Chapter 80

In the depths of the dense forest, Zhao Yun stood still.

From here, he could clearly see Wulong Abyss. If the old man really ran out, he would be the first to notice. Even without explosive talismans, he would still charge forward, determined not to let him escape.

He took out the tools for drawing talismans.

With only one arm, it was quite inconvenient, but his speed in drawing talismans was extremely fast. Thanks to his talent and the gradual improvement of his mental power, he could do it effortlessly. If he still had both arms, he might even be able to draw two talismans simultaneously.

The forest was quiet, with no one to disturb him.

Zhao Yun was incredibly fast, continuously drawing explosive talismans. During this time, he also managed to create two speed talismans. His talent was still as outstanding, and he completed them in one go.

In the dark underground palace.

The one-armed old man was still there, his face pale and bloodstained, looking like a vengeful ghost.

"Worthless."

His angry curse was filled with resentment, directed at his unambitious disciple, who was probably already dead. Even if he died, it was fine, but he had brought Zhao Yun, a young martial cultivator with a profound foundation, forcing him to use his true essence and secret techniques, which only worsened his hidden injuries. Combined with the continuous explosions of the explosive talismans, he ended up in such a miserable state. His cultivation, which was at the eighth level of Xuan Yang, had dropped to the first level. Although he might be able to recover his realm, the hidden injuries would prevent him from ever reaching the Earth Concealment realm.

After stabilizing his mind, he closed his eyes.

The underground palace was cold and in disarray, with occasional pieces of rubble falling from above, all due to the explosions of the talismans. Fortunately, there were stone pillars supporting the structure, or it would have collapsed.

The sky gradually darkened.

In the dim underground palace, candles were lit, casting a sinister light on the old man's face.

Clang! Clang!

Suddenly, the sound of swords rang out.

Huh?

The one-armed old man frowned and slowly opened his eyes. The sword sounds came from Longyuan and Zixiao, which were stuck nearby. They were indeed fine swords, but he had no time to attend to them, and they had been left there.

As he watched, the two swords began to tremble and hum, showing signs of being about to fly out.

Sure enough, with a clang, the two swords moved, like two streaks of light, shooting directly at him. One aimed for his chest, the other for his head.

The old man's expression changed, disbelieving.

The swords could not attack on their own; someone must be controlling them, using sword control techniques. Since these were Zhao Yun's swords, the attacker was clearly Zhao Yun. But how was this possible? He was so badly injured, and had fallen all the way down, yet he was still alive.

In that moment, he thought too much.

In that moment, he also raised his hand, sweeping away Longyuan and Zixiao with a palm.

Clang! Clang!

The two swords flipped through the air, stopping in mid-air, and then flew to the entrance of the cave.

There, a figure had appeared.

It was Zhao Yun, the one-armed Zhao Yun, with the two swords hovering by his side. Indeed, he was the one controlling the swords, and he had explosive talismans ready, coming to settle the score with the old man.

"This... This is impossible."

The one-armed old man, seeing this, gasped, blood spurting from his mouth.

This was unexpected, too unexpected.

How did Zhao Yun survive, and how did his injuries heal so quickly in just one night? Could there be some kind of miracle at the bottom of the dark abyss?

"Debts must be repaid, and lives taken must be avenged."

Zhao Yun said coldly, his voice icy and desolate.

"By you?"

The old man gritted his teeth, raising his hand, true essence flowing from his palm, creating a terrifying suction force. At the same time, he spat out a black beam, intending to kill Zhao Yun.

However, due to his hidden injuries, his suction force was greatly reduced, and the black beam was also somewhat mottled.

This was still a forced effort, as his injuries had not healed, and using secret techniques and true essence only worsened his condition.

Whoosh!

Zhao Yun moved like a rainbow, avoiding the suction force. Having been tricked once, he was prepared this time. As long as he was fast enough, the suction force was ineffective, like an arrow that misses its target and cannot harm.

Clang! Clang!

The sword sounds were piercing, and Zhao Yun controlled Longyuan and Zixiao to slash down from the sky.

"Get lost."

The old man roared, waving his hand to knock the swords away.

"Don't be in a hurry, there's more."

Zhao Yun coldly snorted, and several flying knives followed, each attached to an explosive talisman.

Seeing this, the old man's expression changed drastically.

Since Zhao Yun's return, he had not left the stone platform, not because he couldn't, but because he didn't want to waste his strength.

But now, he had no choice but to move.

If he didn't, he would be blown up.

Unfortunately, he was still a bit slow, and the several explosive talismans had already detonated. Although they were still some distance away, the shockwaves were enough to cause him great pain.

This was just the appetizer.

Amid the rumbling, paper money began to fall from the sky.

To be precise, it was a sky full of explosive talismans.

This was the result of Zhao Yun's day of work. Almost all the explosive talismans were used, giving the old man no chance to catch his breath. If one wasn't enough, he used two; if two weren't enough, he used three. He didn't care about technique; he just used the explosive talismans to bombard the old man to death.

The old man's eyes bulged, his pupils contracting.

In the past, even with so many explosive talismans, he could still use his protective true essence to resist. But tonight, he seemed to lack the strength. His cultivation had dropped by seven levels, and he was covered in injuries, with his hidden injuries resurfacing. Even standing was a challenge, let alone withstanding so many explosive talismans.

