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

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he gritted his teeth and persevered, combing and pounding again and again.

As his mind gradually entered a state of clarity and focus, it seemed as if a faint yet incredibly pure and fiery primordial essence was being painstakingly extracted, communicated, and ignited from his internal energy! Boom! Within his dantian, a crimson-gold flame leaped up!

Although extremely faint and precarious, it instantly dispelled the chill and gloom within my body! The excruciating pain also seemed to ease slightly as this domineering, scorching warm current flowed through the corresponding meridians!
However, controlling this hard-won spark was extremely difficult.

It is wild and unruly, like a runaway horse, rampaging through the fragile meridians.

Chen Yang had to devote most of his attention to carefully guiding and soothing it, trying to make it flow and grow stronger in the specific way described in the immortal technique.

Sweat had already soaked through Chen Yang's clothes, turning into white mist that rose up.

The temperature inside the attic was slowly rising.

His brows were furrowed, enduring excruciating pain and the immense mental strain of wrestling with this violent force.

Each successful guidance of the fire around a key acupoint felt like a hard-won, small victory.

The eastern sky finally began to lighten with the first hint of dawn. The all-night struggle between water and fire, and the adjustment of their forces, had come to a temporary end.

Chen Yang exhaled a long breath, the breath was extremely hot and carried a faint smell of sulfur and sparks.

He opened his eyes, and a tiny, yet eternally burning, golden-red flame seemed to flash and disappear deep within them.

"Finally... I managed to condense a spark of fire, and it was able to operate according to the basic circuit."

He felt a little relieved as he sensed the tiny, rice-grain-sized, yet incredibly hot, golden-red light within his dantian.

Although it is still far from being truly used in combat, and even further from the "burning rivers and boiling seas" described in the immortal technique, at least it is no longer completely in the dark.

The injuries to his body were mostly healed under the stimulation of the pure fire element and the nourishment of the subtle magical power.

He got up, pushed open the dilapidated half-window, and the cool morning breeze, carrying the scent of grass and trees, rushed in, invigorating him.

Just then, footsteps came from outside the pavilion, followed by Master Huang's cautious and respectful inquiry.

"Sect Leader, Senior Brother? You called me?"

"Come in."

Chen Yang's voice was calm and even, showing no sign of weakness or fatigue from a night of intense battle and cultivation.

Master Huang pushed open the door and entered. He immediately gasped when he saw the scene inside the pavilion that looked as if it had been ravaged by a giant beast, as well as the human-shaped cracks on the wall. His face was filled with horror.

"Sect Leader, Senior Brother!"
What...what happened?!

"It's alright. Last night, some treacherous villains tried to take advantage of the situation."

Chen Yang waved his hand, seemingly just brushing away a speck of dust from the corner of his clothes.

"You can't hurt me. Is there any progress on the matter I entrusted to you? How is Uncle Li doing in Qingxi Village?"

His gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed intently on Master Huang.

Master Huang shuddered, not daring to look at the mess on the ground any longer, and quickly bowed to report.

"After the sect leader gave the order last night, I immediately sent a message to Uncle Li to explain the situation."

As for... as for how Uncle Li handled things specifically in Qingxi Village... the old Taoist priest hadn't had a chance to ask yet... thinking he'd go investigate and confirm it at dawn..."

"Haven't you had a chance to ask yet?"

Chen Yang's brows furrowed suddenly, and although his voice was calm, it made Master Huang feel unprecedented pressure.

"The medicinal herb base is of great importance, Uncle Li has a special identity, and the villagers' sentiments are even more unpredictable and restless!"
You didn't even check on it overnight? Junior brother, you've neglected your duty!

A faint chill spread through the air.

Master Huang immediately broke out in a cold sweat, realizing that his carelessness had angered the sect leader.

"Yes, yes, yes! Senior Brother Sect Leader is right! This old Taoist was foolish! This old Taoist will go to Qingxi Village personally right away!"

"Wait a minute."

Chen Yang raised his hand to stop him.

“I will go with you. This matter is strange, and I am uneasy.”

They could just pack up and go.

After tidying himself up and suppressing the lingering heat and fatigue from last night's battle and forced cultivation of the "Blazing Fire Immortal Technique," Chen Yang changed into a clean blue Daoist robe and left the core area of ​​the Qingwei Sect with Master Huang, heading swiftly towards the spiritual herb base at the foot of the mountain east of Qingxi Village.

The road was shrouded in morning mist, and the mountains and fields were unusually quiet, with only the sound of their hurried footsteps echoing. The closer they got to the base, the heavier the oppressive and gloomy feeling in Chen Yang's heart became. There was no noisy argument among the villagers as he had expected, nor Uncle Li's reprimand with its divine pressure.

Deathly silence!

When the two finally stepped out of the forest path, the scene before them made Chen Yang and Master Huang stop in their tracks!

