Su Rou

Wang Lei's brows knitted tightly. He could not quite see through the man before him.

Among the Four Great Clans, the Huangpu Clan had always kept the lowest profile. They rarely took part in the dynasty's disputes, only quietly managing their own forces.

The Huangpu Clan's low profile meant Wang Lei had never regarded them as a potential opponent. In his eyes, the Lin Clan, who pressed forward with sharp ambition, posed the greatest threat.

"Huangpu Sheng, she and I are already locked in a fight to the death. You'd better think this through!"

In the face of Wang Lei's threat, Huangpu Sheng's expression did not change. Though he said nothing, he made his stance clear through his actions.

Wang Lei's face darkened. "It seems you mean to make an enemy of me."

"Fine. Then I'll let you see the gap between those in the Nirvana Realm!"

He pushed the Nirvana Golden Body to its limit. Golden light flickered over the surface of his body, and his entire form brimmed with surging power.

The next instant, Wang Lei shot forward, his radiant fist smashing down toward Huangpu Sheng.

Huangpu Sheng likewise unleashed the Nirvana Golden Body and moved to meet him, clashing with him in battle.

Bang! Bang!

In the sky, the two Nirvana Realm experts turned into two streaks of golden light that flashed incessantly. Their fists and palms, hard as metal, collided again and again, accompanied by booming rumbles that stirred up a powerful energy storm around them.

Mu Zi's eyes narrowed slightly. As expected, Nirvana Realm experts were formidable. The aftershocks of such a clash alone could put even someone at the peak of the Creation Realm at risk of falling.

Boom!

After an all-out exchange, both men shot backward, stepping dozens of times through the air before stabilizing themselves.

Wang Lei raised his head, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at Huangpu Sheng.

"Your strength..."

He had thought he could hold an absolute advantage in the exchange. However, judging from the power coming from the other side, Huangpu Sheng's strength was not the slightest bit inferior to his own.

"How did he become so much stronger!"

A smile appeared on Huangpu Sheng's face. He was quite satisfied with this result.

Not long ago, Ling Qingzhu had left some Nirvana Pills with the Huangpu Clan. Although Huangpu Sheng had not had time to refine them all, they had still raised his strength considerably, and he was no weaker than Wang Lei.

Strength brought confidence. From now on, perhaps the Huangpu Clan could afford to be a little more high-profile.

"Heh, Wang Lei, withdraw. With me here, you won't be able to touch her."

Wang Lei's expression was extremely ugly. Even without Huangpu Sheng, he would not have been able to take down Mu Zi in a short while. Now, with the other party protecting her to the death, he had no chance at all.

However, withdrawing just like this left him far too unwilling. That woman had practically wiped out the Wang Clan!

What was even more ridiculous was that after Wang Lei returned to the clan, he had not seen much hatred in the eyes of those clansmen. One by one, they had forgotten their blood feud.

There were even a few people who secretly began to admire that woman in private, as if they had already become her supporters!

They even said incomprehensible things like, "Clan Chief, let it go!" and "Endure a moment, and the winds and waves calm; take a step back, and the world opens wide."

Although the Wang Clan's people had not all died, how was the current situation any different from being wiped out!

"Huangpu Sheng, get out of the way. I'm going to kill her!"

Wang Lei roared in fury, erupting with all his strength without holding anything back. He wanted to bypass Huangpu Sheng and attack Mu Zi behind him.

However, Huangpu Sheng gritted his teeth and withstood the pressure. Under his desperate obstruction, he simply did not let Wang Lei cross even half a step.

Mu Zi looked at Wang Lei, who seemed somewhat driven into a corner, and a faint smile appeared on her face. It actually felt rather amusing.

Still, that fellow had been shouting about beating and killing her this whole time. She could not pretend she had not seen it.

A cold smile tugged at the corner of Mu Zi's mouth. With a wave of her fair hand, several thousand Nirvana Pills transformed into an energy torrent and poured into the Heavenly Net Umbrella.

