186: Qinglan's Transfer Order
Countless clues collided and converged in her mind!
"There are many users of blade-type Spells, but Zhang Sheng just happened to appear near Tiangu City at that exact time? This coincidence is far too glaring; he is definitely highly suspicious!" Lian Qiu was certain in her heart.
She glanced at Senior Brother Tiger and, although his expression hadn't changed, she knew well that this Senior Brother was deeply suspicious by nature.
He would never let Zhang Sheng off!
"Junior Sister Lian Qiu," Tiger's voice was low and repressed, carrying a trace of cold, metallic texture,
"I just checked Zhang Sheng's information. The latest announcement from Qinglan Academy shows—he has enrolled!"
"What?!" Lian Qiu's pupils constricted, her mind racing, and she immediately said:
"Senior Brother! Doesn't this confirm that he has a guilty conscience? He's rushing to find a backer!"
"Hmph!" A cold breath sprayed from Tiger's nostrils, his eyes like venom-dipped blades, "Regardless of whether he was the one who did it, this matter must be investigated until the truth is revealed!"
Lian Qiu immediately responded, her speaking speed rapid:
"Senior Brother, now is the opportunity! Luoxia Prefecture's Tianxing City is in urgent need; the new recruits of Qinglan Academy will definitely be sent to support it.
The battlefield changes in an instant; let alone the top ten thousand of the fledgling tiger ranking, even if the ranking were higher, it would be difficult to guarantee safety!"
Tiger's eyes flashed with a dangerous and sinister light, like a viper flicking its tongue in the dark night.
"Lian Qiu, you are right. This time to Luoxia Prefecture's Tianxing City, I will go personally!"
A subtle arc curled at the corner of Lian Qiu's mouth:
"Senior Brother, rest assured, this Junior Sister will naturally do her utmost to assist you. Once we take that brat down, the truth will naturally come to light." She was ecstatic in her heart:
"Zhang Sheng, oh Zhang Sheng, with Senior Brother personally making a move, I want to see where you can escape to? Taking your head will not only resolve Senior Brother's hatred, but can also be exchanged for a 'Starfire Token' within the alliance! A business that is guaranteed profit without loss..."
Seven days later.
Zhang Sheng sat cross-legged, his mind slightly moving. Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, dozens of formless, intangible "Soul-Startling Thorn"s, radiating cold Soul Power fluctuations, instantly condensed!
He could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within them, but at the moment, he only lacked a test subject.
"Spell: Soul-Startling Thorn (Perfected State: 100%)"
The qinglan token at his waist became scorching hot without warning, and a stream of information was forcibly injected into his mind:
Azure Mist Mobilization Order: Luoxia Prefecture's Tianxing City is suffering a large-scale counterattack from Yao Beasts! Those who enrolled within three years, proceed to support immediately! Obtain one thousand merit points within one month! Violators will have ten thousand merit points deducted, or be directly expelled!
Ten thousand merit points? Zhang Sheng's pockets were cleaner than his face right now. Not go? Wait to be kicked out!
This muddy water, he was determined to wade through!
"Fellow Daoist Zhang Sheng, are you there?" Qian Che's voice, carrying obvious exhaustion, came from outside the hall.
Zhang Sheng pushed the door open and stepped out, slightly stunned: "Brother Qian? What happened to you..."
Outside the door, Qian Che was like a different person: his eye sockets were deeply sunken, bearing heavy dark circles, his cheeks were visibly hollow, and his spirit was listless, a far cry from the high-spirited appearance he had a few days ago.
"Sigh, don't mention it!" Qian Che smiled bitterly, his voice hoarse, "Isn't it because of the new battlefield in Luoxia Prefecture? I thought it was just a few Shadow Snakes, but damn it, the Flying Snakes were blocking out the sky and sun! I had to burn my Qi and blood to crawl out from underground; that kid Bamboo Pole almost lost his life there!"
"Bamboo Pole" clearly referred to the tall, thin Cultivator who accompanied him that day.
"You received the mobilization order, right?" Qian Che caught his breath, his expression becoming serious, "Zhang Sheng, last time I owed you a favor for the 'Kun Yuan Dragon Capturing Hand', so I'll consider myself having taken advantage. This time, I'll give you some advice: one month is not a short time, don't rush to the front lines! That place is a giant meat grinder. Qinglan Academy is just one of the forces there; several prefecture academies near Luoxia Prefecture, as well as various large and small Sects, have sent people. Divine Power Realm experts are as numerous as ox hairs! Dying there is no different from stepping on an ant; you won't even make a sound!"
He leaned in a step, lowering his voice: "Just stay on the periphery and look for some scattered, wandering Yao Beasts to hunt. With your ability, gathering one thousand merit points is not difficult! Keeping your life is better than anything else!"
