Chapter 43: Stay Calm
The lightning released from?Leo gradually dissipated, and his life energy faded away. At the same time, the changes to Leo's body were clearly visible.
His skin had wrinkled, and his hair had turned grey. Leo, who was in his twenties, looked like an older man, aged thirty or forty.
The Raging Holy Thunder was extremely powerful and overbearing, and its terrible power would turn against the cultivator. Zen was astonished when he saw the changes on Leo.
The audience around the battle ring stared at Zen with a fearful expression. To them, it seemed as if he were a horrid, cruel man.
This man had been a member of Drizzle Peak?for less than a month. He defeated Leo, who was ranked 30th among the outer disciples. The incredible fight and Leo's ultimate defeat had happened in front of them.
What was more shocking was that Zen was only at the organ refining level.
In time, once he entered the marrow refining level, or perhaps he took a half step into the nature level, wouldn't he be able to challenge a master at the nature level? Zen's power was unbelievable!
Although no one spoke, they were all in awe of what Zen had accomplished.
Regardless of whether this assumption was true or not, Zen's strength was far superior to any other disciple at the same level. It was an established fact. No one could deny that.
Seeing that Leo had been defeated, and having borne witness to what had happened to Leo, Anthony He was furious. He felt restless, as though he needed to do something. He suddenly stretched out his right hand and roared at Nory with a crisp, authoritative tone, “Return the Purple Blue Sword to me!”
Not long ago, they gambled for the fight, that the winner could take the bet. Then Anthony gave his Purple Blue Sword, which was a top grade mysterious weapon, as a bet to Nory. And also Zen handed his bet, hundreds of cubic crystals, to Nory. At that time, Anthony was certain that Leo would not lose. So, he lent the Purple Blue Sword to Leo without any hesitation.
After all, the risk in this gamble was minimal. Anthony knew of Leo's skills, and he figured this battle would be an easy win for Leo. Of course, he would be happy to see that his Purple Blue Sword would bring him fifty pieces of cubic crystals after Leo won this battle. It seemed like a very safe bet at that time. He would have been a fool not to bet against Zen.
The result, however, was unexpected. Anthony was dumbfounded at Zen's victory.
The risk Anthony had taken blew up in his face. However, Anthony was too angry to care about any other things. He needed to get the Purple Blue Sword back. The sword belonged to him and he would not see it go to another person!
Anthony's gaze was fixed on the Purple Blue Sword and Nory. Nory was a little nervous. He took two steps back in surprise, but he did not retreat. Then, he said stiffly, “Isn't the sword part of the bet? You've made a bet with your sword. Now that Leo has lost, the top grade mysterious weapon belongs to Zen.”
“This is my weapon. I just lent it to Leo. I don't care if Zen won or lost! You want a mysterious weapon, then ask Leo!” A top grade mysterious weapon was a precious object for outer disciples. Reasoning did not seem to work with Anthony. His only thought was to get his weapon back.
Zen suddenly stepped forward and grabbed the sword. Then he turned to Anthony and said, “This is what I won from Leo. If you want it back, I suggest you ask Leo!”
“No. The Purple Blue Sword is...” Anthony began countering Zen's argument. However, he got anxious and couldn't finish.
Zen stared at Anthony with cold eyes and said, “Well, If you don't accept your loss, I shall have to use force!”
Zen's words shut Anthony up.
Anthony was also talented. He ranked 35th among the outer disciples.
However, Leo, who was ranked in the 30th place, had been defeated by Zen. How could Anthony afford to compete with Zen? Did he have a chance to win?
No, he didn't. Anthony could only stay quiet at Zen's threat. However, he couldn't let go of his sword. It seemed that he could only vent his anger at Leo.
Thomas Zhu, who had been watching the battle, shook his head when he saw that Leo had been defeated. He whispered, “Garbage,” and then turned away.
Before he stepped away, a sword plunged into the ground in front of Thomas. The?Purple Blue Sword swayed in front of Thomas, blocking his way.
“Was it you who incited Leo to challenge me?” asked Zen as he strolled toward Thomas. He placed himself in front of Thomas and stared coldly at him.
Thomas chuckled, “So what? What are you going to do? I am from the Zhuge Clan. Can anyone here afford to offend the Zhuge family? My master sentenced you to death. And so, you should die. I am here to make sure you die quickly. I suggest you write your last words and prepare for the funeral before it's too late!”
“Zhuge Clan? Who are you in the Zhuge family?” Zen ignored Thomas' outburst and asked.
“Me?” The fat on Thomas' face shook, and his smile grew even more confident. “It doesn't hurt to tell you. I am a close servant of the third son of the Zhuge Clan.”
“The third son of the Zhuge Clan? The third son of the Zhuge Clan is involved in this matter?”
“When did Zen provoke the Zhuge family? The third son is a madman!” Someone in the crowd said. Then, the others started to talk about it.
Apparently, many people present had heard about the notorious third son.
