The Ten Heroines are Insane! - Chapter 130:

Chapter 130: Mysterious Man and Woman, Terrifying Power!

When it came to Nalan Yun, Lin Yu’er had only one evaluation: though she spoke little, she brought endless trouble. The main reason was that Nalan Yun was too elusive. In Lin Yu’er’s first nine lives, the woman she found most troublesome had always been Nalan Yun.

But with Xu Ze standing right there, she couldn’t say anything about it.

“By the way, did someone come here just now?” Xu Ze asked, recalling Lin Yu’er’s flustered look.

“Ah, a disciple said he had something urgent to discuss with you.” Lin Yu’er was startled, frowning as she tried to recall. “What was it again…”

Her mind was still filled with the memory of hugging the pillow, intoxicated by Xu Ze’s lingering scent. She couldn’t think of anything else.

“It’s fine. If it’s really urgent, he’ll come back.” Xu Ze didn’t mind. As the Holy Son, he had countless affairs to deal with each day. He couldn’t be expected to oversee every minor issue personally. Matters among the disciples were best left for them to handle themselves.

At the foot of the Holy Mountain, in a small town, Zhang Heng wandered in search of Xu Ze. He had scoured the town but found no trace of him.

“Could it be that the Holy Son traveled far away?” Zhang Heng muttered, feeling dejected.

With Xu Ze nowhere to be found, there was no one else he could confide in about Bai Wangchuan’s cheating. The Holy Lord was known for being elusive; ever since emerging from seclusion, no one knew his whereabouts. The Holy Maiden was cold and indifferent, never involving herself in matters between disciples. The elders of each palace only concerned themselves with their own disciples, and Elder Yaoguang, who oversaw the Jiuxing Palace, was Bai Wangchuan’s personal master. Compared to someone like Zhang Heng, a marginalized figure, Bai Wangchuan naturally held more favor.

With Bai Wangchuan having such a strong protector, it would be useless to approach any elder.

Thinking of Bai Wangchuan’s arrogant face, Zhang Heng could only suppress the resentment in his heart. In the end, it all came down to him being not strong enough, left to be trampled by others.

Sighing, Zhang Heng wandered into a nearby restaurant, hoping to drown his sorrows in wine.

The moment the innkeeper saw his Holy Land robe, he rushed over, smiling brightly. “Ah, a noble from the Holy Land! Aren’t the exams happening now? How do you have time to visit for a drink?”

Mentioning the assessment only darkened Zhang Heng’s face further. In order to gather information for Bai Wangchuan, he had been late for the first round and barely managed to pass using the Nine-Star Formation he was familiar with.

Tomorrow’s second round would involve the Nine-Star Sword Controlling Technique, his weakest skill. At this rate, he’d be stuck in the middle ranks and have no hope of standing out.

“Hmph, enough nonsense! Bring the wine!” Zhang Heng tossed a few taels of silver onto the counter and found a seat with a grim expression.

It wasn’t mealtime yet, so the restaurant was empty except for a private room by the window on the second floor, where it seemed someone was dining.

“Your Excellency looks troubled,” a calm, emotionless voice drifted down from the private room.

Zhang Heng glanced up and replied coldly, “So what? What’s it to you?”

“Hehehe, would you care to join me?” The voice chuckled sinisterly, its gender impossible to discern.

Zhang Heng was already in a foul mood and wanted someone to vent to. With a snort, he stood and went upstairs.

As he approached the private room, the door slowly creaked open.

Zhang Heng stepped inside and saw a large figure cloaked entirely in black sitting beside the round table. His face and features were completely hidden. Beside him sat a petite figure, also wrapped in robes, her—or his—appearance equally concealed.

It appeared to be a man and a woman sitting together.

“Please, have a seat,” the black-cloaked figure said, raising a hand and gesturing for Zhang Heng to sit.

Zhang Heng sat down and smiled politely. “Are you two cultivators from the lower realm?”

