Chapter 185: Vajra

When Zhang Dailu heard this, though surprised, he didn't panic.

Instead, he raised his golden medallion and shouted, "How dare you!

This is Bailin Kingdom, with the Country Lord above and the Prefect in the middle.

We, as envoys, uphold the dignity of the country; how dare you be so presumptuous?!"

"Temporary Commander, is this the 'righteous warrior' you spoke of?

Committing regicide within the army, disregarding laws, acting and speaking so wildly—don't you dare refuse the order, form ranks, and quickly capture this scoundrel with me!"

As he spoke, the golden medallion shimmered; it was actually a Spiritual Tool!

Its quality reached High Grade, enough to suppress all ordinary Mountain and Water Deities !

Everyone present, those below High Grade, felt a heavy suppression, almost bringing them to their knees.

This was the golden medallion of a Provincial Governor, carrying the authority of Bailin Kingdom’s laws and national discipline; it was a Human Dao Spiritual Artifact.

As long as Bailin Kingdom existed and its national authority remained, it would always be effective and quite powerful.

The White Rhinoceros Army’s Vice General half-knelt on the ground, cold sweat breaking out, momentarily frozen, unsure what to do.

A soldier in the army should naturally obey military orders, but how could he turn his weapons against Mr. Li and Mr. Zhang?

Zhang Dailu didn’t wait for the White Rhinoceros Army’s Vice General to think, but instead shouted again, "What are you still standing there for?!

Suppressing violence and punishing corruption, demonstrating national discipline—is that not your responsibility?

This scoundrel has openly violated the law; he must be executed, and everyone should help eliminate him.

Why aren't you quickly assembling the army to capture him?!"

But Li Qi placed a hand on the Vice General’s shoulder and whispered, "General, let me tell you something.

Do you know why the White Rhinoceros Army’s Commander went and never returned?

Because he was also imprisoned on charges of insubordination, and his life or death is now unknown."

Then, without another word, Li Qi immediately struck!

Two streams of Jin Qi (Metal Energy) drew two golden lines, silently piercing through.

This time, it wasn't just two; the two merged into one.

The golden line pierced through at an extreme speed that ordinary ninth-grade Cultivators could barely react to.

Li Qi’s sneak attacks had never failed before; against ninth-grade enemies, he always finished them with one strike, never needing a second.

Although these two innate divine weapons had not been forged by skilled craftsmen, they themselves were divided into Yin and Yang, and when combined, they were already High Grade among eighth-grade Spiritual Tools!

Li Qi usually used them separately, because even when separated, they were still eighth-grade, enough to crush some ninth-grade Cultivators who lacked counter-measures.

But now, he wasn’t facing those weak Mountain and Water Deities or other insignificant foes.

Zhang Dailu, the burly old man, curled his lip; he actually reacted!

His muscles tensed, and his fist was covered with a layer of Martial Dao Inner Qi.

Then, he threw a punch!

This was their first direct confrontation.

Fists met blades, and immense power erupted.

Zhang Dailu was a genuine powerhouse from the government, with a higher cultivation level than Li Qi and better Spiritual Artifacts.

Li Qi was well aware that the golden medallion in the opponent’s hand, even with his Jin Qi (Metal Energy) combined, could only barely match its power and certainly couldn’t overwhelm it.

The heavy, unstoppable punch instantly shattered the Sword Qi, carrying immense pressure directly towards Li Qi’s face.

Li Qi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

The Jin Qi (Metal Energy) was actually punched away!

But at the same time, Li Qi waved both hands; while defending, the Jin Qi (Metal Energy) that had been knocked away instantly flew back.

Eighth-grade Jin Qi (Metal Energy) can travel five li in one breath.

The distance of a few dozen meters it was knocked back was no different from being right in front of him.

The Jin Qi (Metal Energy) unleashed all its power, reaching extreme speed, like solid gold, generating sparks from friction in the air, like a shooting star piercing the sun, without any change, yet striking Zhang Dailu’s shoulder directly with an absolutely unavoidable speed.

Actually, Li Qi was aiming for his head.

But Zhang Dailu was no amateur; at the last moment, he tilted his head.

Although he didn’t completely dodge it, he still managed to move his head out of the way, taking the blow on his shoulder.

Zhang Dailu took the hit head-on, and his fist also reached Li Qi’s face.

However, at this moment, Zhang Lan had already arrived.

Zhang Lan also cultivated the Martial Dao, and he was an eighth-grade Martial Artist!

He placed a hand on Zhang Dailu’s fist, then, with a powerful flick, Zhang Dailu was sent flying, his figure cutting through the clouds!

He carried the force of a mountain-splitter, scattering a patch of clouds in the sky, and disappeared to an unknown location.

Zhang Lan said no more, performed a standing long jump, and soared into the air, chasing after him directly.

But that punch, though the fist didn't make contact, the force of the punch had already grazed Li Qi, hitting him directly in the face, making Li Qi see stars, dizzy, nose bleeding profusely, and his nasal bone was broken.

