41: Chapter 41 Counterattack

Ye Chen successfully made a Breakthrough to the Peak of the Fifth Level of Meridian Opening. His aura was steady and vast, and the coldness emanating from his every move caused Scarface and Lin Dong to feel bursts of palpitations.

The shock in their hearts was beyond measure; such Cultivation speed was unheard of!

"Brother Ye, you... you really are..."

Lin Dong opened his mouth, not knowing how to describe it.

"Just a small fortuitous encounter."

Ye Chen smiled indifferently and changed the subject. "Brother Scarface, how are your injuries?"

Scarface stretched his muscles and bones, and his complexion looked much better.

"After taking a Medicinal Pill, it's no longer a major issue. After another half day of meditation, I can recover seventy to eighty percent. What are your plans, Young Master Ye?"

He saw the sharpness in Ye Chen's eyes and knew that this young man was definitely not someone willing to be passive.

Ye Chen's gaze swept across the vast white world outside the ice depression, his eyes gradually turning cold.

"Tiger Wang and those people from the Ye family will definitely not let this go. Instead of waiting for them to heal their injuries and come looking for trouble again, it's better if we take the initiative to attack."

"Take the initiative to attack?"

Lin Dong was startled.

"Brother Ye, they have many people on their side, and Tiger Wang and that Ye Family Elder are both experts of the Ninth Level..."

"No matter."

Ye Chen interrupted him, his tone calm yet carrying powerful confidence.

"Now that my strength has improved, I precisely need actual combat to stabilize it. They experienced the sudden change in the ice cave, so they must have sustained damage and their morale will be low. Taking advantage of their lack of preparation to attack their weakness is the perfect opportunity."

He paused and looked at Scarface.

"Brother Scarface is familiar with the mining area. Do you know where they are most likely to settle down to heal?"

Scarface pondered for a moment, a sharp light flashing in his eyes.

"Thirty miles east of the ice plains, there is a 'Fire Lizard Cave'. Inside the cave, there are geothermal hot springs that can dispel the cold and heal injuries; it is one of the few relatively warm and safe places in the mining area. If the Wang and Ye families want to recover as quickly as possible, they will likely go there!"

"Fire Lizard Cave."

Ye Chen noted the name.

"Good! We will go to the Fire Lizard Cave! However, it won't be a frontal assault." A cold arc curled at the corner of his mouth.

"We'll go and give them a 'grand gift' first."

Half an hour later, everyone in the ice depression was ready.

The guards with lighter injuries stood watch on the perimeter. After his meditation, Scarface's combat power had recovered to seventy percent.

Ye Chen's state was at its Peak.

"Depart!"

The group left the ice depression and, using the cover of the pervasive wind and snow, moved rapidly toward the east.

Ye Chen took the lead, his figure ethereal, treading on snow without leaving a trace. His affinity with cold qi made him like a fish in water on this ice plain.

Scarface and Lin Dong followed closely behind, secretly shocked by the speed and environmental adaptability Ye Chen was displaying.

The thirty-mile journey was covered in less than an hour under their full speed.

From a distance, a crimson mountain range could already be seen, looking out of place in the surrounding world of ice and snow.

At the foot of the mountain was a clear cave entrance with faint heat rising from it; it was indeed the Fire Lizard Cave.

Ye Chen signaled for everyone to stop and hide behind a patch of ice crystals.

He focused his vision and saw two guards from the Wang family on duty at the cave entrance. Their expressions were alert, but they could not hide their exhaustion. Faint voices came from inside the cave.

"They really are here," Scarface whispered.

Ye Chen observed for a moment, already having a plan in mind.

He whispered.

"Brother Scarface, Brother Lin Dong, you lead the men to support from here and create some noise to draw attention. I will sneak into the cave and act as the situation dictates."

"Brother Ye, it's too dangerous! The situation inside the cave is unknown..."

Lin Dong said anxiously.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Ye Chen said confidently.

"If I can't win, I can still escape. You support from the outside. If you see a signal or if chaos breaks out inside the cave, then immediately come to assist."

Seeing that Ye Chen's mind was made up, Scarface no longer tried to dissuade him and nodded heavily.

"Be careful, Young Master Ye! We will wait here!"

Ye Chen said no more. His figure flickered as if merging into the wind and snow, silently creeping toward the Fire Lizard Cave.

