164: Lost World

Xu Jingzhe agreed to Tang Ruyi's request, and the two set off together to find the Ritual Arts, one of the Six Decisions.

However, they did not leave immediately; both were severely injured and recuperated at Zhongyi Hall for two days.

During this period, Hall Master Yang Shuai approached Xu Jingzhe several times, wanting to recruit him into Zhongyi Hall to become a Deputy Hall Master.

He offered him his pick of beautiful women and unlimited resources, waiting only for Xu Jingzhe to grow stronger so the two of them could wipe out Yao Tian and his son together.

Eating meat in big bites and drinking wine from big bowls—wouldn't that be grand!

Xu Jingzhe wore a smile, neither agreeing nor refusing, merely stating that a friend was being hunted by the Adam Five and that he would discuss it after handling that matter.

Hall Master Yang Shuai hadn't even gotten excited yet, but Yang Tian was so worked up that he insisted on becoming sworn brothers with Xu Jingzhe, wanting the two of them to slay the Adam Five together and hang them at the entrance of the town, illuminated by neon lights.

This left Xu Jingzhe laughing and crying at the same time.

Inside a secret room at Zhongyi Hall.

Yang Tian asked, puzzled, "Dad, Tang Ruyi is clearly much stronger than Lu Fei and even possesses the legendary Ancient Battle Skill. Why not recruit her?"

Hall Master Yang Shuai looked at the smiling face that resembled his own from his youth by seven or eight parts, wishing he could slap him to death.

How could he be so brainless!

He took a deep breath, hands behind his back, his silver-white hair neatly combed, and said earnestly, "Tian'er, your strength goes without saying, but there is always someone better, and there is a sky beyond the sky."

"Inheritors of the Ancient Battle Skill, without exception, all come from top-tier major clans in the Chemical Zone. Do you think Tang Ruyi would look favorably upon our small Zhongyi Hall?"

"Besides, those in the Pollution Zone have never gotten along with people from the Chemical Zone. My not taking action against her is already the greatest 'courtesy'."

Hall Master Yang Shuai stood by the window, looking at the town he had built with his own hands, and sighed, "I've been fighting with old Yao for many years and have never been able to cross that threshold. This time, he actually sent a core disciple of the Ye family as a congratulatory gift; I'm afraid... he has ulterior motives."

Yang Tian wasn't exactly stupid; while he didn't know much about the outside world, he understood the Yao family father and son very well. He asked nervously, "Do you mean..."

"Yes, my old rival might really be about to take that step."

At this moment, Hall Master Yang Shuai seemed to age significantly; the light in his small eyes dimmed. Time truly makes one grow old.

The older one gets, the harder it is to break through to a higher realm. With the body aging and blood energy withering, how can one strive to become a thirty-year Contaminant?

"Dad... what do we do then?" Yang Tian's voice trembled, a shadow looming over his heart.

Below the level of a Contaminant, everyone is just cannon fodder, shattering at a single touch.

Just imagining it made his soul tremble.

"Two methods!" Hall Master Yang Shuai mumbled, as if speaking to Yang Tian, yet also as if talking to himself: "I reach the level of a thirty-year Contaminant before him and destroy him."

"Or else... obtain Tang Ruyi's Ancient Battle Skill!"

"With one foot already in the door of the Contaminant level, and with the aid of the Ancient Battle Skill, he won't be able to do anything to me."

"So you mean to... kill Tang Ruyi!" Yang Tian's heart skipped a beat, and his toes curled in tension.

She is a core disciple of a top-tier major clan; if they find out they were the ones who killed her, would her clan let them off easily?

"Therefore... I will neither recruit her nor intentionally befriend her; I will treat her with indifference."

"Once she is far away from Zhongyi Hall, we will go and slaughter her."

At this moment, two beams of sharp light shot from Hall Master Yang Shuai's small eyes, his aura reaching its peak, causing the entire building to shake a few times.

At night, at the entrance of the town, neon lights flickered, illuminating the darkness of the night.

