330: Chapter 324 New Supernatural Powers

Hu Chuanjie had been sitting by the side, remaining silent the entire time.

His body suddenly tensed for a brief moment.

He didn't turn his head, nor did he speak.

However, using his peripheral vision, he swept a glance over Ye Shanshan with extreme speed and subtlety.

That single glance.

It was incredibly fast.

If Chen Zhiwen hadn't been enveloping the entire area with his Divine Sense, it would have been impossible to notice.

But despite it being just a fleeting glimpse,

Chen Zhiwen saw it crystal clear.

In that look, there was no envy, and no jealousy.

Instead, it was filled with a deep... worry?

There was even a hint of fear and a sense of warning mixed in.

What was he afraid of?

Was he warning Ye Shanshan not to take it out?

Why?

If it were just an ordinary fourth-grade ore being used to exchange for a favor from a Nascent Soul Cultivator, it would be a stroke of immense good fortune.

As former Dao Companions, even if they had separated, he shouldn't be so begrudging of her success.

Unless...

There was something wrong with that Ore!

Or rather, the very act of possessing that Ore would bring great disaster to Ye Shanshan, perhaps even a fatal one!

Chen Zhiwen's heart gave a sudden thud.

Clouds of suspicion immediately arose.

On the surface, he remained calm, still maintaining that gentle and expectant smile.

But hidden within his sleeve, his fingers had already quietly formed a hand seal.

The spiritual energy within his body circulated secretly, preparing him for any sudden situation.

"It seems this Dragon Phoenix Peak hides quite a few secrets."

Chen Zhiwen sneered inwardly.

Ye Shanshan's hand had already touched the edge of her Storage Pouch.

But influenced by Hu Chuanjie's subtle gaze, or perhaps remembering something terrifying,

Her movements stopped again.

Her fingers trembled slightly, and she hesitated to make the next move.

The atmosphere at this moment became delicate and heavy.

Even the air seemed to have frozen.

Only the sound of the mountain wind howling echoed outside the pavilion.

"Fellow Daoist Ye?"

Chen Zhiwen spoke up at the right time, breaking the silence.

His voice was still gentle, but it carried a hint of invisible pressure.

"Are there some concerns?"

"If there's any difficulty, you might as well speak plainly."

"Since I, Chen, have promised to owe you a favor, I will naturally help you resolve any future worries."

This sentence was not just persuasion, but a form of hint.

He was telling Ye Shanshan: No matter what trouble that Ore brings, I can handle it!

Ye Shanshan suddenly looked up and stared at Chen Zhiwen.

The look of struggle in her eyes grew even stronger.

Inside the pavilion, the atmosphere was stagnant.

Ye Shanshan's hesitation was like a taut string.

Chen Zhiwen saw this and had a rough guess in his mind.

It was nothing more than the fear of being targeted for possessing a treasure.

Or perhaps she was worried that he, a Nascent Soul Cultivator, would kill her to keep the secret after obtaining the treasure.

Such things were common in the cultivation world; her concerns were not without reason.

Chen Zhiwen gently set down the teacup in his hand.

With a soft 'clack', an invisible pressure instantly spread out from him as the center.

But this pressure was extremely well-controlled, with no intention of harming anyone.

It was merely a display of strength.

"Fellow Daoist Ye."

Chen Zhiwen spoke slowly, his voice deep and magnetic.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze revealing a pride that looked down upon the world.

"Are you worried that I cannot protect your treasure?"

"Or are you worried that I would perform such a lowly act as burning bridges after crossing them?"

Ye Shanshan's body trembled slightly, her face turning somewhat pale.

She was about to explain, but Chen Zhiwen raised his hand to interrupt her.

"Although I am not particularly talented, having only recently entered the Mid Nascent Soul Stage,"

"The Divine Abilities I possess are by no means comparable to an ordinary Mid Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator."

As he spoke, a wisp of pale white flame flickered from his fingertip.

It was the Bone Spirit Cold Fire.

As soon as the fire appeared, the temperature in the surrounding air plummeted instantly, and even the dew on the stone pillars of the pavilion froze into ice.

Then, he instantly withdrew the flame. The destructive aura that erupted for that brief moment left the two Golden Core Cultivators feeling suffocated.

"On this small patch of land belonging to the Artifact Refining Alliance, as long as I speak to protect you,"

"Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn't be able to touch a hair on your head."

"This is my confidence."

Chen Zhiwen's words were powerful and resonant.

Every word was like a heavy hammer striking the hearts of the two people opposite him.

After demonstrating his strength, Chen Zhiwen withdrew his aura,

Returning once more to his gentle appearance, quietly looking at Ye Shanshan.

He was waiting.

Waiting for a satisfactory answer.

Ye Shanshan kept her head down, her hands tightly clutching the edge of her clothes.

An intense internal struggle was taking place within her.

