The inner quarter was different; each door had a magical lock. This, of course, was no challenge for Ge Zheng, who opened them in a few motions and slipped inside. Solgado happened to notice, and the other five-star adventurer mumbled to himself, "Could this kid be a thief? How is he picking these locks so easily!"
It was not so easy to make a move here, as there were too many people sleeping outside. Any slight disturbance would wake them up. Even so, he continued to follow inside.
Ge Zheng went from room to room, diligently searching, and indeed uncovered some clues.
Standing in a large meeting room, Ge Zheng found nothing suspicious. However, the room was filled with a faint smell of bird dung. Alchemists have keen noses for identifying raw materials. Ge Zheng, having achieved some success in refining elixirs, had sharp senses, especially his sense of smell.
"This is the smell of olivine," Ge Zheng immediately felt suspicious.
As Ge Zheng entered that meeting room, Solgado watching from behind, was immediately anxious. However, although Ge Zheng couldn't sense it, Solgado, being a twelfth-level mid-tier warrior, possessed extremely keen senses. There were at least dozens of top-notch experts lurking around that room!
These people were hidden in the darkness, not a hint of killing intent leaked from their bodies. It was clear that they were experienced killers. The locations where they lay in ambush were optimal for long-range attacks, indicating that these people were archers, mostly likely elven archers.
Even Solgado himself would find it quite difficult to retreat unharmed from being suddenly surrounded by so many elven archers, let alone the boy in front of him!
The five-star adventurer cursed internally. What was originally a straightforward mission had turned into this at the very moment of completion. The person indicated required saving, so before becoming a bandit himself, he had no choice but to act as a guard.
Ge Zheng suddenly felt a warning in his heart, but before he could react, swift elven archer arrows had whizzed in from all directions. "Twang, twang," the sounds of arrows being released echoed. Ge Zheng's shield managed to protect him from these arrows, otherwise, he would have been left riddled with them by now.
Nevertheless, even now, his situation wasn't looking good. Although his shield was powerful, it wasn't invincible. The elven archer hidden in the darkness were of high level. The combined arrow barrage posed an unprecedented challenge to his shield.
Protected by his shield, Ge Zheng finally found the mechanism. Disregarding everything else, he summoned his alchemical flying sword. A green-gold light shot out from his chest, slicing the huge circular conference table in half, then swiftly retracting back into his chest.
He pushed the conference table aside, revealing an underground passage.
A chilling light came rushing out. Ge Zheng was horrified, as he had to resist the elven archers and still have enough space to find the passage. The protection offered by his shield was extensive. This meant that between Ge Zheng and the protection of his shield, there was a considerable amount of space. This sudden glint sneaked into this space from the passage!
With archers outside and assassins inside, Ge Zheng was suddenly thrust into a perilous situation! His shield couldn't retreat to protect him, as the elven archers' attacks were too fierce for it to handle at that moment.
Soul Song!' Suddenly, there was a fourth voice, and Solgado was surrounded on all sides. Under the protection of the shield, these attacks became increasingly difficult to defend against. Meanwhile, the Fire Fox was looming, and Solgado was left feeling thoroughly miserable.
"Soul sound!" The fourth voice sounded, and Solgado was already surrounded by three items of magical equipment with no escape. Vibrations from the air, mimicking sound waves, approached, and Solgado was teetering on the brink!
Ge Zheng's Cross God Punishment broke through one, Whispering Sound from the Soul overpowered another, but there was still one assassin who was about to bring Ge Zheng down.
Frustrated, Solgado inwardly cursed, "What a mess this is!"
Although Ge Zheng managed to neutralize one assassin, he left the remaining one and charged with his shield.
"Whizz…" The sound of the Soul Song was blocked by the flames of the Cross God Punishment. A cold laugh came from the darkness, and with it, the Fire Fox, the Mountain of Light, the Touch of the Demon, and the Voice of the Soul all disappeared at once. Ge Zheng sensed a vast force in the darkness, the power of dark alchemy!
Inside, Solgado was very uncomfortable. He had come to save someone, but unexpectedly, had ended up being saved himself. Alchemical attacks were something he had only heard about in stories on the mainland, and yet here he was encountering one in such a "simple" commission.
