Chapter 113: The Healer Strikes

The person who had arrived was none other than Lu Zhe’s master, the old physician who had been observing the battle from the sidelines all along!

Glancing back at Lu Zhe, whose entire body was encased in ice, and then turning his gaze toward the thunderbolt spear already mere inches away, he sighed softly, looking somewhat helpless. He then extended his left hand toward the incoming projectile.

*Crackle, snap, boom, crackle...*

The thunderbolt spear slammed heavily into the old physician’s palm. The old man’s expression remained unchanged; not a single brow twitched. He merely gave a casual look at the spear, which was still emitting electric sparks in his hand, before squeezing his left hand shut. In an instant, the entire thunderbolt spear dissipated into nothingness.

"What?!" The crowd was struck with terror, their faces turning pale one by one. First, they were bewildered by the sudden appearance of this stranger; second, they were shocked that he could block such a peerlessly powerful thunderbolt spear with his bare hands.

"Who are you?" Zhuo Feng, hovering in mid-air, was the first to regain his composure. Pointing a finger at the old physician on the ground, he demanded loudly.

The old physician cast a sidelong glance at the blustering Zhuo Feng but ignored him. Instead, he walked slowly to Lu Zhe’s side. Looking at his disciple, who had transformed into a monster, he sighed gently and said, "You brat, you always manage to surprise us with something new."

"Hey, white-haired man, I’m talking to you!" Seeing himself ignored, Zhuo Feng felt displeased and raised his voice to interrogate the old man again.

"I am Hua Qi, the Third Elder of the Wind-Rending Sect. May I ask which esteemed master you are?" the middle-aged man standing in the distance suddenly asked respectfully.

Turning to face Hua Qi, the old physician remained expressionless. The hem of his robes fluttered without a breeze, giving him an air of grace, elegance, and refined composure.

"My identity is something you do not need to know, and knowing it would be of no use," the old physician’s voice, calm as still water, drifted leisurely into Hua Qi’s ears.

"This..." Stifled by the old man’s words, Hua Qi did not know how to respond. Yet, before he could think of a reply, he saw the old physician’s gaze slowly drift toward the "Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower."

*Is he also here to seize the sunflower? Could he be in league with that monster?* Upon seeing the old man’s focus on the flower, Hua Qi was startled and muttered to himself in uncertainty.

The old physician slowly raised his right hand, pointed a finger at the sunflower, and stated with detached stillness, "I want that."

Hua Qi was shocked! It was just as he had feared: this white-haired man was here to snatch the rare herb.

Cupping his hands toward the old physician, Hua Qi said, "Senior, this rare herb was obtained by our Wind-Rending Sect first. By the logic of 'first come, first served,' it should be our property. Is it not a bit dishonorable for you to claim it like this?"

Casting a sidelong glance at Hua Qi, who was offering his mild-mannered explanation, the old physician said coldly, "Did I ever say I was seeking your opinion?"

"What?" Hua Qi felt humiliated, but now was not the time for such thoughts. The killing intent in the old man’s words was heavy, and what worried him most was the threat of a forceful seizure. This person, who could block a thunderbolt spear fueled by most of his spiritual energy with his bare hands, was clearly no ordinary foe. He urgently shouted, "Fifth Junior Brother, Seventh Junior Brother, stop him quickly!"

Hearing Hua Qi’s command, the man in mid-air and the burly man to the old physician’s left immediately lunged forward.

Observing the two rushing toward him, the old physician said nothing. He stomped his right foot on the ground, and a powerful wave of spiritual pressure erupted from his body, radiating in all directions.

"Ugh!" Feeling the crushing pressure of the old man’s spiritual power, both men’s faces changed. The pressure was so immense that they were forced to halt in their tracks, and the airborne Zhuo Feng was even driven back several steps.

"I have no desire to fight you juniors; if word got out, people would say I’m bullying children," the old physician said quietly, his cold gaze sweeping across the crowd. He then pointed a finger at the Extreme Mountain Fire Sunflower and added, "Hand over the herb, and I will spare your lives."

Hua Qi gritted his teeth, his brow furrowed in rage, but he felt helpless. Even from this distance, he could feel the pressure the old man had unleashed. His experience from countless battles told him that this man’s strength was unfathomable—he must not engage him in combat.

"Halt, you robber! Do not be so arrogant. Let your Grandpa Zhuo deal with you!" Zhuo Feng, still in the air, let out a loud roar. He dove downward, heading straight for the old physician.

"No, Seventh Junior Brother!" Hua Qi and the burly man cried out in alarm.

But it was too late. Zhuo Feng could no longer hear reason. As the Seventh Elder of the Wind-Rending Sect, gifted with extraordinary talent and pampered by his master and senior brothers, he had never known defeat. Being a Five-Star Spirit King, even the Aojia Imperial family showed him respect; he was used to walking through the Aojia Empire with his head held high. With his pampered background and his refusal to accept defeat, he could not bear this humiliation. This was why he rushed at the old physician, disregarding his own life.

Turning his head to look at the diving Zhuo Feng, the old physician sighed softly, sounding genuinely pained. "With such good talent, how can you be so ignorant of the heights of the world? A pity, what a pity."

"Hah! Evil man, die!" Zhuo Feng roared with high-spirited ambition, his right hand wreathed in spiritual energy as he struck at the old physician.

His hand landed heavily on the old man’s body, yet before he could celebrate, his palm passed straight through the figure, and he landed hard on the ground!

"Bad news, it’s an afterimage!" the burly man on the left shouted upon seeing this.

Before his words had even faded, a hand rested firmly on Zhuo Feng’s right shoulder!

"What?!" Feeling the grip on his shoulder, Zhuo Feng was struck with terror. Before he could mount a counterattack, he felt his entire body go limp; the spiritual energy in his meridians seemed to seize up, and he nearly collapsed, paralyzed.

The old physician grabbed Zhuo Feng’s shoulder with his left hand and hoisted him up. Seeing the burly man rushing toward him like a madman, he frowned slightly and struck out with his right palm, sending the man flying.

The burly man flew several yards back, crashing to the ground. He clutched his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Turning to look at Hua Qi, the old physician channeled spiritual energy into his voice to amplify it. "Elder Hua, how about we make a deal?"

Hearing this, Hua Qi replied coldly, "You want to use my two junior brothers to trade for the rare herb, don't you?"

The old physician nodded, neither confirming nor denying.

Seeing the nod, Hua Qi’s brow knotted into a deep furrow. He had been entrusted with this task and had hoped to complete it smoothly. Yet, he had been blindsided by this unexpected obstacle. He had anticipated the mission might be difficult, but fate was playing a cruel game, sending both a monster and an unfathomable expert to stand in his way. He was at his wit's end.

After a moment of hesitation, Hua Qi raised his head and looked at the old physician. "Fine," he said quietly, "I will make this deal with you."