227. The Deal
A flash of sword light, thunderous roar.
In an instant, Xuhe Zhao's head was taken by the sword light, but before his head could fall to the ground, his body suddenly exploded, turning into bones scattered across the ground.
"Which fellow comrade waits here for me?"
After the bones shattered, a stream of dark energy shot out, eventually reforming into Xuhe Zhao's figure a hundred meters away. His face still contorted with fear and shock.
However, before his words could fall, the sword light followed like a shadow.
Swoosh—!
The next second, Xuhe Zhao's head once again flew into the air, but again turned into bones scattered everywhere. The dark energy retreated another hundred meters, manifesting his figure once more.
"I—"
Boom!
"You—"
Crack!
"Enough!"
Dozens of sword lights filled the space, and only after Xuhe Zhao had been killed more than ten times did he finally regroup, seizing an opportunity to dodge the sword light.
Although it was only a brief moment, Xuhe Zhao grasped it precisely. Then he flung his sleeve, and billowing blood-colored smoke instantly rolled out, protecting his entire body in the center. He then swallowed several pills in succession to recover his injuries and essence, before finally turning his attention to his surroundings.
"Beno Alder, it's you!"
With a piercing gaze sharp as lightening, Xuhe Zhao immediately recognized the sword light that had killed him more than ten times as the Empyrean Verdict Blade, and he instantly identified Beno as its wielder.
Nevertheless, his heart was filled with unspeakable shock.
Having experienced the power of that sword light firsthand, Xuhe Zhao knew it wasn't something a First Realm Perfection warrior could produce. In just a few short days, Beno had either reached Wave Realm or come remarkably close to it.
This person must have encountered some extraordinary fortune!
Thinking of this, Xuhe Zhao suppressed his anger, his heart filling with unexpected delight. "Good, good, good! Today is truly a double blessing. This fortune shall be mine!"
Outside the Mirage Formation, Beno's expression was solemn.
This is truly troublesome.
He had already struck as ruthlessly as possible, yet Xuhe Zhao had still managed to grasp a lifeline. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't eliminate his opponent with a single combination attack.
He has even identified who I am.
Fortunately, the Mirage Formation concealed his position from all directions, allowing him to remain hidden in the shadows while striking from afar with his flying sword. This tactical advantage gave him a slight edge in the confrontation.
At the same time, Xuhe Zhao also discovered the Mirage Formation around him. Although it was only a shallow entrapment array that he could easily break with a little time to analyze it, with Beno Alder interfering nearby, plus the fact that his essence reserve was currently less than fifty percent of its peak, he found himself temporarily helpless against it.
After carefully weighing his options, Xuhe Zhao's eyes gleamed with calculation as he suddenly spoke.
"Comrade Alder, there is actually no real enmity between us."
"Go!"
Striking while the iron was hot—Beno refused to give Xuhe Zhao any opportunity to recover. Without wasting a second on conversation, he formed sword seals and resumed his relentless attack.
"Tsk! Don't make me do this the hard way!"
Seeing this, Xuhe Zhao's gaze turned cold. He abandoned any thought of stalling and quickly formed magical seals, raising a golden iron seal into the air.
Known as the "Magnetic Gold Seal," this powerful artifact could attract any metal object, making it particularly effective against flying swords. It was Xuhe Zhao's ultimate secret weapon, one he had been reserving for future confrontations with Horizon Dawn disciples. Yet now he had deployed it earlier than intended, using it to neutralize Beno's deadly sword light.
"Stop!"
Xuhe Zhao activated the treasure seal, deftly intercepting a sword light that slashed toward him. With a single downward press of the seal, he completely immobilized the sword light, rendering it powerless.
Witnessing this, Beno remained unfazed.
He maintained at full strength, while Xuhe Zhao was at his weakest. This essence-consuming standoff actually worked in his favor, so he felt completely at ease.
My greatest advantage lies in remaining hidden in the shadows, concealed by the array. Since Xuhe Zhao cannot determine my exact position, any counterattack he might launch becomes useless. If we maintain this war of attrition, victory will inevitably be mine.
Beno therefore decided to remain hidden.
The flying sword? So be it!
After all, you can't refine my flying sword in such a short time, and you'll have to consume essence to suppress it—which perfectly suits my purpose. Let's see how long you can last!
Beno stood outside the formation, circulating his essence. A misty white energy rose from above his head, transforming into a massive hand seal several yards wide that pressed down into the formation from above.
This technique wasn't particularly powerful; it simply relied on overwhelming force.
Upon seeing this, Xuhe Zhao's face darkened as he instantly recognized that Beno had seen through his scheme.
"Son of a bitch!"
Xuhe Zhao couldn't help but curse inwardly. Though his Realm might be slightly higher, Beno was being frustratingly cautious—how could he possibly turn the tide?
Though he still had enough strength to fight to the death, even if he managed to kill Beno, he would barely survive the encounter. How could Xuhe Zhao—who had just obtained such a remarkable opportunity—possibly accept such an outcome?
