King of Creation
Chapter 243 - 240: Maple Forest Assassination

Chapter 243: Chapter 240: Maple Forest Assassination

"Isn’t Young Hero Zheng inquiring about the whereabouts of the Spirit Storage Pill that can help martial artists in the Late-stage Spirit Summoning Realm condense a Spiritual Power Seed?"

"There is a rumor from Stars Tower that the Fragrant Pill King of the Phantom Divine Empire has already collected the necessary Spiritual Medicine to concoct the Spirit Storage Pill and will choose a date to begin alchemy."

"Normally, one batch of Spirit Storage Pills yields about six or seven pills," most of which, even before the furnace is opened, have already been reserved.

Depending on the batch results, one to two Spirit Storage Pills will be auctioned off, roughly in two to three months."

As soon as Hai Luoshuang spoke, Ye Zhen gave a bitter smile.

This was another favor owed, and not a small one.

Although Ye Zhen had already planned to visit the Phantom Divine Empire, he hadn’t had such precise information before.

Now that Hai Luoshuang had provided him with accurate information about the Spirit Storage Pill, this was not just a small gift, but a large one indeed.

"Thank you...."

Ye Zhen spoke the word ’thanks’ somewhat awkwardly.

Ye Zhen guessed that if Hai Luoshuang were to ask him to join Stars Tower at this moment, even with his thick-skinned nature, Ye Zhen would find it hard to refuse.

Ye Zhen always repaid kindness and avenged wrongs.

Yet, Hai Luoshuang did not mention anything about joining Stars Tower this time.

"In that case, I wish Young Hero Zheng a smooth journey. It’s dark now, a suitable time to leave the city."

"Until we meet again..."

Although Ye Zhen wanted to express his thanks, he ultimately did not say it aloud; gratitude was hollow words, and he would definitely repay Hai Luoshuang’s kindness whenever the opportunity arose.

"Until we meet again!"

In the night, Ye Zhen strode forward, embarking on the road out of the city.

As Ye Zhen left, a waiter at the entrance of the inn within the Inner Gate hastily made his way to the back hall.

"Tower Master, why bestow such a grand favor on that young man for nothing? That information, even within our tower, is worth a thousand star points." As Ye Zhen departed, a sturdy middle-aged man who had been following Hai Luoshuang spoke up discontentedly.

"Moreover, Tower Master, if you had just invited him earlier, I reckon, nine times out of ten, this young man would not have refused your invitation."

"Old Wu, you’re right. Had I spoken up earlier to invite Zheng Yee, he really wouldn’t have been able to refuse. However, when attracting a genius like him into our tower, we seek his sincere participation, not coerced by a favor."

"Then why did you continue to grant him such significant favors?"

"Different people need different approaches. To get someone like Zheng Yee to willingly join Stars Tower, this is the way to go!"

Called Old Zhou, the middle-aged man scratched his head in confusion, "I don’t understand."

"It’s good you don’t understand. If you did, the position of the Tower Master of Stars Tower would be yours."

Hearing this, Old Zhou stared blankly, watching Hai Luoshuang depart but quickly catching up.

"Any results from the investigation on him?"

"News from Gu’an Kingdom has arrived; the Golden Rainbow Sect indeed has an individual named Zheng Yee, but he has vanished without a trace for years...."

"This..." Hai Luoshuang’s eyebrows tightly furrowed.

...

In the night, Ye Zhen stepped out of the gates of Three Elements City.

In cases where the martial artists are powerful, ordinary city curfews and restrictions are useless against them; thus, many cities simply do not prohibit martial artists from traveling at night.

Stepping out of the gate, draped in the moonlight, Ye Zhen walked unhurriedly along the shadows of the trees.

Being too close to Three Elements City, Ye Zhen did not dare to be too careless in riding the Cloud Winged Tiger for travel. Even if the Cloud Winged Tiger changed its appearance, it was still too conspicuous. If it attracted the attention of the elders of the Sword Origin Sect stationed in Three Elements City, Ye Zhen would be in trouble.

Besides, speeding through the sky at night was like making oneself a live target, so Ye Zhen simply chose to walk.

Outside Three Elements City lay a vast expanse of Maple Forest. Under the night sky, the dancing shadows of the trees suddenly inspired Ye Zhen to take a leisurely walk while enjoying the beauty of the Maple Forest.

In the low sky, several martial artists dressed in specialized night-clothes looked from a distance at Ye Zhen entering the Maple Forest, momentarily startled.

"Change of plan, cancel the low-altitude ambush, head to the Maple Forest ahead for a hidden attack!"

A deep voice sounded, and several martial artists in night-clothes immediately moved towards the Maple Forest ahead.

About a hundred li away from Three Elements City, on a small hill, the well-dressed young man Chen Tai was having a casual drink with a triangle-eyed elder, also known as the notorious Blood Fox Sword Yine Kainian.

"Master, just wait and see! The few I’ve sent for the ambush are all seasoned hands from the Great River Gang, skilled in ambushing and assassination, all adept in the Spirit Summoning Realm.

Not just for ambush and assassination, they’re even capable of overcoming them in a direct fight!"

Chen Tai, holding his wine cup, toasted his master. The night wind made Chen Tai frown slightly. This was one thing he disliked about his master; he never stayed overnight within Three Elements City, nor within a three-hundred-li radius of it.

Today was an exception due to matters concerning the Profound Yang Sword, prompting him to enter within three hundred li of Three Elements City.

When matters were unavoidable, they would only stay a few hours in the city, handling affairs before departing, forcing him also to endure dining outdoors.

