Zhang Ruochen and Huang Yichen exerted their fastest speed, and a few moments later, they arrived at the location where Zixi had just stood.
However, they were a step late, Zixie had already disappeared, and within a hundred feet of the area, there was only a grey haze, and she could not be seen at all.
“Who the hell is it?”
Zhang Ruochen took out his Snow Dragon Sword, his gaze sharp as he stared at one of the directions.
His powerful spiritual power had already sensed the location of the other party.
In the distance, amidst the miasma mist, the sound of footsteps resounded.
A group of ragged martial artists walked out, among them were both old men in their seventies and middle-aged men with long beards;there were both male and female martial artists.
Their number, roughly seventy or so, although they were dressed in very ragged clothes and appeared to be in an extraordinary state of disarray, the eyes of each and every one of them were incomparably sharp, full of energy, and full of murderous aura, all of them were definitely first-rate martial arts powerhouses.
In the middle of the crowd, an old man with white hair stood next to Zixi, clasping Zixi’s shoulders tightly with his fingers.
The five fingers were like five iron nails, locking Zixi’s shoulders, stabbing out martial arts blood gouges and dripping out drops of blood.
Zi Xi clenched her lips and teeth as she stared at Zhang Ruochen, who was standing on the opposite side of the room, and shook her head at him, signalling Zhang Ruochen to run away.
Zhang Ruochen saw Zi Xi’s eyes, but he did not flee.
If he fled, what would Zixi do?
A young man wearing a white-robed martial robe and carrying twin swords walked out from that group of martial artists, arched his hand and bowed to Huang Yichen, saying, “Greetings, Senior Sister Huang, Senior Brother Zhang.”
Huang Yichen’s eyes sank cold as he stared at the young man standing opposite, saying, “Mo Qinglong, really didn’t expect that you turned out to be a sleeper in the black market, but you’ve hidden yourself well.”
The young man standing on the opposite side with dual swords on his back was none other than the seventh ranked student of the Western Academy, named Mo Qinglong.
During the Western Academy Quarterly Examination, Zhang Ruochen had seen Mo Qinglong fight against other cadets.
At that time, Zhang Ruochen could tell that Mo Qinglong had hidden his strength, and was definitely a strong young man with a deep hide.
He just didn’t expect that Mo Qinglong was also a lurker.
Mo Qinglong shook his head and said, “We are not from the black market, senior sister is mistaken!”
“Moon Worshipping Demon Cult.”
The prisoners held in the Red Sky Secret Mansion, other than the evil people of the Black Market, were the congregation of the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult. As for the other prisoners, they were basically scattered soldiers, not enough to be feared.
Huang Yichen’s eyes became grave as he stared at the seventy or so prisoners standing behind Mo Qinglong, it seemed that all of them were experts of the Moon Worshipping Demon Cult.
The Moon Worshipping Demon Cult was even more terrifying than the Black Market.
Zhang Ruochen said, ”We don’t have any grudges with the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect, if you guys want to leave, we definitely won’t stop you. However, why did you guys capture Senior Sister Zi?”
Mo Qinglong’s face stiffened as he said, “The seniors in the Divine Sect have been imprisoned in the Red Sky Secret Mansion for many years. They have neither blades nor battle armour, and their fleshly physique has dropped extremely much, so even if they charge out of the Red Sky Secret Mansion, they still won’t be able to escape, and they will definitely be suppressed by the powerhouses of the Martial City Academy. There is only one way for us to escape.”
Mo Qinglong’s gaze was fixed on Huang Yichen, saying, “If we want to escape the Heavenly Demon Ridge peacefully, we must have Senior Sister Huang’s help.”
Huang Yichen said, “I’m afraid I can’t help you guys.”
Mo Qinglong shook his head and said, “Senior Sister Huang is the County Head of the Thousand Water County Kingdom, as long as we use Senior Sister Huang as a hostage, those powerful people from the Martial City Academy will definitely give in. Senior Sister Huang, I wonder if you are willing to save Senior Sister Zi? As long as you promise to be our hostage and help us escape the Heavenly Demon Ridge, we can release her now.”
Huang Yichen stared towards Zi Xi and said, “It’s not like I know her very well, even if you guys kill her, what does it have to do with me?”
Mo Qinglong pondered for a moment, his eyes looking towards Zhang Ruochen, saying, “Senior Brother Zhang, with your relationship with Senior Sister Zi, are you going to watch her die in our hands?”
Zhang Ruochen’s eyes narrowed as he said, “How do you know that Senior Sister Zi and I have a good relationship?”
Zhang Ruochen and Zi Xie did have a good relationship, but very few people knew about it!
How could Mo Qinglong know?
