Crown Prince's Martial Instructor Zhong Wuzhu

After Chen Lingxi wanted to return to Bridge Mechanism Mountain.

Xi Mu remained a few feet behind him, shrouded in mist, like a ghost.

Until the outline of Bridge Mechanism Mountain was barely visible in the night.

The low pines on both sides of the mountain road rustled in the north wind, and the moonlight peeked through the gaps in the clouds, illuminating the winding mountain road in a pale white light.

Chen Lingxi suddenly stopped in her tracks.

He tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowing gently beneath the ghost mask.

With his senses, he hadn't perceived anything, but Xi Mu Qi Circulation Sixth Floor, could hear noises from a great distance.

"Is someone searching the mountains?"

Chen Lingxi frowned.

He and Xi Mu Interconnection by heart; as long as they weren't too far apart, he could immediately know what Xi Mu felt.

There were rustling sounds in the distance, as if someone was carefully passing by, and there was more than one person.

He didn't approach, but with a slight thought, he sent Xi Mu out quietly, hiding in a swirling night fog.

He then moved several hundred feet closer to sense what Xi Mu was feeling.

It was a gentle slope on the western foot of Bridge Mechanism Mountain. More than ten martial artists dressed in tight-fitting clothes were scattered on this slope, several feet apart, and slowly advancing towards the mountaintop in a fan shape.

Their movements were highly methodical; every few steps they would stop to carefully examine the surrounding cracks in the rocks, tree roots, and craters in the ground. Some even used their knife sheaths to part the dense bushes and peer inside.

This is like plowing the land, inch by inch, leaving no crevice where someone might hide.

"These martial artists' cultivation levels aren't very high."

Their bodies were filled with surging Qi and Blood, and a faint silver-white light emanated from deep within their bones. The highest level of cultivation among them was only at the Silver Bone Major Accomplishment.

"However, being able to search the mountains with Silver Bones figures..."

Chen Lingxi's heart stirred slightly, because Xi Mu's senses landed on the four people on a cliff not far away.

"Three... Jade Qi Realm!"

Chen Lingxi's gaze sharpened slightly. "And the leader..."

The leader was a middle-aged man, about forty years old, not particularly tall or strong. He stood with his hands behind his back on a protruding rock at the top of the slope, looking down at the search party that filled the mountain.

He wore a blue robe with an official badge, on which was embroidered a golden pheasant with outstretched wings. The stitches were fine and dense, and the robe shimmered with a faint, silky sheen in the moonlight.

That was the color of the robes worn by Principal Fifth Rank civil official in the Great Li.

But this civil official's spirit was far beyond that of ordinary civil servants.

He stood there, his back straight as a pine tree, his shoulders broad and level, his chin slightly raised, like a famous sword hidden in its sheath. Although it had not yet been drawn, its sharpness was already faintly revealed through the sheath.

This person must hold a high position and wield real power. The very posture of him standing with his hands behind his back exudes a composure that only comes from long-term control of life and death.

Just then, a man with the Jade Qi Realm behind him spoke up, "Lord Zhong."

"We have searched the Bridge Mechanism Mountain again, leaving no stone unturned, including crevices, caves, streams, and dense forests."

But the government slave... still hasn't been seen.

The middle-aged man did not answer, his expression indifferent.

The Jade Qi Realm artist wielding jade seemed to sense the silent pressure, and lowered his head even further. "Not just Bridge Mechanism Mountain."

Over the past few days, our subordinates have meticulously fenced off every inch of the twenty-seven mountains, twelve towns, and four cities surrounding Yuan River Prefecture.

I've searched all the mountains and valleys, including Inlaid Gold Mountain, Mangyang Mountain, Ancestral Mountain, Bridge Mechanism Mountain, and even the banks of the Summer River and Zhuozhao River.

Not to mention people, not even a single hair of that government slave could be found."

