Invincible Starts From Dao Fruit
Chapter 137 - 108 Zhangg 11th grade! [Requesting monthly votes!]

Chapter 137: 108 Zhangg 11th grade! [Requesting monthly votes!]

"At present, Zhang Zhihe is the most suspicious,"

"Junior Brother Qii is staying in the Fann Kingdom with several junior brothers to further investigate the evidence. I returned on the flying eagle for two reasons: one, to report the investigation progress to Master, and two, to seek Master’s decision. If the murderer truly is ’Zhang Zhihe’, what should we do?"

Zhang Zhihe’s ability to surpass many cultivators in the Fann Kingdom and be revered as the State Preceptor is certainly not simple.

According to the intelligence gathered by Wun Shouyang and others in the Fann Kingdom, this State Preceptor’s cultivation has reached near-perfection, attaining a sublime state.

Since he appeared, he has not tasted defeat.

Once enmity is formed with such a person, a thunderous strike must be dealt, otherwise, there will be endless troubles.

Wun Shouyang and others dared not make a decision, so they returned specifically to solicit Chen Jichuan’s opinion.

"Continue the investigation."

"Once it is confirmed that Bian Cheng and the others were harmed by Zhang Zhihe, I will ensure he pays with his blood."

Chen Jichuan’s face was grim.

Calculating the days, the Wuk Yuan Immortal Master should be three hundred and four this year.

When he entered the Jade Spring World, the Wuk Yuan Immortal Master was two hundred and sixty-five years old. A Qi Refining Immortal Master’s lifespan is three hundred. The Wuk Yuan Immortal Master is also an Alchemist who practices the longevity-extending and health-nurtaining "Changchun Skill".

Living to three hundred is effortless.

But once past three hundred, the limit of lifespan approaches. If unable to break through the Qi Refinement, perhaps he might only live another twenty or thirty years before facing death, departing from the world.

Chen Jichuan reminisced about the scene of first meeting Wuk Yuan Immortal Master, feeling it was still fresh in his mind.

But in reality,

time flows like water, nearly forty years have passed.

The Wuk Yuan Immortal Master took him under his wing, so by any means, he should go to see him for the last journey.

Chen Jichuan had already planned that after this year’s Grand Competition in the sect, he would select elites from among the disciples of Echo Valley to accompany him to the Mysterious Nether Sea’s Jade Spring Island.

Among the ’Echo Valley Thirteen Grand Protectors’, ’Bian, Kang, Meng, and Huang’ were all on Chen Jichuan’s initial list.

All four had reached Transforming Strength, with the latter two at the Eighth Layer, while Bian Cheng and Kang Jiuhua had cultivated to the peak of Transforming Strength, reaching the Ninth Layer.

Decades later,

they should have been pillars under Chen Jichuan, possibly even breaking through Transforming Strength, paving the way for Chen Jichuan’s external skills.

Yet now they were unjustly harmed.

How could Chen Jichuan not harbor anger in his heart?

Moreover, these four had been practicing external skills with Chen Jichuan, and after years of camaraderie, there were personal sentiments involved.

"No matter who it is, daring to harm my disciple Chen Jichuan will pay the price!"

Chen Jichuan’s face was icy as he instructed Wun Shouyang, "First, present me with Zhang Zhihe’s intelligence, the more detailed, the better."

Regarding the harm to Bian Cheng and the others, Zhang Zhihe was also feeling irked.

Though he was from the inner strength lineage of Echo Valley, he had also followed Chen Jichuan in martial arts with Bian Cheng and others in his early years.

With their harm, he naturally did not feel well.

"The intelligence gathered on Zhang Zhihe so far is all documented."

Upon hearing Chen Jichuan’s words, he immediately took out a scroll from his arms, presenting it while saying, "If it truly is Zhang Zhihe, I will be the first not to spare him."

Chen Jichuan accepted the scroll without speaking.

He quietly browsed through it.

His eyebrows gradually furrowed.

...

Fann Kingdom.

Great Capital City.

National Master Mansion.

Zhang Zhihe, with white hair and a white beard, donned in a dark robe and wearing a golden crown, had the demeanor of an immortal.

But before him, eight bodies lay.

