319 Pursuit, Part One

"What? Grand Initiation Master Kong He hasn't returned yet?!"

The Fat Monk, inside the cabin, heard his subordinate's report and his expression changed slightly.

"It's been so long, where did the Grand Initiation Master go? Did any of you follow him? What about the people who paid with him?"

His subordinate was covered in sweat and knelt on one knee.

"Sir, the person who paid along with them has also disappeared. We suspect someone targeted the Grand Initiation Master and his group, and many of our men have already been dispatched to investigate."

"Grand Initiation Master Kong He is a master of True Buddha Temple and will definitely be fine, but the others are a different story." The Fat Monk steadied himself. "Go and inform Sea Gazing Temple immediately, and also send someone to this address to deliver a message!"

He handed over a slip of paper with an address written on it.

"Yes! I'll go right away." The subordinate quickly bowed his head, took the note, got up, and left the room.

The Fat Monk stood up in the room and paced back and forth a few times, feeling increasingly uneasy.

Grand Initiation Master Kong He is such a big person with such distinctive physical features, yet he suddenly experienced a problem.

"Perhaps the Grand Initiation Master made his move ahead of time and went to catch those two young women," he consoled himself.

But no matter what excuse he made, given the strength and personality of the Copper Arm Chan Master Kong He, he wouldn't have set out on his own without giving any notice.

The Fat Monk thought about it more and more, and he felt that something was amiss.

He paced around the room a few times, but ultimately couldn't stay.

"No!" He took out a handkerchief and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"I must leave immediately! This place may no longer be safe."

He quickly began tidying up the room.

Although the ship could be set sail immediately and leave the port.

But he didn't want to stay on this ship anymore.

A strong sense of insecurity constantly assaulted his inner emotions.

After quickly packing his things, the Fat Monk hurriedly opened the door and ran down the corridor to the deck.

Only a local like him, who has lived in towns near Citong for many years, would understand just how much the power of the Aloeswood Palace has expanded in Citong in recent years.

It was an exaggerated force that covered the entire port like a giant net. If one was not careful, he would be in trouble. While running, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

There's no one in the hallway!

What happened to the crew members who were on board? What happened to the guards and patrolmen?

Where are the helmsmen and sailors responsible for steering the ship?

Bang! The Fat Monk pushed open the door leading to the deck.

The bright light from outside shone into his eyes.

His pupils contracted slightly, and he subconsciously reached out to shield his eyes from the bright light.

But the scene on the deck made his heart tremble involuntarily.

There wasn't a single person on the entire deck.

The ship, which previously carried nearly a hundred people, is now completely empty, as if there had never been anyone there in the first place.

"There's still one fish that slipped through the net."

Suddenly, a surprised voice rang out from behind.

The Fat Monk suddenly turned around.

All he saw was a large black net, which was being cast towards him without warning.

He pushed off with his feet, trying to escape.

"Go!"

Suddenly, a low shout rang out, followed by a woman's voice.

The Fat Monk felt a sharp pain in his chest, followed by a sudden, intense numbness that quickly spread from his chest throughout his body.

His vision went black, and he fell to the ground, quickly losing consciousness.

"This person seems to have some status or position. Should we kill him as well?"

"No rush, the adults may still need him to do some things."

The two were talking quietly behind him.

***On a desolate beach.

Zhang Rongfang and Zuo Han stood facing each other again.

A sea breeze blows, the sun shines brightly, and the temperature rises, causing the seawater to evaporate and bringing out a large amount of moisture.

A humid and stuffy feeling permeated the air.

Zhang Rongfang was shirtless, revealing his strong physique that looked like it had been sculpted from rock.

His long black hair cascaded down his back, reaching his shoulders.

He wore the Jet Black Mask that once belonged to the Golden Wing Tower. However, he had cut off the threads of the mask, leaving only a completely black surface.

On the other side, Zuo Han was still dressed as a sculptor, in ordinary linen clothes, with ordinary, somewhat messy, short, dry, yellow hair, and an ordinary, strong, tall figure as if cast in iron.

Aside from the burn scars on his face and his dark skin, he is otherwise indistinguishable from an ordinary sculptor.

"That's good." Zuo Han said in a deep voice, "When Crown Prince young master comes to see me, he should wear a concealment mask. The terrain here is open, and it is very likely that he will be discovered and seen by some people with ulterior motives in the distance. In order to avoid the trouble of silencing him, it is best to be careful."

"Uncle Zuo is right." Zhang Rongfang humbly accepted. "This time I came, I also wanted to learn from Uncle Zuo about the difference between a Grandmaster and Spirit Vein Grandmaster."

"Ordinary grandmasters also possess Absolute Defense Circle, the Enemy Anticipation, and Final Form. But such people are actually few and far between," Zuo Han replied in a deep voice.

"You must understand that reaching the level of a grandmaster requires talent, perseverance, and luck—all three are indispensable."

Such people are generally absolutely unwilling to grow old and frail, unwilling to watch themselves gradually lose their strength and become so weak that they can't even defeat an ordinary Super Grade.

Zuo Han sighed.

"Therefore, grandmasters usually go in two directions afterward. One is to pursue the Extreme Realm, and the other is to Worship God. Both of these can greatly extend one's strength and status."

The number of Worship God far exceeds that heading towards the Extreme Realm. This isn't just because Worship God is safer, Returning Cause the Extreme Realm is far more difficult than Worship God.

"Difficulty?" Zhang Rongfang in surprise.

