*[Ding! You have slain a fellow Spirit Realm walker of your camp—Swordsman. 60 reputation points deducted.]*
What sounded first was not cheers from below the stage, but the chime of the Spirit Realm prompt.
Killing this Level 5 Swordsman cost Zhang Yuanqing sixty reputation points, leaving him with a balance of only 150 points.
*With 150 reputation points, I can kill at most two or three more Saints, or seven or eight Transcendents. Hunting evil classes is an urgent priority...*
Zhang Yuanqing executed the Star Escape Technique, flashing beside the charred corpse. He bent over to pick up the crimson longsword, the black iron mask, and the green vine robe that was half burned away.
Looked at this way, it wasn't a loss.
Only after he stowed away the items did an uproar of chatter erupt beneath the arena. Pair after pair of astonished eyes turned toward the young Star Official on the platform.
A Level 5 Swordsman had been so effortlessly hunted down and killed—and the one who slew him was a Level 4 Star Official.
Even if Night Walker was a pinnacle class, those capable of fighting and slaying a Level 5 Swordsman at Level 4 were still a rare few. Anyone who could pull this off was undoubtedly a favored son of heaven.
"Could this guy be Zhao Chenghuang?"
"*Hiss*, if it's him, that would actually make sense. Maybe he'll take over the Ghost King of Fengdu's spot and become the anchor among the Taiyi Sect's Saint stage."
"Did you notice? Every move he made linked seamlessly into the next, his items countering the Swordsman one by one, like it had all been rehearsed beforehand."
"Yeah, having lots of items isn't what's terrifying. Using every single item at the exact right moment to counter the enemy—now that's truly terrifying."
Amid the noisy discussions, Zhao Feichen glared fixedly at the stage, his face ash-gray, veins bulging one after another on his forehead in extreme fury and indignation.
His hand clamped down fiercely on the slender arm of his female companion. The young girl broke out into a drenching sweat from the agony, her face pale, not daring to utter a sound even as she endured the pain of fracturing bone.
As a caged canary kept by the young master, she knew that if she didn't endure the pain right now, a severe beating would inevitably follow.
*Damn it, damn it, damn it...*
Zhao Feichen ground his teeth, his expression bordering on hideous.
This bodyguard was a trusted confidant groomed by his grandfather—in ancient times, he would have been a death-sworn warrior.
Cultivating a Level 5 Swordsman was no easy feat. Aside from personal talent, massive amounts of resources had to be invested. Now that he had fallen here, setting aside his grandfather's punishment for the moment, he probably wouldn't ever receive another personal bodyguard of the same rank in the future.
To suffer such a grievous loss without even snatching the furnace—how could Zhao Feichen not be consumed with hatred?
*Father should have received my message by now. At this moment, the outside of Wanbao House must be crawling with the Zhao family's people. Out of respect for Aunt's face, I can't cause trouble inside Wanbao House, but once he finishes forging the item and steps outside... heh.*
Taking a deep breath, Zhao Feichen released his companion's arm. With a chilling smile, he called out, "Brilliant, brilliant! Good moves, sir. The green mountains remain and the clear waters flow on—we'll see about this later."
With that, he pulled his pretty companion into his arm and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
He had taken just two steps when the Star Official's icy voice rang out behind him.
With a dark, grim expression, Zhao Feichen turned back and stared at the young man on the stage, visibly displeased. "What else do you want?!"
Under the watchful eyes of over a hundred onlookers, Zhang Yuanqing spoke slowly: "According to our wager, the firestones are mine, and both your legs are mine as well."
A low stir rippled through the crowd. This guy actually really wanted Zhao Feichen's legs?
Who among the local Spirit Realm walkers in the capital didn't know Zhao Feichen was the Zhao Family Head's most doted-on grandson? Forget two legs—if someone so much as touched two hairs on his head, the Family Head would have that person skinned and deboned alive.
