ATPnovel #173 - They are all cheating, right?
#173 - They are all cheating, right?
Chapter 172: Everyone's Cheating, Right?!
Those guards were battle-hardened and coordinated. As Zhang Chen spat out blood, their steel blades swiftly cut through the air.
Zhang Chen dodged quickly, aided by his invisibility talisman, narrowly avoiding the long blades. The blades left deep marks on the ground.
Evading the attack, Zhang Chen looked at the scorched skin on his chest, then at Zhong Xiang, now a ball of flame, and felt an urge to curse: "How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!"
Elemental Transformation!
Is that a skill a Fourth Order should have?
Zhang Chen's core pulsed wildly, constantly repairing his injuries. In a dozen breaths, his damaged internal organs were almost completely restored.
Meanwhile, the Southern Qilin transformed from a flame back into human form, his body wreathed in fiery red mist. The wound on his throat had become a fiery red magma, slowly solidifying and healing.
"Heh heh, the ability to turn invisible is rare, but you underestimate me. After taking my punch, your internal organs must be shattered; you're probably not far from death. If you're willing to submit, I might spare your life today," the Southern Qilin said coldly.
While recovering, Zhang Chen stared at the Southern Qilin. Now that he had calmed down, he realized that even if the other party had the ability to transform into an element, he might still be able to deal with him, because he still had the Immobilization Talisman and the Suppression Talisman.
His Immobilization Talisman was currently at the Third Order, but as long as he upgraded it to the Fourth Order, and immobilized the opponent, then used the Suppression Talisman to suppress their supernatural powers, denying them the chance to use them, he might still be able to win.
Although upgrading the Immobilization Talisman required a full 400,000 experience points, Zhang Chen was now rich and could afford it.
Just as he was about to upgrade, the Feng Shui master, Chen Xu, turned around and ran back. Although Chen Xu couldn't see Zhang Chen, he knew Zhang Chen was there and shouted into the open space:
"Run! I remember his background! This man is one of the two geniuses of the Confucian school: Southern Qilin. What flows in his body isn't blood, but magma. He can transform into flames and magma giants, and is known as an immortal being!"
Although Chen Xu had an invisibility talisman, shouting exposed his location. In an instant, the Southern Qilin, Zhong Xiang, transformed into a ball of flame over ten meters tall and pounced on Chen Xu.
The flames distorted the void, and the armored warrior turned into a stone statue beside him was directly melted, rushing towards Chen Xu with terrifying momentum.
Zhang Chen couldn't just watch Chen Xu die; he still had great use for this Feng Shui master.
The next moment, the Fox Fairy Nannan appeared and suddenly pounced, pushing Chen Xu away, sending him tumbling to the ground, splashing up dust, and avoiding the scorching flames.
Where Zhong Xiang stood, the ground instantly melted into scorching magma, the magma emitting a scorching temperature, distorting the air.
"The power of this flame is too abnormal! This is definitely not ordinary flame," Zhang Chen thought, watching the melting earth and rocks. "It's a pity it's not by a river or the Yangtze River, otherwise my Ice Spell would be his bane."
"Damn it! Zhang Chen, what are you doing? How did you provoke him! This guy is known as a madman of the Confucian school. Even an Eighth Order Yin God was refined alive by him back then. Even a Tenth Order deity can't kill him. This guy has mastered the supernatural power of transforming into flames and magma. You should run!" The Fox Fairy Nannan, fleeing to Zhang Chen's side, said anxiously.
"He's only Fourth Order, isn't he? How can even a Tenth Order deity not kill him? Doesn't that make him invincible?" Zhang Chen asked incredulously.
"It is said that when he was young, he obtained the Fire Qilin inheritance in a large tomb, which is why he has the title of Southern Qilin. His ancestral bloodline ability is to control flames, but after merging with the origin of the Fire Qilin, his bloodline mutated. When he was First Order, he awakened his first ability: Magma Transformation. When he was Second Order, he gained his second ability: Samadhi Fire. When he was Third Order, he entered a large tomb and obtained a Qilin Heart, mastering the means of transforming into flames. Now that he is Fourth Order, his abilities have not yet been revealed, and who knows what means he is hiding," the Fox Fairy Nannan said.
"I heard that in an ancient god's tomb, an Eighth Order Yin God fought with him for fortune, but was killed by him and refined alive with flames. Later, the Tenth Order expert behind that Eighth Order was furious and hunted him down several times, killing him dozens of times, even cutting him into thousands of pieces, but because he could gather and disperse into flames, he was practically immortal, forcing the Tenth Order deity to give up revenge."
"It is said that his body was transformed by the Fire Qilin's heart, and what flows in his body is no longer blood, but scorching magma. He can no longer be considered a human; he has transformed into the mystery of fire."
