Chapter 97

(3)

Zheng Yanxin was not particularly upset.

It wasn't because the leader of the Divine Inspection Team had promised a reward and thus backed down. It happened by chance.

On the contrary, the multifaceted nature of the Divine Inspection Team leader made him feel a strong sense of estrangement.

The absolute powerhouse who displayed divine might was talking like a frivolous person. It was truly awkward.

"The leader has been deceiving us. It's a complete deception."

Yansuohua frowned and continued.

"I knew it. Always like this. The only ones who disgrace our team are Grandma E and the leader. You're bringing our prestige down in front of a new junior."

"No, it wasn't a lie."

The leader of the Divine Inspection Team shook his head.

"Shenyue, don't misunderstand. I was talking about our team's friendship. It's something worth boasting about..."

"There's no one more shameless. You seem to be in a comfortable state to recover from the injuries of a fierce battle."

Akesulin, standing with one leg bent, chuckled and said, with an attitude like a village bully. The girl, who looked to be around Zheng Yanxin's age, mocked the leader of the Divine Inspection Team. The boy thought she was also quite peculiar.

"The leader of our team keeps his promises. What do you think? Traveling with our team until we pass Yangyang?"

"I can't go all the way to the capital. I have another mission. Always like this... no time to rest."

Yansuohua quickly interjected.

"..."

Zheng Yanxin did not respond. He just stared at the leader of the Divine Inspection Team.

As their gazes met, the leader of the Divine Inspection Team, adjusting his purple attire, slightly turned his head, a stark contrast to his appearance when he was in battle.

At that moment,

It started subtly.

Zheng Yanxin suddenly felt a vibration under his feet. It was different from the aftermath of the shockwave.

It was a strange rumbling, as if coming from a great distance, slowly and faintly seeping into his soles.

"Ah...?"

Akesulin's face turned bewildered.

The sound coming from above was not ordinary. It was gradually getting louder.

In less than a breath, everyone present seemed to have a premonition.

At the same time, the crowd lined up along the ridge began to scatter, each shouting.

"Mountain god...! The mountain god is angry!"

"Is this divine punishment for the evil deeds of the Ruyi City?"

"Landslide! It's a landslide!"

The voices of those who lived off the Nangong family's rice bowl were mixed in, but no one paid attention.

"Should we leave first?"

Akesulin's dazed muttering began. Qi waves emanated from the bodies of Yansuohua, the leader of the Divine Inspection Team, and other experts of the Divine Inspection Team.

"This is all because the leader fought so loudly with the Nangong family head..."

"Move to the rear! Take care of Bai Qilin first!"

The landslide was real. Dust rose from several massive peaks on both sides of Qingyagou.

It was a very thick and large cloud of yellow dust. Soil and rocks began to slide down.

Rumble!

Zheng Yanxin also glanced at Nangong Huashen. The senior with a towering build was carrying him like a sack.

The end of the duel was brought about by nature. The intense battle between the leader of the Divine Inspection Team and the Nangong family head had caused this disaster.

'He created a disaster with his own body.'

Crack!

Zheng Yanxin ran alongside the senior who was carrying Nangong Huashen. The senior was a handsome middle-aged man.

He smiled at Zheng Yanxin and was startled when he saw Mayanji, who was keeping pace beside the boy.

"What are you doing! Did you exchange your inner strength with a snail?"

Akesulin, who was running ahead, shouted sharply at those behind.

She was running with a small back and a spear, looking the most relaxed among the Divine Inspection Team martial artists.

She kept turning her body while running, her face that of a girl. She looked after the experts like a mother to everyone.

The problem was the leader of the Divine Inspection Team, who was faintly smiling.

His movements were slow. Given his martial arts level, it was truly unbelievable, but he seemed to be struggling to keep up.

His previously impeccable qi waves were now tangled like threads.

Zheng Yanxin's eyes widened slightly.

'The leader's internal injuries are severe. The consumption of true qi... I can't even guess.'

He recalled the moment right after the Nangong family head died. Akesulin had casually told the leader of the Divine Inspection Team to regulate his breathing.

It was a place where countless martial artists were watching in broad daylight. How much weight did the top expert under the Ruyi City Lord carry?

