You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Blood splattered!
The young cultivator's screams abruptly ceased, his wide eyes filled with disbelief, terror, and bewilderment. His body went limp and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye!
From the sneak attack to the counterattack, it all happened in the blink of an eye!
By the time the other Xuan Yun Cave disciples guarding the area reacted, their companion had already turned into a gradually cooling corpse!
"Senior brother!"

"Bastard! How dare you kill a disciple of my Xuan Yun Cave Heaven!"

Angri shouts erupted! A dozen or so Xuan Yun Cave disciples nearby were both shocked and enraged. They drew their weapons and charged towards Chen Yang and his group of five, shouting as they charged!

In an instant, sword energy and blade light crisscrossed, and magical light shone brightly, completely enveloping Chen Yang and his companions!

"court death!"

Qiuniu roared and charged forward, brandishing his massive battle axe. Xing San, equally fearless, charged into the enemy ranks like a raging bull, his fists whistling through the air.

Su Meng and Liu Piaopiao, on the left and right respectively, used magic and agile movements to restrain and support each other.

Chen Yang was like a tiger among sheep!

He didn't even fully draw his Xuan Sword, merely holding the hilt and employing exquisite footwork and finger techniques, striking, slapping, or vibrating! Each strike precisely hit the enemy's vitals or weaknesses, causing them to lose their weapons or suffer meridian injuries, or even shatter their heart meridians and die on the spot!
Although these disciples of Xuanyun Cave Heaven came from prestigious families and their cultivation was considered quite good among their peers, they were no match for Chen Yang, who had undergone repeated life-and-death trials such as the Black Tower Refining Furnace and the White Demon, and whose strength and combat experience had improved by leaps and bounds!

Not to mention the equally experienced partners like Qiuniu and Xing San.

The battle was almost a one-sided massacre!

"Bang bang bang!"

"Crack!"

"what!"

In just a dozen or so breaths, the dozen or so Xuan Yun Cave disciples who had rushed up were lying on the ground, either dead or injured, their cries of agony filling the air, completely incapacitated.

Qiuniu leaned on his battle axe, took a breath, looked at the mess on the ground, and curled his lip.

"Pah! You think you're so great? You dare to try and charge people on the road with such meager skills? You're asking for trouble!"

Chen Yang flicked away non-existent blood from his hands, his cold gaze sweeping over the Xuan Yun Cave disciples on the ground who were still alive and looking at him with terrified and resentful eyes, and said calmly.

"Incompetent in strength and wicked in heart, they deserve to die."

Just then, a disciple whose ribs had been broken by Chen Yang and who was lying on the ground coughing up blood struggled to raise his head, staring at Chen Yang with eyes full of resentment and venom, and hissed.

"You...you're finished! We've already sent a message to our fellow disciples on the mountain!"

They...they'll be there soon!
"Once our true disciples from Xuan Yun Cave descend the mountain, they will tear you to pieces! You...you'll regret this!"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang showed no fear. Instead, he chuckled lightly, his tone filled with undisguised sarcasm.

"Regret? Those two words don't exist in my dictionary, Chen Yang. I'd like to see what those so-called true disciples of yours can do to me."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone felt several powerful auras rapidly descending from the mountain! They were moving at incredible speeds, clearly indicating that their cultivation levels far surpassed those of the ordinary disciples on the ground!
In the blink of an eye, a whooshing sound rang out, and more than a dozen figures descended from the sky like large birds, landing at the entrance at the foot of the mountain, effectively surrounding Chen Yang and his group of five.

The leader was a burly man, eight feet tall, broad-shouldered, thick-waisted, and with a rugged face. He was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, his muscles were bulging, and his aura was powerful, clearly indicating that he was at the early stage of the Golden Core realm!

The dozen or so people following behind him were all composed and sharp-eyed, with the lowest level being late Foundation Establishment, and two or three of them being experts at the early Golden Core stage!
This lineup is far superior to the disciples on the ground!
The burly man's gaze swept over the dead and wounded fellow disciples on the ground, and his face instantly turned so gloomy that it could drip water. A terrifying aura burst forth from his body!

He suddenly looked at Chen Yang, his voice booming like a bell, filled with chilling killing intent.

"Did you kill these people?"

Chen Yang stepped forward, meeting his gaze without fear, his tone calm.

"I killed him. What do you want?"

"court death!"