He restrained his aura to the limit and, combined with the Mist Transformation Steps, wove through the jagged rocks and ice pillars as fast as a ghost.

When he was a hundred feet from the cave entrance, he stopped.

The two guards at the entrance were not a concern, but the situation inside was unknown, and rushing in blindly was too risky.

Ye Chen's gaze swept over several huge ice stalactites hanging above the cave entrance, and an idea struck him.

He circled to the side, found a blind spot, and quietly climbed the rock wall above the cave entrance.

The rock wall was warm and covered with a thin layer of ice.

He circulated his Profound Ice True Essence and pressed his hands against the ice layer. The extreme cold qi permeated through, quickly freezing several loose rocks and the ice layer even more firmly.

At the same time, he left several extremely subtle seeds of cold qi containing the Concept of Nirvana inside.

After doing all this, Ye Chen quietly retreated and hid behind a giant boulder.

Then, he picked up a pebble and flicked it with his finger!

"Clack!"

The pebble hit an ice rock near the cave entrance, making a crisp sound.

"Who's there?!" The two guards on duty immediately became alert, gripping their weapons and looking tensely toward the source of the sound.

Now was the time!

With a thought, Ye Chen detonated the cold qi seeds left inside the rock wall!

"Crack! Boom—!"

The rock wall and ice layer above the cave entrance suddenly exploded!

Countless gravel and huge ice stalactites poured down like a rainstorm, crashing toward the cave entrance!

"Enemy attack! Get out of the way!"

The two guards had their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering as they hurriedly dodged, but they were still hit by several pieces of gravel and fell to the ground screaming.

Chaos immediately broke out inside the cave!

"What happened?!"

"What's going on outside?!"

"Is the Lin family attacking?!"

Amidst the confusion, the exasperated voices of Tiger Wang and the Ye Family Elder were heard.

"What are you panicking for! Go out and look!"

Several disciples of the Wang and Ye families rushed out of the cave in alarm, looking around warily, but they only saw the sky full of snow and scattered gravel, with no sign of anyone.

"Damn it! Was it an avalanche or what?"

Tiger Wang rushed out carrying a blade, his face ashen as he looked at the messy cave entrance and the injured guards.

Just as everyone's attention was drawn by the incident at the cave entrance...

A blurred figure, like light smoke, hugged the rock wall and silently slid into the cave!

It was Ye Chen!

The inside of the cave was more spacious than imagined, warm and humid, with the smell of sulfur filling the air.

In the center was a small hot spring pool, bubbling with steam.

About twenty people from the Wang and Ye families were scattered throughout the cave. Most of them were injured and were currently circulating their power to heal.

The sudden turn of events had thrown them into disarray, and they stood up one after another, looking toward the cave entrance.

Ye Chen entered the cave and immediately used a thick stalagmite to hide his figure. His gaze was like lightning as he quickly scanned the entire area.

Tiger Wang and the Ye Family Elder were at the entrance. Among those remaining in the cave...

The ones with the highest cultivation were a Wang family deacon at the Peak of the Eighth Level and a Ye Family Elder at the Middle Stage of the Eighth Level. The rest were mostly disciples of the Fifth or Sixth Level.

"Opportunity!"

Ye Chen's eyes turned cold, his target locked on the nearest person—an unsuspecting Ye family disciple of the Fifth Level who was tending to an arm wound by the hot spring!

His figure shot out like a ghost, the ice scar sword unsheathed silently. A condensed blue sword qi was as fast as a lightning bolt, piercing directly toward the man's back!

"Puchi!"

That Ye family disciple had no time to react before the sword qi had already passed through his body!

His body stiffened, and he looked down in disbelief at the sword tip protruding from his chest, the life in his eyes rapidly fading.

"The enemy is in the cave!"

The nearby Wang family deacon was the first to react. Filled with shock and rage, he struck a palm toward Ye Chen!

Ye Chen, having succeeded in his strike, did not linger and retreated violently.

At the same time, he backhanded a sword strike. The cold qi-laden sword qi swept toward another approaching Wang family disciple!

"Watch out for the cold qi!"

The Wang family disciple hurriedly blocked. As blade met sword, a surge of extreme cold spread along his arm, instantly numbing half his body and stalling his movements!

"Ye Chen! It's you, you little bastard!"

