Chapter 72

On the stage, Zhuang Wudao was slightly stunned. It wasn't because of the surprised attention from the crowd, but because the situation of Zang Quan, whom he had casually struck away, seemed a bit off.

Just now, his attack wasn't heavy. When he used the 'Stone-Crushing Hand,' he had already retracted seventy percent of his strength. With Zang Quan's Magic Ape Body, he would have at most a minor injury, not even a broken rib.

However, at this moment, this person was lying thirty yards away, his face as pale as gold paper, and he hadn't gotten up again. Listening carefully, his breathing was barely perceptible. He seemed to be dead, with no signs of life—

Just as he was stunned, Zhuang Wudao heard Yun'er's voice in his mind: "This person is quite interesting, placing his vital point right on his chest, which most opponents wouldn't expect."

Zhuang Wudao was speechless. In other words, had Zang Quan been killed by his one palm?

At this moment, the people in the academy also began to realize something was wrong. Wei Fang, with red eyes, burst into anger again: "You are being too overbearing!"

This time, it wasn't just a glare. His sleeves waved, and a silver light like a waterfall instantly appeared. Dozens of sword lights surged toward Zhuang Wudao, covering the sky.

The sudden change caught the arbitrator, who was sitting in the middle, off guard. Zhuang Wudao's face also changed. Wei Fang's cultivation was not ordinary, at least at the Eighth Level of Qi Practice. With hatred in his heart, his attack was even more formidable. The forty-nine silver swords flying toward him seemed to have a protective aura, spreading ten yards, leaving him no place to hide.

Zhuang Wudao instinctively wanted to activate the 'Bull Demon Dance' to defend with his powerful body. Just as he guided his mind to touch the spirit blood, a figure in blue suddenly appeared beside him. With just a wave of his sleeve, the fierce sword light in front of him disappeared instantly.

"In a martial competition, occasional accidents and deaths are inevitable. Why does Master Wei need to be so angry? Or do you, the Lueshan Sect, think that we Lichen are easy to bully?"

After saying this, the middle-aged man in blue beside Zong Wudao sneered, his eyes cold as he looked at Li Xiangnan, who was sitting in the hall.

"My name is Li Chongzhen. I have been ordered by my master to inspect Dongwu. I have already consulted with the real person of the Wu Jing Dao Hall. From today on, I will temporarily take over as the head of the Lichen Academy! The former head, Li Xiangnan, abused his power and engaged in corruption. He will be sent to Wu Jing for investigation."

Before the words were finished, Zong Wudao had already drawn a cold breath. Li Xiangnan was drenched in cold sweat, and Wei Fang, the head of the Lueshan Hall, also had his pupils constricted, remaining silent.

※※※※

At midnight, outside the Xuan Yuan Pavilion in the western part of the city, dozens of luxuriously decorated carriages were entering one after another. As soon as Zhuang Wudao entered with the crowd, his eyes shone with a strange light, and he looked around distractedly.

He had long heard of the fame of this treasure pavilion but had never had the chance to enter. The Xuan Yuan Pavilion was located in the western part of the city, a place where the wealthy and powerful lived. However, its exterior was nothing special, looking no different from ordinary buildings.

But inside the pavilion, it was resplendent with treasures. The floor was paved with gold bricks, the walls were made of jade, and the curtains were made of pearls. Hundreds or even thousands of precious treasures were neatly arranged, stunning and awe-inspiring, making people feel inferior.

"This is the first floor. The things here are just for show, not really valuable. With your current wealth, you could buy half of them."

Nan Tang Wan'er seemed to notice Zhuang Wudao's embarrassment and couldn't help but laugh lightly: "You are now a figure in Yuecheng. Don't be too embarrassed. If you are really surprised, wait until the second floor. That's where the essence of the Xuan Yuan Pavilion lies."

Zhuang Wudao didn't get angry. He carefully looked around and indeed found that this floor was mostly precious materials and medicinal herbs, with only a few First Heaven-restricted magical weapons.

Following Nan Tang Wan'er into the second floor, Zhuang Wudao's eyes lit up again. There were far fewer treasures here, only about a hundred. However, he saw three Fifth Heaven-restricted magical weapons and about ten treasure seals, which made him very excited.

However, the treasure exchange fair was not here but on the third and fourth floors of the Xuan Yuan Pavilion. When the two of them stepped onto the last step, they saw that the hall on the third floor was already filled with nearly a hundred people. They were all scattered cultivators in the city, with cultivation levels ranging from the First to the Eighth Level of Qi Practice, none of whom had reached the later stages of Qi Practice.

Zhuang Wudao's first glance was at the Tianzi Yi room on the fourth floor, where he saw the figure in blue standing by the window, hands behind his back, looking out.

The Tianzi Jia room in the Xuan Yuan Pavilion always belonged to the Zhen Nan General. The Tianzi Yi room, naturally, belonged to the first wealthy family in Yuecheng, the Nan Tang family.

However, with the arrival of the Lichen Sect's inspector today, the Nan Tang family, both in terms of sentiment and reason, had to give up the room.

