70: Chapter 70 Liu Feng's sneak attack, he's dead!

Clearly, it was an ambush with poisoned arrows!

Someone is here!

And they had been lurking nearby for a long time, waiting for him and the Shadow Leopard to both be severely injured.

Or waiting for this very moment, just after he finished the mission and relaxed his guard, to launch a fatal sneak attack!

Ye Chen's internal alarm bells rang wildly; at this life-or-death moment, his potential exploded!

He didn't even have time to turn around; he kicked off the ground fiercely.

His whole body lunged forward while his waist twisted in an uncanny manner!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two poisoned arrows grazed his ribs and shoulder.

They left two bloody trails, tore his clothes, and a burning pain surged, with the poison instantly invading his body!

But the third arrow, aimed at the back of his head,

was narrowly dodged by Ye Chen's precarious lunge and twist.

It nailed itself into the rock in front of him, the tail of the arrow vibrating incessantly!

"What a pity, your reaction is quite fast."

A cold, sinister voice came from the mist.

Immediately after, three figures slowly walked out from the thick fog at the entrance of the Shadow Gorge.

They stood in a triangular formation, surrounding Ye Chen, who had just leaped up, his Face having a slightly bluish hue.

The leader was none other than Liu Feng, who had failed to provoke Ye Chen at the Mission Hall and was instead scared off by Ye Chen's punch!

At this moment, his Face wore a cruel and gleeful sneer.

In his hand, he held a black crossbow that was still emitting faint black qi.

The two people behind him were the two Wheel-Sea Realm Second Level Disciples who had been by his side at that time.

They were also holding weapons, staring at Ye Chen with malicious intent.

"Liu Feng!"

Ye Chen's eyes were cold, and the Profound Ice True Essence within his body circulated rapidly, suppressing the poison that had invaded his body.

This poison was extremely vicious, carrying intense coldness and corrosiveness, and it was eroding his Meridians and blood.

If not for the purity of his Profound Ice True Essence and his Ice Fire Body Tempering, which gave him extremely strong resistance, he would likely be unable to move by now.

"Didn't expect this, Junior Brother Ye?"

Liu Feng toyed with the short crossbow and said slowly.

"Did you think that just because you made me lose Face at the Mission Hall, this matter would just end like that? I had already found out that you accepted this mission to the Shadow Gorge!"

"I've been waiting here for you for a long time! How is it? The Shadow Leopard's taste isn't pleasant, right? Plus my 'Bone-Eroding Poison', do you feel your whole body turning cold and your True Essence not circulating smoothly?"

He laughed triumphantly.

"You think having some brute strength and lighting up the strength-testing stone makes you amazing? Let me tell you, in the Tianyun Sword Sect, you rely not just on strength, but also on brains and connections!"

"A wild brat from the boondocks like you dares to fight me? Today, this Shadow Gorge will be your burial ground! Don't worry, after you die, I, your Senior Brother, will 'receive' your mission items and whatever trash you have on you."

"As for the cause of your death... it's very simple: died while executing a dangerous mission, unfortunately killed by a Yao Beast, with no corpse left. Isn't that perfect?"

A Disciple beside him also sneered.

"Senior Brother Liu, why waste words on this dying man? Just kill him quickly and take the stuff! This ghost place is eerie and bad luck!"

Another person looked greedily at the ice scar sword in Ye Chen's hand and the Shadow Leopard corpse on the ground.

"Kid, if you're sensible, hand over the sword and Storage Pouch, and Senior Brother Liu might give you a quick death!"

Ye Chen slowly straightened his body and wiped away a trace of black blood from the corner of his mouth that had spilled out because he was suppressing the poison.

His gaze swept over the three of them.

Finally, it settled on Liu Feng's arrogant Face.

The corners of his mouth suddenly curled into a cold, mocking arc.

"So, this is the plan you came up with."

His voice was surprisingly calm.