Zhang Chen was speechless. Could it be that the cultivation speed of someone cheating couldn't be surpassed by someone who worked hard???
Zhang Chen suddenly felt a little listless. This was the real cheating, a one-step process.
Compared to him, his own golden finger still required him to grind levels bit by bit? This golden finger was too weak. Zhang Chen wanted to curse; was there still justice? Was there still law?
He wanted to report; someone was cheating!
"Doesn't that mean this kid is invincible?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Of course not. As long as someone can cultivate a higher-level Mysterious Ice power, freeze his flames, and extinguish his magma, they can break his immortal body and completely kill him," the Fox Fairy Nannan said.
"Besides higher-level Mysterious Ice power, does the Southern Qilin Zhong Xiang have any other weaknesses?" Zhang Chen asked.
The Fox Fairy Nannan was silent for a moment before hesitating, "Perhaps there is another way."
"What way?" Zhang Chen asked.
"If there is a powerful sealing technique, sealing him up, and waiting until his lifespan runs out, everything will be over," the Fox Fairy Nannan said.
Zhang Chen's eyes lit up, and he looked at his golden finger panel:
[8 Skills (Third Order): Immobilization Talisman (0/400000)]
[9 Skills (Fourth Order): Suppression Talisman (200000)]
"If I use the Immobilization Talisman to immobilize him unexpectedly, and then use the Suppression Talisman to suppress him, not giving him a chance to mobilize his supernatural powers, can I suppress that Zhong Xiang?" A thought flashed in Zhang Chen's mind.
At this time, the Fox Fairy Nannan, looking at Zhong Xiang, who was filled with rage, in the field, said:
"Southern Qilin and Northern Crouching Dragon aren't just names! Scholarship alone can't subdue the scholars of the world. Since ancient times, literary men have looked down on each other. If they didn't possess overwhelming power, who would be willing to submit to them?" the Fox Fairy Nannan said.
Zhang Chen's eyelids twitched as he shifted his gaze from the golden finger panel. "Southern Qilin Zhong Xiang has the Fire Qilin Heart. What about the Crouching Dragon? Don't tell me the Crouching Dragon obtained the fortune of a True Dragon."
“It is said that Wolong obtained a complete dragon pearl from a true dragon.” Fox Fairy Nannan said.
“This is outrageous!” Zhang Chen lamented, looking up at the sky.
“Do you know how I felt when I first met you? It's the same feeling you have facing them now. It's simply outrageous! I am at least a seventh-order soul-possessing entity, and you were only at the first order back then. Yet, when I faced you, I was like a dog trying to bite a hedgehog, with no way to start. You are even more unreasonable than those two.” Fox Fairy Nannan said unhappily.
Zhang Chen touched his nose upon hearing this. He felt that what Fox Fairy Nannan said made some sense, after all, he had the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Formation of unknown rank.
“I don't believe that Southern Qilin is immortal and indestructible.” Zhang Chen thought of his own Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Formation. If he could find a way to lure the opponent into the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Formation, Zhang Chen didn't believe he couldn't kill him.
He really wanted to see if the opponent's immortality and indestructibility was more powerful, or his own Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Formation was more powerful.
“That Southern Qilin isn't a fool either. If I openly set up the talisman formation, the opponent might not take the bait…” Zhang Chen quickly pondered in his heart: “But if I upgrade the Immobile Talisman and capture him with it, then throw him into the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Formation, wouldn't that be able to reduce him to a mortal, break his indestructible body, and completely obliterate him?”
Zhang Chen was very tempted at this moment, quickly calculating the feasibility in his mind. Fox Fairy Nannan, who was beside him, leaned over at this time, a sinister look appearing in her voice: “Actually, I think this Zhong Xiang came just in time. We can use this Zhong Xiang for a while.”
“How so?” Zhang Chen's thoughts were interrupted, and he looked at Fox Fairy Nannan.
“Zhong Xiang possesses the art of fire, and his flames are so overbearing. Don't you think that using this kid to melt the rocks and enter the Feng Shui Grand Formation is his true purpose?”
Fox Fairy Nannan was bewitching Zhang Chen.
Zhang Chen's eyebrows twitched upon hearing this, and he glanced at Fox Fairy Nannan. He suddenly felt that the fox spirit in front of him was really a cunning strategist.
The mountain is tens of meters, hundreds of meters thick. Even if he had gunpowder to open the mountain, it would take forever to blast out a passage. Moreover, as the process of blasting the cave goes deeper and deeper, it will inevitably continue to collapse. How long will it take to clear the rubble? Decades or hundreds of years?
By that time, Zhang Chen was afraid that he would die of old age!
But if he could capture Southern Qilin Zhong Xiang and ask Southern Qilin to use his divine power to melt the cave passage, that would be perfect.