Four Lifebound Spirit Symbols flew out from her Niwan Palace and fused into it. Relying on the connection between the Lifebound Spirit Treasure and its true body, that powerful energy was brought under control.

With a slight movement of Mu Zi's thoughts, the Heavenly Net Umbrella instantly turned into a black streak that sped out, arriving in the battlefield where the two Nirvana Realm experts were locked in fierce combat.

Her jade finger tapped the air. The spirit array within the Heavenly Net Umbrella was activated, and dazzling lights lit up one after another. Dao Patterns dropped down from beneath the opened umbrella canopy, transforming into chains that wound toward Wang Lei.

"What is this thing!"

Wang Lei was in the middle of a fierce clash with Huangpu Sheng and had little spare strength to dodge Mu Zi's attack. He was immediately entangled by those Dao Pattern chains.

A powerful suppressive force erupted. Wang Lei was horrified to discover that the circulation of essence power within his body had grown somewhat sluggish.

Wang Lei hurriedly exerted his strength, trying to break free of the chains, but Dao Patterns activated by the energy of several thousand Nirvana Pills were not so easily destroyed.

Golden light around Wang Lei suddenly burst out, dazzling and brilliant, as he pushed the Nirvana Golden Body to its utmost. Only after using all his strength did he finally manage to break free.

However, the moment Wang Lei escaped the bindings, before he could adjust his state, Huangpu Sheng seized the opportunity and struck him hard on his body.

"Pfft!"

After taking a Nirvana Realm punch head-on, Wang Lei instantly sprayed out a mouthful of fresh blood, and his body flew backward.

"Keep going!"

Mu Zi shouted, signaling Huangpu Sheng to continue cooperating. The latter understood and immediately chased after Wang Lei as he flew back, giving him no chance to catch his breath.

Several thousand Nirvana Pills were thrown out again. That extravagant posture made Huangpu Sheng's cheek twitch, and he inwardly cried out that she was a spendthrift.

It was just a fight, yet she was using so many Nirvana Pills. What a waste. How nice would it be if she gave them to me!

Although Huangpu Sheng grumbled inwardly, his movements did not falter in the slightest. Taking advantage of Wang Lei's lost initiative, he pressed him in a relentless assault and suppressed him tightly.

The Heavenly Net Umbrella closed in again. Locks of Dao Patterns surged out like spirit snakes, twisting and circling as they carried majestic power and fiercely suppressed Wang Lei.

After the previous lesson, Wang Lei did not dare be careless and had no choice but to divide his attention to deal with those chains.

However, he was still fighting Huangpu Sheng. While distracted, he inevitably exposed flaw after flaw, and Huangpu Sheng battered him violently, making his blood and qi churn fiercely.

Mu Zi looked at Wang Lei's wretched appearance, and a wave of satisfaction surged in her heart. Did he really think she was easy to bully?

"Try this!"

A cold glint flashed in Mu Zi's eyes. Her figure turned into a streak of light, instantly appearing before Wang Lei.

With a summoning gesture, the Heavenly Net Umbrella closed and fell into her hand. A ruthless look flashed through Mu Zi's eyes. She raised a slender yet powerful arm, as if swinging a heavy black cudgel, and smashed it fiercely toward Wang Lei's head.

Clang!

When the Heavenly Net Umbrella collided with the Nirvana Golden Body, it was like striking a golden bell, producing a deafening clash of metal.

Wang Lei was smashed until his head spun and his vision blurred. The impact sent him flying backward, his golden-glowing body spinning uncontrollably through the air.

Mu Zi pressed her advantage. Her jade hand gripped the Heavenly Net Umbrella as she rushed before Wang Lei and swung it viciously at his head.

In his desperation, Wang Lei raised an arm and braced it before his head, taking Mu Zi's attack.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Mu Zi's Jade Arm swung again and again, smashing down on Wang Lei's arm one blow after another. The powerful pressure of the Heavenly Net Umbrella caused ripples to appear in the nearby space.

"Pfft!"

Wang Lei could not withstand the violent impact and suddenly sprayed out a mouthful of blood.

