C42 Fortune!

The appearance of the Big Halberd stirred the winds and clouds, while the emergence of the Godly Dragon caused the heavens and earth to quake, startling both ghosts and deities.

Black Panther knew his life hung by a thread, mere breaths separating him from survival or death. Capturing this young man offered him a sliver of hope; failure meant certain demise.

The poison Chu Yangxiang wielded was formidable. Black Panther could use his Profound Power to hold it at bay for a maximum of ten breaths. Without it, he doubted he'd last beyond five.

With a desperate resolve, Black Panther unleashed the Shadow Panther Fist. Channeling all his strength, he aimed to overpower Chu Yangxiang and secure the antidote.

His leopard claws extended nearly a foot in length as he lunged at Chu Yangxiang, leaving only a blurred trail in his wake. His assault was like a tempest, ferociously bearing down on Chu Yangxiang.

His palm struck the Swallow Sky Halberd, and with ghostly swiftness, Black Panther's claws reached for Chu Yangxiang's chest. "Stay put," he commanded.

The Swallow Sky Halberd was sent flying 5.6 meters, embedding itself in the wall of a nearby house.

Chu Yangxiang's body slithered with serpentine agility, narrowly evading Black Panther's lethal grasp.

Black Panther swept his claws through the air, leaving dark streaks in their wake.

Chu Yangxiang's movements were unpredictable, like a tightrope walker teetering on the edge of a precipice—perilously close to falling, yet never succumbing.

In a moment of sheer urgency, Black Panther executed the Shadow Strike. This was his ultimate technique, and he knew everything hinged on its success. Victory meant subduing Chu Yangxiang and retrieving the antidote; defeat spelled a swift and toxic end.

Black Panther, swift as a shadow, pounced. Chu Yangxiang could sense the impending strike with his Spiritual Power, but evasion seemed impossible.

With a deep roar, Chu Yangxiang unleashed the Heaven Smashing Bash.

Black Panther's claw struck Chu Yangxiang squarely in the chest, which was protected by a layer of turtle shell armor.

With a muffled thud, Chu Yangxiang was sent flying like a projectile, crashing straight into the wall of Black Panther's training room. He broke through the wall, tumbling into the interior of the room.

Black Panther followed through the breach in the wall and aimed a heavy palm strike at Chu Yangxiang.

Yet, as he did so, black blood spilled from Black Panther's mouth. His body shook uncontrollably, his gaze fixed on Chu Yangxiang, filled with a complex mix of emotions.

He hadn't anticipated that this man would lead to the death of three out of the four leaders of his Black Panther Profound Warrior Group, including his own child, Bao Lie, and nearly two hundred of his Profound Warrior brethren.

"If only I had known," he lamented, "I would never have taken on this business."

Filled with regret, Black Panther wished he could turn back time. He would never have accepted this deal, never have opposed Chu Yangxiang. But in this world, there is no cure for regret.

Black Panther died with his eyes wide open.

Little Gold Tortoise and Tianwu had been ready for this outcome. They both doubted Black Panther's ability to withstand their assault, confident in their power to defeat him swiftly. Now, with Black Panther dead, the Martial Master Three-star had been outmaneuvered by a thirteen-year-old Profound Warrior Five-star, meeting his end in less than ten breaths.

With the threat neutralized, they allowed themselves to relax.

Chu Yangxiang retrieved the key from Black Panther's body. Guided by Tianwu, he navigated through a series of secret passages to reach the basement of the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group.

The massive key turned in the lock with a clank, and the door swung open, revealing the contents of the basement to Chu Yangxiang.

The expansive basement, sixteen meters in both length and width, was well-lit by five ever-burning lamps on each wall and another five on the ceiling, casting a bright glow throughout the space.

Rows of weapon racks lined the room, filled with an array of armaments—sabers, spears, swords, Big Halberds, axes, and various other weapons, all gleaming with a deadly chill and an aura of sharpness. It was evident at a glance that these were exceptional treasures.

Rows upon rows of shelves stretched before Chu Yangxiang, laden with a variety of medicines. Tianwu burst into laughter and exclaimed, "These are truly excellent finds, Chu Yangxiang, take them for yourself."

"With these medicines, you can fully absorb the Medicinal Fairy, which will boost your Cultivation Speed. Plus, I'll be able to concoct some Pills for you."

Chu Yangxiang promptly stored all the medicines and the three shelves in his Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron.

The next stop was the Profound Crystal rack. Despite its modest size, it held hundreds of fist-sized Profound Crystals. Even though they were riddled with impurities, they remained coveted treasures among Martial Cultivators.

