337: Chapter 331 Ambush, Preparation for Attack

The vast sky was boundless, the blue vault washed clean.

Outside the Artifact Refining Alliance compound, clouds surged.

Xia Yu lightly waved the folding fan in his hand, the landscape painting on its surface faintly shimmering with Spiritual Qi.

He stood atop a massive white cloud Magic Treasure, his robes fluttering, looking just like an immortal descended to the mortal world.

"Brother Wan, you are truly overthinking this."

A calm smile hung on the corners of Xia Yu's mouth, his eyes revealing a wisdom that seemed to see through the affairs of the world.

He turned his head to look at Wan Xingwang, who was still somewhat shaken beside him, his tone gentle and firm.

"That Chen Zhiwen is nothing more than a servant with a bit of good luck."

"He was able to climb to his current position by relying on the resources of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and a tiny bit of petty cleverness."

Wan Xingwang swallowed hard, his Face still somewhat pale.

Subconsciously, he glanced back at the towering gate of the Artifact Refining Alliance, his voice trembling slightly.

"But... Brother Xia, my heart is always pounding with anxiety."

"You saw the look in that Chen fellow's eyes; he really wanted to kill someone."

"Besides, Ugly One said that this person is vindictive and a madman."

Xia Yu snorted disdainfully.

With a snap, he closed his folding fan.

He tapped his palm lightly with the handle of the fan, making a crisp sound.

"Want to kill? Who doesn't want to kill?"

"But in this cultivation world, wanting to kill and daring to kill are two different things."

"You need to understand one principle."

Xia Yu stepped forward and patted Wan Xingwang on the shoulder to convey strength.

"Who is your grandfather?"

"He is the dignified Mid Nascent Soul Stage Thunder Cultivator, Myriad Thunder Bear!"

"Thunder Cultivators specialize in slaughter and possess the strongest attack power among those of the same Realm."

"Even a great Cultivator at the Late Stage would not want to easily provoke your grandfather's violent thunder power."

Speaking of this, a trace of arrogance flashed in Xia Yu's eyes, as if the powerful Thunder Cultivator was not Wan Xingwang's grandfather, but his own backer.

"If Chen Zhiwen were a desperate Loose Cultivator, perhaps he would act recklessly."

"But he is now an Elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Sect; he is a man with a solid Foundation."

"As the saying goes, the monk may run, but the temple cannot."

"If he dares to harm a single hair on your head, your grandfather will surely be enraged and storm the Ten Thousand Swords Sect directly."

"At that time, let alone a mere Chen Zhiwen, even the entire Ten Thousand Swords Sect would have to be buried with you."

"Risk his own life and the future of his Sect just to kill a so-called 'enemy' like you?"

Xia Yu shook his head, a mocking smile appearing on his Face.

"As long as Chen Zhiwen's brain isn't waterlogged, he would never make such a losing deal."

"He was just trying to scare you to regain some Face."

This analysis was reasonable and logical, fitting together perfectly.

The originally panicked Wan Xingwang gradually straightened his back as he listened. His originally pale Face also gradually regained its rosy color.

Even in those small eyes that always flickered with fear, a trace of arrogance began to emerge.

"Brother Xia... your words make sense!"

Wan Xingwang took a deep breath, as if to exhale all the humiliation he had just felt.

He straightened his disheveled robes, a ruthless expression appearing on his Face.

"Hmph!"

"That dog of a servant wouldn't have the guts!"

"It's just that this Young Lord hasn't rested well these past few days, which is why I was bluffed by his posturing."

"When I return to the Family, I will certainly report him to my grandfather."

"Let him know the consequences of offending this Young Lord!"

Beside them, Ugly One had been crouching in the corner. Seeing his Young Lord's mood improve, his shifty eyes immediately darted around.

He hurriedly stepped forward, his Face full of sycophantic wrinkles.

"Young Lord is wise! Senior Xia has great insight!"

Ugly One gave a thumbs up, bowing even lower, almost pressing his Face against Xia Yu's shoes.

"If you ask me, what is that Chen Zhiwen? In front of Senior Xia, he is just a clown!"

"What kind of person is our Senior Xia?"

Ugly One waved his arms exaggeratedly, as if recounting a myth.

"Do you all remember that battle at Luoxia Valley thirty-some years ago?"

"At that time, those three foreign early Nascent Soul stage cultivators, relying on their numbers, wanted to rob Senior Xia of his treasure."

"And what was the result?"

Ugly One was spitting as he spoke, his eyes filled with worship.

"Senior Xia, with just one person and one fan, fought until the sky went dark and the sun and moon lost their light!"