If Chen Jichuan, Wun Shouyang, and others were present, they would surely recognize that four among the eight were the ambassadors Bian, Kang, Meng, and Huang.

Now, each had their eyes tightly shut, faces pale, with life barely detectable.

It was hard to ascertain whether they were dead or alive.

Suddenly,

all eight stood up straight.

Now more visibly, Bian, Kang, Meng, and Huang seemed more agile. The other four, however, exuded a slight metallic sheen; their skin appeared as iron and hair as steel pins, yet their movements were somewhat stiff.

Four versus four.

They attacked simultaneously.

In an instant, fists and feet flew.

Bian, Kang, Meng, and Huang, with their martial arts ingrained in muscle memory, instinctively danced with iron palms and flicked fingers like playing a pipa. Striking the other four, they made thuds echo.

A chaotic battle ensued.

By battle’s end, Meng and Huang had been torn to pieces, while Bian and Kang broke through the iron corpses’ defenses, dislocating their joints, rendering them limp and unable to fight further.

"They actually broke my iron corpse."

"It seems the Echo Valley’s seventy-two external skills indeed have their unique points."

"If combined with the ’Elephant Armor Skill’, making one akin to wearing precious armor, impervious to blades, bullets, and elements, yet possessing the seventy-two techniques’ enemy-killing prowess, then my iron corpse’s power would certainly rise to another level. In the future, even facing Second or Third Layer Qi Refining cultivators, I may yet triumph!"

Zhang Zhihe’s eyes shone brightly.

One hand forming a seal, the other shaking a bell, the four remaining in the field went to a corner, retrieving black cloaks to cover themselves in black. Silent and still, standing, they exuded an eerie presence.

Zhang Zhihe was unmoved.

He walked ahead calmly, with the four following right behind. Soon, they exited the underground chamber.

Outside, an elder in embroidered clothes awaited, offering Zhang Zhihe a scroll with respect, saying, "The intelligence on Echo Valley at the Three Realms Pass has been fully investigated and is all in the book."

"Perfect timing."

Zhang Zhihe took the scroll, casually skimmed through it, a broad smile spreading. After finishing, he shut the scroll, instructing the elder, "Since they dare to come to the Fann Kingdom, then I shall welcome them. Go to the ’Demon Suppression Bureau’, command them to dispatch capable personnel, ensure all Echo Valley disciples are captured alive!"

"Yes, State Preceptor!"

The elder bowed in compliance and left.

Only Zhang Zhihe remained in the hall. He exited, gazing at the sky’s blazing sun, "Soon. When the iron corpses are complete, it will be time for me to strike back at the Mysterious Nether Sea!"

The sky, clear and bright, suddenly clouded, blocking out the sun.

Thunder reverberated!

A storm brewed.

...

Fann Kingdom Capital.

’Ministry of Industry, Water and Civil Servant Department Director’ Huang Jingren, with fellow colleagues, left the court after the morning session. At today’s grand assembly, civil and military officials had to attend to pay respects to the Emperor. Officials from various departments, bureaus, pavilions, and courts in the capital were all present.

As the Ministry of Industry’s Standard fifth-grade Director, ’Huang Jingren’ naturally had to attend."

Not just him.

Even Fann Kingdom’s court’s one man below, revered by all, the Great National Master, ’Zhang Zhihe’, made an appearance.

"The State Preceptor carries himself like an immortal, truly worthy of being our Fann Kingdom’s real cultivator!"

"Indeed. No wonder the Emperor holds him in such regard."

"Hmph! An immortal demeanor, I see nothing but a flattering demon path. Grabbing power and harming the court’s order..."

...

Among the officials, some seeing this State Preceptor for the first time, repeatedly discussed him. Some praised, some flattered, while others criticized heavily, hoping for fame through uprightness.

’Huang Jingren’ strode over without engaging and boarded his carriage straightforwardly.

On the way, the Ministry Director emerged from his carriage, unnoticed by both the porters and the pedestrians.

’Huang Jingren’ quickly walked out an alley and vanished.

...

In a corner of the Capital, within a civilian house.

Wun Shouyang, Zhong Dahai, and others gathered, anxiously waiting.