"A direct fight?"

Blood Fox Sword Yine Kainian finished the wine in his cup and slowly shook his head, "With a Mid-grade Treasure Sword at hand, dealing with two or three martial artists of the same tier is not a problem."

"Being cautious is something I learned from you, isn’t it? That’s why I arranged for them to perform an ambush. Master, just wait for the good news!" Chen Tai beamed with confidence.

Within the Maple Forest, Ye Zhen walked leisurely, the rustling tree shadows and the chirping of the crickets adding a special flavor, especially since Ye Zhen could understand the language of those small animals. This serene Maple Forest seemed like a different world altogether.

Quack!

A common sounding green frog’s call echoed throughout the forest.

Ye Zhen’s ears twitched, his steps momentarily stalled at an imperceptible pace, then he continued moving forward as smoothly as flowing water.

Someone was ambushed in the forest, positioned there just 15 minutes ago.

It was the on-and-off scurrying of small creatures in the forest that relayed this information to Ye Zhen.

The sounds of various creatures were mixed and chaotic, but Ye Zhen, who was extremely adept at this, quickly sifted through the animal cries to piece together useful information.

Each sound from the animals provided Ye Zhen with the latest information.

Even the direction was figured out.

"Such timing, is this aimed at me?"

Ye Zhen’s expression suddenly turned grim.

The ambushers had descended from the sky into this locale just 15 minutes ago, which meant they had initially hidden in the air and, seeing that I hadn’t taken flight, switched to ground level.

"Had you ambushed me from the air, you really would have caught me off guard! But laying an ambush in the forest — this will be your nightmare!"

As he passed under the shadow of a large maple tree, Ye Zhen subtly shrugged his shoulders, and his form split into two, with one swiftly darting behind the large maple tree.

While Ye Zhen’s true body moved to one side of the tree, the other Ye Zhen continued moving forward at the same steady pace.

This was a spirit shadow created by Ye Zhen using the Spirit Light Shadow Transformation Secret Technique, which could possibly be detected during the day, but now, it was night.

"An enemy is hidden in a tree 400 meters away!"

A cold smile appeared on Ye Zhen’s lips as he continued forward, fully activating the Hidden Truth Technique learned from Luluo and the Sect’s Breath Concealment Technique, his figure slightly lifting from the ground, drifting forward like an illusion under the cover of night.

Four hundred meters away, a middle-aged martial artist dressed in black night clothes used his peripheral vision to keep an eye on a target approaching his position.

His hand already on the hilt of his sword, his gaze fixed on the leaves ahead, daring only to glance with his peripheral vision, fearful of alerting his target.

"Two hundred meters, almost there..."

Silently, a figure appeared behind the middle-aged martial artist.

Shhh!

A flash of cold light and a long sword suddenly pierced through the back of the head and exited through the forehead, instantly, without making a single sound.

As the body of the middle-aged martial artist was about to fall, a pair of large hands steadied it against the tree.

In a flash, Ye Zhen’s voice drifted another 100 meters back.

"Strange, why didn’t Old Fourth make his move?"

One hundred meters away, another middle-aged martial artist hidden in a tree saw the target pass steadily through Old Fourth’s ambush spot, his face full of confusion.

Suddenly, the middle-aged martial artist’s nose twitched, "The smell of blood, not good..."

The moment this thought flickered through his mind, a sword almost the color of maple leaves suddenly pierced through his head from behind.

Pff!

The slight sound was completely masked by the rustling of maple leaves.

Pop!

At that moment, the spirit shadow previously created by Ye Zhen scattered abruptly like a burst bubble.

The black-robed martial artists hidden in the other two trees paused, their eyes widening as they involuntarily looked at each other, trying to communicate.

Almost simultaneously, the black-robed martial artist in the left tree showed a look of utter shock, for he saw a dark figure silently appear behind their leader.

"Boss, watch your back!"

The black-robed martial artist on the left shouted with heartbreaking urgency.

His desperate cry, like a night owl, startled countless birds in the forest.

Pop!

The light red sword pierced through again.

A hint of surprise had just emerged in the eyes of the black-robed leader when he fell from the tree like a log.

"Boss!"

"I’ll fight you!"

The black-robed third shouted furiously, his body emanating intense spiritual light. His late-stage Spirit Summoning Realm cultivation surged to its peak, and he raised his hands, spliting his treasure sword into a five-yard long Sword Gang, which he swung down at Ye Zhen’s head.

As Ye Zhen finished off the third ambusher, he stood still, neither dodging nor evading, a smirk suddenly appearing at the corner of his mouth.

Indeed, a smirk!

Seeing the smirk at the corner of Ye Zhen’s mouth, the incredibly angry black-robed third had a sudden shiver of dread.

As the blade light loomed, Ye Zhen’s sword-wielding right hand moved, and the Profound Yang Sword in his hand emitted a light red brilliance as he struck!

The moment the spiritual power burst from the tip of the Profound Yang Sword, it instantly soared an additional 40%.

Whiz!

The ten-yard long light red Sword Gang, like a shocking rainbow, not only split the black-robed third’s robust Sword Gang in half but also tore through his Protective Spirit Force like tearing paper.

Pfft!

The black-robed third, split in half by the Profound Yang Sword, died instantly!

"A mid-grade treasure sword, indeed extraordinary!"

Ye Zhen, who easily slaughtered four martial artists of the same level, looked at the bloodless Profound Yang Sword and couldn’t help but express sincere admiration! (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets, Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)