One Fewer Is Better Than One More

The shock of seeing Ji Pan lying unconscious on the ground inevitably settled in everyone's chests.

Their hearts felt as though they had been gripped by an invisible force.

Light flickered in Ao Xiyu's eyes as she looked at Yu Tunzhou's face. There was no trace of pallor left; his complexion was flushed from his churning Blood Qi, with a fierce, indomitable valor that had yet to fade!

Was this guy deliberately hiding his strength to guard against them?

She instinctively glanced at Xie Linchuan. There was no need to guess; it had to be his idea!

Beside her, Cao Jianjia's five fingers tightened unconsciously around her sword, her knuckles turning white.

When did this guy become so strong?

Zhang Qinghe was also somewhat dazed, unable to believe that the one who had struck with such thunderous force was Yu Tunzhou, whom he had fought not long ago.

Back then, Yu Tunzhou had still needed to use some underhanded tricks, but now... no, that wasn't right. He had just used a sneak attack again!

He looked at Ji Pan, who had gone down and fallen asleep with both arms broken, and swallowed.

Were sneak attacks really that effective?

And now he had no choice but to face a fact-

For now, and for some time to come, he would probably have a hard time settling the score for what had happened that day.

Unless... I use the enemy's own methods against him and launch a sneak attack too!

Zhang Buyu slowly released his hand from Yue Hongyi's shoulder. His gaze grew solemn as he properly sized up this opponent who had caused quite a stir for the first time.

Yue Hongyi had moved when Xie Linchuan shouted in anger, only for Zhang Buyu to forcibly hold her back-the figure that had burst out from behind Xie Linchuan had simply carried too mighty and vigorous a presence!

It was as though even if a mountain stood before him, he would carve a path through it!

What puzzled Zhang Buyu even more was whether Yu Tunzhou's burst of power had relied on the Inner Qi cultivated through the Spark Instruction.

Could the complete Spark Instruction really have such power?

Whether in speed or strength, what Yu Tunzhou had displayed was enough to make one wary. Even with Floating Hill Mountain's Fivefold Qi Control True Scripture, it was difficult to achieve such might at the Qi Ingestion Sixth Layer.

He looked first at Yu Tunzhou, then at Xie Linchuan, and said gravely:

"Brother Xie, you've hidden your hand well, and you and this fellow worked together brilliantly!"

Xie Linchuan wore a faint smile, his composed expression suggesting that everything was under control, as though he had foreseen this outcome.

The smile vanished completely from Yue Hongyi's face. As she stared fixedly at Yu Tunzhou, her gaze grew more probing and grave.

Of everyone in Xie Linchuan's group, Yu Tunzhou was the one she had regarded least.

That was because, upon reaching the Qi Ingestion Sixth Layer, the explosive power of one's Inner Qi rose to an entirely new level. Even without Form Refinement, one was far beyond ordinary people, and most importantly, they were not the Zhang Qinghe of back then.

But reality had slapped them resoundingly across the face.

She raised a hand to gather the loose strands of hair by her ear and sighed softly.

"So you're Xie Linchuan's trump card?"

Yu Tunzhou acted as though he hadn't heard her. His gaze, sharp as a hawk's, remained fixed on Chang Jian in the distance while he calmed the Qi and Blood churning inside him. The flush gradually faded from his face.

He was very satisfied with the burst of power he had built up by sending Qi through the Great Spirit Courtyard after reaching the Refining the True Eleventh Revolution.

He had routed his enemy in one move and won his first battle!

He watched where Chang Jian stood, waiting for his next opportunity to strike.

Compared with Zhang Buyu and Yue Hongyi, who were guarding each other, Chang Jian was clearly the easiest opening to exploit.

Feeling Yu Tunzhou's gaze fixed on him, Chang Jian first went toward Ji Pan. After confirming that Ji Pan was unconscious, he approached Zhang Buyu with a grim expression.

He knew Ji Pan's strength well. Ji Pan had also reached the Qi Ingestion Sixth Layer, yet he had been so feeble before this man!

Even allowing for the sneak attack, the power of that move could not be faked!

