Ten Directions Sword Master

Chapter 71 You Hide, I Hide Too

Master Qingming exchanged a glance with the other two, and they all stood up.

They had already planned that once the Crimson Fire Secret Realm ended and their disciples were teleported out, they would take their disciples and leave.

The innate qi is a hot potato; getting involved means standing against Zhai Baishi. The camaraderie among the four academies is nothing compared to the hope of condensing the Dharma body.

As for joining the competition, they are not strong enough to even be on the table.

Even if they risked everything to keep Zhai Baishi, the innate qi would inevitably belong to the imperial court and would not fall into the hands of the remaining three academies.

A faint red light surged, and a ripple spread outwards, teleporting several disciples out of the secret realm.

Some of them felt their legs go weak and collapsed to the ground.

Feeling dizzy and disoriented, I stood frozen in place.

It's obvious they haven't recovered from the teleportation.

"Why are a few people missing?"

"Where is her gentle and refined nature?"

Just as the three were about to make their move, they saw one of the disciples in black, seemingly unaffected, kick the Yuelu Academy disciple in front of him on the shoulder and use the momentum to soar into the sky like a hawk.

"Which way do you want to go?"

Li Xunzhen laughed in anger. His niece was not in the formation, so it could only be the disciples of Yingtian in the secret realm who made the move.

Seeing that Zhai Xiao, who was in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, still wanted to escape, if he really had innate qi, it must be on him.

Driven by a desire to avenge Li Wenwan and a subtle motive he himself was unaware of, he reached out and seized her, his palm strike unleashing a torrent of water that flowed endlessly.

Along the way, streams converge, and hundreds of rivers flow into the Yangtze, transforming into several water dragons that rush in from all directions.

The power of refining the spirit is truly terrifying!

Internal energy is sublimated into true qi, which converges with external forces, drawing upon spiritual energy, and thus, when it is used, it possesses the power of heaven and earth.

However, Zhai Xiao, who was in mid-air, did not panic. Instead, a playful smile appeared on his face. He was no longer a naive young man, but a mature middle-aged man.

A copper nail flew out from his arm, his cultivation level increased by one level, and with a backhand punch, he shattered the water dragon.

Ink-black death energy gathered, unleashing the Great Zhou army's killing fist!

Duh! Duh! Duh!

Three more copper nails shot out, and Zhai Xiao directly crossed the barrier, reaching the mid-stage of the Refining Spirit realm.

"Zhai Baishi!"

Li Xunzhen's expression changed drastically, and he blurted out.

The disciple of Yingtian Academy had undergone subtle adjustments to his facial features, and his temperament changed abruptly. He was none other than Zhai Baishi, the Dean of Yingtian Academy, who was ranked twenty-ninth on the Earth Ranking and the center of everyone's discussion.

After shattering the water dragon, this killing punch continued to absorb boundless killing intent, instantly striking Li Xunzhen's chest.

Click!

His chest was noticeably caved in, several bones were broken, and he flew out like a kite on a string, leaving a trail of blood.

Zhai Baishi actually disguised himself, sealed his cultivation, and risked everything to personally enter the Crimson Fire Secret Realm.

No wonder the Privy Council's spies couldn't find any trace of him. Compared to a cultivator at the peak of the Divine Refinement stage, a Foundation Establishment martial artist is a much smaller target and easier to hide.

No one expected Zhai Baishi to be so bold as to go to such lengths for the sake of innate qi.

Those six copper nails that seal cultivation levels are clearly high-level secret treasures, priceless, but let's not go into that.

The key is the level of danger involved.

It will obviously take some time to break the seal and restore one's cultivation. If one's identity is discovered in advance, a top-ranked expert may not be able to unleash his full strength and may be killed directly.

Li Xunzhen was too careless, and in his extreme shock, he was so overwhelmed by the killing intent that he reacted a beat too slowly.

Before the fight even began, one of their own Refinement Realm experts was already missing, his fate unknown.

Yu Ziqi flicked his finger across the sword, revealing a section of its mottled, dull blade, as if a hibernating insect had just begun to stir.

Master Qingming turned to look at Li Xunzhen, seemingly hesitating whether to go and help him.