“This place is shrouded in such a Feng Shui Grand Formation, there must be incredible good fortune. What's the use of killing a Zhong Xiang? Using Zhong Xiang to dig out the good fortune within the Feng Shui Grand Formation is the most important thing.” Fox Fairy Nannan's eyes were bright and piercing.
While Zhang Chen and the fox spirit were talking, Zhong Xiang and others looked at the motionless air and were also a little anxious, wondering if Zhang Chen was dead or not, and were cautiously on guard.
At this time, Zhang Chen pondered slightly upon hearing this, and agreed to Fox Fairy Nannan's plan, but this process still needed to be planned.
But capturing Zhong Xiang was not simple. This kid had obviously cheated, and he still needed to upgrade the Immobile Talisman and Suppressing Talisman first.
It's just that these two skills were huge experience eaters.
Needless to say about the Suppressing Talisman, upgrading from the fourth order to the fifth order required a full 200,000 experience points.
And the Immobile Talisman actually required 400,000 experience points to upgrade from the third order to the fourth order. If both of these skills were upgraded once, 800,000 experience points would evaporate directly.
He seemed to have more than 1.9 million experience points now, but it would be gone after upgrading once or twice.
“How should these skills be used? I still need to plan carefully. I can't waste skill points!” Zhang Chen looked at the Golden Finger panel and began to plan how to use the points.
“Moreover, even if it is upgraded, the fourth-order Suppressing Talisman might not be enough against a pervert who has obtained the Qilin Heart. I don't know how long it can suppress him. At least it has to be upgraded to the fifth order to have a sense of security.” Zhang Chen's gaze swept across the entire Golden Finger panel and landed on the Blood Control Technique:
【3. Skill (First Order): Transform Blood Bats (0/1,000,000)】
“One million experience points, it's simply a gold-swallowing monster, but since it requires so many skill points to upgrade, the abilities it brings must be beyond imagination.”
Zhang Chen's gaze swept across the Blood Control Technique and continued to glance downwards, landing on the Soul-Hooking Chains:
【5. Skill (First Order): Soul-Hooking Chains (0/1,000,000)】
Still one million experience points. He only needed to upgrade once, and Zhang Chen's points would be running out.
Zhang Chen fell into deep thought. He was thinking about which skill to upgrade.
The Immobile Talisman and Suppressing Talisman must be upgraded. This was the key to capturing Southern Qilin Zhong Xiang. In this way, 600,000 experience points would evaporate directly.
But Zhang Chen began to hesitate between the Soul-Hooking Chains and the Blood Control Technique. He could already transform into blood-sucking bats. The first order already had such abilities. If he upgraded again, he might be able to obtain the great power of controlling blood, or even rebirth from a drop of blood.
However, Zhang Chen didn't dare to gamble on what skills he would get if he continued to upgrade.
As for the Soul-Hooking Chains, Zhang Chen was also hesitant. It was the Tomb of the Emperor's Daughter, after all. What exactly was buried inside? What kind of backup plans were there? Did the Emperor's Daughter still have remnants of her soul? He felt that relying on a first-order Soul-Hooking Chains seemed a little inadequate.
The Soul-Hooking Chains could only hook the souls of those whose lifespan was about to end, but there was no way to restrain them. What if the other party chased after him after seven days?
Were there souls who had lived for countless years in the Tomb of the Emperor's Daughter?
Ever since meeting the old thing, the Great Freedom Heavenly Demon, Zhang Chen was a little afraid to gamble.
He couldn't afford to gamble!
Losing the bet would mean his end.
“Not enough experience points! Not nearly enough!” Zhang Chen muttered to himself: “I hope I can get another windfall after entering the Tomb of the Emperor's Daughter.”
“What are you thinking about?” Fox Fairy Nannan saw Zhang Chen spacing out and asked.
“I'm thinking about how to suppress Zhong Xiang and better harvest the good fortune within the Feng Shui Grand Formation.” Zhang Chen's eyes looked at the field. At this time, Zhong Xiang saw that there was no movement in the field, and thought that Zhang Chen and his party had been refined to death, and actually ordered his subordinates to relax their vigilance and start cooking.
“You have a way to suppress Zhong Xiang?” Fox Fairy Nannan looked at Zhang Chen with surprised eyes.
“Now this kid thinks I've been refined to death. Let's wait a little longer, wait until he completely relaxes his vigilance, and when he's most lax, I'll approach him and try it.” Zhang Chen prepared to start upgrading his skills.
He knew that since the aura of the Feng Shui Grand Formation had leaked out, he didn't have much time left. He didn't know how many people it would alarm.
Wanting to rely on gunpowder to enter the tomb would cause too much commotion, but this Southern Qilin came just in time.