"He single-handedly fought three experts of the same Realm without being defeated!"

"In the end, he severely injured two of them and forced the remaining one to kneel and beg for mercy!"

"Looking at the entire younger generation of the Eastern Wasteland, this record is a rare existence!"

"With Senior Xia here, even if you gave Chen Zhiwen ten times the courage, he wouldn't dare to show his head!"

This flattery was perfectly timed. It not only flattered Wan Xingwang but also praised Xia Yu to the heavens.

Xia Yu felt incredibly comfortable hearing this, and the smile on his Face became even brighter.

He waved his hand with feigned modesty, but his slightly raised eyebrows betrayed his inner thoughts.

"Hey, Ugly One, don't talk nonsense."

Xia Yu sighed, looking as if the past was too painful to recall.

"That battle back then was also extremely dangerous."

"It wasn't that I single-handedly fought the three heroes; it was luck, just luck."

"And in the end, I only repelled two of them, it wasn't as exaggerated as you said."

He spoke modest words. But in the bottom of his heart, Xia Yu felt an irrepressible sense of self-satisfaction.

That was the most glorious achievement in his cultivation career. It was also his capital for standing tall in the circle and being held in high regard by others.

But he would never tell anyone the truth.

Those three so-called "experts of the same Realm" were just three dirt-poor Loose Cultivators. The Magic Treasures in their hands didn't even include a decent Low Grade Dao Artifact.

And what about him, Xia Yu? At that time, he was wearing a Tier 4 Low Grade protective armor. He held a Tier 4 attack Magic Treasure bestowed by his Family. And under his feet, he was stepping on this Tier 4 escape cloud.

Attack, defense, and escape, all three in one, all Tier 4 equipment! Fighting those three wretches was like fully armed elite cavalry fighting three beggars holding wooden sticks.

He had won that battle, yes. But he won entirely due to "money power."

However, history is always written by the victors. After so many years of embellishment and spreading, in everyone's mouth, this had become ironclad proof of his, Xia Yu's, extraordinary talent and superb combat power.

"Alright, let's not talk about those old stories anymore."

Xia Yu was in a great mood and didn't want to stay in this unlucky place any longer. He pinched a spell formula in his hand. The cloud under his feet shook violently.

"Rise!"

With a soft shout, the white cloud instantly expanded, turning into a streak of light, carrying the three of them into the sky. In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the vast sea of clouds.

...A few breaths later. At the edge of the originally empty compound, the space suddenly rippled. A cyan figure, like a ghost, slowly emerged.

Chen Zhiwen stood with his hands behind his back. His gaze pierced through the layers of clouds and mist, staring fixedly at the receding white cloud. A sinister sneer curled the corners of his mouth.

In that smile, there was not a trace of warmth, only endless killing intent.

"A nice analysis."

Chen Zhiwen muttered to himself, his voice as low as if it came from the Nine Nether Hell.

"If I were truly just an ordinary Mid Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator who ascended by luck, perhaps I would really be scared off by your reasoning."

"It's a pity... Xia Yu, you calculated everything, but you missed one point."

Chen Zhiwen reached out and gently clenched his fist, feeling the vast, sea-like power within his body.

"You have no idea what kind of existence you are facing."

All of Xia Yu's confidence and all his deductions were built on a huge misjudgment: severely underestimating Chen Zhiwen's strength.

In their eyes, Chen Zhiwen was low-level, newly promoted, and had a shallow Foundation. Little did they know, the current Chen Zhiwen had a doubled Divine Soul strength, held several Tier 4 Puppets in his hands, and possessed all kinds of incredible secret techniques.

"Xia Yu?"

Chen Zhiwen sneered, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes.

"Let alone you. Even if Myriad Thunder Bear himself came, if I used all my means, I could make him go and never return!"

His confidence came from his strength and the hidden cards he kept in the dark.

But immediately after, the fanaticism in Chen Zhiwen's eyes subsided slightly, replaced by a deep gravity.

"This time is an opportunity and a turning point."

He calculated in his heart.

"Currently, the outside world's understanding of me is still at a vague stage. They only know I have some Artifact Refining talent and some combat power."

"This information gap is my greatest advantage at the moment."

"I can use this to play the pig to eat the tiger and slaughter countless self-righteous fools."

"But..."

Chen Zhiwen looked at his own hands.

"Once I kill Xia Yu and destroy the Wan Family, my true strength will no longer be hidden."

Someone who can kill a disciple of a large Sect who possesses several Tier 4 Magic Treasures, and can resist the rage of a veteran Mid Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator, will absolutely become the focus of the entire Eastern Wasteland in an instant.

