Volume One: Tempest in a Small Town Chapter 55: Killing Yuan Yi

In truth, this time, the main purpose was to disgust Yuan Yi. If Yuan Yi were unfortunate enough to perish here, all would be well. If he managed to escape, it would not matter. As long as he remained within the Dragon Burial Abyss, Zhang Heng had countless ways to deal with him.

After Zhang Heng departed, the people of the Yuan Kingdom fell into sorrow.

Moments ago, they had been immersed in the joy of the divine fruit descending from the heavens, when suddenly, noises from deep within the swamp reached their ears. Something seemed to be approaching them rapidly.

Yet, in their arrogance, they did not choose to leave but wished to investigate.

After all, high-level spirit beasts carried many treasures upon their bodies.

Before long, a massive forehead emerged from beneath the swamp. The two elders at the Spirit Transformation stage saw the enormous head and turned pale with fright. In a flash, they appeared behind Yuan Yi, intent on escorting him to safety.

Yuan Yi was confused, but nonetheless, he allowed the two elders to drag him away at top speed.

At the very instant they retreated, a gigantic body leaped onto the ground, exuding a terrifying murderous aura. Yuan Yi managed to flee, but his attendants were not so lucky. One by one, they were devoured by the divine crocodile.

The human ant who had obtained the Divine Movement Fruit dared to run. The six-legged divine crocodile was furious and chased in Yuan Yi’s direction.

Seeing the monstrous creature pursue them, Yuan Yi was alarmed. But his cultivation was only at the Sky Origin stage, far inferior in speed to the two elders.

Even though the elders were at the Spirit Transformation stage, their cultivation had been built upon pills; their potential had long since been exhausted. Their speed and strength were far inferior to genuine cultivators who had reached the Spirit Transformation stage through hard training.

The six-legged divine crocodile was not especially fast, but the swamp was its domain.

Its sixth massive leg slammed into the ground, and the swamp ahead of Yuan Yi and his companions suddenly rose, blocking their path.

Though the swamp obstacle held them back for less than a second,

that brief moment was enough for the six-legged divine crocodile. A mid-seventh tier spirit beast, its power was comparable to a fifth-tier human cultivator at the Spirit Transformation stage.

The giant crocodile followed close behind. In a moment of life and death, the two elders abandoned Yuan Yi and fled alone.

Yuan Yi had never been of much status. The two elders had only guarded him out of habit, but at this critical juncture of life and death, they would not sacrifice themselves for him.

If Yuan Yi died in the Dragon Burial Abyss, the Yuan Emperor would not trouble them.

Yuan Yi, panic-stricken, watched the two elders depart, cursing loudly: "You two old fools! How dare you abandon me! When I return to the Yuan Kingdom and tell my father, you will certainly be executed!"

But the two elders seemed not to hear, fleeing for their lives.

Seeing this, Yuan Yi was terrified.

He pleaded bitterly: "Please, I beg you, take me with you! If I return to the Yuan Kingdom, I will reward you handsomely!"

Yet the two elders were already far away. What awaited Yuan Yi was the furious six-legged divine crocodile.

Even now, Yuan Yi did not understand why the spirit beast pursued him. He thought the six-legged divine crocodile simply resented their intrusion into its territory.

The six-legged divine crocodile instantly appeared beside Yuan Yi, who, even at the brink of death, refused to hand over the Divine Movement Fruit. The beast, enraged, struck out with one massive leg.

Yuan Yi, possessing only the Sky Origin stage—built upon pills—could not resist. The powerful force sent him flying, crashing beneath a giant tree, his breath weak.

Seeing this, the six-legged divine crocodile rushed forward, snatched his ring, and did not strike him again.

Perhaps the beast was too proud to bother killing an ant.

Yuan Yi realized the spirit beast coveted his spatial ring and was deeply vexed.

"Divine beast, if you wanted it, you could have just asked. I would have given it to you. Why beat me up?"

The six-legged divine crocodile, having obtained what it wanted, departed, leaving Yuan Yi barely alive and bewildered.

Once the beast had left, Zhang Heng appeared.

He had only been hiding nearby, observing. Had the six-legged divine crocodile and the two Spirit Transformation elders fought each other to exhaustion, he would have profited.

But alas, he had not expected the two elders to be so worthless, lacking even the courage to confront the spirit beast.

Zhang Heng looked at the dying Yuan Yi in the distance and smiled.

Yuan Yi saw Zhang Heng’s figure appear far away. First he was stunned, then, ignorant of his predicament, he boasted: "You little wretch, how dare you, weak as you are, venture into the Dragon Burial Abyss? Clearly you know its secrets. Take this prince to find a healing elixir, and I may spare your life."

Zhang Heng replied with a teasing smile.

"Yuan Yi, is it? It seems you haven’t realized your situation. Your life is now in my hands."

Zhang Heng approached slowly, speaking as he walked.

"You dare, you little wretch?"

Yuan Yi was furious. Zhang Heng was merely a first-level body cultivator. If not for his own injuries, he would have killed Zhang Heng already. That this little wretch dared to threaten him was intolerable.

But the problem was, he could not move, and Zhang Heng could.

Zhang Heng stepped up to Yuan Yi, looking down at him.

"Prince Yuan, you harmed my parents, forced the Zhang family—how should I repay you?"

It was only now that Yuan Yi became afraid. He shrank back, knowing Zhang Heng was bold and reckless. Now, powerless to resist, Zhang Heng would certainly act.

Zhang Heng said, "Afraid now? Too late."

Yuan Yi trembled, pleading: "Brother Zhang Heng, let’s talk this out. Killing me benefits you nothing. Spare me, and I’ll give you spirit stones, resources—anything you want."

Seeing Yuan Yi reduced to this state, Zhang Heng’s interest waned. The prince of the Yuan Kingdom—ridiculous, nothing but a coward clinging to life.

Zhang Heng calmly said to him,

"But I truly must thank you. If not for you, my parents would never have entered the Dragon Burial Abyss, nor would I have learned its secrets."

"You’ve been in the Dragon Burial Abyss for so long, and found nothing, have you? Let me tell you, I’ve already scoured the place clean of treasures. So you won’t find any. I can enter here whenever I please—doesn’t that infuriate you?"

"What? You really know the secrets of the Dragon Burial Abyss?" Yuan Yi was so enraged his qi was blocked; he coughed up blood.

Zhang Heng moved aside, disdainfully saying, "You’re disgusting. I won’t waste words with you."

He raised his left hand, murmuring, "My heart is like a sword," then punched Yuan Yi.

Though injured, Yuan Yi was still a Sky Origin cultivator; Zhang Heng’s first-level body cultivation could not have broken his defenses. But one must not forget that Zhang Heng had Du Gu Bai’s Heart-Guarding Sword.

Yuan Yi died, slain by a cultivator he had most despised, a mere body cultivator. Until his last breath, he never understood how Zhang Heng broke through his protective aura.

Having finished, Zhang Heng turned and left. As for Yuan Yi’s treasures, Zhang Heng could not be bothered to look.

This was, perhaps, an explanation for the two of them. Zhang Heng spoke to the distant sky.

His so-called parents, after so many years, had not returned; most likely, they had met their fate.