He was also sent flying out of the tent, sliding several meters away.

There was no other way; a Shaman facing a Martial Artist at close range would likely end up like this.

Regardless of the cultivation path, if a Martial Artist of the same grade got close, the outcome was entirely predictable.

Outside, Shen Shuibi seemed to have reacted; her previously drooping ears suddenly perked up, and then she looked curiously at Li Qi, who had fallen to the ground.

However, Li Qi immediately covered his bleeding nose and waved his hand: "Don't make a sound, don't come out, I can handle it."

So the rabbit lay back down.

She showed no signs of worry at all, as if Li Qi dying there wouldn't matter.

But Li Qi ignored all that; he stood up and looked at the conflicted White Rhinoceros Army’s Vice General.

"General, you don't need to be troubled; this battle doesn't require your intervention.

But I guarantee with my life that what I say is absolutely true.

How you act is up to you, General; the safety of the White Rhinoceros Army’s Commander likely depends on your actions."

After Li Qi finished speaking, without waiting for the Vice General to react, he blew a whistle.

Seeing the old horse arrive, he flipped onto its back and rushed towards the battlefield.

At this moment, the soldiers and civilians outside finally realized the situation.

The figure that soared into the sky just now attracted a lot of attention.

The Vice General also made his decision in his heart; he immediately picked up the military tiger tally and activated the spell within it.

As the tiger tally moved, a large drum formed by a white illusory figure immediately appeared.

A white rhinoceros was depicted on the drumhead, its demeanor gentle yet strong and courageous.

The Vice General grabbed the drumstick and slammed it down fiercely.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

The war drum sounded, and the entire army felt the summons.

Almost all soldier of the White Rhinoceros Army, no matter what they were doing—eating, chatting, resting, or even using the latrine—quickly finished their tasks and gathered towards this location.

Sounding the drum to assemble the army, a summons that must be answered!

The common people were still puzzled, not even realizing what had happened, and many gathered to watch the commotion.

But the White Rhinoceros Army couldn't bother with such things.

As soon as the Vice General saw everyone assembled, he immediately shouted loudly to the surrounding officers, "Divide into ten squads!

Gather the common people and don't let them wander off!

Then gather our brothers and go ask the envoy about our Commander's whereabouts!"

"Understood!" The officers responded loudly, then quickly split into ten squads, each going to carry out their respective missions.

Meanwhile, at the battlefield where Zhang Lan and the envoy were, the area was already devastated.

Battles between Martial Artists didn't involve the various mysterious spells of Shamanes.

There was only direct, bone-crushing combat and terrifying close-quarters brawling.

Both sides brought out their Spiritual Artifacts.

Martial Artists could also use Spiritual Artifacts, but they didn't have any mysterious or strange abilities.

Generally speaking, a Martial Artist’s Spiritual Artifact only had two characteristics: one, it had to be tough enough, and two, its destructive power had to be high enough.

Other flashy features were useless to them.

Although Zhang Lan’s Zhou Tian Sword was only one three hundred and sixtieth of the original, even this one three hundred and sixtieth was already an eighth-grade Spiritual Artifact.

At this moment, he had already drawn his sword; the longsword left its sheath, and the sword hummed with a long cry.

Tens of thousands of Sword Qi transformed into a rainbow, descending powerfully from the sky, instantly shattering the earth!

Everything was destroyed!

The Zhou Tian Sword was a prime example of such a Spiritual Artifact; aside from automatically returning to its place upon the wielder's death, all its other functions were enhanced in these aspects.

Tough enough, tough enough to withstand high-intensity combat.

Sharp enough, sharp enough to break through most eighth-grade defenses.

That was enough!

Zhang Dailu, on the other hand, activated the golden medallion.

A mysterious Qi surged from the golden medallion, attaching itself to his body, making him look like a golden man, incredibly hard, clanging as he moved.

When his Physical Body resisted the sword, it didn't make a dull thud, but a crisp sound of metal clashing.

It was as if he had a Vajra body.

The two Martial Artists went back and forth; Zhang Lan was a swordsman, actually following a path of skill and sharpness, yet for some reason, his sword edge couldn't break through the Vajra body!

That Vajra body seemed to have been blessed by some powerful being; even with Zhang Lan wielding a sharp blade and possessing eighth-grade Inner Energy, it was still like a turtle shell, completely unharmed.

Clanging sounds constantly emanated from the battlefield, like bells being struck.

However, Zhang Dailu also had no way of dealing with Zhang Lan.

Zhang Lan’s sword movements were light, traceless, and elusive, impossible to grasp.

Neither his fists nor his legs could touch the opponent in the slightest.

Sometimes, even when all his attacks came at once, the opponent would dodge with an incredibly agile and bizarre movement that was hard to see with the naked eye… it was like he could teleport.

It felt like he was punching air.