He paused here, then cautiously said, "My lord, His Highness the Crown Prince has already issued the order, and he will be arriving soon. At that time... how should we explain ourselves to His Highness?"

The middle-aged man finally turned around.

He wasn't particularly fierce-looking; his features were even quite regular, with sword-like eyebrows, a straight nose, and lips with distinct, knife-cut lines.

But the look in those eyes sent chills down your spine.

"The person His Highness the Crown Prince wants, we will find even if we have to dig three feet into the ground. If you cannot find him, you will have to make a trip to the Crown Prince's palace."

The Jade Qi Realm artist who reported this trembled and lowered his head even further.

Through Xi Mu's senses, Chen Lingxi heard the entire conversation clearly.

"Is the Crown Prince coming again?"

Chen Lingxi frowned.

Several months ago, Ying Chi visited Yuan River Prefecture once, taking advantage of the Beast-Fighting Banquet to replenish the array on Lin Longyue's body.

Now that the formation is being dissipated day by day by his spiritual energy and Mysterious Qi, Ying Chi will surely be able to detect it upon his arrival.

"Moreover, Ying Chi's visit must be to find me again."

He stopped thinking about these things, instead concealing his true intentions and moving closer, disappearing into the wild grass, gazing at the middle-aged man from afar.

The Qi-Observation Technique was quietly activated.

In an instant, the middle-aged man was no longer an ordinary flesh and blood body in his sight.

Chen Lingxi's pupils contracted slightly.

This person has concealed their aura far too thoroughly.

He stood there, showing no sign of any vital Qi and Blood leaking out, like a stagnant pool, a stubborn rock, an ordinary middle-aged civil official.

To the discerning eye of an ordinary martial artist, there was absolutely no difference whatsoever.

However, under the Qi-Observation Technique, this person presented a completely different picture.

A vortex of pure white, jade-like energy slowly rotated between the person's chest and abdomen.

It is like a miniature nebula.

The edge of the cyclone shimmered with an extremely faint and soft jade-colored light, while the center was as bright as the blazing sun, so white that one dared not look directly at it.

His bone structure was also unusual.

The two hundred and six bones all had a translucent, jade-like luster, and were completely clear, as if they were not human bones.

A sound emanated from deep within the marrow, like the intertwined tones of jade chimes.

And this person's eyes...

Under the method of Qi Observation, he could faintly see the reflection of the rotating Jade Astral Cloud deep in his pupils.

It was as if two miniature moons were embedded in their eye sockets, slowly rotating, as if trying to suck the moonlight, mountain shadows, and mist into the bottomless depths of the vortex.

"Jade Qi Perfection."

Chen Lingxi a deep breath.

At first, he thought that only the three people behind the middle-aged man were people of the Jade Qi Realm.

Unexpectedly, the truly formidable one was this middle-aged man!

Ordinary Jade Qi Realm is nothing more than the transformation of Qi and Blood into jade quality, with bones radiating a faint jade-colored luster, and the sound of jade chimes accompanying every gesture.

But the person before him had his jade-like Qi and Blood completely integrated with his bones, as if he had transformed into a true jade-carved immortal.

This is the [Jade-Suppressing Treasure Body] that can only be achieved through the Jade Qi Perfection.

The so-called Jade Treasure, when activated, makes the body indestructible, like a statue carved from ten-thousand-year-old cold jade. Swords and blades are like eggs hitting rocks, and fists and feet are like mud oxen entering the sea.

"The power of this Jade-Suppressing Treasure Body of Suppressing Jade, if it were to be directly confronted, would probably be comparable to a cultivator at the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor, and might even surpass him in some aspects."

Chen Lingxi quickly assessed the man's combat strength in her mind.

Besides the middle-aged man, there were three other people.

The jade-like Qi and Blood around two of them were not yet fully solidified, and there was a faint jade light flowing around their bodies, but it seemed somewhat ethereal. The jade light was sometimes bright and sometimes dim, sometimes as bright as the bright moon in the sky, and sometimes as dim as a candle about to go out.

