Chapter 386

Chapter 386: Everyone Has Their Own Stories

Once the decision had been made to return to the passageway entrance to join the Rank-9, the party made no delays .

Nevertheless, Fang Ping was extremely vigilant on the way .

Qin Fengqing noticed Fang Ping darting a few looks at him and could not help but lose his temper out of embarrassment . “I’m not planning to steal from you!”

The point was that he could not steal them even if he wanted to!

Right now, he was truly no match for Fang Ping . With one punch, Fang Ping could send him flying . That was dreadful beyond words .

Fang Ping ignored him . He clutched Old Man Li’s shoulders and warned, “Be careful, we may not be free from danger yet . I suspect that the enemy will ambush us on our way back to the passageway!”

Their current location was 600 li away from the passageway .

No matter how far human martial artists traveled, it was inevitable they would return to the passageway .

In truth, the reason he was so sure that there would be an ambush was that… his Wealth did not increase!

This implied that they had not escaped danger yet .

As soon as the words left Fang Ping’s lips, Qin Fengqing and Wang Jinyang sped up, grabbing onto Old Man Li’s arms instantly . Although Old Man Li was not a true Rank-8, his speed was extremely fast, no slower than a typical Rank-8 . Clutching onto him was bound to make you faster .

Li Hansong was one step slower . Seeing that the trio was grabbing onto Old Li’s arms, he gave a sheepish look and followed suit, saying apologetically, “I’m grateful to you, Instructor Li . ”

Old Man Li did not respond . Instead, he heightened his vigilance .

As for Li Hansong’s slightly delayed reaction… It would be fine once he got used to it .

Unlike these three little bastards . As soon as the word danger was uttered, they wished for nothing more than to glue themselves to him straightaway .

Fang Ping dispersed his Mentality in all directions . Whilst analyzing the situation, he asked under his breath, “If there’s no Rank-8, do you think you can take them on?”

If a Rank-7 ambushed them, there might be a chance to finish the other party off .

Old Man Li shook his head, whispering, “I don’t have the dominance and advantage, nor is this a siege . It will be hard for me to stop the enemy from running away . ”

At this moment, even if it was a one-to-one battle, he might not be able to hold down a Rank-7 powerhouse .

Fang Ping felt disappointed, sighing gently . “You cut down a Rank-8 as a Rank-6, and now you’ve turned weak instead . ”

Old Man Li was completely speechless . He was not in the mood to entertain him . Though, after some thought, he said, “My fist fighting skills are only average . Construct me a Divine Weapon long sword when we get back . I’ll nurture it for a while . I’ll show you how it’s done next time!”

When he started on the topic of Divine Weapons, Fang Ping became interested instantly . He hastily asked, “What are the requirements to construct a Divine Weapon?”

Divine Weapons were very powerful . Zhou Zhengyang self-detonating with a Divine Weapon was much more destructive than a typical Grandmaster self-detonating .

Zhou Zhengyang, who wielded a Divine Weapon, had extremely powerful abilities . That day, Zhou Zhengyang’s achievements did not go unnoticed as the five of them fought against nine enemies .

“Divine Weapons are also known as imaginary weapons . Just like Mentality corporealization, they could be nonexistent and could be materialized . One of the most important raw materials is actually related to Mentality too . ”

Old Man Li lowered his voice and said, “At the very least, you will need Rank-7 and high-ranked monsters’ heart and brain cores, smelting them together .

“Add a portion of valuable and rare metals . On top of that, you need to add plenty of other supplementary materials .

“For example, high-ranked monsters’ bones, high-ranked monster plants’ creepers…

“Lastly, high-ranked martial artists will use their own Mentality and Vitality to nurture it, assimilating it into their own bodies . This will then become a Divine Weapon .

In other words, a Divine Weapon was most probably equivalent to an entire high-ranked monster or monster plant…”

Fang Ping heard his explanation and whispered, “Then, can middle-ranked martial artists construct one?”

“You’re overthinking . Right now, you’re not qualified . You won’t be able to control it . ”

Old Man Li nodded thoughtfully and continued, “Divine Weapons are typically driven by Celestiality . I may be able to wield one, but I may not be able to unleash the Divine Weapon’s full potential . As for you, even controlling it is hard . If you have one, it may not be as easy to use compared to your current Bandit-Slayer Saber . ”

“Chaos-Vanquishing Saber,” Fang Ping corrected him . It had been renamed a long time ago .

