Chapter 208: Substitute
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Today, let’s make a trip back to Immortal Cloud City. 1 want to pay a visit to Senior Si.” Chen Fei pondered for a moment and said.
After some time, Chen Fei and Chi Def eng left the Primordial Sword Sect’s mountain gate and headed toward Immortal Cloud City. An hour later, Chen Fei arrived at a small courtyard within Immortal Cloud City and met two individuals, Si Yuanhai and Si Yinan.
“Brother Chen!”
Seeing Chen Fei once again, Si Yinan appeared quite joyful. After a few months of not seeing each other, Chen Fei noticed that Si Yinan had grown taller and had a somewhat girlish appearance.
Chen Fei gently patted Si Yinan’s head, then looked at Si Yuanhai and respectfully clasped his hands, saying, “Senior Si!”
“No need to be so polite, please have a seat.”
After not seeing each other for several months, Si Yuanhai noticed that Chen Fei’s aura had actually grown stronger, having reached the middle of the Visceral Tempering realm cultivation, and he was not merely at the initial stage of it.
When Si Yuanhai first met Chen Fei, Chen Fei was only at the Bone Tempering realm. At that time, Si Yuanhai had even helped Chen Fei in the battle against Shi Xueqin from the Divine Flame Sect. That battle had been incredibly arduous, as Shi Xueqin’s cultivation at the time had already reached the Visceral Tempering realm.
Yet, in just a few months’ time, Chen Fei had actually broken through from the Bone Tempering realm to the Visceral Tempering realm, achieving a martial cultivation level that many could only dream of.
In many smaller cities, the Visceral Tempering realm was already considered the pinnacle of martial prowess, enough to establish a prominent family lineage.
“Senior Si, are you planning to leave Immortal Cloud City?”
Chen Fei sat down, accepted the tea that Si Yuanhai handed him, and softly inquired.
“Yes, 1 suddenly feel like going to other places.”
Si Yuanhai sighed lightly, looked at Chen Fei, and continued, “That’s why 1 asked Junior Chi to bring you here. Before leaving, I wanted to teach you the method of entering and exiting the Strange Heart Realm.”
As Si Yuanhai spoke, he took out the Enigmatic Jade that Si Yinan had held before and handed it to Chen Fei.
In addition to the Enigmatic Jade, Si Yuanhai also took out a piece of paper covered with densely written characters.
“This is the method to create the Heart Candle. Without the protection of the
Heart Candle, entering the Strange Heart Realm is too dangerous.”
Si Yuanhai pointed to the paper and then lightly stroked the Enigmatic Jade, saying, “Because you are a martial practitioner and do not possess the ability of the Resisting Evil Bloodline, the only way for you to enter the Strange Heart Realm is through this Enigmatic Jade.”
Si Yuanhai paused for a moment, seeing that Chen Fei had no confusion, he continued, “This Enigmatic Jade naturally contains enigmatic power. After you enter the Strange Heart Realm once, the power of the Enigmatic Jade will be depleted. However, after waiting for about a month, the Enigmatic Jade can be used again.”
“So, how do 1 activate this Enigmatic Jade?”
Chen Fei was curious. When he saw Si Yinan using the Enigmatic Jade before, it seemed that there was a secret method involved in conjunction with hand seals.
“The inheritance of the Resisting Evil Bloodline is not written on paper; it’s passed down orally. Listen carefully, and if you have any doubts, feel free to ask me.”
As he spoke, Si Yuanhai directly explained a secret technique to Chen Fei.
Completely distinct from the martial cultivation techniques, Chen Fei was initially a bit puzzled when he first heard it, but soon, he became immersed in it. It bore some resemblance to the utilization of mental power, yet it had significant differences.
After a stick of incense’s time, Si Yuanhai stopped and looked at Chen Fei. Chen Fei glanced at the interface, and it had already recorded this secret technique.
“Thank you, Senior Si!” Chen Fei clasped his hands in gratitude.
In this way, Si Yuanhai had passed on the closely guarded secret of the Resisting Evil Bloodline to Chen Fei.
With this knowledge, Chen Fei could now enter the Strange Heart Realm on his own. Even though he could only do it once a month, it would greatly refine his mental power, preparing him for the breakthrough to the Aperture Tempering realm in the future.
“In the days to come, we might not easily meet again. Take care, young friend!” Si Yuanhai clasped his hands in farewell to Chen Fei.
“Brother Chen, goodbye!”
