Chapter 281: The Fish Has Taken the Bait!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Boom!”
With a deafening explosion, Yu Xiaolin dug a deep pit with each step he took, desperately employing his movement technique to channel the overwhelming force surging through his body into the ground. However, the power was so uncontrollable, but given enough time, he might have succeeded in expelling it entirely.
But how could Chen Fei possibly give Yu Xiaolin that time?
As Yu Xiaolin retreated repeatedly, Chen Fei had already closed the gap between them with just a single step.
“What do you want?” Yu Xiaolin shouted, staring at the sword in Chen Fei’s hand, the fear of impending death driving him to scream frantically. Sha Yingsi’s lifeless body lay nearby, and Yu Xiaolin had no intention of following in his footsteps.
Chen Fei remained silent. When these individuals had appeared before him with murderous intent, the outcome had been sealed.
If Chen Fei’s strength had been even slightly weaker, the situation would have already turned against him. He would be trapped, unable to escape, and ultimately face the merciless fate of being surrounded and killed by the three of them.
“Ah!”
As he saw Chen Fei’s sword blade approaching, Yu Xiaolin roared in frustration. His acupoints quivered, and his body’s internal force surged.
Reverse Desolation Spear!
However, Yu Xiaolin didn’t thrust the long spear in his hand. Instead, relying on the surging power within him, he flashed away and fled into the distance.
The Reverse Desolation Spear couldn’t kill Chen Fei, as Sha Yingsi had already proven. Yu Xiaolin didn’t want to die either. Even if he could only survive by the skin of his teeth, he would choose life over silently perishing here.
Chen Fei was somewhat surprised. He hadn’t expected Yu Xiaolin to use a life-threatening technique to escape. The Reverse Desolation Spear, which harnessed opposing elemental forces and ruptured acupoints, was meant for a mutual demise. If the opponent didn’t die, the one using it would immediately meet their end.
Even if Yu Xiaolin managed to escape at this moment, he would likely become a crippled individual afterward. If his luck was just slightly worse, he might perish during his escape due to ruptured acupoints. The probability of such an outcome was also quite high.
Chen Fei was about to chase after him when he noticed that Yu Xiaolin had turned into a fleeting shadow, disappearing without a trace. His speed in fleeing was astonishing. Even with Chen Fei’s current agility, there was no chance of catching up.
The only possibility of intercepting him was if Chen Fei had mastered the Soaring Heaven Technique to perfection, but he hadn’t reached that level yet.
As Yu Xiaolin vanished, leaving only a sense of despair in the eyes of Fang Zhehua, who had initially been part of a trio all suppressed by Chen Fei, he couldn’t see any potential for a reversal.
“I’ve lived for so many years, and I rarely make misjudgments. I didn’t expect to meet my end here today!” Fang Zhehua looked at Chen Fei with a cold, sinister smile. The rapid movements of his long spear suddenly slowed down.
In the next moment, Fang Zhehua’s entire body suddenly swelled, then exploded in a burst of blood mist that spread in all directions. However, the sword formation trapped and compressed it into a confined area.
Chen Fei stood outside the sword formation, watching as Fang Zhehua self-destructed, without trying to intervene. This was because he couldn’t stop it. Although Chen Fei could overpower them, it didn’t mean he could control everything about them.
“Is it that you don’t want me to capture you alive and extract other information?”
As the sword formation dissipated, Chen Fei looked at the spot where Fang Zhehua had been standing, but there was nothing left. Fang Zhehua had even chosen to self-destruct his own spirit weapon, leaving nothing for Chen Fei.
Chen Fei briefly searched Sha Yingsi’s belongings, finding a few elemental stones. The most valuable item was the spirit weapon, a long spear, but its spiritual essence had already dissipated significantly.
After a quick glance in the direction where Yu Xiaolin had disappeared, Chen Fei’s figure flickered as he pursued.
In less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Chen Fei found Yu Xiaolin’s lifeless body in the dense forest. He had died moments ago due to the reversal of elemental forces and the rupturing of his acupoints. Despite all his efforts to escape, this had been his ultimate fate.
Chen Fei approached and searched Yu Xiaolin’s body, but the loot was meager: a few elemental stones and no elixirs. As for the spirit weapon he had been carrying, its spiritual essence had long vanished, rendering it useless scrap.
After a moment’s consideration, Chen Fei decided to retrieve the long spear anyway. It might fetch a few silver coins.
With no more potential gains, Chen Fei surveyed the surroundings, then his figure flickered as he headed toward the entrance of the Primordial Sword Sect.
Today had seen quite a series of events, and Chen Fei was certain he needed to report back. As for not going to Moyang Manor to capture Qian Jianlong, Chen Fei did not want to alert the enemy.
He couldn’t be sure how many people within the Moyang Manor might be connected to this situation. Perhaps Chen Fei could stealthily apprehend Qian Jianlong, but someone else might secretly relay the situation outside.
Given this uncertainty, it was better to return promptly and explain everything. There would naturally be people to handle all the matters.
Chen Fei swiftly returned to the sect’s entrance and found the sect leader, Qu Qingsheng. He recounted everything he had encountered. Qu Qingsheng was deeply shocked, both by the situation at Moyang Manor and by Chen Fei’s strength.
