Chapter 239 - Foothold
“Just exactly how many Atman Body experts did he kill?”
Xi Qiao and Tu Shishan’s legs were shivering and their stomachs cramped as they watched Zhong Yue tread across the river. They could vaguely see a sea of blood gushing over to them, so thick and viscous that it was like a bloody paste. It filled the air with the stench of rusty metal and blood.
The taste of iron and blood – the smell of the battlefield!
Zhong Yue tread on the calm river water as if he was marching on a battlefield filled with warriors and and warhorses, exuding the air of slaughter that belonged to a merciless butcher.
Even the sun seemed to appear blood-red, shining on the non-existent warriors and warhorses!
Xi Qiao and Tu Shishan was supposed to be spurred into action when Zhong Yue was in the middle of the river. They were supposed to stop him while he was crossing the water. But they didn’t, the terror in their hearts froze their nerves and muscles from moving even a single inch.
Even Qing He’s senior martial brother, Wei Dong, did not attack, as he could perceive the fear that invaded Xi Qiao and Tu Shishan’s minds. They could not fight anymore. Hence, if he launched an attack right now, he would be the one who would face the Zhong Yue’s direct and unrestrained wrath.
Zhong Yue was now on the brink of advancing into the level of Atman Body; he would break through the barrier at any moment now. By then, it would be an arduous task to even keep themselves alive, let alone kill him!
And Wei Dong had not the slightest modicum of confidence in defeating Zhong Yue.
Zhong Yue stepped onto the riverbank, and strode past the three of them while they stood steadfast. They were straining every strand of their muscles and tendons, staring closely at the river, they did not turn around or look back.
If any of the four showed a single sign of launching an attack, the situation would erupt like a bowl of hot water poured into a wok of boiling oil — hurling the four of them into a blood-curdling battle!
Fortunately, the worst-case scenario didn’t happen, as Zhong Yue quietly walked away.
In this world that upholds the law of the jungle, talking a way out only works occasionally, while subduing the world under your fist is the only true and right way, Zhong Yue thought in his heart.
Without power, who would listen to your words? If he was weak and fragile, he would have been devoured by the monster experts like Xi Qiao!
A wolf need not seek the consent of the sheep it would eat, it would not ask the sheep to hand over their meat and blood, all because the wolf was stronger and faster than the sheep. Any effort the sheep exerts to escape its fate would ultimately be in vain; eventually, they would fall under the jaws of the wolf. The only way to escape their fate was to become stronger and faster than its hunter!
This was the fundamental law that drove the world, even if it was embellished with all sorts of beautiful concepts like morals and etiquette; in the end, it doesn’t change the fact that power rules above all.
If Zhong Yue decided to establish his forces in the East Barren, his name and reputation would have to instill fear and terror into his enemies. And how exactly would he achieve this?
Through the blood of his enemies!
All the times he was forced to helplessly escape from the pursuit of his hunters were solely due to the fact that the monster experts still took him as a weak and tiny child. Hence, they had attacked him, one after another, and all of them had died by his hands. And now, he had carved a path out of this helplessness, a path paved by the blood of his adversaries. Those who had once stood against him now shuddered in fear of him as he now invoked their awe and fear!
Right now, he did not engage in a battle with Wei Dong, Xi Qiao and Tu Shishan, deciding to let them live so that they can become the envoys of his name to the world. He let them keep their lives so that the whole monster race would have the same fear they had of him. All so that he could carve a foothold for himself in the hostile monster race!
After a few moments, Wei Dong heaved a breath of relief and crossed the river to the other side. Xi Qiao and Tu Shishan looked at one another before following behind him. They did not turn back and look, because Zhong Yue was already a long distance away, vanished from their vision.
Now, they were heading backwards along the same trail of blood that Zhong Yue left behind.
It was only a short distance before they saw the remains of Ying Tianji — the two hundred-foot tall body was slammed into the mountain rocks, his mortal body was slashed in half and so was his Yuan Shen. He had died in such a brutal way in an unknown wrecked forest.
“Ying Tianji, the third master of the Ying family of Shen Yi City. A figure like this coming to such an end such as this ....”