Having said that, Fang Ping continued, “What you’re saying is, the Divine Weapon’s value is based on the high-ranked monster’s carcass?”

“That’s for sure . ”

“It’s quite expensive . ”

Did humans kill a lot of high-ranked monsters?

Very few!

Humans would not typically hunt and kill high-ranked monsters on purpose . Certain high-ranked monsters even moved in packs .

The greatest enemy, the Catacombs, had not been handled yet . If they hunted monsters now and triggered a monster outbreak, then they would be provoking a great enemy for no reason at all .

Of course, though it was rare, it did not mean that it never happened .

Certain powerhouses would venture into extremely dangerous places . Sometimes, when they encountered such a monster, they would hunt and kill them too .

Moreover, in the Catacombs, some powerhouses have even taken monsters as mounts, or perhaps one could call them partners too .

Certain human powerhouses had rides too . Fang Ping heard someone talking about it before . However, only Rank-9s would typically own one . There were also very few of them .

Hence, it was these people who hunted and killed these monsters .

Over the years, humans had accumulated some supplies . There were not too many martial artists who owned Divine Weapons, though there were not too few of them either .

A Rank-9 would typically own one while a Rank-8 would not . Whether a Rank-7 owned one would depend on family possessions and luck .

Old Man Li heard what he said and laughed . “It is pretty expensive . Fang Ping, why don’t you consider making a sword for me?”

Old Man Li figured that he might not be able to afford one . He was too poor .

Fang Ping, on the other hand, was rich!

Genuinely rich!

Other things aside, energy stones and Life Essence were worth loads .

If he had enough Life Essence, he could even directly exchange it for a Divine Weapon .

Fang Ping put on a glum face and did not utter a word . Right now, even Old Man Li had set his eyes on his hidden reserves . Did he not feel ashamed at all?

“Fang Ping, think about it . If I have a Divine Weapon, I’ll kill Rank-7s like chickens . It’s not entirely impossible to kill Rank-8 either . As for Rank-9…”

Alright, Old Man Li figured that he should stop boasting . If he continued, he might get a heart attack if Fang Ping truly provoked a few Rank-9s and sent them to him .

It was not just impossible, the possibility was really high .

“I don’t have money!”

Fang Ping did not want to entertain him . Then, he continued, “Oh right, do the MCMAU Grandmasters have Divine Weapons?”

“None of them have any . ”

Old Man Li shook his head . They were poor!

Even though Wu Kuishan was the vice-chancellor, that did not mean he was rich . Vice-chancellors were very poor too .

Just take a look at the Grandmasters who came in this time . Amongst those under Rank-9, Zhou Zhengyang alone owned one .

Why?

He was wealthy!

Upright Sun Martial Arts Dojo branches were scattered all over Nanjiang . They were also all over the country .

When combined, there might be over a hundred martial arts dojos .

It would not be difficult for a martial arts dojo to earn ten million a year, which would total a billion profit every year!

Upright Sun Martial Arts Dojo had been operating for many years . Zhou Zhengyang’s net worth would definitely be several billion, perhaps even ten billion . The others did not have riches like him .

On top of that, Zhou Zhengyang often hunted in the Catacombs too .

As they spoke of Divine Weapons, Fang Ping thought of Zhou Zhengyang . Out of all Rank-7 Grandmasters, it seemed like Zhou Zhengyang alone owned a Divine Weapon .

Fang Ping thought of him, so did Wang Jinyang .

Fang Ping knew certain things about the Grandmasters’ battle . On the contrary, Wang Jinyang had left the battle scene a long time ago . These few days, they were constantly in hiding to avoid getting hunted . They did not have a clue about the specifics .

Since the time they regrouped until now, he did not manage to ask either .

Now, when Fang Ping mentioned about Divine Weapons, Wang Jinyang asked all of a sudden, “Instructor Li, how are the rest of the Grandmasters after the great battle?”

Old Man Li clammed up instantly .

Fang Ping did not hesitate and said softly, “I don’t know about others, but Director Zhou died in battle . ”

When he left, Zhou Zhengyang had already self-detonated .

“Died… in battle?”

Wang Jinyang’s eyes became solemn instantly!

There had been rumors in the streets saying that there was a Grandmaster backing Wang Jinyang, and that was not NMAU’s vice-chancellor .

It was no rumor!

It was the truth!

That Grandmaster was none other than Zhou Zhengyang .

