Chapter 107: Black Tortoise
Chapter 107: Black Tortoise
The Zhang Mansion was decorated with lanterns and ribbons, filled with distinguished guests.
The Bloodstained Journey was a time-honored, iron-blooded trial passed down among noble families for millennia. The trial locations were places of extreme peril, like the World-Rending Gorge or the Sin Abyss Demonic Domain, where survival was slim.
It was precisely through the baptism of iron, fire, wind, and frost that the noble families never lacked for strong individuals who rose from the ashes like a phoenix.
This was the very foundation upon which great aristocratic families stood.
Li Yi and his companions were placed in an inconspicuous corner, facing Zhou Xun and others from a distance.
He looked around, secretly clicking his tongue in amazement.
Among the invited guests were many powerful local magnates, immensely wealthy merchants, and high-ranking officials, all either rich or noble.
Zhang Mingshi’s father, Zhang Zhen, moved among the crowd like a butterfly flitting through flowers, smiling as he went.
His expression was gentle, and he chatted and laughed freely, occasionally offering toasts or telling two harmless little jokes. His demeanor was polished and approachable.
However, Li Yi would not be fooled by his outer appearance.
Under his Dawnlight Eyes, the condensed and heavy killing aura emanating from this man took the form of beacon smoke, soaring straight to the heavens!
Li Yi knew this manifestation was called Beacon Fire Killing Intent, something only someone who had killed countless people could possess.
This killing intent not only could condense into a form of Battle Aura but could also overwhelm people’s minds, its effect only slightly inferior to a Dragon’s Aura.
Not long after, Zhang Mingshi made his entrance.
Shedding the image of a frivolous young master, he wore a suit of armor, standing tall and straight, appearing heroic and formidable, radiating sharp ambition.
“Thank you, elders, for coming to witness this ceremony. I am deeply honored! Tomorrow, I will embark on my training journey to the Seven-Colored Sin Abyss…”
“Move aside, don’t block the way!”
His speech was interrupted mid-sentence by a burst of noisy commotion. Zhang Zhen looked toward the source, his brow furrowing with killing intent.
“Patriarch Zhang Zhen, I have also come to witness the ceremony. Am I not welcome?” A voice oily and sly, sweet yet sinister, came from outside the door.
“A guest who arrives is a guest. Please enter!” Zhang Zhen said with a thin, insincere smile, making a gesture of invitation.
Two figures sauntered in with large, swaying strides.
“People here to cause trouble!” Yan He stood up, saying with keen interest, “That old man is a sworn enemy of the Zhang Family!”
“Who are they? Do you know them?” Li Yi asked.
“That one is Li Jucheng, the patriarch of the ‘Hidden Dagger’ Li Family! The one next to him should be his youngest son, Li Heng.” Yan He listed them off expertly, enjoying the spectacle and not minding if trouble brewed. “These two families have been old rivals for hundreds of years!”
“Oh?” Li Yi remained an observer on the sidelines, slightly curious.
“I heard that your esteemed son will soon embark on his Bloodstained Journey?” Li Jucheng had three wisps of black beard hanging from his chin, his eyes crafty and sly. “Coincidentally, my son Li Heng’s Bloodstained Journey is also in the coming days. Only, he is going to an even more dangerous place: the Bone Sea Purgatory.”
“Oh? Then… I wish your son smooth sailing?” Zhang Zhen said in an affected tone, his words laced with sarcasm.
“Of course he will have smooth sailing!” Li Jucheng smiled slightly, pretending not to catch the ridicule in the words. “A mother worries when her son travels far. His mother specially invited Arms Master Ye Liu to craft a Dao Transformation Armament for Heng’er, just in case of the unexpected…”
“Ye Liu?”
Everyone present changed their expressions upon hearing the name.
Li Yi also looked surprised. Ye Liu was among the top four Armament Masters in the Nine Provinces!
“How about it? Would you like to see Ye Liu’s work?”
“If I said I didn’t, would you agree?” Zhang Zhen’s smile was exceptionally icy.
“Heng’er, let the elders have a look…”
Li Heng laughed brightly, opened his right shoulder, and a pale white armed equipment, shaped like a crouching dragon skeleton, chillingly appeared. Within the gaps of the dragon bones, dark gray mist, like wandering spirits and evil ghosts, floated and hovered, coiling like clouds and smoke.
“This armed equipment is named—Soul-Searing Brand!”
With a soft, cold laugh, Li Heng raised his right palm. A wisp of gray Battle Aura leaped back and forth on the back of his fingers.
This wisp of Battle Aura seemed to have a soul. As it jumped, it continuously sang a faint, mournful tune that made people restless and their internal energies run amok.
“The Li Family’s River of Resentment Battle Aura! This Battle Aura carries the ‘Mind-Disturbing’ attribute, capable of unsettling people’s minds. It’s a Battle Aura of medium grade.”
Those in the know whispered to each other.
“There’s more, watch!” A flash of fierceness crossed his face. Li Heng gave a shudder, and the “Soul-Searing Brand” on his shoulder flickered with an evil light!
The wisp of aura on the back of his fingers instantly expanded, its ferocity blazing. The mournful tune transformed into a deathly howl, its lingering sound echoed through the hall, reverberating between heaven and earth!
Hearing it, Li Yi actually felt a sense of mental disorientation, as if his spirit was about to leave his body.
