Xie Lingyun watched the departing Prince Pingbian, a hint of worry in her eyes: "Father, we're in big trouble!"
"Trouble is inevitable; it won't change because of anything." Xie Xuan's voice was relaxed: "Besides, we have fifty thousand elite troops and the royal dynasty's great fortune. Even if Zhang Shicheng truly becomes a dragon and reaches the eleventh tier, we might still have the ability to gamble everything in a fight."
"What does Zhang Chen say?" Prince Pingbian's eyes turned to Xie Lingyun, showing a hint of inquiry.
Xie Lingyun replied: "He wants to meet you personally. He said that even if that old loach transforms into a dragon and steps into the twelfth tier, we have a way to slay him."
"Did he really say that?" Xie Xuan's eyes flashed with brilliance.
He still believed in Zhang Chen's words, after all, when Zhang Shicheng was halfway transforming into a dragon, he had already stepped into tier ten, but wasn't it still overturned?
"That's right." Xie Lingyun said.
"It seems I must meet him personally." After speaking, Zhang Shicheng walked straight into the rain, disappearing in the curtain of rain within a few moments.
Meanwhile, in the inn, Zhang Chen, after Xie Lingyun left, repeatedly pondered Xie Lingyun's words in his mind: "The demon race ancestor besieging the national capital of the Great Victory empire was actually using five-colored light?"
He remembered the Five-Colored Divine Light, the only thing in this world that could match the description of five-colored light feared was the Five-Colored Divine Light.
Considering how troublesome that old peacock is, it's not impossible that this old creature survived from unknown times to now, is it?
"But maybe I'm overthinking it; not all divine techniques that shine with five colors are necessarily the Five-Colored Divine Light." Zhang Chen kept encouraging himself.
If that Innate Peacock survived from the Ancient Era, he feared he was done for. Although he could hook the soul of the Innate Peacock, the soul of the Innate Peacock was too powerful. Even if he could hook the other's soul, he couldn't suppress it. What's more, the opponent could kill all his relatives and even threaten him using the people close to him.
His damn Soul Hooking and Soul Stealing technique only hooks, not suppresses, which is no ordinary trouble.
"Hope it's not! Absolutely not!" Zhang Chen muttered to himself.
If it is, not only will he be in trouble, but the entire human race will be in trouble. Who among the humans can withstand the Innate Peacock with such powerful Five-Colored Divine Light?
Even with mysterious beings of the twelfth tier, they probably can't withstand the Innate Peacock, can they? A dead twelfth-tier and a living being with unknown tiers, can they be compared?
"Regardless of how you look at it, that mysterious old guy who can contend against two twelfth-tier mysterious beings is a problem for the human race." Zhang Chen muttered to himself.
While Zhang Chen's mind was filled with varying thoughts, a figure appeared on the long street outside the inn, dressed in a brocade robe. All the rainwater that tried to approach the figure was blocked three feet away by an invisible force, sliding off the surroundings of the brocade-robed man.
Then the brocade-robed man passed through the curtain of rain, reached the inside of the inn, and stood outside Zhang Chen's room, gently knocking on the door.
As the knocking sounded, Zhang Chen inside the room felt a shock: relying on his mastery of the Blood Control Technique, someone had come outside his door without him sensing any anomaly in advance. Isn't this terrifying?
"A skilled person! This person must be a skilled person!" Zhang Chen thought to himself.
Then Zhang Chen stood up and opened the door, seeing that familiar face outside and felt his calculations were correct. If Xie Xuan wasn't considered a skilled person, then who else would be?
"Oh, it's Commander Xie; please come in for a chat." Zhang Chen looked at Xie Xuan with a smile.
Xie Xuan looked Zhang Chen up and down, and found that Zhang Chen had grown taller, his skin was delicate and snow-white, and his aura had a transcendent quality, looking like a young gentleman from a wealthy family.
Sitting inside the room, Xie Xuan looked at Zhang Chen with full attention: "Do you have a method to deal with that old loach?"
"Yes!" Zhang Chen took out the Blood Transformation Divine Saber from his sleeve and placed it on the table: "This saber can pierce the reverse scale of that old loach!"
The Blood Transformation Divine Saber is as thin as a cicada's wing, appearing like a work of art, completely lacking the appearance of a formidable weapon.
"After that old loach transforms into a dragon and walks like a flood dragon, I will extract its soul. At that point, you will use this saber to pierce its physical body and seize the opportunity to destroy its flesh," Zhang Chen said as he caressed the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, a murderous glint in his eyes: "Just be careful yourself, don't let the Blood Transformation Divine Saber injure you. If you are harmed by it, your blood will keep flowing until you bleed dry and perish."
Upon hearing Zhang Chen's instructions, Xie Xuan immediately became interested. He gazed at the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, reached out to touch its hilt, then drew his long saber from his waist and discarded it, replacing it with the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, which he carefully hid inside his wide sleeves, then earnestly asked, "Is your plan this simple?"
