61: Chapter 61: Solo Incursion into the Dragon's Den, Kill! Kill! Kill!

Cold Killing Intent surged like a tide in the dark night.

It silently washed over the overgrown graves of the mass grave, causing the light of the campfire to seem to dim slightly.

The originally boisterous bandits felt as if they were being strangled by the neck; their laughter and chatter came to an abrupt halt.

One after another, they grabbed the weapons beside them and peered warily toward the direction the Killing Intent was coming from.

Black Wind Fiend's single eye burst with sharp light as he slowly stood up from his tiger-skin chair.

He shouldered his heavy Nine-Ring ghost head saber, baring his teeth in a grin to reveal forest-white teeth.

"You've finally come, you little brat. At least you're punctual."

Ghost Old Man also laughed coldly, retreating half a step behind Black Wind Fiend with a venomous gaze.

Little Yu, tied to a withered tree, also seemed to sense something.

She struggled violently, making muffled "wu wu" sounds through the rag stuffed in her mouth, her large eyes filled with anxiety.

From the depths of the darkness, a figure slowly walked out.

The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds; only the leaping light of the campfire outlined the newcomer's silhouette.

Dressed in a black martial outfit, his figure was tall and straight, and his face appeared somewhat blurred in the flickering firelight.

Only those eyes were startlingly bright, calm, and cold, like a ten-thousand-year-old frigid pool.

They reflected the dancing flames but held not a trace of warmth.

It was none other than Ye Chen.

Alone, he stepped through the wild grass and passed the graves, walking step by step toward the brightly lit group of bandits.

His pace was neither fast nor slow, yet it carried a strange rhythm, as if he were stepping on the drumbeats of their heartbeats.

Wherever he passed, even the phosphorus fires on the ground quietly extinguished, and the air seemed to freeze.

"Brother—wu wu!"

Seeing that familiar figure, Little Yu's tears burst from her eyes, and she struggled even harder.

Ye Chen's gaze swept past dozens of predatory bandits, past the hideous faces of Black Wind Fiend and Ghost Old Man.

Finally, it landed on that small, trembling figure on the withered tree.

Seeing that although Little Yu looked miserable, she seemed to be mostly unharmed, the tight strings of his heart finally relaxed slightly.

But the chill in his eyes became even more piercing.

"Release my sister."

He stopped his pace and stood still ten zhang away from the bandits, his voice calm yet clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"I will stay."

"Hahaha!"

Black Wind Fiend let out a burst of arrogant laughter, his single eye sizing up Ye Chen as if admiring a piece of prey.

"Kid, you've got guts! You actually dared to come alone! Release your sister? Sure, first hand over all the treasures you got in the Molten Fire Abyss, then cripple your own cultivation and kneel down to give me a hundred kowtows. If I'm in a good mood, I might consider it."

The surrounding bandits followed suit with raucous laughter, their foul language incessant.

Ye Chen remained expressionless, merely slowly raising his right hand to grasp the hilt of the ice scar sword on his back.

“Qiang—!”

Under the reflection of the campfire, the faint blue blade drew a cold arc as it left its sheath.

The tip of the sword pointed diagonally at the ground, as light interwoven with ice-blue and gold-red flowed across the blade.

A coldness and Killing Intent far more refined and terrifying than before erupted like an invisible storm.

With Ye Chen as the center, it exploded outward!

"I will say it one more time. Release my sister."

Ye Chen's voice was still calm, but the Killing Intent contained within it...

...caused the smiles on the faces of the nearest bandits to freeze, and they subconsciously took a step back.

Black Wind Fiend narrowed his single eye, his smile vanishing, replaced by a cruel excitement.

"Oh? You still dare to draw your sword? It seems you've chosen the hard way! Boys, get him! First, take off both his arms and see if he still dares to be so arrogant!"

"Kill!"

Dozens of bandits had long grown impatient; hearing the order, they immediately howled and pounced forward!

Shadows of blades and swords filled the air, murderous intent surging like a pack of wolves pouncing on prey, wanting to submerge Ye Chen instantly!

