Chapter 80 - Recruitment
Chapter 80 Recruitment
“We all know about the matter with the Mantis Snake Sword School. Lin Yixuan is about to become the new head,” Zhao Yifeng broke the silence.
Chen Yiming glanced at him without saying anything “So you’re that unlucky fellow. I heard that you’ve only been a core disciple for less than a month, and you even joined the faction that lost in the competition for the position of head.” Meng Tai grinned, gloating at his misfortune.
The moment he finished speaking, a sword flashed past. “Swish!”
Chen Yiming limited the speed of the sword to the level of the sixth transformation.
Meng Tai was still laughing. He only reacted after the sword flashed past, coming to his senses when he felt a chill on his right hand.
At this moment, a tuft of black hair drifted down onto the dining table.
Everyone’s gaze shifted from Chen Yiming to Meng Tai’s right hand.
From the shoulder to the palm of his hand, a large piece of smooth skin was revealed on his right arm, a stark contrast to his left arm.
ILII
Zhao Yifeng was about to mock Chen Yiming, but his words were stuck in his throat and he swallowed them back.
Liu Daoyuan frowned. He had also undergone six transformations, so he could determine the level of his move.
Chen Yiming’s attack had stunned the rest of the team.
This was a threat made using his strength. It had nothing to do with his status or age.
Even though Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai thought that their status was higher and looked down on Chem Yiming, they had only undergone five transformations, so they could only suppress their anger and keep their mouths shut.
“Chen Yiming, I didn’t expect you to use the purple lightning stone to forcefully break through to the sixth transformation in just ten days,” Wan Qing said in surprise.
“Impossible!!!” Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai roared in their hearts when they heard this.
Achieving a breakthrough so quickly was hard to accept even if he had ignored the possible consequences and took the risk of damaging his body’s foundation to do so.
“Is it really worth it? Damaging your body’s foundation which is needed for breaking through to the warrior realm. It might even be very difficult for you to break through to the ninth transformation in the future,” Wan Qing asked.
“I have my own plans,” Chen Yiming replied simply with a calm expression on his face.
He was a little surprised that Liu Wanqing was so well-informed. The matter between him and Shi Changyi had been carried out in complete secrecy. Initially, he thought that others would only investigate the matter after he exposed himself.
“I didn’t expect you to have broken through to the sixth transformation, Brother Chen. This way, the team will have more confidence in this operation,” Liu Daoyuan said.
With that, he changed the topic and let the matter slide.
“Let’s get straight to the point,” Chen Yiming said.
“This is our target.” Wan Qing took out the map she had brought with her and spread it out on the table. She pointed at an area marked with a red cross.
Chen Yiming followed the direction that Liu Wanqing’s slender fingers were pointing in. The red cross was located in the center of the mountain range. That was the area where mutant beasts above the sixth transformation lived.
Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai would not be of much help. They might even drag the team down.
Chen Yiming glanced at her and said calmly, “What are you thinking? You actually brought two burdens with you. Can the team take care of them?”
The next moment, ‘You…” Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai were furious. They were about to retort, but in the end, they did not say anything.
Both of them had felt threatened by Chen Yiming’s earlier attack. They were afraid that if they angered him, he would kill them with just one move.
“Chen Yiming, I didn’t expect you to have such a sharp tongue,” Wan Qing said with a smile, “Including you, there are three people in the team who have undergone six transformations. It won’t be a problem for us to move along the edge of this circle.”
Next, Liu Wanqing drew out the route to enter the mountains and explained the plan to the team. Then, she called for the restaurant to serve the dishes. After a simple meal, the team set off.
In a forest on the outskirts of the Nuhe Mountain Range, a team hunting mutant beasts was chasing after a group of copper-toothed boars that were fleeing in all directions.
The group of copper-toothed boars was formed by a male and a female leading more than ten piglets. In order to protect the piglets, they fled into the dense forest.
“When I saw so many people preparing to enter the mountains in Yongluo Town, I was prepared to return empty-handed. I didn’t expect the situation to be so good for us,” a black-clothed man shouted excitedly as he chased after them.
“That’s true. For some reason, the mutant beasts can be found everywhere. There’s no need to deliberately search for them,” the black-clothed man’s companion said in surprise.
If it was any other time, the two of them would not be so relaxed and careless before they had caught their prey.
However, they had already gained a lot from hunting that day. Even if they were careless and lost their prey, they would not feel upset by it.
Before they became aware of it, the two of them had gotten separated from the team. “What are you two doing? Come back quickly. Don’t stray too far from the team,” the leader of the team shouted anxiously.
His years of hunting experience reminded him that something big must have happened.
The black-clothed man and his companions heard it but did not care. They continued to do as they pleased.
