area51novel Chapter 95 The Strongman Alliance, Yunxi is dumbfounded
Chapter 95 The Strongman Alliance, Yunxi is dumbfounded
Chapter 95 The Strongman Alliance, Yunxi is dumbfounded
Inside the martial arts arena, the air seemed to freeze.
Hong Jinhu's thick arms were bulging with veins, and a faint golden luster shimmered beneath his bronze knuckles.
Clearly, his hand bones had already begun to touch the threshold of the Golden Bone realm, a feat achieved by only one in a hundred among bone-refining body cultivators.
just
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at his trembling hands.
"How...how is this possible?!"
Just now, his full-force "Mountain-Splitting Palm" was powerful enough to shatter a foot-thick layer of second-grade mid-level spirit-patterned iron, but it was easily shattered by the bald Xu Jiu's single-armed flick.
It dissolves like swatting flies with a whisk.
Even more terrifying, the recoil force sent his body, which was carrying the power of a thousand-pound drop, flying several meters away and crashing into the iron railings beside the arena.
Just how strong is this bald guy surnamed Xu?
Hong Jinhu slowly stood up, rubbing his trembling arms, and looked at Xu Jiu with a solemn expression in his eyes.
No matter how arrogant Xu Jiu had been before, at this moment, just as he said,
In the cultivation world, strength reigns supreme, and the strong set the rules. He defeated others to obtain the Thunder Copper, but now that he has lost, the Thunder Copper belongs to the other party, and he really has nothing to say.
Xu Jiu stood with his hands behind his back, his gray outfit fluttering in the wind even though there was no wind.
The blue bricks beneath his feet were cracked inch by inch, and tiny flashes of lightning flickered within the spiderweb-like cracks.
His bald head gleamed with a cold, hard sheen under the gas lamp, his face rugged and fierce, like a Vajra descended to earth.
"Thank you for your kind offer, fellow Daoist, whose name is unknown."
Xu Jiu's voice wasn't loud, and he didn't look at Hong Jinhu while speaking, nor did he seem to care much about his name.
"Now, shouldn't these three hundred catties of refined bronze belong to my family?"
Hong Jinhu felt slighted and his chest heaved with anger, but since he was no match for the other man, he could only remain silent.
The entire room fell silent.
They all knew Hung Kam-hu's strength, and seeing him so pathetic, they felt a deep empathy for him.
A lean man, unconvinced, tried to speak up, but his companion held him back tightly: "Even Hong Jinhu couldn't withstand a single move, are you going up there to get yourself killed?"
"Xu Jiu has probably already officially entered the Golden Bone stage. Such a strongman is likely a key figure that the sect will be cultivating."
He said he was from the family of the prodigy Qi Yunxi, and he probably wasn't lying. Who else but a top-tier family could cultivate such a strongman?
However, Xu Jiu's arrogant attitude and his headstrong attempt to seize the refined thunder copper made everyone very unhappy.
Although they were unhappy, they didn't dare to make a move against Chen Yi.
So everyone fell silent and looked at Zhao Jingwu.
In the corner, Zhao Jingwu's teacup cracked open with a "crack".
He narrowed his triangular eyes, sizing up this unexpected troublemaker.
As an old body cultivator who had just entered the Golden Bone stage, he could see it more clearly than others—when Xu Jiu swung his arm just now, a tangible golden light flashed across his elbow joint.
"The golden bones are beginning to take shape." Zhao Jingwu's Adam's apple bobbed, and cold sweat seeped from his palms.
Such a person would be a sought-after disciple by the elders of any major sect.
Under the gaze of everyone, Zhao Jingwu slowly stood up.
Chen Yi turned to look at him and said with a faint smile, "What, Brother Zhao, do you also want to come up and test my abilities?"
"It's not about weighing the pros and cons."
"I have already said that I will not compete for this Lei Tong. According to the rules, it should belong to Brother Xu."
but,
Now that our Strongman Alliance has been formed, we must determine a ranking.