Zhang Sheng's heart jolted, and he immediately clasped his fists solemnly: "Brother Qian, I will keep your reminder today in my heart!"
Qian Che nodded, said nothing more, and transformed into a slightly dim rainbow light, speeding away.
Zhang Sheng immediately took out the "omniscient guide" Jade Slip, frantically absorbing intelligence information regarding the open battlefield, Yao Beasts, and Void Demons.
One thousand merit points?
It was just slaughtering one hundred True Fetus Realm Yao Beasts; for him, it was indeed not a difficult task.
With ample time, he was instead not in a hurry.
He turned back into the palace, and the Pill Furnace ignited!
What he was refining was nothing else, but his Cultivation Foundation—blood essence pill!
The more effective essence pill in the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall? He couldn't afford it! Even if he had merit points, he would rather buy the Pill Formula and refine supreme-grade ones himself!
With his strength skyrocketing, the consumption rate of the remaining ten thousand plus supreme-grade blood essence pills in his storage ring was astonishing.
Fortunately, his reserves of Yao Beast blood were sufficient.
The furnace fire blazed, and the fragrance of pills filled the air.
Three days and three nights without sleep or rest, and more than fifty thousand round, plump, supreme-grade blood essence pills with inner blood luster appeared in his storage ring!
In the short term, it was enough!
Zhang Sheng headed straight for the internal teleportation hall of Qinglan Academy.
Internal academy teleportation was not only convenient and fast, but the cost was also one-tenth of the outside world!
One million spirit crystals were deducted instantly, a light curtain flashed, and he had disappeared from Heavenly Injury City in Qinglan Prefecture.
But he did not teleport directly to the storm center of Luoxia Prefecture's Tianxing City, nor did he even adopt Qian Che's suggestion of "peripheral guerrilla warfare."
His destination was the relatively safer area closer to the inner region—Tiangu City!
It was exactly the place where he had slaughtered Yao Beasts last time!
Safety was one reason. More importantly, his "Breath Concealment Art" and "Spiritual Eye Technique" had both broken through to the "True Intent" Realm!
Under the True Intent Realm, these two first-tier Spells' power had actually surpassed ordinary second-tier Spells!
The moment the teleportation light pillar lit up in Tiangu City, Zhang Sheng had already changed his appearance:
His features were slightly adjusted, his aura restrained like a stubborn stone, the qinglan token was put away, and he wore an inconspicuous grey cloth garment.
After leaving the city, the "spirit wings" behind his back unfolded silently.
Around his body, dual shields instantly appeared: the inner layer surrounded by eighty-one "Profound Light Shield"s condensed like substance, and the outer layer was eighty-one layers of endlessly circulating "Spirit Shield"s!
His Divine Sense spread out instantly like an invisible giant net!
Direction—East!
Tianxing City, millions of miles away, was right over there!
This time, he no longer concealed his speed.
The spirit wings vibrated, and his whole body turned into a stream of light tearing through the air, shooting towards the east!
Soon, his Divine Sense captured a group of Yao Beasts at the edge of his perception! Mostly Divine Breath Realm, mixed with a dozen True Fetus Realm!
"Soul-Startling Thorn!"
"Go!"
His intent was like a blade!
Dozens of invisible Soul Thorns, ignoring distance, ignoring defense, instantly pierced into the depths of the target Yao Beasts' Sea of Consciousness!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
Like balloons filled with ink being pricked by steel needles!
The hit Yao Beasts, whether Divine Breath or True Fetus, had their eyes instantly glaze over, their life aura ceased abruptly, and their corpses plummeted straight down like puppets with cut strings!
"Damn!" Even though Zhang Sheng was mentally prepared, he was still shocked by this terrifying lethality, "This effect... is too overbearing!"
He immediately cast "Object Manipulation Art", and an invisible force swept up the unblemished beast corpses on the ground, quickly storing them into his storage ring.
These Yao Beasts died silently, as if falling into an eternal slumber.
"I wonder if it... works on those in the Divine Power Realm?" A sharp light flashed in Zhang Sheng's eyes.
Hunting wandering Yao Beasts, besides testing the Soul-Startling Thorn, his more important goal was to push several first-tier Perfected State Spells to the "True Intent" Realm in actual combat!
Improving the Realm of first-tier Spells was far faster than second-tier ones.
As for second-tier Spells, he had only carefully selected one—"Moon Slash"!
He wanted to prioritize pushing it to the True Intent Realm, then combine it with the improvement from surviving the "Metal Element Spiritual Power Tribulation"...
He was very much looking forward to what kind of strike a True Intent Realm "Moon Slash" could unleash!