Chapter 1 The Unveiling

As the ring was removed, the face of the ordinary-looking young man rippled and distorted. A few seconds later, a handsome face with clear contours and defined lines appeared before everyone.

Zhao Hongzheng's eyes widened abruptly, and he said in astonishment, "Yuan, Yuanshi Tianzun!"

"Yuanshi Tianzun!!"

Zhao Feichen's slightly pale face also revealed surprise and confusion, which then turned into anger and resentment.

Whoever the other party was, it didn't change his hatred for having his legs broken, but he didn't expect that this young and unfamiliar Star Official was actually Yuanshi Tianzun in disguise.

He naturally knew the name of this genius, and he had even watched the official arena competition that day.

It was just that Yuanshi Tianzun's Yin Corpse was obviously male at the time.

Zhang Yuanqing put away the disguise ring, staring coldly at Zhao Hongzheng, and said:

"Zhao, your son said that he would make sure I wouldn't leave Huadu today. Now I want to ask you, do you dare to attack me?! Do you dare to attack an official Saint who has received an A-level merit and several B-level merits?"

Zhao Hongzheng's face immediately turned ugly, and his expression became as deep as water.

He didn't dare, yes, he didn't dare!!

Yuanshi Tianzun was a genius cultivated by the official forces. Even though he had just been punished by the headquarters, and even though rumors were circulating that some people at the headquarters were very dissatisfied with Yuanshi Tianzun's unruliness and believed that he did not obey orders.

But Zhao Hongzheng still didn't dare.

Yuanshi Tianzun's name was too loud and his reputation too high. The headquarters' dissatisfaction with him was an internal matter of the Five Elements Alliance. If he, Zhao Hongzheng, dared to kill Yuanshi Tianzun, the Zhao family would tie him up the next day and send him to the Songhai branch.

Zhang Yuanqing then looked at Zhao Feichen and sneered:

"Just because you were born into the Zhao family, you think you are nobility?? With your background, you're worthy of challenging me?? With your strength, you're worthy of fighting me??"

Zhao Feichen's face flushed red, his body convulsing involuntarily, and his breathing became heavy.

The contempt and disdain in Yuanshi Tianzun's eyes deeply hurt his self-esteem.

After extreme anger, the inner hostility and arrogance surged into his heart. He asked himself, if the other party was Yuanshi Tianzun, would he still dare?

The answer was yes.

He dared.

If he knew it was Yuanshi Tianzun, he would immediately notify the family and find a level 6 Saint.

So what if it was Yuanshi Tianzun? As long as the opportunity was right and the rules allowed, he would definitely take him down.

And if they didn't follow the rules, would Yuanshi Tianzun dare to break the rules with him?? The Zhao family, as a Spiritual Realm family with a hundred years of accumulation, killing Yuanshi Tianzun was not difficult.

In today's world, even Sovereigns were not qualified to challenge Spiritual Realm families. The only thing that could deal with large organizations was organizations of the same level or higher.

Zhao Feichen grinned hideously:

"Why wouldn't I dare?! If we do it again, I'll send a level 6 Saint to kill you, you so-called official genius."

His expression was slightly twisted, and he laughed wildly, unable to tell whether it was just stubbornness or if he really dared to do so.

"Well said!!"

An old and calm voice came from outside the store. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice. The person who came was an elderly man with white hair, wearing a decent Tang suit, old cloth shoes, a slightly hunched back, and his hands behind his back.

He looked like a wealthy old man, without any bodyguards around him. The only special thing about him was that although he was old and frail, his eyes were particularly clear and bright, hiding wisdom.

The old man walked into the store and looked at Zhao Feichen with a smile, saying:

"Although you're arrogant, I've always liked this temperament of yours. Whether you're humble, arrogant, or纨绔 (wankü - spoiled brat), it doesn't matter how you behave on the outside. In your bones, you must have pride, a pride that can't be broken even if your bones are broken. That's the biggest difference between us and the common people."

After speaking, he glanced at Zhao Hongzheng with displeasure and said lightly:

"The Zhao family has stood firm for a hundred years and has some foundation. And yet, you're scared by a young man??"

