24: Black Demon Subdued

Inside the cave, it was dead silent.

The remaining Bandit Cultivators had long since fled without a trace, leaving behind only a mess of corpses and a thick smell of blood. The surviving Law Enforcement Hall Disciples, each wounded and pale-faced, looked at Ye Chen with a gaze filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and an indescribable awe.

Chen Feng stood not far away, his expression shifting unpredictably, his hand gripping the saber hilt trembling slightly. The power of Ye Chen's sword strike just now had completely shattered all his wishful thinking and schemes. That was simply not a power a Quenching Body Realm should possess! He even doubted whether Elder Liu Qingfeng himself could have blocked that strike even if he were here.

"This kid... must not be kept!" A crazed thought sprouted in Chen Feng's mind, but it was immediately suppressed by a deeper fear. He now only wanted to complete the mission as quickly as possible and get as far away from this star of calamity as possible.

Ye Chen stood leaning on his sword, quickly circulating the Basic Qi Guiding Art, absorbing the thin Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi around him to replenish his nearly dried-up Dantian. That sword strike just now had almost drained all his power and even utilized his Foundation. But the effect was significant; it not only instantly turned the tide of battle and intimidated everyone present, but more importantly, he could clearly feel that the tough Kaiyuan Realm barrier within his body was already covered in cracks, only one final step away!

He took a deep breath, suppressing his churning blood and Qi, his gaze like lightning, shooting toward the thick darkness at the deepest part of the cave. There, a violent, scorching, terrifying Aura, like a volcano about to erupt, was rapidly awakening and rising!

"Boom—!"

A dull, loud bang rang out, as if something had been forcibly broken open. The darkness in the depths was torn apart like a curtain, and a tall, burly figure, like an iron tower, walked out step by step.

This person was nearly two meters tall, his muscles knotted, his skin showing an abnormal dark red color, as if burned by a fierce fire. He was bare-chested, with a ferocious wolf head tattooed on his chest, identical to the token pattern Ye Chen had obtained earlier. Most striking were his eyes, crimson as blood, filled with madness and slaughter, without a hint of humanity.

It was the leader of the Black Wind Stockade—Hei Sha!

His Aura had surprisingly reached the Kaiyuan Realm Fourth Level Peak! Moreover, it was extremely unstable, with mixed and violent crimson Spiritual Qi swirling around him, as if he could lose control and explode at any moment.

"A bunch of... trash!" Hei Sha's voice was hoarse and dry, like sandpaper rubbing together. His blood-red eyes swept over the corpses of the Bandit Cultivators on the ground, finally settling on Ye Chen. His crazed killing intent almost became tangible. "Was it you... who killed my men? And ruined my good business?"

A powerful Spiritual Pressure, like a physical mountain, crashed down on Ye Chen! It was several times stronger than Chen Feng's!

Ye Chen let out a muffled groan, the ground beneath his feet cracking inch by inch, but his back remained straight. The qingfeng sword in his hand emitted an unyielding light hum, forcefully withstanding the pressure.

"Hei Sha, you have harmed the Disciples of Tianfeng Academy; your crimes are unforgivable!" Chen Feng suppressed his fear and shouted sharply, "Surrender now!"

"Surrender?" Hei Sha grinned, revealing a hideous smile and a mouthful of yellow teeth. "With just you bunch of chickens and dogs? Perfect, I'll use your essence blood to help my divine art reach Major Achievement!"

He suddenly threw his head back and let out a roar that didn't sound human, and the crimson Spiritual Qi around him burned fiercely like fire! His Aura actually climbed again, faintly touching the threshold of the Kaiyuan Realm Fifth Level! But the price was that his skin began to crack, oozing dark red blood; his whole person was like a piece of porcelain about to shatter, filled with destructive power.

"He has forcibly activated the forbidden method of the Blood Burning Art! Be careful!" a knowledgeable Law Enforcement Disciple cried out in horror.

"Attack together! Kill him!" Chen Feng knew they couldn't wait any longer, or everyone would die here! He took the lead, charging at Hei Sha with his saber, his Saber Qi turning into a several-zhang-long ribbon of light!

The other Law Enforcement Disciples who could still fight also gritted their teeth and performed their strongest Martial Skills. Various colors of Spiritual Qi light flashed, surging toward Hei Sha like a tide.

"Ants trying to shake a tree!" Hei Sha laughed wildly, neither dodging nor evading, and threw both fists out! Simple and brutal!

"Boom! Boom!"

Two incredibly condensed crimson fist seals, like two meteors, smashed into the crowd!

"Puff!" "Ah!"

Screams rang out one after another as several Law Enforcement Disciples were directly blown into minced meat by the fist seals! Chen Feng's Saber Qi ribbon was also shattered by a single punch, and he himself was sent flying, spitting blood as his long saber broke into pieces!

With just two punches, the Law Enforcement Hall team was nearly wiped out!

Hei Sha's blood-red eyes locked onto Ye Chen again. He instinctively felt that this youth, who seemed to have the lowest cultivation, was the one who posed the greatest threat to him!

"Kid, your blood and Qi... are very special! If I swallow you, I will surely Breakthrough!" Hei Sha roared like a mad Vicious Beast, carrying a violent Aura that could burn everything as he charged at Ye Chen! Everywhere he passed, the ground melted and the air distorted!