When the courtyard door sounded, everyone looked, seeing Chen Jichuan enter.

"Master!"

Wun Shouyang and others greeted eagerly, impatiently asking, "Master, did you see Zhang Zhihe?"

"Hmm."

Chen Jichuan didn’t drag it out, nodding directly.

He had used the Transformation Skill, assumed the guise of ’Huang Jingren’, the Ministry Director, and took advantage of the grand assembly in the court to catch a distant glimpse of Zhang Zhihe.

With Insight, nothing remained hidden.

Name: Zhang Zhihe (Xuanzhenzi)

Age: 202

Level: 11

Spirit Root: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, Earth

Cultivation Technique: "Corpse Control Technique", "Overlord Armor"

Magic: Corpse Control Technique, Heavenly Sound Skill, Control God Skill,...

...

"Corpse Control Technique."

"Bian Cheng and others, practicing external skills, have strong bodies. They were most likely targeted and captured by Zhang Zhihe for corpse refining!"

Chen Jichuan frowned slightly.

Beside him,

the leader of the Echo Valley Thirteen Grand Protectors, ’Zhong Dahai’, couldn’t help but ask, "Master, could you discern the demon path’s true nature? Were Brother Bian Cheng and others harmed by this person?"

"Almost certainly."

Chen Jichuan was sure.

Previously, at the Three Realms Pass Echo Valley, he had used the ’Circular Light Skill’ to investigate but perhaps due to the distance, found nothing of note. Upon reaching the Fann Kingdom Capital and investigating with the ’Circular Light Skill’ again, he finally discovered that Bian and Kang were still alive, while Meng and Huang had died just days prior.

The perpetrator remained undiscovered.

When considering Zhang Zhihe’s cultivation and methods, Chen Jichuan had determined the culprit to be this State Preceptor of Fann.

"Damn it!"

"I knew it was him!"

Zhong Dahai cursed angrily, "The Demon Suppression Bureau’s henchmen are recently on the move everywhere, hunting Echo Valley disciples. Several fellow disciples, careless in action, were exposed, captured, and imprisoned in the Bureau’s dungeon, their fate unknown."

This action was clearly a tacit admission.

Hearing this, Wun Shouyang declared, "The Capital is Zhang Zhihe’s stronghold. With his cultivation and power, confronting him won’t be easy. I am willing to go to the National Master Mansion, lure him out, and Master could lead fellow disciples outside the Great Capital City to surround and capture him, forcing him to reveal the whereabouts of the four junior brothers!"

Wun Shouyang, leader of the ’Twelve Swords’ of the Echo Valley, possessed not only formidable cultivation but exceptional swordsmanship and qinggong.

In the Three Realms Pass, he had encountered many opponents years ago.

In recent years, he had not found anyone challenging enough.

Thus, even knowing Zhang Zhihe’s prowess, he believed that even if defeated, he could still retreat unharmed.

"Luring the snake from its hole?"

Chen Jichuan shook his head.

He saw distinctly, Zhang Zhihe’s cultivation reached Level 11, per calculation, he is already a Qi Refining cultivator.

Though only Qi Refining First Layer, he did cultivate mana and practiced the "Corpse Control Technique", controlling an unknown number of refined corpses.

Recklessly barging in.

If a dozen top-tier refined corpses swarmed, even a Qi Refining Immortal Master would be overwhelmed.

Not to mention Wun Shouyang with merely Inner Strength Ninth Layer.

Besides,

even if successfully lured out and besieged,

Zhang Zhihe also practiced the "Overlord Armor".

This is a bodily cultivation that makes one impervious to blades and weapons, even blades that cut through iron like mud can’t harm it. It’s much superior to the "Elephant Armor Skill", benefiting even Qi Refining Immortal Masters in practice.

Relying on a ’mortal man’, they might not wound him at all.

To kill this person, extraordinary means are necessary.

Head-on confrontation is unlikely to succeed against Zhang Zhihe.

But Chen Jichuan excels in striking from the shadows!

"I have my own strategy, you all await patiently within the city!"

Chen Jichuan decisively settled it, preventing Wun Shouyang and others from acting rashly. Meanwhile, he quietly exited the Great Capital City to prepare on his own.

...