"Yes, reaching the Extreme Realm is not easy. Just like the experts on the current Black List, such as Lian Shenghua, White Ape Great Saint, and Wind Sound Sword, they are all considered to be at the Extreme Realm by the world, but in reality, they are not."

Zuo Han uttered several names that Zhang Rongfang had never heard of before.

"They are only Half Extreme Realm experts who are close to the Extreme Realm. But even so, they are already in a semi-mad state. Such a price is unacceptable to many grandmasters."

"Is Fan Qianyu, the Silver Masked Cicada, also like that?" Zhang Rongfang suddenly asked, a thought crossing his mind.

Silver Masked Cicada was Black List Expert invited by the Heavenly Maiden to take action in Tanyang. Looking back now, Silver Masked Cicada might have already been acting strangely back then.

That quality is very likely the feeling of being close to the Extreme Realm.

"I don't know about Silver Masked Cicada, but the Eastern Sect Heavenly Maiden was like that before. She wasted more than ten years in the Half Extreme Realm, and now her whereabouts are unknown. I don't know if she has really entered the Extreme Realm."

Zuo Han shook his head.

"However, if one successfully enters the Extreme Realm, one's martial arts cultivation will advance by leaps and bounds, growing extremely fast. In the end, barring any unforeseen circumstances, one can almost always reach the Grandmaster level."

"So, Grandmaster is a level of cultivation, a skill level. And the Extreme Realm is more like a constant state?" Zhang Rongfang seemed to understand.

"Yes, Grandmaster is a level of cultivation, a height. As long as you understand something and master something, you can enter it. It's just that the threshold is very high."

The Extreme Realm, however, represents a qualitative change in the spirit, which is irreversible. Zuo Han truly deserves his title as a master; his summary is extremely insightful.

"I understand now." Zhang Rongfang nodded.

He stretched his arms, feeling the surge of energy and blood he had gained from absorbing the Copper Arm Kong He.

He could clearly feel that his physique, strength, and speed had improved again.

Moreover, this improvement is much stronger than the last one.

Therefore, the reason for coming to see Zuo Han this time was to test how much he had improved.

Many things cannot be tested in actual combat using inanimate objects.

We also need a sufficiently formidable opponent.

"Next, I have recently gained some new insights, and I would appreciate your guidance, Uncle Zuo." He bowed respectfully and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

"It is my honor to serve the Crown Prince," Zuo Han replied earnestly.

Although they had just sparred recently, it's unlikely that the Crown Prince could improve much in such a short time.

But it's good to be there for the Crown Prince, to help him adapt to more intense battles.

At the speed of the Crown Prince's progress, perhaps in another five years, he will be able to... Boom!! In the instant that Zuo Han was lost in thought, a figure suddenly appeared before his eyes.

A heavy and immense force struck the figure's right fist, landing on his forearm, which he instinctively raised to defend himself.

A ring of transparent airflow exploded between the two.

'No!' Zuo Han's pupils constricted, and the thoughts that were just in his mind were completely stunned by this punch.

'That force!! What's going on!?'

He had fought the Crown Prince less than a month ago, when the Crown Prince's power was not as great as it is now.

Even when pushed to the limit, one can only exert half the force they currently possess.

How long has it been?! How did my strength increase so much?!

Before the shock and astonishment in Zuo Han's eyes had subsided, a barrage of violent punches and palm strikes rained down upon him.

Zhang Rongfang remained silent, his arms moving like blurry shadows, their shapes almost indistinguishable as he struck towards Zuo Han.

Although every strike hit Zuo Han's instinctively constructed Absolute Defense Circle, this time was a huge improvement over the last.

Not only his strength, but his speed has also improved significantly.

Whether it's movement speed or burst speed.

On the beach, the two men moved in opposite directions, with Zhang Rongfang advancing and Zuo Han retreating.

Compared to last time, this time Zuo Han was pushed back from the very beginning.

The two exchanged blows, their fists and palms striking each other, producing dull, resounding thuds of flesh colliding.

If an ordinary person were watching from the sidelines, they probably wouldn't even be able to see the two men's arms. From a distance, it would look like two armless people performing magical arts.

Not long after.

A loud explosion suddenly rang out.

Bang!

Zuo Han took two steps back and stretched his arms, even though his Absolute Defense Circle had not been broken.

But he was already feeling the pressure.

Keep in mind that this is Crown Prince has activated his Limit State or used Breaking Limit Skill.

"Again!!"

Zhang Rongfang activated his Dark Light Vision, and at the same time, his body rapidly expanded and turned black, with dark red blood vessels standing out on his body surface. Large blood vessels appeared in the whites of his eyes and converged into his pupils.

'Limit State: Spirit and Will United.'

The Limit State: Yin Yang Harmony.

'Limit State'.

Zhang Rongfang made a triangular hand seal with both hands.

"Critical State!"

A sound wave emanated from its throat, vibrating its entire body and triggering a chain reaction.

This last Limit State, initiated by sound waves, fully began his exaggerated form of superimposed three Limit State.

With a faint clicking sound.

Zhang Rongfang's height has increased from the initial 2.3 meters to the current 3 meters.

His whole body bulged as if inflated, his muscles rising high, like countless Round Stones, densely covering his entire body under his skin.

Compared to his three-meter-tall frame, his black hair, which had previously been shoulder-length, had grown slightly longer.

The rapid, pounding heartbeat was like a drumbeat; the sound could be heard if you were even slightly close.

The rapid flow of blood brought a large amount of heat, making Zhang Rongfang's whole body burning hot, with his body temperature reaching a terrifying 45 degrees Celsius.

This is a temperature that ordinary people cannot reach.