The five-star adventurer didn't know what to say at that moment. Ge Zheng locked onto his opponent sharply, as if fate had ordained this person to be his enemy.
"Ha!" A fierce shout, and the remaining assassin charged, arrows raining down from all sides, all of which were blocked by Ge Zheng's shield.
Without Ge Zheng saying anything, Solgado had leaped into action, engaging in battle with the assassin. Suddenly, four experts emerged from the underground passage, each wielding a cross sword nearly two-thirds of their own height, charging forward.
The other three were all magic users, and they raised their wands together and began chanting. Solgadou felt a huge trouble. These two warriors were tough to deal with, and there were also elven archers in the distance. Now, three more magic users had arrived. This small trading post unexpectedly housed hidden talents!
He glanced at the certification badges on the chests of the magic users. Even the lowest level was an eighth-level mage, and the highest one was actually a tenth-level mage! If these three released a collective magic spell, even Solgadou would probably meet his end on the battlefield. He intended to rush over and kill the three magic users first, but the two warriors saw through his intentions and desperately blocked him. In addition to the support from the archers, Solgadou's attempts were not only in vain but also nearly hit by the elven archers.
The abundant magic elements gathered more and more around the named magic users, causing crackling sounds of magic to emanate from the air due to the gathering of magic elements. Time was running out, Solgadou could not hesitate any longer. He suddenly threw the dagger in his hand and slapped his right wrist with his left hand. With a sound, a four-finger wide steel wrist guard on his right wrist transformed in an instant into a four-foot-long blade, its tip thirsty for blood, its body inscribed with magic, and its hilt exuding a magical aura!
With the blade in hand and magic energy surging, a black energy band soared into the sky. The people around were shocked: "The Demon-Slaying Sword! You are Solgadou, the Demon-Slaying Blood Blade!" Solgadou, feeling angry, had never done such an unpleasant task since he became an adventurer. Originally, he was reluctant to reveal his identity, but now he had no choice.
With the demon-killing sword in hand, Solgadou's spring-like smile was replaced by a demonic and ferocious look: "No one escapes the demon-slaying sword!" A wave of demonic energy, like thunderclouds before a storm, instantly filled the sky above everyone. Under the demon-slaying sword, the two warriors could not withstand even two rounds; their heads flew into the sky, and their hot blood splattered on the ground.
Solgadou screamed, then swiftly departed like a gust of wind. The magic of the three magic users had reached a critical point, but unfortunately, no one could stop the demon-slaying blood blade in Solgadou's hand. A wave of magic pierced through all three of them, taking their lives with a single stroke.
Out of the darkness in front of Gezheng, a young man in a dark blue robe emerged. He looked cold and proud, with nothing of alchemical nature visible on his body.
"Huff, huff, huff..." In front of Gezheng, the Cross Punishment was burning fiercely, and Kloss sneered, "I didn't expect that there are still people using fixed patterns."
Gezheng responded coldly, "As long as I can beat you, any style is good."
"Hehe!" Kloss sneered, "Watch as I break your Kirkho Cross!" His fingers danced, and a white mist formed into a string of magic characters. With a flick of his hand, he launched them into the Cross Punishment.
"Hmm?" Kloss couldn't help but be stunned. His confident attack had, unexpectedly, received no response at all. Gezheng remained calm, warning this self-conceited alchemist that if he wasn't a traveler, he shouldn't be so reckless.
Kloss tried several times in succession, but still came back empty-handed. His expression turned ugly, "I refuse to believe that there are magic characters in this world that I don't recognize!"
Gezheng was startled: This guy had an overbearing attitude, does he really understand all the magic characters on this continent? Luckily, he had created a unique set of magic characters. Otherwise, he would have been in real danger today...
Kloss's hands danced quickly, and rows of magic characters fluttered out, but none of them had any effect against the Cross Punishment.
Gezheng thought to himself, "If not now, then when will I fend off your attacks?"
"Hahaha..." he laughed mockingly, "You are indeed diligent, but innate talent is something that cannot be forced. I advise you not to waste your efforts."