"Brother Lu, I, old Yang, will be waiting for your return to join Zhongyi Hall," Hall Master Yang Shuai laughed.

Lu Fei cupped his hands and said, "Thank you, Hall Master Yang, for this 'generous gift.' I will certainly make the Ye family bleed for it."

"Hahaha... it's a small matter. If you want, even the position of Hall Master could be yours." Hall Master Yang Shuai began painting big pictures again.

"Thank you, Hall Master Yang. It's getting late, so I'll be leaving now."

"Wait." Hall Master Yang Shuai grabbed Xu Jingzhe and clapped his hands. A woman emerged from the back of the modified off-road vehicle, her fair thighs and swaying chest catching the eye.

"This blade, Zhan Chun, is for you. Only you can make it truly shine."

Seeing that Hall Master Yang Shuai's tone brooked no refusal, Xu Jingzhe thanked him again and took the Black Gold Long Saber.

"We're leaving," he waved.

Tang Ruyi, clutching her Tang saber, nodded at Hall Master Yang Shuai and Yang Tian, her expression impassive.

Ye Ran was still in chains, with silver needles still in his acupuncture points; he lowered his head and followed behind Xu Jingzhe without a word.

After the group had walked far away, Hall Master Yang Shuai put away his smile and said coldly, "Yan'er, you can track Tang Ruyi's whereabouts within a thousand miles using the scent you planted on her, right?"

The woman named Yan'er smiled sweetly and said in a delicate voice, "Hall Master~ rest assured. It's not just Tang Ruyi; I've also planted the scent on Lu Fei."

Watching the backs of the three as they departed, Hall Master Yang Shuai's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

Along the way, Tang Ruyi did not speak, simply walking with long strides.

Determining that no one was following them, Xu Jingzhe unlocked Ye Ran's chains and removed the silver needles, comforting him: "After handling the matters here, we will return to rescue Ye Zhu. Right now, Hall Master Yang Shuai is definitely on guard, and you are also injured; even if we rescued him, we might not be able to get out."

"However, rest assured, since Hall Master Yang Shuai wants to trade for supplies, Ye Zhu's life is safe for the time being."

Ye Ran nodded, knowing full well that Xu Jingzhe's words were correct.

A hasty rescue attempt would not only fail to save him, but both of them would be dragged down with him.

A thousand miles was nothing to the three of them, and they arrived after a day and a night.

This mountain range felt completely out of place compared to the surrounding ones; it was covered in heavy snow, wrapped in silver, and the temperature was extremely low.

Such harsh and abrupt environments are common in the Pollution Zone; in the same region, one side could be bright and sunny while the other was pouring rain. One side in spring, the other in summer—it was quite marvelous.

The biting wind blew, feeling like needles pricking his body, forcing Xu Jingzhe to use the energy within his body to ward off the cold.

He had been silently observing Tang Ruyi along the way and had not discovered anything unusual about her.

A wisp of golden blood spilled from the corner of his mouth again, and he wiped it away casually.

"Are you that badly injured?" Tang Ruyi asked.

"It's nothing, just an old ailment."

Snow began to fall, getting heavier and heavier; within half an hour, it had reached knee-depth.

Walking on it produced not a single sound, and the entire mountain range was deathly silent.

Tang Ruyi stopped in an open area, finding a few trees she had marked. Xu Jingzhe only saw a flash of silver light, and there was a clear ripple in the air.

"I call this place the Lost World; the clues to the Ritual Arts point here." Tang Ruyi glanced at Xu Jingzhe and stepped inside, her body melting away like snow meeting fire, disappearing instantly.

Xu Jingzhe raised his leg and took a big step forward. However, he was grabbed by Ye Ran from behind, who asked, "Could there be danger?"

"Since we're already here, we can't just not go in."

"Besides, if you want to obtain heaven-defying things, how can you do so without paying a price?"

Xu Jingzhe smiled at him, and his figure vanished in an instant as well.

Ye Ran had no choice but to follow him inside.