Feeling Zhuang Wudao's gaze, Li Chongzhen smiled at him. Zhuang Wudao felt a bit guilty and instinctively wanted to avoid it.

Nan Tang Wan'er was puzzled: "What are you afraid of? Having a disciple like you, the Lichen Sect likes it the most. Although your talent is only Fifth Rank, with the mystic arts, even if you can't achieve enlightenment, you can still hold a position. From the look of this inspector, he values you highly—"

She then realized and chuckled: "Is it because of Li Xiangnan? You feel the same sorrow as a rabbit when a fox dies?"

Zhuang Wudao, whose thoughts were exposed, felt very awkward: "Nonsense, I and Li Xiangnan are like water and fire, how could I sympathize with him?"

In his heart, however, he was uneasy. When it came to using power for personal gain and corruption, he, Zhuang Wudao, was not much better.

As the head of the academy, Li Xiangnan had been manipulating things, buying inferior weapons and medicines, and embezzling a significant portion of the funds allocated for the academy's maintenance. The charges set by Li Chongzhen were not unjust.

However, as the top disciple, Zhuang Wudao wasn't much better. He had recently been selling old weapons, and in the past few years, he had colluded with Ma Yuan and Lin Han to extort money from other disciples, which had made him unpopular in the academy.

Therefore, seeing Li Xiangnan's miserable end today, he indeed felt a sense of shared sorrow.

"A few years ago, the real person of the Dao Hall sent Li Xiangnan to Yuecheng to make up for his past. As long as he didn't overstep, even if he was greedy, the Lichen Sect would turn a blind eye. This time, he went too far. He accepted bribes, making our Lichen Academy a stepping stone for the Lueshan Academy. He also acted against the rules, and his downfall was justified."

Nan Tang Wan'er explained with a teasing tone, her eyes full of amusement: "So you can rest assured. You are still within the tolerance of the Lichen Sect, so don't worry. Just be extremely careful in the future."

Zhuang Wudao nodded in agreement. In the past, he had no choice but to be greedy. Now that he had some wealth, he wouldn't risk it for a little money.

Nan Tang Wan'er's words also resolved a doubt he had. He had been wondering why, according to the rules of Dongwu, the academy should only have a competition every three months. The Lichen Academy had just fought with the Wangyue Academy two months ago. Li Xiangnan could have refused the challenge from the Lueshan Academy.

Calming down, Zhuang Wudao looked at the jade steps in front of him. There were already several dozen treasures placed there, all prepared for the auction by the Xuan Yuan Pavilion, displayed for everyone to see. Only the three most important items in the center were covered with brocade.

In addition, there were some empty tables. If the cultivators participating today had anything they wanted to sell, they could place it on these tables, and only needed to pay a fee to the Xuan Yuan Pavilion afterward.

Without hesitation, Zhuang Wudao took a pair of red leather boots from his waist bag and placed them on the table, causing a wave of exclamations from the cultivators in the hall.

These boots were the 'Flame Wind Boots' he had obtained from Zhuang Tong, which he also loved very much. Using these boots as a magical weapon, he could at least reach the Sixteenth Heaven-restricted level, making it a mid-grade magical weapon.

However, his current priority was to obtain the dragon rhinoceros crystal core. From the seven thousand taels of gold looted from the Zhuang family, he had received one-seventh, and his brothers Qin Feng, Ma Yuan, and Lin Han had also lent him their shares, totaling two thousand eight hundred taels of gold.

Selling the 'Flame Wind Boots' would likely be enough to buy the dragon rhinoceros crystal core. Although Nan Tang Wan'er had said he could withdraw up to four thousand taels of gold from the Nan Tang family, he really didn't want to owe them any more favors.

"It is said that the Northern City Zhuang family was exterminated by your Sword Robe Hall. It seems to be true."

The voice was unfamiliar, and Zhuang Wudao turned around in surprise to see a young man in black walking slowly toward him. He was wearing a high hat and fine clothes, with a somewhat familiar face.

After thinking for a long time, Zhuang Wudao remembered that this was one of the young masters of the Hundred Weapons Xia family, Xia Miao, whom Nan Tang Wan'er had introduced to him that afternoon.

"Zang Quan has cultivated the Magic Ape Body to the First Level. Among his peers, almost no one can match him except for a few. Yet, he was no match for Senior Brother Zhuang's one palm. Despite having the strength of five elephants, he couldn't hurt Senior Brother at all. Before today, I never thought there was someone like you in Yuecheng."

Xia Miao marveled and then advised: "However, if Senior Brother is willing to be a pawn for the Nan Tang family, the outcome after the competition may not be good. Even if you win, you may face a life-threatening situation. If you lose, it will be even worse. The Nan Tang family's style is the most ruthless. If you are willing to withdraw from this competition, I, Xia Miao, can mediate for you."

Zhuang Wudao frowned. Was Xia Miao trying to be a mediator for the Gu Yue family? If it were before the Dongchuan Alley, he might have been tempted. But now, he was deeply involved and had no intention of reconciling with the Gu Yue family. Without hesitation, he shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Brother Xia. The Nan Tang family has been very kind to me, and I have deep enmity with the Gu Yue family. I am truly sorry."