a salute before darting off like the wind in the direction indicated.

「At the entrance to the 3rd Layer.」

Lu Tianyong’s figure appeared. He was the first to abandon the main group and reach the 3rd Layer.

His gaze swept around, landing on the stone platform in the center, his eyes burning with eagerness.

He shifted his feet, about to dart to the side, when he suddenly froze. He quickly moved away from the passage behind him, dodging a lethal sword strike.

Staring at the revealed figure of Qin Zhenyang, his eyes filled with shock. He asked instinctively:

"How did you get up here?"

"I saw Brother Lu moving with such haste. I dared not fall behind," Qin Zhenyang said coolly.

"Impossible. You shouldn’t have been able to keep up with me..." Lu Tianyong said flatly.

In truth, Qin Zhenyang hadn’t followed Lu Tianyong at all. Lu Tianyong had a route meticulously planned by his father over many years. He had a clear objective from the start, bypassing numerous traps, so Qin Zhenyang had never even seen where he went.

However, he too had received a secret tip from Xie Yuan. By following the path Lu Tianyong had already cleared, he managed to catch up to him right at the entrance to the third layer.

Xie Yuan was not far behind Qin Zhenyang, happily tucking a porcelain bottle into his robes before settling in to watch the show.

The puppet array on the second floor had been easy to pass, and the Purifying Spirit Pill was now his. This trip had already broken even.

But the puppets on the 3rd Layer started at the Qi and Blood Metamorphosis Realm. Xie Yuan didn’t dare to enter rashly and could only ponder inwardly:

’Lu Tianyong is clearly here for the Profound Weapon. But why did he head to the right when he first got here? What’s over there?’

He recalled the Scripture Pavilion and the armory to the right; he had explored them more than once. But before the ruins officially opened, the function of many items was unknown.

’Could the key to this floor be over there?’

Xie Yuan fell into deep thought.

When it came to the appearance of the ruins after they opened, Xie Yuan might not have known as much as Lu the Third. But regarding the layout and the location of objects, he knew it better than anyone.

Therefore, Lu Tianyong merely turning in one direction upon arrival was enough to set Xie Yuan’s mind racing.

’In the armory... there were a few trinkets whose purpose I didn’t know. A bead, a bracelet, a Jade Talisman... a Tiger Talisman?’

Xie Yuan suddenly remembered that the talisman was shaped like a tiger, much like the Tiger Talismans used to command armies.

Moreover, the armory on the second floor had a Tiger Talisman as well.

The two floors corresponded to different cultivation levels, and their treasures were vastly different, yet these few items were identical.

Xie Yuan’s eyes lit up. ’Perhaps this Tiger Talisman is the key to controlling the puppet array?’

He set off at once, heading directly for the armory.

Qin Zhenyang and Lu Tianyong were locked in a standoff. Lu Tianyong wanted to escape but couldn’t shake Qin Zhenyang, and he didn’t dare to actually fight him. His expression grew grim.

"Chief Qin, this floor is filled with treasures. Why don’t we call a truce and explore separately? We can stay out of each other’s way."

Qin Zhenyang looked at him and shook his head.

"Brother Lu, you clearly came prepared. If I let you roam free, I doubt any good will come of it. Besides, my Cloud Mountain Sword Sect vanquishes demons, punishes evil, and promotes good. We would never make peace with bandits like you.

"Your Lu family’s riders have wantonly plundered caravans and slaughtered innocents along the border, and your methods, Lu Tianyong, are the cruelest of all. There has long been a bounty on your head within my sect, and today, I will be the one to collect it."

As he finished speaking, Qin Zhenyang struck. His sword flashed, creating a pattern like the clouds and mists over a thousand mountains, enveloping Lu Tianyong and causing his face to drain of color.

Lu Tianyong’s face darkened. He roared, "You really think I’m afraid of you?"

He swung his great saber, clashing with Qin Zhenyang for two exchanges, but his third slash cut through empty air.

Alarmed, Lu Tianyong instinctively tilted his head, dodging a sword coming straight for his face.

Even so, the trailing Sword Qi grazed his cheek, leaving a bleeding gash and sending a spray of blood to the floor. The close call made his heart pound.

’This Qin Zhenyang... he’s this strong?’

Lu Tianyong had reached the Qi Blood Third Transformation in his early thirties. While having a Grandmaster for a father helped, his own talent was considerable—far greater than his father’s at the same age.

There are no weaklings at the Qi Blood Third Transformation. Xie Yuan himself had witnessed Lu Tianyong’s strength firsthand; he was definitely not to be underestimated.

And yet, even so, he was in mortal danger after just a few exchanges with Qin Zhenyang. If this went on for a few more rounds, wouldn’t he be cut down where he stood?

Lu Tianyong’s heart tightened. Just as he was thinking he couldn’t face Qin Zhenyang head-on, his expression tensed, and he looked toward the stairway inside the room.

Qin Zhenyang did the same, but he had already turned to face that direction a moment earlier, his posture like one facing a powerful foe.

A burly, dark figure leaped up, his large, bare feet landing on the floor. He peered through the doorway at the two men in their standoff outside and grinned.

"Qin Zhenyang, so this is where you were hiding!"

Qin Zhenyang’s expression turned grave. Lu Tianyong’s skills were average, but Roto was a formidable opponent. With both of them together, he would have to be on high alert.

However, after Roto, one master after another ascended the stairs. All of them were from the Western Regions. In an instant, they filled the stone house and spilled out the door, surrounding Qin Zhenyang in the blink of an eye.

Even with Qin Zhenyang’s composure, his expression shifted slightly as he watched the masters from the Western Regions gather around him.

Roto grinned widely.

"Qin Zhenyang, what do you think will happen first: we beat you to death, or your companions arrive? Heh heh, even if they do, I’ll just stand guard at this stairwell. Who would dare to come up then?"

Qin Zhenyang took a breath, his expression returning to a state of calm, his eyes filled with determination.

’A pity I haven’t found my junior brother and sister yet...’

He looked at Roto, then at Lu Tianyong, his gaze shifting between the two strongest experts from the Western Regions as if he were picking his targets.

Lu Tianyong’s heart clenched, and even the valiant Roto felt a jolt, his brow furrowing with caution.

’This guy is about to risk it all.’

The surrounding masters from the Western Regions all understood. Their hearts pounded as they slowly backed away, unwilling to become someone else’s cannon fodder.

"Hmph. A bunch of cowards."

Roto spat on the ground and stepped forward, taking his rightful place at the front. He raised his enormous fist as black Blood Qi erupted from his body and roared:

"Everyone, with me! We’ll beat him to—"

Before he could finish, he suddenly stopped and whipped his head around.

Many of the men from the Western Regions turned their heads at the same time. Even Qin Zhenyang couldn’t help but glance to the side, his eyes widening in shock.

The training puppets, which had been standing silently and should have remained motionless unless approached, had suddenly formed up like an army. They began marching forward with lifeless steps, charging straight toward them!