“Those three were killed by me when you sought help from our sect. If anyone asks, that’s your response!”
Qu Qingsheng looked at Chen Fei and emphasized, “Remember this.”
Chen Fei displayed his potential and understanding while the situation was chaotic, but he understood that he shouldn’t draw too much attention to himself.
“I understand,” Chen Fei nodded in agreement, acknowledging the sect leader’s intentions.
Qu Qingsheng relayed the message to the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect, while Chen Fei returned to his own courtyard.
In truth, Chen Fei had many unanswered questions and had considered capturing someone among Fang Zhehua’s group to gain insights.
However, in the end, Chen Fei abandoned the idea. It was safer to deal with dead people. Attempting to capture someone of the same cultivation level would only increase his own risk, which was unnecessary.
Because you never knew what hidden cards your opponent might have. What seemed safe could turn lethal with a single mistake.
At Moyang Manor, Qian Jianlong was waiting for Fang Zhehua and the others to return.
Qian Jianlong wasn’t concerned about their success in killing Chen Fei; he was more focused on how to handle the situation here after their return.
As time passed and Fang Zhehua’s group didn’t return, Qian Jianlong began to feel restless. Although not much time had passed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss, causing him to become increasingly uneasy.
“Are you feeling anxious?” A voice suddenly sounded in Qian Jianlong’s ear. Startled, he turned to see Elder Guo Huaiyu, an elder from the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.
Why was Elder Guo Huaiyu here, especially at this time?
Qian Jianlong’s heart was in turmoil, but years of lurking had already taught him to remain composed despite his inner anxiety.
“Elder Guo, my apologies for not welcoming you properly,” Qian Jianlong hurriedly stepped forward, bowing respectfully. “I wonder why Elder Guo has come to the manor so late?”
“That’s right. It’s no wonder nobody has been able to detect anything amiss with you all this time. What a pity!” Elder Guo Huaiyu praised Qian Jianlong’s composure while reaching for Qian Jianlong’s neck.
“Elder Guo, what is this…” Qian Jianlong’s heart was filled with dread, but he didn’t attempt to evade. In front of a powerhouse like Elder Guo Huaiyu, Qian Jianlong, with only Visceral Tempering Realm cultivation, had no resistance.
“You’re very sensible. 1 hope you’ll continue to be just as sensible in the future,” Elder Guo Huaiyu said as he grasped Qian Jianlong’s neck and disappeared into the room. At the same time, disciples from the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect quietly infiltrated the manor, taking control of everyone.
Without exception, they subdued everyone, young and old.
An hour later, Chen Fei was summoned back to Moyang Manor. He was surprised to see three individuals who bore a striking resemblance to Fang Zhehua and his group.
“You did well. You managed to discover the situation here and knew to send for help,” Elder Guo Huaiyu commented while nodding slightly. He then had a box delivered to Chen Fei.
“This is your reward for this mission. Stay here for the next few days and don’t go elsewhere,” Elder Guo Huaiyu instructed before turning and leaving. Chen Fei opened the box to find several bottles of pills inside.
Chen Fei opened one of the bottles, and the familiar fragrance of medicine wafted out. It was indeed Spirit Snow Pills. There were five pills in one bottle, and in total, there were thirty Spirit Snow Pills in the box.
“What’s this, the Spirit Enhancing Pill?” In the corner of the box, there was a smaller vial, which Chen Fei opened. A faint fragrance filled the air, clearing his entire sea of consciousness.
The Spirit Enhancing Pill, when consumed, directly enhanced one’s spiritual power. Even for a mid-stage Aperture Tempering Realm cultivator, it had a significant effect, let alone someone like Chen Fei in the early stage of Aperture Tempering Realm.
Chen Fei was somewhat surprised; the rewards from the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect were quite generous. In the Primordial Sword Sect, it would take him over a year to obtain this many Spirit Snow Pills. As for the Spirit Enhancing Pill, Chen Fei wouldn’t even have the opportunity to acquire it. It wasn’t sold in the pharmacies, and the Primordial Sword Sect rarely distributed it.
Chen Fei glanced at Elder Guo Huaiyu’s departing figure and then at the individuals who had posed as Fang Zhehua’s group. He realized that his earlier suspicions were likely correct. The Immortal Cloud Sword Sect seemed to be planning something significant.
With an ample supply of pills, Chen Fei began to practice diligently within Moyang Manor. He saved a lot of time by not having to refine pills, and this extra time allowed him to focus on cultivation.
For three consecutive days, Chen Fei focused on practicing the Soaring Heaven Technique. His proficiency in the technique had never waned, and he had invested even more effort recently. After these three days of intensive training, he finally broke through to the Mastery level.
In the room, Chen Fei’s figure swayed slightly, and a shadow emerged from his body. In moments, the shadow solidified, becoming an exact replica of Chen Fei.
The perfected Soaring Heaven Technique created a doppelganger that was incredibly lifelike. If not paying close attention, one could easily mistake it for the real Chen Fei. In comparison to the Proficiency level, this doppelganger now possessed nearly the same combat capabilities as Chen Fei himself.
Meanwhile, in a mountain hollow, several Aperture Tempering Realm cultivators of the Immortal Sword Sect were being surrounded and attacked by members of the Divine Flame Sect.
The fish had taken the bait!