At that time, he would no longer be that obscure Ten Thousand Swords Sect Elder, but a top-tier existence in the Eastern Wasteland, a hegemon.

Even, such shocking combat achievements and speed of rise would very likely attract the attention of those old monsters standing at the top of the pyramid—Soul Transformation Stage Cultivators.

Being targeted by a Soul Transformation Stage Cultivator is not a fun thing. It means that every move in the future will have to be carried out under the eyes of those great powers. Trying to hide one's strength or make a fortune in silence would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

"Hoo—"

Chen Zhiwen let out a long breath of turbid air. His eyes became firm and sharp again.

"So what?"

"Cultivation is inherently a Heaven-Defying path."

"Always hiding and acting timidly, how can one ever reach the great Dao?"

"Since I can't hide, then I won't hide!"

"I will use your blood to forge the first step of my, Chen Zhiwen's, path to shaking the Eastern Wasteland!"

In his Divine Sense, the aura of Xia Yu's group was about to fly out of his perception range.

"Trying to run?"

Chen Zhiwen snorted coldly. A flash of light appeared under his feet. A Tier 4 High Grade hidden edge sword appeared out of thin air.

On the sword body, there was no dazzling light; instead, it presented a restrained dark cyan color. This was to conceal his tracks.

"Escape!"

Chen Zhiwen's figure flickered, and he stepped onto the Flying Sword. His whole body instantly turned into an almost transparent cyan shadow. He rushed out of the Artifact Refining Alliance compound silently, quietly chasing in the direction where the white cloud had disappeared.

...High above, the gale winds were biting. In order to take care of that low-Realm waste Wan Xingwang, Xia Yu deliberately lowered the flight altitude, maintaining the cloud at a position about a thousand zhang from the ground.

Here, the airflow was relatively stable, and the Spiritual Qi was fairly abundant.

Above the cloud. The atmosphere seemed somewhat eerily harmonious. Wan Xingwang sat cross-legged in the center of the cloud, holding an exquisite jade bottle in his hand. He poured out a Medicinal Pill emitting a rich medicinal fragrance and popped it into his mouth like a candy bean.

"Senior Xia."

Wan Xingwang said unclearly while chewing the Medicinal Pill. His Face carried the unique sense of superiority typical of disciples from large Families.

"After returning this time, I will definitely report your credit to my grandfather."

"I will say that it was thanks to Brother Xia's escort along the way that I was able to remain safe and sound."

"At that time, I will ask my grandfather to give you that ten-thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood he collects as a thank-you gift."

Xia Yu stood at the head of the cloud, with his back to Wan Xingwang. Hearing this, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

Ten-thousand-year-old lightning-struck wood? That is a top-grade material for refining thunder-attribute Magic Treasures. That stingy Myriad Thunder Bear guards it like his life. How could he possibly give it away because of such a small matter?

This Wan Xingwang really doesn't care about selling his grandfather's property; he's full of hot air.

"Then I will trouble Brother Wan for your kind words."

Xia Yu's voice was calm and waveless, and he didn't even turn his head. There was no expression on his Face, but his eyes, looking at the mountains and rivers below, were full of sarcasm.

"What a fool," he cursed inwardly.

"When you go back, it'll be good enough if your grandfather doesn't break your legs; you're still thinking about giving gifts?"

"You caused such a big trouble coming out this time and lost all the Face of the Wan Family. And you still expect credit?"

Wan Xingwang did not notice Xia Yu's perfunctory attitude. He talked to himself for a while, and seeing that Xia Yu was uninterested, he also felt a bit bored.

"Forget it, this Young Lord will first recover some mana," Wan Xingwang muttered. He closed his eyes and began to circulate his energy to refine the Medicinal Pill he had just swallowed.

And that servant named Ugly One was curled up at the tail of the cloud. He was not as carefree as his Young Lord. On the contrary, his brows were tightly locked, and his small, mung-bean-like eyes looked toward the rear from time to time.

Although there was only a vast sea of clouds behind him, and he could see nothing, his intuition, which stemmed from being a small character at the bottom of society, always made him feel a sense of trepidation. It was as if in that invisible Void Realm, a pair of man-eating eyes were staring fixedly at them.

...And above their heads. At the peak of the sky, fully ten thousand zhang high. This was another world. No white clouds, no birds. Only terrifying gale winds, like countless invisible steel knives, madly cutting everything.

The temperature here was extremely low, water dripping would freeze into ice. The air was so thin that it was suffocating.

A cyan figure was flying at high speed, pushing against the gale winds that filled the sky. Chen Zhiwen was not having an easy time. He was flying at this altitude to completely avoid the detection of the three people below.