Zhao Feichen narrowed his eyes. "Brother, that was just a joke. You already won the match, and the firestones are yours. What else are you unsatisfied with? When navigating the world, don't push things to absolute extremes."
Zhang Yuanqing laughed. "What a fine 'don't push things to absolute extremes.' Who was it earlier that said he had me dead to rights? Who said I had no choice? Who was the one pushing things to extremes? When you have the upper hand, you hound and press relentlessly without leaving anyone a way out, but the moment you suffer a loss, you advise others not to push things too far?
"So all the reason in the world belongs to your Zhao family? You're allowed to bully others, but nobody is allowed to bully you?"
*Isn't that obvious?* The corner of Zhao Feichen's eye twitched as he said with implicit menace, "Brother, let me remind you: if you dare touch a single hair on my head today, don't even dream of walking out of the capital alive. You're about to forge a top-tier item, yet you want to play mutually assured destruction with my Zhao family? Think for yourself—is it worth it?!"
In the crowd, someone spoke up: "Brother, how about letting it go? You can't beat the Zhao family. Just finish forging your item and get out of here."
"Exactly. Delay any longer and you might not even make it out of Wanbao House. There's no need."
The ones saying this were all local Orderly faction walkers.
Meanwhile, robed figures of evil classes standing at the fringes of the crowd chimed in sinisterly:
"Someone's already shitting on your head and you're still supposed to take it? If it were me, I'd drag the young master of the Zhao family down to die with me, no matter what."
"Damn right. This Zhao Feichen is notoriously arrogant and domineering, daring to beat up even official walkers. With someone like him, either don't offend him at all, or kill him outright."
The evil classes wished for nothing more than total chaos, yet hearing those words, the surrounding Orderly walkers fell silent.
Zhao Feichen was arrogant and flamboyant, relying on his family's mighty influence to run rampant in the capital without fear. Plenty of people had suffered at his hands, and those who hadn't had still heard the young tyrant's infamous reputation. If there was a chance to see Zhao Feichen's legs severed, wouldn't that be a thoroughly satisfying sight?
Zhang Yuanqing looked toward Lian Sanyue and projected his voice: "Proprietress, you are the witness to our wager. Let me ask you now: does it still hold?"
*If you dare shield your nephew, you are a Dominator and I will naturally swallow my pride for now, but once I advance to Dominator in the future, I will settle this score sooner or later.*
Everyone turned their heads in unison toward the perimeter.
Zhao Feichen called out loudly, "Aunt, this punk doesn't know what's good for him. Please step in and suppress him!"
Standing outside the ring with one arm folded across her chest and a cigar between her fingers, Lian Sanyue wore a chuckling, indifferent posture, completely detached: "The stakes are what they are!"
Zhao Feichen's face instantly plummeted.
Those were the exact words Zhang Yuanqing needed. His body turned into a dreamlike streak of starlight, vanishing from the arena and reappearing right before Zhao Feichen.
"You bastard, do you really have a death wish?!"
Forced into such a corner under the eyes of the crowd, the fury in Zhao Feichen's chest was already boiling over. From childhood until now, when had he ever suffered such humiliation? Official Deacons, powerful rogue cultivators, leaders of civilian organizations—as long as they operated in the capital, who wouldn't treat him with the utmost courtesy and avoid crossing him at all costs?
Yet this Star Official, like some hotheaded brat who refused to yield an inch just because reason was on his side, actually thought having reason meant one could walk unimpeded everywhere?
"You really want to lay hands on me?" Zhao Feichen was beside himself with rage. "Do you know what happens when you offend the Zhao family in the capital? Cut off my legs, and even if you're an official Deacon, you won't live to tell the tale, you reckless fool!"
As middle-tier officials, Deacons held great authority and had the Five Elements Alliance behind them. In theory, they possessed more clout than the direct descendants of Spirit Realm clans. In reality, however, the direct descendants of prominent clans were far more pampered and untouchable than most Deacons. Across the major branches nationwide, the number of Deacons who vanished without a trace each year wasn't vast, but it wasn't small either—and by no means had all of them fallen to evil classes.
