Chapter 540 74: Pursuers
The Peng Bird was a tamed Demon Bird. Although it had a Sixth-Grade bloodline, it had long since lost its former demonic nature.
It had instead become an ordinary bird.
But its body was massive, with a wingspan of over a hundred feet. It could carry a thousand pounds into the sky, making it an excellent transport vehicle.
"WHOOSH…"
Its giant wings stirred up a fierce wind.
A single flap of its wings covered a great distance, the scattered lights of fishing boats on the sea below flashing past in an instant.
On the Peng Bird's back was a large woven bamboo basket. Right now, the basket held not cargo, but six people.
"Boss."
One man began in a low voice:
"Is it really worth coming all this way for something the Young Master said offhandedly a year ago?"
"What do you know?" The man he called 'Boss' had rugged features and replied in a deep voice,
"That man, Zhu, ruined the Young Master's plans back then. He was asking for death. We can't just let him live freely."
"Besides…"
He stuck out his tongue, licked the corner of his mouth, a glint of greed in his eyes.
"This man is a Seventh-Grade Artifact Refiner. And that's just what he's shown—he might be even stronger."
"A Seventh-Grade, or even a Sixth-Grade, Artifact Refiner... isn't that worth the trip?"
'The Young Master probably long forgot the order he gave a year ago. It wouldn't matter whether we did it or not. The reason we're doing it now is for other benefits.'
"A Seventh-Grade Artifact Refiner?" one of the men gasped.
"Isn't he just a rich cloth merchant from some small town? Where did he learn Artifact Refining?"
"That's none of our business," another said, practically rubbing his hands in glee.
"We catch him and sell him to any family, and we'll make a fortune. This is a great deal."
"Woo Tou, what's his Cultivation level?"
"Eighth Grade," Woo Tou shrugged.
"A year ago he was mid Eighth Grade. He might be upper Eighth Grade by now. It makes no difference to us."
"We just need to be careful of his Qi Blood Divine Weapon."
A Seventh- or Sixth-Grade Artifact Refiner was bound to have a Qi Blood Divine Weapon, and likely more than one.
Hearing this, the men showed no fear, but rather excitement.
A mere Eighth-Grade Martial Artist, who was probably not even skilled in combat—any one of the six of them was confident they could take him down.
"A Qi Blood Divine Weapon?"
The youngest of the group breathed heavily.
"An Artifact Refiner is a walking treasure trove. We can't miss an opportunity like this. No wonder the boss was in such a hurry."
"Hmph!"
Woo Tou snorted coldly.
"The man was renting a place on Fire Ape Island. His lease wasn't up for a few more days, but he unexpectedly left early without even canceling it."
"If I hadn't arranged for someone to check on him daily, we wouldn't have noticed something was wrong until he was long gone."
"Now…"
"He can't escape!"
He stomped his foot lightly, releasing a burst of Invisible Force. The Peng Bird beneath him cried out in pain and increased its speed again.
"SCREECH!"
The cry echoed high in the sky as they soared over the vast sea and into the mountains.
Time passed. A faint glow appeared on the horizon as dawn began to replace the darkness of night.
"SQUEAK SQUEAK…"
A hamster-like Spiritual Object crawled out of the cloth pouch on Woo Tou's waist, squeaking incessantly.
"We've finally caught up."
Woo Tou let out a long breath, the tense expression on his face slowly relaxing. He patted the Peng Bird with one hand.
"Down we go!"
"WHOOSH…"
The Peng Bird dipped its head and flapped its wings.
It dove like an arrow loosed from a bow, and a tiny figure on the mountain path below gradually came into focus.
Zhu Ju!
He seemed to sense something was wrong, stopping in his tracks to look up before turning and bolting for the dense woods to the side.
"Still trying to run?"
Woo Tou snorted coldly.
"Go down. Remember, don't kill him."
"Don't worry!"
The young man holding the long staff leaped up and, despite falling from a height of over a hundred feet, landed without raising a single speck of dust.
"An Artifact Refiner is a treasure. How could we possibly hurt him?"
"SWISH!"
