Night Raven Tower Mystic Shadow

The chaos at the training grounds outside Lanting Holy City was like spilled hot oil. One moment, cheers of "Long live Oirat!" shook the heavens, and the next, they turned into a cacophony of screams.

Scarlet blood splattered on the bluestone stands, and white mist mixed with poisonous smoke drifted, making even the air smell faintly sweet and metallic. What had been a grand celebration of the nation's three hundredth anniversary just moments before had devolved into a slaughterhouse littered with corpses.

Lin Zhao huddled in the crowd, his gaze fixed on the three figures locked in fierce combat at the center of the arena.

Baxia stood bare-chested, his bronze muscles crisscrossed with wounds deep enough to expose bone. The dark brown True Qi swirling around him, though somewhat diminished, still resembled an unshakeable mountain of Mystic Iron.

Opposite him, the Ministry of War's Vice Minister wore Mystic Iron armor weighing fifty pounds. The Ring-pommel Sword in his hand was imbued with condensed Innate True Qi, and every slash produced a "hissing" sound as it tore through the air, capable of easily cleaving a wooden pillar as thick as a bowl. Then there was the person completely shrouded in black night-traveling attire, their movement so swift they were little more than a blur – it was "Mystic Shadow," one of the five Grandmaster Warriors from the notorious assassin organization "Night Raven Tower" within Great Ming.

"It's that old bastard!" Lin Zhao's fingertips clenched, his knuckles turning white. He remembered how Zhao Tieying had been heavily injured by Tieshan back then, and the organization behind Tieshan was Night Raven Tower. This Mystic Shadow was most likely connected to those events.

A surge of anger instantly flared in his chest, making him wish he could rush forward and tear apart this cowardly, hidden rat with the Eagle Claw Force of his Green Falcon Technique.

But he quickly suppressed the impulse. The image of Baxia bare-handed confronting the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon was still fresh in his mind. The Blood Essence pressure of a Heavenly Gang Realm Grandmaster Warrior was something a Peak Martial Master could not withstand.

Even if Mystic Shadow exposed a flaw due to distraction, Lin Zhao rushing forward would only be serving himself up as a meal.

"Wait a little longer, now is not the time." Lin Zhao gritted his teeth, his gaze shifting to the side entrance on the west side of the training grounds, the only exit not blocked by the rebels.

"Brother Lin, I'm leaving first!" Li Yue suddenly squeezed through from beside him, his voice trembling. He held a damp piece of cloth to his mouth and nose. "This situation is out of control. The rebels' poison smoke is getting thicker; if we stay any longer, something bad will happen! If you can get away, come find me at the Xuan Yao Pavilion branch in the central district!" As soon as he finished speaking, he joined the fleeing crowd pushing towards the side door and disappeared into the chaotic throng in an instant.

Lin Zhao didn't move. He reached into his robes and pulled out a prepared Rakshasa mask, putting it on. It was custom-made to conceal his face and block some of the poisonous smoke.

Holding his breath, he used the crowd as cover, crouching low as he moved towards the Pangolin Dragon corpse by the edge of the arena. "Damn it, if I had known the rebels would cause trouble, I wouldn't have come to this mess."

He cursed under his breath, but his heart was not panicked. With his current cultivation as a Peak Martial Master, escaping was not difficult. However, there was still a major matter related to his cultivation that he hadn't accomplished.

His gaze fell upon the corpse of the Mystic Armored Pangolin Dragon by the arena's edge.

Baxia had torn a mouth-sized hole in the Pangolin Dragon's neck, exposing its dark golden Dragon Salivary Gland. The Dragon Essence condensed within the gland glowed faintly in the dim light.

This was a crucial ingredient for refining the "Mystic Dragon Secret Medicine" to break through to the Peak Martial Master realm. Missing this chance, he didn't know how long it would take to gather so much Dragon Essence again.

"I need to wait for an opportunity." Lin Zhao narrowed his eyes, staring at the battle unfolding in the center of the arena.

Although Baxia had been struck by the rebels' "Heart-Rotting Grass" poison, his foundation as a Peak Grandmaster Warrior remained. His fists smashed the ground, creating spiderweb-like cracks, forcing the Ministry of War's Vice Minister and Mystic Shadow into a dead-end corner in the northeast of the training grounds.

The expressions of the two men were grim. They clearly hadn't expected that a poisoned and injured Baxia could still unleash such terrifying combat power.

Just then, a man in rebel attire suddenly charged forward, swinging a rusty saber at Lin Zhao's back. "Take off your mask! Otherwise, you're a rebel accomplice, and by Oirat law, you will be killed without mercy!"

Lin Zhao's eyes turned cold. His body dodged the blade like a cat, and simultaneously, his palms, infused with Mystic Dragon True Qi, struck the man's chest like lightning.

With a crisp "crack," the man's ribs snapped. He spat out a mouthful of black blood, convulsed twice on the ground, and then lay still.

The surrounding people were too busy fleeing to notice this brief skirmish. Lin Zhao wiped the blood from his hands and continued to watch the Pangolin Dragon corpse, patiently waiting for the opportune moment.

He even took the time to glance at the VIP stands on the top floor. The Minister of Revenue, Ling Song, was being escorted by two Peak Martial Master guards, heading towards a secret passage beneath the stands.

It seemed that old man was afraid and didn't dare return to his manor with the rebels causing chaos outside.

"What a shame, no chance to find that Venerable Dragon Yuan Divine Statue." A trace of regret flickered through Lin Zhao's mind, but he quickly refocused. The Pangolin Dragon's Dragon Essence was more important right now. He would have plenty of opportunities to settle the score with Ling Song later.