Kloss, who had always considered himself a genius, could not tolerate being mocked for his lack of talent. How could he endure such unjustified criticism?
He glared fiercely at Gezheng, and his hands continued to dance, rapidly forming magic characters that Gezheng had never seen before.
Gezheng was delighted inwardly: This arrogant guy had obviously never encountered someone like me in his childhood and didn't know what a lesson was, that's why he is so aggressive today.
Gezheng had taught countless senior and junior fellow brothers in the Gez door what a "lesson" was.
Indeed, Kloss, the alchemist genius who had never encountered setbacks from an early age, couldn't resist the incitement from Gezheng, and tried every magic language he knew one by one. Gezheng thought to himself, "This guy knows so many magic languages; fortunately, I have recorded all the shadow magic. I will study it carefully when I get back."
Solgadou had already finished off all the elven archers around him, but saw that these two were still standing there, not moving.
Kloss angrily slammed his hand, "Even if I can't break it, I can still defeat you! Fiery Fox!" A flaming red fox suddenly appeared.
"Bright Mountain!"
"Devil's Touch!"
"Soul's Voice!"
One attack after another was launched, and Gezheng withstood them using his Cross Punishment. The advantage of using the Kirkho model was evident at this moment. It balanced both offense and defense, occasionally sending attacks while defending.
If Gezheng had not come from the Gez door from another world, he would definitely have been defeated by Kloss today. However, because he had some knowledge of swordplay from observing flying swords for over a dozen years, he had learned many sword techniques, unlike alchemists in this world who only used simple tool confrontations.
Kloss grew more and more irritated as he continued to fight. He was at the limit of controlling and using his four tools, and in the past, he could defeat any opponent in just three or two moves. However, this guy was extremely infuriating. Relying on a single tool, he had been entangled in a fight with him for so long.
Although Solgadou had put away the demon-slaying sword, the soaring demonic energy had already attracted the attention of new people inside the royal city, and the sounds of the battle had alerted the patrol of the royal city guards, who were already on their way.
Kloss became determined, and, biting his tongue, he forcefully sprayed black blood from his mouth. Then, he roared, "Blizzard River!" A white snow surge rushed towards Gezheng!
The use of five tools had already exceeded Kloss's limit.
Gezheng also heard the noise outside. He knew that if the patrol team rushed in, it would be difficult to defend himself. Therefore, he needed to end the fight quickly.
He shouted, "Use arrows!" Solgadou was puzzled, and Gezheng stomped his foot angrily. Solgadou didn't understand the meaning of Gezheng's gesture, as he had been scared by Kloss's previous all-out attacks and was now standing aside, watching.
It seemed that he couldn't be expected to help. Gezheng shouted loudly, "Cross Punishment!" Golden flames rose from the cross punishment in time to resist the attack of the five major tools. Kloss's body staggered, a sweet taste rising in his throat. Controlling five tools at once, especially such powerful ones, had made his already weak body unable to bear the strain.
Gezheng took out his alchemical flying sword, and a green and golden light soared into the sky, comparable to the demonic energy of Solgadou's demon-slaying sword.
"Warlock's Blade!" Gezheng temporarily gave his alchemical flying sword a name. The green and golden flying sword drew a huge arc in the air, avoiding the five major tools, much like a green lightning bolt, directly attacking Kloss.
Gezheng had found a suitable identity for the alchemical flying sword of his own: a tool!
"This is impossible!" Kloss shouted in frustration as he saw Gezheng's "Warlock's Blade" avoiding his five major tools in a circle with a diameter of at least twenty meters. The normal control range of a tool should not exceed six meters, so beyond twenty meters, control would undoubtedly be lost. Nevertheless, he saw the warlock's sword steadily approaching him!
Kloss had no time to consider how his opponent could control a tool to operate twenty meters away. The warlock's sword was already speeding towards him, and his five major tools were too late to be recalled.
"Fiery Fox!" The flaming red fox jumped out again.
"Bright Mountain!" Gezheng held the Cross Punishment in front of his head, suddenly feeling a bit uneasy. The Devil's Touch suddenly reached out from his feet, and Gezheng exclaimed as his trousers turned into flying ash!
