Chapter 444 - 308: Gathering
In Qiurong Street, adjacent to Baohe Street where Zhao Xuanqi and the others were, two figures were currently hiding in a remote corner of the district. They carefully concealed their auras, slowly sneaking toward Baohe Street.
The two were dressed in plain gray robes, the attire of Red Heart Sect disciples.
One of them was burly, with a square face and thick eyebrows. It was none other than Chen Zhanyun, the leader of Zhao Xuanqi’s squad.
The other was a woman. Though female, She was as tall as any man, standing around 1.8 meters. Her frame was even larger than the average man’s, with broad shoulders. Her hair was tied high in a topknot, her nose bridge was high, and her face, far from being coarse, was refined with a hint of wildness. Her entire bearing radiated a vibrant, heroic spirit.
Between the two, Chen Zhanyun followed behind the woman, looking completely deferential.
"Senior Sister He, was that really the sect’s Gold and Fire Technique just now?"
Chen Zhanyun asked He Xijun in a low voice as they crept forward.
Among the Red Heart Sect’s disciples in the Blood Strengthening realm, Chen Zhanyun was by no means weak. He could condense his Blood Qi into Blood Fire, which already placed him among the realm’s elite.
However, his strength was nothing compared to the woman before him.
In terms of talent and strength, she ranked in the top three among all Blood Strengthening disciples in the entire Red Heart Sect. And at only eighteen years of age, she had already condensed Crimson Fire.
In fact, Chen Zhanyun was several years older than He Xijun. But Martial Artists valued accomplishment above all, so he addressed her as Senior Sister.
Not long ago, Chen Zhanyun had been resting at the Red Heart Base in Guming County when he inexplicably found himself in this Ghost City. Before he could even react or figure out what was happening, he was suddenly attacked by an Evil Spirit that had grown blood-red markings. With his strength, he wasn’t afraid of a single such Evil Spirit, but the commotion from their fight quickly attracted a swarm of others, putting him in grave danger.
Luckily, He Xijun appeared just in time to save him. The two then teamed up to investigate the city, and while scouting Qiurong Street, they were drawn by the commotion on Anyuan Street and came to check it out.
"It should be Golden Fire, yes."
He Xijun said with a nod.
"If it really is Golden Fire, that’s great news," Chen Zhanyun said with a smile. "Someone who can condense Golden Fire would be considered an expert even among the Stewards."
"We should still be careful. This Ghost City is most likely a lingering danger left over from the recent Evil Cultivation incident. The mysterious deaths and Evil Transformations of many townspeople and our sect’s Blood Strengthening disciples three days ago are very likely connected to this. According to the information I have, Elder Qiu personally investigated the matter at the time but couldn’t find the source of the problem."
"And based on what we’ve discovered so far, this Realm seems to be in some kind of recovery state. The Evil Spirits’ strength is limited, and there’s also an upper limit to the strength of the life forms pulled inside—most likely capped at the Blood Strengthening realm. Otherwise, instead of hunting prey, it would be bringing in a hunter that could destroy it. That doesn’t fit the rules this Realm has displayed. The Stewards in our sect who can condense Golden Fire are at least in the Refining the Internal Organs realm. Logically, it should be impossible for them to be dragged into this Realm. This whole thing is strange. We can’t let our guard down."
He Xijun said, shaking her head.
’Condensing Golden Fire in the Blood Strengthening realm?’
He Xijun immediately dismissed the possibility. As far as she knew, no one in the entire Red Heart Sect could do such a thing.
"Maybe there’s an exception,"
Chen Zhanyun said.
"Perhaps."
Lord He didn’t deny it. If it truly was Golden Fire, that was likely the only possibility.
The two continued in silence, leaving Qiurong Street and entering Baohe Street.
"The commotion died down on Baohe Street, but how are we supposed to find him? Maybe he’s already left?"
Chen Zhanyun said in a low voice.
He Xijun also frowned slightly, considering their next move.
However, just then, both of their expressions tensed.
HISSS! HISSS! HISSS!!
ROAR! ROAR! ROAR!!
A sudden commotion erupted outside. The surrounding Evil Spirits seemed to have been drawn by something and were rampaging, converging on a single location.
’What is...’
He Xijun and Chen Zhanyun exchanged a look. At the same time, they vaguely sensed the dim surroundings being illuminated by a flash of light.
’A golden light?’
Their interest piqued, the two waited for the number of surrounding Evil Spirits to decrease before vaulting onto the roof of their hiding place. They lay prone on the rooftop, looking in the direction of the commotion.
It was a three-story tavern named Feihong Pavilion. It was reasonably well-known in Guming County and was one of the tallest buildings on Baohe Street, making it stand out at a glance.
Now, as He Xijun and Chen Zhanyun looked over, they saw a figure standing on the roof of Feihong Pavilion.
The light of the Blood Moon shone down upon the sinister, deathly still Ghost City. Even someone as powerful as He Xijun didn’t dare make a sound after entering this place, yet this figure stood brazenly atop the three-story pavilion, in the most conspicuous spot imaginable, looking down upon the horde of Evil Spirits.
Bathed in the faint red moonlight, they could vaguely make out his form. He was tall and bare-chested, revealing powerful, chiseled muscles. His shoulders were broad, and his arms hung so low they nearly touched the ground. He had the broad back of a tiger and the narrow waist of a wasp, possessing both the stability of a turtle and the lightness of a crane.
But what was most striking was the layer of golden flame that enveloped his body. It burned fiercely in the dead silence of the Ghost City, illuminating the entire area. The sinister, evil qi was driven away by the Golden Fire, making him appear like a lighthouse for the lost, a ray of dawn in the suffocating darkness.