Leaving the City

Seeing the look of resistance on Li Zhen's face, Zhang Tao sighed. He didn't want this either, but he still wasn't strong enough to protect himself.

Now that he'd crossed over and taken the place of the original Zhang Tao, everything that came afterward had already spiraled out of his control. He didn't want to die for no reason.

"You jerk! I just helped you break through, and now you're ditching me?" Zhang Tao scoffed.

Li Zhen immediately shuddered and unconsciously moved a few steps away from Zhang Tao. What the hell was wrong with this scoundrel now?

Just then, Nan Yunyue hurried over, staring at Zhang Tao and Li Zhen in disbelief. She'd just heard that Zhang Tao had sealed all three gates in a single day. And not only that, he'd helped Li Zhen seal his gates too. In other words, both Zhang Tao and Li Zhen were now experts at the Essence Blood Unity level.

They were the strongest beneath the Grandmasters.

How long had it been? One day! She'd already been so jealous she could barely stand it when Zhang Tao broke through to Rank 6, and now he'd skipped right past the three gates that took others years, even decades, to seal, becoming a peak Rank 6 expert.

Nan Yunyue wasn't merely jealous anymore. She felt like her very existence had been torn apart.

"How did you do it? Teach me!" Nan Yunyue grabbed Zhang Tao's hand and demanded, no longer caring about anything else.

Zhang Tao grimaced and quickly pulled his hand free. "I don't have time right now. Besides, you're too weak, and I have things to do!"

Nan Yunyue froze as if turned to stone. A bolt of lightning flashed through her mind. What had she just heard? She was too weak? She was too weak...

Back when this little punk Zhang Tao had been Rank 3 or 4, he'd never talked like that. He'd called her Sis Nan and begged her to look after him. And now he thought she was weak?

She was a Rank 5 expert, for goodness' sake! Didn't he feel even a little guilty saying that?

Li Zhen, standing nearby, also twitched at the corner of his mouth. Zhang Tao was a real bastard when it came to crossing bridges and kicking away the ladder. No, he had to work even harder. He couldn't let this bastard leave him behind. If Zhang Tao said, "You're too weak," Li Zhen thought he'd go crazy.

"I'm going to get the car!" Zhang Tao said, then headed to the garage.

Li Zhen and Nan Yunyue exchanged a look. When Zhang Tao drove over, he said, "Li Zhen, get in!"

Li Zhen had no idea what Zhang Tao was up to, but ever since waking up, Zhang Tao had seemed mysterious. He'd even helped him seal his gates. Since Zhang Tao wanted him along, Li Zhen figured he might as well go. Maybe there'd be something in it for him. After all, Zhang Tao was the kind of guy who could find a Monster Plant just lying by the roadside.

By then, Nan Yunyue had come to her senses. She grabbed the rear door and climbed in too.

Zhang Tao said helplessly, "Get out. Why are you coming with us? It's dangerous!"

It was true: Zhang Tao was in real danger now. Those Evil Cultist martial artists could come after him at any moment. He'd brought Li Zhen along because Li Zhen had a mental clone of Li Wukai inside him that could save his life in a pinch. But if Nan Yunyue came along, there was a good chance she wouldn't make it back.

Nan Yunyue stubbornly stayed in the car. Dangerous? Martial artists were always in danger. She'd fallen too far behind, and she had to fight to close the gap.

Zhang Tao sighed. Fine, come along if you want. Just don't regret it.

"What are you going to Magic City for?" Li Zhen asked, sensing the gloom in the car.

As far as Li Zhen knew, Zhang Tao didn't have any connections in Magic City, or any other ties there.

Zhang Tao thought for a moment. "I need to go to the Magic City Catacombs."

Li Zhen was stunned. "You're going to the Magic City Catacombs? That place is dangerous! And do you even know your way around? Why are you heading there?"

Zhang Tao shook his head. He didn't know the place, but he could ask around or look up some information.

Li Zhen rolled his eyes. What the hell? He didn't even know the place, yet he was heading straight there? Did he have to be so reckless?

Then Nan Yunyue suddenly said, "I know the Magic City Catacombs pretty well. I have quite a few friends there! And they're not that dangerous, are they?"

As she spoke, Nan Yunyue gave Li Zhen a disdainful look. A spoiled young master was still a spoiled young master.

Nan Yunyue's look instantly set Li Zhen off. What was that look for? He wasn't making things up.

"You don't know? Old Ancestor Jiang is stationed in the Magic City Catacombs. He's known as the War King, and Old Ancestor Jiang's personality is, well, a little unpredictable. He likes stirring things up, so the Magic City Catacombs really are dangerous. Wars break out at the drop of a hat. And without warning!" Li Zhen hurriedly explained.

Of all the Old Ancestors, Old Ancestor Jiang was the only one who couldn't sit still. He'd start a fight with the True Kings on the other side at the slightest provocation. No wonder the Magic City Catacombs were so dangerous.

Nan Yunyue paused. Now that he mentioned it, that had happened before. Back then, they'd only been Rank 3 or 4 martial artists and hadn't experienced it firsthand, but it was true that battles broke out there often.

"Zhang Tao, what exactly are you planning to do? Explain yourself!" Li Zhen said helplessly.

Just as Zhang Tao was about to answer, he abruptly yanked the steering wheel. Li Zhen was nearly thrown out of his seat, while Nan Yunyue was flung into the front row, her face smashing against the car window.

The whole window shattered into a web of cracks.

"Zhang Tao..." Nan Yunyue roared. What the hell? Did he even know how to drive?

Before she could finish, Zhang Tao hauled her out of the car and flung her away.

"Go get help!" That was all Nan Yunyue heard as she flew through the air. When she looked back, she saw several black-robed figures already fighting Zhang Tao and Li Zhen.

"Damn it!" Nan Yunyue muttered. How the hell had they run into Evil Cultist martial artists here? (Ahem, well, they won't let me write about that. You know what I mean!) No wonder everyone who followed Zhang Tao died.

Nan Yunyue had no time to worry about anything else. She sprinted toward the city to seek reinforcements.

But just then, Nan Yunyue's vision blurred. Two burly men appeared in front of her, and one of them immediately slashed at her with a blade. Nan Yunyue hurriedly blocked, but the tremendous force from the blade sent her flying. She spat out a mouthful of blood.

With just one exchange, she'd been knocked back and injured.

"Rank 6!" Nan Yunyue stared at the two men in shock. They'd sent two Rank 6 experts after her, a mere Rank 5. Wasn't that overkill?

"Damn it, I knew it!" Zhang Tao cursed under his breath. Sure enough, the Evil Cultist martial artists had come. It was a good thing he'd brought Li Zhen along, or he might well have been surrounded this time!

But weren't these people being a little too careless? There were only Rank 6s?