God Emperor - Chapter 668
Chapter 668: Mutual Calculating
The moment Zhang Ruochen reached the top of the Second Level Mountain, he proceeded to the second Holy Spring without a pit stop.
Besides the second Holy Spring was a green ancient Taoist temple.
Zhang Ruochen entered the temple, took a three-feet-high gourd from the divine altar, and walked to the second Holy Spring with the gourd in his hands.
According to the rules, if he could successfully challenge three words in the first stage of the Second Level Mountain, he would be able to fetch one hundred times of the Holy Spring.
The huge gourd that Zhang Ruochen was carrying was one hundred times the size of a normal gourd.
Standing next to the second Spring, Zhang Ruochen placed the gourd into it to collect the spring. While doing that, he left his Spatial Ring open to abstract one more cubic meter Holy Spring.
Qi Yufei didn’t reach the mountaintop until Zhang Ruochen had finished collecting the spring. Qi Yufei was pale and was also soaking wet from her own sweat. Anyone could tell that she had a hard time climbing the Second Level Mountain.
Her ascent on the Second Level Mountain has proved that she has an extremely strong will, far stronger than that of any other monk.
“You are faster than I thought.”
Zhang Ruochen held the gourd and stood beside the Holy Spring. He did not want to leave right away but wondered how much Holy Spring Qi Yufei would take.
Qi Yufei threw a cold stare at Zhang Ruochen, entered the temple, took the three-feet-high gourd and started to collect some holy spring.
“It seems like she successfully challenged the three words in the first stage of the Second Level Mountain.”
Zhang Ruochen was not surprised. He just nodded his head slightly and marched to the Third-level Mountain.
With the gourd in one hand, Qi Feiyu went to the foot of the Third Level Mountain and took a glimpse of Zhang Ruochen. She said, “Are you going to go first, or should I?”
“Senior Sister Apprentice Qi, please.”
Zhang Ruochen made a gesture of invitation and took a step backward.
Qi Yufei did not refuse. She put the gourd on a boulder, walked under the stone wall and stared for a moment.
“Swoosh!”
On the stone wall, the character “Li” fell off and transformed into a translucent gatekeeper.
Qi Feiyu struggled with the gatekeeper for over two thousand movements. Eventually, the gatekeeper’s sword hit her right rib, leaving Qi Feiyu with a bloody sword hole.
Failed breakthrough.
Qi Yufei gasped heavily with sweated profusely. She returned to the boulder, opened the lid of the gourd and drank the Spring to recover from her injuries quickly.
However, as soon as she took a sip, she spat it out immediately.
Qi Feiyu sniffed the gourd and coldness rose in her eyes. She looked in Zhang Ruochen’s direction and said, “Did you just steal Holy Spring from my gourd?”
Zhang Ruochen answered frankly, “Yes. I took your spring when you were fighting the gatekeeper.”
“Do you want to die?”
Qi Yufei was furious like never before and her elegant temperament disappeared in a second.
Despite that, Zhang Ruochen remained calm, smiled contemptuously and replied, “You are seriously injured. It won’t do you any good to fight me now.”
“Besides, you’re the one who wants to kill me first. Had I reacted quickly, I might have been a ghost of your sword. Taking away your Holy Spring is a compensation for me.”
“There’s no reason for you to be mad at me. At least, I did not poison your gourd, right?”
Zhang Ruochen held his gourd casually, completely disregarding Qi Feiyu’s angry eyes.
Qi Feiyu was shaking with rage, her eyes turning scarlet.
However, she finally managed to calm herself and took a deep breath to go back to her cool and indifferent self. She took a healing Pill and began to heal her wounds.
From the battle between Qi Feiyu and the gatekeeper, Zhang Ruochen had already known that her cultivation of Tao of the sword was at the Advanced Stage of the Heart Integrated into Sword and that she had practiced Sword One to the eighth realm.
When Qi Feiyu was born, she was already in the realm of Heart Integrated into Sword. Knowing that, Zhang Ruochen was not surprised by Qi Feiyu’s accomplishment. After all, she has spent so many years practicing.
Even someone with her level of cultivation was incapable of breaking through the first stage of the Third-level Mountain.
After witnessing what had happened, it seemed like the gatekeeper’s strength had reached the ninth realm of Sword One.
In other words, if Zhang Ruochen had not reached the same realm, he would not be able to break through this stage as well.
If that’s the case, why waste his strength to try to break through?
Zhang Ruochen looked up at the mountaintop of the Third-level Mountain and saw a Whitestone Sacred Cliff soaring on the top. Amidst the mist, a shadow of a high tower could be seen standing on the cliff.
The Sword Pavilion in the legend was situated on the mountaintop of the Third-level Mountain.
The Sword Technique Conference on September ninth will be held in the pavilion. Swordsmen from all around the world will gather in the Sword Pavilion and participate in this unparalleled meeting of Tao of the sword.
If Zhang Ruochen succeeded in breaking through the three stages of the Third-level Mountain, he would be allowed to go to the square of Sword Technique Conference in advance, pay his visit to Sword Pavilion, and explore the secrets of the Heaven and Earth Altar.