With his essence rapidly depleting, Xuhe Zhao finally broke his silence and shouted, "Comrade Alder, do you realize what treasure I've discovered on Dragon Coil Peak? A third-grade true cultivation method that creates a direct path to the Crystal Realm! If you cease your attacks now, I'm willing to share this method with you!"
"A third-grade method?"
Outside the Mirage Formation, Beno suddenly stood up at these words. Essence had nine grades and thirty-six levels; below seventh grade, there was no path to Wave Realm; below third grade, there was no way to Crystallization.
And now, Xuhe Zhao had just offered a cultivation method that would enable one to refine third-grade essence with a clear path to Crystal Realm!
What an extraordinary opportunity!
"No, wait."
Beno took a deep breath, suppressed his greed, and sat back down. He's tempting me with great benefits, but it's clearly a trap. If I reveal my position, I'll fall right into his hands.
"Well? Comrade Alder, shall we reconcile?"
Inside the Mirage Formation, Xuhe Zhao was still attempting to persuade him when a voice suddenly echoed from all directions: "Fool, if I kill you, the cultivation method will be mine anyway!"
"Comrade Alder, you are mistaken." Xuhe Zhao shook his head and smiled. "What we call fate is heaven-ordained. This third-grade method is an opportunity I earned through the merit of three lifetimes of bitter cultivation. It has no connection to you. Even if you kill me, the method will simply fly away—it will not become yours."
"You're kidding?" Hearing this, Beno was stunned. "Doesn't the Party teach materialism? And you want me to believe this heaven-ordained nonsense?"
"In the Party, nothing is what it seems," Xuhe Zhao replied. "Those who force others to believe in materialism are often the most superstitious themselves. From Mao to Xi, every Party Secretary has consulted Feng Shui and Chinese almanacs. Just look at how they designed Beijing and Xiongan, or where they buried themselves and their parents."
"Materialism is merely a convenient excuse for them to do whatever they want without fear of divine punishment or the torment of conscience. Think about it—do you honestly believe some new recruit could draw the rainbow Merit Fish by chance? Someone powerful needed that money. The same applies to the price fluctuations of the Substitute Death Puppets. Two influential Party factions must have negotiated behind the scenes, each manipulating the market to benefit their respective groups."
"The reality is, I've seen it with my own eyes—there is heaven's purpose in this world. When we defy this purpose, unexpected consequences follow. Just like the apocalypse."
Beno thought for a while, then asked, "Even if what you said is true, why should I reconcile with you? I won't get the method anyway."
Xuhe Zhao hastily explained, "Comrade Alder, while you originally had no connection to this method, my willingness to share it with you creates that connection. What was once impossible for you becomes possible through my deliberate action."
"...Fine."
After a moment of deliberation, Beno answered, "Make a copy of the method for me, and I'll let you out."
"Agreed," Xuhe Zhao replied without hesitation. He produced a stone box and opened it, revealing two volumes of Daoist texts inside.
"The upper volume was titled Nine Transformations Dragon Codex. It's an essence condensation method that cultivates True Dragon Essence, with combat power considered outstanding within the same Realm. The lower volume was titled Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scripture, a Crystallization method that forms a Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Crystal."
After introducing the cultivation methods, Xuhe Zhao suddenly changed his tone:
"However, Comrade Alder, I now have injuries and my essence is weak. If I just give you the method like this, what if you go back on your word?"
"...That's simple."
Beno's eyes narrowed as he made a proposal: "You can first give me the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scripture, while keeping the Nine Transformations Dragon Codex for yourself."
"Without the first volume, even if I have the Crystallization method, I can't practice it. You don't need to worry that I'll go back on my word and harm your life." At this point, Beno's voice radiated sincerity: "After I let you out, you can then give me the Nine Transformations Dragon Codex, how about that?"
Xuhe Zhao thought for a moment and felt that what Beno said made sense.
"It's a deal!"
Xuhe Zhao removed the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scripture from the stone box. Beno, still concealing his position, launched an essence hand and reached from afar to grab it.
Seeing this, Xuhe Zhao could only sigh inwardly, suppressing his final hope of deception, and reluctantly handed the manual to Beno.
Beno Alder received the method, committed it word for word to memory, and then grinned.
"Goodbye!"
The next second, Beno channeled his essence to his chest and directly activated the Chant of Killing Curse, violently self-destructing!
Boom!
As the dust settled, Xuhe Zhao's face contorted with bewilderment.
"My cultivation method... is gone?"
Why commit suicide?
And why commit suicide at that precise moment—not earlier or later—but immediately after obtaining the method? I hadn't even had a chance to read it myself!
"Beno Alder..."
Xuhe Zhao stood motionless in the wind, staring at the ashes of the Ten Thousand Chariots Dragon Ascension Scripture. As he whispered Beno's name, his expression transformed from shock to pure rage.
"You bastard!"