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

The instantaneous death of their companion, and the terrifying shock brought by the domineering Burning Fiend Whip, utterly terrified the remaining two black-clad assassins!
They didn't even care about their seriously injured and fallen companions. Without hesitation, they leaped back and pulled out a jet-black, rune-covered shuttle-shaped object from their waists, slamming it hard onto the ground!

Bang!
Two muffled explosions! Thick black smoke, so dense you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, instantly filled the entire courtyard. The smell was pungent, with a strong hallucinogenic and corrosive effect! The faint sound of a rushing wind could be heard from within the smoke, clearly indicating that someone had used a special magical artifact to escape!
Master Huang had only taken two steps when he was choked by the thick smoke and coughed violently, his vision completely obscured.

Chen Yang also frowned and stopped. The smoke not only obscured his vision, but also disrupted his spiritual senses.

"A penniless wretch at the end of his rope, not worth mentioning! No need to pursue him!"

Chen Yang's voice was cold as he retracted the Soul-Splitting Fork, its tip stained with eerie dark red grime.

His internal energy surged violently as he forcefully activated the "Blazing Fire Immortal Technique," causing the fire seed in his dantian to dim and nearly extinguish. A strong sense of weakness washed over him, which he forcefully suppressed, making his face even paler.

As the smoke and dust gradually dissipated, the courtyard was a mess, with withered trees charred and cracked, and a corpse wearing tattered soft armor lay on the ground.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, are you alright?"

Master Huang coughed a few times and looked nervously at Chen Yang.

"It's nothing, just a superficial injury that took a bit of energy."

Chen Yang waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the corpse on the ground, then looking at the eerily silent village in the distance.

"These guys are well-equipped, their strength has increased rapidly, and their murderous aura is soul-devouring. They are no ordinary evil cultivators! They are even more formidable than the disciples and followers of that poisonous snake from last night!"

He asked in a deep voice.

"Where are the villagers? Where is Uncle Li?"

Master Huang then remembered the crucial point, his expression changed, and he immediately pulled out his phone. A strange thing happened: the phone numbers for the construction team leader, which had been working fine before, were now all busy!
"The signal... is being blocked?"

Chen Yang's eyes narrowed, and an even worse premonition rose in his heart.

"Go to their resettlement site immediately!"

The two exchanged a glance, then without further hesitation, quickly headed towards an abandoned courtyard in the village where the construction team was temporarily staying.

Upon arriving at the courtyard gate, a strong stench of blood filled the air! The courtyard was a mess, with broken tables and chairs, and deep knife marks and charred claw marks on the walls! Several elderly and weak villagers, pale with fright and huddled in a corner, rushed up to Chen Yang and Master Huang as if they had seen their saviors, crying out their grievances.

"Master Dao! You've finally arrived! You scared me to death!"

"Last night...Last night, Old Master Li had just arrived and had barely subdued those troublemakers when a group of guys dressed in black, looking like ghosts, rushed in! They started hitting anyone they saw!"

"Old Master Li was sent flying by a single blow from that leader in black while protecting a few terrified women... His chest... His chest was dented! He vomited blood! He's unconscious!"

Chen Yang and Master Huang's hearts skipped a beat! Following the direction of the villager's trembling finger, they rushed into a relatively intact side room in the backyard.

Uncle Li lay on a makeshift bed made of door panels, his face as pale as paper and his breath barely audible.

His chest was stained with dark brown blood, and a horrifying indented handprint was faintly visible beneath his clothes! The exposed skin was an eerie bluish-black, constantly radiating a chilling aura of death, clearly indicating that the palm strike contained deadly poison!
What shocked Chen Yang even more was that Uncle Li's soul was fluctuating weakly, like a candle flickering in the wind, and his three souls and seven spirits were about to dissipate and collapse under the impact of that sinister palm force!

"Uncle Li!"

Master Huang's eyes widened in fury, and he was about to rush over to save the person.