Just then, at the forefront of the circle of silver-clad cavalry, a silver fish leaped into the air, its arms remarkably long.

Accompanied by a sharp eagle cry, its hands, like claws, summoned lightning and golden light.

In a flash, dozens of claws were swung out, and golden lightning struck down, blasting the ground, sending earth and rocks flying, and causing people and horses to fall.

The key point is that he actually fought Zhai Baishi to a standstill, forcing him to retreat.

"His Majesty's decree: Yuelu, Bailu, and Shigu academies are to cooperate with Yuan Guanyu in intercepting and killing Zhai Baishi—gentlemen, what are you waiting for?!"

This silverfish moved like a hawk, flipping over and landing back on the ground. Its hair was gray and its eyes were fierce.

The head of the thief-catching office, Yuan Guanyu, the "Southeast Divine Eagle," was also disguised and mingled in the Silver-Clad Cavalry, bringing with him an imperial edict from the Emperor of Great Chu.

He hid in the group, deceiving everyone. Even Gu Jingyi thought Yuan Guanyu was still in Kyoto and would not come until she received definite news.

In terms of courage, Yuan Guanyu was no less daring than Zhai Baishi.

If he makes a wrong judgment and leaks the information, causing problems with Kyoto's defenses, he'll be in serious trouble.

But now, he's made the right bet!

"Very good, very good! Yuan Guanyu, the Divine Eagle of the Southeast, a mere outlaw of the martial world, to have mastered such skill with your hands—I underestimated you before!"

Zhai Baishi raised his arms, revealing several bloody claw marks and brown spots from lightning strikes.

"If you have the guts, then chase after me! I haven't managed to kill many Spirit Refinement level souls on this southward journey; it just wasn't perfect enough!"

Black energy surged from his face, and the last two copper nails on his left arm loosened. He struck out with his palm, and two points of lightning flew out.

Several cries of pain were heard in the distance as a few unlucky silver-clad cavalrymen were struck and fell to the ground like a string of gourds.

Compared to the four copper nails in front, black blood was still seeping out of the two newly pulled holes, staining the entire arm red.

This secret technique that seals cultivation levels and can deceive everyone must have strict limitations.

It's impossible to seal something just like that, or to lift it just like that.

Zhai Baishi hadn't expected Yuan Guanyu to jump out from the opposing formation, so he had no choice but to forcibly remove the copper nails, suffering some backlash in the process.

However, the cultivation level of the Perfected Spirit Refinement stage was revealed. With a cold snort, killing intent filled the air, and everyone in the arena fell down except for those at the Spirit Refinement stage. Even those at the Spirit Refinement stage were stunned for a moment.

With a light tap of his foot, he had already taken more than ten zhang, shooting out like an arrow released from a bow, a black line shooting out.

"The imperial decree is here; follow it immediately!"

Only Yuan Guanyu remained unaffected. He spread his arms wide, like an eagle swooping down, his speed and agility not much different from Zhai Baishi's.

Yu Ziqi was the first to come to his senses, letting out a soft whistle that sounded like thunder.

With a stomp of the toes, a sudden burst of energy erupted, like thunder splitting the sky, followed closely by a powerful strike.

Gu Jingyi and Daoist Qingming woke up almost at the same time.

Excitement mixed with fear, Gu Jingyi used the Gu family's unique movement technique to catch up, her figure graceful and elegant, like willow catkins drifting in the wind.

"The king's command is not to be disobeyed—"

After a moment's hesitation, Master Qingming also gave chase.

He could completely ignore the requirements of the burglary squad.

But Yuan Guanyu had already invoked the Chu Emperor's edict, and if he refused, he would not be able to explain himself afterward.

Although Yuelu Academy appears powerful, it is actually far inferior to the other academies mentioned above, and has no reason to disobey imperial orders.

Nearly half of the academy's students go to the imperial court each year, working their way up from the central government to local counties.

From this point onward, the emperor's authority naturally became more constrained.

In the brief moments following the end of the Crimson Fire Secret Realm, several unexpected turns and changes occurred.

The cultivators on the field had all left, leaving only a few disciples from the four academies and the group of silver-clad light cavalry who had surrounded the area for a long time without making any progress and were instead injured by the aftershocks.

