Chapter 516 490: Secret Plot in the Prince's Mansion

The gray-robed old man froze when he saw the plump man, crushed to within an inch of his life by a small mountain of Essence Stones. The crowd of onlookers was equally stunned. They craned their necks, their eyes wide with disbelief.

After a long moment, a Half-Step True Dao Expert muttered, "Madness. Utter madness! I can't believe it. You can actually kill someone with Essence Stones. This world is insane!"

The Half-Step True Dao Expert's words triggered a wave of agreement.

"That's right! Killing someone with Essence Stones… This is the first time in my entire life I've ever seen such a thing!"

"Indeed. It's a real eye-opener!"

"Haha, so it turns out if you have enough Essence Stones, you really *can* just crush someone to death!"

The crowd chattered amongst themselves, their voices filled with waves of astonishment.

The gray-robed old man finally came to his senses. He examined the plump man's injuries and found that every bone and meridian in his body was shattered and his skull was fractured. Even if he were saved with a Spirit Elixir, he would be a cripple for life.

The gray-robed old man's expression turned grim. A palpable killing intent emanated from him as he stared at Zhaang Ye. "You have some nerve, attacking the son of the Majestic Emperor! I don't care what your background is; today, I will apprehend you and hand you over to the Majestic Emperor for judgment. If you know what's good for you, surrender peacefully!"

A glint flashed in Zhaang Ye's eyes as he said coldly, "Surrender peacefully? You think you're worthy?"

BOOM!

As Zhaang Ye spoke, an incomparably terrifying aura erupted from his body and pressed down on the gray-robed old man like a great mountain.

Zhaang Ye's aura descended so suddenly that the gray-robed old man's expression changed drastically. He could feel that this terrifying pressure wasn't just heavy as a mountain; it was also suffused with all manner of deadly, vicious techniques. Faced with such a terrifying aura, he couldn't even muster the thought of resisting. An icy chill spread through his body.

'What a terrifying expert! His Cultivation is definitely at the True Dao Third Layer—no, the True Dao Fourth Layer! When did such a fearsome master appear in the Daluo Kingdom?' The gray-robed old man's face turned deathly pale as he wailed inwardly. He desperately circulated his Cultivation Technique, struggling to resist Zhaang Ye's immense aura.

The aura Zhaang Ye emitted grew heavier and more terrifying. The gray-robed old man felt like a helpless child who had fallen into a Barbaric Beast's lair, utterly helpless and terrified. The overwhelming Suppression made it hard for him to breathe. In the span of just a few blinks, his robes were soaked through with sweat. A mouthful of blood welled up in his throat before he abruptly sprayed it out.

PUH!

Seeing the gray-robed old man spit blood, Zhaang Ye slowly withdrew his aura and said nonchalantly, "Consider that mouthful of blood a small lesson. Now, hurry up and process the bounty paperwork for me, then spread the word!"

The gray-robed old man now had a rough understanding of Zhaang Ye's strength. He knew that across the entire Daluo Kingdom, a terrifying expert like Zhaang Ye could only be matched by the two National Preceptors and a handful of Envoys. This was the kind of fearsome master that not even the Majestic Emperor would dare to offend.

Hearing Zhaang Ye's command, the gray-robed old man didn't dare to delay for even a moment. He first had someone carry the plump man away, then personally processed the bounty paperwork for Zhaang Ye. Once the paperwork was complete, he personally oversaw the dissemination of the news.

As the largest auction house in a ten-million-li radius, the Celestial Net Auction House had a tremendous reputation and its own dedicated information channels. Shortly after the bounty was processed, everyone in the entire establishment learned of it: a one-million-Low-grade-Essence-Stone bounty had been posted to find the toughest Treasure Armor with the absolute strongest Defense Power.

This explosive news spread like a plague, covering all of Daluo City in just half a day. From there, it continued to spread to other cities at an astonishing speed.

Zhaang Ye used his Spiritual Sense to monitor the commotion outside. When he saw that the news of the bounty for the Treasure Armor had spread throughout Daluo City, he couldn't help but nod in satisfaction.

He had come to the Celestial Net Auction House to post the bounty precisely because he valued its extensive network and information channels. Only the Celestial Net Auction House could spread the news so quickly, giving him the best chance to find the toughest Treasure Armor.

Not long after the bounty was posted, hundreds of people arrived, bringing all sorts of Treasure Armor to Zhaang Ye. He was secretly pleased at first, but after a short while, his brow began to furrow.

Although the Treasure Armor these people brought looked exquisite, their Defense Power fell far short of Zhaang Ye's requirements. He could pierce most of the items with a gentle poke of his finger. They were completely worthless to him.

After inspecting the offerings of several hundred people, Zhaang Ye grew annoyed. He retrieved an enormous Barbaric Beast bone from his Little World and placed it in front of him.