Facing this surging tide of people, Ye Chen moved.

He did not retreat, but instead took a step forward!

The ground cracked beneath his feet, and his figure, like a ghost, charged into the crowd!

The Mist Transformation Steps were utilized to their limit in the night and Chaos!

His figure was like green smoke merging into the night wind, weaving through the gaps of the blade shadows.

Every dodge was perilously close, yet perfectly executed.

The ice scar sword in his hand became invitations from the God of Death—simple, sharp, and lethal!

"Chi!" "Pu!"

"Ah—!"

The sounds of blades entering flesh, bones snapping, and short screams instantly interwove into a single chorus!

Wherever Ye Chen passed was as if the God of Death were swinging a scythe.

One bandit after another clutched their throats, hearts, or foreheads—vital spots.

With expressions of unbelievable terror, they collapsed to the ground, blood staining the wild grass red.

His sword was too fast, too cunning, and too ruthless!

Every strike aimed directly at a vital point, without any redundant flourishes.

The swordsmanship fused with Ice Fire True Essence and Nirvana was even more startling in power.

Ordinary bandits at the fifth or sixth level of the Meridian Opening Realm simply could not block a single strike from him!

In just a few breaths, more than ten bandits lay in pools of blood.

The remaining bandits were terrified by this horrific efficiency of slaughter; their charge faltered, and terror appeared on their faces.

"Useless! All of you, spread out! Form a formation! Use bows and arrows! Wear him down to death!"

Black Wind Fiend's eyelids twitched as he watched, and he shouted sternly.

He could also see that Ye Chen's movement and sword techniques were extremely bizarre; trying to overwhelm him with numbers was just increasing casualties.

The bandits immediately dispersed, forming a loose encirclement, with several archers hiding behind the crowd.

They drew their bows and notched arrows; poisoned shafts whistled through the air toward Ye Chen.

Ye Chen's eyes were cold as his figure blurred, dodging two cold arrows while swinging the ice scar sword to strike down three more.

He no longer tangled with the lackeys on the periphery, his gaze locking onto Black Wind Fiend and Ghost Old Man at the back of the crowd...

...as well as Little Yu on the withered tree behind them.

"Those who block me shall die!"

He gave a low shout, the ice-fire cyclone within his body spinning frantically as an even more powerful aura erupted!

On the ice scar sword, the ice-blue and gold-red light flourished, faintly condensing into the phantom of a rotating seal!

Ye Chen no longer held back, pushing his speed to the limit, like an arrow leaving a bow, he charged straight toward Black Wind Fiend's position!

Wherever he passed, the bandits blocking the way—whether they slashed with sabers or thrust with swords—were all sent flying by his sword, either dead or maimed!

No one could impede him even slightly!

"Arrogant!"

Seeing Ye Chen so valiant, Black Wind Fiend glared with his single eye and finally made his Move personally!

He stomped his foot, cracking the ground, his massive body moving as fast as a thunderclap.

The Nine-Ring ghost head saber carried a shrill ghostly howl, transforming into a black saber qi that cleaved toward Ye Chen's head!

This strike was heavy and powerful, containing his violent true essence of the Lun Hai Jing Fourth Level.

It was as if it wanted to split the very earth apart!

Facing this terrifying strike, Ye Chen's expression was grave, but he did not dodge or evade.

He suddenly stopped his pace, gripping the sword with both hands, and channeled eighty percent of the Ice Fire True Essence in his body...

...along with that wisp of Chaos Origin within the Ice Lotus Imprint, injecting it without reservation into the ice scar sword!

The blade emitted an overloaded hum, and the phantom of the Ice Fire Seal instantly solidified several times over!

"Ice Fire... Heaven Splitter!"

He shouted sternly and slashed upward!

There was no fancy Move, only a sword qi refined to the extreme, interwoven with ice and fire, seemingly capable of dividing Yin and Yang.

It slashed resolutely against that black saber qi!

“Honglong—!!!”