Backing away quickly, Gezheng yelled, "You're cheating!" Kloss smirked, "All's fair in war!" The four tools launched an all-out attack together. Gezheng had just lost his advantage and was in disarray after Kloss's onslaught.
Outside came a commotion as the assistants of the Rongheng Trading House argued with the patrol team. Kloss knew that time was running out, and if the patrol team broke in, the secret of the underground chamber would be revealed. He intensified his effort, biting his tongue and spewing black blood, then he shouted, "Blizzard River!" A surge of white snow rushed towards Gezheng!
Using five tools had already exceeded Kloss's limit.
Gezheng also heard the commotion outside. He knew that if the patrol team rushed in, it would be difficult to defend himself. He had no choice but to end the battle quickly.
He shouted, "Use the arrow!" Solgadou was stunned, and Gezheng stamped his foot in anger. Solgadou didn't understand the significance of Gezheng's action and was standing aside, watching from a distance.
It seemed he couldn't expect any help from Solgadou. Gezheng exerted all his strength and yelled, "Cross Punishment!" The golden flames rose from the Cross Punishment and barely resisted the attacks of the five major tools. Kloss staggered and a sweet taste filled his throat. Controlling five powerful tools had become unbearable for his already fragile body.
Gezheng drew out his alchemical flying sword, and a green-golden light rose into the sky, rivaling the demonic energy of the demon-slaying sword from before.
"Warlock's Blade!" Gezheng had given his alchemical flying sword a name. The green-golden flying sword made a huge arc in the air, avoiding the five major tools, like a green lightning bolt, and directly attacked Kloss.
Gezheng had found a suitable role for his own alchemical flying sword: a tool!
"This is impossible!" Kloss cried out in frustration as he saw the "Warlock's Blade" avoiding his five major tools and approaching steadily. The tool's power penetrated the two defensive tools launched by Kloss. His body arched and fell backward, his eyes wide open in disbelief, staring at the sky in frustration.
Gezheng pulled Solgadou, who had been standing in surprise, "Hurry, you fool, what are you waiting for?"
Weapons ignore physical defense, and offensive weapons can easily penetrate shields and armor. Similarly, defensive weapons can also be easily penetrated by physical attacks. Ge Zheng played a trick, and the alchemical flying sword is not a weapon. He shouted, misleading Kros and making Kros think it was still an alchemical attack.
Ge Zheng, dressed in black, shuttled between the streets and houses, thinking to himself, "It's not my fault. It's all because you jumped to conclusions. Don't blame me. I didn't tell you it was an alchemical attack. You might not need to use a name similar to your alchemical attack, right..."
Solgadon followed behind Ge Zheng, feeling uneasy: What should he do? This kid saved him once, and as a prestigious five-star adventurer, he couldn't return the favor, could he?
But one must repay a favor owed to such a person, leaving Solgadon with a feeling of being choked by a fishbone and a prickling sensation on his back.
Luckily, everyone present today is dead, otherwise his identity would have been exposed. That trading firm looks incredibly powerful. He shouldn't stir up any trouble due to an unfulfilled assignment.
Ge Zheng wandered around the city for a while but suddenly noticed that the person behind him was gone. Ge Zheng felt strange and couldn't figure out what had happened. He shook his head and returned to the inn.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out that Solgadon's original intention was to abduct him.
Mo Sha Blood Blade stood on top of a wall, staring at the starry sky for a long time, suddenly sighing, "Forget it, I, Solgadon, can't return the favor no matter what..." He jumped off the wall, took a few quick steps, and disappeared into the night.
Inside the Rong Heng Trading Company, the patrol team of guards finally rushed in. The old steward followed closely, his face turning pale as he said, "Sir, Mr. Kros, how are you..." Kros had no breath left, he was dead beyond revival.
The old steward wailed loudly to the patrol team leader, "Captain, the royal city is known for its top security. How can we be attacked in the wealthy district..."
"Your Highness, Number Three replied that he cannot complete this task," a middle-aged man reported with his head bowed.
Under the red curtains, the third prince exerted force, and a woman beneath him screamed in pain and fainted. The third prince angrily exclaimed, "Useless!"