Since Brother Xu has already overpowered the other cultivators, I, Zhao, am also itching to lend a hand.
Brother Xu is right. In the cultivation world, strength is paramount, especially among us physical cultivators. If Brother Xu could overpower me,
Without a word, Zhao respectfully invited Brother Xu to take the top seat in the alliance, while he himself would gladly take the second seat.
Chen Yi understood; Zhao Jingwu felt that Chen Yi had intimidated his position and wanted to test his skills.
"Go ahead." Chen Yi said nonchalantly, taking a step back on the stage to make way for him.
Zhao Jingwu crouched slightly, causing the bluestone ground to crack like a spider web. He then leaped more than ten feet away, crashing onto the laser platform like a cannonball. The impact made the heavy steel platform, weighing over ten thousand pounds, vibrate loudly.
No sooner said than done, in the blink of an eye, before anyone could react,
Zhao Jingwu's palm strike, already carrying a foul stench, was aimed at Chen Yi.
Chen Yi's pupils contracted. The golden light condensed on the edge of his palm was clearly high-energy golden light, which meant that he had also reached the Golden Bone Realm!
He hastily raised his arm to block, and a loud clang rang out as the two men's boots carved four spark-sparkling furrows into the black iron platform.
"good!"
"Leader Zhao, teach him a lesson!"
"Alliance Leader Zhao will teach this man a lesson he'll never forget!"
The other strongmen cheered upon seeing this.
Chen Yi's gaze also turned serious. As he blocked the other party, he was also thinking rapidly.
He couldn't beat Zhao Jingwu because he didn't have time to manage the league.
Since this strongman alliance was organized by Zhao Jingwu, there must be some hidden secrets behind it. He's just an outsider who got the second-in-command position and, when good resources come his way, just needs to reap the rewards.
True managers are very likely to encounter situations where they stand out and become scapegoats, or even be the first to speak out.
Zhao Jingwu had experienced this kind of thing many times and was quite used to handling it, so it was best to let him do it.
In the blink of an eye, Chen Yi had already devised a plan.
The two fought at an extremely fast pace, and three hundred rounds passed in the blink of an eye.
The cultivators watching from the sidelines had already held their breath.
Two afterimages flashed across the small space, and the shockwaves from their clashing fists and feet created ripples on the magical shield of the defensive array. Pale golden array runes flickered in the void, spreading out like disturbed water.
Each collision caused the translucent light shield covering the entire arena to tremble violently, emitting a low hum, as if it were bearing an invisible pressure.
Zhao Jingwu's eyes flashed with a sharp light, his arm muscles suddenly bulged, and a faint golden halo appeared under his bronze skin.
His palm strike was like a knife, drawing two golden trajectories in the air—the "Mountain-Splitting and Rock-Shattering Hand," a secret technique of the Vajra Kung Fu.
Every move and stance was imbued with golden light, and wherever the palm wind passed, the air emitted a piercing shriek.
Chen Yi's pupils contracted slightly as he felt the sharp, gust of wind rushing towards him.
The golden lightning within him stirred restlessly; if unleashed at full power, it would be enough to turn the tide of battle in an instant.
However, revealing all their strength at this moment would not be a wise move—if Zhao Jingwu, as the founder of the alliance, were to be crushed in public, the entire Warrior Alliance would likely fall apart.
It's now!
In a flash, a barely perceptible smile flickered across Chen Yi's lips.
"Bang!"
Zhao Jingwu's Golden Radiance Palm strike landed squarely on Chen Yi's crossed arms, producing a loud clang like metal striking metal.
Using the momentum, Chen Yi's burly body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, carving two deep furrows on the black iron arena before finally landing steadily on the edge of the arena.
"You flatter me, Alliance Leader Zhao."
Chen Yi clasped his hands in a salute, his voice deep and powerful.