Zhang Yuanqing swept a hand across his face. A dot of gold paint emerged between his brows and rapidly spread across his entire countenance, while black and red strokes outlined dignified, imposing features.
The moment he saw this face, an unspeakable dread and terror welled up in Zhao Feichen's heart, as if he were standing before an Old Ancestor of his clan.
Having donned the Golden Opera Mask, Zhang Yuanqing stared straight at Zhao Feichen. Two bursts of golden light flared in his eyes like beams.
He activated the skill attached to the golden mask—Mental Strike!
Zhao Feichen threw his head back with an "Ahhh!", letting out a shriek of agonizing torment.
Zhang Yuanqing kicked the arrogant rich boy to the ground and summoned the Scarlet Blade into his grasp.
Planting his foot firmly on Zhao Feichen's chest, he looked down at the handsome scion's pain-twisted face and said flatly, "A reckless fool?
"Have you ever considered that the family background you take such pride in is, in my eyes, not even worth mentioning?"
The moment the words fell, he raised the crimson blade and brought it slicing heavily downward.
Both of Zhao Feichen's thighs were severed cleanly at the base, blood erupting like geysers.
He abruptly let out a heart-wrenching shriek, his face turning deathly pale as sweat poured like rain, before his eyes rolled back and he passed out cold.
A Transcendent-stage Scholar's physical constitution was hardly any stronger than that of a mortal.
Zhang Yuanqing flicked the blade with a snap of his wrist, casting off an arc of flying blood. Without sparing Zhao Feichen another glance, he walked straight toward Lian Sanyue.
The young girl who was called a companion but was effectively a slave knelt beside Zhao Feichen, her eyes vacant and her face ashen as death.
Lian Sanyue tilted her head slightly, signaling the two burly men beside her with a glance.
The two burly men immediately parted the crowd; one lifted Zhao Feichen's body while the other picked up the two severed thighs, heading toward a room at the edge of the arena area.
Fresh blood trailed after them in a thin line.
Watching her men carry Zhao Feichen into the room, Lian Sanyue withdrew her gaze and looked toward Yuanshi Tianzun, who approached with sword in hand behind his Golden Opera Mask. She smiled. "Right now, you need a quiet room to clear the negative effects of your items."
Zhang Yuanqing leaned on the sword and said in a deep voice, "Much obliged!"
Lian Sanyue was right. He was now facing the penalties of the Military Spirit Opera Mask, the Curse Puppet, and the Kidney-Slicing Blade, and he also needed to calm the negative emotional backlash in Blood Rose's mental energy. Before the penalties of these items subsided, he wouldn't dare open the furnace to forge.
To give a simple example: the penalty of the Military Spirit Opera Mask was caprice and erratic mood swings. If, while opening the furnace to forge, he suddenly fell into deep despair, feeling that life was bitter and brief and he might as well depart this mortal coil, he might jump headfirst into the Hundred Refining Furnace and forge himself...
Or while forging away, he might be seized by manic euphoria, get carried away, and toss the Red Dancing Shoes, Yin-Yang Robe, Flawless Human Skin, and Little Red Riding Hood into the pot all at once...
In short, now was not a good time to start forging.
Swaying her hips, Lian Sanyue led the way, guiding him into the room adjacent to the Hundred Refining Furnace. Leaning against the doorframe with her cigar only half-smoked, she exhaled white smoke and said, "You severed Zhao Feichen's legs, and the Zhao family won't let this go. They won't dare cause trouble in my Wanbao House, so they'll most likely camp outside the entrance waiting for you. Better figure out how to call for reinforcements."
Zhang Yuanqing found this woman increasingly incomprehensible. "Are you really part of the Zhao family or not?"