The hunting team was formed at the last minute. Although the leader was the strongest, the team members did not expect to be in the team for long. The leader could not do anything about it if they did not follow his instructions.
At the entrance to a canyon, Chen Yiming and the others suddenly stopped. In front of them was a ravine that was several kilometers wide.
They were surrounded by towering mountains. It would take a lot of time to make a detour.
“Hero Canyon is just up ahead. There is something strange about the mountain range today. Everyone, be on your guard. A fight might break out at any moment,” Liu Wanqing warned as she tied up her hair, getting serious.
Chen Yiming looked into the canyon. Big red birds were circling the canyon in groups of twos and threes, letting out hair-raising screeches from time to time.
The big red birds were a type of bird that released heat-inducing toxins. When it stretched out its wings, they spanned more than three meters in length.
There were heat-inducing toxins on its beak. If a person was pecked by it, if they were not treated in time, the heat-inducing toxins could cause damage to the brain due to excessive heat.
“This is still the outskirts of the mountain range. Although there are many heat toxin birds, it’s unlikely that there will be a bird king who has undergone six transformations. Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, as long as you two are careful, it won’t be a problem,”Liu Daoyuan turned to look at the two of them and instructed.
“Got it.” Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai nodded.
The two of them were the weakest and were being protected by the rest of the team. Even if they were unhappy about it, they could only follow the arrangements.
Soon, Chen Yiming and the others entered the canyon.
As soon as the team walked out of the bushes, they saw a nest of heat toxin birds on the cliff in front of them.
The nest was more than three meters wide and was built in a wide area that protruded from the cliff. The adult heat toxin birds inside had not gone out to hunt for prey.
Two of the heat toxin birds noticed the sudden appearance of a group of people and immediately let out a sharp cry.
The ear-piercing cry echoed through the surrounding area, and could be heard through half of the canyon.
A few seconds later, a few more cries rang out in response to the first cry.
“Their cries may cause several pairs of heat toxin birds to come over at the same time. Zhao Yifeng, Meng Tai, the two of you stand in the middle of the team and protect yourselves.
“Brother, Chen Yiming, the three of us will stand in a triangle formation and try our best not to let anyone get injured,” Liu Wanqing instructed.
Chen Yiming didn’t say anything and walked to a corner. Soon, everyone in the team found their positions.
Half a minute later, the two heat toxin birds that were the first to be alerted flew out of their nests with eight other heat toxin birds that had arrived as reinforcements. The ten heat toxin birds circled the sky a few times before suddenly swooping down to attack the five people on the ground.
The heat toxin birds were extremely fast, and their eyes were filled with a fierce glint. Each of them had the strength from four or five transformations. It would be extremely troublesome if any of their pecking attacks landed.
The heat toxin birds were quite intelligent. As they approached the group, they suddenly spread out. Six of them attacked the three people standing in a triangle formation, while the remaining four attacked Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, who were the weakest in the group.
“Everyone, be careful!” Liu Wanqing reminded them again.
Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai were core disciples of the Tongbeiquan School and the Divine Wind Martial Arts School respectively. If they really lost their lives here, Liu Wanqing would also provide an explanation to the two martial arts schools.
Chen Yiming didn’t panic. He waited until the two heat toxin birds were close to him before he quickly attacked with his sword.
“Swish!” A white light flashed past.
The speed of the sword was extremely fast, at the level of the sixth transformation. A flash of white light appeared in the eyes of the heat toxin birds. Their fierce expressions were instantly replaced by fear as they tried their best to dodge the attack.
In the next moment, the heads and bodies of the two heat toxin birds were separated from each other and fell to the ground.
After dealing with the heat toxin birds that were charging at him, Chen Yiming turned to check on the others.
Liu Daoyuan and Liu Wanqing simultaneously used the Shadow Moon Technique, a kicking technique passed down in their clan.
In the blink of an eye, a black shadow flashed across the ground, and the air was filled with the shadows of kicks.
The kicks were also delivered at high speeds, no slower than Chen Yiming’s sword.
The heat toxin birds that had charged at the two of them did not even have time to react before their hearts collapsed from well-placed kicks.
“Come quickly and help us!”
Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, who were in the middle of the group, were constantly moving around to avoid the four hea toxin birds that were charging at them from the sky. They were constantly wary of the heat toxin birds’ beaks.
“You’re courting death!” Liu Wanqing sneered.
With a burst of strength from her feet, her body turned into a blur and she charged at the remaining four heat toxin birds.
At this moment, the pupils of the four heat toxin birds constricted. They realized that six of their kind had already been killed in an instant, so they flapped their wings with all their might, trying to fly into the air and escape.
“Don’t let any of them escape. Otherwise, all the heat toxin birds in the valley will be alerted,” Liu Wanqing reminded them loudly after instantly killing two of the birds. Liu Daoyuan didn’t need the reminder as he was already charging at one of the heat toxin birds that was trying to fly back into the air.
