Chapter 190: Chapter 143: Serving as an Honored Guest Elder

The mysterious cultivator, now discovered, was both shocked and enraged, and he clashed with the Wan Family cultivators once more.

They traded blows, but the mysterious cultivator gradually found himself at a disadvantage.

Lü Zhong watched from the sidelines, simultaneously scanning the area for any other spectators like himself. He wanted to spot potential competitors in advance for the opportunity he knew was coming.

Fortunately, he found no one.

Meanwhile, the mysterious cultivator was losing ground. Under the combined assault of the two Wan Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators, he was beaten back again and again. Even the Qingyang Mirror in his hand was of no help.

Seeing this, he unleashed the sword-shaped Talisman Treasure.

"Cyan Plate Sword, go!"

In an instant, a cyan Spiritual Light pierced the night sky, transforming into a streak of rainbow light. It carried a roiling stream of Spiritual Qi and radiated an astonishing might as it slashed toward the Wan Family cultivators opposite him.

Lü Zhong stared intently at the scene, calmly awaiting his chance to make a move.

A moment later, the Wan Family cultivators were both significantly injured from blocking the Talisman Treasure’s strike. Seeing this, a thought unconsciously surfaced in Lü Zhong’s mind. ’Should I switch targets?’

He immediately dismissed the idea.

The two Wan Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators were only using Magical Artifacts; there was really no need to rob them.

Just then, something completely unexpected happened.

The mysterious cultivator, who was in the middle of fleeing, suddenly plummeted from the sky as if struck by lightning, falling like a kite with a snapped string.

"Hahaha!"

A laugh echoed from the distance as an old woman in a red robe appeared.

"Fellow Daoist, this man is a great enemy of our Wan Family. Might we ask you to hand him over to us for disposal?" The two Wan Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators caught up and surrounded the red-robed old woman, a wary look in their eyes.

The two of them knew the old woman’s identity. She was none other than Grandma Red Flower, a fugitive long wanted by the Jade Flower Sect.

According to rumor, Grandma Red Flower had once been a disciple of the Jade Flower Sect in her youth. However, she was expelled for poisoning her Dao Companion and had been hunted by the sect ever since.

One could only imagine the methods at Grandma Red Flower’s disposal for her to have survived so long while being hunted by a Golden Core Sect.

Meanwhile, Lü Zhong took advantage of the standoff between the three to sneak silently toward the mysterious cultivator.

However, he had only taken a few steps before the other three spotted him.

He had anticipated this.

After all, no one was a fool. If he could think of swooping in to reap the benefits like a fisherman after the fight, then others could certainly anticipate and guard against it.

But since Lü Zhong had dared to make his move, he was naturally confident he could pull it off.

First, after being ambushed by the old woman, the mysterious cultivator’s aura had vanished completely. This meant Lü Zhong wouldn’t have to worry about a counter-attack while he was taking the spoils; he could just grab them and go.

He formed a hand seal, began Chanting, and summoned a Spirit Wind to envelop his body. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

Next, he activated his Dharma Robe’s Divine Technique, followed by the high-speed Meteor Technique. With a burst of speed that the other three could never have anticipated, Lü Zhong appeared beside the mysterious cultivator’s corpse.

With incredibly practiced looting skills, he snatched the man’s Storage Bag and the Qingyang Mirror from the ground in a few deft movements. Then, his body accelerated once more. Ignoring the damage the extreme speed was inflicting on him, he made a swift getaway, leaving the other three to eat his dust.

"How could he be so fast!" The two Wan Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators couldn’t help but wonder if the person who had been hiding was a Golden Core Cultivator. How else could he have moved too fast for them to even react?

They had intended to give chase, but after a moment’s hesitation, the figure had already vanished into the mist.

As for Grandma Red Flower, her expression had turned grim.

In her nearly two hundred years of life, this was the first time she had suffered such a major loss.

However, she didn’t dare to linger. The two Wan Family Foundation Establishment Cultivators across from her had now turned their gazes on her, and it was clear they were getting ideas. She feared they wanted to trap her here.

The Wan Family on their own were nothing to fear, but if the Jade Flower Sect was alerted and arrived, she would be damned for all eternity.

...

His heart was pounding wildly. After taking a Rejuvenation Pill to suppress his injuries, Lü Zhong evaded the patrolling Wan Family disciples by mentally replaying the area’s recent activity, rushing back to Jingyang Market overnight.

It wasn’t until he was lying on the brocade couch in his cave abode that he finally dared to breathe a sigh of relief.

He then quickly sat up and began to treat his wounds.

Achieving a movement speed comparable to a Golden Core Cultivator, even for a short time, was not without its price. The consequence of using the Meteor Technique over ten times to stun the three of them was that Lü Zhong’s body was now torn in multiple places. The moment he stopped using his Magical Power to forcibly suppress the damage, he was instantly covered in his own blood.

But even so, Lü Zhong was incredibly thrilled.

For the mere price of severe physical injuries, he had obtained a Talisman Treasure and a Lower-grade Spiritual Artifact, the Qingyang Mirror. It was a massive profit. Compared to the gains, the cost was nothing.

Lü Zhong spent the entire night recuperating from his injuries.

By dawn, he had finally suppressed his injuries. He then pushed his Breath Concealing Skill to its limit to hide his slightly unstable aura, lest anyone discover that he was wounded.

Once all this was done, he got up and headed out.

Today was the day he was supposed to give the Tan Family his answer. After learning that the Tan Family had a clean record and was considered a reputable family, Lü Zhong had naturally warmed to the idea of joining them as an Honored Guest Elder.

He arrived at the Treasure Food Boat again and soon met with Tan Shihe.

"Fellow Daoist Lü, have you come to a decision?" Tan Shihe asked, his face full of expectation.

He hadn’t been waiting idly during this time; he had conducted an investigation into Lü Zhong and learned a fair bit about the former Heling Sect disciple.

All things considered, Lü Zhong seemed to be a trustworthy person, which made Tan Shihe even more intent on recruiting him.

Lü Zhong cupped his hands toward Tan Shihe and said with a smile, "If I were to join the Tan Family as an Honored Guest Elder, I was wondering what the compensation would be?"