Chapter 279: Counterattack
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
After a while, Chen Fei arrived at the cave entrance.
In the moonlight, the cave’s mouth was pitch black, like an ancient beast waiting with its mouth wide open for prey to walk in.
Chen Fei entered the cave and followed the forked path that Fang Zhehua had taken, descending further into the darkness.
“They probably didn’t expect that I could enhance this lingering aura and expose such a flaw. After all, the Primordial Sword Sect doesn’t possess this kind of secret technique, and generally, those in the early stages of the Aperture Tempering realm wouldn’t have this level of core soul energy.”
In just a short time, Chen Fei arrived at a small cave and noticed some traces of human activity. At first glance, it appeared that someone had lived here, with many rich details.
However, the auras of the Blood Serpent and Green Yang Grass were too faint here. According to Fang Zhehua, the Blood Serpent and Green Yang Grass had been ingested by that person.
Even if they were ingested, the quantities were still substantial, yet the lingering aura here was extremely faint. It seemed as though this person had lived here for a very long time.
“They’ve left behind quite a few clues, and 1 probably have many suspicions as well. It looks like I can’t stay at Moyang Manor any longer.”
Chen Fei shook his head slightly and disappeared back into the cave.
At Moyang Manor, inside Fang Zhehua’s room.
“I have a feeling that Chen Fei has discovered something. Should we kill him?”
“Kill Chen Fei? At a time like this, it’s not wise to attract unnecessary attention.”
“Our plan is not intricate enough. Upon closer examination, we can still uncover quite a bit of stuff. It’s just that there’s so much going on now because it’s the time of year when we have to submit our resources,” Sha Yingsi said in a low voice.
“At this moment, killing him would indeed stir up trouble. Is everything prepared on our side?” Qian Jianlong asked.
It will be ready in a few days,” Fang Zhehua replied, his brow furrowing. Lately, various regions of the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect have been facing trouble, and Moyang Manor is just a minor concern. All of this chaos is aimed at diverting the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect’s attention.
As for the current task at Moyang Manor, it’s solely due to the timing; they had no choice but to report it, or else someone from the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect might come down personally.
That would bring even more trouble and be harder to conceal.
“To kill or not to kill? He’s only been in the Aperture Tempering realm for a year at most, and he’s barely stabilized his cultivation. The inner sect is about to make a move, and if we can keep it quiet for a few more days, there won’t be any issues. In fact, if Chen Fei really reports to the higher-ups, it might actually cause more problems,” Sha Yingsi ground his teeth as he spoke.
Whenever it came to killing someone, Sha Yingsi couldn’t help but grind his molars, as if he were chewing on a particularly tough piece of meat.
“Previously, the Divine Flame Sect had people try to surround and kill Chen Fei, but he managed to escape,” Fang Zhehua furrowed his brow.
“A group of independent cultivators, how can they compare to us?” Sha Yingsi chuckled.
People within the sect seldom held independent cultivators in high regard, even if they were martial artists of the same level. Independent cultivators might have a variety of techniques, but most of them were inconsequential. Only a few independent cultivators were truly formidable.
But they were still the minority.
“These next few days are indeed crucial,” Qian Jianlong looked at Fang Zhehua.
“Alright, then let’s proceed with the kill,” Fang Zhehua pondered for a moment, then raised his head, a cold glint in his eyes.
Inside the manor, in Chen Fei’s room, he sat cross-legged as if in the midst of cultivation.
Suddenly, a massive crossbow bolt shot in from the window, its tremendous force smashing directly into Chen Fei, causing the entire room’s floor to warp and shatter.
Not stopping there, as the ground ruptured, everything around twisted and then turned into a shower of fragments.
“Boom!”
At this moment, the thunderous sound erupted, echoing throughout the entire manor. The manor descended into chaos, with all the guards rushing toward the source.
Killing someone in the Aperture Tempering realm would never be silent. It was better to make a big commotion. If things went south, they could blame the Divine Flame Sect for the ambush.
“Is he dead?” Qian Jianlong’s figure appeared not far away, looking at the ruined building with suspicion. Although the attack had been sudden, Chen Fei was still in the Aperture Tempering realm. Could he really be killed so easily?
“He’s not dead. He’s quite cautious, using a decoy inside,” Sha Yingsi rasped.
The attack just now had been his doing, but the feedback indicated that there was no sensation of flesh and blood. Chen Fei’s real body had not been in the building at all.
“Then where did he go?” Qian Jianlong looked around but saw no sign of Chen Fei.
“He ran away a long time ago. It seems he sensed that something was amiss early on, and we were too slow to act. But thinking he can escape so easily, that’s a bit too naive!” Sha Yingsi grinned, his voice filled with coldness.
In the dense forest, a figure flickered forward, illuminated by the moonlight. It was none other than Chen Fei, heading towards Immortal Cloud City.
“Chen Fei? You managed to escape too?”
A voice suddenly came from ahead, and at some point, a figure in a hurry had stopped, looking back at Chen Fei with surprise.
Chen Fei involuntarily paused, looking at the figure of Fang Zhehua ahead, his brow furrowed.
“You’ve also noticed something’s amiss? It seems that Moyang Manor has likely been infiltrated by the Divine Flame Sect. We need to report this immediately!” Fang Zhehua said in a deep voice.
“Your affairs are none of my concern. I’m willing to cooperate with you today, so why are you pushing so hard?” Chen Fei gazed at Fang Zhehua and let out a soft sigh.
