"Nothing is impossible!"
Chu Ming said calmly, his eyes as serene as an undisturbed lake. To be honest, he was also stunned by his own punch just now.
Purely relying on one thousand one hundred Tiger Power would never achieve such an effect; this was due to the addition of two strands of Fire Essence. Chu Ming couldn’t even imagine the destructive power if all fifteen strands of Fire Essence erupted.
Seeing Chu Ming approaching, Huang Lei suddenly swung his sword, a brilliant arc of Sword Aura slashing out from his blade, cutting through the air and annihilating it, resembling the destruction of stars in the heavens.
Chu Ming thrust his fist forward, enhanced by five strands of Fire Essence, fierce Fist Force violently rubbed against the air, causing waves to fly around and sand to shatter.
The Sword Force was instantly shattered by Chu Ming’s punch, and the scattered Sword Force illuminated the entire space.
The Fist Force faced no obstacles, directly punching Huang Lei’s body, causing half of his body to cave in. By the time he hit the ground, he was already lifeless.
"Please, have mercy, I’ll do anything for you!"
At this moment, the leather-armored woman pleaded desperately, simultaneously flaunting her perfect figure in front of Chu Ming. Her seductive eyes seemed to drip water, and she intentionally exposed her ample bosom.
However, when she looked up, she met Chu Ming’s clear gaze, devoid of any impurities or desire.
At some unknown time, a dark needle appeared in her hand, with a hint of purple glimmer indicating it was poisoned. Although it wouldn’t kill a martial artist upon contact, it would indeed paralyze them temporarily. At that moment, no matter how strong Chu Ming was, he would be at her mercy.
Suddenly, a flash of white light sliced through, and the leather-armored woman slowly lowered her head to see a barely discernible wound in her chest, which suddenly burst open, splattering blood all over her armor.
Her body fell to the ground, the dark needle in her hand rolling slowly on the floor.
Chu Ming sheathed his sword, collecting all the Storage Rings from the bodies. Among them, there were over two hundred thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones and also more than a thousand Middle Grade Spirit Stones. What delighted him the most was finding a hundred-year-old Blood Spirit Flower in the female warrior’s Storage Ring, an unexpected treasure.
Transferring all the items into his own Storage Ring, Chu Ming held a white compass in his hand. The surface was pristine, with only the directions North, South, East, and West carved with intricate patterns. An iron needle swung back and forth.
"Could it be that the woman helped Huang Lei to deal with me for this item?"
This compass was found in Huang Lei’s Storage Ring, so Chu Ming guessed.
Slowly channeling Spiritual Power into it, the compass emitted a shimmering white light, and the needle swung back and forth before abruptly pointing towards Chu Ming.
"Hmm? Could it be..."
Chu Ming had a guess. He took out the Blood Spirit Flower from his Storage Ring and waved it around; the compass needle followed the flower’s movements, shaking rapidly.
"Indeed, this compass can detect the direction of Blood Spirit Flowers!"
Chu Ming was overjoyed, realizing the significance. No wonder Huang Lei pursued him relentlessly when he left the Blood Demon Sea—it seemed Huang Lei used the compass to detect the Blood Spirit Flower on him.
In a flash, Chu Ming vanished. With this compass, locating Blood Spirit Flowers in the Blood Demon Sea would be a breeze.
At the light gate of the Blood Demon Sea, Chu Ming paid ten thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones and disappeared.
Inside the Blood Demon Sea, the air still carried a constant nauseating smell of blood, the ground turned red, and sand streamed about.
Taking out the white compass, Chu Ming channeled Spiritual Power into it. The needle started to spin madly, and after a while, it pointed to Chu Ming’s left.
"That’s the direction!"
Chu Ming tapped lightly on the ground and his body shot like an arrow, speeding away and disappearing in an instant.
In the depths of the Blood Demon Sea, a blue silhouette killed two lower-grade Great Blood Demons with one sword strike, then gently picked a seventy-year-old Blood Spirit Flower, revealing a fair face—it was Gu Wuji, who had once met Chu Ming.
Although Blood Spirit Flowers are only useful to Body Refining Martial Artists, their value is immense. A seventy-year-old Blood Spirit Flower can fetch thirty to forty thousand Lower Grade Spirit Stones, and it’s a rare commodity.
Martial artists rarely put Blood Spirit Flowers up for sale. Even if they are not Body Refining Martial Artists, many opt to use the flower to enhance their physical strength.
"Hmph, this time at the tea ceremony, my name, Gu Wuji, will surely resonate across neighboring countries!"
A genius with aspirations as high as the sky, especially one like Gu Wuji, who has no rivals within his nation, originally came to the Celestial River Kingdom merely to meet other geniuses. He had no interest in the Firecloud Princess.
The martial path is long and winding; choosing a partner too early can be a burden.
A white silhouette flashed by him, and through the blur, he recognized the face—it was Chu Ming, whom he had seen at the inn.
Gu Wuji was taken aback. That fleeting figure was none other than Chu Ming.
Chu Ming was equally startled but kept his speed unchanged; finding Blood Spirit Flowers was his top priority.
"Hehe, let me test your strength!"
Gu Wuji sneered, swinging his curved blade horizontally towards Chu Ming. The space rippled slightly, resembling a pool reflecting the cold moonlight, glistening with chilly light. His blade emanated endless coldness, capable of freezing the air itself.
Chu Ming sensed the danger, turned, and launched a featherlight punch. Yellow Fist Force scattered, breaking the air, and sand grains flew wildly.
The space rippled, and the Sword Aura shattered, but the Fist Force continued towards Gu Wuji.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Gu Wuji’s face changed; he swiftly swung his curved blade, slashing ten times in an instant. Each slash was colder than the last, freezing the water droplets into ice particles dropping from mid-air, forming a thick layer on the ground.
After ten continuous slashes, the yellow Fist Force was finally shattered, causing Gu Wuji to retreat five or six meters, panting slightly. He looked at the disappearing figure of Chu Ming as if he had seen a ghost.
"Unbelievable, where did such a formidable genius come from?"
Recalling the earlier scene, Gu Wuji felt lingering fear. With just one move, he was already at a disadvantage. If it were a true life-and-death battle, he would likely perish within ten moves.