Formerly known as Fren, the third son in the Zhuge family had been nicknamed as 'Fren the loony'.
Fren's ruthless and tyrannical behavior had earned him this nickname. He was always furious and presumptuous. And so everyone started to call him 'Fren the loony'.
“Oh?” The expression in Zen's eyes changed, and his face became more serious as he remarked, “Fren's servant. What great fame for you! Good prestige! How dare you instigate internal battles in Drizzle Peak?”
As with any other peaks, Drizzle Peak saw its share of in-fighting. But these struggles were internal affairs.
Now that another peak had stepped into Drizzle Peak's internal affairs, all disciples would unite. In fact, the?other thirty-two peaks at Cloud Sect were like this, too. Everyone fought behind closed doors. But once they got involved in a fight outside, they united against their common enemy. Unparalleled and consistent.
Thomas had instigated Leo to attack Zen. This interference was taboo and a violation of laws. This was not allowed to happen here!
Therefore, Zen's observation drew the hostility of Drizzle Peak's disciples. Thomas was hurled into the spotlight.
An unfriendly expression grew on the faces of the spectators.
Once the thought clicked in everyone's mind, they all banded together against Thomas. Even though Drizzle Peak was ranked the last among the other peaks, the disciples still felt a strong sense of loyalty toward their Peak and peers.
Fren was powerful, and the Zhuge family was certainly a giant among the noble clans.
Did the power of the Zhuge family mean that the disciples of Drizzle Peak could be bullied? What angered the spectators even more was that Thomas was only a slave to Fren! He was not even a disciple at Cloud Sect.
Thomas was very calm. To him, these outer disciples were a group of rabble. He was confident that when they heard Fren's name, they would be scared and they would kneel before him. He sneered, “I am arrogant. So what? I did it. I instigated Leo to pick a fight. What can you do?”
“What can I do?” Zen turned and sought Sean from among the crowd. Then he asked aloud, “Sean, will I be held responsible for teaching him a lesson?”
Sean walked out of the crowd and took a look at Thomas. Then he said, “This person is only a slave to the Zhuge family. He is not a disciple of Cloud Sect. He provoked us to attack each other in Drizzle Peak. Of course, we must teach him a lesson. Even the masters will support us!”
“Well, good!” A smile spread on Zen's face as Sean finished. Zen walked toward Thomas slowly.
“You, stop there... what are you going to do?” Realizing the danger from Zen, Thomas took a few steps back and shouted in a high, thin voice, “I am Fren's servant. If you dare to touch me, my master will take you, will take you....”
Before Thomas could finish, Zen reached out as quick as a lightning bolt, twisted his thick neck, and pressed his neck on the blade of the Purple Blue Sword. Then, Zen put a foot on his back and said in an even tone, “Finish that sentence! I dare you. If I touch you, what will your master do to me?”
The sharp blade of?the Purple Blue Sword?was pressed?on Thomas' neck. If Zen pushed even a little bit forward, Thomas would be decapitated.
Thomas' face flushed. His eyes were fixed on the sharp sword. Screaming like a pig being killed echoed through the battle ring. His lips trembled so much that he couldn't say a word. Soon the smell of urine permeated the air. Thomas had peed himself.
At this time, an?outer disciple stepped forward. He reached out and held the Purple Blue Sword's blade with two fingers.
“Zen, this person serves Fren. If you kill him, I'm afraid your actions will be difficult to explain to Fren. You can't afford to offend the Zhuge family. Why not let him go? I believe that Fren will also let this issue pass,” the outer disciple rationalized. He was dark-skinned, not tall but stocky.
Zen did not intend to kill Thomas. But he was angry that an outsider would come to Drizzle Peak and incite a fight between him and Leo. Moreover, after Leo's defeat, Thomas was still arrogant and superior. Although Zen would not kill him, he did want to teach him a lesson.
But when the outer disciple stepped out and suggested that Zen acknowledge the power and influence of the Zhuge family, the situation changed. Zen began considering killing Thomas.
“Why should I care if my actions are easy?or hard to explain to Fren? I'm not his servant.” Zen stared at the outer disciple and asked in a cold voice. While it seemed as though the outer disciple was giving valuable advice to Zen's advantage, he was, in fact, pressuring Zen to bow to the Zhuge family. Zen could see that he was trying to help the Zhuge family. Zen hated it when people tried to curry favor with noble clans.
Before the outer disciple could answer Zen, Thomas, who was still at Zen's mercy screamed, “Liam, don't stand on ceremony with him. Help me kill him. Kill Zen and my master will reward you!”
Liam Cao was ranked 15th among the outer disciples at Drizzle Peak. Though he was just half-step into the nature level, Liam was stronger than Leo. Regardless of his power, Liam could not mingle with children from noble clans like Fren easily because of his background. However, Liam Cao had maintained good relationships with clansmen from the offshoot branches of the Zhuge family.
The purpose of Liam's intervention on Thomas' behalf was to earn favor with Fren. If things went according to plan, this would be a good opportunity for him to be connected with Fren.
