Chapter 73: Blackmail!
Liu Zhengqing’s blood-soaked palm slowly opened, revealing a crimson orb before Yang Yan’s eyes. The orb was about the size of a chicken egg, perfectly round, glowing with a soft red light that flickered unceasingly. Waves of astonishing energy radiated from it, and within those surging ripples, Yang Yan could faintly sense a fierce and violent aura brimming with malice.
“This is... a core!”
Staring at the crimson orb, Yang Yan’s eyes flashed with genuine emotion and delight. The so-called core was a special substance produced only within the bodies of magical beasts; only spirit beasts or those of even higher rank had a chance of forming one.
Such cores were imbued with chaotic, untamed energy that could not be directly absorbed or utilized by human cultivators.
Therefore, these objects were typically used as rare materials for forging weapons or refining medicines.
“Take it,” Liu Zhengqing said, wiping the blood from the orb. Instead of keeping it, he tossed it directly to Yang Yan.
Yang Yan, momentarily stunned, hurriedly reached out to catch it. Though the core was of little use to him at present, selling it at a marketplace or auction should fetch a considerable amount of spirit crystals.
Having pocketed the core, neither he nor Liu Zhengqing lingered; their figures flickered through the forest and soon vanished into the shadows.
“We’ll wait for Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei here,” Yang Yan said, coming to a halt atop a small, elevated knoll after nearly ten minutes of running through the woods. He turned to Liu Zhengqing beside him.
“Agreed. This is the perfect chance to restore some spiritual power,” Liu Zhengqing replied. He found a flat patch of ground, sat cross-legged, and entered a meditative state.
Yang Yan also sat down, casting his gaze to the glowing leaderboard. Thanks to their earlier defeat of the Crimson-Scaled Tiger, both he and Liu Zhengqing had risen one rank—now fourth and seventh, respectively. The first and second places, however, remained firmly in the hands of Leng Yuetian and Sun Zhixin, with the former’s soul hunt points reaching a terrifying 1,680!
This time, though, Yang Yan felt no previous shock; despite their hard-won four hundred points, not only had they failed to close the gap, but it had widened further. Clearly, the leaders were not accumulating soul hunt points in the steady, rule-abiding fashion he and Liu Zhengqing employed—they must have some other method! What it was, he would discover only when they finally crossed paths, but that moment was not yet at hand.
His eyes swept the leaderboard again, and Yang Yan frowned involuntarily—Xu Shaoguang’s name was still missing.
“Could he really have been eliminated?” Yang Yan wondered. But just then, his gaze snapped toward the woods below the hill, and he called out coldly, “Come out—there’s no need to skulk in the shadows!”
Liu Zhengqing, roused from his meditation, leapt up to stand beside Yang Yan, both of them tense and ready.
A mocking laugh rang out, laced with suspicion. Four figures emerged slowly from the trees, the two in front unmistakably Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei!
But now, the pair looked utterly wretched—their clothes torn, faces bruised and battered, hands bound by special Spirit-Binding Ropes. At the sight of Yang Yan, both averted their eyes, shame and embarrassment written plainly on their faces.
“These two were so intent on hurrying down the road, they didn’t realize when we caught up to them. They refused to say what they were doing, but when I glanced at the leaderboard, it all made sense…”
“In this entire area, only you two stand among the top hundred, and these two were heading right here. Unless they’re fools seeking death, you must be their allies,” said the blue-robed youth, fixing Yang Yan with a meaningful stare.
“What is it you want?” Yang Yan’s tone was calm, but his gaze grew steadily colder.
“It’s simple. Toss over your identity tokens and I’ll let these two trash go. If not…” The youth licked his crimson lips with a bloodthirsty gleam, brandishing a sharp dagger at Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei’s throats. The threat was clear—refuse, and their lives were forfeit.
It was no idle bluff. Anyone taking part in the third trial risked their lives, and should Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei perish here, the Zhang family had no grounds for complaint—the law of this place was simply, the strong prevail.
“I warn you, don’t go too far!” Liu Zhengqing shouted, furious.
But Yang Yan’s expression was still composed. He raised a hand, silencing Liu Zhengqing, and addressed the youth:
“That’s not impossible. But if we hand over the tokens, what if you break your word and refuse to release my friends?”
“What do you propose?” The blue-robed youth considered for a moment, conceding the point—he would have harbored the same doubt in Yang Yan’s place.
“We exchange simultaneously—tokens for lives. How about that?” Yang Yan clasped his hands behind his back, stepping forward.
At the same time, Liu Zhengqing’s gaze sharpened as he saw Yang Yan make a subtle gesture behind his back—a sign he instantly understood: “Each takes one!”
If they attacked carelessly, Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei could be killed in an instant. To have captured them, these two opponents must at least be at the peak of the second level, perhaps even the third, of the Sensing Spirit Realm.
Liu Zhengqing masked his glance, but his heart was full of questions. “Let’s see what happens. From what I know of him, he won’t act rashly without confidence,” he reassured himself.
“Very well. But I warn you—no tricks!” the blue-robed youth said coldly. He exchanged a glance with his companion, and both pressed their daggers closer to Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei, edging them forward.
At that moment, Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei’s faces were a mix of complex emotions—gratitude, regret, surprise, and shame. Who would have thought that the “useless young master” they once mocked would sacrifice so much for them?
“Here you go!” When the distance between the four parties had narrowed to about five meters, Yang Yan shot a look at Liu Zhengqing, and together they flung their identity tokens out simultaneously.