Chen Yang, however, was one step ahead!
He suppressed his own weakness and the burning sensation in his lower abdomen, took a step to the bedside, and with his right hand, his five fingers together like a sword, he struck the vital acupoint on Uncle Li's sunken and bluish chest with lightning speed!
hum!
A refined and gentle healing aura, mixed with a trace of the essence of the faint yet ever-renewing raging fire, slowly entered Uncle Li's broken body!

This was no longer a simple healing technique, but rather a use of primordial power! The Soul-Returning and Life-Sustaining Secret Technique recorded in the Heavenly Armor Primordial Descent Great Art was unleashed by Chen Yang without regard for the cost!

"Well……"

Uncle Li, who was in a deep coma, suddenly shuddered and let out a muffled groan of extreme pain.

The chilling and vicious palm force that invaded his internal organs and soul seemed to have a life of its own, frantically fighting against the yang energy that Chen Yang had channeled into him! The bluish-black death aura on Uncle Li's face would sometimes fade away, and sometimes return with a vengeance.

Large beads of sweat instantly appeared on Chen Yang's forehead, and his face turned pale again, but his eyes did not waver in the slightest, and the clear light and golden-red glow at his fingertips became more persistent and steady.

It took almost half an hour before the chilly atmosphere in the room was completely dispelled by the pure and powerful Qingwei Yuan energy and the life-giving fire element.

Uncle Li coughed violently, spitting out several large clumps of thick, dark blood. His face finally turned from golden to waxy yellow, and his breathing gradually became steady and strong. The turmoil in his soul also slowly subsided under the nourishment of this primordial life force.

Chen Yang slowly withdrew his fingers, his body staggering slightly. His internal energy was almost completely depleted, and his dantian felt empty and burning. After a series of battles and serious injuries, he had been forcibly circulating the new technique and using his original healing technique with all his might. Even an iron man could not withstand that.

"Sect Leader! You..." Master Huang hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, his face full of concern and guilt.

"It's alright, it's just that I used up too much energy."

Chen Yang waved his hand, took a deep breath to stand still, but his gaze remained sharp as he looked at Uncle Li, who was slowly waking up.

Uncle Li slowly opened his eyes and saw Chen Yang and Master Huang. A look of relief flashed in his cloudy eyes.

He struggled to sit up, but Chen Yang held him down.

"Old Li, how are you feeling?"

Uncle Li's voice was hoarse and dry, yet it carried a hint of ruthlessness and lingering fear.

"Thanks to... thanks to Sect Leader Chen... I've been spared for now... cough... those damned things... their strength... I might not be afraid of them one-on-one! But their equipment... is too strange!"

That soft armor was incredibly hard; when I punched it, it felt like hitting an iron plate!

The swords in their hands... sent chills down my spine, not only scraping my bones but also making my very soul tremble! The guy who injured me was the leader... one palm strike, and the murderous aura seeped into my marrow and eroded my soul..."

"Ah."

Chen Yang nodded slowly, confirming his judgment.

"Not only have their individual skills improved dramatically, but their weaponry far surpasses that of the thugs we encountered last time. Elder Li, rest assured and recover from your injuries. I will assign more personnel to keep a close watch on you here!"

He looked at Uncle Li's withered face and said in a deep voice.

"The enemy has officially torn off all pretense of civility! The Qingxi Village incident is a minor matter; these successive attacks are just the beginning! We must take the initiative to respond!"

After comforting the wounded, Chen Yang did not linger for a moment and immediately led Master Huang back to the Qingwei Sect headquarters.

He didn't even have time to recover his severely depleted spiritual energy!
The atmosphere inside the Qingwei Hall was extremely heavy!

Upon receiving the emergency message talisman, True Person Liuyun, True Person Qianmo, and True Person Yude, who were the core members, all sat solemnly.

Li Zhengguo and Liu Yu, who were the sect leader's confidants and elite disciples, were also summoned to the scene.