These signs are precisely the Initial Jade Qi.

The other person was much more composed.

The jade-like light emanating from his body was concentrated and did not leak out. Only occasionally, a very faint jade-colored glimmer would escape from his pores with each breath, and then be absorbed back into his body in an instant. This state of being able to control the flow of light and shadow was the Jade Qi Minor Accomplishment.

"One Jade Qi Perfection, one has reached the Jade Qi Minor Accomplishment, and two Initial Jade Qi."

Chen Lingxi quickly reviewed the cultivation levels of the four people in his mind, and the eyes beneath the ghost mask narrowed slightly.

Such a display would be extremely rare even in the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace.

Speaking of the middle-aged man at the head, he is a figure with Jade Qi Perfection and has already formed the Jade-Suppressing Treasure Body. If he were placed in the Great Li Army, he would be an invincible general, capable of serving as a regional assistant general. If the other three figures with the Jade Qi Realm were placed in local areas, they would be true grandmasters.

But now, these four men have been sent to this desolate mountain wilderness to search for him like hunting dogs, just to find this "official slave".

"Ying Chi is certainly willing to go to great lengths to kill me."

Chen Lingxi snorted coldly in her heart.

But then he thought about it again and felt relieved.

That day, Lu Baizhong ambushed and killed him on the riverbank.

The old eunuch was watching from the side.

The Crown Prince knew that he had Xi Mu, a person at the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor, by his side. If he only sent Golden Body martial artist, it would be like sending him to his death. Naturally, he had to send a person with the Jade Qi Realm.

As Chen Lingxi pondered this, a cold glint suddenly flashed in his eyes.

"Why don't we... just kill them all?"

The Crown Prince is about to travel to Yuan River Prefecture.

If these four Jade Qi Realm were to merge with the Crown Prince, and his whereabouts were discovered, he would have to face four more Jade-Qi Realm experts.

Let's take advantage of this now and defeat them one by one.

"Four Jade Qi Realm, they should be enough to make the Crown Prince wince for a few days."

Just as Chen Lingxi finished thinking about it, the middle-aged man suddenly turned around.

Those gentle, jade-like eyes stared straight in the direction where Xi Mu was hiding!

The swirling of the Jade Astral Cloud within his body suddenly accelerated.

The moon-like reflection deep within his pupils also brightened, the moonlight flowing and gathering in his pupils, finally condensing into two tangible gazes that fell directly on Xi Mu.

With the Jade Qi Perfection and the Jade-Suppressing Treasure Body formed, its senses have become incredibly sharp.

Although Xi Mu concealed his figure with the mist, and his concealment technique at the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor was quite exquisite, the prying gaze itself was already an extremely faint aura.

Others might not notice, but this powerful figure, who had refined all 206 bones in his body into jade, was like a spotless mirror. Any external energy that landed on the mirror's surface would cause ripples.

He noticed!

But then the man suddenly tightened his hands behind his back, clenching his fists.

He took a step forward, and the protruding rock beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, the cracks spreading outwards from the sole of his boot in all directions, like a dense spider web.

He took a deep breath, and as his chest expanded, the Jade Astral Cloud within him suddenly accelerated its rotation, producing a loud jade chime, as if someone were striking a jade bell within his body!

A buzzing sound emanated from deep within the bones, pierced through the skin and flesh, and echoed far and wide through the mountains and forests.

"I am Zhong Wuzhu, the Crown Prince's martial arts instructor!" he shouted, his voice booming like a bell, exploding in the silent night and startling the birds roosting in the forest into flight, the echo reverberating through the valley, "What kind of demon is spying on us!"

A cold glint flashed in Chen Lingxi's eyes.

Now that we've been discovered, there's no need to hide anymore.

He straightened his robes and slowly stood up from behind the low pine trees.

The moonlight fell on him, illuminating his dark robes with distinct light and shadow, the hem of which fluttered in the night wind.

