Chapter 292 - 205: Great Harvest

Chapter 292: Chapter 205: Great Harvest

Slaughter Tower, 2nd Layer.

A group of six from the Cloud Mountain Sword Sect, led by Qin Zhenyang, was exploring the various rooms and murals.

The 2nd Layer was merely for those at the External Training level, whereas Qin Zhenyang could move about unimpeded even on the 3rd Layer.

With a top-tier expert of the Qi and Blood Third Transformation like Qin Zhenyang leading them, the expedition into the ruins became as casual as a stroll for his fellow disciples. Even other experts who encountered them would give a wide berth upon seeing Qin Zhenyang.

Qin Zhenyang had come to find Xie Yuan’s party in the first place. Now that he had, his mission was complete.

The Slaughter Tower was fraught with peril, but the greater danger came from the powerful experts exploring everywhere. With Roto’s whereabouts unknown, Qin Zhenyang didn’t feel comfortable leaving his juniors in one spot while he went off alone. If anything were to happen to them, it would be a regret he, as their senior brother, would carry for the rest of his life.

Thus, Qin Zhenyang chose to forgo treasure hunting on the 3rd Layer to act as an escort for Xie Yuan and the others. This senior brother had always prioritized his sect and his peers. He was meticulous, steady, and reliable; it was no wonder he was so deeply beloved.

But with Qin Zhenyang leading from the front and Huang Zifeng guarding the rear, the four Outer Sect disciples, who had originally come for a trial, were now getting the VIP treatment. Their expedition was bountiful, a welcome turn of events that kept the smiles from leaving their faces.

Of course, it was more accurate to say three of them, since Xie Yuan had no real interest in anything on the 2nd Layer.

"Senior Brother Qin, are there many powerful experts here this time?"

The exploration was quite relaxed, so Huang Zifeng no longer had to bear the burden of being the team leader. With his senior brother to rely on, he could finally let his guard down and curiously asked for news about the other experts.

Qin Zhenyang nodded and said seriously,

"Quite a few. There’s Miss Yuan Zhenying from the Yuan family of Gubei, and Master Huie Jue from Prajna Temple. Both are incredibly powerful."

"Huie Jue? You mean Master Zhiling’s disciple? The one who entered the Bodhi Institute at such a young age?"

Huang Zifeng looked astonished. The others nearby also perked up their ears, silently listening in on these tales from the martial world.

Qin Zhenyang nodded.

"The very same. Monk Huie Jue is truly worthy of being Master Zhiling’s disciple. No matter what we’ve faced on this journey—be it the traps in the ruins or Third Transformation experts from the Western Regions—he has remained utterly unperturbed. It seems nothing has forced him to reveal his true strength. He is the most powerful expert at the Qi and Blood Second Transformation Realm I have ever seen."

Everyone gasped in admiration, agreeing that he was indeed worthy of being the disciple of an expert on the Celestial Dragon List and a master from Prajna Temple’s Bodhi Institute.

Xie Yuan also recalled Huie Jue’s performance and nodded to himself. ’He’s truly worthy of being a disciple from the world’s foremost Buddhist temple,’ he thought, ’living up to the image of Prajna Temple I’ve had since my time at the Iron Garment Sect.’

"And what about the ones from the Western Regions?"

Seeing even Senior Brother Qin praise Huie Jue so highly, Huang Zifeng marveled for a moment before asking another question.

Qin Zhenyang’s expression grew a little more serious.

"This time, they have Roto, a disciple of the Ming King from the Great Vajra Temple, and Lu Tianyong, the son of Lu the Third. Both are experts at the Qi and Blood Third Transformation Realm."

The expressions of Huang Zifeng and the others turned grim. Even though they were in Great Li, they had heard of these two experts by name.

"There’s also Qiu Ming, the Black Wind Elder’s disciple. Although he’s only at the Second Transformation, he’s deeply cunning with superb methods. He’s not one to be trifled with."

While they hadn’t heard of Qiu Ming, the name of the Black Wind Elder was legendary. They had even seen him fight Lu Pei before entering the ruins—a battle so intense it seemed to shift the very heavens. They figured his disciple couldn’t be weak.

Huang Zifeng’s expression tightened slightly.

"I didn’t expect the Western Regions to send so many powerful experts this time. Senior Brother Qin, without you there, could our other experts have held them off?"

Qin Zhenyang shook his head.

"No need to worry. The conflict between the two sides has already come to an end, with a clear winner and loser. Now, boundaries have been drawn, and we are not interfering with one another. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been free to come look for you."

"Oh? So our Great Li side won? I assume it was you, Senior Brother Qin, who unleashed your divine might and put those villains in their place."

Huang Zifeng said with an admiring smile.

But Qin Zhenyang didn’t nod. Instead, he spoke slowly,

"We won, it’s true, but it wasn’t thanks to me..."

"Huh? Then was it Master Huie Jue? Or Miss Yuan? Are they that powerful?"

Huang Zifeng was extremely interested in the battle on the 3rd Layer, regretting only that his cultivation was too low to have been involved. Hearing that Qin Zhenyang wasn’t the one to claim the main credit, his curiosity flared, and he began pestering him with questions.

"Neither of them."

There was an odd tone in Qin Zhenyang’s voice.

"There was another expert this time, someone who single-handedly turned the entire situation on its head. Lu Tianyong is dead. Roto is heavily wounded and fled. Qiu Ming was forced to threaten a suicidal last stand just to save his own skin. In the end, they were only allotted a small area to explore, while we experts from Great Li made out like bandits."

"What? Lu Tianyong is dead? Of the two Third Transformation experts, one is dead and the other fled?"

Huang Zifeng’s eyes went wide. Lin Cheng and the others were also stunned. ’So that’s what he meant by a clear winner and loser!’

’Third Transformation experts aren’t that easy to kill. And one person managed to kill one and wound another?’

Huang Zifeng asked urgently,

"Who was it? Which expert could be that incredible?"

"He’s a wanted man from our very own Yunzhou. His name is Xie Yuan..."

"Xie Yuan?"

"Master Xie?"

They all exclaimed in unison, startling Qin Zhenyang, who asked in surprise,

"You know him?"

It took Huang Zifeng a moment to recover from his shock. He recounted his past entanglement with Xie Yuan in Yunzhao County, while Lin Cheng, with a strange look on his face, added that it was Xie Yuan who had helped him get into the Sect.

After listening to their stories, Qin Zhenyang realized that they shared a history with this Xie Yuan.

A complex look crossed his face, especially when he heard that just over half a year ago, Xie Yuan was still at the External Training level.

"External Training... to the Third Transformation... This Xie Yuan’s talent is truly astonishing. He’s a prodigy the likes of which is seen only once in a generation."

The others were all in a daze. For the steady and powerful Qin Zhenyang to use such words, it was a clear testament to how profoundly shaken he was.