Mu Zi flashed aside to avoid the splattering blood, then raised the heavy black umbrella in her hand high. Brilliant, dazzling Rosy Clouds bloomed from her body. She gathered all the strength in her body and smashed down heavily without mercy.

Bang!

A deafening boom echoed between heaven and earth as power as heavy as a mountain erupted. Wang Lei's figure rapidly plummeted from the air like a meteor streaking across the sky, finally smashing into the ground at an astonishing speed.

Boom!

Along with a tremor that shook the earth and mountains, dust flew up, and a huge meteor crater instantly appeared in the ground.

"Gulp."

Looking at this violent scene, Huangpu Sheng, off to the side, could not help swallowing. Then, with a complicated gaze, he sized up the slender figure in the sky.

This was the gentle, kind, powerful, and reliable friend Xiao Jing spoke of?

The smoke and dust on the ground dispersed, and Wang Lei's battered figure appeared before the two of them.

At this moment, his body was already drenched in bright red blood, and even his eyes had grown somewhat unfocused. What shocked people most was that a sizable gap had actually been forcibly smashed into the Nirvana Golden Body on his arm.

"Kill him!"

Mu Zi's figure swiftly charged toward the ground. Huangpu Sheng hesitated for an instant before chasing after her as well. His speed was even faster, and after a moment, he overtook Mu Zi and rushed ahead.

Wang Lei struggled to stand. Looking at the two spots of light coming straight at him, madness flickered in his eyes.

"You want to kill me? Then die with me!"

Before his voice had even fallen, dazzling light suddenly erupted from his body. An incomparably intense energy fluctuation appeared all at once, and the nearby Heaven and Earth Essence Power began to boil along with it.

"Not good, he's going to self-destruct!"

A look of horror flashed through Huangpu Sheng's eyes. The next instant, he retreated explosively, frantically distancing himself from Wang Lei.

The self-destruction of a Nirvana Realm expert pouring out all their energy was terrifyingly powerful. At the very least, Huangpu Sheng had no confidence in withstanding it.

If he were caught at close range, even if he did not die, he would be severely wounded!

Mu Zi's heart also tightened. She stopped her forward rush, and the Heavenly Net Umbrella swiftly opened, protecting her firmly behind it.

Boom!

A loud explosion sounded, and powerful energy fluctuations erupted. However, what left the two of them somewhat surprised was that the expected impact did not appear.

Their gazes turned over and discovered that a long trench had been plowed into the ground. Looking again, they saw a streak of light swiftly fleeing into the distant horizon.

"That brat! Wang Lei actually ran!"

A stunned look appeared in Huangpu Sheng's eyes. Wang Lei's gaze had been far too crazed just now, so he had not suspected that the other party was bluffing. He had not expected his acting to be so lifelike.

Mu Zi was not too surprised. She had also anticipated this possibility, but she had no need to gamble. Risking her life against a Nirvana Realm expert was far too not worth it.

Huangpu Sheng did not dwell on it for too long either. He had never expected to be able to kill Wang Lei in the first place. This could be considered having accomplished the purpose of his trip.

"Many thanks for Your Excellency's assistance!"

Mu Zi cupped her fists and gave him a salute. If the other party had not appeared, although she could have escaped, it would not have been this easy.

Moreover, the Huangpu Clan's intervention this time could be called timely help in a snowstorm. They did not know that Mu Zi still had a Trump Card capable of threatening Wang Lei, but had already prepared to fight the other side to the end.

This time, driving off Wang Lei meant completely offending him to death. Mu Zi was about to leave the Great Yan Dynasty, so it did not matter to her, but the Huangpu Clan would probably have to endure some of Wang Lei's retaliation.

They would rather pay such a great price to protect Mu Zi. This gave her quite a good impression of the Huangpu Clan.

Facing Mu Zi's thanks, Huangpu Sheng smiled faintly. He did not use the favor to demand repayment, but spoke in a gentle tone:

"Little friend, Jing'er has missed you terribly. If you have time, why not come to my Huangpu Clan for a visit?"

Thinking of that silver-haired beauty, Mu Zi could not help smiling knowingly.