Tiger Wang and the Ye Family Elder heard the commotion and rushed back into the cave with bloodshot eyes. They happened to see the scene of Ye Chen killing someone, and their eyes nearly split with rage!

"Surround him! Don't let him escape!" the Ye Family Elder shouted harshly.

Immediately, the remaining fifteen or sixteen disciples of the Wang and Ye families, led by the two Eighth Level experts...

Closed in like a fan, their blades and swords unsheathed, overflowing with Killing Intent!

Ye Chen, surrounded, did not change his expression; instead, a hint of excitement flashed in his eyes.

He needed this kind of pressure to temper the strength he had just broken through to!

"Mist Transformation Steps!"

Ye Chen's figure swayed, leaving trails of afterimages as he wove through the narrow space. The ice scar sword turned into streaks of blue lightning.

Sometimes stabbing, sometimes sweeping, cold qi overflowed, even freezing the steam from the hot spring into ice crystals!

"Ding ding dang dang!"

The sound of clashing weapons was incessant!

Ye Chen pushed his movement technique and swordplay to the limit.

Every strike was tricky and ruthless, containing the cold intent of Nirvana, specifically targeting the enemies' vital points and old wounds!

He did not fight head-on but used his speed and familiarity with the environment to constantly move around, creating chaos.

A Wang family disciple of the Sixth Level swung a blade at him. Ye Chen sidestepped to dodge, and the sword tip smoothly slashed the man's wrist. cold qi invaded, and the weapon fell from his hand!

A Ye family disciple launched a sneak attack from the side. Ye Chen seemed to have eyes in the back of his head; he turned and kicked the man in the abdomen, sending him flying to crash against the rock wall!

"Useless! All of you, move aside!"

The Wang family deacon roared. The aura of the Peak of the Eighth Level of Meridian Opening erupted as he slashed out. A crimson blade qi, like a wave of fire, swept toward Ye Chen!

He wanted to use raw power to crush the finesse!

Ye Chen's gaze focused. He did not dare to be careless, holding the ice scar sword vertically in front of his chest as Profound Ice True Essence surged out!

"Profound Ice Wall!"

"Boom!"

The blade qi slashed heavily against the thick ice wall that had instantly condensed, sending ice chips flying!

Ye Chen groaned and retreated three steps, his blood and qi churning, but he successfully blocked the strike!

After breaking through to the Peak of the Fifth Level, the abundance of his True Essence was no longer inferior to an ordinary Early Stage of the Eighth Level!

"What?!"

The Wang family deacon's pupils shrank in disbelief! This kid could actually take a full-power slash from him head-on?

Taking advantage of the man's momentary daze, Ye Chen's figure was like lightning as he lunged toward another Ye family disciple of the Seventh Level!

Seeing Ye Chen rushing at him, that disciple had his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering as he raised his sword to stab!

Ye Chen neither dodged nor avoided it. His left hand shot out like lightning, accurately grabbing the man's wrist and twisting hard!

"Crack!" The wrist bone snapped!

Simultaneously, the ice scar sword in his right hand had already pierced the man's heart! cold qi erupted, killing him instantly!

"Courting death!"

The Ye Family Elder's eyes nearly split with rage. His withered palm, carrying a fishy wind, struck toward Ye Chen's back! The palm wind contained potent poison!

Ye Chen seemed to have anticipated this. While killing the enemy, his body twisted strangely, narrowly avoiding the poisonous palm. The ice scar sword smoothly slashed back, forcing the Ye Family Elder to take a step back!

In just a dozen or so breaths, Ye Chen had moved through the heavy encirclement as if it were uninhabited, killing two people in succession, injuring several others, and remaining completely unharmed himself!

The inside of the cave was a mess. The disciples of the Wang and Ye families were both shocked and furious, yet they were kept in a state of confusion by his eerie movement technique and sharp swordplay!

"Form the array! Form the 'Dual Aspect Killing Array'!"

Tiger Wang shouted in rage, attempting to form an encirclement with the Wang family deacon and the Ye Family Elder.

Ye Chen knew when to stop and no longer lingered. He let out a long whistle that shook the cave.

"Brother Scarface! Move!"

Before the whistle faded, the sound of battle cries suddenly came from outside the cave! Scarface and Lin Dong led the Lin family guards and launched a feint attack according to the signal!