Zhao Tiandu had ultimately failed to break through the silver-haired girl's blockade.
"Ahhh!"
He punched again and again like a madman, his attacks raining down like ****, only to slam into an iron wall and be repelled time after time.
He watched helplessly as the Four Tigers of the Zhao Family died, then saw Mu Chen return and finish off the Third Tiger with a staff strike. The Third Tiger had been gravely wounded and knocked unconscious before the battle even began.
At this point, only Zhao Tiandu, the First Tiger, remained of the Five Tigers of the Zhao Family.
After one exchange, the two panting figures parted.
In truth, thirteen days and nights of relentless pursuit and fierce fighting had long since wrung every last drop of strength from both sides. They were merely forcing themselves to keep going.
Which way the scales of victory tipped depended entirely on which side received outside help.
Fortunately, luck was on the silver-haired girl's side.
Mu Chen—a variable entirely beyond everyone's expectations—had appeared.
"You'll regret coming to save me."
The Ancient Clan's Imperial Princess, dressed in a black skirt, retreated with her sword in hand. Her dazzling silver hair fell over her shoulders as she spoke to the well-dressed young man approaching her, her voice terrifyingly cold.
"You're not me. How could you know what I'm thinking?"
Mu Chen tilted his head and calmly replied to the ice-cold beauty.
From this angle, he could finally get a full look at the Luo God Clan Princess.
She wore a fitted black silk dress that perfectly outlined her figure. Golden threads traced the edges of the dress, adding an air of noble elegance.
Her figure was delicate, her body slender, her curves graceful.
Her skin was as fair as milk, her face so tender and lustrous it seemed one could break it with a touch.
Her brows were like distant green peaks, her eyebrows shaped like crescent moons. Her long, jade-white legs were straight and shapely, and her waist was slender enough to fit in one hand.
Her silver hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall. Rather than diminishing her beauty in the slightest, it lent her an air of mystery that made one yearn to lose oneself in it and uncover its secrets.
Even the Royal Heir, who had seen the world and countless beauties, was momentarily dazed. He instinctively shifted his gaze away.
He'd let his guard down!
A flicker of emotion appeared on the silver-haired girl's flawless, crystalline face, but she said nothing. She shook her head and retreated.
The Five Tigers of the Zhao Family could take turns resting, but she truly hadn't closed her eyes for thirteen days and nights. She was utterly exhausted, and had been suppressing her injuries for so long that her energy had run dry early on.
The silver-haired girl seemed to trust Mu Chen despite their only just meeting. She withdrew at once, found an empty patch of ground, and closed her eyes to heal, leaving him to take over the battlefield.
Seated on the ground, the Luo God Clan Princess closed her clear, glasslike eyes, but not before glancing once more at the tall figure standing before her.
Half a breath later, she finally closed her jewel-like eyes, at ease.
"Mu Chen, do you really think you've already won?"
Taking advantage of the brief lull, Zhao Tiandu panted desperately, trying to recover his strength.
He watched Mu Chen's chest rise and fall, then calmly analyzed the situation. "If my guess is right, you also made a long journey to get here. After a fierce battle, you can't have much strength left either."
Mu Chen stood with his staff in hand. "And?"
"Let me go."
After tempering himself through a life-or-death struggle, Zhao Tiandu's fury over his companions' successive deaths gradually settled, and his mind began racing.
"If we fight, one of us will be wounded."
"If you let me leave, we can call today's matter settled."
"Actually, those four weren't my blood brothers. We're just from the same clan."
"Our blood ties are weak. We joined forces for the sake of mutual benefit, so you don't need to worry about me seeking revenge."
He made his words as earnest as he could, his gaze growing ever more sincere as he tried to sway Mu Chen.
By this point, Zhao Tiandu knew there was no hope of capturing Luo Li.
And with the Blood-Colored Token and the Luo God Sword on her, he needed to save himself first.