It was actually no secret . When Wang Jinyang had just entered Rank-1, he lacked money . Missions were scarce in Nanjiang . In order to earn money, taking up a part-time teaching job at a martial arts dojo was one of the more efficient methods .

And the largest martial arts dojo in Nanjiang was Upright Sun Martial Arts Dojo .

During that time, the old and the young saw each other eye to eye . Zhou Zhengyang saw great potential in the kid, hence he gave him some pointers and advice .

This was not considered as particularly favoring him . Grandmasters would not intentionally take those geniuses under their wing .

Even Fang Ping, who was in MCMAU, was not especially taken care of . You take what you deserve and fight for what you did not .

Geniuses did not become geniuses for getting free meals . Instead, under a fair condition, they could achieve even more on their own .

Despite that, it was a fact that Zhou Zhengyang saw potential in Wang Jinyang . Whether it was related to Wang Jinyang going south as a Rank-1 or north as a Rank-3, Zhou Zhengyang’s existence had helped him pave the path from many obstacles .

A Divine Weapon-wielding Peak Rank-7 powerhouse’s influence was no lesser than a typical Rank-8 .

Otherwise, an NMAU vice-chancellor alone might not be enough to ensure his smooth northbound trip .

Many were taking the path to invincibility .

However, you would realize after careful observation that these people who were taking the invincibility path had the support of powerhouses behind them .

Without powerhouses’ support, did you think you can punch just about anyone you want?

Did you think you could ruin other people’s reputation as you wish?

Other same-ranked peers have to fight you just because you want to?

Where did a low-ranked martial artist like you get such confidence?

Zhou Zhengyang was not Wang Jinyang’s instructor nor his relative . They barely qualified as good friends despite a great difference in age . They were barely an older generation powerhouse slightly supporting and looking after his younger counterpart .

Even so, when he heard the news that Zhou Zhengyang had died in battle, there was still a throbbing pain in Wang Jinyang’s heart .

Dead!

His own instructor ventured deep into the Catacombs with a slim chance of survival!

An honest and sincere elder, whom he was on friendly terms with, had also died in a Catacombs battle .

What about the vice-chancellor?

The governor?

What about the rest of the Nanjiang High Grandmasters?

Was this how pathetic the weak felt?

From the corner of his eyes, Fang Ping’s figure emerged . At this moment, Wang Jinyang was suddenly slightly admiring and envious .

He did not even have a clue what the cause of these emotions was!

However, there was an unexplainable feeling in his heart .

His instructor, unknown whether dead or alive . His older friend died in front of his eyes, while he could not do anything…

“Become strong!”

“I’m not strong enough!”

There was not a moment when Wang Jinyang yearned for power more than this .

‘If I was a Grandmaster, if I was a Rank-8 or Rank-9, then my instructor would not have ventured deep into the Catacombs that day . Direction Zhou would not die in the Catacombs either…’

At this moment, Wang Jinyang was as silent as a volcano that was about to erupt .

Sensing an odd atmosphere, Fang Ping said no more .

Although he came from Nanjiang as well, he started his martial arts journey in Magic City .

Powerhouses and elders whom he was on friendly terms with were all in Magic City .

People like Li Changsheng and Lu Fengrou were still alive too .

Wang Jinyang’s change in mood had helped him understand that Zhou Zhengyang might have had some form of ties with Wang Jinyang . As for the specifics, he did not ask .

That day, when Old Man Li nearly died on the battlefield, he found it difficult to bear too .

When a stranger martial artist died in battle, you would admire, empathize, and feel sorrowful . Yet, one would not know how grief felt like exactly .

When a well-acquainted martial artist or relative died in a Catacombs battle, you no longer felt a sense of admiration but helpless grief .

…

As Wang Jinyang became quiet, the others stopped speaking too .

The talkative Qin Fengqing still presented his devil-may-care attitude, as if nothing mattered . In his mind, however, scene after scene flashed across .

Grief was for the weak .

He, Qin Fengqing, did not want to become weak nor to continue grieving .

A long time ago, his father died in a Catacombs battle . His mother bathed her face in tears, lasting for many years .

After growing up and enrolling in MCMAU, he felt even more grief and helplessness .

After entering the Catacombs, his leader and comrades died in battle .

Later, his father’s instructor, who was also his half-instructor… the old man died in battle too .