When she spent time with Huangpu Jing, she felt very comfortable.

Huangpu Jing could be counted as one of Mu Zi's few friends. If there was a chance, she could look after her a little.

Seeing that Mu Zi had a good impression of Huangpu Jing, a smile surfaced on Huangpu Sheng's face. He nodded to Mu Zi, then turned and left.

Mu Zi chuckled softly. Then she adjusted her direction and turned into a streak of light, flying toward the horizon.

Great Qing Dynasty

As a dynasty adjacent to the Great Yan Dynasty, there was some contact between the two.

However, the Great Qing Dynasty was an intermediate dynasty, and its strength far surpassed that of the Great Yan Dynasty. Therefore, such contact could not be considered frequent.

More often, people from the Great Yan Dynasty took the initiative to head to the Great Qing Dynasty in search of benefits and opportunities.

Mu Zi had already been in the Great Qing Dynasty for five months, and she had deeply experienced its prosperity.

First of all, the Great Qing Dynasty's territory was vast, several times larger than Great Yan's.

At the same time, the strength of the experts they possessed was not something the latter could compare to.

According to the information Mu Zi had learned, the ruler of the Great Qing Dynasty's imperial family was a Five Yuan Nirvana expert.

Aside from the imperial family, the Great Qing Dynasty had clans everywhere, flourishing sects, and numerous powerful forces.

The strength of the Great Yan Dynasty's Four Great Clans could only be considered first-rate here. They could not be called top-tier at all.

Almost every large city in the dynasty was on a scale no inferior to King City or Lin City. Compared to them, Flame City was simply a poor backwater.

In addition, the Great Qing Dynasty's martial culture was especially prevalent.

During her travels, Mu Zi often witnessed all kinds of intense fighting scenes. On several occasions, she even saw Nirvana Realm experts fight in earnest.

Some blind fools set their sights on Mu Zi and were easily killed by her, their ashes scattered.

The Great Qing Dynasty's resources were also richer. During this period, Mu Zi frequented various auctions and used Nirvana Pills to buy some materials for refining Earth Rank Spirit Treasures.

She had many Earth Rank Spirit Treasures, but she was still somewhat lacking in refining materials.

It was like the alchemists of the neighboring Douqi Continent. Their skill needed to be practiced with large amounts of medicinal ingredients.

Artifact refiners were the same. If they wanted to raise their refining level, they could not do without a large amount of practical accumulation.

If Mu Zi wanted to raise the rank of her Lifebound Spirit Treasure, she had to raise her artifact-refining level.

Do not forget that although the Heavenly Net Umbrella was no weaker than an Earth Rank Spirit Treasure, and its defensive power was even comparable to Heaven Rank, it was currently still only an Advanced Spirit Treasure.

It was just a little bit stronger than other Advanced Spirit Treasures.

After five months of traveling, Mu Zi arrived at the Great Qing Dynasty's Imperial City.

As the core city of the Great Qing Dynasty, the Imperial City gathered countless experts.

Walking down the main street, if one smacked down a brick, one could hit several Qi Creation Realm cultivators. Creation Realm cultivators could be seen everywhere. Even Nirvana Realm experts, who were like elusive dragons in the Great Yan Dynasty, Mu Zi saw quite a few of them.

"It really is prosperous!"

Mu Zi sighed. An intermediate dynasty was already this prosperous. She really did not know what sort of scene those advanced, or even super dynasties, would present.

"Older Sister must have it very hard in the Immortal Dynasty..."

As a super dynasty ranked in the top ten of the Eastern Xuan Region, the Immortal Dynasty's strength could be called terrifying, and was even no weaker than some of the weakest super sects.

Experts there had to be as numerous as clouds. With Mu Lingsha's weak cultivation, mingling among them might bring no small amount of pressure.

Recalling that vigorous figure who had shed sweat every day on the Back Mountain of Mu Family Village, Mu Zi could not help feeling somewhat pained.

She did not need Mu Lingsha to become some extraordinary expert. As long as she was happy every day, that was enough.

