"Let's wait a bit. We've passed this section, and there are fewer towns along the way. Surely the princess won't have friends deep in the mountains and forests by then?" Zhang Rongfang comforted her.
The group smiled but didn't respond.
Daozi can joke with the princess because their statuses are not too different.
But they can't.
The group ate wild boar meat in silence when suddenly the sound of clothes fluttering drifted from not far away.
Immediately following was a chorus of voices paying homage to the princess.
"She's back," Zhang Rongfang joked. "It seems we all need to talk to her more. Perhaps it was because we talked so much that the princess heard us and came back."
"What Daozi said is absolutely right," A Yi said with a smile.
He also wanted to arrive in Citong as soon as possible and find a comfortable place to relax.
After a quick meal, Zhang Rongfang got up, found a dark spot to sit and rest.
At the same time, he also used the Attribute Points he had just obtained to make up for the previous two points and put them all into the Illusory Image Talisman Method.
Without a sound, the three attribute points transformed into countless fine sand-like streams of air, appearing out of thin air within his body and then spreading throughout his entire body.
Zhang Rongfang could clearly feel that his body weight was increasing and his density was also increasing.
The enhancement produced by this External Medicine stimulation is similar to the systemic enhancement brought about by Entering the Ranks that Breaking Limits drug use.
He now understood why martial arts masters would improve so much after Super Grade.
Looking at the Attribute Panel, the description after the Illusory Image Talisman Method has changed from three External Medicine to four External Medicine.
Zhang Rongfang had been holding back his time because of the princess, and he vented some of his frustration.
This feeling of being able to become stronger every moment made him feel quite comfortable.
***On a slope more than a mile away from the convoy.
Several Shadow stood motionless, gazing at the firelight on the road in the distance.
"It took so long to arrive. What a waste of my time."
The leader's voice was gloomy and dissatisfied, clearly annoyed by Princess Yongxiang's indecisiveness.
"Sir, shall we make our move tonight, or wait another day?" the Shadow beside him asked.
They have brought many experts this time; they are a coalition of various forces within the Thousand Sect Alliance.
There were four people in total, and the leader was the Old Man Wang in front of them. He was a master of the Three Voids level of the Super Grade and his mission was to lure Princess Yongxiang away.
The other three, two with Internal Method and one with External Medicine, were all top-tier experts that their respective sects could send out.
Above that are the Three Voids and Grandmasters. These are the kinds of experts that each family is reluctant to send out, for fear of something going wrong.
Moreover, within the Thousand Sect Alliance, such experts mostly stay in their own pools and rarely go out.
It's already an achievement that even one Old Wang could get involved.
"Let's make our move soon, lest something unexpected happens," the old man said coldly. "Our task is to distract Yong Xiang and Zhang Ying's three bodyguards, creating an opportunity for our inside man."
"A few days ago, we received news that Zhang Ying had taken the Super Grade Secret Medicine and had now successfully achieved the Super Grade."
"Shall we proceed according to the original plan?" someone asked in a deep voice.
"It's nothing. It's just an External Medicine that has just broken through. The two internal agents have already reached the level of External Medicine three times, and there are two of them."
"With the combined effects of External Medicine, the gap between the two is enormous, and the battle will be over quickly," the old man replied.
After Super Grade, the External Medicine needs to be taken nine times at intervals. These nine times are equivalent to Ninth Grade, and each time it will comprehensively improve physical fitness.
Each session typically improves physical fitness by about 10%. After nine sessions, almost all physical attributes will double.
In this state, two three-times External Medicine are completely outmatched by one one-time External Medicine that is only of Super Grade.
One attacks from the front, the other from the back; the battle can be ended in a very short time.
"That's good. But Lord Wang, what is Princess Yongxiang's strength? Are you confident you can buy us some time?" another person asked.
Although they acted together, they were ultimately not from the same faction or power, so it was normal for them to ask more questions.
"Why do you think the General Alliance would send this old man to take action?" Lord Wang sneered.
"Originally, we only planned to use one inside agent, but we didn't expect that kid to break through to the Super Grade on the way. In order to be absolutely sure, we had to temporarily use another person to cooperate in the operation."
"Alright, enough talk, let's get started!"
The old man immediately shut his mouth, stepped forward, and his body shot towards the convoy on the Official Road like an arrow.
The others followed closely behind, silently drawing various weapons.
***The convoy was near a campfire.
Zhang Rongfang and his group were having dinner.
"Who!?" Suddenly, someone shouted from outside the convoy.
Immediately following was a series of muffled impacts.
Zhang Rongfang's expression hardened, and he quickly opened his eyes and stood up.
The bonfires on the campsite were the only source of light in the darkness.