Could this man have already broken through to the Qi Ingestion Seventh Layer?!

Impossible! How could the Spark Instruction be that fast!

"Brother Zhang, there's still time to retreat."

Xie Linchuan spoke as though he were considering Zhang Buyu's interests and offering sincere advice.

On the surface, he was calm and collected, as though everything were in his grasp, but only he knew how shaken he was.

Yu Tunzhou had just hinted that he should create an opportunity for a surprise attack.

But he had not expected Yu Tunzhou's surprise attack to take Ji Pan down so swiftly and cleanly!

Judging by what had just happened, Ji Pan had suffered broken bones in both arms at the very least!

Even with potent medicine to heal him, injuries like that would still require a week's rest in the grotto-heaven to ensure no lasting damage.

At that moment.

A thoughtful look appeared in Zhang Buyu's eyes.

If they had held the initiative and the advantage before, all of those advantages had been crushed in a single blow when Yu Tunzhou struck.

A sudden realization came to him. Was this what his elders meant by "the crushing force of absolute strength"?

Chang Jian snorted coldly. "Zhang Buyu, if those people get their hands on this giant Dragon Fish, you know what the consequences will be!"

The thoughtfulness in Zhang Buyu's eyes vanished at once. He looked at Xie Linchuan and said decisively:

"Brother Xie, in the town, all one can do is contend. We can't possibly stand by and watch you monopolize the Dragon Fish, taking one step ahead and staying ahead at every step!"

"There are only two paths before us now. You can take Yue Hongyi and me in. Forgive my bluntness, but this Dragon Fish weighs at least five thousand jin, meat and bones together. Are the six of you planning to spend a year eating it?"

"If you would rather let the fish rot than give us a share, then we can only return to town at once and make this public. When that happens, you won't have any chance of bringing the fish back to your residence."

Xie Linchuan said nothing for a moment. He exchanged looks with Ao Xiyu and the others, as though discussing it.

In the end, Ao Xiyu gave a slight nod.

Yu Tunzhou glanced at the Dragon Fish in the shallows and made a rough estimate, finding that the fellow had a point.

The Dragon Fish was more than two zhang long. In his previous life, fish of that size were mostly ocean fish and weighed at least five thousand jin. If it were a freshwater fish, it would still weigh over three thousand jin.

The Dragon Fish should have counted as a freshwater fish, but considering that it had matured into a spirit creature, its flesh was probably much firmer too. By a rough estimate, it could have four or five thousand jin of meat.

Four or five thousand jin...

Yu Tunzhou could not help muttering inwardly.

At a thirty-percent share, that would be around fifteen hundred jin.

Even if he brought Dingguang and called Junior Brother Li over, how long would it take the three of them to finish it, even eating as hard as they could until they threw up?

He might end up walking out of the grotto-heaven alive before he had finished the fish.

Just then.

Xie Linchuan shot him a look, indicating where Chang Jian stood.

Yu Tunzhou understood. Once his Blood Qi had settled, he began building up his strength for a second time.

On the other side, Chang Jian's heart had already sunk when he heard that Zhang Buyu had left him out, and he knew things were going badly.

That bastard Zhang Buyu never intended to include me!

His heart turned ruthless. If that was how it was going to be, then they couldn't blame him for breaking the net even if the fish died. Once he returned to town, he would make the matter public, and none of them would have an easy time!

It was at that moment.

Yu Tunzhou struck again.

Chang Jian's expression changed. He was just about to retreat when he discovered that Yue Hongyi and Zhang Buyu were already blocking his path back to town.

He had approached the two of them so they could help one another, but he had not expected to cut off his own escape route in the end.

"Zhang Buyu, do you really think they'll take you in?!" Chang Jian roared.

Zhang Buyu said calmly, "There's far too much fish here. Brother Xie and his group can't come close to eating it all. Rather than draw the covetous eyes of the town's other Households, taking the two of us in and sealing our mouths is the safest choice."

"As for Brother Chang-"

Zhang Buyu paused, his tone utterly unruffled.

"In the end, one fewer is better than one more."