890: Chapter 891 First Level of Heavenly Transcendence?

When Qiuyu returned to the quiet room on the ninth floor after seeing the five off, Pavilion Master Murong Shuang was standing by the window, gazing thoughtfully in the direction they had gone.

"Young Miss, they have been seen off," Qiuyu reported softly.

Pavilion Master Murong Shuang nodded slightly, without turning around.

Qiuyu tactfully stepped aside, disturbing her no further.

Within the quiet room, only the faint, bustling sounds of the streets outside could be heard for a moment.

A moment later, a gray-robed figure with a steady, elderly aura quietly appeared.

He materialized soundlessly in a corner of the quiet room, bowing as he stood behind Pavilion Master Murong Shuang.

This person was the Treasure Pavilion's hidden head steward, Uncle Zhong. He possessed deep cultivation and had followed her for many years, being meticulous and reliable in his actions.

He rarely showed himself under normal circumstances, only taking the initiative to appear when truly important matters arose.

"Young Miss," Uncle Zhong said in a deep voice, his gaze shifting toward the window.

"Those youths may seem to have low cultivation, but they easily produced twenty-one supreme Heavenly Stones. Their background is far too mysterious."

"Such a massive amount of treasure is definitely not something ordinary Inner Sect Disciples could possess. They must harbor peerless opportunities and heavy treasures."

He paused slightly, his tone carrying a hint of testing: "Should I dispatch someone in secret to quietly investigate them?"

"If possible... perhaps they can be put to use for you, Young Miss."

Hearing this, Pavilion Master Murong Shuang's eyes turned slightly cold. She spoke indifferently, her tone carrying a heavy majesty:

"Uncle Zhong, I do not wish to hear such words a second time."

"Our Treasure Pavilion has stood in the Desolate Region for ten thousand years by relying on rules and doing business fairly, not by prying into our guests' opportunities and plotting against Cultivators' hidden trump cards."

"Today, he traded with sincerity, so I treat him with courtesy. This is our duty."

"Moreover, how do you know that someone who can produce so many supreme Heavenly Stones all at once would have a simple background?"

Hearing this, Uncle Zhong hurriedly bowed his head. "This subordinate was wrong."

The quiet room fell silent for a moment. Pavilion Master Murong Shuang lowered her gaze to the supreme Heavenly Stones on the jade table, a faint smile playing on her lips.

"An interesting little brother... he actually did me a huge favor."

A moment later, she raised her eyes toward the main peak of the Tianyuan Sect, the smile in her eyes gradually fading, replaced by a touch of deeper meaning.

"Since he is an Inner Sect Disciple of the Tianyuan Sect and is rooted within the Sect, there is plenty of time. We will surely meet again."

Hearing this, Uncle Zhong said no more and quietly withdrew.

Only Pavilion Master Murong Shuang remained in the quiet room, standing by the window with a distant gaze, lost in thought.

On the other side, Xiao Ruobai and the other four walked slowly along the main street of Huangyun Market, accompanied by countless faint, prying gazes along the way.

The honor of being personally escorted out by the Treasure Pavilion's maidservant had already been witnessed by everyone.

Ordinary Disciples receiving such immense favor would have long been unable to contain their wild joy and walked with rigid caution, yet these five remained calm and composed from start to finish, their expressions indifferent.

Xiao Ruobai spread his Divine Thought, clearly sensing the few gloomy auras tailing them from behind.

A trace of coldness flashed through his eyes. Instead of speeding up, he deliberately slowed his pace.

Just as they were about to walk out of the market's city gates, a cold laugh echoed from behind:

"Junior Brothers, why walk so fast? Why don't you stop and have a chat?"

Before the voice could fade, a figure in brocade robes strode out, completely blocking the path of the five.

It was none other than Zhao Kun.

Behind him, four attendants at the Third Layer of Heaven-Reaching followed closely, forming a surrounding formation.

This scene instantly caused the noise of the entire street to fall dead silent.

The passing Cultivators all stopped in their tracks, subconsciously retreating to make way. Everyone's expression was grave, and their hearts felt suffocated.

No one dared to gather around to watch, and no one dared to make a sound.

This was because Zhao Kun's name was far too terrifying throughout the entire Tianyuan Sect's Inner Sect and the entirety of Huangyun Market.

He was the biological younger brother of True Disciple Zhao Qian!

And the direct grandson of the Sect's Third Elder!

Backed by two layers of top-tier power, he had always run rampant in Huangyun Market, bullying his fellow Disciples and forcibly seizing spiritual materials as if it were a daily routine.

"A First Layer of Heaven-Reaching against a Fourth Layer of Heaven-Reaching, plus four Third Layer attendants surrounding them. The gap is like heaven and earth; they don't stand a single chance."