Facing this unprecedented life-and-death crisis, Ye Chen's heart beat violently, but his eyes were calmer than ever. He even closed his eyes, his entire mind sinking into his body, feeling the Kaiyuan Realm barrier covered in cracks and the faint but tough "Nirvana" Sword Intent deep within his Divine Soul.

Pressure! He needed stronger pressure! To break the final shackles!

"Come on!"

Ye Chen suddenly opened his eyes, and his pupils seemed to hold the birth and death of the Universe! Not only did he not retreat, but he also took the initiative to meet the attack! The remaining Spiritual Qi in his body circulated wildly in an unprecedented trajectory. It was no longer the Basic Qi Guiding Art, but a... unique impact method he had temporarily constructed based on his own understanding of the Sword Dao and combined with the System's deductions!

The qingfeng sword seemed to feel its master's resolve; the sword body hummed incessantly, and the dark golden patterns shone brightly!

He did not perform any fixed sword moves, but instead concentrated all his power, will, and understanding of the "Nirvana" Concept onto the tip of the sword!

Unity of man and sword! Seeking life through death!

At the moment Hei Sha's crimson fist seal, which was enough to melt gold and erode iron, was about to hit him—

"break!"

Ye Chen's voice was like a spring thunder, sounding like the chime of a sword!

A tiny, extremely condensed thread of pitch-black Sword Silk, as if it could swallow all light, shot out silently from the tip of the qingfeng sword!

This Sword Silk had no world-shaking momentum and didn't even cause much Spiritual Qi fluctuation. But wherever it passed, space seemed to be sliced apart, leaving a faint black trail.

The moment Hei Sha's violent crimson fist seal touched the pitch-black Sword Silk, it was as if it had met its nemesis. The violent energy within was instantly "annihilated" and decomposed, dissipating silently!

The Sword Silk did not stop, shooting straight toward the center of Hei Sha's brows!

The madness and hideous grin on Hei Sha's face instantly froze, replaced by boundless fear and disbelief! He wanted to dodge but found himself locked by an invisible "Nirvana" Sword Intent. His Spiritual Qi circulation was sluggish, as if he were stuck in a quagmire, unable to move at all!

"Im... impossible... This is... Con..." He let out a desperate roar.

"Pfft."

A soft sound, like a needle pricking a bubble.

The pitch-black Sword Silk entered the center of Hei Sha's brows without any resistance.

His large, charging body suddenly stiffened, and the crimson Spiritual Qi around him quickly dissipated like a punctured balloon. In his wide-open blood-red eyes, the light faded rapidly, finally turning into a dull gray.

"Bang!"

Hei Sha collapsed like a falling mountain, his Aura completely gone. At the center of his brows was only a tiny red dot, with not even a drop of blood flowing out.

All his vitality, including that violent Soul, had returned to nothingness under the "Nirvana" Sword Intent.

At the same time—

"Crack!"

Inside Ye Chen's body, it felt as if something had completely shattered! A surge of Spiritual Qi, far more pure and vast than before, gushed out from the depths of his Dantian like a flood breaking a dam, instantly sweeping away all obstacles and flowing through his limbs and bones!

The surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi gathered toward him frantically, forming a huge Spiritual Qi vortex that poured into his body!

Kaiyuan Realm First Level!

It happened naturally; he broke through in one go!

A powerful Aura rose from Ye Chen's body. His originally pale face quickly regained its color, becoming even more lustrous. His injuries healed completely at the moment of the Breakthrough, and he felt as if he had been reborn, his perception of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi becoming even clearer.

He clenched his fist, feeling the ceaseless flow of Spiritual Qi in his body, its quality far superior to before, and a surge of pride rose in his heart!

Finally... he had stepped over this threshold!

The qingfeng sword emitted a joyful light hum, seemingly also happy for its master's Breakthrough.

Ye Chen sheathed his sword and scanned the dead-silent cave. Chen Feng and the others struggled to get up, looking at the post-Breakthrough Ye Chen and the fallen Hei Sha, their faces devoid of color, replaced by boundless fear.

Ye Chen ignored them and walked straight to Hei Sha's body to search it. Soon, he found a better quality Storage Pouch and... half a black jade pendant carved with strange runes. The break was fresh, as if it had only recently shattered.

When his fingers touched this half of the jade pendant, the System's prompt sounded in his mind:

[Special energy residue detected... Analyzing...]

[Energy source locked: Qingyun City, City Lord's Mansion, Northeast corner, Secret Room.]

[Associated target: Lin Batian.]

[Obtained key evidence: Fragmented 'parent-child communication jade' (Child Jade).]

A cold light flashed in Ye Chen's eyes.

parent-child communication jade! As expected, Lin Batian was the one pulling the strings behind the scenes! This half of the Child Jade was ironclad proof!

He calmly put away the jade pendant and checked the Storage Pouch. Besides a large amount of Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and some miscellaneous items, there was also a complete Blood Burning Art Secret Manual.

"Senior Brother Chen, the bandit leader has been executed, and the evidence has been found. We can return to report our mission." Ye Chen turned and looked at the ashen-faced Chen Feng, his tone calm but carrying an unquestionable authority.

Chen Feng trembled and lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes: "Yes... yes, Junior Brother Ye... no, Senior Brother Ye!"

After this battle, Ye Chen's strength and ruthlessness had completely intimidated everyone.

Ye ChenNo more words, They first headed out of the cave..

The Black Wind Stockade was destroyed, he had broken through to the Kaiyuan Realm, and he had even obtained the key evidence pointing to Lin Batian.

Next, it was time for the reckoning.