Chapter 104: The Grand Return of the Spirit Realm Practitioner

The sheer cliff of Hanging Gourd Mountain was nearly eight hundred meters high.

Fortunately, the high-altitude descent ropes provided by the Martial Affairs Bureau were a thousand meters long—just enough. Otherwise, they would have been left swinging in the air.

They passed through a dense energy cloud.

And then a thick sea of clouds.

Enduring the oppressive force of an overwhelming psychic pressure, the four landed steadily.

Bang!

No sooner had Zhang Chu unfastened the descent rope than a deep, explosive sound thundered in his ears.

“Damn!” He looked up to see more than a dozen massive boulders shattering loose, hurtling down toward them in a deadly cascade.

“Watch out!” Zhang Xueying was the first to react.

A wave of Godslayer Sword Qi shot forth, pulverizing the falling boulders into dust. A thick cloud billowed before their eyes.

Coughing violently, Zhang Chu, at the front, was choked so badly that tears welled up.

When the dust finally settled, a black shadow suddenly swept swiftly along the ground, coming to a halt right at Zhang Chu’s feet.

He looked down.

The figure looked up.

For an instant, their eyes met—a spark flashing between them.

“They’re from the Fallen Gods Alliance!” Zhang Xueying quickly glanced at the newcomer.

Though the stranger wore a black mask, the tattoo on his neck was clearly visible—identical to Su Mingyue’s.

Realizing he’d been recognized, the man prepared to retreat.

He’d barely risen when—

“Gravity Domain!” Zhang Chu swiftly channeled his psychic power.

In an instant, a field of fivefold gravity formed around the masked man.

Already wounded, the black-clad figure, though a Spirit Realm adept, could now only muster the strength of a dual-force martial artist at best.

He hadn’t anticipated encountering such a devastating psychic technique as the Gravity Domain.

With a dull thud, he fell to his knees at Zhang Chu’s feet, powerless to resist.

“Chu, you’re something else! You made him surrender just like that.” Hu Sanyi, not fully understanding but deeply impressed, gave a thumbs-up.

“Little Chu, that’s incredible!” Wang Peng joined in.

The masked man nearly coughed up blood from sheer indignation.

He was, after all, a two-star Spirit Realm fighter—a standout even among the Fallen Gods. Now, here he was, forced to kneel before a mere dual-force warrior, utterly immobilized.

Zhang Xueying pressed her lips together, barely suppressing laughter.

She’d expected a fierce fight upon landing, but instead, the enemy had walked right into their hands and was instantly subdued by Zhang Chu.

“You brat, I thought you wouldn’t notice me. Seems you do have a conscience after all.”

Just then, another figure approached.

It was Guan Zifang!

His steps were unsteady—a clear sign of injury.

“Thank you for saving us, Elder Guan!” Wang Peng and Hu Sanyi quickly bowed.

“No need.” Guan Zifang waved his hand dismissively, his gaze settling on Zhang Xueying.

“Zhang Xueying from the Martial Arts Institute, greetings, Elder Guan.” Zhang Xueying clasped her fists in salute.

“Zhang Daoyi is your…” Guan Zifang asked with curiosity.

“My father,” Zhang Xueying interrupted, glancing reflexively at Zhang Chu.

Seeing no reaction from him, she relaxed.

“Interesting.” Guan Zifang’s eyes flickered between Zhang Chu and Zhang Xueying, as if he’d pieced something together. Raising his hand, he struck the masked man on the back of the head. “You trash from the Fallen Gods Alliance—still up to your usual dirty tricks. Let’s see where you can run now!”

“Elder Guan, are you all right?” Zhang Chu sensed the weakness in Guan Zifang’s psychic aura.

The impact of two psychic burst pearls would have felled most people.

“Far from it,” Guan Zifang replied. He tore off the mask, revealing the battered face of a middle-aged man. “With a mug like that, no wonder they sent you on a suicide mission.”

“You can kill me, but you can’t insult me!” The man’s eyes flashed with defiance, deeply affronted.

