"Now, since I have answered all your questions, let's start already"
Wind rose around Wu Long, the pile of corpses he stood on starting to move from he speed at which it rotated as his figure started slowly rising into the air, with water on the ground and that was falling in raindrops starting to form streams that rose into the sky.
His eyes flashed with electric arcs as sparks of lightning started appearing here and there around him.
"You still haven't...!"
As Gu Zhen tried to continue talking, a wall of fire instantly appeared in front of him, struck by a spear blade covered in thick lightning arcs, showing that Wu Long had no intentions to humor him any longer.
"Tch! Don't inter-...! Wha-...?!?!"
But when the alchemist clicked his tongue in annoyance, expecting the attack to bounce off, his words were cut short as the spear broke through.
Wu Long's cold eyes appeared amidst the spreading opening in the flame wall for a moment before a second and third walls appeared in quick succession while the Alchemy Tower Master retreated back.
Wu Long's free of the spear hand made a rotating motion and pushed forward, as ripples of Spiritual Qi spread from it, making ripples in the air and even the fire walls.
Streams of water rising into the skies behind Wu Long branched off a few small ones that rushed toward his palm, and he easily broke through the fire without decreasing his speed, the spear making a sharp thrust that the alchemist very narrowly avoided.
A slight numb sensation appearing around his neck from the electric shock.
This lightning was not able to damage him, as its intensity did not reach that level, but a normal natural lightning would not even create this subtle numbness for an Essence Gathering Realm expert.
"Impossible?! How are you breaking my defenses so easily?"
Gu Zhen exclaimed as he was forced to retreat over and over, all of his defensive techniques looking the same despite vast differences in strength between them, as they fell in front of Wu Long with absolutely the same ease.
He could see that Wu Long was pressuring him with water, as more and more streams were surrounding both of them from all sides, the flames that the alchemist spread wide to protect himself being suppressed.
'This speed! How is he so fast?!'
Gu Zhen could not understand how Wu Long moved at this speed, still slower than his own, but at which he was still a threat, faster than even the strongest of the Azure Eagles on this continent.
The alchemist was forced to evade and retreat, and the best he could manage was narrowly escaping or barely blocking attacks.
On top of that, because of the way Wu Long structured the angles and targets of his attacks, each move Gu Zhen made to dodge made it harder for him to dodge the next attack that came at the precise spot that he was forced to move into before.
The Alchemy Tower Master spat out as Wu Long's spear made another one in a series of sharp thrusts.
He was in an awkward pose after evading two previous ones, and had no time to even put up another defensive technique.
A fire wave broke from the alchemist in all directions, looking like a growing orb of flames.
However, Wu Long's attack still managed to graze Gu Zhen's shoulder.
"Damn it! What the hell is going on?!"
The injured alchemist retreated holding onto the bleeding shoulder, shouting at the top of his lungs.
The attack he released not only did not hurt Wu Long who blocked it with pressured water, but also did not even prevent his spear from reaching him.
'He definitely is using Spiritual Qi, there is not even a shred of Profound Qi aura'
His working left eye narrowed as Wu Long was most definitely a Mortal.
Even if Wu Long could conceal his cultivation base, he could not mask that he was using Spiritual Qi and not Reinforced Qi, also called Profound Qi in the Seven Profound Realms.
However, this fight looked more like a fight between equals in Cultivation Realm than between a Transcendent and a Mortal, as he was not that much superior in speed, strength of defense, or power of techniques.
He could understand the physical prowess, as he was an alchemist, but he could not reconcile the fact that his defenses or attacks were no match for Wu Long's despite him using Profound Qi while Wu Long used Spiritual Qi.
"Who the hell are you?!?!"
He shouted again, evading another sharp thrust of the spear that broke through his fire and almost cut his neck.
"Falcon Talon Piercing Strike!"
However, a sharp aura enveloped the Alchemy Tower Master for an answer to his question, as he clearly felt the breath of death and then...
The spear tip clashed with metal, producing a high-pitched ringing sound, the tip of the spear blade chipping, and a crack going through the center.
"Haa~ haa~ you forced me! Now you will have to play by my rules!!!"
Gu Zhen spoke through heavy breathing, his forehead covered in sweat as the still apparent panic in his left eye was gradually settling down.
In front of him was an Alchemy Furnace, with the Alchemy Association's emblem proudly engraved on it.
The golden furnace glowed with a yellow-golden light, releasing powerful ripples by simply existing here.
"So you finally took it out... a pity, I wanted to finish this before you did..."
Wu Long's voice had a subtle note of lament, but was otherwise calm, as he spoke with an indifferent look on his face.
Gu Zhen could tell that Wu Long was serious before, his every move and attack being fatal.
The Alchemy Tower Master only managed to survive thanks to the small but very crucial difference in speed between them.
"You... do you even know what this is?"
Gu Zhen said with exasperation at this nonchalant attitude, as Wu Long inspected his spear, sighing as he threw it aside.
"Haa~ as I thought, this toy doesn't stand a chance against a true Profound Grade treasure.
Hmm, as I thought, high-level 1st-tier Profound Grade furnace huh?"
Wu Long turned his gaze to the furnace, tracing his chin in thought.
Gu Zhen's thoughts froze for a moment in fear as the thought that he denied before but that still lingered at the back of his head took hold of him, before he shook it off again with a quick shake of his head.
'He is bluffing... that Wu Long is nowhere near here... it makes no sense...'
The Alchemy Tower Master could feel his anxiety rising even as he took out the Protective Treasure of the Alchemy Association's Branch.
"Damn it! Fine! I'll first subdue you and then get my answers out of you!"
Gu Zhen finally had some time to start making hand seals and prepare to attack, as the golden furnace became his absolute defense.