He swung his staff lightly, pushed off the ground, and charged into the woods. The other men landed one after another and followed him.
"Young Master Zhu."
Woo Tou's figure flickered as he entered the woods at a leisurely pace, calling out,
"We mean no harm. We just want to invite you back to the island. It would be a shame to let your exquisite Artifact Refining skills go to waste, wouldn't it?"
The six men moved quickly, fanning out like a great net to completely surround the figure ahead.
"Still running?"
A man holding a long saber closed in, shouting in a low voice,
"Stay put!"
The attacker's Qi Blood was vigorous and his Strength was fierce; he clearly had a mid-Seventh Grade Martial Arts Cultivation.
Such strength might not be much on the Island of Continuous Mountains, but in a small place like the Prefecture City, he was already considered an expert.
"BOOM!"
Suddenly, a ball of Fierce Flame erupted from thin air. The incinerating heat was so intense it could melt a Hundred-Forged Steel Saber.
Fire Separation Spell!
"Magic!"
Woo Tou's expression changed, and he shouted urgently,
"Careful! He also cultivates Magic!"
But his warning was clearly too late. The Fierce Flame latched onto the charging figure like a maggot on a rotting bone.
"AHH!"
The scream lasted only a moment before being cut short. As the Fierce Flame dissipated, only a pile of charred bones remained.
"Fourth Brother!"
The young man with the staff, his eyes wide with fury, roared,
"I'll kill you!"
Phoenix Nod!
The long staff in his hand was also a Qi Blood Divine Weapon. He thrust it forward, and a sky full of staff-shadows rained down.
Upper Seventh Grade!
Though young, his Cultivation was not low, and his Martial Arts Talent was the greatest among the six of them.
'Martial and Magical Dual Cultivation is truly no easy feat. Powerful Qi Blood suppresses the casting of Magic.'
As the thought crossed Zhu Ju's mind, he suddenly raised both hands.
His ten fingers plunged into the dense web of staff-shadows, moving like they were plucking the strings of a zither. Bursts of Giant Power erupted from his fingertips, colliding with the staff.
"PENG!"
"THUD…"
The figures crossed. The young man's eyes went vacant. He touched his own throat, and his body slowly slumped to the ground.
He was dead before he hit the dirt.
Dead!
In that brief exchange, Zhu Ju had shattered his throat with the force from his fingers.
"Sixth Brother!"
"Little Sixth!"
"..."
Cries of grief and rage echoed through the clearing. A wave of sorrow and fury washed over them.
The four remaining men glared at Zhu Ju. If looks could kill, he would have been riddled with holes.
"Good!"
Woo Tou gritted his teeth.
"I, Woo, misjudged you. I never thought you'd be an expert in Martial and Magical Dual Cultivation."
"I was hoping to make a quick fortune…"
"But since you've killed Fourth and Sixth Brother, there's nothing left to say. Everyone, get him!"
At this point, this trip was no longer a business transaction; it was a life-or-death struggle.
"SWISH!"
The man with the short spear was the first to attack. His Qi Blood surged, his Strength howled, and a cold glint appeared on the tip of his spear.
A sharp, Powerful Qi swirled around, sending weeds flying and dirt splattering. The pressure bore down on Zhu Ju before the spear even arrived.
Sixth Grade!
Though only lower Sixth Grade, he was a true Sixth-Grade nonetheless.
Seventh Grade is mortal; Sixth Grade is transcendent.
A Sixth-Grade Martial Artist's Qi Blood can already manifest physically, allowing them to draw upon the Power of Heaven and Earth to a certain extent.
This attack, fueled by hatred, made Zhu Ju's expression turn serious.
Giant Spirit Divine Skill!
Southern Heaven!
The Qi Blood in his body surged, and his Physical Body suddenly swelled. He seemed to grow a foot taller in an instant as he threw a punch straight at the incoming short spear.
"CLANG…"
The fist and spear collided with the sound of striking metal.
"PFFT!"
The man with the short spear spat out a mouthful of blood and stumbled back, his face filled with astonishment as he cried out,
"Be careful!"
"He has Innate Divine Strength and Copper Skin and Iron Bones!"