“It’s not physical strength enhancement, but Battle Aura amplification! Good heavens, calling it tailor-made wouldn’t be an exaggeration…”
“Not just that… this Armed Equipment also enhanced the Battle Aura’s attribute! The lament within this Battle Aura not only has the original ‘Mind-Disturbing’ effect but has added a ‘Soul-Startling’ effect!”
“Exactly! With both combined, this Battle Aura’s attribute has already surpassed medium grade and reached high grade!”
Exclamations of awe rose one after another. Zhang Mingshi should have been the protagonist, but the limelight was completely stolen from him.
“I wonder, Patriarch Zhang Zhen, what kind of Armed Equipment have you prepared? How about letting us have a look as well?” Li Jucheng’s eyes shifted, and he asked with a smile.
How venomous!
Li Yi was inwardly shocked.
To put it bluntly, this was a display of wealth, yet it was more than just that.
If Zhang Mingshi lost, first, he would lose face before the many powerful magnates and influential people, unable to hold his head high. More importantly, an invisible thorn would be planted in Zhang Mingshi’s heart, creating a flaw in his spirit!
During the Bloodstained Journey, a single flaw in one’s heart could be the difference between life and death!
“My father’s carefully prepared item, how could it be inferior?”
Zhang Mingshi remained unmoved. His gaze shifted, first sweeping over Zhou Xun and the others.
But what he witnessed was Zhou Xun stubbornly hanging his head low, staring at his own toes, not daring to look him in the eye.
Zhou Xun knew too well. His master’s “Broken Cliff Water Curtain” was absolutely no match for that “Soul-Searing Brand.” That one enhanced Battle Aura attributes!
Zhang Mingshi gave a cold laugh. Although he hadn’t placed too much hope in them from the start, he still couldn’t help feeling a wave of disgust.
“Yan He, come up!”
Zhou Xun’s expression changed drastically. First, he felt a mental relief, somewhat fortunate, but immediately afterward, a huge sense of humiliation surfaced in his heart.
Zhang Mingshi’s choice was actually that “Profound Darkness Heart”? How could it be? This “Broken Cliff Water Curtain” was personally designed by my master. Could it possibly be inferior to that Li Yi’s heretical methods? Was Zhang Mingshi blind?
“Senior Brother, it’s your turn to perform!”
Li Yi smiled carefreely. They had discussed it earlier; the task of stealing the spotlight would fall to Yan He, the most senior among them.
He understood very well that his status was lowly, his cultivation was too weak, and he had no backing. Appearing too early was definitely not a wise move.
“Li Yi, why don’t you go instead? I… my hands are shaking a bit…” Yan He, who was usually so talkative, actually got stage fright!
“Don’t be afraid, I’m watching you!”
At this point, there was no time for hesitation. Li Yi unleashed a Psychic Blast, scattering Yan He’s distracting thoughts into pieces, and pushed him forward.
However, while the fear was temporarily eliminated, Yan He was left dazed and dizzy from the blast. He staggered as he walked, drawing quite a few laughs.
Zhou Xun and the others, harboring many inexplicable emotions, laughed especially loudly.
Nevertheless, equipping a Dao Transformation Armament was the easiest step. Yan He steadied his mind. His movements were skilled, and he completed it quickly.
In a faint, ethereal glow, that “Profound Darkness Heart” gradually merged into his arm, becoming indistinguishable from it.
“Whose masterpiece is this Armed Equipment?” Li Heng asked with a sinister tone.
“This item is called—Profound Darkness Heart, tailor-made for our Zhang Family!” Zhang Mingshi proclaimed in a firm, heroic voice.
“Tailor-made? Nothing but deceptive nonsense!” Li Heng’s face was full of mockery.
The people below also whispered among themselves.
“This Armed Equipment feels dark and gloomy, cold. Why does it give the feeling of a venomous snake?” someone said softly.
“Exactly! And it’s like a ferocious, mysterious River of the Underworld serpent, making one shudder!”
“However, the Zhang Family possesses the ancient Whirl Turtle bloodline. An Armed Equipment containing the concept of an Underworld Snake? It should be incompatible. How can it be a match?”
Amid the many doubts, a fierce shout suddenly resounded.
“Ha!”
The Battle Aura was activated. The Profound Darkness Heart glowed, and the shadow of a massive black python appeared, howling towards the sky, rearing up as if to pounce!
Immediately after, a huge Whirl Turtle shadow roared forth from behind Zhang Mingshi.
The two seemingly unrelated phantoms actually began to intertwine and entangle with each other!
The giant python coiled, the Whirl Turtle steady and solid. The two figures gradually merged, becoming one majestic, layered, and colossal shadow.
Suddenly, a mighty, resonant sound shook heaven and earth!
High in the azure sky, the flowing clouds split. The sky seemed about to collapse!
On the ground, cups and vessels shook. The earth’s surface sank several inches!
“This is—Heaven Collapses and Earth Sinks! I’ve only heard of this phenomenon, but I’ve never seen it with my own eyes. What exactly is this Armed Equipment? It can actually trigger such a phenomenon!”
“What happened?”
“What is that phantom shadow? It actually makes me feel a sense of reverence and worship, something unattainably high!”
“Wait, I think I see it now…”
“What is it?”
“Turtle and serpent entwined, yin and yang interacting. It is—the Black Tortoise!”
“Black Tortoise?”
“Indeed, it is the Black Tortoise!”
One after another, chant-like cries of “Black Tortoise!” transformed into thunderclaps, echoing between heaven and earth!
All eyes were fixed, the clamor of the crowd thundering like thunder!