Zhao Hongzheng lowered his head, not daring to speak.

"The head of the Zhao family??" Zhang Yuanqing raised his eyebrows.

"You can call me Fifth Master Zhao, a nickname from when I was young. As for my name, you don't need to know it." The old man looked at Zhang Yuanqing peacefully and said, "I'm not the head of the Zhao family. You, Yuanshi Tianzun, are not qualified to have my eldest brother personally come forward."

"Fifth Grand Uncle!!" Zhao Feichen was overjoyed, glaring at Zhang Yuanqing fiercely:

"Fifth Grand Uncle must stand up for me. This kid was refining equipment here at my aunt's place and hogged all the firestones. Who can he blame? I just picked up a bargain. Business is all about skill. But he holds a grudge and broke my legs. I'm not convinced!!"

"Fifth Grand Uncle, you should break his legs too, and then take back the props for me."

Zhang Yuanqing said calmly:

"So, Fifth Master Zhao, what do you intend to do?"

Although his tone was calm, he was secretly wary, every muscle in his body was tense and exerting force, and his adrenaline was surging.

He couldn't sense the old man's aura.

This was a Sovereign.

"My grandson has already said it, break your legs and hand over the props." The old man said with a smile:

"We still have to give face to the official side. If you hand over the props yourself, this matter will be over."

"What if I don't want to!!" Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow.

"What's it to you if I take your props??" The old man lightly raised his old cloth shoes and took a step forward.

In an instant, a Bagua (Eight Trigrams) circular formation expanded from under his feet, encompassing the entire Wanbao Shop.

At this moment, Lian Sanyue chuckled lightly:

"Fifth Grand Uncle, didn't you do a divination before you came?"

The old man frowned slightly, retracted his foot, and the formation immediately dissipated.

He pondered for a moment, took out three copper coins from his sleeve, clasped them in his palm, shook them gently, and then opened his palm.

Seeing the hexagram displayed by the three copper coins, his expression changed slightly.

The hexagram: ominous!!

The old man took a deep look at Yuanshi Tianzun, didn't say anything, and turned around and said:

"Let's go!!"

Zhao Hongzheng slowly breathed a sigh of relief, but Zhao Feichen's face changed drastically, and he shouted unwillingly:

"Fifth Grand Uncle, Fifth Grand Uncle..."

Zhang Yuanqing sneered and kicked Zhao Feichen in the face.

*Pfft*, Zhao Feichen's head tilted, spitting out two front teeth and a mouthful of blood.

"Bastard!!" Zhao Hongzheng was furious, reaching out into the air and grabbing a golden bowl, covering Zhang Yuanqing.

Zhang Yuanqing was prepared and a purple-gold hand cannon appeared in his hand, thirty centimeters in length, with a thick and long muzzle.

*I'll just use you to test the gun.* He held the gun in one hand, aimed at the golden bowl, and pulled the trigger.

Purple lightning snakes jumped from the muzzle, spitting out a fist-sized, purple ball of lightning, roaring into the golden bowl.

*Boom!!*

The ball of lightning exploded in the golden bowl, directly destroying the level 6 prop. The violent shockwave swept in all directions along with the high temperature.

*Boom boom boom!!*

The light shields on Zhao Hongzheng's body shattered one after another. The jade finger ring and necklace he was wearing, as well as the khaki-colored bead he had just grabbed, exploded into dust.

After the Thunderstorm Cannon in Zhang Yuanqing's hand fired the ball of lightning, it quickly transformed into a round shield. He bent over, shielding himself and Zhao Feichen behind him.

The shockwave containing lightning exploded in the small room, sweeping in all directions with destructive force.

Zhang Yuanqing grunted, unable to stand firm, and sat down on Zhao Feichen, hearing a painful moan from below.

The surface of the round shield, which had absorbed the impact, shot out electric snakes, trying to rebound the enemy, but there was no enemy in front of him.

At the same time, a dim purple light lit up on the outer edge of the round shield, which was the energy it had accumulated after absorbing the attack.