Enraged, the burly man stopped talking and roared as he shot out like a cannonball!
He had somehow acquired a massive, door-sized sword in his hand, wielding a terrifying force capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks. With a simple, powerful strike, he cleaved down towards Chen Yang's head! Even before the sword arrived, the fierce wind and immense pressure caused sand and stones to fly from the surrounding ground!

This sword strike was devoid of any fancy moves; it was purely a crushing display of strength and cultivation! Clearly, this burly man was pursuing a fierce and domineering path, aiming to cleave Chen Yang, the "culprit," in two with a single blow as a warning to others!

Faced with this powerful and ferocious attack, which was enough to force even an ordinary early-stage Golden Core cultivator back, a barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Chen Yang's eyes.

"His strength is acceptable, but his technique is too rough."

He made a mental assessment, but his footwork was incredibly subtle. In the instant the giant sword was about to strike, his figure moved like a willow catkin in the wind, sliding half a step to the side and back with an incredible angle and speed.

"boom!"

The giant sword slammed into the ground, creating a crater about ten feet in diameter, sending soil and rocks flying everywhere!
The burly man's attack missed its mark, and he was slightly startled. Just as he was about to change his move, he suddenly felt a chill on his neck!
Chen Yang had already approached him like a ghost without him even noticing. His Xuan Sword was not even fully drawn. He used the scabbard-covered blade like a whip to "point" with lightning speed and precision at the junction of the carotid artery and cervical vertebrae on the side of Chen Yang's neck!

A strange force, as condensed as a needle yet containing terrifying shock and destructive power, instantly pierced through the body!

The burly man trembled violently, his massive body suddenly stiffening!

He stared wide-eyed in disbelief, trying to turn to look at Chen Yang, but found it incredibly difficult to even move a finger!

A chill and a sense of powerlessness quickly spread throughout my body, and my vision blurred.

"Uh……"

He only had time to let out a short, muffled groan before his massive body collapsed like a mountain of gold or a pillar of jade.

With a loud crash, he fell backward, his greatsword flying from his hand and crashing to the ground, raising a cloud of dust. His life force vanished instantly!

Another trick!
It's even faster than killing the first young cultivator!
Even more decisive!
quiet!
Deathly silence!

This time, even Qiu Niu and Xing San were stunned. Although they knew Chen Yang was strong, they didn't expect him to be this strong! The opponent was a genuine early-stage Golden Core cultivator who followed a powerful and forceful path! Yet... he couldn't even withstand a single move from Chen Yang?
Those disciples of Xuanyun Cave Heaven who followed the burly man down the mountain were as if they had been frozen in place. The anger and murderous intent on their faces instantly froze, replaced by boundless horror and disbelief!
Their strongest senior brother... just like that... died?
Chen Yang slowly sheathed his Xuan sword, as if he had only done a trivial matter.

His gaze swept calmly across the dozen or so pale, terrified faces opposite him, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"Anyone else disagree? Come at me all at once. I'm in a hurry."

Simple words are more intimidating than any arrogant provocation!

Those true disciples of Xuanyun Cave Heaven looked at their senior brother's still warm corpse on the ground, and then at Chen Yang's terrifyingly calm face. A chill ran from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads!
They looked at each other and saw deep fear in each other's eyes.

Even the eldest disciple was instantly killed in one move. If they all attacked together, what chance would they have? They would probably just be throwing their lives away!

"You...you wait! Xuan Yun Cave Heaven will not let you get away with this!" A disciple with a bit more courage said this in a fierce but cowardly tone, then turned around without hesitation and fled on his escape light!
Seeing this, the others dared not linger. They scattered like birds and beasts, turning into streaks of light and fleeing in panic away from the mountain peak, not even caring about their injured fellow disciples on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the once imposing and numerous Xuan Yun Cave Heaven team had fled completely, leaving behind only a mess and a few corpses.

Qiuniu watched the people flee in disarray and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!

A bunch of cowards who bully the weak and fear the strong!

"Chen Shuai, you're amazing! Let's see who dares to block our way now!"

Xing San was also flushed with excitement, feeling that following Chen Yang had straightened his back considerably.

Chen Yang, however, was not smug, but simply said calmly.

"Let's go up the mountain."

This kind of person isn't worth wasting time on.

Liu Piaopiao walked to Chen Yang's side, a trace of worry still lingering between her brows, and whispered.

"Brother Chen, we should be careful. Xuan Yun Cave Heaven is, after all, an ancient and powerful force. If we attack the younger ones, it might attract the attention of the older ones."

They've fled now, but they might not be content; they might go and seek reinforcements from even more powerful allies.

Chen Yang nodded, his eyes remaining calm.

"I see.