Oh, and there's also a Refining Spirit expert, Li Xunzhen, who took a punch from Zhai Baishi and passed out.

Apart from Tian Ren, a disciple of Shigu Academy, who is taking care of him, everyone else has almost forgotten about him.

There are seven of us left, including me!

Accustomed to being transported to various worlds by the Nebula Compass, Lu Li regained consciousness the moment he landed and even had time to pay attention to his surroundings.

The disciples of Yingtian, Kong Zhao, who was killed by himself, are gone; the disciples of Shigu, Li Wenwan, are gone; and the disciples of Yuelu, Qian Xiaoyi, are gone.

Nan Henshui stood there perfectly fine, but her expression was pained; she hadn't yet recovered from her dizziness.

Looks like I was lucky; I didn't run into any of Yingtian's disciples.

Lu Li turned his gaze to Zhai Xiao. Based on his own deduction, whatever plan Yingtian Academy wanted to carry out in the Crimson Fire Secret Realm, it would all fall on this person.

His actions will determine the subsequent changes.

What Lu Li witnessed was astonishing: Zhai Xiao, who had emerged from the secret realm, sent a senior from Shigu Academy flying with a single palm strike, and then exchanged blows with a powerful figure from the Silver-Clad Cavalry who had appeared out of nowhere.

As the copper nails were removed, his true appearance was revealed, and it turned out to be Zhai Baishi, the famous headmaster of Yingtian Academy in Yuzhang County.

This important figure, who was ranked high on the Earthly Ranking, actually spent seven days with me in the Crimson Fire Secret Realm.

He was also thinking of encountering Zhai Xiao and killing him along with him.

In this light, it was truly fortunate for him that he met Kong Zhao instead of this one.

Zhai Baishi left after uttering harsh words, and then he saw two Refinement Realm experts from the Thieves' Bureau and two teachers from the Academy chasing after him.

"Is this crisis temporarily over?"

Lu Li was slightly stunned, and the killing intent that had invaded his body was burned into black smoke by his inner fire.

He had made various plans, but he never expected to see such a scene when he came out.

The powerful cultivators at the Refinement Realm roamed freely, their every move exuding an aura of authority that he deeply admired.

Only when you cultivate to that level can you have a reputation in the martial arts world, and you won't have to worry about any random strong person coming out who you can't handle.

But then he remembered what had just happened. Zhai Baishi didn't want to be entangled in Wucheng and unable to escape, otherwise he would unleash a killing spree again after the seal was broken and his cultivation was restored.

Apart from Yuan Guanyu, no one present could guarantee that they would survive.

"Let's use the Earth Ranking as the standard. Once you're on the Earth Ranking, you'll be respected as a senior expert wherever you go."

Lu Li, who hadn't even made it onto the Human Ranking yet, had already set his sights on the Earth Ranking in the blink of an eye.

Just then, a noisy argument broke out from the foot of the hill.

It turns out that the unfortunate disciple who was kicked by Zhai Baishi and used as leverage was Han Qiansan. Now, half of his body is paralyzed, and Jiang Linhai is helping him walk down the mountain.

However, they were stopped by the Silver-Clad Light Cavalry, who had reorganized their formation and quelled the chaos.

Jiang Linhai was concerned about his fellow disciples' injuries and became a bit anxious, which led to an argument with several silver-clad captains.

Soon, a captain with a face full of scars, sleeves with cloud patterns, and a silver fish pouch hanging from his waist was attracted.

"Zhai Baishi of Yingtian Academy has infiltrated the territory, intending to commit a major crime. All disciples from the four Confucian academies are suspects; apprehend them all and await your judgment, Lord Shi!"

After exchanging only a few words, the silverfish envoy suddenly flew into a rage and roared.

"Our commanders went with Lord Shi to pursue Zhai Baishi, how could we be suspects?"

When Jiang Linhai saw the two silver-clad captains take out iron chains and try to handcuff him, he refused to comply and turned around to avoid them.

He placed Han Qiansan next to a blue stone, and with a flick of his palms, he deflected the iron chains that the two men had pulled out.