The location was already very close to the imperial city, yet an assassination attempt occurred here. This truly caught Feng Ming Wanzhong off guard.
By the time he reacted, only he and the two Cave Heaven realm warriors remained unharmed in the entire team. The rest were either injured or dead.
The attacker struck extremely quickly and did not deliberately aim to kill, merely disabling their combat ability, which saved a great deal of time.
“Who are you, sir? Do you not know this is a Divine Phoenix Academy convoy? Rashly injuring our people will come at a cost!”
Feng Ming Wanzhong sensed the opponent’s powerful aura, so he did not attack immediately, only questioning angrily.
The black-clothed person said nothing and struck again, targeting the two Cave Heaven realm warriors.
Assassins never waste words.
Those who do cannot be assassins.
“Bastard!”
Seeing this, how could Feng Ming Wanzhong not rage?
“You two, guard the herbs. I will kill this fellow and then fetch reinforcements from the imperial city!”
This man was impulsive by nature and could not tolerate the assassin’s provocation.
With that, he lunged forward.
A smile appeared beneath the assassin’s mask.
Lure successful. He turned and leaped into the distance.
“Where do you flee!”
Feng Ming Wanzhong roared and chased.
“Hmph, anyone who provokes our vice-dean is doomed, no matter who!”
The two Cave Heaven realm warriors felt anger but also great relief.
Escorting herbs with Feng Ming Wanzhong spared them death. Otherwise, with that assassin’s strength, killing them would have been easy.
Yet before their relief faded, a figure swiftly approached.
Was it the black-clothed person returning?
No! It was him! The ghost mask!
Ling Xiao, wearing a ghost mask, arrived nearby, then lightly lifted it, smiling at the two.
“You have worked hard. I will take over these herbs!”
Ling Xiao’s storage ring space was not vast and could not hold so much, but his Mountain River World had no issue. In terms of space alone, it was infinite.
With a wave of his hand, the herbs surged into the Mountain River World.
“It is Qingxu Academy’s Ling Xiao!”
“This brat courts death. Kill him!”
The two Cave Heaven experts, seeing their guarded herbs about to be seized, thought of nothing else.
They attacked from left and right, unleashing their signature moves at Ling Xiao.
Yet facing their assaults, Ling Xiao seemed oblivious, calmly continuing to collect the herbs.
Mid-air, both suddenly felt a strong foreboding.
But they could not pinpoint why.
“Die!”
In the chaos, they did not stop, still combining to strike Ling Xiao.
“Damn you!”
Ling Xiao suddenly smiled.
Two rays of seven-coloured light pierced the two Cave Heaven warriors’ skulls.
To save effort, Ling Xiao acted as bait while Butterfly Girl ambushed. Twice the result with half the effort.
As the corpses fell, Ling Xiao flicked a Red Sun Cone, piercing each.
The bodies ignited swiftly, leaving only two storage rings on the ground moments later.
Inside were nothing but herbs.
Ling Xiao took them all.
These were cheaper herbs, valuable for quantity. For future Heaven-Reversing Spirit Pills, he need not search far.
“Next, Feng Ming Wanzhong!”
Watching the distant battle, Ling Xiao grinned fiercely.
…
Boom!
In Divine Phoenix Academy, a bloodied figure plummeted from the sky.
Drawing countless onlookers.
“Heavens, it is Vice-Dean Feng Ming Wanzhong!”
“How did this happen? How is he so gravely injured?”
Feng Ming Wanzhong was rushed to the treatment room, where healers began emergency care.
Awakened by pain, he grabbed nearby Sikong Zun and roared weakly, “Hateful! All herbs destroyed, I am severely wounded, nearly lost my life!”
“Do you know who did it?”
Sikong Zun asked, shocked.
A Cave Heaven warrior ambushed midway was one thing.
A Yin-Yang realm expert in such misery demanded surprise.
“Must be Qingxu Academy, those bastards!”
Feng Ming Wanzhong had no proof, only hysterical rage.
Sikong Zun sighed. He knew Qingxu Academy was behind it, even Master Sun Shang’s death.
But without evidence, all was fantasy.
Crucially, they lacked strength to crush Qingxu Academy.
“Brother Wanzhong, rest and recover. Leave the rest to me and the dean.”
Patting Feng Ming Wanzhong’s shoulder lightly, Sikong Zun left the room.
Healers said recovery would take at least a year.
The opponent was strong.
At least equal to Feng Ming Wanzhong.
After Sun Shang’s death, Feng Ming Wanzhong’s injury, and the herb robbery, Sikong Zun felt fear.
Who was so dominant?
Qingxu Academy’s external aid?
Unknown.
But Divine Phoenix Academy suffered a real blow.
Must they ally with the Righteous Alliance?
Sikong Zun sighed.
Pills were not their sole income, but losing the market cut their largest source.
Plus ten billion low-grade spirit stones in herbs lost.
A heavy strike for the academy.
Alone in the council hall, Sikong Zun regretted heeding Sun Shang’s pill war tactic.
Early success, now self-inflicted doom.
Too late for regrets.
To save the academy, seek the emperor and Righteous Alliance.
With that, he stood, flashed, and vanished.
Ling Xiao had returned to Qingxu Academy, using five material sets to refine four Heaven-Breaking Pills.
Success rate not perfect, yet very high.
He kept three.
Butterfly Girl needed none; her growth surged strength faster than his.
But he and his allies would use them.
The last went to the auction house to fulfil the deal.
