Chapter 124: Collecting Protection Money

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“Clang!”

With a light sound, an empty jade bottle was tossed onto the ground.

Su Yizhao stood bare-chested, sweat streaming continuously down from his chest.

His hands moved rapidly through a series of seals as he accelerated the circulation of his cultivation method.

Even after enduring the pain more than a hundred times, he still found it difficult to bear.

Moreover, as more and more Golden Essence Sand merged into his body, the pain became increasingly unbearable.

This was simply beyond what any human could endure.

Su Yizhao’s eyes were tightly shut.

From his head down to his chest, his skin shimmered with a faint golden hue.

It was a sign that he had pushed himself too far, too quickly.

Every wisp of Golden Essence Sand that entered his body had to be completely refined and assimilated before he could absorb any more.

But he had grown somewhat impatient.

He had no choice but to hurry!

Besides tempering his body, he also had to temper his soul.

All of this required time.

And time was precisely what he lacked most.

He had only used the first bottle of Golden Essence Sand, and four full bottles remained.

And even that might not be enough.

Fortunately, he had sufficient Profound Stones. They should be enough to support him until he advanced to the Eighth Void Realm.

Just then, a sudden knocking sound came from the formation.

Su Yizhao opened his eyes and spread his spiritual sense toward the sky.

This was not an attack on the formation, but someone knocking on the door.

Could it be his senior brother, Shi Feichen, coming to see him?

Shi Feichen ranked ninety-eighth and had been assigned to the western region. It was perfectly normal for him to visit and reminisce.

But then Su Yizhao slightly furrowed his brows.

He did not recognize the visitor.

A cultivator stood in the sky.

He wore black Daoist robes and had fair skin. At present, he was waiting leisurely for Su Yizhao to open the formation.

Su Yizhao paid him no further attention.

If they did not know each other and were not acquainted, what was there to discuss?

He called out, “Please return, Senior Brother. My cultivation has reached a critical juncture, so I will not be opening the formation.”

The black-robed cultivator’s leisurely expression suddenly changed. He shouted, “Junior Brother! I am an elite disciple from the previous generation. I have come especially to explain a few matters. Please open the formation.”

Su Yizhao frowned again.

An elite disciple from the previous generation?

Five years ago?

What matters could he possibly have to explain?

Su Yizhao was not an unreasonable man. Since the other party was a fellow disciple and an elder member of the sect, he still had to show him some respect.

He rose at once and put on his clothes.

His fingers formed a series of seals. With a hum, the formation vanished in an instant.

The cultivator, however, showed no intention of coming down. Instead, he called from high above, “Junior Brother, please come up.”

Su Yizhao lightly tapped his right foot against the ground, and his figure shot straight into the sky.

“What is the matter?” he asked, cupping his hands.

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Seeing that Su Yizhao understood proper etiquette, the black-robed cultivator’s expression softened somewhat. He said, “There are several things new disciples must do. Although they are merely unwritten rules, the sect tacitly approves of them. Do you know about this?”

Su Yizhao’s thoughts raced. He shook his head. “I do not.”

The cultivator smiled. “My name is Huo Yongfeng. The first matter is to find time to visit the senior brothers and sisters from the previous generation. After all, we are fellow disciples and will have to fight side by side in the future. It is good to become familiar with one another in advance.”

Su Yizhao nodded.

That was perfectly normal. Finding time to meet the senior disciples from the previous generation was only proper.

But he had no time at present. He would have to put it off until later.

Seeing that Su Yizhao did not resist, Huo Yongfeng smiled again. “Naturally, visiting your senior brothers and sisters will require the expenditure of some Profound Stones.”

Su Yizhao’s eyes narrowed instantly.

Expenditure of Profound Stones?

Was this extortion for protection?

Damn it!

He could accept paying a visit, but whether to spend Profound Stones should be his own decision.

Besides, Profound Stones were an important cultivation resource. No cultivator would ever think they had too many.

To demand them so openly—what else could this be but protection money?

Huo Yongfeng continued, “The senior brothers and sisters from the previous generation are all around the Ninth Void Realm. Naturally, the amount of Profound Stones cannot be too small. And only supreme-grade Profound Stones will do. Do you understand?”