As if the potent poison eroding his Meridians and the desperate situation before him had no effect on him at all.

"Unfortunately, you miscalculated two things."

"First, that bit of poison cannot kill me."

Before he finished speaking, the Ice Lotus Imprint within Ye Chen's body suddenly shone brilliantly!

A pure, vast, and chaotic life-force-bearing Origin cold qi erupted, and wherever it passed,

the 'Bone-Eroding Poison' that had invaded his body, like snow meeting the blazing sun, was instantly dissolved, purified, and expelled from his body!

The blood flowing from the wounds on his shoulder and ribs also quickly turned from black to red!

"Second..."

Ye Chen slowly raised the ice scar sword, pointing the tip directly at Liu Feng.

An Aura of killing intent, far more terrifying and colder than when he fought the Shadow Leopard, spread out like substance.

It pushed back the surrounding mist by several feet.

"Who told you..."

"...that I was using my full strength just now?"

The sneers on the Faces of Liu Feng and his two companions instantly froze.

Replacing them was disbelief, shock, and a trace of fear that rapidly spread.

They watched Ye Chen's complexion rapidly return to a healthy flush.

They felt that terrifying killing intent, like a prehistoric Vicious Beast waking up, and the suddenly rising, terrifying Aura that made their Souls tremble.

A terrible thought involuntarily surfaced in their minds.

"They had kicked... an iron plate."

"And it was a red-hot, barbed iron plate!"

The moment Ye Chen finished speaking, the temperature of the entire Shadow Gorge seemed to drop a few degrees further.

The cold arc on his Face had not yet disappeared, and on the ice scar sword in his hand, ice-blue and golden-red light surged forth like a tide.

A biting, cold, yet hidden burning killing intent, like an invisible storm, slammed fiercely toward Liu Feng and the other two!

The sneer on Liu Feng's Face froze completely, replaced by a horror as if he had seen a ghost.

He could clearly feel that Ye Chen's Aura had not withered from the poison and the battle with the Shadow Leopard.

Instead, like a Vicious Beast that had broken free from its shackles, it had become even more dangerous and unfathomable than before!

That killing intent made him, a Sea of Acupoints Realm Third Level Peak Cultivator, feel his scalp tingle and his Soul tremble!

"Impossible! How could you force out the 'Bone-Eroding Poison' so quickly?!"

Liu Feng cried out, his hand holding the black crossbow shaking slightly.

The two companions behind him were even paler, subconsciously taking half a step back, their eyes filled with fear.

"There is nothing impossible."

Ye Chen's voice was flat, yet carried a bone-chilling coldness.

"Now, it's my turn."

The moment the last word fell, he moved.

He did not use "Mist Transformation Steps", but simply took a step forward!

With a "crack" sound under his feet, the hard rock cracked inch by inch!

His whole body was like a cannonball fired from its chamber, carrying an unstoppable, all-destroying momentum, lunging straight at Liu Feng!

The speed was so fast that it left a faint afterimage in place!

"Stop him!"

Liu Feng was scared out of his wits, let out a strange cry, and subconsciously pulled the trigger of the short crossbow in his hand!

At the same time, his other hand slammed onto a jade pendant at his waist.

A layer of pale yellow light shield instantly enveloped him — a defensive Spiritual Artifact!

"Swish! Swish! Swish!"

Three pitch-black poisoned arrows shot towards Ye Chen in a triangular formation, the arrows piercing the air with a pungent, fishy smell.

The two Wheel-Sea Realm Second Level Disciples behind him also suppressed their fear.

One on the left and one on the right, wielding swords and blades, they attacked Ye Chen's sides, attempting to surround him to rescue their leader.

Facing this pincer attack, Ye Chen's eyes did not flicker in the slightest.

His forward momentum did not diminish; he simply flicked his wrist, and the ice scar sword traced a perfect circular arc.

"Ice Ring · Defense!"

"Ding! Ding! Ding!"

