C22 Black and White Saint

"Hmph! You've certainly advanced in strength quite rapidly!"

Sensing the towering aura emanating from Zhuang Hong, Meng Xinghun let out a snort, though he maintained a poker face as he responded, "As for who killed your granddaughter and Wai Chenming, I can't say for certain. All I know is that they met their end on the Abandoning Continent, apparently at the hands of the Essence Returning Sect."

"The Essence Returning Sect, that pathetic force, capable of killing a cultivator on the Second Layer of the Immortal Platform? Hardly likely."

Zhuang Hong's gaze was icy as he stepped forward, locking eyes with Meng Xinghun. His voice was deep and stern, "I expect nothing but the truth!"

"Fine, I'll tell you, but you must remain calm," Meng Xinghun sighed, taking a moment to gather his thoughts before revealing, "A Dao Slashing King has emerged in the Abandoning Continent. Both Wai Chenming and your granddaughter fell to this formidable being."

"How do you know this?" demanded Zhuang Hong.

"Wu Qin—you're familiar with her, aren't you? I've left a fragment of my will with her. Through that connection, the events on the Abandoning Continent can't be concealed from me."

Meng Xinghun was subtly laying a trap for Zhuang Hong, hoping to lure him to the Essence Returning Sect for a direct confrontation with the enigmatic woman.

Zhuang Hong, who oversaw the academy's pill warehouse, held the prestigious title of the academy's top Vice Principal.

Should Zhuang Hong fall to this mysterious woman, the position of the top Vice Principal would, without a doubt, become his.

"Willpower..."

Zhuang Hong quickly composed himself.

Reaching the Dao Slashing King Stage was no small feat, proving Zhuang Hong was far from a mere pretender.

Fate Academy, situated in Dark Peak City, was a considerable distance from the Uttarakuru Continent. Even at top speed, it would take a minimum of three days to arrive.

Impatience served no purpose.

Perceiving Zhuang Hong's concern, Meng Xinghun added, "My willpower is ensnared within the Essence Returning Sect. This time, I intend to utilize the academy's teleportation array to go directly to Thunder Mountain."

"You're planning to go as well?"

Zhuang Hong was taken aback, clearly not expecting Meng Xinghun to also set his sights on the Essence Returning Sect.

"Absolutely."

Meng Xinghun declared with conviction, "Wu Qin belongs to Fate Academy. She's currently shielded by my willpower, so her life isn't in immediate danger. But that could change soon, which is why I need to hurry and rescue her!"

"Good! I'm coming with you!"

Upon realizing Meng Xinghun intended to use the teleportation array, Zhuang Hong resolved to join him.

The two Dao Slashing Kings would be safe from harm as long as they didn't run into a Half Saint.

"We must leave at once. I will cover the expenses for using the teleportation array myself!"

Meng Xinghun proclaimed nobly, as though he had made a great sacrifice.

With a hiss, the super teleportation array was swiftly approved at the joint request of Zhuang Hong and Meng Xinghun.

After contributing some resources, Meng Xinghun stepped into the array first, with Zhuang Hong right on his heels.

The teleportation array whirred to life, and in a blink, both Zhuang Hong and Meng Xinghun vanished into the void.

In a flash, at that very moment, Meng Xinghun's eyes snapped open in a secluded chamber within the academy, a sly smile playing on his lips. "To eliminate you, I've sacrificed the second clone I've nurtured for thirty years. It's a fitting tribute to your worth."

At the Essence Returning Sect, above the martial arts field, a mysterious woman was growing visibly impatient. Her gaze fixed on Meng Xinghun, she spoke coolly, "What's taking you so long? Are you trying to deceive me?"

"Perish the thought!" Meng Xinghun's voice shook. "The journey from Dark Peak City's Fate Academy is long. Even at full speed, it would take several days to arrive."

"Several days? Then you might as well be dead."

Unable to stray far from the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot for long, the mysterious woman was left with no choice but to consume Meng Xinghun's willpower entirely.

As Meng Xinghun's willpower teetered on the brink of being devoured, the space outside the Essence Returning Sect split open abruptly. Two fists, brimming with fearsome Yuan Qi, hurtled towards the head of the mysterious woman with ruthless force.

Zhuang Hong! Meng Xinghun!

After journeying through space for some time, Meng Xinghun and his companions finally reached the Essence Returning Sect.

Zhuang Hong had initially planned to hold off on taking action, preferring to first observe and identify the mysterious woman's weaknesses.

But who could have predicted?

Fearing the consumption of his willpower, Meng Xinghun didn't hesitate and immediately sprang into action.

With no other choice, Zhuang Hong had to follow suit, charging out behind Meng Xinghun.

"I want you dead!"

Yet, as Zhuang Hong surged forward, he caught sight of Zhuang Yan's lifeless body on the ground, prompting him to unleash all his trump cards in an all-out attempt to take down the mysterious woman then and there.

Swoosh!

Meng Xinghun was clever.

Noticing Zhuang Hong's increased speed, he deliberately slowed down just enough to let Zhuang Hong take the lead in the assault.

The mysterious woman faced Zhuang Hong's onslaught with an unchanged expression, casually launching a punch.

Zhuang Hong, at Immortal Level Three, was astounded to realize he couldn't evade the mysterious woman's punch and had no choice but to brace for impact!

Zhuang Hong was resolute. Acting swiftly, he concentrated all his Yuan Qi into his fist, ready to clash directly with the mysterious woman.

Crack!

A crisp sound echoed.

Zhuang Hong was utterly stunned.

He had braced for a head-on collision, but the mysterious woman had other plans.

She deftly sidestepped, and her inescapable fist hammered into his chest.

"Get in!"

The mysterious woman possessed the power to kill Zhuang Hong, but something seemed to restrain her, causing her aura to plummet dramatically.

With her aura diminished, the mysterious woman abandoned her kill and instead opened the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot, drawing Zhuang Hong inside.

Gudong!

Meng Xinghun watched in horror as Zhuang Hong was subdued, swallowing hard with a look of relief.

He was lucky his true self was still at Fate Academy; otherwise, he might have shared Zhuang Hong's grim fate.

"Not bad at all. You've managed to capture a Dao Slashing King."

The enigmatic woman toyed with the Heaven Devouring Devil Pot and spoke with a detached tone, "Does your academy have any Half Saints? Or even a Saint would do. If so, summon them. I happen to have some time today to settle this once and for all, sparing you the future trouble of bothering Su Mo."

"Our branch doesn't have a Half Saint," Meng Xinghun replied, scratching his head in embarrassment.

"Hmph! Don't play dumb with me! I can sense the presence of a Half Saint on you!" the mysterious woman retorted with a cold huff. "You have thirty seconds. If a Half Saint doesn't show up within that time, I'll obliterate this avatar of yours and use a secret method to severely damage your true self!"

Swish! Meng Xinghun's face paled upon hearing her ultimatum. He prided himself on his sophisticated cloning technique, which he believed even a Half Saint couldn't detect. The fact that the mysterious woman had uncovered his clone suggested her power might rival that of a Half Saint.

Buzz! Buzz! Just then, the space above the Essence Returning Sect tore open, revealing two figures—one clad in black, the other in white—before the onlookers.

"The Black and White Saints!" Meng Xinghun's anxiety turned to overwhelming joy. Though the Fate Academy in Dark Peak City was the lowest-ranked among all branches, lacking a true Saint, it boasted two experts at the pinnacle of the Half Saint stage. Together, the Black and White Saints possessed a might on par with that of a Saint.

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