Chapter 165: Chapter 163: Disciple Pays Respects to Master

Luo Hao lay on the ground, his face pale. That single finger strike had left him severely injured, with most of the bones in his body shattered.

His face was a mask of horror and disbelief. "H-How could you be this strong?"

The scene from moments ago replayed in his mind.

Luo Hao couldn’t help but shudder. In his entire life, this was the first time he had ever felt so close to death.

His eyes, filled with terror and shock, fixed upon the robed young man.

The surrounding crowd erupted in gasps of astonishment. "Luo Hao was actually defeated?"

"That’s impossible, isn’t it? Luo Hao is at the True Martial Realm Eighth Stage! He’s a top-tier genius who almost made it onto the Spirit List. How could he have been defeated?"

"That young man... Could he be one of the experts on the Spirit List?"

Each cry of shock made Luo Hao’s face grow even paler.

’The Spirit List?’

’That was a place all of heaven’s favored children dreamed of. The goal for countless geniuses was to leave their name on the Spirit List and go down in history!’

’Even a genius ranked at the very bottom of the Spirit List would be courted and recruited by super-factions like the Royal Family and the Ten Great Aristocratic Families.’

’Could this young man before me truly be a Spirit List genius?’

Luo Hao struggled to prop himself up, gritting his teeth. "Who in the world are you?"

"What’s this? Asking for my name? Still planning on getting revenge?" Jiang Chen said mockingly.

Luo Hao said, "We’ll meet again. I, Luo Hao, swear I will have my revenge for what happened today!"

"Good. For that courage alone, I’ll tell you my name!" Jiang Chen smiled faintly, leaning forward slightly. "My name is Jiang Chen," he said lightly. "If you want revenge, I’ll be waiting."

"Jiang Chen?"

Luo Hao repeated the name, as if trying to sear those two words into his very soul. He stared intently at Jiang Chen and said, "Your strength is indeed terrifying. I, Luo Hao, am no match for you. I admit defeat today. However, you’ve offended my Luo Family, and this won’t be resolved so easily!"

"And?"

Jiang Chen asked calmly.

Luo Hao gritted his teeth. "Don’t get too cocky! I had someone notify my older cousin before I came. He’s an expert on the Spirit List! Once he arrives, you’re dead!"

"Then I’ll be waiting."

Jiang Chen nodded, his expression serene.

「A short while later...」

A Tier Two High-Level Demon Beast, a Purple Crowned Golden Eagle, tore through the sky. A formidable, burly figure leaped down from its back.

The newcomer was clad in crimson battle armor, with a Long Spear slung across his back.

Overbearing, mighty, and powerful!

The vital energy erupting from his body was as ferocious as a dragon or a tiger, tyrannical and immense. This was a master who had reached the True Martial Realm Ninth Stage, with a cultivation even higher than Luo Meng’s.

"Is that the Spirit List genius, ’Poison Dragon Spear’ Luo Cheng?"

"I can’t believe Luo Hao actually called Luo Cheng over. That kid is dead for sure this time!"

"He’s a true Spirit List genius! The Luo Family is incredibly powerful, yet only four of them—Luo Cheng, Luo Meng, Luo Rui, and Luo Qing—have managed to rank on the Spirit List! To think I’d get to see him in action with my own eyes... this trip to the Imperial Capital was totally worth it!"

The renown of a Spirit List genius sent the crowd into a frenzy of excited shouts, their eyes filled with fanaticism and awe.

Upon seeing the newcomer, Luo Hao’s face lit up with ecstatic joy. "Cousin Luo Cheng, I’m over here!"

"Luo Hao?"

Luo Cheng’s gaze swept over, and he frowned, a hint of Evil Qi glinting in his eyes. "Who did this to you?"

Luo Hao shot Jiang Chen a savage look. "It was this bastard!"

Luo Cheng’s icy gaze swept over and landed on Jiang Chen. A cold glint flickered in his eyes, his expression arrogant and aloof, like a high and mighty Monarch. "Kid, you dare injure a disciple of my Luo Family," he said lightly. "You’ve got a lot of nerve. So tell me, how would you like to die?"

"Er..."

Jiang Chen was momentarily speechless.

’Do all these Luo Family people love posturing so much?’

’He shows up and immediately asks me how I want to die.’

’He really thinks he’s got me cornered!’

A corner of Jiang Chen’s mouth lifted in a smirk. He shrugged. "There’s still so much of this wide, wonderful world I haven’t seen, so many fun things I haven’t tried. I don’t feel like dying just yet."

"Hmph. Arrogant indeed. In that case, I’ll choose a method of death for you..." Luo Cheng’s eyes turned cold, and a bloodthirsty sneer appeared on his face. He then spoke slowly, "A while ago, I acquired a poison from a friend at the Alchemist Guild called the Ten Thousand Snakes Heart Devouring Pill. They say this pill causes one to die in excruciating pain as their intestines rupture and rot. In a moment, you can be my test subject!"

"The Ten Thousand Snakes Heart Devouring Pill?"

Jiang Chen paused. This wasn’t the first time he’d heard of that pill.

’Back in Yulan Mansion, hadn’t that Xiong Yingjie tried to use the very same pill?’

The corner of Jiang Chen’s mouth lifted. "I’m afraid," he said with a smile, "you don’t have what it takes to make me swallow that pill."

"You’re a truly arrogant kid! I, Luo Cheng, am a genius ranked ninety-eighth on the Spirit List! I can capture you with one hand!" Luo Cheng snorted and suddenly attacked.

The Long Spear shot across the sky, a streak of black light tearing through the air.

The spear strike was ferocious, its afterimage a boundless shadow that crashed down like a tidal wave, threatening to overwhelm everything.

Jiang Chen snorted and met the attack with his palm. "Flood Dragon Soaring to Heaven!"

