Legacy of the Spirit Stone-Chapter 40 – Slay

"Heh, didn't expect this, did you? This precious jade of mine has five abilities, and I've been keeping it hidden just for you to walk right into my trap."
Zhang Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead and climbed up from the corner of the wall, though his legs were still a bit shaky as he walked.
The moment the jade barrier shattered, the real sense of life-threatening danger left him with lingering fear.
Even though Yang Linghu was now severely injured and lying on the ground, Zhang Chen didn't dare to get too close, stopping at a distance of ten meters.
Worried about any further changes, Zhang Chen activated a spell technique to conjure flames, intending to end Yang Linghu.
"Wait!"
Yang Linghu suddenly spoke, "I'll copy a set of my family's cultivation techniques for you. Can you spare my life?"
The Yang Clan's cultivation techniques!
Hearing this, Zhang Chen was immediately tempted and paused his actions.
"The Yang Clan's techniques are treasures even Zhang Tianqi speaks highly of."
While keeping a wary eye on Yang Linghu, Zhang Chen calculated in his mind.
Reclaiming the mines was indeed a way to restore his family's honor, but compared to the value of the Yang Clan's techniques, it was nothing.
If he could bring back the Yang Clan's techniques, it would be a significant achievement!
"Hmph, then it will be clear who is superior, me or Zhang Yao!"
With this thought, he put away his spell technique.
"Alright, if you can hand over the techniques, sparing your life isn't out of the question."
Zhang Chen figured Yang Linghu couldn't escape anyway, so he took out a communication paper and pen he carried with him and tossed them over.
As for reinforcements, heh, the distance from here to the Yang Clan would take a Mid Qi Condensation cultivator four hours to cover.
A small Yang Clan that had just established itself for two or three years wouldn't have any secret treasures to know what's happening miles away, would it?
Watching Yang Linghu struggle to crawl forward and pick up the paper and pen to start writing, a hint of mockery flashed in Zhang Chen's eyes.
"Does he really think I'm that easy to fool? Who knows if what he's writing is real or fake? Once he's done, I'll knock him out and take him home to imprison him. If it's fake, I'll slowly interrogate and deal with him!"
Under Zhang Chen's watchful eyes, Yang Linghu began writing down the contents of the techniques.
Of course, it was something he had modified himself, not the real "Nether Spirit Dao-Seeking Tome."
He had previously sent a message back home with a clan soldier, and once Lingqing saw it, she would surely make arrangements.
For now, he was just trying to delay as much as possible, ready to fight to the death if no help arrived. If it came to it, he would try to take Zhang Chen down with him in a final exchange.
Time passed, and after a quarter of an hour, Yang Linghu finished writing the first half of the techniques and tossed it to Zhang Chen.
"This is the first half. You can check if there are any issues."
Zhang Chen took it and started reading. After flipping through a few pages, his eyes lit up with excitement, seeing that the quality of the techniques was indeed exceptional.
"Didn't expect the Yang Clan to have such goods. It might even be of Core Formation quality!"
With this thought, he couldn't help but urge Yang Linghu, conjuring two balls of flame as a threat, "If you want to live, write faster. My patience is limited!"
Yang Linghu, worried about angering Zhang Chen, knew he couldn't delay any longer, so he nodded and sped up his writing.
Another quarter of an hour later, he finished the second half.
Zhang Chen, already impatient, didn't wait for Yang Linghu to toss it over and snatched it up himself.
"Good, good, good! What a great technique!"
Zhang Chen was overjoyed, and the thought of the astonished looks on everyone's faces when he returned home filled him with pride.
Taking advantage of this moment, Yang Linghu quietly inched forward, bringing Zhang Chen within his attack range.
"Well, you've done well. I keep my word; I'll let you go."
He said this, but in the next instant, Zhang Chen suddenly struck at the back of Yang Linghu's neck without warning.
Yang Linghu, already on guard, flipped up, dodging the strike while launching a punch with all his might.
Thud!
With a dull thud, Yang Linghu cursed inwardly, "Damn turtle shell," as Zhang Chen kicked him away.
"Hmph! I knew you wouldn't be so honest, always thinking of ambushing me."
Zhang Chen sneered, "Didn't expect my jade's protection to be back in effect, did you? Let me tell you, I can use it two more times. How does that feel? Desperate? Hahaha—"
Yang Linghu leaned against a stone pillar to sit up, now completely exhausted, unable to even move a finger.
"You ungrateful thing, go to hell!"
As the flames surged towards him, Yang Linghu sighed inwardly.
He felt no resentment, just a sense of regret and pity.
Whoosh—
At that moment, Yang Linghu suddenly felt a cool breeze by his ear, the sound of the wind entering his ears.
His tense nerves relaxed completely, for he knew he wouldn't die today.
The gale wind roared past, extinguishing the flames in front of Yang Linghu.
"What!?"
Zhang Chen was immediately shocked, hastily raising the jade's protective barrier.
But in the next moment, he saw the qi blade, formed by the fierce gale wind, easily pierce through the barrier as if tearing through paper.
Slash!
"Ah!! My hand!!!"
His left arm severed by the gale wind, Zhang Chen let out a cry of agony.
To break through the barrier so effortlessly, it had to be a Mid Qi Condensation cultivator. Realizing this, he was even more terrified, scrambling to flee.
Unfortunately, his opponent had no intention of leaving him alive. As a chill rose up his back, Zhang Chen felt his vision spin, and the last thing he saw was a familiar figure descending before his life ended.
After beheading Zhang Chen, Yang Lingrui hurried to Yang Linghu's side, dripping the newly produced spirit liquid from the Four-Leaf Spirit Grass into his mouth and giving him a healing pill to swallow.
"Tiger Brother, don't speak yet. Quickly refine the spirit liquid and medicine!"
As he spoke, he transferred his spiritual power to Yang Linghu.
Moments later, Yang Linghu regained some strength and was able to stand.
"You acted quickly. I wanted you to leave one alive."
Yang Linghu looked at Zhang Chen's lifeless body and said.
Yang Lingrui glanced at the corpse and replied coldly, "Tiger Brother, he hurt you this badly. Letting him live even a moment longer would be a mercy from me."
"Hahaha, cough cough..."
"Take it easy, Tiger Brother."
With Yang Lingrui's support, Yang Linghu said, "You came just in time. A minute later, and the family might have needed to prepare an extra coffin."
"It was thanks to the Spirit Stone Immortal's warning that I arrived in time."
Yang Lingrui said, "I had just broken through when I received a message from the Immortal, saying you were in danger, so I came immediately."
"Didn't my message get through?"
"The clan soldier carrying it was attacked by bandits on the way back, and many died. Only a few made it back."
Hearing this, Yang Linghu shook his head helplessly. He had intended to spare those people, but they still met with disaster.
"Thanks to the Immortal for the rescue."
Yang Linghu felt grateful. If Chen Yang hadn't sent a message to Yang Lingrui, he would have died waiting for help today.
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"Tiger Brother, how's the situation at the mines? Are there any more pursuers?"
"The pursuers are gone, but there are still matters to handle."
After dealing with Zhang Chen's body, Yang Linghu meditated for half an hour to absorb the spirit liquid, regaining some spiritual power. Then the two of them headed to the place where the initial fight with Liao Feng and Zhang Chen took place.
By now, it was daylight, and the bloodstains on the ground were quite obvious. Liao Feng's body had unsurprisingly been taken away.
Following the remaining traces and marks on the ground, they arrived at a mountain cave.