Chapter 136: The Mantis stalks to cicada, unaware of the Oriole behind
This “Kill” word was spoken with such boundless and mighty killing intent, that it slammed into Tang Zheng like a gale.
Tang Zheng slightly squinted his eyes, as he gave the battle spirit a weird look only to see it raise it’s heavy sword with both hands and bring it crashing down on Tang Zheng’s head.
“Heihei, little brat, what did I tell you? What I said was true. At the end of the day evil spirits like to kill.” Tian Chanzi said in self satisfaction.
Tang Zheng shifted his body to the side and avoided the sword which smashed heavily against the ground creating a large gashing line.
“Tian Chanzi, stop it with your remarks and hurry up and tell me how I can store this battle spirit into my black blade.” Tang Zheng said, as he quickly retreated choosing not to attack the battle spirit.
“You must press your hand on the top of his, then speak an incantation to restrain his consciousness in order for him to be taken into the black blade.” Tian Chanzi said.
“The top of his head?” Tang Zheng looked at the three meter tall battle spirit before withdrawing his neck and once again avoided another sweeping strike.
Climbing onto the top of his head would not be an easy tasks, as the battle spirit’s heavy sword was no small threat.
“Alright, but first tell me the incantation.”
Tian Chanzi transmitted the information to him and after receiving it Tang Zheng leapt up towards the battle spirit, avoiding another blow that sought to cleave Tang Zheng in two.
The two blades struck and Tang Zheng was sent crashing to the ground.
“I do not believe that I am unable to put you down.” Tang Zheng clenched his teeth and once again charged toward the other. The battle spirit emotionlessly brought his heavy sword down on him.
This time Tang Zheng did not use black blade to defend but pushed off the top of the thick heavy sword and borrowed its momentum to fly even higher, before landing onto the battle spirit’s shoulders. Tang Zheng’s hand then pressed firmly on top of the other’s head before employing the incantation.
The battle spirit slashed his sword at his own head, as if he was not at all afraid of hacking his own brains, bringing with it an imposing aura, as if he would do anything to cut Tang Zheng in half.
Tang Zheng, on the other hand, acted as if he did not see this, even with the fierce wind composed of Yin Qi was smashing against his face. He remained calm, as he concentrated on employing the incantation.
Suddenly, the heavy sword stopped and the fierce gaze within the battle spirit’s eyes faded and returned to a tranquil state.
“Come!”
Tang Zheng gave a low roar, as his black blade glowed brightly and clearly under the moonlight.
The battle spirit’s colossal body twisted and it turned into a ball of black Qi which flew into his blade. With a ‘kadang’ its heavy sword fell on the ground and broke into pieces.
Without the battle spirit’s Qi acting as support, his sword finally broke down.
Tang Zheng firmly landed on the ground, as he let out a breath of relief. He then patted his black blade and then said: “Battle spirit, in the future you will be my partner and we will fight together.”
The black blade trembled but it was unclear whether it was the blade itself or the battle spirit replying to his words.
“Black blade, in the future you and the battle spirit will be one, so I name you from today forth that you are the battle spirit and the battle spirit is also you.”
The blade gave a cry that extended into the heavens, as from this moment onward it had a new name—— Battle Spirit!
The black blade seemed to possess sentient, as it flashed with light and Tang Zheng saw that on the back of the blade’s hilt were two words: Battle Spirit!
Tang Zheng gave a satisfied smile, as he lifted his head to look at the desolate land before him. In the future there would be no more evil spirits, so maybe after a while, this piece of land will be used to build skyscrapers and other buildings.
He could be considered to have taken care of a big threat for Chang Heng City.
His gaze unconsciously landed on the road, as he saw several corpses laying on the ground and he could only shake his head, without any feeling of sadness. He remembered that he did not provide any help when he heard the series of pitiful cries because Scar face and his group of lackeys were looking to kill him.
In the end, he was someone who remembered his grudges.
Papapa!
Suddenly, a string of applause suddenly rang outstanding out in the silence of the night.
The relaxed Tang Zheng suddenly tensed up, as he vigilantly looked towards the sound and saw a person standing there under the moonlight. He did not know how long the other had stood there but Tang Zheng felt his heart strengthen, as he did not even discover the other’s presence.
“Impressive, impressive!”
The clapping stopped and an old and low voice rang out directly into Tang Zheng’s ears.
Tang Zheng tightly gripped Battle Spirit, as he raised his awareness. He had just spent a lot of his energy, so if this person was an enemy then he would be in a sorry position.
“Who are you?”
The other did not reply, as he instead walked straight towards Tang Zheng. His pace was very slow but the ten-meter long distance immediately seemed to have shortened.
Tang Zheng’s pupils constricted, as he became increasingly alert.
“Little brat, he is using the Spatial Compression Technique. This person is not simple.” Tian Chanzi advised.
“Spatial Compression? How come I have never heard you mention it before?” Tang Zheng asked suspiciously.
“There are countless techniques in this world, so how could I have possibly told you all of them? Anyways, keep in mind that I do think that this person does not have good intentions, so you should run for it given an opportunity. You are not his opponent.” Tian Chanzi said cautiously, as he clearly thought the situation was unfavorable.
“I have not seen such an intense battle in a while. Talk about broadening one’s horizon.” The person stood three meters away from Tang Zheng, as he said with a firm gaze.
Tang Zheng finally got a clear look at the other, as it was an old expert who was clad in black clothing that seemed to meld into the darkness of night. He had a grizzled bear and a pair of eyes that were like an eagle’s, bright and penetrating as if it possessed the power to look deep into one’s soul.
