Chapter Fifty-Four: Public Enemy
Zheng Jingcheng frowned deeply. He disliked what he was feeling right now. If he did not have absolute confidence, he would not rashly try. One only had one life. He cared more about his than most cultivators.
As such, hearing Pan Ruoye’s words, he did not hesitate to crush a seal weapon that had fallen into his palm. Silently, the boat he was on and the water beneath suddenly sank downwards. The depression came from the sudden appearance of primal energies of the universe in this area.
The primal energies of the universe that came from his palm caused the air around him to grow heavy. In the next moment, the primal energies of the universe expanded outwards into white clouds. An ocean of white clouds should have appeared in the sky, but now, they filled this area.
His body and all of his presence disappeared into the ocean of clouds.
Pan Ruoye was in the middle of the clouds. She did not know if he was retreating or attacking. There was no killing intent in the clouds that filled her sight, but killing intent could be everywhere.
Her expression did not change at all. When the white clouds formed, all she did was to channel her vital energy into a seal weapon she was tightly gripping in her left hand. During her talk with Zheng Jingcheng, her left hand had always been hidden in her sleeve, and the seal weapon in her palm. In reality, this was the time that she was truly waiting for.
Her seal weapon was waiting to meet Zheng Jingcheng’s seal weapon. The seal weapon in her left hand was a crystal ball. More accurately, this was the inner core of an ocean beast carved with many seals. The seals on the surface of the inner core had an orange color, and were as complex as a cluster of flowers. The inner core was a light blue, and clear with water moving inside.
When her vital energy flowed along the seal scripts into the inner core, the core made a soft sound. All of the colors disappeared. It became absolutely clear. The primal energies of the universe gathered like water currents and burst from her hand. The primal energies of the universe passed through the white clouds. The clouds immediately disappeared, turning to light and shadow.
Zheng Jingcheng’s figure appeared in her sight again, on the shore ahead of her to the side. The light and shadows seemed to absorb the light, so the small world between her and him grew brighter, and his figure on the shore clearer in her eyes.
But Zheng Jingcheng could not see her. His face grew pale, just like how Zheng Bainiao had paled when his Heart Thought Sword was defeated by Shen Xuan.
His seal weapon was the White Cloud Ocean Seal, unique to Jiaodong Commandery. This was a seal weapon that only cultivators of his rank could possess, and were extremely rare. But Pan Ruoye had activated an unknown and powerful seal weapon, sucking away the primal energies of the universe coming out of his seal weapon, and forming light and shadows around him.
There were tall islands, oceans, floating ships, and even flying cities in the lights.This was the mirage that was occasionally seen during ocean travels.
Pan Ruoye’s seal weapon seemed to have moved a mirage over and smashed it around him. Such a seal weapon could only be made from the inner core of some deep sea beasts of the legends. Even Jiaodong Commandery did not have such inner cores, or such seal weapons. He did not understand how she could have such a seal weapon. To his terror, this seal weapon was only useful when his White Cloud Ocean was activated.
“How do you know that I have the White Clouds Ocean Seal? How did you know that I would use this seal weapon!” He looked around in terror, and shouted loudly.
A breath ago, it was Pan Ruoye who could not see where he was. But now, his sight and sense were blocked by these lights, and it was his turn to not see where she was.
What answered his loud shout was a sword light.
A thin and light sword light, like a falling leaf, floated behind him. A powerful lifebond presence formed. A bright red lifebond sword appeared in Zheng Jingcheng’s hand.
His lifebond sword was made from a blood coral from the deep ocean. This blood coral would only grow an inch in several thousand years. It was extremely dense, and the coral itself was made from the bones of many coral insects, and the materials of the ocean. It had an unique energy, especially after being refined by his lifebond presence for many years. When this sword appeared in his hand, the sword energy that flooded out was like a true tide.
Zheng Jingcheng swung his sword, and easily shattered the sword light that attacked him. But his lifebond sword could not destroy the light and shadows around him. Another sword light appeared out of a giant ship in front of him.
He swung his sword again, and easily fended off the sword light.Then another sword light came attacking from a different direction. Yet again, he swung his sword. Then another sword light came. The mirages that surrounded him seemed like they would never disappear, and these sword lights would never stop coming. His lips drained of blood.
At this time, Pan Ruoye’s voice sounded in the surroundings and reached his ears. “Other than what I have said to you before, cultivators of Jiaodong Commandery like you have missed the most important matters of these years. In these years, Jiaodong Commandery cultivators were too pampered, and enjoyed power and glory under Zheng Xiu’s shadow. You are not like the Changling cultivators, who face great danger at each moment, and all of Changling’s cultivators do not like people from Jiaodong Commandery. The more power you have, the more glory, the more you are public enemies of Changling’s cultivators.”
“The public enemy of Changling’s cultivators? It is Ye Celeng?”
Zheng Jingcheng was one of the few Jiaodong Commandery people that Zheng Xiu feared. From Pan Ruoye’s words, he caught some messages. He felt great coldness. Even his hands grew stiff.
Ever since he, Zheng Bainiao and the others came to Changling, the powers of Changling were silent. Bureau Chief Ye Celeng of the Astrology Bureau seemed to fear their arrival, and did not come into contact with them at all. Yet other than the enormous fleet on the ocean, only Ye Celeng had killed many powerful beasts of the ocean, and could have forged an inner core to a seal weapon!
Previously, he sensed the death of Zheng Bainiao. Now, when assassinating Pan Ruoye, he fell for Pan Ruoye’s trap. All of this… Jiaodong Commandery’s trip to Changling this time, if it failed completely, it would be because of the woman that appeared to fear them the most, and was not part of what had happened at all! Only now did he start to realize and put away his dismissal of Changling. He finally understood why the old powers thought of the Jiaodong Commandery as hillbillies.
But the price paid for such an understanding was too great.