“What are you talking about?”
Fang Zhehua, upon hearing Chen Fei’s words, couldn’t help but be puzzled. His expression seemed to indicate he hadn’t quite understood Chen Fei’s words.
“I’m heading in this direction now, Elder Fang. Where are you planning to go?” Chen Fei pointed in a different direction, not aligning with Fang Zhehua’s original path.
“Moyang Manor has issues, and by now, someone might have caught up with us. Staying together provides mutual support,” Fang Zhehua frowned slightly, sounding somewhat dissatisfied.
Chen Fei remained silent, simply gazing calmly at Fang Zhehua.
As Fang Zhehua observed Chen Fei’s expression, his slightly excited demeanor gradually disappeared, replaced by calmness, then cold indifference. His gaze lost all emotion, replaced only by a chilling intent.
“I was right earlier during the day. You really are formidable. Where did you detect that something was amiss?” Fang Zhehua looked at Chen Fei and inquired.
“Elder Fang, if you suspect something is amiss, you can capture him first and then question him. Asking him now won’t make him willingly spill the beans.” A dark figure appeared behind Chen Fei, seemingly out of nowhere, effectively blocking Chen Fei’s retreat alongside Fang Zhehua.
The momentum of the two intertwined, pressing down on Chen Fei. Any slight movement from Chen Fei would be met with a torrential storm of attacks.
“You make a valid point. If you have something to say, we can capture you first and then question you,” Fang Zhehua coldly chuckled as he looked at Chen Fei. He continued, “So, are you ready to surrender, or do you want us to beat you senseless first?”
“If you’re sensible, you should surrender. We don’t want your life. In fact, we can offer you an even greater opportunity than staying in the Yuan Chen Sword Sect!” Yu Xiaolin insidiously enticed, advancing step by step toward Chen Fei to exert more pressure.
Chen Fei’s displayed agility had surprised them momentarily, but their astonishment was fleeting. Their Long Rainbow Sect’s agility was on par with the Yuan Chen Sword Sect, and they had broken through to the Nascent Realm decades ago, so they naturally outclassed Chen Fei in agility.
It was impossible for Chen Fei to shake them off with just his agility.
“Is it just the two of you chasing after me?”
As Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin drew nearer to Chen Fei, he raised his head and calmly asked.
Upon hearing Chen Fei’s question, Fang Zhehua couldn’t help but be stunned, then he narrowed his eyes. He thought Chen Fei was incredibly audacious to dare utter such words at this moment. It seemed he had no regard for his own life.
Did he really think they were no different from those independent cultivators?
In an instant, Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin appeared right in front of Chen Fei. Their two long spears flashed like dragon serpents, coiling around Chen Fei.
Both Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin were members of the Long Rainbow Sect. At this moment, they joined forces, their two long spears working in tandem to blanket every possible escape route around Chen Fei.
Like mist and wind, delicate and entwining, it bewildered one’s senses, making it impossible to discern the true source.
Faced with an attack of this nature, even cultivators of the Aperture Tempering realm with slightly lower cultivation and experience would be thrown into disarray, let alone a coordinated assault by two individuals.
For those newly entering the Aperture Tempering realm, there was no chance of escaping unscathed.
*Boom!*
A deafening explosion echoed through the dense forest. The two long spears came to a halt just a few meters away from Chen Fei. A black barrier enveloped him, warding off the joint assault of the two.
Yu Xiaolin’s brow furrowed, about to exert more force to pierce through the black screen, but suddenly, the entire barrier disintegrated, covering both him and Fang Zhehua.
“A Zhongyuan Force Formation?”
Fang Zhehua’s aura vibrated, numerous spear shadows manifesting all around him to intercept the incoming black sword pearls. Although the sword pearls didn’t harm Fang Zhehua in the slightest, his expression gradually grew serious.
The pressure weighing down on him was excessively heavy, affecting his maneuvers. Moreover, these sword pearls, both in terms of strength and speed, were far beyond what a novice in the Zhongyuan Force Formation should be able to execute. In Fang Zhehua’s memory, there were only a few individuals in the Primordial Sword Sect who possessed such mastery of this formation.
It was completely unexpected for someone like Chen Fei, who had just entered the Aperture Tempering realm, to display this level of skill.
Chen Fei remained silent, watching Yu Xiaolin and Fang Zhehua. His eyes emitted a faint glimmer as the forty sword pearls suddenly split into countless sword threads, enveloping Yu Xiaolin and Fang Zhehua tightly within the sword formation.
*Schiing!
The screeching sound of the sword threads cutting through the air sent shivers down one’s spine.
The transformation of the sword pearls caught Fang Zhehua and Yu Xiaolin off guard. Their deep familiarity with the Primordial Sword Sect had led them to underestimate the fact that the sword pearls within the sword formation could take on such a form.
What was even more crucial was that the power of the sword threads, relative to the sword formation, had increased significantly.
“You’re not Chen Fei! Who are you?” Yu Xiaolin shouted loudly as he gazed at Chen Fei’s back.
Breaking through to the Aperture Tempering realm in just over a year and possessing this level of strength? How could this be possible!
*Clang!
Chen Fei drew the Qianyuan Sword, holding it as he advanced step by step toward Yu Xiaolin. Suddenly, he paused and turned in another direction.
Outside the sword formation, Sha Yingsi was watching in astonishment.
So, there’s another one!” Chen Fei’s lips curled into a smirk..