Wei Dong, Xi Qiao and Tu Shishan walked another hundred over miles to the east, the mountain ridge was riddled with holes created when the Jiao Dragons drilled through the mountain rocks. Clearly, this was another wrecked battlefield left behind when Zhong Yue battled with another monster Atman Body expert.
Then, they saw the dead body of a giant lioness, and Xi Qiao said in a husky voice, “Shi Qingyun, Lord of the Lion Mountain.”
Shi Qingyun was another Atman Body expert – young and powerful. She was a charming and beautiful mistress, and a strong and renowned cultivator around the Lion Mountain. She commanded the land for thousands of miles with over eight hundred lion cultivators beneath her — it was a strong and notable force in the East Barren.
Not long after, they saw another giant rhinoceros who had rammed into a mountain, breaking it away while it also died between the broken halves. He was the Lord of the Evil Rhino Ridge, with nearly a thousand rhinoceros cultivators under his command.
Then, they found a giant green python dead in the river, who appeared to be the Green Snake Valley Master, Qing Dongzhu of the Green Snake Valley. Following which, they saw another mountainous toad charred dead in a sea of fire, the toad was identified as the Lord of Poison Smoke Mountain.
The more casualties of Zhong Yue’s might they saw, they greater their fear of him grew. They had traveled for nearly three thousand miles, and they had already seen more than twenty dead Atman Body experts. The trails of battle that were left behind had crushed the mountains and cleaved the rivers!
The corpses of these over twenty Atman Body Qi Practitioners were the trophies of Zhong Yue’s feats of battle, except that they were trophies he didn’t deign to collect!
These Atman body experts were here to kill him, but ended up being killed by him. They could not even escape and had died a tragic death in an unknown part of the Wildernness!
Wei Dong’s face was solemn, he let out a deep breath of air and said gravely, “Let’s return back to the saint city.”
“En, back to the saint city.” Xi Qiao and Tu Shishan quickly nodded their heads and concurred
Terrifying, truly terrifying! The Qi Practitioners that came after Zhong Yue, only the three of them survived, while the others were all dead!
This incident could never be concealed from the world. After all, none of the Atman Body Qi Practitioners were small figures, they were at least the masters of some little forces, equivalent to the hall masters of Swords Gate!
If describing it as the death of twenty-some Atman Body experts was not too big a commotion, then what about the death of twenty-some hall masters?
The six cities, four keeps, and three islands were the greater forces in the East Barren. Other than these thirteen greater forces, the rest of East Barren was composed of lesser forces like the Ying family, Lion Mountain, Green Snake Valley and the like. Some of these lesser forces only had an Atman Body or even an Inner Core Qi Practitioner as their strongest cultivator, while the Heavenly Dharma Qi Practitioners all belonged to the greater forces.
And Zhong Yue had killed off the leaders, lords, and masters of twenty-plus lesser forces!
Such an achievement would be more than enough for the whole monster race, including the thirteen greater forces in the East Barren, to reevaluate Zhong Yue!
Before this, they were looking down on him, even ignoring his existence as he was only a tiny figure who they could easily crush. With the silent acquiescence of Shi Buyi and the instigation of a mysterious expert, Zhong Yue had been plunged into a long-standing pursuit.
But now, Zhong Yue’s prowess was strong enough to wipe off any one of the lesser forces other than the six cities, four keeps, and three islands, so which forces were daring enough to hunt for him now?
Even Wei Dong was contemplating in his heart if he should convince Shu Qianqiu to follow the rumors and really gift Qing He over to Zhong Yue.
After another six or seven days, Xi Qiao and the other two had returned back to Xian Kong Saint City, and they spread the word out to the whole city. Immediately, Zhong Yue’s battle achievements aroused a surge of commotion throughout the whole saint city.
Twenty-plus expert cultivators at the grade of the hall masters, all died and none of them survived; while the one who had killed them was the disciple Shi Buyi had taken in a year ago!
A disciple who had only been taken in for a year’s time and he had killed twenty-some hall master-graded cultivators. As long as one was not an idiot, he could clearly tell that Zhong Yue would have a bright future!