Finally, the battle in the center of the arena underwent a drastic change!

Baxia let out a furious roar, his fists, wrapped in the remaining dark brown True Qi, smashing hard into Mystic Shadow's left shoulder.

With a dull "thump," Mystic Shadow flew out like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily against the Mystic Iron railing. A mouthful of black blood splattered on the railing, instantly dyeing half of it red.

The Ministry of War's Vice Minister attempted to move forward to assist, but Baxia kicked him in the chest. The Mystic Iron armor dented inward, sending him staggering back several steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

"Now's the time!"

Lin Zhao's eyes sharpened. He pulled a short knife quenched with Cold Iron from his boot shaft. Using the crowd as cover, he swiftly climbed the waist-high Mystic Iron railing.

He flipped over and landed in the arena, rushing to the Pangolin Dragon's corpse in a few strides. He placed his left hand on the slippery dragon scales to steady himself and with his right hand, swiftly cut off the Pangolin Dragon's Salivary Gland. The gland was the size of a fist, and dark golden Dragon Essence was still slowly seeping out. He quickly took out a cloth bag, wrapped the gland tightly, and tucked it into his robes.

Just as he was about to turn and run towards the side door, a bone-chilling coldness suddenly washed over him from behind, like an ice pick pressed against his back!

"Little thief, how dare you steal from this old man!"

Mystic Shadow's voice was like a viper's hiss, cold and sharp.

Lin Zhao's hair stood on end. The "Intuitive Awareness" of his Blood Poison Spider Technique screamed a warning. He could even clearly feel a highly condensed Mystic Iron dagger poisoned to the extreme being shot towards his back!

The speed was too fast; there was no time to dodge!

"Heart Guardian Seal!"

Lin Zhao formed a hand seal almost instinctively. The Radiant Crystal powder hidden in his palm instantly exploded, and a faint white True Qi shield enveloped his back.

"Pfft!" The Mystic Iron dagger struck the shield, which dissipated like foam, but the dagger's speed slowed slightly.

"Mystic Dragon Protective Aura!"

Lin Zhao dared not hesitate. The Mystic Dragon True Qi on his back surged madly, forming a thick layer of Protective Aura armor on his body's surface.

At the same time, the Dragon Pattern Armor and Chainmail on his body tightened instantly. With a "crack," the back of the Dragon Pattern Armor was directly pierced by the dagger, and the rings of the Chainmail cracked in several places. Finally, the dagger became embedded in the Protective Aura, wrapped by layers of True Qi, and finally stopped. The poison on the blade was also dissolved by the True Qi.

Lin Zhao used this brief buffer to flip over the Mystic Iron railing and dive into the chaotic crowd. In just a few leaps, he rushed out the side door and disappeared into the alleys of Yingtian Prefecture's outer city. The entire process took less than three seconds!

Mystic Shadow stood in place, staring in the direction Lin Zhao had vanished, his eyes filled with disbelief. "How is this possible? A Peak Martial Master, to actually withstand my 'Mystic Poison Dagger'?" He was about to give chase when Baxia's fist, carrying a whistling sound, smashed towards him!

"Fighting with me, and you dare get distracted?" Baxia's voice was filled with rage. The dark brown True Qi around him erupted again, and one punch sent Mystic Shadow flying backward once more, crashing heavily onto the ground. "You Night Raven Tower scum, who gave you the guts to get distracted!"

Mystic Shadow clutched his chest, spitting black blood onto the ground. He struggled to get up. He knew that if he continued fighting, he would lose. He quickly shouted to the Ministry of War's Vice Minister, "Retreat! Baxia is fighting like a madman. If we don't leave, we'll all die here!"

Although the Ministry of War's Vice Minister was unwilling, he looked at Baxia's murderous glare and could only grit his teeth and nod. The two of them, along with the remaining rebels, fled through the secret passage beneath the stands in a sorry state.

Baxia stood in place, covered in blood, like a God of War who had crawled from hell.

The rebels around him held bows and arrows, but not a single one dared to shoot—Baxia's roar moments ago had sent over a dozen arrows flying and killed two rebels. No one wanted to be the first to die.

"A bunch of trash, you dare to jump around in front of me?" Baxia sneered, reaching out to grab the fine iron railing. With a violent tug, he tore the bowl-thick fine iron railing into two pieces with a loud "crash!"

He leaped up, stepping on the stone stairs of the viewing platform, and chased in the direction the Ministry of War official had fled. His speed was so great that only a dark brown afterimage remained.

At the same time, Lin Zhao stopped in a deserted alley outside the outer city of Lanting Holy City, leaning against the mottled brick wall and gasping for breath. His back still ached faintly. If it hadn't been for the dual protection of the Heart Guardian Seal and the Mystic Dragon Aura, he would have been stabbed through the heart by the poisoned short knife.

"Fortunately, I'm lucky," Lin Zhao wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and took out the coarse cloth bag from his embrace, opening it carefully. The Dragon Yuan gland inside was intact. He pried open the gland and counted the Dragon Yuan condensed within. His eyes lit up instantly: "A full thirty portions! This is a huge profit, enough to refine 300 Mystic Dragon Secret Medicines to break through to the Heavenly Gang Realm!"

He carefully put the Dragon Yuan away, stuffing it into his inner pocket, but felt no relief. The strength of the Mystic Shadow had thoroughly alerted him: "Grandmaster Warriors of the Heavenly Gang Realm are indeed terrifying. From now on, I must be even more careful when encountering opponents of this level. I absolutely cannot confront them head-on before breaking through to the Heavenly Gang Realm."