Without a second thought, Chu Yangxiang collected them all.

Moving on, he encountered a rack brimming with hundreds of Demonic Beast Internal Pills, predominantly from lower-tier Demonic Beasts. Remarkably, over twenty of these pills were from Profound Master Level beasts, and two were from Profound General Level beasts.

The Little Gold Tortoise couldn't contain his glee, clutching a Profound General Level Demonic Beast Internal Pill and gulping it down. "This one's mine, Master," he declared.

Chu Yangxiang could only shake his head in resignation. Previously, the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron had consumed his Earth Spiritual Bead without warning. Now, the Little Gold Tortoise had helped itself to a Profound General Level Demonic Beast Internal Pill without consulting him.

"No worries. There are plenty more treasures to go around. You can always take more if you need them," Chu Yangxiang reassured.

With a blink and a satisfied nod, the Little Gold Tortoise agreed.

Chu Yangxiang gathered all the Demonic Beast Internal Pills. Five or six massive shelves were stocked with Second and Third Level low-tier medicinal herbs.

He collected everything in sight, knowing this would ease his journey in cultivation.

Next were four large chests, each standing half as tall as a man and measuring over five feet in length and width.

Chu Yangxiang opened each chest in turn. The first was filled to the brim with Xuanwu Iron Coins, the second with Xuanwu Copper Coins, and the remaining two with Xuanwu Silver Coins.

Atop the last chest sat a smaller box containing over twenty Xuanwu Coins Crystal Cards, each valued at 10,000 silver coins.

Chu Yangxiang's heart swelled with excitement. He was immensely thankful to the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group; without them, he certainly wouldn't have been able to acquire such an abundance of resources.

"Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron, store these away."

He had never imagined that the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group would have such a substantial cache. But now, it was all his.

In addition, there was a smaller box. Opening it, Chu Yangxiang found a ring that was ancient and mysterious in appearance.

Tianwu chuckled, "You've stumbled upon a treasure. This is called a Storage Ring, which contains a space within. I'll remove the previous owner's essence from the ring. Then, you can bond with it by dripping your blood onto it, allowing the Storage Ring to connect with your consciousness."

The small box also held three fist-sized Moonlight Stones, beneath which lay several books.

Among them were the Shadow Panther Fist, Iron Wire True Fist, and other martial arts techniques. The final book was surprisingly a comprehensive guide to medicines.

Chu Yangxiang gathered everything into his Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron. Upon reaching the doorway, he also collected the weapons rack into his Big Cauldron.

Looking back one last time, he noted the storage room was now bare.

Chu Yangxiang was elated. This fortune, while not rivaling the Chu Family's assets, was still beyond the reach of other powers in Zhenhai City. The wealth that the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group had amassed over two to three decades was now his.

He couldn't help but admire Black Panther's methods of amassing wealth.

By the time he left the Black Panther Profound Warrior Group's residence, dawn was breaking.

Chu Yangxiang made his way swiftly toward Zhenhai City, intent on finding a place to cultivate for a while.

As he reached the north gate, it was just opening.

Several people approached.

"Today is the Chu Family Competition. Who will emerge as the champion of this year's event?"

"Chu Yangxiang was once the strongest in the family. But now, he's been in Hyphosis Mountain for three months. Even a Profound Master at the Four-star or Five-star level wouldn't be able to survive there for that long."

"If he doesn't return today, his parents will likely be expelled from the family."

Chu Yuexing had persuaded the family elders to reach a decision. If Chu Yangxiang failed to return within three months, Chu Tianwen and his wife would be forced to leave the family."

"It looks like Chu Tianwen and his wife will have to revert to their former way of life."

Unseen by the others, Chu Yangxiang overheard their entire conversation.

With fists clenched, Chu Yangxiang seethed, "Chu Yuexing, I've done nothing to you, yet you're intent on my demise. First, your child led an assault that left me nearly dead; then you conspired with Chu Guangxiang to finish the job; and now you target my parents."

"Do you truly believe I'll remain passive, as if I were still the weakling I once was?"

Securing lodgings at an inn, Chu Yangxiang settled in.

He locked the door and placed the Nine Horns Xuanwu Cauldron down.

Leaping into the cauldron, Chu Yangxiang joined Tianwu and the Little Gold Tortoise as they tidied up.

Submerging himself in the Blood Pool, he left only his head exposed. His body was adorned with green, tortoiseshell-like patterns, signaling the beginning of his cultivation.