Chen Yang sat in the center, his face still showing signs of fatigue and paleness, but his sect leader's majesty was like a drawn sword, making the air in the hall heavy and oppressive.

"Gentlemen."

Chen Yang's voice wasn't loud, but it resonated clearly in everyone's ears, getting straight to the point. "The Heavenly Alliance... is no longer lurking in the shadows! From last night until this morning, first, a mysterious black-robed leader broke into my attic intending to kill me, followed by a large number of elite armed men in black massacring the Qingxi Village construction site, severely injuring the mountain god Uncle Li who was protecting the Dharma, and kidnapping villagers! Their arrogance is unprecedented!"

This is a declaration of war!

A suppressed gasp of shock and anger filled the hall! The expressions of the several masters changed drastically!
Master Liuyun, his hair and beard bristling, slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair and roared.

"Arrogant! This is outrageous! To attempt an assassination within the Qingwei Mountain gate! To slaughter our outer guards! How is this any different from the demonic path! Sect Leader, this enmity is irreconcilable! We must strike swiftly and decisively, wipe out their strongholds, and leave them utterly annihilated!"

He had the most fiery temper, and his eyes were blazing with anger, clearly indicating that he was extremely furious.

"Junior Brother Liuyun, please be at ease!"

Master Yude had white hair and beard, but his face was as calm as an ancient well. He raised his hand to stop Liuyun and looked at Chen Yang with a solemn gaze.

"Senior Brother Sect Leader, although the other party's actions are arrogant, they may not be without reason. What was the strength of the intruder last night? Uncle Li's serious injury shows that the other party's martial arts are no longer what they used to be."

Even worse, their sudden and brazen open betrayal suggests they have a powerful ally! There's likely a massive conspiracy brewing that we haven't yet discovered! If we rashly launch a full-scale attack, falling into their trap of luring us away, damaging our foundation, and even causing the collapse of our main base, that would be utterly catastrophic! I believe we must plan carefully before acting, first securing our core strength, and then seeking out their vital points!

Master Huang looked worried and replied.

“What Senior Brother Yu De said is absolutely right. Even the Sect Leader was injured fighting that assassin leader alone, and the enemy reinforcements are even better equipped and well-trained, far superior to the lackeys we have fought in the past.”

Now that the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, their strongholds, troop numbers, and specific targets are all a mystery. We should not rashly launch an attack!

Li Zhengguo said in a deep voice.

"The other side seems to know everything about us. The sect leader's residence, the surrounding construction sites, the villagers in the base... they hit the mark in one strike! I'm afraid there are still their spies within our Qingwei Sect... and even in the area around this council hall!"

His words made the atmosphere even more tense.

"Hmph! Timid and cowardly! Are you just going to sit here and wait for them to come knocking on your door?"

Master Liuyun glared angrily at Yude.

“If the enemy punches me, I should return the favor with ten blows! Kill him until he feels pain! Kill him until he is afraid! Otherwise, he will think that I, Qingwei, am incompetent! Nephew Liu Yu, what do you think?”

He suddenly turned his attention to Liu Yu, who was standing silently to the side.

Ever since learning of Chen Yang's attack, Liu Yu's face has remained icy cold, her eyes gleaming with a chilling light.

Upon hearing Master Liuyun's question, she clasped her hands in a fist and replied without hesitation.

"Uncle-Master, in my humble opinion, sitting idly by and waiting for death is absolutely not the right thing to do! The Heavenly Alliance has grand ambitions and is moving more and more urgently, so something big must be coming soon! Rather than being constantly harassed and restrained by them and exhausted from dealing with them, we should take the initiative to find their weaknesses!"

Whether defending or counter-attacking, obtaining crucial information is essential! The culprit behind this official's downfall should be nipped in the bud, not merely trimmed! This disciple requests permission to go out and investigate!

She has a clear and incisive mind, and clearly prefers to actively gather intelligence.

A heated debate erupted inside the hall.