The moment the blade and saber met, it was like a thunderclap on level ground!

Blinding light and a terrifying airwave exploded outward!

A large crater several zhang wide was blasted into the ground, and the surrounding bandits were tossed away like straw, screaming as they fell far away.

The campfire was instantly extinguished for the most part, leaving only scattered sparks flickering in the night wind.

The light dissipated.

Ye Chen retreated seven steps in a row, every step leaving a deep footprint on the ground, his face turning pale.

A trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, and the arm holding the sword trembled slightly.

As for Black Wind Fiend, he also retreated three steps, the Nine-Ring ghost head saber in his hand humming loudly, and a rice-grain-sized chip had actually appeared on the blade!

His single eye was filled with shock and disbelief.

This kid actually took his full-power strike head-on and even forced him back three steps?

He even damaged his precious saber?

How was this possible? He was only in the Meridian Opening Realm!

Even if he had gained an Opportunity in the Molten Fire Abyss, he shouldn't be strong to this extent!

"Good kid! You really do have some skill!"

Black Wind Fiend was surprised but then delighted, the greed in his eyes growing even thicker.

"It seems the secrets on you are even bigger than I imagined! Ghost Old Man, let's go together! End this quickly and take him down!"

"Hehe, my thoughts exactly!"

Ghost Old Man let out a sinister laugh, his figure drifting out like a phantom.

A pair of withered claws became pitch black as ink, carrying a fishy wind and deadly poison as they clawed toward the vital points on Ye Chen's back!

He and Black Wind Fiend coordinated perfectly, one direct and one subtle, one hard and one soft, instantly placing Ye Chen in a perilous situation of being attacked from both front and back!

"Despicable!"

In the distance, Little Yu, tied to the tree, saw her brother being surrounded and attacked; she was so anxious that tears flowed freely as she struggled desperately.

Attacked from both sides, Ye Chen's gaze remained cold.

His thoughts turned like lightning, and he actually ignored Ghost Old Man's attack from behind.

Instead, he concentrated all his focus on Black Wind Fiend in front of him.

He raised his sword again and charged toward Black Wind Fiend, putting on a posture as if he wanted to perish together with him!

"Seeking death!"

Black Wind Fiend grinned hideously and slashed again!

Ghost Old Man's poison claws were also about to touch the center of Ye Chen's back!

At this critical moment, a cold light flashed in Ye Chen's eyes, and his left hand suddenly swung backward!

“Xiu!”

A blue ice needle, as thin as a cow's hair and nearly invisible, shot toward Ghost Old Man's forehead with incredible speed and angle!

This was the "Profound Ice Needle" he had condensed using the source cold qi of the Ice Lotus Imprint combined with the essence of the "Profound Ice Finger"!

Silent and soundless, it was specialized in piercing through protective true essence to directly attack the Divine Soul!

Ghost Old Man never expected that while Ye Chen was dealing with Black Wind Fiend with all his strength...

...he could still launch such a hidden and insidious attack!

All his focus was on the center of Ye Chen's back, wanting a one-hit kill; how could he have expected this change?

By the time he noticed that imperceptible wisp of coldness, the ice needle was already before his eyes!

"Not good!"

Ghost Old Man was terrified to the point of his Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering; he wanted to dodge, but it was too late!

He could only desperately tilt his head while pushing his protective true essence to its limit.

“Pu!”

The ice needle still pierced through the hastily condensed protective true essence, flying past his temple.

It took away a small piece of flesh and hair, which instantly froze into ice shards!

Although it didn't hit a vital spot...

...that bone-piercingly cold Concept and the contained power of Nirvana...

...still caused Ghost Old Man's Divine Soul to shake violently; his head felt as if it were being pierced by an ice pick, his vision went black, and he let out a scream.

His figure staggered back violently, his attack instantly broken.

As for Ye Chen, he seemed completely unaware of everything behind him.

All his power and spirit were concentrated on this one sword strike.

On the ice scar sword, that Ice Fire Seal surfaced once more.

But this time, in the center of the seal, that speck of Chaos-colored light brightened slightly.