Array patterns lit up on the walls and shelves of Lian Sanyue's shop, blocking the shockwave and high temperature from the explosion of the ball of lightning, so no fire broke out.

A few seconds later, everything calmed down.

Zhao Hongzheng collapsed on the ground, his skin charred black and blood red, and his left arm was half blown off.

He stared at Zhang Yuanqing in shock, anger, and confusion, "You, you want to kill me??"

*Damn, it turns out the most powerful thing is the Thunderstorm Cannon. That was close, I almost sent myself away.* Zhang Yuanqing felt lingering fear, but also joy.

With the Thunderstorm Cannon, he had three trump cards for a desperate counterattack.

At this time, Zhao Feichen was already on his last breath.

Zhang Yuanqing held the shield and said coldly:

"What if I kill you!! You Zhao family barked at me and thought you could just leave?? Now get out!!"

Zhao Hongzheng's face twitched a few times. He struggled to get up and staggered out of the store, ordering his subordinates who had been knocked down by the explosion in a deep voice.

"Take the young master away."

Several black-clothed men, not lightly injured, struggled to get up, carefully avoiding Zhang Yuanqing, and carried Zhao Feichen, who was hanging by a thread, away in a hurry.

As soon as the Zhao family left, a strong wind blew outside, followed by the crackling sound of raindrops falling, splashing a misty rain on the wet road outside the store.

The drainage system in the alley was rudimentary, and within a few minutes, shallow puddles had accumulated on both sides of the road.

Lian Sanyue stood unharmed in front of the cash register, clicking her tongue, and said:

"A prop with two forms?? As expected, it's a top-quality item. Hmm, Zhao Feichen was probably right, this is still a rule-based prop."

"It barely counts, but it's not a particularly powerful rule." Zhang Yuanqing said modestly, and quickly put away the prop.

Lian Sanyue suddenly sneered:

"Do you know the rules of my store? Those who attack without permission, die."

Seeing that the young man a few meters away was not flustered at all, she smiled again:

"But you injured the Zhao family, and I'm in a good mood. I'll make an exception and spare you this time."

Zhang Yuanqing immediately bowed: "Thank you, boss."

After saying that, he left the store with Blood Rose. By this time, it was raining heavily, accompanied by a strong wind. The bean-sized raindrops slanted into the alley, soaking their clothes.

Zhang Yuanqing left Wanbao Shop and had only taken a few steps when he suddenly heard a rumble of thunder overhead, followed by a thick bolt of lightning striking down, hitting him directly on the head.

*Crap, I forgot the price of the Thunderstorm Cannon.* Zhang Yuanqing's body suddenly stiffened, convulsing violently, his hair standing on end, and the skin on his cheeks charring black in an instant, oozing blood.

He froze in place for a few seconds, and then his tense body gradually relaxed, only feeling severe pain all over, and a large area of cells dying in the lightning strike.

This was not enough to kill him, but it caused him considerable injury.

*I just showed off in front of the Zhao family and suffered this misfortune. The legendary showing off gets struck by lightning...* Zhang Yuanqing simply wiped the black marks on his face and continued forward with Blood Rose.

Zhang Yuanqing turned a corner and saw a figure standing in front of him.

He was wearing a straight white suit, holding a large black umbrella, standing in the wind and rain, in the alley, his eyes calmly watching the front.

The summer thunderstorms were heavy, but he was very quiet, seeming out of tune with the turbid world.

He stood there, a scene beyond words.

Zhang Yuanqing left Yin Corpse and trotted over, his face full of smiles:

"Boss, you're here!!"

He had expected this.

Lian Sanyue was a trustworthy person. Since she had taken the money, she would definitely do the job.

Fu Qingyang was a protective person. As long as he received the text message, he would definitely come.

Lian Sanyue's reminder to Fifth Master Zhao just now, and Fifth Master Zhao's impromptu change of plan and quick departure, all proved that Fu Qingyang was nearby.

This was also the reason why Zhang Yuanqing had just beaten Zhao Feichen so badly and pulled the trigger on Zhao Hongzheng.