He deliberately made his voice sound slightly breathless, as if he had just gone through a tough battle.
"The Vajra Skill truly lives up to its reputation; I, Xu, humbly admit defeat."
Chen Yi voluntarily conceded defeat.
Zhao Jingwu stood up, his chest heaving violently, and fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
He stared intently at Chen Yi, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes—he had clearly sensed an even more violent power lurking within the other's body during that palm strike, yet it had quietly subsided at the last moment.
"Brother Xu is too modest."
Zhao Jingwu slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.
"To be able to withstand my full-force Thirty-Six Forms of Mountain-Splitting Hand without injury, this level of cultivation far surpasses that of ordinary Copper Bone Realm cultivators. I have benefited greatly from today's battle."
The strongmen watching from the sidelines finally came to their senses and erupted in thunderous cheers.
Those body cultivators who were originally dissatisfied with Chen Yi now looked at him with a hint of awe.
In the cultivation world, strength is paramount, especially for physical cultivators like them. That's why they could withstand hundreds of moves from Zhao Jingwu before finally being defeated.
Xu Jiu certainly has the right to be arrogant.
After catching his breath,
Zhao Jingwu clasped his hands in a fist salute to Xu Jiu: "Brother Xu, your skills are superb. I was fortunate enough to win first place. From now on, Brother Xu will be the second-in-command of our Strongman Alliance."
Our alliance can compete internally, but we must unite when we go out into the world. In this cultivation world, if the warriors don't help each other, do you think those high and mighty geniuses will help us?
"I hope that one day in the secret realm, if my brothers encounter any difficulties, Brother Xu will be able to lend a hand."
Chen Yi nodded in agreement.
Then, Zhao Jingwu said in a deep voice, "Brother Xu, according to the rules, these three hundred catties of refined thunder copper belong to you, and you need to pay five thousand spirit stones."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi looked troubled and was speechless for a moment.
Seeing that Chen Yi had not moved, Zhao Jingwu frowned slightly: "If Brother Xu is unable to do so, the ownership of this Lei Tong will have to be passed on to Brother Hong Jinhu."
"Wait a minute."
Chen Yi raised his hand to signal, and took out ten antique-style wristbands from his robes.
"Although I lack spirit stones, I have these items to make up for it. Each one is priced at five hundred spirit stones."
Before the words were even finished, a gasp suddenly erupted from the crowd: "Thunderbolt Bracelet, a top-grade, one-time-use magic artifact of the highest tier?"
The man's eyes widened, and his voice was deep and rough.
In an instant, the crowd gathered around, their eyes gleaming with eager anticipation.
"Second Master, I am willing to offer five hundred spirit stones to purchase this item!"
"I want one too!"
Count me in!
Chen Yi was secretly surprised, not expecting that the Thunderclap Bracelet had gained such a reputation in just a few months.
He wondered: Why had Hao Youren never mentioned this matter?
Zhao Jingwu's eyes lit up when he saw it, and he said:
"Brother Xu, you actually have such a good thing!"
You don't know, but we have a brother named Gong who bought this wristband once. He just came out of the secret realm yesterday, and this item actually helped him withstand a second-tier high-grade lightning strike. Although the wristband shattered on the spot and didn't completely block the lightning strike, it gave him a sliver of hope.
Moreover, after blocking that attack, the Gong brothers picked a second-grade high-quality rare fruit, worth 3000 spirit stones!
He made a fortune on this deal!
A collective gasp filled the arena.
Several strongmen unconsciously touched their scarred arms, their eyes flashing with lingering fear and longing.
"The reputation of this Thunder-Repelling Wristguard is now spreading like wildfire in our body cultivation circle."
Zhao Jingwu lowered his voice, "Unfortunately, the source of the goods is mysterious, and the brothers have no way to buy them."
"I never expected Brother Xu to have such connections!"
Oh, this piece of junk actually has such a market?
This is a good opportunity to... cough cough, to impress the whole family.