The three poisoned arrows hit the ice-blue sword ring, like hitting an iron wall, and were instantly deflected.

They nailed into the nearby rock wall, their tails vibrating.

And borrowing this recoil force, Ye Chen's speed actually increased by another three points, dodging the blades and swords attacking from the sides.

His target remained Liu Feng!

"Die for me!"

Seeing Ye Chen so fierce, Liu Feng's eyes flashed with madness, and he stopped caring about anything else.

He took out a crimson Talisman from his Storage Pouch.

He spat a mouthful of essence blood onto it and threw it fiercely towards Ye Chen!

"Flame Explosion Talisman!"

The Talisman instantly transformed into a water-vat-sized, scorching hot fireball.

Carrying a destructive Aura, it whistled as it smashed toward Ye Chen!

This was a Second-Grade High Grade attack Talisman.

Its power was comparable to a full-strength strike from a Lun Hai Jing Fourth Level Cultivator, and it was Liu Feng's trump card for saving his life!

Before the fireball even arrived, the terrifying high temperature had already distorted the air, evaporating all the surrounding mist.

However, facing this Flame Explosion fireball that could severely injure or even kill a normal Lun Hai Jing Fourth Level Cultivator,

a trace of mockery flashed in Ye Chen's eyes instead.

He did not dodge or avoid it, nor did he even swing his sword to block.

He simply clenched his left hand into a fist and, facing the whistling fireball, threw a punch!

On his fist, the ice-blue and golden-red light instantly flared up.

Forming a miniature, rapidly spinning Ice Fire vortex!

"Ice Fire Break!"

"Boom!!!"

The fist and the fireball collided violently!

Amidst the deafening roar, that seemingly infinitely powerful Flame Explosion fireball was actually blasted apart by that Ice Fire vortex with a single punch!

The crimson flames, ice-blue cold qi, and golden-red blazing flames crazily intertwined and annihilated each other.

Turning into flying fire and ice shards, they splattered everywhere.

Blasting scorched shallow pits into the ground of the gorge, yet failing to harm Ye Chen in the slightest.

The layer of Ice Fire light covering his fist only dimmed slightly.

"What?!"

Liu Feng's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, his shock reaching its peak.

Taking a Second Grade High Grade Explosive Flame Talisman head-on with bare hands?

Is he even human?!

In the very instant his focus wavered.

Ye Chen's figure, like a ghost, pierced through the aftermath of the explosion and appeared before him!

The ice scar sword, carrying a ghostly light of death, stabbed straight at his throat!

"No!"

Liu Feng was terrified out of his wits, desperately pushing his protective light barrier, while frantically smashing the short crossbow in his hand toward the ice scar sword.

"Crack!"

The protective light barrier was pierced by the sword tip as if it were made of paper!

The short crossbow collided with the ice scar sword and instantly snapped in two!

The ice scar sword's momentum slowed slightly, but it still accurately pierced into Liu Feng's right chest.

At the last moment, relying on his survival instinct, Liu Feng barely twisted his body, avoiding his vital heart.

"Squelch!"

As the blade entered his body, the extreme cold Sword Qi and the burning hidden energy erupted simultaneously!

Liu Feng let out a shrill, miserable scream.

A bowl-sized bloody hole was instantly blown open in his right chest, with the edges of the wound intertwined with char and frost.

His whole body flew backward like a tattered sack, slamming heavily against the rock wall before sliding down limply, blood spraying wildly.

His Aura instantly withered to the extreme.

Although not dead, he had completely lost the ability to fight.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

From Ye Chen's sudden burst to Liu Feng falling heavily wounded, it took no more than two or three breaths.

The other two Disciples besieging Ye Chen had just missed with their blades.

Before they could change their moves, they saw Liu Feng screaming as he flew out, his life or death unknown.

The two were instantly scared to the point of Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering; how could they dare to fight again?

