Chapter 796: Finding Opportunity (II)

"Huff..." Li Xiang lay sprawled on the floor like a heap of mud and let out a long breath. The pain and strain vanished from his face, leaving it calm once more.

A look of pleasure spread across Li Xiang's face, as though he had finally let something out. He began to laugh, louder and louder, until his laughter sounded utterly crazed. "Heh... Hehehe... Hahahahaha... That felt good. That felt so damn good! I feel fucking incredible, hahahaha!"

Those people from the Painful Holy Sect really are all lunatics. Lin Zheyu and Cao Hongchang shook their heads, at a loss for words.

Good grief!

Lin Zheyu could no longer tell whether the rough treatment he had used to punish Li Xiang had been a punishment or a reward. The man seemed to have a severe case of Stockholm syndrome!

Since Li Xiang was such a valuable client, Lin Zheyu let the matter drop. It took all the fun out of it. The power of the demon god had affected Li Xiang so deeply that his mind was no longer quite right. Pain no longer felt like pain to him. The more it hurt, the happier he became.

"I'm leaving. I'll leave the Evilheart Sect to you," Lin Zheyu said calmly. He walked toward the hall's exit, his body gradually fading into the void.

"That felt good. So damn good!" Once Lin Zheyu was gone, Li Xiang sprang to his feet and stretched with satisfaction. He formed a hand seal with his right hand, and the ghostly faces drifting through the hall suddenly vanished into his body.

Li Xiang turned to Cao Hongchang, firing off questions. "Who is that Fellow Xiao? Where did you meet him? And what was that thing he just used...?"

Cao Hongchang glanced at him. "I'm not telling you."

***

Lin Zheyu strolled through the void in excellent spirits. His trip to the Evilheart Sect had proved immensely rewarding. Together with his earlier savings, he now had an astonishing forty thousand high-grade spirit stones. It was a vast fortune.

He had also found a way to gain a Nascent Soul-realm cultivator's ability to teleport while still in the Shackles realm. Once he made up for that weakness, he would truly have the capabilities of a Nascent Soul-realm expert. He had been waiting a long time for that day.

There's still nearly half a month left. I can visit the Martial Alliance first and report to the Formation Hall afterward, Lin Zheyu thought.

Recently, he had received messages from Bai Lin and the others. The three ancient martial esteemed families were still making trouble for the Martial Alliance at every turn, but they were no longer doing it so openly. Things had returned to how they used to be. Ji Haozhong had also heard a rumor from somewhere that Qin Hu, the Martial Alliance's leader, had fought the old monster of the Woo Family in a battle witnessed by Jing Xinyue.

Qin Hu had won. With the battle over, the feud sparked by the death of the Woo Family's Nascent Soul realm expert was considered settled. This way of resolving disputes was common in Great Wei. If two major powers openly fought to the death, the consequences would be devastating. The ancient martial esteemed families' earlier attacks on Martial Alliance members had been meant to force Qin Hu into a fight.

After reading the messages, Lin Zheyu understood a great deal more. "No wonder they spread those rumors about me everywhere... It seems Senior Qin Hu's fight with that old monster from the Woo Family was already over by the time of the Ascension Assembly."

It was not the rumors the ancient martial esteemed families had spread about him that had brought their attacks on Martial Alliance martial artists to an end. The families had been forced to stop after Qin Hu defeated the Woo Family's old monster. Only then had they resorted to spreading rumors. He had the order of events backward.

Lin Zheyu sighed softly. "At least the matter is settled. I only wish those fellows hadn't lost their lives because of it."

In their attacks on Martial Alliance martial artists, the three ancient martial esteemed families had killed three Martial Innate realm martial artists, two at the Divine Repository realm, and one at the Shackles realm.

"I'm sorry... But I'll avenge you." Lin Zheyu spoke softly, a cold glint passing through his eyes.

Once he mastered teleportation, Lin Zheyu could act more freely. It was time to settle some old scores.

Before I head back, though, I need to store some energy in the Primordial Chaos Pool for later, Lin Zheyu thought. He moved, plunging into the deep sea below with a splash and vanishing from sight.

***

In Yanwu City, within the Martial Realm, Lin Zheyu met with Zong Linjing, who happened to have returned around the same time. He then visited a few friends and seniors he knew.

"The alliance leader is in seclusion. Please come back another time, Senior," a woman at the Grandmaster realm said respectfully outside Qin Hu's courtyard.

"I heard he fought the Woo Family's old monster. Is he hurt?" Lin Zheyu asked with concern.

Before the woman could answer, a hearty voice came from the void.

"Haha, thank you for your concern, young friend. I'm fine," Qin Hu replied with a laugh. His answer confirmed the rumor Ji Haozhong had heard from who knew where.

"You managed to join the Directorate of Celestial Observation's Formation Hall as a martial artist. Your aptitude for formations is truly remarkable. Thanks to your new position there, the Martial Alliance has received a substantial increase in resources. We have you to thank for that," Qin Hu said cheerfully.

In Great Wei, sects were eager to establish ties with organizations such as the Directorate of Celestial Observation and the Heavenly Works Pavilion. Their resources were one reason. Another was that a sect could receive additional resources if one of its cultivators joined such an organization.

"You're too kind, Senior. I'm a member of the Martial Alliance myself. Contributing to it is only right," Lin Zheyu replied modestly.

The Martial Alliance had a good atmosphere, and its seniors had treated Lin Zheyu well. He felt that he belonged there.

"I'm not just being polite. You've done very well. I don't know what path your martial cultivation will take, so I wasn't sure what to give you. I've awarded you some Martial Alliance contribution points instead. Exchange them for whatever cultivation resources you need." Qin Hu sounded pleased.

"Thank you, Senior!" Lin Zheyu said with a cupped-fist salute.

Soon after returning to the Martial Alliance, Lin Zheyu had been told to collect his reward, which was ten thousand contribution points! That was a considerable sum. The Martial Alliance and Senior Qin Hu were generous to talented young martial artists.

"All right, I've reached a critical point in my cultivation, so I won't come out to see you. It's been some time, and you still haven't reported to the Formation Hall. You should go soon," Qin Hu reminded him. He did not ask where Lin Zheyu had been or what he had done while away.

Lin Zheyu saluted and took his leave. After putting it off for so long, he really did need to report to the Formation Hall. Fewer than ten days remained before the six-month deadline.

I must be the only one who left it this late, he thought.