Divine Level Witch Doctor

The Wind and Thunder Whip struck Hao Li with perfect accuracy.

”AHHH—”

A bloodcurdling scream, like a pig being slaughtered, shrieked from Hao Li’s mouth. He clearly felt a powerful electric current surge from the Wind and Thunder Whip, slamming into his body. It spread in an instant, filling him with excruciating pain.

”BANG!”

Hao Li, caught unprepared, couldn’t withstand it. His legs gave out, and he collapsed with a THUD, landing sprawled on his back.

Zhao Yuan jumped, reaching out to help Hao Li up. ”Are you okay?” he asked with concern.

”Don’t come near me!” Hao Li shouted, his eyes fixed on the Wind and Thunder Whip in terror. A puff of foul, burnt-smelling smoke escaped his lips... Good heavens, the whip had nearly roasted him alive!

Realizing what was happening, Zhao Yuan quickly cut off the supply of Wish Power. The electric sparks on the Wind and Thunder Whip vanished, and it returned to its unassuming appearance of a lacquered black stick.

Hao Li let out a sigh of relief and finally allowed Zhao Yuan to pull him up from the ground.

He eyed the Wind and Thunder Whip with lingering fear, marveling at it. ”I was truly blind not to recognize Mount Taishan. I never saw that it was actually a Magical Artifact, and one with such incredible power. It knocked me flat with a single poke.”

Although pleased with the Wind and Thunder Whip’s power, Zhao Yuan remained level-headed. He shook his head and said, ”That was only because you were caught off guard. In a real fight, you wouldn’t have been taken down so easily. You might not have even lost.”

Hao Li waved his hand dismissively. ”No need to console me. If that were a real fight, my foolishness would have gotten me killed! A bet’s a bet, and I’ll honor my promise.”

Before Zhao Yuan could react, Hao Li opened his mouth and started barking, ”WOOF, WOOF!”

Zhao Yuan gave a wry smile. ”You really don’t have to do this.”

Hao Li said seriously, ”A real man is a man of his... mammaries... no, wait! A real man is a man of his word, and his word is his bond! How could I go back on it?” Then he added with a sigh of relief, ”Good thing I changed my mind at the last second. I was originally going to say I’d eat shit. That would have been a disaster.”

Zhao Yuan was left completely speechless.

After a short rest to recover, Hao Li curiously examined the Wind and Thunder Whip and asked, ”Little Brother Zhao, what did you say this Magical Artifact was called again?”

”The Wind and Thunder Whip!” Zhao Yuan replied.

”A great name! It really lives up to it!”

Hao Li nodded vigorously, having completely forgotten who it was that had just been complaining about the Wind and Thunder Whip not looking like a Magical Artifact at all, but just a thick, black stick. Now that he had suffered at its hands, he had shamelessly changed his tune.

Below the Octagonal Tower, the employees of Lakefront House weren’t as fast as Hao Li. They were only just now running to the base of the tower. Although they couldn’t hear the conversation between Zhao Yuan and Hao Li, they had seen everything that just happened.

They didn’t know that Zhao Yuan was holding a Magical Artifact; they thought it was a stun baton and were all quite surprised.

”I distinctly remember Mr. Zhao arriving empty-handed. Where did that stun baton come from?”

”It’s one thing to be fine after getting struck by lightning, but then a stun baton mysteriously appears in his hand... Can anyone tell me where he got it? Do they keep things like that in the Lingyun Pavilion?”

”Did Mr. Zhao and the boss get into a fight? Why did he suddenly start jabbing him with a stun baton? Strange, they look like they’re talking and laughing now. It doesn’t look like they fought.”

One question after another popped into the employees’ minds.

How could they possibly know that while Zhao Yuan’s Wind and Thunder Whip could generate electricity, it was a world apart from a simple stun baton?

The Wind and Thunder Whip contained Celestial Thunder and Lightning, not ordinary electricity! This type of energy was extremely deterrent and lethal to evil things, Demon Ghosts, and the like. Regular electricity wouldn’t have such an effect. Moreover, the Celestial Thunder and Lightning within the Wind and Thunder Whip could be released to strike enemies from a distance like a Sword Aura, but Zhao Yuan’s current power level was insufficient to do so.

The Lakefront House employees quickly rushed up the Octagonal Tower and surrounded Zhao Yuan and Hao Li.

”Mr. Zhao, are you alright?” asked the female receptionist and the front desk manager who knew him.

More employees were concerned about Hao Li. ”Boss, did you just get electrocuted? Are you hurt?”

A young chef shouted, ”I’ve already called for an ambulance! It’ll be here soon, just hang in there...”

The young chef never imagined that his attempt to curry favor would backfire so spectacularly.

Hao Li shot him an annoyed glare and snapped, ”Hang in there, my ass! It’s just a scratch, nothing serious! Why call an ambulance? You think I’m not embarrassed enough already? Call them back right now and tell them to go back where they came from.”

The young chef froze for a moment, then hurriedly tried to explain, ”But, Mr. Zhao was struck by lightning, and Boss, you were just hit with a stun baton...”

”I said we’re fine, so we’re fine! Stop talking nonsense!” Hao Li cut him off impatiently. He then turned to the surrounding employees. ”Little Brother Zhao and I are fine, so don’t you worry. Manager Liu, could you please contact a construction crew for me? Have them come over to clear this rubble and figure out how to rebuild the Lingyun Pavilion.”

The Lingyun Pavilion could absorb the surrounding Spiritual Qi, especially Yin Spiritual Qi, which helped neutralize the Fire Evil generated by his Tripod Food Cultivation. That was why Hao Li was determined to rebuild it, no matter what.

Fortunately, the Feng Shui Master who had designed the Lingyun Pavilion for him had gifted him the blueprints. He had never thrown them away; they were just pressed under a stack of comics, ready to be used.

”I’m so sorry. The cost of rebuilding the Lingyun Pavilion is on me,” Zhao Yuan said guiltily.

Hao Li waved his hand with the magnanimity of a rich tycoon. ”No need. I can afford it.”

But Zhao Yuan insisted. After all, the Lingyun Pavilion was destroyed because his Artifact Creation had drawn Celestial Thunder. It was only right and proper that he should be the one to pay for it.

One insisted on paying, the other refused to accept. The two of them actually started bickering over it.

In the end, Zhao Yuan was the one to compromise. ”Fine, fine,” he said with a wry smile. ”You can handle the reconstruction of the Lingyun Pavilion yourself, I won’t interfere. But it was still destroyed because of me, so I have to compensate you. Here, take this. Consider it my payment!”

With a flick of his wrist, he tossed something to Hao Li.

Hao Li instinctively caught it, still saying, ”I don’t want your compensation...”

Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a peculiar sensation from the object in his hand. He let out a surprised ”Huh?” and abandoned the thought of immediately returning it to Zhao Yuan. He opened his hand and looked down, curious to see what Zhao Yuan had tossed him.

”Is this... a ring?”

Hao Li’s jaw dropped in astonishment after getting a clear look at the item Zhao Yuan had given him.