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi deliberately tossed the dozen or so wrist guards carelessly onto the table.
He stood with his hands behind his back, chin slightly raised, a disdainful expression on his face, and said:
"A few disposable gadgets, is that all the fuss about? Following the Qi siblings, we can easily get our hands on these kinds of things."
And the real treasure—
Chen Yi suddenly stopped speaking, looked around, and seeing everyone looking at him expectantly, he then said:
"It's the 'Magnetic Thunder Bead,' still under development! That's a treasure of the same kind, several times more powerful than the Thunder Bracelet!"
"There's an advanced version? Magnetic Thunder Beads? Magnetism and thunder can be mixed together?"
Some people were surprised.
"How come you don't know anything?"
Chen Yi's gaze, directed at the country bumpkin, made the surrounding physical cultivators feel as if they were farmers from the countryside.
In fact, Chen Yi had just made up the name for the Magnetic Thunder Bead in his mind, but on the surface, he still put on a very arrogant expression and said:
"Magnetic Thunder Beads accumulate energy by absorbing heavenly lightning, transforming the power of heavenly lightning into the power of geomagnetism. At critical moments, they can affect the operation of metal magical artifacts, especially the defense of flying swords, and can be upgraded by one grade!"
Furthermore, at crucial moments, one can choose to release the energy within, transforming it into thunderous power to unleash a devastating attack.
This item is a truly top-grade magical artifact, and even possesses a trace of the power of a magical treasure.
However, this item is still under the secret research of a certain important figure and has not yet been released to the public.
Xu only saw it by chance. He plans to get his hands on one or two more once it's released, so his brothers can see what it's like.
"Absorbing heavenly lightning, turning it into geomagnetism, affecting flying swords and metal magical artifacts, and even turning it back into heavenly lightning to bombard them."
"Does such a wondrous object still exist in the world?"
"hiss!"
Someone gasped, "Just judging from the efficacy of this magical artifact, it's already among the top-grade items."
If this treasure's power can absorb the power of a second-tier high-grade lightning and unleash lightning of the same level, it will definitely not be weaker than an ordinary prototype magic weapon.
"Second Master, who exactly is this master craftsman who created such a treasure?"
Someone asked tentatively.
Chen Yi glanced at the other party coldly and snorted: "That's Xu's secret. You're not qualified to ask about it."
"If you're so capable, go ask Qi Yunxi!"
The man was yelled at, took a half step back, and muttered, "So what if she's one of the Eight Great Prodigies? There are plenty of other prodigies in the world. I can even contact a certain imperial grandson. I'll find a way to ask him to ask her!"
You actually managed to ask that?
Chen Yi wondered if he had exaggerated. Oh well, whatever, Qi Yunxi would take the blame anyway.
She knew she wouldn't find Xu Jiu even if she tried, besides, many people in the secret realm knew that Xu Jiu had indeed worked as a hired strongman for her brother.
If a problem does occur, there is evidence to verify it.
You, Qi Yunxi, don't you like to understand the causes and effects of the past and like to clean up messes?
Then wipe it all you want.
The rest was simple: Chen Yi's grenade-repelling wristbands were bought by Zhao Jingwu, Hong Jinhu, and the rest of the group ranked fourth through eleventh.
With the five thousand spirit stones he obtained, Chen Yi also exchanged them for that piece of refined thunder copper.
The day after Chen Yi took the Lei Tong back home.
Hao Youren came to congratulate Chen Yi.
"Brother Chen! Great news! That batch of wristbands has sold out! Ten Thunderclap Wristbands sold for five thousand spirit stones in one go, and those cultivators didn't even haggle!"
As he spoke, he took out a bulging spirit stone bag from his storage pouch and poured out a small pile of crystal-clear mid-grade spirit stones, piling them on the table. The stones shimmered with spiritual light, making his face glow.
"As per our agreement, I will take 10%, which is 500 spirit stones."