Beneath the ghost mask, the eyes remained calm and still, meeting Zhong Wuzhu's gaze from afar.

His right hand, which was resting on the hilt of his sword, slowly tightened its grip.

The Gold-Slaughtering Saber was not yet drawn, but its chilling killing intent swept over the mountain-searching team like an invisible torrent of cold air, causing even the mountain wind to pause in its path.

Not far away, Xi Mu slowly emerged from the mist.

The moon-white robe fluttered Subtle Insight in the night breeze, and the spiritual energy around him surged like boiling water, releasing his cultivation level of the Qi Circulation Sixth Floor without reservation.

The Qi flows in a vortex!

The dozen or so Silver Bones warriors were pressed down by the vortex, and they felt their Qi and Blood suddenly stagnate, as if an invisible mountain had fallen from the sky and pressed down on their shoulders.

Someone groaned and involuntarily took half a step back, only managing to regain their balance after their back hit the tree trunk behind them.

But Zhong Wuzhu didn't utter a single unnecessary word.

He moved almost the instant Chen Lingxi stood up!

This martial arts master of the Crown Prince clearly understood the principle of striking first. Facing two mysterious figures who could have been sent by the Crown Prince, any unnecessary words would only give his opponents a chance to breathe.

His attack was as powerful as thunder!

Zhong Wuzhu suddenly thrust his hands forward from behind his back, his ten fingers spread wide, and the Jade Astral Cloud in his palms exploded with a roar.

A pure white light burst forth from his palm, like a miniature moon held in his hand.

The light spread from his arms to his shoulders, and then from his shoulders to his whole body, instantly condensing into a layer of jade armor several inches thick on his body!

[Jade-Suppressing Treasure Body].

Chen Lingxi's pupils contracted slightly.

He had seen the Jade Astral Cloud within Zhong Wuzhu's body through the Qi-Observation Technique, and had also speculated on the power of the Jade-Suppressing Treasure Body. However, when this powerful figure with Jade Qi Perfection activated it with all his might, the oppressive feeling still far exceeded his expectations.

The aura emanating from that jade armor alone made the air within several feet around it thicken, as if the entire world itself had been absorbed by his jade energy and solidified into an invisible piece of amber.

Zhong Wuzhu stepped forward.

With that one step, the rocks beneath his feet shattered into pieces.

Then he charged at Chen Lingxi like a cannonball, his body bursting through the air in a visible white ring that spread outwards, scattering the withered grass, pebbles, and fallen leaves on the slope.

How terrifying is a body with Jade Qi Perfection?

The force of this impact was immense; even a small hill would be shattered into pieces.

However, at the very moment Zhong Wuzhu his move, his left hand, which was behind his back, quietly did something else.

The hand was slightly closed, hidden in the sleeve, with a small jade pendant held between the fingertips.

The jade pendant was no bigger than a thumb, pure white, with a very simple and unadorned rune engraved on its surface.

At the same instant he activated the Jade-Suppressing Treasure Body, he gently closed his thumb and forefinger, and a very subtle stream of Qi and Blood seeped out from his fingertips, silently vibrating on the jade pendant.

The jade pendant shattered upon impact, turning into a pinch of jade powder as fine as dust, which fell softly from between his fingers.

As the jade powder fell to the ground, a faint, almost imperceptible ray of light silently rose from the shattered jade pendant.

The light was as thin as a hair, and its color was pale gold. It was almost imperceptible in the darkness unless one looked closely.

It rose into the air and then suddenly accelerated, flying towards the Heavenward Realm and disappearing into the depths of the clouds in the blink of an eye.

P. S.: I didn't get 100 monthly votes yesterday, so I was thinking of just updating three chapters. But then I thought, what about the readers who voted?

So I'll add an extra chapter this time, I'll post it later.

Next time, as promised, there will be an extra chapter only if we get 100 monthly votes.