23: Black Wind Blood War

Dawn tore through the curtain of night, and a damp mist permeated the mountain forest.

The Law Enforcement Hall team was ready to set out, the atmosphere even more solemn than yesterday. Although Chen Feng had publicly announced that the two Disciples' mysterious disappearance was due to 'taking the initiative to scout ahead and meeting with misfortune,' everyone knew in their hearts that it was related to the green-robed youth sitting silently alone. The looks directed at Ye Chen had shifted from initial contempt to deep apprehension.

Chen Feng's face was gloomy, and his eyes practically spat fire as he looked at Ye Chen, yet he forced himself to suppress it. He said no more, only giving a cold wave of his hand: "Set out! Strike straight at the heart!"

Over a dozen figures pierced into the depths of Black Wind Cliff like sharp swords. The further they went, the more treacherous the terrain became, with jagged rocks and thickening mist that felt like an invisible web.

Ye Chen had his Divine Sense fully deployed, staying alert to his surroundings. He sensed that some crude early-warning Restrictions and traps had been set in this area, but before these elite Disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, they were practically non-existent and were quickly removed.

"The entrance to the bandits' nest is ahead!" A Disciple responsible for scouting returned, pointing toward a cliff wall hidden by thick vines and an illusion Formation. Without careful investigation, it would have been extremely difficult to discover.

"Break the Formation!" Chen Feng ordered.

Two law enforcement Disciples proficient in Formations immediately stepped forward, their hands forming hand seals as spiritual power surged to begin breaking the illusion Formation.

Ye Chen stood slightly back, his gaze sweeping over the cliff wall, his brow furrowing slightly. His Divine Sense perceived that behind the wall was not merely a cave, but a complex network of tunnels and... many chaotic and violent auras. One aura among them was particularly powerful, carrying heat and bloodthirst like a dormant Vicious Beast; it should be the bandit leader 'Black Sha,' whose cultivation fluctuations were indeed at the Kaiyuan Realm Third Level, even faintly approaching the fourth level!

"The Formation is broken!"

With a low shout, the vines on the cliff wall pulled back to both sides like living things, revealing a deep entrance only wide enough for two people to pass side-by-side. A foul breath of air, a mix of blood, sweat, and something burnt, rushed toward them.

"Enter!" Chen Feng took the lead, being the first to charge into the entrance. The other Disciples followed closely behind.

Ye Chen was at the very back. The moment he stepped into the entrance, he felt as if he had passed through a thin film of water. The light inside the cave was dim, the passage twisted downwards, and the walls were embedded with fluorites emitting a pale green light, adding a touch of eeriness.

"Watch out for ambushes!" Chen Feng barked.

Before his voice had even faded, countless poisoned crossbow bolts suddenly shot out from the corner of the passage ahead! Simultaneously, iron plates covered in spikes slammed out from the stone walls on both sides, attempting to turn the people in the middle of the passage into pincushions!

"Form shields!"

The law enforcement Disciples reacted extremely quickly. Several people in the front instantly sacrificed shield Magical Artifacts, pouring in spiritual power to form a wall of light that blocked all the crossbow bolts. Meanwhile, the Disciples in the rear drew their sabers and swords, shattering the protruding iron plates!

However, this was only the beginning.

"Kill!"

"Slaughter these academy brats!"

Accompanied by frenzied battle cries, dozens of hideous-looking Bandit Cultivators holding various weapons swarmed out from both ends of the passage, launching a desperate charge at the law enforcement team like a tide! These Bandit Cultivators had bloodshot eyes and violent auras; they had clearly all cultivated that Blood Burning Art, disregarding life and death!

The passage was narrow, and it instantly fell into a brutal melee!

The roar of spiritual power collisions, the crisp clashing of blades, the screams before death, the frenzied roars... all mixed together, echoing deafeningly within the enclosed space.

Although the Law Enforcement Hall Disciples had stronger individual strength and better coordination, the Bandit Cultivators were numerous, held the geographical advantage, and were unafraid to die. For a time, they were actually held back, their advancement slow.

Chen Feng brandished his long saber, Saber Qi crisscrossing; every swing could kill one or even several Bandit Cultivators, but he was also entangled by two bandit sub-leaders at the Kaiyuan Realm Second Level, unable to break free for the moment.

Ye Chen, situated at the tail of the team, was also under siege. Four or five Bandit Cultivators at the eighth or ninth level of the Body Tempering Realm howled as they lunged at him, their blades and swords carrying mottled crimson spiritual power.

Facing the siege, Ye Chen's eyes were cold. The qingfeng sword finally left its scabbard!

A dark green sword light lit up within the dim passage, like the sigh of a god of death.

There were no flashy Moves, only the simplest and most direct killing sword techniques!

Stabbing, slashing, pointing, lifting... every strike accurately found a flaw in the opponent's Moves, targeting the throat, the heart, or the wrist holding the weapon.

*Puchi!* *Kacha!* "Ah!"

Amidst the flashing sword light, the Bandit Cultivators who lunged forward fell one after another like wheat being mowed down, unable to even withstand a single Move. Their attacks appeared full of holes and vulnerable before Ye Chen's fast, accurate, and ruthless swordsmanship, which had fused multiple Sword Intents.

Ye Chen did not stop his pace, advancing as if taking a stroll in a courtyard, leaving a trail of corpses wherever he passed. His swordsmanship became increasingly refined in actual combat, and his understanding of the Wind Shadow Sword Art deepened by another level.

Soon, the section of the passage he was in was cleared.

Ahead, the core battle remained intense. Chen Feng finally hacked one of the sub-leaders entangling him to death; the other saw things were going south and tried to retreat, only to be hacked into pieces by other law enforcement Disciples.

