Chapter 195: At a Loss

Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales

The mystic crystals' energy was depleted, and space slowly found balance.

The barrier was now gone.

Lu Mingshu stood up, ready to go toward where the barrier once was.

Xie Lianzhen followed behind her. All of a sudden, he saw something flash by. "Don't move!" He tugged on Lu Mingshu.

"What is it!" Lu Mingshu shouted back at him in anger.

"Look!"

Seeing that he looked serious, Lu Mingshu looked over. "What the hell is that?!" She shrieked in shock.

A shadow slowly strolled over toward the opening in the barrier.

"Specter?!"

This wasn't Lu Mingshu's first time seeing this kind of beast. During the Nine Jade Palace spring hunt, she and the other newbies met a specter. Two of them were even killed back then. If she hadn't met Yan Wugui when she fell down the valley, she would've been dead too.

Specters were something of a traumatic experience for Lu Mingshu.

Tough and durable skin, as fast as lighting, and smart. It only took them seconds to kill a beast at the same level as them.

"There's a specter in Great Morning Mountain?" Lu Mingshu whispered.

"No," Xie Lianzhen whispered back. "The Seventh Truth Platform was built a thousand years ago, and Great Morning Mountain was cleared many times. All the ferocious beasts have been shifted to another area to raise. Only non-dangerous beasts are still here."

"What about this specter then? They only exist in places where there are demonic beasts."

"That's..." he muttered, "it's hard to explain why it's here."

While they were talking, the specter had already made its way over. Its needle-like pupils lit up.

"We can't escape a fight," Lu Mingshu said. She fished out her sword and turned to Xie Lianzhen. "Beware!"

As soon as she finished, she dragged the long sword-light and creating an image.

"Hey..." Xie Lianzhen mumbled to himself, "My basics are way stronger than yours, why do you look down on me so much?"

A black figure shot by. Seeing that she was attacking, the specter pounced over.

With the speed of lighting, it was standing right in front of her.

However, it wasn't really a threat to Lu Mingshu now. Back at Jade West Mountain Forest, she was only in the Inner Breath Realm. Encountering a Harmonization Realm specter as an Inner Breath Realm, she was able to survive for quite some time, so what about now?

She didn't even need to calculate anything. With a shake, her sword energy turned into strings and struck forward.

Hiss!

As if a candle had been extinguished, the tip of the sword slashed the specter's claw open.

The specter let out a scream. Being wounded stirred up its fierce nature, and it threw itself at Lu Mingshu.

Lu Mingshu jumped up to dodge the attack, and sword energy swept past.

At the same time, rays of starlight could be seen brushing over. Ding! Ding! Ding! Followed by sword energy. The specter tried to dodge the sword energy. However, it failed and slowed down after being hit.

Lu Mingshu seized the chance and began a continuous attack.

Starlight followed closely behind her attacks and hit the specter's eyes and knees.

Bang!

The specter was sent flying.

Its screams made their ears hurt, and it also made the specter look like it was insane.

Why would Lu Mingshu let go of this chance? She held her sword up high and chopped its head off!

Black-colored blood spurted out, letting out a hissing sound.

Lu Mingshu knit her brows and looked at the sword in her hand. A specter's blood was indeed very toxic. The sword that she used when she was in the Inner Breath Realm was corroded by a specter's blood. Who would have guessed that her current sword would face the same fate?

I'm very sorry, Master.

"Time to change your sword." The wheelchair rolled over. "Specter blood is not the only toxic thing in this world. There are many peculiar demonic beasts that are very venomous. Using a common sword will affect your ability. Let me give you a new one."

Lu Mingshu side-eyed him. "How much?"

"Huh?"

"How much does it cost?"

Xie Lianzhen smiled. "We don't need to speak about money. Just let me give you one."

"Hmph, thanks so much!" she replied sarcastically. Even though her sword had been corroded, the quality was still somewhat okay, so it could still be used for some time.

Lu Mingshu already had plans for her next weapon. The Golden Crystal Extract was still with her, and she had already sent a request to find a tool refining master in the Heavenly Wheel. When someone took up the job, the weapon would be ready soon.

"Are you not going to even consider it?" Xie Lianzhen chiselled away. "Not only do you need a sword, but you also need an armour too. A good weapon and good equipment can increase your ability to a new level. I bet you can understand this after fighting for the New Ranking. If I didn't have any protection, why would we still be safe and sound when we fell?"

Lu Mingshu turned to look at him, and the expression on her face was strange.

"What?"

"Do you think I'll marry you because you have money?"

"Huh?"

"Previously, you said that you wanted to help me escape Nine Jade Palace and give me everything I need and want. Now you want to give me a new sword... you're just trying to use money against me, right?"

Lu Mingshu wiped the sword on the specter's body to remove the blood before sheathing it.

"Oh, more than that!" Xie Lianzhen grinned widely. "Money, resources, connections, power, authority... anything. Of course, along with the most valuable thing, which is me. Didn't you say that my face is the most valuable thing I have? You need to know that not everyone can look this good. Others don't even get a chance, but for you, you just need to agree and it's yours!"

Lu Mingshu stared at him, flabbergasted.

"How does it sound? Are you touched?" Xie Lianzhen smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Not only that, you will still have what you want, and I'll give you all the freedom you want; I wouldn't try to control you. You can travel anywhere you want, you can even bring your relatives at Nine Jade Palace over! Oh yes, your master too! I know you badly want him to get his cultivation back. The Seventh Truth Platform has tons of secret methods and a rich network. With enough will, there will be a chance of recovering!"

"Hahaha!"

"Are you being disdainful, or do you just not trust me?" Xie Lianzhen continued. "The other conditions may not be what you desire, but isn't helping your master recover something you want badly?"

"I do want it badly." Lu Mingshu gave him a cold reply.

Only

"Then why don't you agree?"

"Because my master would not like it."

"Oh...." That answer surprised Xie Lianzhen. He was at a loss.

"Master once said that, for the values I hold, I should always hold them. Never turn into someone I despise. What difference would there be between me and someone I despise if I change every single thing about myself? If he knew that I sold myself out, he would surely be unhappy."

"And the most important reason." She looked at him arrogantly. "You only said 'a chance,' but how much of a chance is there? 1%? Or 2%? I would be thanking the gods if there was even a 50% chance. It depends on luck, and you want me to self myself for that? I'm clearly on the losing end of that deal!"

Besides, with the Heavenly Wheel, as long as I'm capable enough, there will always be a chance for Master to recover. So why neglect the root and pursue the tip? I'm not silly!

While they were talking, a shadow flashed past the barrier. What would be the next thing to step out?