Chapter 222: Gao Zhen’s Return
An expectant glimmer radiated from Xie Rou’s face when she saw the light flashing from one of the gates.
Step!
Step!
Step!
’Oh...’
However, when she saw that it wasn’t Zhou Lan but Gao Zhen who was coming out, a bitter smile formed on her face.
SLAM!
The gate behind Gao Zhen collapsed the moment she made her way through it, but she only gave it a momentary glance before turning back towards Yi Chen and Xie Rou.
"So, the two of you are already here?" Gao Zhen said with a smile, seeing the two of them, "Looks like I was quite slow."
Meanwhile, the first thing Yi Chen did when he saw Gao Zhen’s appearance was to open her status panel.
===================
Name: Gao Zhen
Age: 34 years old
Strength: 170
Cultivation: First Level of [Qi Absorption Stage]
Qi Nature: Air
Remark: Likes hoarding her wealth [Regenerate: 10,000 EXP]
====================
’...Even her?!’
Seeing that even Gao Zhen’s cultivation stage leapt from the Ninth Meridian Refinement Stage to the First Qi Absorption Stage, an extreme sense of envy rose in Yi Chen’s heart.
’That deceitful voice! I shouldn’t have listened to it!’ he cursed while regretting his decision not to enter the gate he had originally intended to.
Hearing Gao Zhen’s words, Xie Rou let out a soft chuckle and said, "Yes, I arrived just a few minutes ago. However, it was Junior Brother Chen who was the first one to arrive here."
"Oh? It seems that Young Master Chen is indeed the most skilful among all of us," Gao Zhen praised with a smile.
However, her genuine praise only ended up adding salt to Yi Chen’s wounds.
"Madam Gao jests," Yi Chen sighed the next instant and said, "Unlike the two of you, my cultivation level hasn’t changed one bit and is still at the Fifth Meridian Refinement Stage..."
Seeing him sulking like this, Gao Zhen couldn’t help but glance towards Xie Rou in confusion.
"It’s like this..." Xie Rou soon told her about Yi Chen’s dormant physique.
"I see..." Gao Zhen nodded the next instant and glanced towards Yi Chen, who still had a bitter expression plastered on his face even though he was trying hard to suppress it.
"Young Master Chen, there’s no need for you to be so disheartened." She placated with a subtle, amused glimmer in her eyes and continued, "The temple is yet to be fully explored by us, and thus there’s bound to be treasures much greater than what we’ve received till now."
"...I understand. Thank you, Madam Gao." Yi Chen smiled forcefully, seeing that even Gao Zhen was trying to make him feel better.
Taking a deep breath, he adjusted his mood and asked a few seconds later with a curious expression.
"So, which physique did Madam Gao receive?"
"Physique? No, I didn’t get any physique," Gao Zhen shook her head and said, "Instead, what I got inside was this..."
The next second, a curved great sword that was almost six feet in length, just a little longer than Gao Zhen’s height, appeared in Gao Zhen’s hands out of nowhere.
Raising the sword high up, she said with a smile, "It’s named the God Slaying Sword and just got bound to my spiritual sea after I cleared the trial.
Apparently, it absorbs a portion of the opponent’s cultivation and also seeps a portion of it inside my body.
It’s thanks to this ability that I was able to enter the Qi Absorption Stage again after slaying thousands of monsters in the trial."
"God Slaying Sword..." Both Xie Rou and Yi Chen muttered in amazement as they glanced at the huge sword.
The next second, Yi Chen opened its status panel only to become more impressed.
========STATUS==========
Name: God Slaying Sword (Sealed)
Usage: Absorbs a portion of the opponent’s cultivation under certain conditions.
Remark: Was once stained with the blood of gods. (Regenerate: 10,000 EXP)
========================
"Amazing..." Yi Chen muttered when he saw this panel.
Xie Rou, who was beside him, couldn’t help but nod at those words.
The cold sheen emanating from the long blade left a menacing sensation on their minds, which forced them to stay in their spots and admire it from a distance.
Seeing the two’s reactions, Gao Zhen was naturally satisfied and said, after coughing lightly, "Indeed. It’s a pity that it’s bound to my spiritual sea. Otherwise, I would have definitely given it to Young Master Chen."
Since Yi Chen was the main reason she was able to enter the black temple, she held no qualms over doing something like that, especially when the item was something that could bring him closer to his goals.
"It’s alright, Madam Gao. You must have given your all during the trial to get your hands on that great sword. It’s only right that you should be its owner.
As for what you said just now, just the fact that you held such generous thoughts is enough for me." Yi Chen softly exhaled and smiled.
Glancing at their worn-out clothes, Yi Chen was immediately reminded of something.
"Ah, both of you must be hungry, so I’ll go and prepare the meal while the two of you freshen up." Yi Chen stated.
It was at that instant that the two of them were reminded of their unkempt appearances and instantly agreed.
"Yes, sounds good." Xie Rou nodded with a forced smile as she realised that her robes and skin were still covered with the traces of the black miasma.
Gao Zhen, who was in a much better state when compared to her, nodded after hearing Yi Chen’s words and said with a smile, "I’ve been craving for your roasted fish again, Young Master Chen."
Yi Chen chuckled, hearing this and said, "Then I’ll make sure to create a few extra servings for Madam Gao."
With that said, Yi Chen left the two women who had formed a wall around them using the tent material and went towards the broken stone slabs a few meters ahead of him.
Since there was no way for him to source some firewood at this place, he had planned to heat these stones using his Crimson Fire Arts and prepare the fish on top of it.
’Yes, these ones are good enough,’ He nodded after selecting a few suitable stones.
A few moments later.
"Delicious~"
"So good~"
Both Gao Zhen and Xie Rou licked their lips while enjoying each bite of the smoky fish.
Just like Yi Chen, they too had been unable to access their storage rings while inside and had been depending on various other things to manage their hunger.
"So, this is what heaven feels like..." Xie Rou muttered as she thought back on the slimy black weeds she was forced to consume in the last few days.
"Indeed." Gao Zhen nodded while gobbling one fish after another.
Similar to Yi Chen, having only survived on the disgusting blood of her opponents, each cell of her body desperately craved for the juicy meat.
Yi Chen enjoyed seeing their reactions and soon reached for his own skewer.
However, a bright flash momentarily blinded him and was soon followed by a crashing sound.
THUD!