The construction site, which was expected to be bustling with activity, has come to a halt, and the villagers who had surrounded and caused trouble have also disappeared! The makeshift sheds erected on the construction site are leaning precariously, construction equipment is scattered all over the ground, and many places still bear the marks of fresh trampling and destruction caused by great force—several bluestones are crushed, and the thick shed pillars are cracked and toppled as if they had been hit by a wild beast!
What's even more chilling is that the newly leveled medicinal garden land has been trampled with many deep footprints, and some places even still have a faint burning smell and a cold, corrosive odor!

The entire base was in complete disarray, as if it had just been the site of a sudden, chaotic attack!

"What...what's going on?!"

Master Huang cried out in shock, his face drained of all color.

"Where are the villagers? Where have all the troublemakers gone? Where is Uncle Li?!" Chen Yang's eyes were sharp as a hawk's as he swept over the desolate and chaotic construction site, his face ashen.

"This is bad. Uncle Li is probably in grave danger too! Let's split up and search. Junior Brother Huang, you go to the village in the east! I'll check the construction site for signs of construction, and then we'll explore the valley and woodland in the west! Hurry!"

The two immediately split up and acted separately.

Chen Yang bent down to examine the messy footprints, broken pieces of wood, and the ominous aura lingering on the ground, his heart turning cold.

Following the traces of chaos and destruction, he used his movement skills to quickly dart towards the neighboring village to the west.

The first house at the entrance of the village had its doors tightly shut, and not a sound could be heard from chickens or dogs.

In the second house, overturned winnowing baskets and grains of rice were scattered in the yard...

The third one...

They visited the homes of seven or eight villagers near the base.

Empty! Completely empty! Not only was there no one in sight, but some rooms even had unfinished food on the tables, with bowls and chopsticks scattered around.

It was as if the villagers were eating or busy in their houses when suddenly something terrible happened, forcing them all to leave!
An ominous premonition coiled around Chen Yang's heart like a cold, venomous snake.

“No… this is definitely not a simple dispute over a blockade…” He had just stepped into a slightly messy backyard when a sense of unease suddenly arose!
Swish!Swish!Swish!
Three dark figures, like elite assassins blending into the morning mist, emerged silently and without warning from the shadows of the collapsed earthen wall, behind the toppled woodpile, and even from the roof of the simple thatched hut above! Their speed and the angles they used far surpassed those of the terrifying black-robed messenger from the previous night!
Three oddly shaped, narrow, and long swords, gleaming with a cold, dark light, tore through the air, striking Chen Yang's back, throat, and legs respectively! Their coordination was as perfect as a single unit!
"coming!"

Chen Yang's pupils contracted, and his Qingwei Yuan Power erupted instantly upon receiving the warning!

"Yu!"

With a sharp shout, the condensed Qingwei protective qi barrier suddenly expanded, attempting to slow down the three deadly cold lights!

However, the sharpness and penetrating power of the swords of these three black-clad assassins far exceeded the single-handed claw power of the black-robed man from last night!
Chi Chi Chi!
Three sharp, piercing scraping sounds rang out almost simultaneously!
The protective aura that was strong enough to withstand ordinary flying swords was actually pierced through three layers simultaneously by three ghostly sword shadows! Although it did not completely penetrate, it still pierced through three-tenths of the way! The chilling killing intent transmitted from the sword tips was like a tangible poison needle stabbing into Chen Yang's body!

Chen Yang felt three extremely cold and sharp energies penetrate his body, causing his qi to become instantly disordered!
He was forced to use the momentum to spin and retreat, and the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork he wore at his waist was already in his hand!
"Duh!!"

With a whistling wind and a mysterious, soul-piercing power, the Soul-Splitting Fork was suddenly swung out to meet the sword shadow coming from the left! At the same time, it narrowly avoided the fatal sword to the throat!
when!
Sparks flew! The Soul-Splitting Fork precisely deflected the narrow, sinister sword that was thrusting straight at them.

However, attacks from the right side and lower body have also arrived!

The sword shadow that slashed downwards was incredibly cunning, almost skimming the ground! Another sword shadow, aimed at his back, struck silently like a venomous snake while Chen Yang was fully focused on blocking from the left!

"It's haunting me!"

Chen Yang shouted, and the faint yet incredibly domineering golden-red flame within his body was forcibly activated at the critical moment of life and death!

A faint, almost imperceptible golden-red halo instantly covered the Soul Splitter!
Swish!
The power emanating from the Soul-Splitting Iron Fork suddenly carried a scorching will that could incinerate all things! The assassin's arm on the left, which had been parried, paused almost imperceptibly, as if momentarily disturbed by the sudden, intense heat!
It was this slight difference that gave Chen Yang a sliver of hope!
He suddenly pushed off with his feet, his body leaping out in the opposite direction against inertia, narrowly dodging the sword aimed at his lower body and the venomous snake aimed at his back! The sharp sword energy tore through his Taoist robe on the back, but only left a few thin bloodstains!
But the three assassins unleashed a barrage of deadly attacks in an instant!

