parentshiftbook Chapter 56: The Water Ghost
Chapter 56: The Water Ghost
"What! How is this possible?"
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth as Mao Tianyu stared in disbelief at the familiar yet unfamiliar boy in front of him.
Before he could react, a sharp pain shot through his chest again.
Crack! The sound of bones shattering rang out, and he was sent flying instantly!
"ah--"
Bang! Mao Tianyu crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
The onlookers were so frightened that they backed away, afraid of being caught in the crossfire.
Zhang Ping's expression was cold.
Wang Dashan, who was in the crowd, was so shocked by what he saw that his jaw nearly dropped.
"This...the Flesh Refining Realm?"
Although there was no obvious fluctuation of qi and blood on Zhang Ping's body, the fact that he could beat Mao Tianyu like this meant he was definitely at the Body Refinement Realm!
"It's over!"
Wang Dashan's heart skipped a beat, as if he had suddenly thought of something.
Mao Xiangrong is also in the team. What if he makes a move?
The thought had barely crossed my mind when a figure flew over from afar!
Boom! The figure crashed to the ground from mid-air, creating a large crater.
"How dare you hurt my son? Your Sitong Martial Arts School is too presumptuous! Today I will teach you a lesson on behalf of your school's manager!" A roar rang out.
"It's Master Mao!"
Those watching the scene recognized Mao Xiangrong, and a look of apprehension crossed their faces. They quickened their pace as they retreated.
The filthy warriors are the top combat force in the team, and no one wants to get into trouble while watching the show.
Mao Xiangrong's imposing manner was unrestrained and directly overwhelmed Zhang Ping.
Zhang Ping narrowed his eyes and slowly drew his sword.
Not far away, on a large rock, two women looked down at the scene.
"Sister Wei, you really won't make a move?" Xiao Ling'er looked meaningfully at Chu Hanwei, who was stopping her. She had long noticed the subtle relationship between the two, but it seemed to be one-sided.
Could it be that this icy-cold woman has fallen for that ordinary-looking man?
As her thoughts drifted, Xiao Ling'er's cheeks flushed again.
Chu Hanwei knew what she was thinking without even looking, and reached out to tap her forehead.
"Stop with your filthy thoughts. I just want to see his strength."
"Ah..." Xiao Ling'er rubbed her forehead in pain, pouting her little mouth in grievance.
On the other side, in the center of the crowd.
Zhang Ping noticed that after Mao Xiangrong jumped out, he didn't even look at the seriously injured Mao Tianyu on the ground. His aim was directly at himself, or rather, at the Sitong Martial Arts School.
They simply want to take advantage of the situation to seize the martial arts school's assets. Mao Tianyu is just a pretext.
He was perfectly clear-headed, and suddenly smiled, casually sticking the tip of the knife into the ground.
"The so-called Tianxing Martial Arts School is nothing but a bluff. Today, my longsword stands here; let's see if you, an old man, dare to challenge its might!"
His words were forceful and confident.
At this moment, Zhang Ping exuded a unique charm in Fu Huiying's eyes behind him.
Others, however, thought he had gone mad.
"A Flesh Refining Realm cultivator dares to provoke a Dirty Refining Realm cultivator? Is he an idiot?" A merchant under the protection of the Tianxing Martial Arts School shook his head.
"Should I go and invite Director Chu?"
"Don't get involved in the affairs of the martial arts school. The people from Sitong Martial Arts School should have gone there long ago."
"..."
Mao Xiangrong's former air of seniority vanished completely. His right hand formed a claw as he roared, "Boy! Let me see what you've got! Heavenly Claw!"
His crimson blood surged, condensing into a three-meter-long giant claw in mid-air, which swept down towards Zhang Ping's head with a fierce wind!
Even though Ling Chuan's injuries haven't healed, he thinks dealing with a junior in the Flesh Refining Realm is a piece of cake!
Faced with the giant claw, Zhang Ping first pushed Fu Huiying away, then slapped the hilt of his knife!
Boom! The violent blood energy tore through the ground!
An invisible blade of energy slashed through the air, instantly shredding the incoming giant claw!
Zhang Ping stood as tall as a mountain, showing no sign of retreat.
Those who were nearby suffered the consequences; those with weaker cultivation were thrown to the ground by the shockwave, ending up in a sorry state.
"Is it blocked?"
"A sword aura appearing out of thin air? A master swordsman!"
"Impossible! How could he have mastered swordsmanship at such a young age?"
Experts know the ropes. Zhang Ping's move left countless people speechless.
In particular, a late-stage Body Refinement martial artist specializing in swordsmanship gripped the large sword in his arms tightly:
"Mastery of swordsmanship! An absolute master of swordsmanship!"
Only those at the Refining Realm can project their Qi and Blood outwards; before that, they rarely have long-range methods. However, this is not absolute.
Those who practice swords and short weapons, if they have exceptional talent and can reach the master level, can condense their qi and release it to defend against enemies!
This is a devastating blow to ordinary martial artists at the Skin Tempering and Flesh Refining stages. Such individuals are always the cream of the crop among their peers.