"Charge! The bandit leader is just ahead!" Chen Feng shouted, covered in blood and looking like a madman as he led the charge into the depths of the passage.

Everyone's spirits were lifted, and they fought their way forward with all their might.

Ye Chen followed behind, his gaze alertly scanning the surroundings. His Divine Sense captured several faint auras hidden behind some concealed stone crevices on both sides of the passage, seemingly waiting for an opportunity.

Sure enough, just as the majority of the team charged through a relatively wide cavern—

*Rumble!*

With a loud bang, the roof of the passage they had come from suddenly collapsed, and massive boulders completely blocked their retreat! Simultaneously, dozens more Bandit Cultivators surged out from the stone walls on both sides and the darkness ahead. The three leaders at the front were all at the Kaiyuan Realm Second Level! Those previously hidden auras also suddenly erupted; they were several Bandit Cultivators holding powerful crossbows, their poisoned bolts shooting like venomous snakes toward the densely packed middle section of the team!

Attacked from both front and back, their retreat was cut off!

"Careful!" a Disciple cried out, swinging his weapon to parry the crossbow bolts.

Chen Feng's expression changed; he hadn't expected the bandit stronghold to have such an arrangement!

"Form a circular array! Defend!" he hurriedly ordered.

The team instantly contracted, forming a circular array to resist attacks from all directions. But there were simply too many Bandit Cultivators, and they charged frantically regardless of casualties; the circular array was teetering, with Disciples being wounded constantly.

Ye Chen was inside the array, his qingfeng sword dancing to deflect the crossbow bolts aimed at him, his eyes calmly observing the battle. He noticed that while Chen Feng was commanding, he intentionally or unintentionally left the direction under the most pressure to the area where Ye Chen was located.

"Trying to kill with a borrowed knife?" Ye Chen snorted inwardly.

Right at that moment, those three Kaiyuan Realm Second Level bandit sub-leaders seemed to receive some kind of instruction. They roared in unison, simultaneously unleashing their strongest Martial Skills. Violent crimson spiritual power condensed into massive fist prints and saber beams, like three blood-colored torrents, slamming fiercely toward the Formation where Ye Chen was!

This strike combined the full power of three Kaiyuan Realm Second Levels, its might already approaching the Kaiyuan Realm Fourth Level! If hit, the Disciples in this area would likely be killed or maimed!

A flash of maliciousness from a successful scheme crossed Chen Feng's eyes. Instead of helping, he actually retreated slightly, seemingly to 'avoid the brunt of the attack.'

"Senior Brother Ye, watch out!" a nearby Disciple screamed in terror.

Facing this unavoidable killing blow, instead of fear, a blazing Battle Intent ignited in Ye Chen's eyes!

This was the opportunity he had been waiting for!

The spiritual power at the Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm Peak within his body circulated frantically at an unprecedented speed. Deep within his Divine Soul, that trace of 'Explosion' Sword Intent was completely triggered. Simultaneously, he also tried to integrate that extremely faint 'Nirvana' Concept he had recently absorbed!

The qingfeng sword let out an unprecedentedly spirited sword hum! Dark golden patterns on the blade flowed as if coming to life! A terrifying aura filled with the sense of destruction and finality erupted violently with Ye Chen as the center!

He no longer held back, gripping the sword with both hands, pouring all his strength, will, and entire understanding of the Dao of the sword into this single strike!

There was no retreat, only forward! To find life within death!

"Slash!"

A loud shout rang out like a clap of thunder!

A dark sword rainbow, refined to the extreme and seemingly capable of swallowing light, soared from the qingfeng sword! Around the sword rainbow, space distorted slightly, carrying a terrifying Concept of burning all things into nothingness as it boldly met those three blood-colored torrents!

This time, it wasn't a silent penetration, but—

*BOOM!!!!*

An earth-shattering Explosion echoed throughout the entire cave! A violent energy shockwave swept out in all directions like a tsunami! Some nearby Bandit Cultivators and law enforcement Disciples were blown away like straw, crashing into the stone walls with broken bones!

The moment those three blood-colored torrents came into contact with the dark sword rainbow, they were like snow meeting a scorching sun—disintegrating, shattering, and annihilating inch by inch! They couldn't block it for even a moment!

The sword rainbow's momentum didn't slacken, instantly swallowing those three dumbfounded and terrified bandit sub-leaders!

There were no screams, no struggling.

The three of them, along with the weapons in their hands, turned directly into fly ash the moment they touched the sword rainbow, as if they had never existed in this world!

The power of a single sword strike was terrifying to such an extent!

The entire battlefield instantly fell into a deathly silence.

Whether it was the Bandit Cultivators or the law enforcement Disciples, they all seemed to have been hit by a freezing spell, looking with utter horror at the green-robed figure standing with his sword, his robes fluttering, and an aura of destruction radiating from him.

The malicious grin on Chen Feng's face completely froze, turning into endless fear and disbelief.

Ye Chen slowly sheathed his sword, his face slightly pale, the spiritual power in his body nearly drained by this single strike. But he forced himself to stand firm, his cold gaze sweeping over the remaining Bandit Cultivators on the field.

When his gaze swept over them, those Bandit Cultivators had their Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering. They let out a shout, threw down their equipment, and fled desperately toward the depths of the cave as if they had seen a ghost.

Ye Chen did not pursue. He leaned on his sword, panting slightly, but his gaze was cast toward the deepest part of the cave, the direction where the strongest aura was located.

He knew that the real opponent was about to come out.

And after that sword strike just now, he felt that the tough Kaiyuan Realm barrier within his body seemed to... loosen slightly.