Outside the flames of the convoy, all was shadow.
Several Shadow were rapidly flying in from the shadows, seemingly throwing darts or Flying Dagger.
These hidden weapons were quickly knocked down by Princess Yongxiang's chief bodyguard.
Confident in their strength, the group gave chase, and the sounds of fighting echoed through the forest before quickly fading into the distance.
Before the convoy finished its work.
Zhang Rongfang and his group of four also sensed someone rapidly approaching them.
Chen Han suddenly raised his hand and blocked a flying Flying Dagger that came silently with a clang.
Several people suddenly rushed out of the darkness, surrounding Chen Han and A Yi A Er, and attacked with all their might.
Chen Han and the others retaliated, and the two sides clashed hand-to-hand, producing a sound like metal colliding.
"It's the Spirit Vein!!" Chen Han's expression changed, and he shouted a reminder.
He swung his arms wildly, overwhelming his opponents with a fierce barrage of attacks. However, the opponents outnumbered him, and the two of them, working together, managed to block his full-force attack.
Boom! Not far away, a carriage exploded open. Princess Yongxiang and a Black-Clad Elder leaped into the air from the carriage like birds, their arms crossed, their attacks creating thunderous sounds.
The two disappeared into the forest in the blink of an eye, clearly choosing a different location to fight.
Otherwise, the aftershocks from just the two of them alone could have decimated the entire convoy.
The two strongest individuals left, and the rest began to fight individually.
The two Spirit Vein Expert accompanying Princess Yongxiang ignored the others and followed closely behind the princess.
Meanwhile, the caravan guards fought and slashed at the Black-Clad Man, but after only a few exchanges, they were led away into the forest.
Zhang Rongfang looked around and sensed something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He was escorted by three guards and joined the other maids and servants in the caravan to defend him.
Everyone on the outside formed a protective circle, while they stayed inside to receive protection.
In an instant, wherever the firelight illuminated, and wherever it didn't, the sounds of fighting and hacking filled the air.
Some of them had even reached their Limit State, with their blood vessels bulging and looking extremely frightening.
Even so, it couldn't stop the endless stream of Black-Clad Man.
The thinner trees around were broken, and the thicker ones were chipped.
Large pieces of wood chips flew everywhere, and dirt and stones rained down, causing the white bull and the crowd to cry out in pain.
Zhang Rongfang leaned against the carriage, constantly watching the Black-Clad Man around him with vigilance.
The arrival of these Black-Clad Man was sudden and strange. What was their purpose? Were they targeting the princess or him? At this moment, the first thing Zhang Rongfang thought of was the Heavenly Maiden Secret Treasure Key that he was carrying.
If these people came for the Secret Cache Key, then at this moment, beside him, a man and a woman dressed as attendants were nervously watching the Black-Clad Man fighting outside.
Unlike the others, these two appeared to be looking outwards, but their feet were unconsciously moving closer to Zhang Rongfang.
Their eyes occasionally met, and they quietly agreed on a secret signal.
The distance gradually closed.
Five meters.
Four meters.
Three meters.
Buzz.
Suddenly, a very subtle vibration sounded faintly from the side of the group.
"It's artillery! Scatter!!" The captain of the guard suddenly realized and shouted.
But it was too late.
A muffled boom resounded.
The muddy side of the entire convoy was blown apart.
Large amounts of mud and rocks, like pebbles, plunged into the water, splashing out far more mud, sand, and gravel than before.
Amid gasps and screams of terror, the convoy completely dispersed.
In this situation, if they gather together, they become easy targets.
Everyone automatically dispersed and found places to hide.
Startled, the white ox growled and galloped away.
Zhang Rongfang also rushed into the nearest grove of trees on the side immediately.
The accuracy of artillery was not high in this era, so there must have been artillerymen specifically responsible for calibration.
As long as you run out of the artillery's field of vision, you can completely avoid artillery bombardment.
His heart tightened.
I never expected that these Black-Clad Man would actually dare to use artillery!
He hadn't run far when he suddenly stopped.
The Woodland where he was standing was shrouded in darkness, with only slivers of moonlight filtering through the leaves to illuminate a small patch of ground.
"Come out, you two," he said in a deep voice.
Two figures, one in front and one behind, from two directions, seemed to know they could no longer hide, and silently stepped forward.
The two were dressed as guards; the man was tall and masculine, and the woman was slender and pretty. Previously, they had both been close bodyguards of Princess Yongxiang.
But he never expected to be surrounded here.
"Can you tell me why you attacked me?" Zhang Rongfang took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry," the man said coldly. He then carefully looked around, seemingly to make sure no one else was nearby.