Zheng Yanxin realized anew the position of Ruyi City.

There should be no showing of flaws to anyone.

Showing weakness in front of all the martial arts sects? The challenges Ruyi City would face from that moment on...

'I can't even imagine.'

The boy thought.

And he was completely convinced. The leader of the Divine Inspection Team was hiding his internal injuries with superhuman endurance, just as his martial arts level suggested.

He speculated about the hidden aspects of the overwhelming speed duel. Could it be that the leader of the Divine Inspection Team had engaged in a desperate all-out fight?

Each of the Eight Family Heads could act as an absolute ruler in the martial world.

Was there anyone who could remain unscathed after facing the Nangong family head? Apart from the transcendent Ruyi City Lord, no one else came to mind.

Even with his limited knowledge, he felt the same about the entire Central Plains. The leader of the Divine Inspection Team, who ended up with severe internal injuries, was an unrealistic existence.

"Leader, should I carry you?"

Yansuohua said lightly.

Zheng Yanxin wasn't the only one who noticed. The Divine Inspection Team was the most powerful group under Ruyi City. There were many with keen eyesight.

Even if their leader didn't show it, they couldn't fail to see the unnatural state of the purple expert.

Many were already subtly surrounding the leader of the Divine Inspection Team.

"Hmm. That would be too obvious."

The leader of the Divine Inspection Team didn't deny it.

"Stop talking. You're all making it harder."

He joked and urged them on. His thick thighs seemed to be moving by sheer physical strength.

Despite his scholarly appearance, his body was highly refined. However, it seemed that his true qi wasn't supporting him.

Crack!

Zheng Yanxin moved slightly forward.

Up close, it was clearly visible. Each step he took was very heavy. At this point, it was a matter of stamina.

Rumble!

"We should quickly find a place where we can't be seen."

Amidst the thunderous sound, Yansuohua muttered.

He seemed to be one of the youngest in the Divine Inspection Team, but his usual light-hearted demeanor was gone.

Akesulin was the same. She kept glancing at the leader of the Divine Inspection Team, flicking her falling hair nervously.

"Faster! We don't know how far it will extend!"

"They are from Ruyi City, right? How did they get here so quickly..."

Amidst this, many martial artists were fleeing through the ridges and ravines of Qingyagou.

All of them were skilled in lightness techniques. Their eyes, glancing at the Ruyi City experts, including the leader of the Divine Inspection Team, were not ordinary.

Nanzhili was entirely the domain of the Nangong family. How many people with direct ties and grudges had died today?

There would be countless people bound by both grudges and favors.

"If I could just guide the true qi once, it would improve a bit..."

Akesulin bit her lip. The Divine Inspection Team's reputation didn't match the slowness of their lightness technique. It was because they were matching the leader's speed after the intense battle.

"Only the leader himself can do it. No one can do it while running with lightness technique."

Yansuohua whispered and looked around.

Among the martial artists fleeing from nature's wrath, there were also experts.

It meant that some of the crowd had the leisure to look around. That's why it was dangerous.

The speed at which they kept the Divine Inspection Team in their sights would inevitably raise suspicions.

'Fortunately, they are far away. A normal voice wouldn't be heard by experts.'

It would be better in front of the common people. However, the head of the Divine Inspection Team of Ruyi City shouldn't appear weak to martial artists.

Rumble! Rumble!

Now, the inner sides of the ravine were collapsing. The wrath of nature, caused by martial arts, approached as an unstoppable disaster.

Zheng Yanxin observed the expressions of the Divine Inspection Team experts. The ease with which they had exchanged jokes even if the sky fell was fading.

It was a crisis. Given that this was an event that drew the attention of the entire martial world, there would be no shortage of those openly hostile to Ruyi City.

'The difference between assumption and certainty is vast.'

A few of the Eight Family Heads could easily kill the leader of the Divine Inspection Team? Anyone could say that.

There wouldn't be many who would deny it. The history of the martial world said so.

No matter how high one's martial arts level, there would always be adversaries.

However, actually showing a weak appearance was different. The timing and place were also special.

"Leader, breathe properly! We