"Ice Fire Annihilation Slash!"

He slashed out with his sword; it was no longer the overbearing power of splitting heaven and earth from before, but carried a sense of loneliness and deathly stillness that ended all things and returned them to nothingness.

The sword light was dim, yet it seemed to swallow all the surrounding light and sound.

Silently, it slashed onto the ghost head saber that Black Wind Fiend had swung again.

“Kacha...”

A slight sound, like the cracking of colored glass.

Black Wind Fiend's heavy Nine-Ring ghost head saber, which was mixed with profound iron...

...at the moment it contacted this dim sword light, actually snapped inch by inch like rotten wood!

The sword light's momentum did not decrease, sweeping across Black Wind Fiend's horrified face and the right arm he had subconsciously raised to block.

"No—!"

Black Wind Fiend let out a shrill scream.

His right arm was severed at the shoulder; the cut was as smooth as a mirror, with no blood flowing out.

It was instantly covered in a layer of frost, then turned into charred black powder beneath the frost.

And on his face, a thin bloodline appeared, running diagonally from his forehead to his chin.

He staggered back, his single eye filled with boundless fear and disbelief, staring fixedly at Ye Chen.

He wanted to say something but found that he could not make any sound.

Because his life force, along with his Soul, had been completely extinguished by that single Nirvana sword strike.

His massive body collapsed with a bang, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The leader of the Black Wind Stockade, a Lun Hai Jing Fourth Level expert, Black Wind Fiend, was dead!

Silence! A deathly silence once again enveloped the mass grave.

The remaining bandits stood as if under a freezing spell, staring blankly at their leader's corpse on the ground.

Then they looked at that black-clad youth standing with his sword, who, although blood spilled from his mouth and his aura fluctuated...

...was like a demon god; their minds went blank.

Ghost Old Man clutched his incessantly bleeding and numbly frozen temple.

The way he looked at Ye Chen was as if he had seen a ghost, filled with boundless fear.

He knew that he was absolutely not this kid's match!

If he stayed any longer, he would surely die!

"Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

Ghost Old Man shrieked, being the first to transform into black smoke and flee for his life into the darkness.

"Run!"

The remaining bandits snapped out of it, gave a shout, threw down their weapons, and scattered like startled birds and beasts, disappearing without a trace in an instant.

Ye Chen did not pursue them.

He leaned on his sword, panting heavily, his face as pale as paper.

Using killing Moves consecutively, especially the final "Ice Fire Annihilation Slash," had nearly exhausted all his strength, and his Meridians were sending waves of stabbing pain.

But he forced himself to endure, walking step by step to the withered tree and swinging his sword to cut the ropes.

He carefully removed the rag from Little Yu's mouth.

"Brother!"

Little Yu threw herself into his arms, crying loudly, her small body shaking violently.

"It's okay, Little Yu, it's okay, Brother is here."

Ye Chen held his sister tightly, gently patting her back, his voice hoarse, but his eyes were filled with lingering fear and relief.

Just a little bit, just a little bit more...

He looked at the corpses of Black Wind Fiend and the bandits all over the ground, then toward the direction Ghost Old Man had fled, the Killing Intent in his eyes not yet vanished.

The Black Wind Stockade... it wasn't over yet.

There was still the person behind the scenes.

But for now, the most important thing was to take Little Yu and leave this ghostly place.

Ye Chen picked up the still-sobbing Little Yu and retrieved Black Wind Fiend's Storage Pouch from the ground.

He gave a cold sweep of his eyes over the corpses on the ground before turning around, his steps somewhat unsteady.

Heading in the direction opposite to Luoxia Valley, he disappeared into the even deeper night.

Tonight, the elite of the Black Wind Stockade were all lost, and their leader was slain.

Once the news spread, it would surely shake the entire Qingyun Prefecture once again.

And the name of Ye Chen, along with this bloody night battle...

...would truly enter the vision of various major figures, no longer possible to ignore.

It was just that the road ahead seemed even more shrouded in mist.