“Elder Guan, the recent disturbance in the Demon Suppression Tower caught the attention of both our Martial Affairs Bureau and the Martial Arts Institute, so we formed a special operations team to investigate. Now that two Vajra Demon Suppression Stones have been destroyed, we need to take him back for interrogation.” Zhang Xueying had heard of Guan Zifang’s notoriously fiery temper.

If he decided to kill the man, who there could stop him?

A starved camel was still bigger than a horse.

Even injured, Guan Zifang could easily handle the lot of them.

“Don’t even think about it!” To their surprise, the masked man still had some spine left.

He reversed his blood flow on the spot, snapping his own heart vessel, and collapsed lifelessly to the ground.

“It’s hopeless,” Zhang Chu checked his breathing and shook his head.

“The Fallen Gods Alliance are indeed masters of underhanded tactics, but their members are fanatically loyal. If he returned with you, his family would suffer the consequences,” Guan Zifang remarked, well acquainted with their ways.

He’d already anticipated the suicide.

“Elder Guan, what’s the situation with the Demon Suppression Tower?” Zhang Chu glanced around. They were by a mountain lake at the base of the cliff, but there was no sign of any tower.

“This isn’t something you youngsters need to concern yourselves with.”

“I’ll report directly to Luo Zhidong myself.”

“Return!”

The four exchanged glances and could only contact headquarters.

Headquarters soon replied: Respect Elder Guan’s decision and return to Binzhou immediately.

“Elder Guan, if you’re all right, we’ll take our leave now,” Zhang Chu said as they prepared to depart.

“You’re just going to abandon me? I’m an old man, and you’ve no respect for your elders at all,” Guan Zifang glared at him.

“You said you wanted to return to Binzhou?” The three others were stunned.

Even Fan Tianlei and Luo Zhidong, at the temporary command post of the Binzhou Martial Affairs Bureau, leapt to their feet with excitement. “Inform Chief Chen at once—Elder Guan is returning to Binzhou!”

“Elder Guan, welcome home!” Guan Zifang had once been Binzhou’s brightest genius. After ten years of absence, his return was nothing short of explosive.

Zhang Xueying was so excited she felt she might take flight.

Soon, the five left Hanging Gourd Mountain.

Moments later, a massive whirlpool formed on the lake’s surface, and the illusion of a nine-story demon tower shimmered in the sky once again.

Within the swirling waters, a dark golden tower slowly spun.

…

At six in the evening, the north gate of Binzhou extended its closing time by an hour under special order from the Martial Affairs Bureau.

The entire leadership of the Martial Affairs Bureau and the Martial Arts Institute stood at the gate, anxiously awaiting.

At the forefront were Chief Chen Tianxiang, Fan Tianlei, and Luo Zhidong.

Fan Dayong and Huang Lili were also present, having been summoned back early.

Upon hearing that Zhang Chu’s group was returning with Guan Zifang, they hurried out to welcome them.

At the same time, Binzhou’s martial artists’ forum exploded with the news.

The return of Guan Zifang crashed the servers outright.

Both sides of the street within the city gate were lined with martial artists, all eager to catch a glimpse of Binzhou’s former prodigy.

Before long, a jeep sped to the gate and came to a stop.

The military band struck up, and salutes rang out.

Chen Tianxiang, Fan Tianlei, and Luo Zhidong rushed forward.

Hu Sanyi and Wang Peng were first out of the car, followed by Zhang Xueying, and finally Zhang Chu.

“Teacher Zhang Chu, where is Elder Guan?” Chen Tianxiang peered into the vehicle, but found no sign of Guan Zifang.

“Little Chu, where’s your teacher?” Guan Zifang’s absence left them flustered.

If this turned into a fiasco, both the Martial Affairs Bureau and the Martial Arts Institute would lose all face.

“Um… Elder Guan said he doesn’t care for this sort of reception. What he really likes is pork ribs. He’s probably somewhere in Binzhou right now, enjoying a plate of sweet and sour ribs…”