"I don't know either of you. I've been cultivating in seclusion at the Heavenly Treasure Palace since I came to Great Capital and have never caused any trouble."
"You should all know that attacking me is attacking Heavenly Treasure Palace. So, can you spare my life? I can offer money," Zhang Rongfang continued.
He could clearly see the Attribute Panel floating above the heads of the two people.
So he really didn't want to fight the two of them.
Two External Medicine Super Grade, one of Third Grade and the other of Fourth Grade. Experts at this level are very strong. If a fight were to break out, it would be very troublesome for one of them to fight alone.
"If you have someone to blame, blame yourself for following the wrong sect and the wrong master!" the man hissed. "Attack!"
Without saying a word, the soil beneath his feet exploded, and his body, using the recoil, shot forward.
"Splitting Gold Scattering Jade - Piercing Cone!"
In an instant, the man's veins bulged and his skin turned red, indicating that he had reached his Limit State.
He clasped his hands together, forming a blood-red cone, and thrust them fiercely into Zhang Rongfang's chest.
At the same time, another woman also stepped forward, her upper body muscles rapidly expanding and enlarging, her arms turning white, like an ice sculpture.
"Splitting gold and scattering jade, frost fills the sky!!"
The woman unleashed a flurry of palm strikes in an instant, which fell like snowflakes behind Zhang Rongfang.
"Pity."
Zhang Rongfang turned slightly to the side.
"You are not Spirit Vein."
In an instant, his face contorted into a ferocious expression, swelled, and his veins bulged all over his body, his 1.9-meter-tall frame instantly growing to two meters.
Just as the two approached, he slightly turned his body to the side.
The two then realized that Zhang Rongfang's hands had already formed a triangular handprint in front of his chest.
Layers of cultivation techniques rapidly appeared and overlapped on his body.
'Limit State: Yin Yang Harmony.'
Limit State: Critical State.
'The Golden Toad Skill has been unleashed and enhanced.'
'Breaking Limit Skill: Shrink Step.'
'Breaking Limit Skill: Yin Stream.'
'Breaking Limit Skill: Heavy Mountain!'
"Heavy Mountain!"
"Heavy Mountain!"
"Heavy Mountain!"
"Heavy Mountain!!"
Countless red lines spread and extended from the edge of Zhang Rongfang's whites, finally converging in his pupils.
His muscles resembled a child's random scribbles, twisting into bizarre lines on his skin.
All the lines are faintly reddish, as if they are about to bleed.
Boom! A flash of lightning, and suddenly the clouds exploded with thunder.
Accompanying the thunderous roar were two massive impacts that occurred almost simultaneously.
In the Woodland, Zhang Rongfang's two-meter-tall body stands like a sculpture.
His long hair was spread out behind him, blown wildly by the wind, and each strand of hair danced like a dense black snake, strange and mysterious.
He simultaneously Breaking Limit Skill both of them head-on with his arms, one in front and one behind.
Between the fist and the palm.
The bodies of the two people in front and behind were trembling.
"Sorry." Zhang Rongfang slowly withdrew his hand. "It's been a long time since I've done this, I'm a little... excited."
"How could you?! How could this be?!" The man trembled more and more violently.
His pupils dilated, revealing disbelief.
He and his junior sister attacked simultaneously against someone who had just broken through to Super Grade External Medicine level. They clearly saw with their own eyes that the other person had just taken the medicine and broken through!!? What's going on!? What's the truth behind all this!? This power has already surpassed the level of ordinary External Medicine, reaching the level of Internal Method!
But... Bang! Bang! In an instant, bloody holes burst open in the backs of both of them.
A large amount of blood and internal organs sprayed out and exploded, splattering onto the ground.
The two knelt down, collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
This is the effect of the Breaking Limit Skill Yin Stream, which allows power to penetrate and strike the enemy's body, achieving the effect of Strike the Cow Through the Mountain.
Without hesitation, Zhang Rongfang turned and left without even glancing at the two of them.
It disappeared into the shadows of the forest in just two seconds.
He had just left.
A voluptuous and alluring figure swiftly passed by, landed, and stood in front of the two fallen corpses.
The figure crouched down, her profile revealed in the moonlight. It was none other than Princess Yongxiang, who had just been fighting someone.
She gently turned the two bodies over and looked at their faces.
"Yuan Hong. Liu Wuye."
A flicker of heartache crossed her eyes. These two were her personal guards who had served her for many years. They were two Super Grade experts assigned to her by the True One Sect a long time ago.
Liu Wuye, who was very close to her, had already reached the fourth level of Super Grade External Medicine. She had originally planned to have her perform the Worship God after a while.
But now... they're all dead.
They all died at the hands of those Black-Clad Man.