“Zen, I respect you for being a newcomer. You are talented. You defeated Leo, which I admire. So I gave you advice that was well-intentioned. I have shown you the right way to deal with this matter. Don't make things worse.” Seeing that his words hadn't changed Zen's mind, Liam's tone suddenly hardened. He never thought that Zen would be so proud and unreasonable.
“Oh, really? What is the right way? What will make things worse? I don't like nonsense. If you don't agree with me, then face me in the battle ring,” Zen retorted.
“Settling disputes in the battle ring is not the only way to solve a problem. I suggest that both of you compromise. Then the situation will not escalate,” another disciple interjected. Zen turned to the disciple who had just spoken only to find a man with a big, fat face smiling at him.
“Wurth, are you here to poke your nose into my business?” Liam's expression showed the agitation he felt when he saw Wurth.
The fat man, Wurth Zhang, was ranked 7th among the outer disciples at Drizzle Peak. From among the ten thousand outer disciples, he was definitely a top master. As a grin spread across Wurth's face, two front teeth were revealed. “Well, your business? I don't accept what you just said. Liam, I know that you have a good relationship with the Zhuge family, but you should not support this servant. The slave is spoiled and defiant. He is proud of being?a slave of the Zhuge family. His behavior is superior and supercilious. He seems to forget that he is just a slave. Even a slave to the Emperor's family is still a slave! He shouldn't feel superior to other people. In my opinion, killing him is too harsh. But we should not let him go easily either. How about this. Zen, you can teach him a lesson with your fist! It is better that both of you make some concessions on this matter!”
Wurth Zhang had made an interesting point. A faint smile grew on Zen's face. Although Wurth seemed to be fair and unselfish, anybody could see that he was feigning fairness. He was actually helping Zen. Most people understood that Zen would not kill Thomas. But they knew that Zen was angry and that he had a temper. They also knew that he needed to maintain his power and prestige.
As a result of Wurth's explanation, Zen now had the opportunity to?hit Thomas, even though it sounded like both sides had reached a compromise.
Liam clenched his teeth and then stepped away.
Liam was already somewhat jealous and fearful of the strength that Zen?had shown to all. And now Wurth was officious. Liam was unable to protect Thomas.
“Zen, now you can teach Thomas a lesson,” ?said Wurth. A sly smile grew on Wurth's face as he stressed on the word 'lesson'.
Zen nodded and seized the back of Thomas' neck. At that moment, Thomas' eyes flashed red. “Zen, if you beat me to death, my master will destroy you and your family, and grind your bones to dust!”
Zen shook his head calmly. He was so tired of these hollow threats. Couldn't they think of something new to threaten him with? He flipped his palms and slapped Thomas. Then he landed a mighty blow on Thomas' chest. Thomas suddenly flew back and rolled on the ground.
Seeing this, everyone was surprised. They felt the punishment inflicted on Thomas was too mild. Zen should beat him harder.
Thomas got up from the ground. Instead of showing the convergence necessary, he kept threatening Zen. He didn't seem injured. To the crowd's surprise, just as he stood up straight, a dull explosion sounded from within his body.
“Puff, pu-ff...”
Four holes sprayed blood from his hands and feet. Thomas screamed and fell to the floor.
“What a good blow!”
“Well done, Zen. This idiot deserved that. He dared to cause trouble in Drizzle Peak. Just see how his life ends!”
From among the spectators, several people looked at Zen and cheered him with words of praise. But most were silent. They didn't echo the sentiment of the cheering people. They knew that this matter would not come to a good end. Fren was not known to be kind and reasonable. On the other hand, Zen was not from a noble clan. He was helpless. He had no one, and no clan would protect him. They believed that he wouldn't stay in Drizzle Peak for long...
“You just entered Cloud Sect, and you've already offended the Zhuge family. Aren't you afraid?” Wurth asked, with a smile.
Zen smiled. He was not afraid of anything. He turned to Wurth and said, “I have offended many powerful and talented people. It's awful, but I have been used to it. That's a waste of time wondering about this. I have a long way to go.”
“Good point! You got a heroic spirit! Courage is?the most essential trait of a hero. How about we have a drink to celebrate?” Wurth suggested.
Zen did not say much. He grabbed Nory and Sean and then followed Wurth. Along the way, they joked and chatted freely with each other, as if they were old friends.
Standing in a small building not far away, Master Su breathed a sigh of relief. She had been anxious about the fight and the tense situation down there. Zen was indeed not easily defeated. She always knew that he was not what he seemed. Not only did he beat Leo, but he had also offended the Zhuge family, a powerful noble clan.
This was beneficial for him. Master Su believed that a person only made rapid progress when under extreme pressure.
The Zhuge family would retaliate now.
Master Su's eyes blinked as she dwelled on that thought for a moment. 'I need to stand up for him. Lady Autumn from Zhuge family owes me a favor!' Master Su now had a plan!