Hao Youren grinned and pulled out a large bag of materials. "These are the raw materials for fifty sets of wrist guards. I've prepared them all. Brother Chen, just focus on making them; I'll take care of the sales!"
He was eager to get started, clearly having already planned out the next wave of lucrative business, and couldn't wait to order another batch of goods.
But Chen Yi remained calm despite such a pleasant surprise.
"This was expected, there's no need to be so surprised. Fellow Daoist Hao, the real test is yet to come."
"You may face some trouble or temptations later on."
Whether our business can last depends on your ability to withstand pressure in the future.
Chen Yi didn't spell it out clearly, but Hao Youren already understood what he meant.
Such a valuable item is bound to attract covetous eyes. What Hao Youren does next, and whether he can maintain his loyalty to Chen Yi, will determine his future path.
Hao Youren recalled the past ten years or so, during which he had been trying to befriend all kinds of cultivators and try every means to curry favor with the major Foundation Establishment experts, but all of them had failed.
Now that Brother Chen is willing to mentor him, this may be his last chance in this lifetime.
No matter how strong those geniuses outside are, they would never treat me like this, only Brother Chen!
Thinking of this,
Hao Youren nodded solemnly and said:
"Don't worry, Brother Chen!"
I know what to do. If anyone asks, I absolutely will not reveal that you did it!
Chen Yi nodded slightly and said no more.
If Hao Youren can withstand this hurdle, he will naturally be able to get a greater share of the benefits in the future;
If he can't withstand it, then these five hundred spirit stones will be the end of their karmic entanglement.
Deep within the secret realm, thunderclouds hung low, and the air was filled with a rich aura of thunder spirits.
In the center of a charred forest of lightning-struck trees, several figures stood in mid-air, facing each other.
Qi Yunxi, dressed in white, carried a three-foot-long sword on her back, her body surrounded by faint lightning, like a celestial maiden descending to earth.
Her cold gaze swept over the three people opposite her, her voice clear and icy:
"I discovered this place first, so according to the rules it should belong to me."
The three people opposite exchanged a smile upon hearing this.
The purple-robed youth at the head of the group toyed with the jade talisman in his hand and said slowly, "Qi Tianjiao, in the cultivation world, strength is paramount. Although you are strong, with the three of us joining forces, this lightning-struck wood is probably out of your reach today."
Before the words were even finished, the three of them attacked simultaneously!
A golden talisman exploded in mid-air, transforming into countless golden needles;
A crimson flying sword, carrying a scorching wave of air, aimed straight for the throat;
Dozens of icicles suddenly shot out from the ground—it was a premeditated coordinated attack!
Moreover, each strike reached the level of a full-force attack from the peak of the Foundation Establishment stage.
Even Qi Yunxi would find it difficult to fight three opponents at the same time.
"mean!"
Qi Yunxi's pupils contracted sharply, and the jade pendant at her waist instantly lit up with a bright blue light.
"Boom boom boom—"
Three full-force attacks from the peak Foundation Establishment stage struck the light barrier in succession, causing her to retreat more than ten feet, with a trace of blood spilling from the corner of her mouth.
The light shield flickered intermittently before finally shattering with a "crack".
The independent cultivators watching from afar gasped in astonishment:
"The three true disciples have joined forces to attack; this is an attempt to kill them!"
"Shh, there's supposedly a reason for it."
As the smoke and dust cleared, Qi Yunxi knelt on one knee, her white robes stained with dust. She wiped away the blood, her eyes flashing with even colder light: "I will remember your kindness today."
The purple-robed youth stood with his hands behind his back, and said sneer, "Qi Tianjiao, please go ahead. But let me remind you, in the cultivation world, strength is paramount, and the strong set the rules. You said those words yourself."
"We are stronger than you. So what if you found this place first? It will still belong to us!"
"Hmph! You just wait, you better not get separated and fall into my hands!"