“Zhang Ruochen is really powerful, this little crack was seen by him, no wonder the Little Saintess told me to be careful of him.” Mo Qinglong’s heart secretly said.
The reason why the prisoners of the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect had come to capture Huang Yichen was also a ploy by that one Little Saintess.
Before entering the Red Sky Secret Mansion, Mo Qinglong had received a secret letter from the Little Holy Maiden.
The Little Holy Maiden mentioned in the secret letter that if he wanted to save the Divine Cult prisoners from the Red Sky Secret Mansion, he had to capture Huang Yichen and use him as a hostage in order to escape from the pursuit of the mighty men of the Martial City Academy.
Mo Qinglong did not know the identity of the Little Holy Maiden, however, he was certain that the Little Holy Maiden was also lurking in the Martial City School Palace.
Mo Qinglong calmed himself and was not affected by Zhang Ruochen’s words as he continued, “Zhang Ruochen, if you persuade Senior Sister Huang to be our hostage, we can release Senior Sister Zi now. When we leave the Heavenly Demon Ridge, we will immediately release Senior Sister Huang and will never go back on our word.”
Zhang Ruochen shook his head and said, “I can’t persuade her.”
Mo Qinglong sighed and said, “The Moon Worshipping Divine Sect is different from the Black Market, since they have made a promise, they will definitely not go back on it, you should trust us. Besides, the Divine Sect has many experts, if they really start fighting, you and Senior Sister Huang may not be able to escape.”
“What’s the point of talking so much nonsense with them? Kill this chick now and then capture County Lord Smokey.”
That one white-haired old man who held Zixi’s shoulders had a violent look in his eyes as he raised his arm and slapped his palm down towards the top of Zixi’s head.
He struck extremely hard, as if he wanted to shatter Zixi’s head.
Zhang Ruochen’s face changed and he immediately released his Spatial Domain, covering a ninety metre radius.
Jade Pure True Qi surged out from Zhang Ruochen’s palm and merged into the spatial domain, forming a spatial solidification force that fixed the white-haired old man’s arm in mid-air and did not fall.
That one white-haired old man was only at the Xuanji Realm’s Great Perfection cultivation level, and was simply unable to break through the spatial domain’s suppression.
“Swish!”
Zhang Ruochen mobilised his true qi into the meridians of his legs, stepping on his footsteps and transforming into a residual shadow, as fast as the wind as he rushed in front of Zixi, wanting to take her away.
“Hehehe! Kid, wanting to snatch someone from our Moon Worshipping Sect, you’re still too young!”
A two-metre tall bald man leapt up and landed on Zhang Ruochen’s right side, mobilising the little remaining True Qi in his body and punching Zhang Ruochen’s waist.
The bald big man’s cultivation reached the middle stage of the Earth Extreme Realm, and was once a helmsman of the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect, cultivating a powerful technique called the Great Vajra Martial Codex as well.
Once he revolved his true qi, the surface of his skin was covered with a layer of golden light, and his flesh looked like it had turned into gold and copper.
Zhang Ruochen unlocked the confinement on Zixi with one hand, while the other hand was raised at a rapid pace and swung a sword at the bald man.
“Swish!”
Over ten metres of cold sword Qi flew out from the body of the sword like a white line flying past the bald big man’s chest.
There was a plopping sound.
The sharp sword qi broke open the bald big man’s chest, leaving a foot-long bloody gash, and even his ribs were chopped off several times.
The bald big man was thrown backward and flew out, falling to the ground, blood pouring from his chest, seriously injured.
“Strike together and take them all down.”
Han Sanfu stood in the midst of the many Devil Cult experts, his face calm, his gaze icy cold, and his body as mountainous as a mountain, exuding a powerful martial aura.
He was once a chief helmsman of the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect, with a cultivation level that reached the Earth Extremity Realm Grand Circle, and he had extremely high prestige among the Demon Sect’s congregation.
Every word that came out of Han Sanfu’s mouth was like a muffled thunder that exploded in Zhang Ruochen’s ears, shaking Zhang Ruochen to the point that he kept retreating, and the meridians and blood veins in his body felt as if they were about to break apart.
With Han Sanfu’s command, the twelve strongest members of the Moon Worshipping Demon Sect attacked Zhang Ruochen at the same time.
Zhang Ruochen took out the battle map that Luo Shuihan had given him and opened it up, his true qi pouring into the scroll in a steady stream.
The surface of the battle diagram emitted a blood-red glow.
“Wow!”
Dozens of huge leopard-headed blood bats flew out from the picture scroll, revealing their sharp bloody teeth and flapping their fleshy wings as they rushed towards those twelve Moon Worshipping Demon Sect’s experts