Si Yinan waved his hand towards Chen Fei, her eyes slightly red. She knew that with this parting, given the vastness of the world, they might never meet again. “Goodbye” probably meant their final farewell.
“Senior Si, is there anything I can assist you with?”
Chen Fei looked at Si Yuanhai. Since their meeting had begun, Si Yuanhai had only mentioned wanting to go out and take a look. However, the outside world was currently chaotic with turmoil. What was there to see?
Most likely, he just didn’t want to involve Chen Fei in any troubles. After all, combat always carried risks. They weren’t close acquaintances; the last time, Chen Fei had already saved them once.
Si Yuanhai felt reluctant to keep asking for Chen Fei’s help. The matter with Yan Dequan was, ultimately, his own affair.
“You’ve already done enough to help.” Si Yuanhai shook his head.
Chen Fei looked at Si Yinan. Si Yinan bit her lip, remaining silent as well.
“When are you leaving? I’ll see you off then.” Chen Fei didn’t press for more information.
“In the coming days. We’ll discuss it again when the time comes.” Si Yuanhai smiled, but he had already made up his mind. This was their final meeting.
After some small talk, Chen Fei noticed Si Yuanhai appearing somewhat weary, so he bid farewell and left.
Watching Chen Fei’s figure disappear, Si Yinan turned to look at her grandfather. Seeing this, Si Yuanhai shook his head. They should resolve their own matters themselves.
Although Chen Fei had broken through to the Visceral Tempering realm, Yan Dequan’s strength was not to be underestimated. Si Yuanhai didn’t believe that Chen Fei could defeat Yan Dequan; there might even be danger involved.
Even if Chen Fei managed to force Yan Dequan to retreat like last time, it wasn’t possible for him to be constantly protecting them.
Chen Fei left the courtyard, wandered around Immortal Cloud City for a few rounds, and returned to the rental house he had occupied initially.
Sitting cross-legged, Chen Fei took out the paper containing the instructions for the Heart Candle, carefully reviewed it, and once the words “Heart Candle” appeared on the interface, he destroyed the paper.
Chen Fei then took out the Enigmatic Jade and touched it with his fingers, feeling a chilling sensation that penetrated his skin. Going into the Strange Heart Realm once a month seemed a bit slow.
Chen Fei lacked the ability of the Resisting Evil Bloodline, but as long as he left someone from the Resisting Evil Bloodline in Immortal Cloud City, he could easily restore the Enigmatic Jade’s power when needed.
Helping others sometimes meant helping oneself!
A smile appeared on Chen Fei’s face as he began to practice the secret technique of the Resisting Evil Bloodline he had just learned. A fluctuation emanated from the Enigmatic Jade.
The fluctuation was subtle. The next step was to let the fluctuation spread throughout his body, and at that point, he could enter the Strange Heart Realm with his consciousness.
However, Chen Fei didn’t intend to enter the Strange Heart Realm at the moment. Instead, he continued practicing, allowing the fluctuation from the Enigmatic Jade to permeate and spread in all directions.
The unique aura fluctuation of the Resisting Evil Bloodline couldn’t be felt by ordinary people. Even martial practitioners weren’t sensitive to this kind of fluctuation; they might not even notice it and would subconsciously ignore it.
Only those from the Resisting Evil Bloodline could effortlessly detect this rare fluctuation. It was a detail Si Yuanhai had mentioned while instructing Chen Fei and was now remembered by him.
So, Chen Fei didn’t plan on entering the Strange Heart Realm right now. He wanted to try fishing and see if he could lure out Yan Dequan, the fish.
Several miles away, Si Yuanhai sat on a wooden chair, watching Si Yinan busy herself with packing and organizing luggage. His gaze held both fondness and distress.
He was once again sending his granddaughter on a journey, but this time, Si Yuanhai didn’t even know where they should go.
In the current situation, rebel forces were rampant outside, causing great suffering among the people. Stable cities like Immortal Cloud City were becoming scarce. While there were some large cities that could provide protection if one traveled thousands of miles away, attempting such a journey in the current environment was an incredibly daunting task.
Even though Si Yuanhai had considerable strength, he wouldn’t dare to attempt it lightly.
Moreover, the uncertainty of whether his martial brother might catch up to them was another unknown factor.
“Sigh.”
Si Yuanhai couldn’t help but sigh deeply. Sometimes, he truly wished to hand over the entirety of the Resisting Evil Bloodline’s heritage, even if it went against his master’s wishes.
However, Si Yuanhai also understood his martial brother. Even if he were to truly relinquish the heritage, Yan Dequan probably wouldn’t spare him.