ROAR—

The shadow of his fist was like a Flood Dragon, the force of the blow like a true dragon, as he punched forward.

BOOM!

The fist’s shadow and the spear’s light annihilated each other simultaneously. The terrifying shockwave of energy sent Jiang Chen flying back a full hundred meters, while Luo Cheng merely took two steps back. The disparity in their power was instantly obvious!

Jiang Chen’s expression shifted slightly. ’Such incredible power. So this is a Spirit List genius? I wonder what the criteria for the Spirit List even are, and where someone like Luo Meng would rank on it.’

Luo Cheng raised an eyebrow, a bloodthirsty battle lust gleaming in his eyes. "Excellent, excellent! To be able to block one of my spear strikes, your strength is likely enough to place you in the top two hundred of the Spirit List. A pity you had to offend my Luo Family. Now, die!"

Black light pulsed from the spear as the battle was about to erupt once more.

However, just then, an old voice suddenly called out from the distance, "General Luo, stay your hand!"

"Hm?"

Luo Cheng froze.

Jiang Chen froze as well. He found the voice strangely familiar. Following the sound, he saw an old, white-haired man rushing over, looking travel-worn. His speed was incredible; he was also a master at the True Martial Realm Sixth Stage. But the most important detail was the robe he wore.

It was a green robe, with two golden threads on the cuffs and, more importantly, a golden hammer embroidered on the chest, atop which was a shining hexagram.

This signified the man’s identity: a Second Grade Low-level Refiner!

On the Qiankun Continent, the statuses of Artifact Refiners and Alchemy Masters were exceptionally noble. Even Martial Artists far stronger than them would not dare to offend an Artifact Refiner or an Alchemy Master lightly!

Luo Cheng’s eyes flickered. He recognized the man. This was the new Second-Grade Refiner from the Artifact Refiner Guild who had been making waves recently; his own family had been trying to recruit him. He immediately put away his Long Spear, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "So it is Master Kumu. I wonder why Master Kumu is obstructing this general?"

That’s right! The newcomer was Kumu!

Just moments ago, Jiang Chen had sent the Black Emperor to notify Kumu and Cui Zheng. He hadn’t expected Kumu to be the first to arrive.

"General Luo!"

Kumu simply offered a cupped-fist salute to Luo Cheng. "General Luo," he said, "could you, for this old man’s sake, let this matter go?"

"This..."

Luo Cheng hesitated, his eyes narrowing. "Master Kumu, this kid has injured two direct-line disciples of my Luo Family. I’m afraid that would be inappropriate!"

He didn’t even stop to consider the relationship between Kumu and Jiang Chen, directly rejecting Kumu’s request.

After all, while a Second-Grade Refiner was valuable, the Luo Family wasn’t so desperate that they couldn’t do without Kumu.

"General Luo, if my junior martial brother’s face isn’t enough, then what about adding mine?" Just then, another voice rang out.

The newcomer was Cui Zheng!

When Cui Zheng appeared, the entire area around the city gate erupted into an uproar.

"Isn’t—isn’t that the new Elder of the Alchemist Guild, the Second-grade Intermediate Alchemist, Master Cui Zheng?"

"Holy shit, who the hell is this kid? First he draws out Master Kumu, and now Master Cui Zheng is stepping in to plead for him?"

"Could he be a junior disciple of the two masters?"

The crowd speculated wildly.

Luo Cheng’s expression turned ugly. Kumu was just an ordinary Elder in the Artifact Refiner Guild; he could afford not to give him face. But Cui Zheng was different. He was a newly appointed Elder in the Alchemist Guild with real authority!

Even the Patriarch of his Luo Family would have to address Cui Zheng respectfully as Master Cui.

How could he dare to offend such a person?

Luo Cheng took a deep breath, his face grim. "So it is Master Cui. Since you have spoken, Master Cui, it would be unreasonable for me, Luo Cheng, to refuse. However... this matter concerns the reputation of my Luo Family. If I return just like this, it will be difficult for me to answer for it!"

Cui Zheng smiled. "That’s simple. When you return, General Luo, please inform the Luo Patriarch that I have agreed to refine the Seven Orifice Spirit-breaking Pill he asked this old man for!"

HISS!

Luo Cheng’s expression changed dramatically. He knew, of course, that the Luo Patriarch had asked Cui Zheng to refine that pill for him many times, only to be refused. If he could bring this news back, it would be a major accomplishment.

At this thought, Luo Cheng nodded to Cui Zheng. "In that case, I will take my leave!"

He grabbed Luo Hao and Luo Ben, tossed them onto the back of the Purple Crowned Golden Eagle, and slowly rose into the air. He looked down at Jiang Chen from his high vantage point, his gaze frigid. "Kid, count yourself lucky today! Since two masters have pleaded for you, this general will spare your life. But if you ever dare to appear before me again, this general will cut you down without mercy!"

Jiang Chen gave a cold smile. "I’ll be waiting."

"Hmph!"

Luo Cheng snorted coldly and urged the Purple Crowned Golden Eagle to soar away, breaking through the air.

Kumu and Cui Zheng hurried over to Jiang Chen. Seeing that they were about to bow, Jiang Chen shook his head to stop them. They immediately said, "Young Master Jiang, please come to my mansion to talk!"

"Mm."

Jiang Chen nodded and, together with Xiao Qingyi, Little White, and the Black Emperor, followed the two men to Cui Zheng’s residence.

As soon as they entered Cui Mansion, Cui Zheng dismissed all of his subordinates.

Under Xiao Qingyi’s utterly stunned gaze, the two highly respected masters knelt in unison before Jiang Chen. Their voices were humble and respectful, without a trace of pretense...

"Disciples pay their respects to Master!"