readytorunbook Chapter 218 Material Competition Risk
Chapter 218 Material Competition Risk
Zhuang Yu's gaze swept over the list in his hand, and his brows furrowed slightly.
The list was densely packed with the materials needed to refine the Heavenly Tribulation Defense Treasure. Most of them were already prepared, but the last few ingredients were like a thorn stuck in his throat, making him restless and unable to eat or sleep.
The heavenly tribulation is imminent, and there is no room for the slightest mistake.
He took a deep breath, put the list away, and said to Wang Yao behind him, "Let's go to the materials market."
Wang Yao nodded silently, following closely behind him as usual.
The hustle and bustle of the materials market was overwhelming, with various shouts and bargaining sounds intertwined, like a noisy symphony.
Zhuang Yu had no interest in appreciating the lively scene; a vague unease lingered in his heart.
He was so eager to find the last few ingredients on the list that his urgency was almost tangible, making him walk rather hastily.
He moved among the stalls, his eyes sharp, carefully searching for the materials he needed, occasionally asking the stall owners questions, hoping to get a pleasant surprise.
However, reality did not meet his expectations; most of the stall owners shook their heads, indicating that they did not have these rare materials.
Zhuang Yu's brows furrowed more and more as he felt time slipping away and his worries intensified.
Just then, a chilling aura, like a huge shadow, enveloped the entire market.
A commotion arose in the crowd, and the once bustling flow of people seemed to be divided by an invisible force, creating an empty area in the middle of the market.
Zhuang Yu sensed something was wrong and looked up.
A tall, burly old man with a sinister face was slowly walking towards him.
The old man was dressed in a black robe, exuding a chilling aura of oppression, like a demon crawling out of the depths of hell.
Behind the old man were two burly men with sharp eyes, clearly not good people.
This old man was none other than the Black Fiend Ancestor!
Black Fiend Ancestor's eyes, like those of a venomous snake, were fixed on Zhuang Yu, a cruel light flashing within them.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his lips, and a powerful pressure surged toward Zhuang Yu like a tidal wave.
The surrounding stall owners and customers, sensing this terrifying aura, turned pale and fell silent, retreating to both sides like a receding tide, fearing they might be caught in the crossfire.
They watched all of this from a distance.
Zhuang Yu felt a tightness in his chest, as if a huge rock was pressing down on him, making it difficult to breathe.
He clenched his fists, extremely vigilant.
He knew the visitor was up to no good.
"Heh heh, kid, I've been looking for you for a long time!" Old Ancestor Black Fiend sneered, his voice like a chilling wind blowing from hell, sending shivers down one's spine.
He paused, a hint of amusement in his voice: "I heard you've crafted a decent magic weapon? Why don't you show it to this old ancestor?"
Zhuang Yu's eyes sharpened. He sensed the threat in the Black Fiend Ancestor's tone and understood that the other party was not friendly.
Behind the Black Fiend Ancestor, Ghost Three stepped forward and shouted at Zhuang Yu, "Boy, my ancestor is asking you a question! Answer him at once!"
Gui San's voice was rough and harsh, like a broken gong, making people feel uncomfortable.
He licked his lips and gave a sinister smile.
Gui San grinned maliciously, like a hungry wolf pouncing on its prey. His large, fan-like hand, carrying a strong wind, aimed straight for Zhuang Yu's chest.
The surrounding crowd gasped in shock, and some of the more timid ones even closed their eyes, unable to bear witnessing the tragedy that might unfold.
However, the expected collision did not occur.
Zhuang Yu's figure flashed, disappearing from the spot like a ghost. Gui San's attack missed, leaving him empty-handed.
"Huh?" Gui San was taken aback; he hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to be so fast.
Before he could react, a powerful force came from behind him. He felt as if his back had been hit by a giant hammer, and his internal organs trembled.
"Pfft!" A mouthful of blood spurted out, and Gui San staggered back several steps, his eyes widening in disbelief.
The crowd was in an uproar; they hadn't expected this seemingly ordinary young man to possess such formidable strength.
Just moments ago, Gui San was all arrogant, but now he looked like a stray dog, utterly pathetic.