Yan Dequan harbored too much hatred towards the Resisting Evil Bloodline, wishing that all its members would perish.
“Grandpa, everything is packed.” Si Yinan walked up to Si Yuanhai and spoke softly.
“Good. The carriage is ready. We’ll…”
Si Yuanhai paused midway through his sentence because he sensed a familiar fluctuation. It was the kind of fluctuation that he and Yan Dequan shared, a form of communication unique to their bloodline.
This was a method of contact between them, but other than Si Yuanhai and Yan Dequan, there were no more members of their bloodline.
“Not good!”
Si Yuanhai immediately thought of Chen Fei. The Enigmatic Jade could emit this kind of fluctuation, but the fluctuation should dissipate quickly. Why was it lasting for so long?
“Grandpa, what’s wrong?” Si Yinan asked, puzzled.
“Chen Fei is in danger. Stay here and don’t move. I’ll be back!”
Si Yuanhai said and then rushed out, heading toward the location he sensed through the Resisting Evil Bloodline’s connection. However, halfway there, the fluctuation suddenly vanished, causing Si Yuanhai to stop.
Frowning deeply, Si Yuanhai hesitated for a moment, then continued toward the location he had sensed. Although it might not be accurate, he still held hope of finding Chen Fei.
In a courtyard several miles away:
Chen Fei halted the fluctuation of the Enigmatic Jade and looked at the person who appeared in the courtyard. A faint smile appeared on his face. The fish had taken the bait.
“I found it strange earlier, how there could be a fluctuation from our bloodline.
1 thought my martial brother had finally come to his senses and wanted to have a proper conversation with me. But it turns out to be you!”
Yan Dequan stared at Chen Fei, his gaze filled with a chilling coldness.
Yan Dequan naturally remembered Chen Fei well. If it hadn’t been for Chen Fei’s intervention, Yan Dequan would have captured Si Yuanhai long ago and obtained the heritage belonging to his bloodline.
Thanks to Chen Fei, his plan had crumbled.
Afterward, Yan Dequan investigated Chen Fei’s identity and discovered that he wasn’t even from Immortal Cloud Sword Sect; he was just a disciple of Primordial Sword Sect.
Immortal Cloud and Primordial Sword Sects were completely different concepts, even though they both belonged to sword sects.
Yan Dequan initially planned to settle Si Yuanhai’s matter first and then find an opportunity to settle scores with Chen Fei. Unexpectedly, he encountered Chen Fei today.
“I purposely lured you here, and you actually came. Excellent!” Chen Fei drew his long sword, pointed it diagonally at the ground, making his intentions clear.
“1 spared your life last time. Did you really think that I couldn’t kill you?”
Yan Dequan’s anger flared up. Last time, he had some reservations because Immortal Cloud Sword Sect was a dominant force.
But a mere Primordial Sword Sect, accessible with just a bit of money, and a mere inner disciple—he could be easily killed!
Yan Dequan sensed that Chen Fei’s aura had grown stronger, but so what? He had killed plenty of Visceral Tempering realm cultivators before.
“Descend!”
Yan Dequan shouted, and over a hundred enigmatic hands appeared behind him. In the next moment, these hands flashed around Chen Fei, spreading an icy power that pervaded the surroundings.
Icy formations appeared from all directions, aiming to permanently seal Chen Fei within!
However, before this icy power could solidify around Chen Fei, a force field suddenly emerged around him. The enigmatic hands were instantly affected, their formation thrown into chaos, and the intensity of the cold power diminished greatly.
Chen Fei’s figure flickered, and he appeared before Yan Dequan.
Yan Dequan’s expression slightly tensed. He hadn’t grasped what the force field was, but he couldn’t allow Chen Fei to get close to him.
Yan Dequan softly enunciated syllables, and a hand-shaped entity several meters in size appeared, lunging toward Chen Fei.
A few months ago, facing this hand-shaped entity, Chen Fei could only dodge.
Zhongyuan Sword!
Chen Fei’s longsword turned pitch black in an instant. The next moment, the black sword struck the enigmatic hand.
“Boom!”
The enigmatic hand trembled slightly and shattered apart. In the midst of Yan Dequan’s astonished gaze, Chen Fei took a step forward and slashed his sword toward Yan Dequan.
“Boom!”
The whole courtyard shook, a deep pit formed on the ground, and within the pit lay a pale corpse. However, this was not Yan Dequan.
At this moment, Yan Dequan appeared outside the alleyway, frantically trying to escape..