"The Zhao family's power is overwhelming. Even if they are crippled in public, they can only blame their own bad luck. No one will stand up for them..."

Low sighs rose and fell one after another; everyone had already accepted this outcome.

Zhao Kun took in everyone's awe and fear, his sense of superiority soaring as a mocking, patronizing sneer curled up the corner of his mouth.

He walked slowly up to Xiao Ruobai and the other four, lightly tapping his folding fan against his palm.

His gaze was extremely contemptuous, as if he were sizing up five overconfident ants trying to climb to high branches.

"I am very curious."

Zhao Kun's tone was arrogant, carrying unconcealed jealousy and malice:

"Just now in the Treasure Pavilion, you Junior Brothers seemed to have a very pleasant conversation with the Pavilion Master."

"This Zhao is extremely curious. I wonder what kind of transaction you Junior Brothers made with the Pavilion Master?"

Xiao Ruobai raised his eyes, his expression calm and rippleless as he spoke indifferently, "A private transaction. It has nothing to do with you."

"Nothing to do with me?"

Zhao Kun laughed mockingly as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. The pressure of his Fourth Layer of Heaven-Reaching cultivation suddenly exploded, ruthlessly pressing down on the five.

"In this Huangyun Market, and on this territory of the Tianyuan Sect, there is nothing my Zhao family wants to investigate that is 'unrelated'!"

"I think you are just newborn calves who do not fear tigers. Having obtained a small Opportunity, you no longer know the height of the heavens or the depth of the earth."

His eyes suddenly turned cold, brimming with killing intent. "I will give you two choices."

"First, hand over all the heavy treasures obtained from the transaction and kneel to apologize. I can spare your lives today."

"Second, I will have my four subordinates cripple your cultivation and escort you back to Xuanwu Peak to be punished."

"To let you know what rules are, and what background means!"

The four attendants instantly stepped forward, their Spiritual Qi surging. Their four-way surrounding formation immediately locked down all of the five's escape routes as they approached step by step with sneers.

The dense cultivation of the Third Layer of Heaven-Reaching stacked upon each other, pressing down so hard that the surrounding air trembled slightly.

The hearts of the onlookers clenched, and everyone shook their heads in pity.

The situation was set; the five were in a desperate situation.

Yet Xiao Ruobai, standing at the center of the storm, still held his posture straight. There was not a hint of panic in his eyes, only a sheet of indifferent coldness.

Seeing that the five still refused to yield and hand over the treasures, the hostility in Zhao Kun's eyes flared up completely, and he shouted harshly:

"Still trying to act tough in front of me? Cripple them!"

The attendants burst forward, their Spiritual Qi exploding and their fists whistling through the air as they aimed straight for the five's vital points!

The onlookers closed their eyes one after another, unable to bear to watch.

Right at this moment, Xiao Ruobai's voice rang out calmly, without a single ripple:

"Hanyu."

Before his voice could fade, a flash of sword light had already blossomed.

That sword light was incredibly fast, so fast that the air did not even have time to make a tearing sound.

The two attendants rushing at the very front only felt their vision blur before the weapons in their hands were instantly shattered by that white light.

Immediately after, a massive force surged from their chests. As if struck by a heavy sledgehammer, they flew backward.

They crashed heavily against the stone pillars by the roadside, coughing up mouthfuls of fresh blood. They slumped to the ground, unable to get back up.

Before the third attendant could react, the sword light swept back in a horizontal slash.

It sliced the long staff in his hand into three segments, and with undiminished momentum, the flat of the sword struck him below the ribs.

With several crisp cracking sounds, his ribs shattered. The man screamed as he flew sideways, knocking over a roadside stall.

Seeing that things were going awry, the last attendant forcefully slammed on the brakes, wanting to retreat.

But the sword light was faster than him.

Fang Hanyu's figure had appeared before him at some point, the tip of his sword lightly tapping against his chest.

Before the attendant could even react, a large amount of fresh blood gushed from his chest. His legs buckled, and he knelt on the ground, his face as pale as ash.

From the moment Xiao Ruobai spoke to the four attendants hitting the ground, barely two breaths had passed.

The entire street was dead silent.

Everyone widened their eyes, staring at the scene before them in disbelief.

Four attendants at the Third Layer of Heaven-Reaching had all been heavily injured in a single exchange.

The sneer on Zhao Kun's face froze completely.

He stared blankly at the four attendants lying in all directions on the ground, then looked up at Fang Hanyu. His lips trembled slightly, but he could not utter a single word.

The four Third Layer of Heaven-Reaching attendants he brought couldn't even withstand a single strike from the opponent?

Is this really the First Layer of Heaven-Reaching?