“I have always been on the search for someone like me but I never thought that I would meet that person in my visit to Chang Heng City. It seems that my dreams have come true.” The other continued to speak as if he were talking to himself.
“Someone like you?” Tang Zheng wrinkled his eyebrows, as his heart trembled, “You are a cultivator?”
“Of course!” The old expert raised his neck, as it was clear that he was very arrogant.
This was the second cultivator Tang Zheng had met but cultivators popping up one after another in his life was definitely not any good news because he was currently too weak.
“Then may I ask what you need” Tang Zheng asked.
“Previously I felt that the Yin Qi in this place was too concentrated and in disorder, so I can to take a look. Never did I imagine that I would see you. It appears this is the heaven’s will.”
Tang Zheng was speechless, as it seems the disorder in Yin Qi caused by the battle was what drew the other over.
Ordinary people would definitely not feel the difference in the Qi between the heaven and the earth, but if it was a cultivator who depends on absorbing the world’s Qi to convert it into True Qi, then they would definitely be exceptionally sensitive to their surroundings.
“I came to Chang Heng City to find you and I did without meaning to, so wouldn’t you say this is heaven’s will?”
Saying up to here the old expert had on a faint smile but his smile was devoid of warmth and feeling. In its place was a bone chilling feeling.
“Find me?” Tang Zheng was shocked, as he felt a kind of premonition within himself, “Just who are you?”
“The previous owner of the blade you are holding in your hand is my disciple, so you tell me who I am?” The old expert’s pupils shrunk, as he stared at the black blade Battle Spirit, his smile still on his face, as he coldly asked.
“You are the master of that black-clothed man?” Tang Zheng verified that bad premonition within his heart.
“Heihei, it seems like you had not forgotten about my disciple. I am his master Daoist Tianji and seeing your performance today, him dying by your hand is normal but I, as his master, must take revenge for him.” The old expert said unhurriedly.
“Daoist Tianji*, psh, this person really has guts to call himself this. He really do not know fear, as with his measly ability he dares call himself Daoist Tianji.” Tian Chanzi said in disdain. *天機 (Tianji)= Mystery known only to heaven, archaic, top secret… it has the word ‘Heaven’ or ‘Sky’ in it.*
Tang Zheng did not acknowledge Tian Chanzi’s satire, as he focused all his attention and asked: “Then what do you want to do?”
“Since you killed my discipline then I naturally have to kill you. But, it is really a shame that I finally met someone like me, yet I have to kill you like this. My days after this will be very boring.” Daoist Tianji sighed.
“You have never met another cultivator before?”
Daoist Tianji regretfully shook his head: “This world has already become the martial artist world. Cultivators are nearing extinction, as they are as hard to find as Phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Do you think finding cultivators is easy? I actually suspect that there are no more cultivators but I previously found one before. The only thing is, I killed him and now you will be the second.”
Tang Zheng did not know that he was more precious than a panda, as the other had looked for cultivators for the past decades and he had only found two. Then wouldn’t this mean that there aren’t any other cultivators in this world?
“Bullshit, how could there be no more cultivators? The strength of a cultivator far surpasses your imaginations. Do you think it would be that easy for them to go extinct? Even back in the days when the cultivators were fighting against martial artists, they would not be completely killed off. There is absolutely no way!” Tian Chanzi was already angrily refuting the other.
Tang Zheng felt his heart move: “After countless thousand years, and the sea has turned into mulberry fields, anything is possible.”
“Absolutely not, don’t listen to him blabber. He is but a little First Grade Foundation level cultivator, so how dare he declare that there are no cultivators in this world? How could that possibly be, he is simply a frog in a well.” Tian Chanzi incessantly refuted him without rest.
Tang Zheng decided to throw this idea out of his mind, as he will think about it another time. Right now he had to deal with this first-grade foundation Daoist Tianji.
Tang Zheng was a Sixth Grade Qi Refining, so the gap between their cultivation was four levels. This was no small gap and moreover, he had already gone through an intense battle, while the other was biding his time and did not participate in the battle.
Daoist Tianji seeing Tang Zheng not say a word, he continued to talk: “So, I am very curious how you became a cultivator? Since we are the same type of people, then shouldn’t you share this secret? Afterall, other people would not understand our world and after I kill you, no one would know this secret. Wouldn’t that just be a shame if it didn’t pass on?”
Saying all this, Daoist Tianji just wanted to pry into Tang Zheng’s secrets, since cultivators were so sparse in this world it was hard for him to encounter one. Hence, he would do his best to try to uncover the other’s secret.
Also, he was not in a hurry to make a move, as he could clearly tell that Tang Zheng was only at the Sixth Grade Qi Refining, it was easy for him to kill as if he was blowing dust off.
“No comment!” Tang Zheng coldly replied.
“Hehe, so full of youthful vigor. You are really like that disciple of mine but I really do not like that kind of temperament. The reason is because the things I want to know or things I want to be done will always be done. No one is able to stop me. That year, that cultivator who I killed died because he tried to block my path.”
Daoist Tianji’s tone gradually became cold, as his smile gradually disappeared.
“I originally thought about leaving you with a path of life, so we can continue our talk since you have to know we cultivators are lonely and solitary people. It seems like I do not have this luck but just wait for me to take you down, as I naturally have my own way of knowing everything.”
Once his voice rang out, killing intent filled the sky!