Lian Sanyue burst into giggles, her chest trembling with amusement. "What do you think?"
With that, she turned and strolled away.
An hour later, having purged all negative item penalties, Zhang Yuanqing left the room and entered the chamber housing the Hundred Refining Furnace.
The tripod bronze furnace stood silently, rampant flames sculpted across its belly, its towering body imparting an indescribable sense of weight and antiquity.
This time, Lian Sanyue didn't follow him inside; she had merely handed over the ten firestones to Zhang Yuanqing.
She was perhaps treating Zhao Feichen's injuries, or perhaps outside fending off the Zhao family members who had come to demand accountability.
Zhang Yuanqing had paid her five hundred thousand to send a text message to Fu Qingyang with the content: *Yuanshi Tianzun is in trouble. Come quickly to Wanbao House in the capital.*
At this moment, before the Hundred Refining Furnace, Zhang Yuanqing laid out twelve items one by one: the Breeding Sapling, Hypnotic Cellphone, Kidney-Slicing Blade, Curse Puppet, Treasure-Hunting Cloak, Alienation Coat, and others.
Then, he produced the three spoils of war: the ragged vine robe, the ferocious fiend mask, and the crimson longsword.
Next, he took out the Lucky Necklace and wore it around his neck.
Looking at the Hundred Refining Furnace before him, a thought suddenly crossed Zhang Yuanqing's mind: *Lian Sanyue left me here all by myself—isn't she afraid I might steal it?*
With this thought, he stepped forward, pressed his palm against the bronze furnace, and opened his inventory...
*[Ding! This item cannot be stored in the inventory.]*
The Spirit Realm prompt rang in his ears.
*Sure enough, it doesn't work. No wonder Lian Sanyue is so unconcerned. To steal the Hundred Refining Furnace, one would have to carry it out on their shoulders, which is impossible...*
Zhang Yuanqing gave it no further thought. Following the previous procedure, he lifted the furnace lid, tossed in an item and a firestone, replaced the lid, pressed his palm against the belly, and silently meditated on the type of item he desired.
Breeding Sapling.
[Remark 2: 86%]
Blood Fiend Sword.
[Remark 2: 88%]
Kidney-Slicing Blade.
[Remark 2: 96%]
Curse Puppet.
[Remark 2: 99%]
Silver Fish Skin Coat.
[Remark 2: 100%]
Finally, after feeding in eight more items and consuming eight firestones, the energy inside the Hundred Refining Furnace was filled to the brim. The entire furnace shook violently, its three legs shifting slightly against the floor.
From the vents in the furnace lid, dense purple smoke jetted out with force, like steam bursting from a pressure cooker.
This process continued for over a dozen seconds before the Hundred Refining Furnace settled into stillness, the purple smoke from the vents curling wispily as it faded away.
Once purple smoke ceased venting from the lid, Zhang Yuanqing's heart surged with excitement. Unable to wait a moment longer, he leaped onto the furnace platform and lifted the lid.
Inside the furnace lay a purple-gold hammer. Its shape was identical to the legendary Drum-Beating Urn-Gold Hammer, but its total length was only half a meter, its purple-gold hammerhead resembling a miniature pumpkin.
The haft was forged from black iron, etched with blood-colored incantations, and atop the hammerhead sat a three-edged spike.
Zhang Yuanqing gripped the haft and tried to lift it, only to discover with a start that he couldn't budge it at all.
*With my physical strength, I can lift an entire car. This hammer is only fifty centimeters long—how can it be so heavy?!*
Having no other choice, he maintained his grip on the handle and inspected the item's details.