Upon seeing the bone, someone in the crowd exclaimed, "Huh? That's the skull of a Lower-Rank Barbaric Beast—a Purple Gold Steel Bone Beast! The skull of a Purple Gold Steel Bone Beast is much harder than Profound Iron and is an excellent material for refining True Artifacts. What on earth is he planning to do with it?"

"That's right!"

The crowd was completely baffled, staring blankly at the skull of the Purple Gold Steel Bone Beast, wondering what Zhaang Ye was up to.

Just then, Zhaang Ye raised his palm, forming a Hand Blade. With a single, light slash, he sliced the incomparably hard skull of the Purple Gold Steel Bone Beast in two.

HISS!

Seeing this, the crowd gasped in unison. Even the gray-robed old man's heart leaped in his chest at the display.

To slice the incomparably hard skull of a Purple Gold Steel Bone Beast in two with a single, light slash—this was a terrifying feat that not even a True Dao Second Layer expert could accomplish.

Zhaang Ye ignored the crowd's astonishment and said slowly, "I used twenty percent of my strength in that slash. Any Treasure Armor you bring must be able to withstand at least ninety percent of my strength. If it can't, then it's garbage, so don't even bother bringing it to me."

As Zhaang Ye's voice fell, the entire area fell silent. The skull of a Purple Gold Steel Bone Beast was incredibly hard, yet Zhaang Ye had sliced it open with ease using only twenty percent of his strength. If twenty percent was that terrifying, how formidable would ninety percent be? The mere thought made everyone's scalp tingle with fear.

After his declaration, the number of people coming forward with Treasure Armor decreased significantly, but the quality of what was presented improved dramatically. Some pieces could withstand fifty percent of Zhaang Ye's strength, tough enough that an ordinary True Artifact couldn't penetrate them. However, even this armor failed to meet Zhaang Ye's standards, and his one million Essence Stones remained unclaimed.

…

「Inside a magnificent palace in Daluo City.」

The Mighty King stared at his son lying on the floor, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. His expression was utterly ferocious. Everyone in the grand hall was scared into silence, not daring to even breathe too loudly.

"What an arrogant brat! To run amok in Daluo City, right under my nose! This damned junior… I will see him dead!"

A tremendous roar erupted from the Mighty King's throat, so powerful it made the very roof hum. Once again, everyone felt their scalps tingle with fear.

After roaring for a moment, the Mighty King suddenly bellowed, "Where is Elder Fang? When that fiend injured my son, why didn't he make a move?"

The hall fell silent again, with no one daring to speak. After a moment, one man gathered his courage, stepped forward, and said tremulously, "Elder Fang is at the auction house. He said… the assailant is a great expert at the True Dao Fourth Layer. In all of Daluo Kingdom, aside from a mere dozen people, there is no one who can afford to provoke him…"

"What? A True Dao Fourth Layer expert?"

Hearing this, everyone in the hall gasped, their faces filled with horror. The Mighty King's towering rage was instantly doused, as if by a bucket of cold water, and he rapidly calmed down.

The Mighty King took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "Is that truly what Elder Fang said?"

The man nodded firmly. "Those were his exact words. The assailant's strength is terrifying. He made Elder Fang cough up blood using nothing but his aura."

Silence fell over the palace once more. The people here were all of royal descent and had practiced the Martial Dao since childhood. They knew full well how terrifying a True Dao Expert was, and they knew even more deeply that a True Dao Fourth Layer expert was someone who could do as they pleased anywhere in the Daluo Kingdom. They absolutely could not afford to provoke such a fearsome individual.

"A True Dao Fourth Layer expert…" the Mighty King sighed, a bitter expression on his face.

Just then, someone quietly suggested, "Your Highness, although this assailant is powerful, there are still masters in Daluo City who are stronger than him. For example, the mentors of the Eldest Prince, the Second Prince, and the Third Prince all possess Cultivation at the True Dao Fourth Layer. If they were willing to act, they could certainly capture him."

A glint appeared in the Mighty King's eyes, his expression shifting slightly.

Seeing the Mighty King was tempted, the man continued, "Among all the princes, the Third Prince's faction is the most powerful; he has two masters at the True Dao Fourth Layer. The Third Prince has long wanted to bring you into his camp. If you were to ask for his help, he would surely have his masters take action."

The Mighty King's heart was stirred, but his face remained a sheet of ice. "Nonsense!" he said coldly. "If I do that, I'll owe the Third Prince a massive favor!"

The man chuckled. "Owing a favor isn't a problem. Right now, all the princes are frantically expanding their influence, and the major powers in Daluo City are all looking for a faction to align with. Our Martial Might Prince's Mansion will have to choose a side sooner or later. The Third Prince is an excellent choice. When we pledge our allegiance to him later, the favor will be considered repaid."

The Mighty King pondered for a moment before slowly nodding. "Very well. I will pay him a visit and have the Third Prince's masters capture this fiend. I need to vent this frustration!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian.com to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)