Qi Yunxi's delicate body trembled slightly with anger.
She did say that, but all the karmic consequences of the conversation have been resolved; no loose ends were left.
How could they suddenly be targeted by three people working together?
When she looked up again, she saw the three of them already dividing up the lightning-struck wood, their faces full of smug smirks.
Qi Yunxi clenched her teeth, her delicate hands clenching until her knuckles turned white.
In the end, it transformed into a streak of light and left in anger, leaving behind only a sword mark more than a foot deep in the place where it had been.
On a distant mountaintop, she stood facing the wind, letting the gale tousle her black hair.
"Didn't I clean up that kid's mess? Why is someone still targeting me?"
This question baffled her.
A few days later,
At the exit of the secret realm, spiritual light flickered, and streaks of light flew out one after another.
These talented cultivators and physical strength practitioners, who were entering the secret realm for the first time, all wore joyful expressions and reaped a rich harvest.
Some carried near-third-tier [Lightning-Struck Wood], charred black with dense lightning patterns, others carried [Pulse-Cleansing Fruit], which was adorned with crystal-clear crystals, and still others carried [Lightning Copper Ore], which was larger than a millstone, with fine arcs of electricity flashing across its surface from time to time.
Even more enviable was a burly strongman carefully holding a jade bottle containing five drops of milky white spiritual liquid—the legendary third-tier treasure, [Earth Spirit Stone Milk]!
This item can independently increase the chance of forming a pill, and its effects can be stacked with those of pills, making it a truly rare treasure.
"One drop costs two thousand spirit stones, and a package of five drops will cost at least twelve thousand!"
Gasps of astonishment rippled through the crowd, and many cultivators' eyes flashed with greed, but none dared to make a move due to the fierce aura emanating from the strongman.
However, not everyone is so lucky.
The restrictions on a certain beast garden deep within the secret realm were broken by someone, and hundreds of ferocious monsters broke free of their cages and wreaked havoc in the secret realm.
Some of these demonic beasts spew flames, some have claws covered in frost, and some can even control lightning. The weakest of them are at least mid-level second rank.
They not only attack lone cultivators, but also compete with humans for the rare medicinal herbs found in secret realms.
In just a few days, more than ten cultivators have perished in the jaws of beasts, their bodies never to be found.
Of course, many demonic beasts were also killed by genius cultivators and became their spoils of war—their demon cores, fur, and bones were all valuable materials.
When summarizing the findings and exchanging information,
Everyone discovered that a seemingly insignificant one-time use magical artifact, the "Thunderbolt Bracers," unexpectedly became the biggest winner.
Most of the treasures within this ancient Thunder Soul Sect's secret realm are protected by both thunder arrays and divine sense arrays.
The divine sense array can be withstood by the strong willpower of a physical cultivator, but the power of the lightning array is terrifying—even a physical cultivator with perfected copper bones will be severely injured and on the verge of death if hit by a second-tier lightning spell.
However, almost every one of the twenty-odd cultivators who entered the secret realm carrying grenade-shaped bracers made astonishing gains.
Subsequent statistics revealed that although the wristband could only be used once, it was able to block a mid-grade second-tier lightning spell at a critical moment!
"Buy a wristband for 500 spirit stones, and you can easily block a lightning strike inside. You can earn at least an extra 1,000 spirit stones!"
"More than that! That body cultivator from the Shen family used it to withstand a lightning strike, directly obtaining a second-tier high-grade [Pulse Cleansing Fruit], which he then sold for three thousand spirit stones!"
"Even without gaining any extra benefits, saving my life is worth it!"
Rumors spread like wildfire, and the reputation of the grenade-throwing wrist guards quickly grew.
Those cultivators who had initially dismissed this were now filled with deep regret.
Meanwhile, the strongmen who had previously purchased the wristbands were surrounded by their respective masters or employers, who demanded that they acquire a few more—no matter the price!
(End of this chapter)