That’s right, it was like punching air, unable to even touch him.

Zhang Lan completely suppressed Zhang Dailu; Zhang Dailu had no power to fight back at all, only able to rely on his Vajra body, like an iron turtle being brutally beaten in place.

But his turtle shell was strangely hard; apart from the surrounding environment being utterly devastated, his body suffered no damage at all.

When Li Qi arrived, he hadn’t expected Zhang Dailu to be able to temporarily hold his own against Zhang Lan.

Zhang Dailu was only ninth-grade!

How could he be evenly matched with Zhang Lan?

But at this moment, Zhang Dailu suddenly spoke, "A Sword Master of Orthodox Sword Palace?

Although your Orthodox Sword Palace’s cultivation method is swift, it’s not good at dealing with my set of skills.

You should stop; even if you are eighth-grade, you can’t do anything to me."

Hearing this, Zhang Lan also stopped.

One could see his sword blade trembling constantly, and the hand holding the sword was bruised from the recoil.

Zhang Lan stared at the opponent: "What exactly is on your body?

Even if you’ve reached the peak of ninth-grade, only half a step away from eighth-grade, you don’t have Martial Dao Divine Intent, which means there’s a world of difference between us.

Logically, you shouldn’t be able to withstand my fierce attacks."

This matter was beyond Zhang Lan’s comprehension.

Zhang Lan had never imagined that a ninth-grade person could directly withstand his fierce attacks head-on.

Previously, that eighth-grade giant ape was cut down by his sword and couldn't stand up, and at that time, he wasn't even fighting with full strength.

But now, he was clearly going all out, yet he couldn't break through that Vajra body.

This was truly baffling.

But at this moment, Li Qi finally arrived.

Seeing this, Zhang Lan threw his longsword.

The flying longsword directly sent Zhang Dailu flying, slamming him deep into a distant mountain.

The sword bounced back and was caught by him.

Then, he turned to look at Li Qi: "Brother Li, don’t go up; this person’s strength isn’t great, but he’s as hard as a turtle.

I’ll trap him here; you take the White Rhinoceros Army and leave.

With me here, he won’t be able to move an inch."

However, Li Qi replied, "Brother Zhang, take me closer to observe."

"Hm?" Zhang Lan was startled.

"I want to see what that turtle shell of his is; maybe there’s a way to break it," Li Qi said.

"Alright then, come with me; I’ll beat him up again!" Zhang Lan replied.

Then, the swordsman lunged out again!

Zhang Dailu had just crawled out of the ground when a sword slammed into his head.

The Qi surged, clouds billowed, and the attack, wherever it reached, shattered mountains and split seas!

An unstoppable force erupted.

Although he was using a sword, in Zhang Lan’s hands, it was like a spiky club; he slammed it onto Zhang Dailu’s head, like driving a pile into the ground, smashing the man back into the earth.

The surrounding ground trembled, forming a crater-like terrain.

Li Qi’s eye twitched as he watched.

Is this an eighth-grade Martial Artist?

If he were that pile, he’d be smashed into minced meat, ready to be made into meat patties with some onions and pepper.

But Zhang Dailu remained completely unharmed.

He was just re-inserted and temporarily trapped.

"Brother Zhang! Be gentle, your movements are too big; I can't see the details!" Li Qi shouted from outside.

"Troublesome…" Zhang Lan mumbled, then pulled Zhang Dailu out of the ground again.

Zhang Dailu was pulled out like a radish, and he swung a punch, trying to counterattack, but Zhang Lan directly caught it, held his head down, and slammed him onto the ground.

He slammed him several times in a row.

Zhang Lan slammed him while asking, "You useless piece of trash, relying on this iron turtle not being afraid of hits, but do you really think you’re my opponent?

I can’t hurt you, but with me here, you can’t go anywhere else!

Can’t do anything to you? Is this not a way?"

Putting aside the Martial Artists’ interaction, Li Qi was observing from a distance.

That golden body, with auspicious glow covering its golden skin and red clouds enveloping its head, surged with a seven-foot halo.

Though beaten to a pulp, it remained as steady as a mountain, completely unbroken.

Li Qi felt like he had seen it somewhere before; he tried hard to recall, while simultaneously flipping through books.

On the other side, Zhang Dailu burst into laughter: "You, a dignified eighth-grade, can’t do anything to me.

How shameful!"

Zhang Lan was furious; he grabbed the golden body’s hand and slammed him against the ground like he was thrashing rice, asking while slamming, "You’re being pressed into the ground and scrubbed, yet you say I’m shameful?!"

Zhang Dailu, however, said, "You’re panting from exhaustion, while I’m completely unharmed, not even feeling pain.

Who do you think is more shameful?

Besides, why do you think I’m not panicking at all? I’m waiting for you to die; what are you waiting for?"

Zhang Lan, enraged, laughed instead, grabbing the opponent’s hair and lifting him up: "Waiting for me to die? Just you?"