They moved like shadows, their steps unpredictable and elusive, as if weightless. Three nets of ghostly light intertwined and enveloped them once more, the sword wind stinging their faces, each strike aimed at a vital point! Their power was greater! Their speed was faster!

Even though Chen Yang used all his skills and pushed the Qingwei Technique to its limit, with the Soul-Splitting Fork flying up and down and drawing on the power of wind, thunder and fire, he still felt overwhelmed. In just a few breaths, he was forced to retreat seven or eight steps, and his arms were numb from the shock!
Damn it!
Although these people are individually not as strong as that guy from last night, their combined attack technique and their weapons and armor..."

Chen Yang felt anxious and heavy-hearted.

He glimpsed the opponent's entire body covered in fine, black scales, which gleamed eerily in the dawn light, clearly possessing formidable defensive capabilities. The narrow sword in its hand not only cut through iron like mud, but also constantly emitted a chilling, malevolent aura that corroded, slowed, and even directly harmed the soul! If his primordial spirit hadn't been far more resilient than others of the same level, his soul would have long been disrupted by this invisible invasion!

Just as he was forced into a corner of the courtyard by the three swordsmen's swords, in front of a withered tree, with nowhere to retreat and three deadly flashes of cold light about to pierce him simultaneously—

"Senior brother, don't panic! Demon, prepare to die!"

A loud shout, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, exploded outside the courtyard!

Swish!Swish!Swish!
Three incredibly refined golden talismans, radiating an aura of demon-slaying power, tore through the air like deadly arrows, striking with pinpoint accuracy towards the three assassins' vital points in the back! Their swiftness and devastating force forced even the three well-trained assassins to instantly turn and parry!
Clang! Clang! Ring!
A flash of light! The short but incredibly powerful Huang Zhenren transformed into a gust of wind and burst into the courtyard! The ancient-looking, rune-covered Seven Star Peach Wood magic sword in his hand gleamed with lightning light, aiming straight for one of the men's faces! It was his crucial talisman attack that saved Chen Yang from his immediate predicament!
Chen Yang's pressure eased dramatically, but the killing intent in his eyes surged!
"Fire! Start it!"

He held nothing back! The tiny, golden-red fire seed in his dantian, the size of a grain of rice, exploded as if under ultimate stimulation! It didn't just gush out, but rather triggered a violent resonance of fire-elemental energy throughout the world!

Whoosh!!

The intense power of true fire erupted from his right hand, which was holding the trident!

Although it did not form a raging sea of ​​fire, a long whip of flame, as thick as an arm and extremely condensed, resembling a golden-red lava, lashed out fiercely at the three black-clad assassins who had just been distracted in blocking the talisman and whose formation had momentarily broken down, carrying a destructive will to burn everything and a terrifying "sizzling" sound that scorched the air!

It is the initial-level killing move recorded in the "Blazing Fire Immortal Technique"—Condensing Fire into a Whip! Burning Evil!

"what?!"

"impossible!"

The three assassins felt the terrifying heat and the will to incinerate everything coming from behind them, and their pupils shrank drastically under their masks!
This power was so pure and domineering, far surpassing any fire-based techniques they had ever encountered! In their haste, they could only barely muster their inner energy or parry the whip-like shadow formed from flames with their swords!
Boom! Crack!
The golden-red whip swept across! The assassin's protective Yin energy melted away like snow being doused with boiling water! The narrow, cold sword in his hand was instantly scorched red-hot and twisted! Even more terrifying, the True Fire of Burning Yin carried by the whip seemed to ignore some physical defenses, directly burning his arm! A shrill scream instantly rang out!

Although the other two were not directly hit, the scorching airwaves and the impact of the burning aura carried by the whip caused their blood and qi to churn, and their movements to become violently distorted! Their protective true qi groaned under the strain!
Li Rou, who had been lurking in Chen Yang's sleeve, secretly disrupting her opponent's rhythm with imperceptible spatial rifts, seized this fleeting opportunity!
"Chen Yang! Cut off his back!"

A divine thought, audible only to Chen Yang, roared urgently!

Without another word! Chen Yang moved with the whip, the aftereffects of the Blazing Fire Immortal Technique still lingering, his body pouncing out like a fully charged cheetah! The evil-dispelling lightning of the Pure Subtle Yuan Descent on the Soul-Splitting Profound Iron Fork intertwined strangely with the remaining Burning Fiend True Fire, emitting a soul-stirring buzzing sound!

Man and spear merge into one, aiming straight for the back of the black-clad assassin on the left, whose body was unsteady due to the shockwave!

puff!

The fork tip, imbued with the power of thunder and fire, pierced through the eerie scales of the opponent's soft armor the instant it burst forth with a ghostly light in an attempt to defend itself, like a red-hot iron bar stabbing into rotten wood, penetrating deep into the armor!
"Ugh..."

The assassin's body stiffened abruptly, and the light in his eyes beneath the mask vanished instantly! His internal meridians shattered and carbonized inch by inch under the onslaught of lightning and fire! (End of Chapter)