[Name: Drum-Beating Purple Thunder Hammer]
[Type: Weapon]
[Functions: Resonance, Armor Pierce, Bleed, Bound, Hundred Refined]
[Description: A hammer forged in the Hundred Refining Furnace by a red-eyed gambler blessed with luck, consuming 16 items. Resonance: When the vibration frequency aligns, it can destroy any defense in the world, items included. Armor Pierce: The three-edged spike at the tip possesses an armor-piercing effect and inflicts bleeding. Bound: Once bound to an owner, this item cannot be used by anyone else until the original master dies; this is a rule. Within a range of ten kilometers, the owner can summon it at will. Hundred Refined: The Hundred Refining Furnace has granted it an upgradeable property. If suitable materials are found, it can undergo a second smelting.]
[Remark 1: Storing it in your inventory binds it to you.]
[Remark 2: If you are a two-meter-tall burly giant, I might let you wield me for ten minutes. If not, I can only let you use me for five minutes.]
[Remark 3: After recognizing a master, its second and third forms can be viewed.]
Zhang Yuanqing swallowed hard. With an excitement bordering on trembling, he stored the fifty-centimeter hammer into his inventory.
The next second, the small hammer reappeared in his palm. It remained unfathomably heavy, yet in its master's hand, it felt light as a feather.
"Activate second form!" Zhang Yuanqing commanded under his breath.
In an instant, the half-meter hammer "melted," its liquid purple-gold solidifying into a handgun. The weapon resembled an elongated Desert Eagle, cast entirely in purple-gold.
Thirty centimeters in overall length, its barrel was thick and long, and its grip accommodated both of Zhang Yuanqing's hands.
This wasn't a handgun—this was a hand cannon!
An overbearing, domineering hand cannon.
Just looking at its intimidating exterior was enough to imagine the sheer firepower it packed.
[Name: Thunderstorm Cannon]
[Type: Handgun]
[Functions: Thunderstorm Shell, Bound, Hundred Refined]
[Description: A hand cannon forged in the Hundred Refining Furnace by a red-eyed gambler blessed with luck, consuming 16 items. Thunderstorm Shell: This item can fire ball lightning with an effective range of 30 meters. It gathers one Thunderstorm Shell every three days, up to a maximum of three shells. Bound: Once bound to an owner, this item cannot be used by anyone else until the original master dies; this is a rule. Within a range of ten kilometers, the owner can summon it at will. Hundred Refined: The Hundred Refining Furnace has granted it an upgradeable property. If suitable materials are found, it can undergo a second smelting.]
[Remark 1: Even Insight cannot make it shoot any straighter.]
[Remark 2: The pain of a lightning strike is beyond ordinary human endurance.]
[Remark 3: The greater the power, the greater the recoil. Mind your hand.]
"Activate third form," Zhang Yuanqing whispered, his breathing growing heavy.
The hand cannon immediately melted into liquid purple-gold, spreading out rapidly into a purple-gold buckler one meter tall and sixty centimeters wide.
[Name: Purple Thunder Shield]
[Type: Defensive Gear]
[Functions: Defense, Energy Charge, Reflection, Bound, Hundred Refined]
[Description: A shield forged in the Hundred Refining Furnace by a red-eyed gambler blessed with luck, consuming 16 items. Defense: Possesses outstanding defensive strength, but can only withstand physical attacks coming from the front. Energy Charge: Upon suffering physical attacks, the shield absorbs a portion of the energy. When the shield emits purple light, it signifies the charge is complete; activating this energy can block one physical or energy attack of any tier; this is a rule. Reflection: Deflects 10% of all physical attacks back at the attacker in the form of lightning, inflicting a paralyzing effect. Bound: Once bound to an owner, this item cannot be used by anyone else until the original master dies; this is a rule. Within a range of ten kilometers, the owner can summon it at will. Hundred Refined: The Hundred Refining Furnace has granted it an upgradeable property. If suitable materials are found, it can undergo a second smelting.]
[Remark: When endowed with formidable defense, one loses the desire to attack.]
Holding the shield, Zhang Yuanqing murmured, "I'm invincible! Fu Qingyang, the female Grand Marshal, the old crone, demigods—all of them are trash..."
Chapter 378