"Useless!" Old Ancestor Black Fiend's face was gloomy. He hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to be so troublesome.
Seeing this, Gui Si's eyes lit up and a plan came to mind.
He swayed and attacked Zhuang Yu from the side, a gleaming dagger in his hand aimed straight at Zhuang Yu's waist.
Zhuang Yu was prepared. He sneered and a simple bronze mirror suddenly appeared in his hand.
The bronze mirror shimmered with iridescent light, and a powerful force surged from it, forming a barrier that blocked Gui Si's attack.
With a crisp clang, the dagger struck the barrier, sending sparks flying.
Gui Si felt a tremendous force of recoil, his hand went numb, and the dagger almost slipped from his grasp.
"A mere trick!" Zhuang Yu scoffed disdainfully. The bronze mirror flashed, and the recoil force returned along its original path, heading straight for Gui Si.
Gui Si's expression changed drastically. He quickly dodged to the side, but was still grazed on the shoulder by the force. His clothes were instantly torn, and a bloody mark appeared on his shoulder.
"How is this possible?!" Gui Si exclaimed in surprise. He hadn't expected Zhuang Yu's magic weapon to be so powerful, capable of both defense and counterattack.
The Black Fiend Ancestor's face grew even more gloomy. He hadn't expected that his two subordinates would suffer a loss in such a short time.
He stared at Zhuang Yu with a cold gaze, a murderous intent surging in his heart.
"Kid, you've successfully angered me..."
The materials merchant, who had been trembling in fear in a corner, watched the unequal battle unfold before him and inwardly groaned.
He had stockpiled a lot of rare materials in the past few days, preparing to make a fortune, but unexpectedly encountered this kind of trouble.
He originally intended to take advantage of the conflict between the two sides to raise the price and sell the materials to Zhuang Yu, making a fortune.
Seeing how valiant Zhuang Yu was, defeating the Black Fiend Ancestor's men in just a few moves, the merchant felt a growing sense of fear, worried that he might be drawn into the fight.
His eyes darted around, and he suddenly changed his mind. He put on a fawning smile, squeezed in front of Zhuang Yu, took out several oddly shaped jade boxes from his storage bag, and eagerly handed them to Zhuang Yu, saying in a rapid-fire voice, "Young hero, you see, I have all the materials you need! Moreover, I'm willing to sell them to you at the lowest price, just so you can leave here as soon as possible and not cause trouble for my shop!"
Zhuang Yu glanced at the jade box; it contained the materials he was missing from his list.
He raised an eyebrow, surprised that things had gone so smoothly.
However, he did not let his guard down, knowing that the Black Fiend Ancestor was the real threat.
The Black Fiend Ancestor and the others were all stunned by the unusual behavior of the materials merchant.
They never expected that this greedy businessman would actually sell the materials to Zhuang Yu at a low price.
This sudden turn of events took them quite by surprise.
The Black Fiend Ancestor's sinister gaze swept over Zhuang Yu again. He licked his lips, and the killing intent in his eyes intensified.
He moved with the speed of a ghost, appearing instantly in front of Zhuang Yu. His five fingers formed a claw, carrying a strong gust of wind, as he grabbed at Zhuang Yu's throat.
Zhuang Yu was prepared. He sneered, and the bronze mirror in his hand shone brightly, transforming into an indestructible barrier.
The Black Fiend Ancestor's attack struck the barrier, producing a deafening roar. The powerful shockwave caused cracks to appear in the surrounding ground.
The Black Fiend Ancestor's attack missed; he hadn't expected Zhuang Yu to possess such a powerful defensive magic weapon.
He abandoned his contempt and unleashed a more powerful force from his body, transforming it into streaks of black energy that furiously attacked the bronze mirror.
The bronze mirror vibrated violently, emitting a series of buzzing sounds, as if it were about to shatter at any moment.
Zhuang Yu felt an immense pressure bearing down on him. He gritted his teeth, channeled his spiritual energy, and desperately tried to maintain the bronze mirror's defense.
He knew that now was not the time to linger; he had to take the materials and leave as soon as possible.
Just then, the bronze mirror suddenly shone brightly, and a dazzling beam of light shot out from the mirror, striking the Black Fiend Ancestor directly.
