The Ruins Pursuit Order

Black Crow leaned against the stone wall, the sword wound still in his chest. Every few words, he coughed up blood.

Li Zhexian did not turn around. Footsteps outside the ruins were approaching in an orderly rhythm, and they did not sound as though they belonged to people who had come to negotiate.

"The treasure-hunting team handles reporting things too?"

"The people coming are stronger fighters than I am."

"Then why didn't you leave?"

Black Crow glanced at the Azure Lotus Sword pinning him to the wall. "You've already pinned me to the wall with your sword, and you're still asking that?"

"That's a fair point."

Li Zhexian used his sword to flick aside Black Crow's cloak. The black cloth fell to the floor, revealing a face about thirty years old, with an old scar on the left cheek.

"You don't intend to kill me?"

"The strongest fighter hasn't arrived yet."

"Then what am I to you?"

"A wooden post for testing my sword."

The old scar on Black Crow's face shifted as he drew breath. Outside the door, a man shouted an order.

"Hand over the fragment, come out of the ruins, and submit to an inspection by Spirit Hall!"

Li Zhexian bent down, picked up the Soul Ring replacement voucher fragment, and put it in his storage bag.

"What happens after the inspection?"

"If there's no problem, naturally, you'll be allowed to leave."

Black Crow coughed up a mouthful of blood. "He's lying to you. If they can't take you away, they'll kill you."

"Does Spirit Hall always rely on deception to handle things?"

"Talk about that after you manage to get out alive."

A red-robed deacon stood in the doorway. Behind him, sixteen Soul Masters were spread out in the passage, with two Soul Ancestors stationed closer to the front.

"I am Luo Yue, a deacon of the Heaven Dou branch hall. Hand over the fragment, and I'll take you back to Spirit Hall for examination."

"After I hand it over, could you beat me up first?"

Luo Yue looked at him.

"Seize him."

A serpent of fire surged forward along the flagstones, vines wrapped around Li Zhexian's legs, and wind blades sealed off the passage.

Li Zhexian stood where he was without dodging, and the attacks struck his body.

The shield value kept dropping, and a black orb of light rolled to his feet.

"Why didn't he dodge?"

"Don't ask, keep attacking!"

A second wave of flames pressed in, and the vines dragged Li Zhexian down onto one knee. A wind blade passed along his waist, and blood dripped onto the flagstones.

"Accumulated damage has reached the black prize pool threshold."

Li Zhexian nudged the nearby orb with his foot. "Finally, they're not all giving me fruit."

Luo Yue drew his saber.

"You think we don't have the nerve to kill you?"

"You want the fragment, not my life."

"Hold him down."

The black orb split open, releasing the fragrance of wine, and a thin booklet fell into Li Zhexian's palm.

"Drunken Immortal Brewing Technique."

The Drunken Immortal Wine Pot flew out from his chest and absorbed the wine vapors inside the ruins. The patterns on the pot became a little clearer as a result.

"You can eat things too?"

The pot made a sound, and the wine vapors flowed into it even faster.

Luo Yue raised his hand and pointed at the burly man beside him.

"Zhou Lie, you take him."

Four Soul Rings rose around Zhou Lie: yellow, yellow, purple, purple.

"Zhou Lie, a level forty-three Soul Ancestor. Get on your knees."

"Do you hit hard?"

"I'll keep hitting you until you kneel."

Li Zhexian took the Azure Lotus Sword in hand.

"Then come on."

Rock armor covered Zhou Lie's body, and both fists drove straight forward.

A fist struck Li Zhexian in the chest, deducting 3,600 points from his shield, and a black orb fell between them.

Another punch followed, deducting 7,900 shield points.

"Keep going."

Zhou Lie's third Soul Ring lit up, and the rock armor spread to his shoulders. The wind from his swinging fists scattered the wine mist.

Li Zhexian moved to the side, avoiding the direct blow, but the wind from the punch still struck his shoulder and sent him crashing into a stone pillar.

16,000 shield points were deducted.

"The high concentrated damage record has increased."

Li Zhexian wiped the blood from his mouth. "You're more useful than they are."

Zhou Lie came at him swinging, and the Azure Lotus Sword stabbed out of the wine mist.

"Viewing the Sword While Drunk."

The sword tip pried into a gap in the rock armor, forcing Zhou Lie's arm to the side, and his shoulder armor shattered next.

The back of the sword swept into a Soul Master blocking the way, sending him staggering backward.

After the wine mist covered the stone chamber, Luo Yue's subordinates fell into disarray. Sword light flashed through the mist again and again, striking armor and Martial Souls.

Luo Yue swung his saber, cleaving the wine mist apart. Li Zhexian moved close to the blade and flicked upward. The blade was deflected, and the saber cut his arm.

"How dare you injure a Spirit Hall deacon!"

"Seventeen of you surrounded me, and you still think I haven't been standing here taking your attacks?"

Luo Yue looked at his fallen subordinates, and his fourth Soul Ring, a black one, rose.

His long saber glowed red, and the stone chamber began to shake.

"Fourth Soul Skill."

Zhou Lie turned his head and shouted, "Deacon, the ruins are about to collapse!"

"Even if the ruins collapse, we must keep him here!"

Li Zhexian returned his sword to its sheath. The Drunken Immortal Wine Pot rose above his head, and green wine mist curled around the sheath.

"Will the damage from this strike be enough?"

Luo Yue charged at him, swinging his saber.

"Blood Blade Seals the Gate!"

Red saber light pressed down, and Li Zhexian raised his sword to meet it.

The shield value changed in rapid succession, cracks in the flagstones extended all the way to his feet, and a black orb rolled into the rubble.

Luo Yue gripped his saber and continued pressing down.

"Kneel!"

Li Zhexian braced himself against his sword and stood up. "What kind of prize pool would that strike count for?"

A system notification rang out in his sea of consciousness.

"High-quality prize pool critical hit chance detected. Consume a luck check?"

Li Zhexian watched the red light pressing down on him.

"Consume it."

A wisp of dark red light had appeared above the black prize pool.