Volume Two: Travels in the State of Qi Chapter 77: Another Loss of Spirit Stones

"You, go and kill him," Li Hongyi ordered a cultivator at the Qi Sea Realm standing beside him.

He wasn't worried about any cunning tricks from Zhang Heng; he simply believed that a Qi Sea Realm cultivation was more than sufficient to kill him.

That cultivator nodded and strode toward Zhang Heng, blade in hand, utterly confident in his strength. If a powerful figure from the Yun family intervened, their own experts would not stand idly by. Besides, their side was stronger than the Yun family.

The man drew closer and closer to the line Zhang Heng had drawn. Yet no one in the crowd seemed concerned; they simply dismissed Zhang Heng as a non-threat.

Crossing the line, the cultivator sneered, "I've crossed—what are you going to do about it, fool?"

In that instant, he froze.

The crowd was puzzled, but when they looked closer, they saw a ring of blood at his waist. Then the man collapsed, his upper and lower halves severed in two.

He had been cut cleanly in half.

Shock rippled through the onlookers. This man was an eighth-stage Qi Sea Realm cultivator—a formidable figure by any measure. Yet before anyone could react, he was dead. Could it be that a Heaven Origin Realm expert had appeared?

Even the aged Return to Ruins Realm expert, whose lifespan was nearly exhausted, felt a chill and hesitated, uncertain whether to leave immediately.

He too had felt nothing amiss. He realized that if that strike had been aimed at him, he would never have withstood it.

After a moment's thought, he decided to leave. If he left now, he would at least have a month of life remaining, during which he might yet find a solution. If he lingered here, he might die on the spot.

He gathered his spiritual energy, preparing to depart.

At that moment, Zhang Heng pointed at the Return to Ruins Realm expert and spoke coldly, "The others may leave, but you cannot."

Only then did the crowd truly turn their attention to Zhang Heng.

Recalling Zhang Heng's earlier words and the manner of the Qi Sea Realm cultivator's death, they all wondered—could Zhang Heng truly possess some rare and mysterious power?

No one, however, believed he was a Heaven Origin Realm cultivator. After all, a twenty-year-old at that level was unheard of outside the Sacred Lands.

Even Yan Yuntian, the Sixth Prince and Crown Prince of Yan—the most gifted among the Seven Ancient Kingdoms—had only barely reached the seventh stage of the Return to Ruins Realm at age twenty, despite his extraordinary talent.

To accomplish such a feat, Zhang Heng must surely possess some rare treasure.

The Return to Ruins Realm expert froze, fixing Zhang Heng with a cold, menacing stare, but said nothing.

He was a man of pride. Even in death, he would never beg Zhang Heng for mercy.

Zhang Heng turned away, speaking to the air, "The strongest in this Desert Rock City is but at the Origin Core Realm. Most cultivators here haven't even reached the Qi Sea Realm. Yet you, a Return to Ruins Realm expert, appear here and meddle in family disputes, breaking the rules of the game. For that, you must pay the price."

"You think you can keep me here?" The expert's voice was weary, and he turned to leave, ignoring Zhang Heng.

If he weren't wary of the powerful artifact Zhang Heng might possess, he would long ago have killed the reckless youth.

Zhang Heng said nothing more, but intoned loudly, "My heart is as a sword." Then, with his left hand, he traced a line through the air.

A blade of sword-light, visible to the naked eye, shot toward the Return to Ruins Realm cultivator. The ferocity of the sword qi pinned him in place; he could only watch helplessly as the sword-light pierced his body.

A Return to Ruins Realm expert fell, lifeless.

Though Zhang Heng's own cultivation was only at the sixth stage of Body Refinement, he possessed the Heart-Guarding Sword, the life-bound artifact of the Sword Saint Dugu Bai.

This Heart-Guarding Sword could slay even Wang Zewei, a sixth-stage Return to Ruins Realm cultivator, in an instant. Dealing with someone who had just entered the realm was child's play.

Staring at the fallen expert, Wu Hong looked at Zhang Heng and asked worriedly, "Zhang Heng, I'm also at the Return to Ruins Realm—you won't come for me too, will you?"

Zhang Heng was exasperated. Must you ruin the atmosphere?

"Senior Wu, the rules are set by the strong. Now that I am the strongest here, I decide the rules."

He said this to Li Hongyi and Viper.

At last, Li Hongyi and Viper were truly afraid. If Zhang Heng could instantly kill a Return to Ruins Realm cultivator, he could certainly kill them as well. Now, restless and uneasy, they didn't know what to do.

The Yun family members gazed at Zhang Heng with astonishment. They didn't know how he had accomplished it, but he was clearly on their side—and that was enough.

In the end, it was the Yun family who won this game.

Yun Yan's beautiful eyes shone with admiration, but she too pondered quietly. At twenty, a second-rank alchemist, and with Heaven Origin Realm strength—how could such a peerless figure possibly take notice of her?

Only Wu Hong seemed unfazed. A twenty-year-old second-rank alchemist surely had a peerless master behind him. How could someone like that be without powerful life-saving treasures?

Zhang Heng said nothing, nor did the Yun family. All eyes were coldly fixed on Li Hongyi and Viper.

Now it was their turn to declare their stance.

"This young hero, we failed to recognize you and have offended you greatly. We hope you can forgive us," Li Hongyi said, forced to bow his head.

Zhang Heng remained silent. The suffocating atmosphere made the Li family and the Whale Sand Gang deeply uneasy.

At last, Zhang Heng spoke. "Li Hongyi, didn't you discover a spirit stone mine? Viper, didn't you just seize dozens of chests of spirit stones? I imagine you both have quite a stash. Fine. Each of you will give the Yun family fifty chests of spirit stones as compensation. Do this, and you may leave."

Truth be told, Zhang Heng had no real grudge against these people and didn't wish to shed more blood. Making them pay some spirit stones would serve as a valuable lesson.

At his words, both men's faces turned ashen.

Li Hongyi had discovered no spirit stone mine, and the chests the Whale Sand Gang had taken were nothing but ordinary rocks. Their true aim was simply to find an excuse to attack the Yun family.

Over decades of illicit dealings in Desert Rock City, they'd amassed only twenty or thirty chests of spirit stones at most. Yet now Zhang Heng demanded fifty from each! Where could they possibly find that many?

"Young hero, isn't fifty chests too much? We really don't have that many—couldn't you ask for less?" Li Hongyi pleaded.

"Absolutely not. That's the price. Within three days, deliver fifty chests of spirit stones to the Yun family, or I will not be so polite."

"Now get out. And remember—if I discover your spirit stones were ill-gotten, I will be very angry indeed."

Zhang Heng was inwardly delighted. The thrill of putting on airs was truly exhilarating!

Li Hongyi and Viper hurried away with their followers, not daring to linger a moment longer. As for the spirit stones, they'd have to come up with something later.

Yun Feng tried to blend into the crowd and slip away, but Zhang Heng had been watching him from the start and would never let him escape.

"Hey, you there—Yun Feng! Stand still. If you move another inch, you won't live to regret it," Zhang Heng called out with great satisfaction.

Exposed, Yun Feng cursed his luck but dared not move.

Zhang Heng strolled over. "You little wretch, always scheming against me. In all of Desert Rock City, if anyone has a real grudge against me, it's you. Now, tell me, how should I deal with you?"

Zhang Heng's calm smile seemed to Yun Feng the very visage of a demon from hell.

He knew he was finished.