Caught off guard, the Black Fiend Ancestor was struck by the beam of light. His body jolted violently, and he staggered back a few steps, his face turning even more ashen.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Zhuang Yu quickly put away the bronze mirror, grabbed the jade box from the ground, and said to Wang Yao beside him, "Let's go!"
Wang Yao nodded silently and followed closely behind Zhuang Yu. The two quickly disappeared into the chaotic crowd.
Black Fiend Ancestor steadied himself and looked at Zhuang Yu's departing figure, his face so gloomy it seemed as if water could drip from it.
His eyes burned with murderous intent, but he didn't immediately give chase. Instead, he looked in the direction where Zhuang Yu had disappeared and said, word by word, "Interesting, kid. We'll meet again soon."
Zhuang Yu's figure was like a streak of light, quickly weaving through the bustling crowd, leaving behind afterimages.
He held the jade box containing the rare materials tightly in his arms, feeling the warm touch of the jade box, and a sense of joy welled up in his heart.
The roar of the Black Fiend Ancestor echoed behind him, like the howl of a wild beast, but it could not shake his resolve in the slightest.
The surrounding crowd automatically parted to make way, their eyes filled with awe as they watched Zhuang Yu's departing figure.
They witnessed firsthand the thrilling scene of Zhuang Yu fighting against three opponents, including the Black Fiend Ancestor, and were filled with admiration for the young cultivator's courage and strength.
Some well-informed cultivators had already recognized Zhuang Yu's identity and began to whisper among themselves.
"Isn't that Zhuang Yu, who has recently risen to fame? I heard he received the inheritance of an ancient powerful being, and his strength is unfathomable!"
"Yes, even the Black Fiend Ancestor couldn't do anything to him. It seems this kid has a bright future ahead of him!"
"This is going to be good! Old Ancestor Black Fiend is vengeful and will definitely not let this go!"
In the crowd, an old man in a gray robe watched Zhuang Yu's departing figure, stroked his white beard, and muttered to himself, "Interesting, truly interesting! This kid actually managed to escape unscathed from the Black Fiend Ancestor's hands. It seems I need to reassess his strength."
After leaving the materials market, Zhuang Yu did not immediately return to his cave dwelling, but instead took a detour to a secluded valley outside the city.
He cautiously looked around, and only after confirming that no one was following him did he slip into a hidden cave.
Inside the cave, a simple spirit-gathering array was set up, with an ancient alchemy furnace placed at the center of the array.
Zhuang Yu sat cross-legged in front of the alchemy furnace, took a deep breath, and carefully examined the materials one by one from the jade box.
Each of these materials exudes a faint spiritual light, feels warm and smooth like jade, and contains powerful spiritual energy from heaven and earth.
They are the key to refining the Heavenly Tribulation Defense Treasure, and also the key to whether Zhuang Yu can successfully overcome the Heavenly Tribulation.
Zhuang Yu carefully placed the materials into the alchemy furnace and began to refine a heavenly tribulation defense magic weapon according to the secret method taught by the magic weapon refining master.
Inside the alchemy furnace, flames roared and crackled.
Various rare materials gradually melted under the heat of the flames, emitting a dazzling array of colors and weaving together a wondrous scene.
Time ticked by, and Zhuang Yu remained focused on controlling the flames inside the alchemy furnace, not daring to relax for even a moment.
He could sense that as the refining process progressed, a powerful energy was gradually condensing, as if it were about to break free from its cocoon.
Finally, the flames inside the alchemy furnace gradually died down, and a rich fragrance of elixir filled the air, refreshing and delightful.
Zhuang Yu slowly opened his eyes. He reached into the alchemy furnace and took out a round magic weapon that emitted a faint golden light.
The magical artifact felt warm to the touch, its surface engraved with intricate runes, radiating a powerful defensive force.
Zhuang Yu nodded in satisfaction.
He put the magic weapon into his storage bag and got up to leave the cave.
Just then, he suddenly sensed that the spiritual energy fluctuations around the cave were somewhat abnormal.
A chilling aura, like a venomous snake, spread silently.
"Someone..."