65: Chapter 65 Treasure Hunt

Just after the three left the cave.

"Tell me," the lead man turned to ask his two henchmen behind him, "is this Zhang Wen really as legendary as rumors say?"

"Heh, Boss, you're joking!" one henchman immediately fawned, "No matter how strong he is, could he possibly compare to you? Even among SSS-ranks, there are gaps!"

The lead man heard this, a smug smile curling the corner of his lips.

"If not for those old fogies at home stopping me from burning bridges with the other two SSS-ranks too early, I would have already shown him what I'm capable of."

He snorted coldly, his tone full of disdain, "Let those two enjoy their freedom a little longer."

Having said that, he took his two henchmen and walked in the opposite direction from Zhang Wen and his group.

...

"Achoo!"

Zhang Wen suddenly sneezed. Su Qingyue and Zhao Yu immediately looked over with concern: "What's wrong? Has the intensity been too high lately? Did you catch a cold?"

Zhang Wen rubbed his nose and joked, "It's nothing, nothing. I guess those two snake-crocodiles down below are still thinking about me."

"That said, isn't this Secret Realm too abnormal? We've been walking for so long and haven't even seen the shadow of a Vicious Beast." Zhang Wen muttered, frowning, his tone full of confusion.

"Exactly, exactly!" Zhao Yu, standing to the side, immediately agreed, complaining with a hint of grievance, "You both found good things, but me? I've been a bodyguard the whole time and haven't gained anything."

"Senior Brother Zhao, don't say that." Zhang Wen laughed and threw his arm around his shoulder, "That's priceless knowledge you have there! Think about it, where else would you have the chance to encounter a Formation of that level? Not only did you see it, but you broke it yourself. You made a killing this time!"

"Go on, go on, stop teasing me." Zhao Yu brushed his hand away and said seriously, "Formations are just a hobby; to Cultivate is my real ambition, otherwise I wouldn't have become a student under Mentor Lin Mo."

...

As soon as the three finished speaking, Zhao Yu's foot suddenly kicked a protruding bluestone. He bent down to touch it, his fingertips brushing against a piece of warm, jade-like material.

Pushing aside the rubble, he saw half a fist-sized crystal embedded in a rock crevice. The crystal body was as clear as ice, with a pale golden radiance flowing within. When touched, it had a heavy, mountain-like solidity.

"This is..." Zhao Yu's pupils shrank. The moment his fingertips touched the crystal, the spiritual energy in his body surged like it had found a living spring. His hand gripping the sword hilt tightened involuntarily, "This aura... it's just right for tempering my Unbreakable Bedrock!"

"Heh, consider yourselves lucky, but we three brothers will be taking this." Three dark figures flashed out from behind a tree. The leader shook his wrists, his knuckles cracking, "If you're smart, hand it over obediently to avoid a beating."

Su Qingyue instantly turned to stand in front of Zhao Yu, a thin curtain of water condensing in her palm. As her fingertips traced over it, fine ice patterns rippled across the water curtain: "Are you from the Black Wind Academy?"

Zhang Wen flexed his knuckles, silver-purple electric sparks darting between his fingers. The bluestone beneath his feet quietly cracked into fine lines: "It seems the Vicious Beasts in this Secret Realm aren't just in the water."

The three opponents spread out in a triangle Formation. The one on the left licked his lips: "You know who we are, yet you still dare to hide it?" Before the words died away, he suddenly charged out, his fist wrapped in a khaki halo, smashing toward Zhao Yu's face—it was a hard skill, also from the Body Refining system.

Zhao Yu didn't retreat but advanced, his long sword slashing diagonally. The spine of the sword precisely struck the opponent's fist.

With a crisp "clang," the man groaned and stumbled back three steps, clutching his reddened wrist with eyes full of shock: "Your sword..."

"Unbreakable Bedrock isn't for you to practice Iron Head Gong on." Zhao Yu raised an eyebrow, his sword humming as a khaki halo bloomed, the jade pendant on the sword tassel swaying with his movements, "Try this!"