"Does it need to be more complicated?" Zhang Chen gave a light, casual smile: "There's one more thing—you need to rush over to help me slay the soul of the old loach after you've dispatched its physical body. Otherwise, I fear I won't be able to handle its soul alone; should its soul escape, it will be a big trouble."
Xie Xuan nodded upon hearing this: "Rest assured, after I slay the old loach..." Xie Xuan paused: "At the very least, I need to seize its Dragon Pearl and extract its Dragon Tendon. Then, I'll come to aid you. We can't let the benefits of slaying the old loach be snatched by those hiding in the shadows."
Zhang Chen nodded after hearing this, admitting there was some truth to it: "Remember to carve out the Dragon Horn for me; it wouldn't be bad to forge a weapon from it in the future."
With the matters concluded, Xie Xuan stared intently at Zhang Chen: "Honestly, I've investigated your background and still can't believe you have such skills. I always feel as though you were possessed by an old monster. How could the Zhang Family possess such mighty bloodline power? Your soul hooking and soul stealing technique has long exceeded the scope of the Zhang Family's bloodline mastery."
With a light smile, Zhang Chen understood what Xie Xuan meant. Xie Xuan mistook the skills Zhang Chen acquired from the Golden Finger as the bloodline power of the Shangjing Zhang Family, which gave Zhang Chen an opportunity to conceal his true abilities: "This is a variation in my bloodline; I had a different fortunate encounter before."
"The Zhang Family's biggest loss was driving your father's lineage out," Xie Xuan took a sip from his tea cup, and before Zhang Chen could speak again, Xie Xuan's figure faded away, leaving only his voice echoing within the inn: "Zhang Chen, I await your good news. As long as you can draw out Zhang Shicheng's soul, I will personally thrust the Blood Transformation Divine Saber into his Reverse Scale."
As Xie Xuan vanished, Zhang Chen sat at the table, sipping tea, his eyes narrowing: "The Dragon Pearl really is a good thing!"
The door creaked open again, as Chen Xu walked in from outside, his voice excited: "Was that person the Yang God Great Zhenren just now?"
"That's right! He is the Yang God Great Zhenren! And he's also the head of the Northern Land Inspection and Supervision Department," Zhang Chen said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, Chen Xu held Zhang Chen in even higher regard: "You seem so calm now; do you have a way to break through the calamity?"
"Unless something unexpected happens, that old loach is doomed," Zhang Chen replied.
Chen Xu stroked his chin to confirm again: "Are you sure that old fellow is doomed?"
"Absolutely! Unless someone intervenes to save it!" Zhang Chen declared.
"If that's the case..." Chen Xu's eyes lit up suddenly: "What would my power increase to if I managed to devour that old loach's true body?"
"Don't end up getting slain by the various powerful figures! If Zhang Shicheng perishes, countless will eye his physical body. Should someone conveniently cut you down, don't blame me for not warning you beforehand," Zhang Chen felt Chen Xu's idea was unreliable.
Despite Zhang Chen's words, Chen Xu remained fervent in his thoughts: "I can lay out a plan; I can also utilize the Feng Shui Grand Array set by Prince Pingbian's Mansion."
After speaking, Chen Xu couldn't stay put. He picked up an oil-paper umbrella and left the room, leaving only his voice behind: "Wait for my good news."
Watching Chen Xu's departing figure, Zhang Chen shook his head lightly, his eyes filled with helplessness: "That guy really isn't afraid of death, but he must have other tricks up his sleeve!"
Once everything was arranged, Zhang Chen had no doubts about the future. He leisurely drank a small wine, watching the heavy rain outside, feeling exceedingly pleasant.
Meanwhile, in the Inspection and Supervision Department, Xie Xuan returned home, drew out the Blood Transformation Divine Saber, and examined its thin blade intently, a trace of solemnity in his eyes: "What an evil sword! What a sinister person!"
After staring at the Blood Transformation Divine Saber for a long time, Xie Xuan finally sheathed the treasured sword, recalling the Shangjing Zhang Family, his eyes showing a complex, inexplicable look: "The Zhang Family's elders really misjudged this time; the Zhang Family has produced a True Dragon."
"If I could bring him into the Inspection and Supervision Department and make him one of us, that would be ideal," Xie Xuan thought of drawing Zhang Chen into the Inspection and Supervision Department. If successful, dealing with those old figures in the future would provide substantial confidence.
"Or perhaps... why not marry Lingyun to him? Then we'll be related by marriage, becoming family?" Xie Xuan's ideas bubbled out uncontrollably as he truly admired Zhang Chen, even to the extent of offering his own daughter.
Time swiftly passed, and three days quickly went by as the rain intensified. Water started to accumulate in streams on the street, beginning to submerge shops along the long street, and even the common folk's homes experienced flooding. Some people's straw huts collapsed, others' courtyard walls fell, and more significantly, mudslides slid down hillsides, sweeping through villages in the mountains, causing a bloody tragedy.