After a long time.

She finally looked up.

The look of struggle in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a sense of determination and a trace of deep helplessness.

"Senior has misunderstood."

Ye Shanshan took a deep breath. Although her voice was still trembling slightly, it had stabilized significantly.

"It's not that I don't trust Senior's character and Divine Abilities."

"It's just..."

She paused, seemingly organizing her words.

"It's just that I currently do not have any high-grade Ore on hand."

As soon as these words were spoken, Chen Zhiwen's brow furrowed instantly.

A coldness uncontrollably radiated from his body.

You don't have it?

Was all that posturing just now to make a fool of him?

Sensing Chen Zhiwen's displeasure, Ye Shanshan's expression changed, and she hurriedly spoke to supplement her statement:

"Senior, please appease your anger!"

"I haven't finished speaking."

She gritted her teeth, as if throwing caution to the wind.

"Although I don't have it now,"

"I can make a promise."

"Ten years!"

She held up one finger, her gaze fixed firmly on Chen Zhiwen.

"Please give me ten years, Senior."

"Ten years from now, if Senior visits the Artifact Refining Alliance again,"

"I guarantee that I will present at least two pieces of fourth-grade ore with both hands!"

"And they will be by no means ordinary!"

Ten years?

The coldness in Chen Zhiwen's eyes lessened slightly, but his confusion grew.

Two pieces of fourth-grade ore, and he had to wait ten years?

What kind of logic was this?

Was this Ore like a radish planted in the ground, needing time to grow?

Just then.

Hu Chuanjie, who had been silently observing the situation from the side, suddenly interjected.

He seemed afraid that Chen Zhiwen would be angered by the wait and quickly stood up, bowing deeply to Chen Zhiwen.

"Senior Chen."

Hu Chuanjie's face was covered in a fawning smile, his tone extremely humble.

"Ten years might be long for a Mortal."

"But for a Nascent Soul True Lord with a long Lifespan like yourself, it is but a blink of an eye."

"It's just the time it takes for a few sessions of secluded meditation."

While speaking, he secretly observed Chen Zhiwen's expression.

"Since Shanshan dares to make such an oath, she would never dare to deceive Senior."

"Those two pieces of Ore... are indeed somewhat special and require the passage of time before they can emerge in the world."

"I hope Senior can be magnanimous and fulfill Shanshan's sincere wish."

Chen Zhiwen looked at the two of them acting in concert with an expressionless face.

He did not immediately state his position.

His fingers lightly tapped on the surface of the stone table.

"Tup, tup, tup..."

This rhythmic tapping sounded particularly piercing in the quiet pavilion.

With every tap, Hu Chuanjie and Ye Shanshan's hearts skipped a beat.

In truth, Chen Zhiwen was somewhat annoyed.

He hated people who spoke in halves and kept things hidden most of all.

But then he reconsidered.

What he lacked most right now was time, but what he also didn't lack was patience.

Since they dared to promise two pieces of fourth-grade ore, it certainly wasn't without basis.

And looking at the two of them, it seemed some great secret was involved.

Forcing them to talk might yield an answer.

But it could also drive them to a mutual destruction, ruining the Ore.

Two pieces of fourth-grade ore were worth playing the long game.

"Fine."

After a long while, Chen Zhiwen finally stopped tapping.

He stood up and looked down at the two of them.

"Since you both put it that way,"

"Then I, Chen, will believe you this once."

His gaze swept over Ye Shanshan's beautiful face and finally fixed on her eyes.

"Ten years from now."

"During the Dragon Phoenix Summit."

"I will return to collect the treasure myself."

"I hope that when the time comes, Fellow Daoist Ye will not disappoint me."

Having said this,

Chen Zhiwen did not stay any longer.

With a wave of his large sleeve, his entire being transformed into a streak of green light, soaring into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the deep mists of Dragon Phoenix Peak.

...

Inside the pavilion.

Watching Chen Zhiwen's departing back completely vanish,

Hu Chuanjie and Ye Shanshan felt as if all the strength had been drained from their bodies, and they slumped onto the stone benches.

Their backs had long been soaked with cold sweat.

They looked at each other, and both saw a trace of relief from surviving a disaster in the other's eyes, along with an even deeper worry.

...

High in the air.

Chen Zhiwen traveled on the wind at extreme speed.

But his expression was not as magnanimous as he had just portrayed.

On the contrary.

His gaze gradually became icy, like a ten-thousand-year-old frozen pond.

"Ten years?"

A cold snort escaped from his nose.

"Truly absurd."

"Two mere Late Golden Core Stage Cultivators actually dare to make me, a great Mid Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, wait for ten years?"

He slowed his pace slightly in the air, recalling the demeanor and actions of those two just now.

Ye Shanshan's hesitation, Hu Chuanjie's support.

And that so-called "special reason."