He suddenly spun and swung his sword, the tip tracing a semicircle along the ground. A pale golden Qi wave spread out like ripples, forcing the other two to jump back instinctively.

"You're courting death!" The leader roared, slamming both palms onto the ground. Several stone spikes suddenly erupted from beside Su Qingyue's feet.

Su Qingyue tapped her toes lightly, her figure sliding away like flowing water for a zhang. In the path traced by her fingertips, those stone spikes were wrapped in a layer of thin ice and instantly shattered into powder: "Thousand Waters Without Trace isn't just for dodging."

She flicked her fingers, and three ice shards pierced through the air, precisely embedding themselves in the rock crevices by the opponent's feet.

Seeing this, the person on the right suddenly turned into a dark shadow and lunged at Zhang Wen, his ten fingernails glinting with a blue-black hue: "I'll deal with you first!"

Zhang Wen curled his lips into a cold smile and suddenly exerted force with his feet—"Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks!" The bluestone ground exploded with a roar. The moment he vaulted into the air using the momentum, his figure was already three zhang away. The purple lightning condensed at his fingertips suddenly burst forth: "Thousand Mechanisms of Purple Lightning Transformation!" Countless tiny electric snakes shot toward the shadow like a rainstorm, interweaving in mid-air into a semi-transparent electric net.

The shadow gave a strange laugh, black mist surging from his body to block it, but he was zapped by the electric net, sizzling loudly.

"Interesting." Just as he wanted to change moves, he saw Zhang Wen's figure suddenly leave an afterimage in place—"Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks!"

Silver-purple Lightning Radiance exploded behind the shadow. Zhang Wen's fist, crackling with electric current, slammed into the opponent's back.

"Pfft!" The shadow spat out a mouthful of black blood. The moment he staggered and turned around, he was seized by the throat by Zhang Wen, who continued the momentum. The Lightning Radiance in his palm surged violently: "Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist, First Form—Startling Thunder Arises!"

The moment his fist exploded against the opponent's chest, the silver-purple electric current surged along the shadow's Meridians. He groaned and collapsed to the ground, twitching uncontrollably.

"Third Brother!" The leader's eyes were splitting with rage. He suddenly turned to Zhao Yu, pressed his palms together, and slammed them down: "Mountain Crushing Stance!"

A violent wave of Qi surged like a tsunami. Zhao Yu held his sword horizontally in front of him, a khaki halo instantly covering his entire body: "Unbreakable · Guard!" The moment the Qi wave hit him, it was deflected several feet away, kicking up leaves everywhere.

"Our turn." Zhang Wen shook his numb fist and stood shoulder to shoulder with Zhao Yu. He looked up at the sky, his palm slowly lifting a rotating ball of Lightning Radiance.

Deep within the clouds, a muffled thunder rumbled. Countless bolts of Lightning Radiance fell like silver snakes, interweaving into a golden cage above the leader's head. The man's expression changed drastically, and just as he wanted to charge out, he saw Zhao Yu sheath his long sword and suddenly shout: "Trap!"

The pale golden halo spread along his footprints on the ground, instantly forming a square Formation about a zhang wide. As soon as the leader lifted his foot, he felt as if his legs were filled with molten lead, his movements instantly sluggish.

"It's over." Zhang Wen's voice carried the buzzing of electric current. The Lightning Radiance in his palm had condensed into a dazzling golden sphere: "Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist, Third Form—Ten Thousand Thunders Return to the Void!"

The golden sphere exploded as it left his hand. The violent electric current and the gravitational field in the Formation clashed, the leader let out a scream in the Lightning Radiance, his figure gradually swallowed by the purple-gold light.

The last person saw that the situation was bad and turned to flee, but his ankle was entangled by a water chain whipped out by Su Qingyue. When he fell to the ground with a "thud," the water chain instantly froze into ice shackles, locking him tightly to the bluestone.

Zhao Yu picked up the crystal and weighed it a couple of times, his sword-like eyebrows relaxing: "Looks like this bodyguard trip wasn't in vain."

Zhang Wen patted his shoulder, the electric light between his fingers gradually fading: "Let's go. Take your treasure; there's probably more excitement ahead."