Boom! Bang! Boom!

The explosions continued, one after another, sending him flying and causing his blood and bones to scatter.

"Even watching hurts."

Yue Shen sighed. Such a weak Xuan Yang realm cultivator could not withstand so many explosive talismans. The external force would cause internal injuries, and the backlash would be severe. Just this alone was enough to make him miserable.

The explosions subsided.

The old man was no longer human, his blood and bones exposed, swaying on the spot.

Clang!

Before the smoke cleared, Zhao Yun had already arrived, a sword of wind and thunder piercing through the old man's chest.

Pfft!

The blood was still vivid.

Ah!

The old man screamed, forcefully pushing Zhao Yun back, and then he staggered backward.

Zhao Yun, holding the bloodied Zixiao, advanced step by step, his eyes filled with killing intent.

"This sword is for my father."

"This sword is for my mother."

"This sword is for the Zhao family."

Zhao Yun seemed to be in a frenzy, shouting with each step and striking with each sword, severing the old man's arm and destroying his dantian, turning a Xuan Yang realm cultivator into a cripple. Blood splattered, staining his clothes, but it did not extinguish his raging anger. This demon had killed his mother.

Pfft!

The old man spat blood, finally falling to the ground, his tendons and bones broken, the sound of his bones cracking echoing. A stream of blood arched through the air, and when he hit the ground, his body twitched, blood gushing from his mouth, unable to muster the strength to rise again.

"Blood debt, blood repayment."

Zhao Yun stood still, his voice icy and bone-chilling.

Pfft!

The old man tried to speak, but blood continued to gush from his mouth. His eyes bulged, looking at Zhao Yun, unwilling to die. A Xuan Yang realm cultivator, falling to a True Spirit realm cultivator, it was truly a case of what goes around comes around.

Clang!

Zhao Yun raised his hand, beheading the old man, and then used a special method to freeze the head, planning to take it back and place it before his mother's memorial tablet to honor her spirit. As for the headless body, he used a corpse-dissolving powder to dispose of it completely.

After doing this, he sheathed his sword.

Zhao Yun then looked around, seeing the ground covered with treasures, including gold, silver, and jewels, and the old man's silver tickets, totaling several hundred thousand.

So, this trip was not in vain. Not only did he avenge his enemy, but he also gained a substantial fortune. Cultivation was resource-intensive, and this would last him a long time.

However, he searched for a long time and did not find the so-called rare treasure.

"The left rock wall," Yue Shen said lazily.

Hearing this, Zhao Yun rushed over. According to Yue Shen, this small underground palace had more to it. Upon reaching the rock wall, he looked around and then turned the stone lamp in the recess. With a hum, a stone door rose.

Inside, the air was misty, and after the mist cleared, he saw a three-meter-wide spring. In the center of the spring, there was a purple vine, and on the vine, a green fruit, emitting a rich and refreshing aroma, and radiating a powerful spiritual energy.

"This... This is a Purple Spirit Fruit?"

Zhao Yun murmured, his eyes shining with brilliant light. This was definitely a rare treasure, useful for refining elixirs and nurturing the spirit, often referred to as a divine fruit.

According to legend, this fruit had long been extinct.

Unexpectedly, in this desolate abyss, there was still one. No wonder there was such a commotion in Qingfeng City that day, and no wonder the higher-ups pressured the city lords. Losing such a treasure, they had every reason to be anxious.

To think that the one-armed old man, who managed to steal this fruit, was likely using it to heal his injuries. Unfortunately, he had only made it easier for Zhao Yun.

"Truly rich," Zhao Yun sighed.

The Purple Spirit Fruit was a rare treasure, and the spring where it grew was also valuable. It wasn't ordinary water but a spiritual liquid, more appropriately called a spiritual spring. Selling it would fetch at least several thousand taels. Now, it was being used as nourishment for the Purple Spirit Fruit, truly extravagant.

This showed how precious the Purple Spirit Fruit was, absorbing the essence of the spring until it was almost clear. It was a crystallization of spiritual energy!

"Wasting a divine treasure," Yue Shen said coolly.

"Is there more to it?" Zhao Yun asked, moving closer and taking a deep breath, the fragrant aroma filling his body.

"Since it's called a divine fruit, it can't grow in just any place. Left in this dark cave, it will wither and die eventually," Yue Shen said slowly. "Judging by its color, much of its essence has already been lost. In a few days, it will wither."

"Then we should transplant it elsewhere."

Zhao Yun said, intending to uproot it. If it couldn't grow here, he would find a place where it could. Such a rare treasure should not be wasted.

Yue Shen said nothing, just giving him a sidelong glance.

Zhao Yun understood the meaning and chuckled dryly.

Transplanting it? Better not.

The outside world was already searching for it frantically. Carrying it around would be a death sentence, and he would be known as a lone wolf.

"The essence is still being lost; eat it quickly," Yue Shen stretched lazily.

Without waiting for her to finish, Zhao Yun reached out, picked the Purple Spirit Fruit, examined it, and then took a bite.

The taste did not disappoint, incredibly sweet and fragrant, unlike any ordinary fruit. The spiritual energy entered his body, nourishing his limbs, organs, and meridians, especially his mind, which felt refreshed. His spirit, qi, and vitality had never been so clear, and the world seemed brighter.