“I will climb to the mountaintop of the Third-level Mountain on my own.”
Zhang Ruochen looked back, and with a long sigh, turned around and headed down the mountain.
Upon arriving on the mountaintop of the Second Level Mountain, Zhang Ruochen met Qin Yufan who had just climbed up the mountain.
Qin Yufan didn’t expect Zhang Ruochen to be there, so he was surprised when he saw Zhang Ruochen.
However, they just passed by each other without any contact.
On the way downhill, Zhang Ruochen encountered many climbers heading to the mountaintop. They had already broken through the second stage of the Second Level Mountain, and some of them were either from the Sixth Change or the Seventh Change in the Fish-dragon Realm or the superiors of the Ninth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm.
From beginning to end, Qi Feiyu followed Zhang Ruochen. It seemed like she had not come into terms with her failure and was eager to take Zhang Ruochen’s gourd away. However, she hasn’t had a chance yet.
Going down was faster than going up.
It was not long before they arrived at the foot of the Ancient Gods Mountain, the one behind the other.
The arrival of Zhang Ruochen and Qi Feiyu together boosted the excitement of the crowd.
One of them was a fresh Genius of Tao of the sword, a new rising star, and the other was a beauty with innate integrating, chased after numerous pursuers and admirers.
The moment they descended to the foot of the mountain, all of the Saint’s disciples swarmed around them.
“Junior Sister Apprentice Qi, I really admire you for your talents. In the martial arts contest of Tao of the sword, you are definitely going to defeat everyone else and win the championship.”
A Saint’s disciple of the Ninth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm rushed to Qi Feiyu and tried to flatter Qi Feiyu.
Even the Saint became emotional and sentimental, a monk of the Ninth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm reacted even more dramatically.
It was not a shame to fawn on the girl that one was chasing, but a shame to watch her fall to another’s arms.
“Junior Sister Apprentice Qi has conquered three stages of the Second Level Mountain easily. With your realm of Tao of the sword, I believe you will soon reach the mountaintop of the Third Level Mountain.” said another pursurer who came to congratulate her on her success.
Among Qi Feiyu’s pursuers, there were more than ten with a cultivation of the Eighth Change or the Ninth Change in the Fish-dragon Realm. They were all clustered around her like a myriad of stars surrounding the moon. Other pursuers could not approach her at all.
But Qi Feiyu treated any pursuer coldly. She faced them with an otherworldly look on her face.
Suddenly, she landed her clear and distinct eyes on Zhang Ruochen’s retreating figure and an unusual and strange expression appeared on her face.
At that exact moment, something happened that made Qi Feiyu’s pursuers and admirers shocked.
“Junior fellow apprentice Lin, wait.” Qi Feiyu called out in a soft voice.
Zhang Ruochen stopped to turn back and looked at her questioningly, “Senior Sister Apprentice Qi, is there anything wrong?”
She still has not forgiven Zhang Ruochen for stealing her hard-earned Holy Spring. Who knew what tricks she would play?
Zhang Ruochen became alert.
Qi Feiyu’s pursuers around were confused as to why Junior Sister Apprentice Qi suddenly called out a new Saint’s disciple, especially because she rarely communicates with others.
Qi Feiyu stepped forward slowly until she reached Zhang Ruochen.
She was getting closer to Zhang Ruochen.
Zhang Ruochen could smell a faint waft of fragrance, which made him feel more alert. He wanted to retreat, but it was too late.
Qi Feiyu reached out with her soft hands and gently grabbed Zhang Ruochen’s wrist. Seemingly frail and badly-hurt, she coughed a little and leaned on Zhang Ruochen before saying, “I am seriously hurt. Junior fellow apprentice Lin, could you please send me back to the Pure Jade Palace?”
She pressed her lips softly and stared at Zhang Ruochen with a weak gaze. Her face was pale and she looked a weak; a helpless but lovable woman.
This scene made Qi Feiyu’s pursuers and admirers completely stunned.
Their eyes were smoldering with anger and they were all glaring at Zhang Ruochen as if Zhang Ruochen had killed their fathers.
Zhang Ruochen had not expected Qi Feiyu to play such an insidious and wicked trick. Her goal was to kill Zhang Ruochen with a borrowed knife–essentially taking advantage of her admirers by provoking them to kill Zhang Ruochen.
Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji had arrived in front of Zhang Ruochen to greet him.
Witnessing this scene in front of them, both Xun Hualiu and Mu Jiji were awestruck by the scene and looked at him with admiration.
“Our boss is so incredible. She…she is God’s favored daughter of the Pure Jade Palace, a fairy-like girl.”
“Anyone would’ve been attracted to Qi Feiyu after seeing that smile on her. Who could ever imagine that Qi Feiyu would hold the boss’ hand, and lean on him like that?”
What happened when Qi Feiyu and Lin Yue broke through the Ancient Gods Mountain?
How did they get so intimate with each other?
Could it be that pure and graceful Qi Feiyu had fallen in love with this new Saint’s disciple?