“Hehehe, yes, we are indeed cultivators from the lower world, here to seek entrance into the Holy Land,” the black-robed man replied. His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, and there was a faint crackling sound in the air whenever he spoke.

Zhang Heng felt uneasy but still cupped his fists politely. “That’s unfortunate. The Holy Land is currently conducting its disciple assessment. You might not even be able to pass the front gate right now.”

“I see… what a pity,” the man in black said stiffly.

“But there’s no rush,” Zhang Heng added. “The assessment will be over in a week. You can stay in town for now. After that, it won’t be too late to seek entry.”

“Understood, thank you. Speaking of which, could you tell me more about this assessment?” The man in black seemed very interested.

Although Zhang Heng found his curiosity strange, the Holy Land’s assessments weren’t secret, so he spoke freely.

“The assessment is a long-standing tradition in the Holy Land. Every year, disciples are tested on their cultivation and skills. Those with excellent scores can be promoted to stewards based on their accumulated results,” Zhang Heng explained with a bitter smile. “I also heard that this year, the Holy Son will personally compete against the top disciples. Unfortunately, I probably won’t even get the chance.”

When Zhang Heng mentioned the “Holy Son,” the man in black seemed to catch something important. He smiled coldly and said, “Why be so humble? From what I sense, your cultivation has already reached the late 1st stage Condensed Profound Realm. That’s quite impressive.”

Zhang Heng chuckled bitterly. “For cultivators from the lower realms, perhaps. But in the Holy Land, I’m at the very bottom. It’s humiliating.”

Though Zhang Heng’s words were arrogant, clearly looking down on lower realm cultivators, the black-robed man showed no anger. Instead, he smiled and said, “The Holy Land is indeed full of elites. Allow me to offer you a toast.”

He reached out and poured a glass of wine. His arm, visible for a moment under the sleeve, was tightly wrapped in white bandages. In fact, his entire body was wrapped from head to toe.

Though Zhang Heng still found the man strange, he thought he seemed sincere. Taking the offered wine glass, Zhang Heng glanced at the figure in the white robe who hadn’t moved at all.

“Doesn’t this lady want to drink?”

“Haha, she doesn’t drink,” the man in black replied with a raspy chuckle, raising his glass.

Zhang Heng didn’t think much of it and drank the wine in one gulp. Instantly, he felt a bit more at ease. Looking at the two cloaked figures, they seemed less sinister than before.

“Thanks to you two, I feel much better after this drink.” Zhang Heng stood up and cupped his fists. “I still have matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave now.”

With that, he turned to leave.

But just then, the man in black spoke again, his voice raspier. “Wait.”

“I wonder, would you like to stand out in the Holy Land assessment?”

“What do you mean?” Zhang Heng turned, frowning.

“It’s very simple.” The man in black sneered. “I can give you power beyond your imagination.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his right hand shot out, grabbing Zhang Heng by the throat.

Zhang Heng was caught completely off guard, but he reacted quickly. As a genius, he had far sharper instincts than most. Gathering his strength, he pressed his fingers together and unleashed a sharp burst of Qi, forming a sword.

The sword Qi flashed, slicing through the black-robed man’s chest. However, contrary to expectations, there was no blood, only tattered strips of cloth fluttering to the ground.

Zhang Heng stared, stunned. His powerful attack had merely shredded some clothing.

Before he could react further, the black-robed man shoved him against the wall. The overwhelming strength in his arms left Zhang Heng unable to move, as though he were pinned by a mountain of iron.

The man’s palm was as hard as steel.

Zhang Heng struggled to breathe, feeling completely restrained.

At that moment, the figure in the white robe, who had remained motionless the entire time, began to move. Slowly, she raised her hand. On her white jade-like fingers, thin strands of white light gleamed like spider silk.

“This, this is…” Zhang Heng’s eyes widened in horror. He suddenly understood something.

He tried to struggle, tried to escape. But the black-robed man’s grip seemed to drain all the strength and profound energy from his body instantly.

He was helpless.

All he could do was watch as the girl in white took slow, measured steps toward him.