With countless thoughts in her heart, Mu Zi strolled along the streets of the Imperial City. Before she knew it, people were crowding around her.

Suddenly, a burst of clamor rang out, and discussion entered Mu Zi's ears.

"Hurry up! If we're late, there won't be a chance!"

"What good thing is this? Why the rush?"

"Someone set up an arena up ahead. As long as you go on stage to challenge, you can get ten Nirvana Pills!"

"Not only that, if anyone can defeat the arena master, they'll directly receive a reward of one hundred thousand Nirvana Pills!"

"My heavens! With such a high reward, the arena master must be very strong, right?"

"Tsk, tsk, that's the interesting part. That arena master is only a girl in her teens. She looks soft and weak, easy to bully."

"She's only in her teens. How strong can she be? Isn't this just giving away Nirvana Pills?"

"Exactly. Let's hurry. If we wait, someone else will win the reward!"

"Go, go, go!"

Mu Zi's heart stirred, and she became somewhat interested. After all, one hundred thousand Nirvana Pills—if she did not take them, it would be a waste.

After cultivating during this period, she finally understood just how precious Nirvana Pills were.

At first, Mu Zi had thought the three million Nirvana Pills she had obtained from the Great Desolate Ancient Tablet would be enough to cultivate to the Nirvana Realm.

For ordinary people, three million Nirvana Pills would be more than enough, let alone cultivating from the Qi Creation Realm to the Nirvana Realm—even after breaking through to Nirvana, it would still be ample for enduring one or two more Nirvana Tribulations.

But as she continued cultivating, Mu Zi realized she had been too naive.

After cultivating the Great Desolate Saint Transformation Art, Mu Zi's physical strength had improved tremendously. Whether it was her muscles, bones, skin, Dantian, or Meridians, all had been greatly reinforced.

It was precisely because of this that she could rely on the strength of minor accomplishment in the Qi Creation Realm to unleash combat power at the peak of the Creation Realm.

If she had not cultivated this Heavenly-tier body-refining martial art, Mu Zi could at most have used Yuan Power to execute "One Finger Judges Life and Death." If she used Essence Spirit Power, her body simply would not be able to withstand that kind of explosive force.

Cultivating the Great Desolate Saint Transformation Art had not only granted Mu Zi an astonishing physique, it also meant her demand for cultivation resources far exceeded the norm.

Originally, Mu Zi's Yuan Power quality already surpassed ordinary people's, and the resources she consumed were greater as well. Now, with the bottomless pit that was the "Great Desolate Saint Transformation Art" added on top, the resources her cultivation consumed could only be described as terrifying!

In the five months since arriving in the Great Qing Dynasty, Mu Zi had successfully broken through to Great Accomplishment of Qi Creation Realm. However, the number of Nirvana Pills she had refined had actually reached as many as three hundred thousand!

Calculated according to this rate of consumption, the three million Nirvana Pills she possessed were simply not enough for her to cultivate to the Nirvana Realm.

So, now that there was an opportunity to "pick up" Nirvana Pills for free, Mu Zi would not let it slip by so easily.

One hundred thousand Nirvana Pills was no small sum either. The entire Lin Clan might not even be able to produce it, which made her unable to help sighing that the Great Qing Dynasty really was rich!

Mu Zi followed the crowd and soon arrived before a plaza.

At the center of the plaza stood a huge arena. Judging from the material of the arena, it was enough to withstand attacks below the Nirvana Realm.

Mu Zi looked up. At that moment, a young girl in green was standing on the arena.

The girl looked about seventeen or eighteen. Her appearance was quite delicate and beautiful, a rare beauty. She had a petite figure, comparable to Qing Tan.

The girl stood on the arena, her large, watery eyes timidly sizing up the vast crowd below the stage. From time to time, a trace of nervousness appeared in her dark pupils.

However, relying on her keen Spiritual Power, Mu Zi sensed a powerful energy fluctuation from that young girl, one that surpassed the Creation Realm.

Mu Zi was somewhat surprised. This young girl, so young in age, was actually a Half-Step Nirvana expert!