With a shout, they turned and fled for their lives toward the canyon entrance!

"Want to leave?"

Ye Chen's eyes were cold; how could he let go of these people who wanted his life?

His figure flickered, and he blocked the path of one of them.

The man raised his blade in terror to hack, but Ye Chen casually swung his sword, knocking the long blade away, and the ice scar sword followed through with a slash.

Blood sprayed from the Disciple's neck; clutching his throat, he fell to the ground with a gurgling sound.

Seeing his companion die instantly, the other person was terrified to the point of his liver and gallbladder splitting.

His legs went weak, and he actually fell to the ground, scrambling forward to escape, his crotch soaked.

Ye Chen caught up, stomped on his back, and unleashed his True Essence.

The man screamed, spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with organ fragments, twitched twice, and stopped breathing.

In an instant, three were slain, and one was gravely wounded and dying.

Ye Chen walked to the dying Liu Feng and looked down at him.

Blood foam constantly bubbled from Liu Feng's mouth, his eyes unfocused, filled with boundless fear and regret.

He hadn't expected that his carefully planned ambush would be so vulnerable in the Face of the opponent's absolute strength.

"Wh-why... are you so strong?"

Liu Feng asked intermittently.

He really couldn't understand how someone in the Meridian Opening Realm could be this strong.

"Go ask the King of Hell yourself."

Ye Chen said coldly, offering no answer.

He would not have the slightest mercy for those who wanted his life.

With a wave of the ice scar sword, he ended Liu Feng's suffering.

He quickly looted the valuables from the three of them.

Besides the broken short crossbow and the shattered jade pendant, there were several Storage Pouches containing Medicinal Pills, Spirit Stones, and miscellaneous items.

He dug a shallow pit and hastily buried the three corpses.

After doing this, Ye Chen walked over to the Shadow Leopard's corpse.

He stripped away and collected the valuable Materials like the leopard skin, sharp claws, and venomous fangs.

After the battle and looting, although it hadn't taken long, the consumption and mental strain left Ye Chen feeling a trace of fatigue.

More importantly, the forced burst of power earlier to suppress the poison, combined with taking the Explosive Flame Talisman head-on, was not without its effects on him.

His Meridians ached faintly, and his True Essence was nearly half depleted.

"This place is not suitable for staying long."

Ye Chen glanced at the dark depths of the canyon and then toward the entrance.

Since Liu Feng and his group could ambush him here, there was no guarantee that others hadn't targeted him or been drawn by the commotion earlier.

He had to leave as soon as possible and return to the Sect to turn in his mission.

He put all his gains into his Storage Pouch.

He took a few Medicinal Pills to recover his True Essence and treat his injuries.

Then, without further delay, he executed his movement technique and sped toward the canyon entrance.

The journey was uneventful, and he successfully exited the Shadow Gorge.

Outside, the sky had already darkened, and the Black Wind Mountain Range was shrouded in heavy twilight, adding a touch of danger.

Ye Chen identified the direction and traveled at full speed toward the Tianyun Sword Sect.

He raised his vigilance to the maximum and extended his Divine Sense as far as possible to prevent another ambush.

Fortunately, the return journey was relatively peaceful.

Perhaps the news of him killing Liu Feng and his group hadn't spread yet, or perhaps the Black Wind Mountain Range was simply too vast.

After traveling through the night, by noon the next day, he finally saw the familiar silhouette of the Tianyun Mountain Range in the distance.

Returning to his Immortal Cave on Flowing Cloud Peak, Ye Chen's tense nerves relaxed slightly.

He immediately activated the Immortal Cave's Restriction, sat cross-legged, and began to fully regulate his breathing and recover.

The battle with the Shadow Leopard and Liu Feng's group, though dangerous, had made his control over his own strength more proficient.

Especially the final act of forcing out the poison and taking the Explosive Flame Talisman head-on, which gave him a deeper understanding of the Fusion and application of his Ice Fire True Essence.