"Letting a tiger return to the mountains will only bring future trouble."
"Brother Zhao, you survived more than a year of brutal fighting on the Spirit Road. Why are you still so naive?"
"Why not just stick out your neck and let me knock you dead with one swing? It'd save us all the trouble."
Mu Chen's resolve was ironclad. He wouldn't give an inch.
"Mu Chen, I'll tell you this: I've been holding back ever since this fight began."
"I'll give you one piece of advice: don't push me too far, or else—"
As Zhao Tiandu spoke, he clenched his fists, his expression darkening by the moment.
Mu Chen glanced at him sidelong, unimpressed. "Or else what?"
"Or else someone is going to die!"
The last ferocious tiger among the Five Tigers of the Zhao Family roared at the sky.
Rumble! A formidable aura surged from his body, making his robes snap in the wind.
He had long stood at the peak of the fifth-level spiritual body. At last, he took that final half-step and fully entered the sixth-level domain, becoming a King.
He had officially joined the ranks of the top hundred, becoming one of the very best among the hundred thousand youths on the Spirit Road.
After breaking through, Zhao Tiandu couldn't help but weep.
This moment had come too late!
If only he'd broken through sooner. Then his old brothers wouldn't have died.
A sixth-level King, joined by four half-step Kings skilled in combined attacks—so long as he avoided peak Kings like Ji Xuan, Wu Ling, and Wen Qingxuan, he could roam wherever he pleased across this vast land and the immense Spirit Road.
"That's it?"
Mu Chen could hardly believe his eyes.
With strength this pathetic, you'd hidden it like a precious treasure all this time, only bringing it out when you were on your last legs. What was this, your family heirloom?
"Hmph. I know you've also entered the sixth-level domain and become a King."
"But not all Kings are equal."
"Have you heard of Ji Xuan, who's vaguely called the number one person on the Spirit Road?"
"The Holy Spirit Academy has already reserved a place for him. A Supreme Being has taken an interest in him; he's a true monster."
"A month ago, the Twin Kings of the Shi Family fought Ji Xuan in the Qiyun Mountain Range and lost in just one move. That's how they made their name. And I—"
Realizing Mu Chen looked down on him, Zhao Tiandu hurriedly explained, unwilling to accept it.
"You fought Ji Xuan too?"
Mu Chen immediately perked up at that.
Anyone who'd fought Ji Xuan and made it out alive—even if all they'd managed was to save their own hide—was no pushover.
Not bad. In that case, Zhao Tiandu's strength wasn't so shabby after all.
"Though I didn't have the fortune to fight King Xuan, by chance I did spar with Shi Hao, the Young King among the Shi Brothers. I only lost by three moves."
Zhao Tiandu's old face reddened as he muttered his defense.
In his mind, after his breakthrough, he was practically Shi Hao's equal.
And the Shi Brothers were practically Ji Xuan's equal.
Ji Xuan, in turn, was practically the number one person on the Spirit Road.
So he was the equivalent of a quarter of Ji Xuan.
I'm a quarter of the number one person on the Spirit Road. Who dares mess with me?!
"So you're Shi Haotian—no, Shi Hao's defeated opponent?"
"More than half a month ago, Shi Hao was gravely injured by a single strike of my staff outside the Sanctuary. He'd need at least ten days of rest before he could get out of bed. There were at least a thousand people watching."
"If you hurry over now, you might still make it in time to see that blockhead."
After hearing this, Mu Chen sighed in utter disappointment.
He'd refused to use his handy Spirit Soldier and demanded a fair fight. Wasn't that exactly what a blockhead would do?
Zhao Tiandu: "..."
I'm a quarter of Ji Xuan. I'm starting to panic!
P.S. I got so caught up writing that I almost forgot to update.
Next chapter, I'll have all Five Tigers of the Zhao Family bite the dust. They're in the way.
Young people should be falling in love and dating!
Before you continue