A threat!

Cultivation around the Ninth Void Realm—this was an unmistakable threat.

“Just say you are collecting protection money. To put it so elegantly, Senior Brother, your skin is truly thick!”

Su Yizhao had no intention of indulging him.

An unwritten rule tacitly approved by the sect?

It would not work on him.

Huo Yongfeng’s expression froze.

He immediately shouted, “It is protection money! I heard that your supreme-grade Profound Stones have increased tenfold compared with before. Hand them all over to me, and I will keep them safe for you. In this region, no one will dare make trouble for you!”

Su Yizhao’s figure suddenly flickered.

“Slap!”

A crisp sound rang out, and Su Yizhao returned to his original position.

“Get lost! With that little bit of strength, you still want to collect protection money?”

Huo Yongfeng covered his face, his expression blank.

Impossible!

He had been careless!

It must have been carelessness!

He instantly flew into a rage. Summoning a fan, he shot it fiercely toward Su Yizhao.

Su Yizhao’s mind tightened.

Another Void Treasure?

But Huo Yongfeng’s strength was inferior even to that of the Demon Jade Soldier. Naturally, Su Yizhao had nothing to fear.

He immediately summoned his flying sword and unleashed the Universe Sword Art at full power.

What Void Realm cultivators excelled at most was tearing open the void.

To cultivators below the Void Realm, this was absolutely a lethal ability.

Yet Su Yizhao had already comprehended it in advance, rendering it completely ineffective against him.

The fan vanished into the void. When it reappeared, it was already thrusting toward his throat.

With a thought, Su Yizhao tore open the void at his throat. A streak of sword light struck the fan with pinpoint accuracy.

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“Ding!”

Sparks erupted.

Su Yizhao felt an immense force surge toward him, sending his figure retreating more than thirty yards.

At the Ninth Void Realm, the volume and power of one’s profound energy far exceeded his own.

Huo Yongfeng was stunned.

Damn it!

He was only in the Seventh Spirit Realm, yet he had actually managed to block an attack that tore through the void with such precision?

Who was this man?

Unable to bear losing face, Huo Yongfeng rapidly formed seals with both hands and attacked with all his strength.

The fan split into two, then four.

In the blink of an eye, a thousand fans sliced through the void and arrived before him.

Su Yizhao formed seals with both hands and summoned nine flying swords simultaneously.

“Clang, clang, clang, clang...!”

A storm of ringing impacts erupted, sending countless sparks flying.

Wild winds rose in every direction, making the trees on the mountain peak sway violently.

More than a dozen cultivators had already flown over after hearing the commotion.

Huo Yongfeng gave a light laugh. “You have quite a talent for wielding flying swords. But you still have to pay the protection money!”

Su Yizhao’s expression turned grim.

His nine flying swords had already been reduced to scraps.

Divine weapons were truly no match for Void Treasures.

Even supreme-grade divine weapons had no chance of withstanding them.

But there was one thing to consider.

If someone destroyed his divine weapons, they had to compensate him.

He said softly, “Protection money must indeed be paid. But you will be the one paying it to me!”

Before his words had even faded, all his spells erupted at once.

Thick vines instantly coiled toward Huo Yongfeng.

“Hahaha! You are actually using spells in front of a Void Treasure? Shatter!”

Huo Yongfeng burst into laughter, and a thousand fans immediately swept toward the vines.

But then his expression changed drastically.

Countless ice spikes mixed with fireballs shot out of the void.

Ice spikes and fireballs were commonplace.

These, however, were clearly different.

Before they even reached him, he already felt a piercing sensation against his skin. If he failed to block them, they would certainly inflict fatal injuries.

He had no time to think. Raising his right foot, he stepped into the void.

“Accelerate!”

With a low shout, the ice spikes, fireballs, and vines filling the sky vanished at once.

At that moment, half of Huo Yongfeng’s body had already disappeared into the void. Just as he was wondering what kind of spell this was, he suddenly felt the left half of his body tighten.

The vines had bound him in an instant.

Then countless ice spikes and fireballs, as though lying in wait around his body, surged toward him with ferocious force...!

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