After the consumption, the Ice Lotus Imprint also seemed to have become slightly more solid.

...

After regulating his breathing for a full day and night, Ye Chen fully recovered, his state even better than before he set out.

He felt that the thin membrane separating him from breaking through to the Seventh Level of the Meridian Opening Realm seemed to have thinned a bit more.

On the morning of the third day, Ye Chen changed into a clean Inner Sect white robe, left his Immortal Cave, and headed to the Mission Hall again.

The Mission Hall was still bustling with noise.

Ye Chen's arrival did not attract much attention.

After all, thousands of Disciples entered and exited the Mission Hall every day.

Unless one paid special attention, it was hard to remember a new Face.

He walked straight to the counter for turning in missions.

He handed his identity token, the mission scroll, the jade box containing the moon shadow grass, and the shadow leopard demon core.

He handed them all to the Deacon Disciple on duty.

The Deacon Disciple took them and checked them as a matter of routine.

When he opened the jade box and saw the three moon shadow grass plants, full of years and brimming with Spiritual Qi.

And when he picked up the shadow leopard demon core, which emitted a pure, cold Aura.

A trace of surprise couldn't help but appear in his eyes.

He looked up at Ye Chen.

It seemed he wanted to associate this Meridian Opening Realm Disciple who could complete such a dangerous mission with some rumor in his mind.

"Ye Chen, Shadow Gorge mission, confirmed complete. Three moon shadow grass, excellent quality. shadow leopard demon core, intact. Mission rating: Excellent."

The Deacon Disciple operated on the identity token a few times, then handed the token and a small cloth bag to Ye Chen.

"This is your reward, 800 contribution points, already transferred to your token. As an additional reward, because the mission completion rating is Excellent, you are awarded an extra 50 contribution points. A total of 850 contribution points. Please keep it safe."

"Many thanks, Senior Brother."

Ye Chen took the token and the cloth bag; inside were some Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

It counted as a small extra reward, and he felt a slight joy in his heart.

850 contribution points was not a small amount.

It was enough for him to go to the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion to look up quite a bit of information, or to exchange for some good Medicinal Pills and Talismans.

"You are Ye Chen?"

Just then, a slightly cold voice came from the side.

Ye Chen turned his head.

He saw a young man wearing an Inner Sect white robe, with two golden threads embroidered on the cuffs, a cold expression, and eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

He was standing not far away, looking at him coldly.

This young man had a powerful Aura; he was remarkably at the Fifth Level of Wheel Sea Realm!

Behind him followed several Disciples with not-weak Auras.

Judging by their cuffs, most were Elite Disciples with one golden thread.

Two golden threads, Elite Inner Sect Disciple!

Ye Chen felt a chill in his heart, but with a calm expression, he cupped his hands.

"That is me. May I ask who you are, Senior Brother?"

"Golden Flame Peak, Chen Ao."

The cold young man said indifferently, his gaze feeling like a solid substance as he scanned Ye Chen up and down.

It carried a condescending scrutiny and a trace of imperceptible hostility.

"Liu Feng, was it you who killed him?"

His voice was not loud, but it carried an inexplicable pressure, causing the surrounding noisy voices to fall silent.

Many Disciples looked over, showing expressions of surprise and the desire to watch a show.

Chen Ao from Golden Flame Peak?

That was a famous ruthless character among the Elite Disciples, at the Fifth Level of Wheel Sea Realm; it was said he had hopes of challenging for Core Disciple!

Why did he come looking for this newcomer in the Meridian Opening Realm?

Liu Feng?

It seems he was also a Disciple of Golden Flame Peak, and he went missing.

Thoughts raced through Ye Chen's mind.

The other party had indeed come for Liu Feng!

And to arrive so quickly, he was likely paying attention all along, or he had special channels to learn of Liu Feng's death.

His expression remained unchanged as he met Chen Ao's gaze calmly.