The subsequent setbacks, grief, and helplessness made Qin Fengqing realize that the root of all these was because he was too weak .

Hence, he wished to become strong .

Whatever it took!

His aptitude was not too good . Few people knew that he, Qin Fengqing, was a once-honed martial artist who was unable to become twice-honed .

However, as a once-honed martial artist, he had achieved many things that a lot of people could only dream of their entire life .

He achieved Rank-4 before he graduated!

Moreover, he still had hopes of achieving Rank-5!

Such progress had caused many to forget that his martial arts aptitude was only average . To be able to make so much headway today was the result of him risking his life again and again .

Others only knew that he, Qin Fengqing, was very arrogant and wild . A Rank-3 who dared to venture hundreds of li into the Catacombs .

However, if those fellows thought about it, was he really a fool if he could cultivate up to Rank-3? Was it not dangerous to venture into the Catacombs? Very dangerous!

However, only by venturing deep inside would he have the chance .

One had to venture deep into the Catacombs as the periphery in Magic City no longer had many gains .

Without venturing deep into the Catacombs and taking risks, perhaps he would still be hanging around Early or Middle-stage Rank-3 right now . He would never have achieved Upper-stage Rank-4 so quickly .

Before Rank-3, he progressed slowly . He was still a Rank-1 during sophomore year .

Then, after Rank-3, he progressed much faster . How many people paid any attention to this?

Every martial arts powerhouse had their own stories, each had their own driving force .

Today, Qin Fengqing had long gotten used to concealing all kinds of emotions . Powerhouses did not need outsiders’ empathy .

…

Amid the silence, Old Man Li ran at breakneck speed . They were beginning to approach the passageway .

Fang Ping, who was constantly expelling Mentality, shook his brain suddenly and hissed, “Run!”

Before the words had left his lips, two golden figures emerged suddenly .

Old Man Li was already on alert . Without any intention to fight, he unleashed an intense energy wave, soaring into the sky . In the blink of an eye, he hurdled through both Rank-8s’ blockade .

Further ahead was the passageway . As long as they were a hundred li away from the passageway, these Catacombs powerhouses would not dare to continue the chase unless a Rank-9 attacked .

Speaking of ability, Old Man Li might not be a match for Rank-8s . Though if he only ran and not fought back, even Rank-8 powerhouses would find it difficult to kill him in a siege .

Unless he was really blocked .

Old Man Li only ran and not fought . The duo behind them was hot on their heels . One after another, intense energy waves attacked from behind .

Fang Ping and the rest no longer remained silent, taking action one after another . They hugged each other tightly, escaping to the front of Old Man Li . They would never be able to bear a Rank-8’s attack .

Old Man Li’s back released an intense golden glow . Caring for nothing, he continued running for dear life .

At this moment, the sorrowful atmosphere earlier had dissipated . In the mess, Qin Fengqing still had the mood to vent . He hissed and cursed, “Iron head, don’t block me . Block Fang Ping!”

At this moment, the four of them were entangled together . The furthest ahead was Fang Ping, holding tightly onto Old Li’s waist . The three at the back were also clutching onto him and dared not loosen their grips .

Li Hansong was at the outermost position . After getting scolded by Qin Fengqing, he was also extremely helpless . “You’re all faster than me . What choice do I have . ”

Qin Fengqing and Wang Jinyang moved very quickly . As soon as Fang Ping hid himself in front, these two fellows followed instantly and made their way in front . He was the last . If he did not stand outside, was he supposed to squeeze inside then?

Qin Fengqing mumbled, no longer scolding . Forget it . It was better if this fellow was outside . If a few more people emerged ahead, he would be the first one to die . There was no need to mind so much in getting blocked .

Old Man Li was running pretty fast despite carrying four people .

For a Rank-7 powerhouse, the weight of a few people was nothing .

Even if these fellows were all quite heavy .

Whilst running, Old Man Li released an intense Vitality Force, reminding the Rank-9 allies at the passageway to come to his aid quickly .

In no time, there was a response .

In front, two intense forces surged . Wu Chuan and Zhao Xingwu had already sensed their urgency .

Following the movements of both forces, the pursuing troops at the back slowed down gradually .

“We’re safe!”

At this moment, everyone breathed a sigh of relief .

Fang Ping let out a sigh of relief too . Only after two powerful forces made their way to them, chasing after the pursuing troops and retreating them, did his Wealth finally change . This meant that these guys had truly given up on hunting them .