Some advocated an immediate and all-out attack in retaliation, while others resolutely held their ground, waiting for an opportunity to advance step by step. Still others supported prioritizing intelligence gathering through covert operations.

Chen Yang listened quietly, his fingers unconsciously tapping on the jade handrail, producing a soft knocking sound.

The knocking gradually drowned out the argument inside the hall.

When everyone's attention returned to him, he slowly spoke, his voice carrying an undeniable determination.

"What you all say is reasonable. The enemy's momentum has been established and should not be underestimated."

However, our Qingwei Sect stands here, with a thousand-year-old heritage, and is by no means a cowardly and incompetent force! Holding out and waiting for death is unacceptable, nor is a reckless attack!

His gaze swept over the crowd.

"Therefore, we need to take both sides into account and adopt a multi-pronged approach!"

"First, under the leadership of Steward Li Zhengguo, select reliable and steady disciples skilled in formations and talismans, and have them carry valuable treasures to conduct a comprehensive inspection and upgrade of the formations in the core area of ​​the sect!"
All peripheral medicinal herb bases, mines, and even key villages connected to the sect's destiny, must be equipped with alert and defensive arrays! Simultaneously, all secret research institutes must strengthen their defenses and activate the highest level of alert!

Li Zhengguo's expression turned solemn, and he abruptly stood up and clasped his hands in greeting.

"Yes, Master! Rest assured, I will report immediately if a single grain of sand or stone enters my formation!"

His eyes gleamed, clearly indicating a deep sense of responsibility.

"second!"

Chen Yang turned his gaze to Master Yu De.

"Junior Brother Yude, I would like to trouble you to assemble a 'Patrol and Protect the Mountain' team composed of steady, mature, and experienced disciples! Their job is to patrol key locations and monitor any unusual activity at the array nodes!"
A detailed rotation duty plan has been formulated! If there are any signs of external invasion, the corresponding level of defense plan must be activated immediately without prior authorization! All efforts must be made to prevent potential chaos from entering the core area of ​​the sect!

Master Yude also rose and bowed, calmly responding.

“Excellent! This is the foundation for strengthening the body, and I, the old Taoist, have an inescapable responsibility.”

"third!"

Chen Yang's sharp gaze swept over Liu Yun Zhenren and some of the people whose eyes were filled with fighting spirit.

"The enemy wants to provoke us into a state of exhaustion and fighting? Hmph!"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"Junior Brother Liuyun! Immediately select disciples who are skilled in combat, fast, and highly mobile, and you will personally lead them to form a 'Sharp Wind Special Forces'! There are two missions."

First, secretly deploy forces in the buffer zone where my Qingwei territory might meet the Heavenly Dao Alliance's forces!

Second, if the enemy launches an attack on our outer outposts that exceeds our pre-set tolerance threshold, we must mobilize! Give them a resounding victory! Remember, do not pursue too far, do not advance rashly, and retreat immediately after the attack! I will ensure that the Heavenly Dao Alliance's forces pay a bloody price for stepping into my Qingwei territory! Like a malignant tumor clinging to their bones, I will cause them endless headaches!

Upon hearing this, Master Liuyun's anger instantly transformed into a bloodthirsty fighting spirit, and he excitedly stood up.

"As the sect leader commands! We will ensure that this demon brat never returns!"

aggressive.

"fourth."

Chen Yang finally fixed his gaze on Liu Yu and Master Huang, a hint of trust in his eyes.

"This is also the most crucial covert operation! Steward Liu Yu, you are in charge! Select several trusted disciples skilled in investigation, concealment, disguise, and seeing through disguises."

You don't need to coordinate with other teams; operate independently! Infiltrate areas, city strongholds, and network nodes where the Heavenly Dao Alliance might be based! Even… if necessary… feign infiltration into their peripheral organizations as undercover agents! Do everything possible to uncover their organizational structure, core strongholds, personnel lists… especially their major targets in the near future! (End of Chapter)