Falling afoul of such a young and promising Qi Practitioner was an unsettling issue. On the other hand, befriending such a talented youngster was definitely a far better proposition.
One of the main functions of Xian Kong Saint City was to act as an intelligence exchange and gathering center. Right when the words were spreading out, the spies of all of the forces, greater ones or lessers, had all activated their totem pillars and informed their superiors. And when Zhong Yue arrived at the Xian Kong Saint City, nearly all of the monster forces already knew about his achievements.
As soon as Zhong Yue returned back to his Storm Courtyard in the saint city, there were envoys from the greater forces visiting him.
“Envoy of the Yang City, Yang Sanshou, humbly invites the Storm Courtyard Master, Mister Long Yue to a feast!”
“Envoy of the Sulphur Island humbly requests to look for the master of Storm Courtyard!”
“Envoy of the Jinxiu Island requests for a meeting!”
“Envoy of the Shen Yi City requests to look for the Storm Courtyard Master, I’m here as an intermediary to resolve the enmity between the Storm Courtyard Master and the Ying family!”
Zhong Yue received the envoys one by one, and he was invited to have a feast by the various greater forces. In one day, he would join three feasts, and every time, he would be invited to even more feasts by other major forces. The expert cultivators would befriend him, drink together, and laugh together with him.
There were also some envoys from the greater forces who came forward with grand and valuable gifts in an effort to clear up the enmities between them. All of this continued for a few days. Zhong Yue met with all of the envoys from the different greater forces, then right at their heels were the lesser forces. They were humble and some were even outright obsequious, but Zhong Yue kept all of the gifts they gave him. Various kind of medicinal pellets, rare and uncommon materials filled the warehouse of the Storm Courtyard.
When Qing He, Long Chun’er, and the others arrived at Xian Kong Saint City, Wei Dong was just walking out from the Storm Courtyard. A warm, bright smile transformed his face as he said politely, “May the Storm Courtyard Master stay, I’m very grateful for the master to accompany me to the door. My teacher will be extremely happy being able to clear the misunderstandings between us.”
Seeing him, Qing He was surprised and overjoyed, she shouted excitedly, “Senior Martial Brother Wei Dong!”
Wei Dong turned and looked over. He was also surprised and overjoyed, he laughed and said, “Junior Martial Sister Qing He, congratulations to you.”
Qing He was puzzled, a thought suddenly dawned on her and she said excitedly, “Did teacher ask senior martial brother to come over? Our teacher….”
While Wei Dong smiled and interrupted, “Our teacher said, he is grateful and happy for you for being able to follow the Storm Courtyard Master. Our teacher has asked me to come over and tell the Storm Courtyard Master to treat you nicely and it would be best if you could be given a status.”
Qing He was stunned, she had plunged into a state of utter chaos.
Wei Dong took his leave while Zhong Yue sent him away and said, “Thank you, Senior Martial Brother Wei, for saying good words in front of your teacher. Rest assured, I will definitely treat Qing He nicely.”
Wei Dong smiled in reply, “My junior martial sister is rude at times, may the master be tolerant of it.”
While still lost in her stupefaction, Qing He murmured, “I’ve been sold? Did my dear teacher really sell me off?”
Wei Dong was smiling merrily, he thought, Yes, yes, you’ve been sold at a very good price … Exchanging a dragon son-in-law who has a bright future ahead for a junior martial sister, what a bargain! Our teacher is truly wise, just like how the saying goes, the older gingers are more spicy!
Long Chun’er and the other ladies were still shocked. They followed Zhong Yue into the courtyard and gazed at the treasures in the warehouse with their mouths agape.
“What did our master do? Why have the envoys sent him so many gifts?”
The ladies were puzzled, “Wasn’t our master like a mouse on the street, a target that all of the monsters were trying to kill? Why is he so… welcomed by them now? Since when did our master become so welcomed by the monsters?”
A knowing smile spread across Zhong Yue’s face as he said leisurely, “Your master has finally established a foothold of our own in the East Barren.”