"A master of swordsmanship?"
In the distance, Xiao Ling'er looked surprised.
"Is this why you've taken a liking to him?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than he received another blow to the forehead.
"Alright, time to clean up the mess." Chu Hanwei rolled her eyes at her, but her brows were furrowed.
Perfect swordsmanship?
More and more like...
Zhang Ping remained unmoved by the astonishment.
Ghost Blade's talent is inherently like this.
If he were still at the Body Refining Realm, he might feel a little smug. But with his current strength, he finds it all quite ordinary.
"I didn't expect your swordsmanship to have reached such a level..." A hint of apprehension flashed in Mao Xiangrong's eyes. A martial artist capable of unleashing sword energy could already pose a threat to the Refining Realm!
In addition, his injuries hadn't healed yet...
Upon seeing Chu Hanwei approaching, he uttered a harsh remark and turned to leave.
Zhang Ping remained silent, staring at Mao Xiangrong's retreating figure, his mind blank.
The Ghost River is where you will meet your end...
……
The farce has come to an end.
Zhang Ping sat to one side. Martial arts school disciples who were not familiar with him before gathered around, trying to establish a rapport, asking about his plans, and expressing their desire to team up with him.
He gave perfunctory replies but did not grant any of the requests.
As dusk approached, a sudden gust of cold wind rose over the Ghost River, its biting chill penetrating to the bone.
Zhang Ping frowned as he draped a thick coat over Fu Huiying. He thought to himself:
"We need to find a way to get Madam into cultivation."
At this moment, the people who went to Ghost Cloud Mountain to retrieve the Ghost Stone finally returned.
But those who returned were all ashen-faced. Of the more than one hundred people who went, only twenty or thirty returned; the whereabouts of the majority were unknown.
Chu Hanwei stepped forward and asked urgently, only to learn that something had happened at Ghost Cloud Mountain. The number of demons had surged, and many were now roaming the previously safe outer perimeter. They had broken out of their original range, attacking not only the stone collectors but also a few who were pursuing and killing them. Fortunately, they had been dealt with along the way.
Her expression changed drastically.
"How much of the Ghost Stone was taken?"
"That's enough. But we'll have to squeeze more people into each boat."
"Alright! Everyone, cross the river immediately!" Chu Hanwei shouted.
Everyone immediately prepared to cross the river.
"Madam, stay close to me."
Zhang Ping, Fu Huiying, and several martial arts school disciples were traveling on the same boat. In the center of the boat was a huge unicorn wrapped in cloth and bound with iron.
He pulled Fu Huiying onto the boat, and the martial arts disciples used their qi and blood to propel the boat, which shot towards the opposite shore like an arrow.
Before long, mist filled the Guitian River, and boats, as numerous as leaves, began to cross the river.
The first half of the journey was smooth sailing.
Zhang Ping's eyes swept over the location of the Tianxing Martial Arts School's ships, and he quietly activated the power of the Water God.
"Tianxing Martial Arts School..."
Before I could even make a move, my forehead suddenly felt a burning sensation!
Danger-sensing beast markings warn!
Almost simultaneously, a series of azure figures burst forth from the water!
They are humanoid in shape, with wrinkled faces, ferocious and terrifying fangs, green skin, and a hissing, strange cry.
"A water ghost! It's a water ghost!" the people on the boat shouted in terror.
The water ghost emerged, shooting water arrows from its mouth at the people on the boat.
Many people were caught off guard and pierced by the water jets!
"We have the Ghost Stone! Why are the water ghosts still attacking?" The Ghost Stone's protection of the river is an ironclad rule. Yet today it has been broken!
Chu Hanwei stood at the bow of the boat, each swing of her longsword taking away several water ghosts. Her expression was solemn, filled with confusion.
Almost all the ships were attacked by the water ghosts.
Only one ship was an exception. Having received the warning from the beast markings, Zhang Ping remained vigilant. When the water ghost appeared, he immediately protected Fu Huiying.
Strangely, the water ghosts didn't attack his boat. Even when they approached, they would immediately turn and attack other ships upon seeing him.
Zhang Ping was surprised, then suddenly remembered that the power of the water god originated from the mountains and marshes, the former ruler of the Ghost Heaven River. These water ghosts were all born from the influence of the mountains and marshes.
Could it be... because I possess the power of the mountains and marshes?
Just then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Tianxing Martial Arts School in the distance driving the water ghosts toward them.
"court death!"
His left hand silently clenched into a fist inside his sleeve.
The waters of the Ghost River suddenly churned violently! The commotion was greater than Zhang Ping had anticipated.
"The waters of the Ghost River... are actually responding to me on their own?" A sense of surprise flashed through his mind.
In that moment of astonishment, the disciples of Tianxing Martial Arts School suffered a terrible disaster! The surging river capsized several small boats!
thump! thump!
Countless people fell into the water. The moment they entered, they were swarmed and dragged by water ghosts, and in the blink of an eye, they were pulled to the dark riverbed…