He had confidence.

Fu Qingyang nodded slightly and said calmly:

"How did you get so embarrassed?"

"It's the price of the prop. Boss, I refined a top-quality prop, I'll show it to you later." Zhang Yuanqing said with a flattering expression.

"Not interested."

"I know you don't lack props, but this prop is really top-quality..."

"Stop talking nonsense, hold the umbrella."

"Okay!!"

In a few words, the two gradually walked away, disappearing into the alley.

Wanbao Shop.

Lian Sanyue stood behind the cash register, her eyes coldly staring at the old man in the store.

This old man, like Fifth Master Zhao, was wearing an exquisite Tang suit and old cloth shoes, holding a dragon-headed cane, his eyes indifferent, staring at Lian Sanyue, who was facing a formidable enemy.

He was of medium height, with a full head of white hair, a face full of wrinkles, and a bright red mole between his eyebrows.

His appearance spoke of incalculable wealth.

"I've heard about Chen'er's matter." The old man said calmly, "Where did he offend you??"

Lian Sanyue laughed:

"I'm helping you teach your grandson. Zhao Feichen is arrogant and has been the local emperor of Huadu for more than ten years. Does he really think he can do whatever he wants?? Today, he was lucky to encounter Yuanshi Tianzun. If it had been an evil profession, he would have been dead already."

"I'm taking this opportunity to let him know that his pitifully weak talent is nothing compared to a true pride of the heavens."

The old man sighed and revealed the truth: "You're jealous of him."

Lian Sanyue giggled, but there was no smile in her beautiful eyes, only hatred and sorrow. "Zhao Wudi, ah, Zhao Wudi, you're still as self-righteous as before. Jealousy??"

"He's not worthy, and you're even less worthy. I just hate him, and I hate you even more."

The old man was silent for a few seconds and said slowly:

"Don't let this happen again. If you dare to harm Chen'er again, don't blame me for not considering the father-daughter relationship."

Lian Sanyue sneered: "You better not consider it. When I reach level 9, the first thing I'll do is take your life."

The old man didn't respond, turned around and took a step, disappearing into Wanbao Shop.

At ten o'clock in the evening, Zhang Yuanqing once again quietly returned to Huadu.

This time, he didn't buy a plane ticket because that would leave a record. He used Night Wander and Illusion to sneak onto the plane and flew from Songhai to Huadu.

He wanted to find Lian Sanyue to inquire about Brother Bing's information.

Originally, in Zhang Yuanqing's plan, he would first get in touch with this appraiser, and then change his identity after a while to inquire about the information.

But after getting in touch, he felt that it was not necessary to be so troublesome.

Zhang Yuanqing originally thought that Lian Sanyue was the leader of some folk organization, so he didn't dare to immediately change his appearance and inquire about Brother Bing's information after Yuanshi Tianzun came to her door.

That would inevitably arouse suspicion.

But the fact is that Wanbao Shop belongs to the black market, an information distribution center, and a prop sales point. It is inherently mixed, and Lingjing Xingzhe from Baotang Province often come here, and even Lingjing Xingzhe from other places come here.

A market, with people coming at any time, how could they suspect him?

However, to be on the safe side, he did not use the disguise ring, but put on a perfect human skin, turning into a pure passerby.

Following the familiar path back to Wanbao Shop, this time, Wanbao Shop, in his eyes, was a place where the doors were tightly closed and had been abandoned for many years.

The perfect human skin grafted karma, making him completely a passerby, and passersby do not have extraordinary abilities.

So he could not see through the illusion.

Zhang Yuanqing stepped forward and crashed into the closed door. Not surprisingly, he easily passed through.

Inside the small shop, warm lights were on. Lian Sanyue sat silently at the cash register, holding a half-smoked woman's cigarette in her hand.

*What is this woman spacing out about!*

Zhang Yuanqing approached.

Lian Sanyue glanced up and said indifferently:

"Closed, no business."

Zhang Yuanqing's voice was hoarse, as if he had phlegm stuck in his throat, and said, "I don't want to enter your gang dungeon. I just want to ask you for some information."