However, this trial ground is a place where the strong prey on the weak.

They acted improperly first; if you dare to provoke them, you should be prepared to pay the price.

If they really don't know what's good for them and come looking for trouble again, just kill them. Let's go, let's hurry up and go up the mountain to take a look.

Seeing Chen Yang's words, Liu Piaopiao stopped trying to persuade him. The five of them ignored the chaos at the foot of the mountain and headed straight along the mountain path toward the ruins of the immortal abode on the mountain peak.

The mountain road winds along, and along the way you can see many cave entrances that have been opened up or formed naturally. Some cave entrances still have traces of recent exploration, which means that many cultivators have already been there.

Qiuniu looked at the caves, eager to try them out.

"Chen Shuai, should we go in and look around? Maybe we can find something we like!"

Chen Yang waved his hand and turned his gaze toward the back mountain, where the clouds and mist were thicker and the peaks were higher.

No need.

"This place is close to the entrance, and there are many cultivators coming and going. Even if there were anything originally there, it has long since been looted. Let's go to the back mountain; it's more remote and deeper there. Perhaps we can still find some undiscovered opportunities there."

Xing San clapped his hands and said.

"Chen Shuai is right! You've thought of everything! Let's go straight to the back mountain!"

Su Meng and Liu Piaopiao nodded in agreement.

So the five of them stopped and sped up, bypassing the bustling front mountain area and heading straight for the back mountain.

Along the way, they did encounter some cultivators who were still searching in various caves and ruins on the front mountain, but they remained vigilant and did not interfere with each other.

After passing through a dense bamboo forest and several collapsed palace ruins, they finally arrived at the relatively secluded back mountain area.

The scenery here is quite different from that of the front mountain. There are fewer traces of man-made buildings, and more natural and tranquil atmosphere.

What comes into view is a cluster of simple thatched huts and bamboo houses built against the mountainside. Although they are also dilapidated and covered with vines, their layout is elegant and exudes an air of otherworldly refinement. In front of the huts, there are traces of vegetable plots and medicinal herb fields that were once cultivated but are now long abandoned.

What's even more striking is that on a relatively open flat area, there are many complex and mysterious engravings and runes that form small array patterns, some complete and some incomplete. There are also faint, lingering spiritual energy fluctuations in the air.

"This place... seems to be the secluded retreat of a highly accomplished senior scholar?"

Liu Piaopiao looked around at the surroundings and speculated.

Qiuniu's eyes lit up.

"A place for secluded cultivation? There might be good stuff there!"

Everyone, hurry and look for it!

Xing San and Su Meng immediately became excited and began to search carefully in the thatched hut, bamboo house, and nearby rock caves.

Chen Yang did not immediately join the search.

His gaze was firmly drawn to the remaining array markings on the flat ground.

He walked to the nearest relatively complete array pattern, squatted down, and began to examine it carefully.

Upon seeing this, Chen Yang's heart skipped a beat!
The engraving style, rune structure, and residual energy flow of these formations... were surprisingly similar to the ancient "power field" and protective formations he had previously comprehended in the Black Tower and the family ruins!
It could even be said that they originated from the same source, but the array markings here seem to be more exquisite and more profound, as if they are conducting some kind of deeper deduction and experiment!

"This is... a training ground specifically for studying those ancient formations?"

A sudden realization dawned on Chen Yang, and he became extremely interested.

He ignored his companions' search and devoted himself entirely to observing and understanding the remaining traces of the array.

His divine sense, like the most delicate paintbrush, traced the direction of those engravings bit by bit, sensing the extremely faint residual array fluctuations and Daoist charm within them.

Although these formations have long since ceased functioning and their spiritual energy has dissipated, their "form" and "meaning" have remained.

Chen Yang already had a solid foundation in related formations. Now, comparing these more refined and original "templates," many things that were previously vague and not fully understood became clear as if the clouds had parted and the sun had risen!
He seemed to see an ancient master of formations, deducing and experimenting here day after day, gradually combining, optimizing, and sublimating the mysteries of the "momentum" originating from nature with the profound wonders of man-made formations...

Time slipped away quietly as Chen Yang focused on his reflections.

After an unknown amount of time, when Chen Yang's gaze swept over a seemingly chaotic but actually mysterious intersection of complex array patterns, a flash of lightning seemed to strike his mind!
"So that's how it is! 'Momentum' isn't just for suppression or defense... it can also be guided, transformed, and even... used to build up formations, and then used to cultivate momentum, creating an endless cycle!" (End of Chapter)