Chen Yiming had originally not wanted to bother with Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai, so he let the four heat toxin birds surround and attack them. Whether they lived or died would depend on their luck.
However, when he heard Liu Wanging’s words, he didn’t want to cause any trouble. He instantly rushed out and easily killed the last heat toxin bird.
After the last bird was killed, the canyon fell silent again.
“You…” Meng Tai turned to glare at Chen Yiming, but Zhao Yifeng held him back by his shoulder.
They were all core disciples of the martial arts schools, but he had never been treated like this before.
Chen Yiming was the first to kill the heat toxin birds that attacked him, but he didn’t lend a helping hand. Instead, he stood his ground and watched as the other two were surrounded and attacked.
“Let’s leave quickly. If any other heat toxin birds discover us, there will be unnecessary trouble.” Seeing this, Wan Qing urged everyone to continue on their way.
Liu Daoyuan had also seen what had happened, but he did not speak up for Zhao Yifeng and Meng Tai.
The team continued on their way.
This canyon was the habitat of the heat toxin birds. The team encountered two more fights with the birds before they could successfully pass through the canyon.
During this time, in order to avoid being discovered by the heat toxin birds, the team had to move less quickly. When they left the canyon, the sky was already turning dark. At that moment, they were already close to the center of the mountain range.
The team did not have the strength enough to continue with their mission in the dark, so they found a cave to spend the night in and resumed their journey at dawn.
At night, the sky was filled with stars.
The white moonlight illuminated the distant mountain peaks.
Chen Yiming was invited by Liu Wanqing, and the two of them left the group and went to a small river.
In the darkness, the reflection of moonlight could be seen from time to time. They were only at the periphery of the center of the mountain range, so the two of them were strong enough to not be too cautious.
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If there were really mutant beasts that recklessly sneaked up on them, they could easily kill them.
“Chen Yiming, have you been hiding it all this time? I’ve checked all the information about you from high school. You can’t trick me,” Liu Wanqing threatened as she looked at the fast-flowing river.
“Think whatever you want,” Chen Yiming replied.
If she really wanted to dig deeper into his high school record, there were many suspicious points. For example, how did he suddenly pass the martial arts school test when he was 18 years old when he didn’t display any martial arts talent when he was 15 or 16 years old?
However, he was no longer as weak as he was before. As long as he did not admit it, no one could do anything about it.
“I knew you wouldn’t tell me the truth.” Liu Wanqing’s expression changed completely in just an instant. She smiled and said, “Now that you’ve used the purple lightning stone to break through, your future is bleak. Will you consider marrying into the Liu clan?”
“…” Chen Yiming was speechless.
His future was bleak? Even if he was not able to break through to the ninth transformation in the end, there was no reason for an expert who had undergone eight transformations to marry into the Liu clan.
Although the Liu clan was considered one of the top martial arts clans in East Lake City, the strongest, Liu Liyuan, was only a warrior candidate and not a true warrior.
“I was just joking. Don’t take it seriously,” Liu Wanqing said softly, “To be honest, I want to invite you to join a company that I own. As a partner, you don’t have to contribute financially. You just need to contribute your strength.”
“What does this company do?” Chen Yiming suddenly became interested. He was about to lose his status as a core disciple of a martial arts school, and he urgently needed a way to find out more about the martial arts world.
“The main business is to recruit independent martial arts practitioners. You, Liu Daoyuan, me, and the partners who joined later will take turns leading the team into the mountains to hunt mutant beasts,” Liu Wanqing explained when she saw that he was interested.
Hearing this, Chen Yiming instantly lost interest.
He realized that the main purpose of this company was to help Liu Wanqing capture the silver lightning deer.
The cultivation resources from mutant beasts might be important to others, but they were not essential to him. It was purely a waste of time.
His core cultivation method was to accumulate Skill Points and increase his talent, and constantly searching for cultivation techniques corresponding to his level.
“Not interested?” Liu Wanqing asked directly.
“It’s too troublesome. I’m used to being free,” Chen Yiming replied.
“I own several other companies. There are many that only require you to provide some support, and there are also those that don’t require you to utilize your strength,” Liu Wanqing did not give up and asked again. “Forget it.” Chen Yiming rejected her.
He had only felt interested earlier on impulse. However, on second thought, if he really worked with this shrewd woman, there would not be much to gain, and the possibility of his secrets being exposed would increase.
In addition, Liu Wanqing’s level was still a little low for him. What he needed next was basically at the warrior realm.
As someone who had personally experienced how strong internal force users were, he knew very well that there was an insurmountable gap between them.
Even if it was Liu Wanqing’s father, Liu Liyuan, getting rid of him would be no different from killing a chicken to martial artists who used the internal force.