Everything pointed to one fact—

There was a shocking secret hidden on Dragon Phoenix Peak.

Moreover, this secret belonged to the two of them.

Things like "their fate as Dao Companions having ended" and "not interacting until death."

Now it seemed they were nothing more than a smokescreen used to deceive others.

"Hmph."

"If it weren't for my urgent need to increase my strength and my lack of time to play riddle games with you,"

"I would certainly have extracted both your souls today and searched them thoroughly."

Chen Zhiwen pondered to himself.

He wasn't worried that these two would run away.

The Artifact Refining Alliance was right here, and Dragon Phoenix Peak was right here.

The monk can run, but the temple cannot.

Furthermore,

The current Alliance Leader of the Artifact Refining Alliance, Liu Shengli, was no longer the same person as before.

He was a bull demon whose lifeblood he held in his hands.

To expect that bull demon, who only knew how to eat the essence of plants and trees, to protect a Great Master of Artifact Refining?

It was simply a pipe dream.

"Once I have a free hand,"

"No matter what secret you are hiding, it will eventually be mine for the taking."

A trace of greed and ruthlessness flashed in Chen Zhiwen's eyes.

Just then.

A faint spiritual light suddenly shot over from the distance.

It was a pale yellow transmission paper crane.

The paper crane was extremely exquisite and carried a hint of the unique aura belonging to Huang Yu, the Vice Alliance Leader of the Artifact Refining Alliance.

Chen Zhiwen reached out and snatched the paper crane into his palm.

With a gentle squeeze,

"Pop."

The paper crane dissipated into dots of spiritual light.

A clear Divine Thought transmission sounded directly within his Sea of Consciousness.

"Reporting to Senior."

"It has been investigated."

"The actual reason Xia Yu and his group visited our Alliance was to repair a severely damaged fourth-grade Low Grade Magic Treasure."

"This task is quite difficult and has been handed over to our Alliance's chief Artifact Refining master, Zhang Jinhui, to handle personally."

"According to Great Master Zhang's estimation, even with working day and night, it will take at least a month to finish the repairs."

"Therefore, Xia Yu and the others will remain within the Alliance for several dozen days."

"In addition..."

"Wan Xingwang, the head of the Wan Family, arrived on the island today with his servant, Ugly One."

"Currently, they have not visited anyone, their movements are mysterious, and their purpose is unknown for now."

"I am sending people to monitor them closely."

After hearing this transmission,

Chen Zhiwen's gaze instantly became sharp.

Repairing a fourth-grade Magic Treasure?

One month?

For him, this was both good news and bad news.

The good news was that Xia Yu's group was temporarily stuck here, and their location was clear.

The bad news was that the people from the Wan Family had also come, making the situation even more complex.

Chen Zhiwen hovered in mid-air, letting the gale blow through his long hair.

His mind worked rapidly, beginning to deduce the upcoming situation.

The war between the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and the Wan Family was on the verge of breaking out.

He himself was the core strength of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, even its future hope.

"One month..."

Chen Zhiwen murmured to himself.

"This time is too long."

"The time I agreed upon with Xiao Linger to return to the Sect is three months."

"Combined with the Wan Family's Myriad Thunder Bear..."

Thinking of that Mid Nascent Soul Stage Thunder Cultivator, Myriad Thunder Bear,

Chen Zhiwen couldn't help but feel a hint of pressure.

Thunder Cultivators were always known for their violent attack power.

Among those of the same stage, they rarely had rivals.

"I cannot wait."

A look of ruthlessness flashed in Chen Zhiwen's eyes.

"The best outcome is to strike just as Xia Yu finishes repairing the treasure and leaves the Artifact Refining Alliance."

"When he thinks he has succeeded and is at his most relaxed, I'll send him on his way."

"As for whether my identity will be exposed..."

He gave a cold laugh.

"What does it matter if it's exposed?"

"As long as I can intercept and kill Xia Yu here, weakening the power of the old Wan Family forces."

Since he had decided to act,

Then he must make good use of this month.

This month was Xia Yu's recovery period.

It was also Chen Zhiwen's preparation period.

He had to raise his combat power to a new height during this time.

To deal with the imminent fierce battle.

Chen Zhiwen did not go directly back to his residence.

Instead, he circled a few times in the air, starting to organize his current methods.

There weren't many directions for significantly increasing combat power in a short time.

First, Cultivate Divine Abilities.

He had only recently obtained the Bone Spirit Cold Fire.

This Divine Ability was peerless in power; if it could reach Major Achievement, it would definitely be a trump card.

But the problem was that the strange fire was unruly.

To completely refine it and use it as easily as his own limbs required a lot of painstaking effort.

In a month's time, he probably wouldn't even scratch the surface.

"The Bone Spirit Cold Fire can only be used as a surprise element, not as a primary reliance."