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Chapter 264 My Heart Is Not Willing!

"I had always thought it was just a rumor that Ji You failed to break through in the Holy Land of the Sages."

"If it were just a rumor, it wouldn't have spread so consistently. Chen Feng also returned from the sacred land of the ancients, and he saw it with his own eyes. Actually, I was quite surprised when I heard it."

Jiang Yan stood with Yan Qiubai at this moment, murmuring to herself.

The two of them had a good relationship. When they learned that Ji You could fight barbarians hand-to-hand, they teased each other, saying that someone with such a good physique should find a husband.

However, Ji You failed to break through to the Dao realm for a long time afterward, so they didn't take any real action. When they met again and talked about him, they all felt a little sad.

The world of Qingyun is never short of exceptionally talented individuals, but only those who make it to the very end can be called true prodigies…

Jiang Yan came to her senses at this moment and gently bowed to Yan Qiubai in farewell.

When she returned to Jiang Chenfeng's side, she found that he was staring at Huo Hong, so she looked up at him as well.

She had noticed Huo Hong's strange behavior, but hadn't thought much of it before...

At this moment, another person came from the mountains. Huo Hong glanced at him, then bowed slightly to the others, politely bid farewell, and left with him.

Suddenly, the valley fell silent, and everyone couldn't help but look in the direction he had left...

"Young Master, the location has been confirmed, and we are sending people to follow it."

Huo Hong entered the forest and soon saw five servants gathered together: "How many?"

One of the servants held up a finger: "Only that one named Bu Hui."

"It seems that luck is still on my side."

"What you say is absolutely right, young master."

Huo Hong looked up at the sky with cold eyes: "It's getting dark. Conceal your presence and follow me stealthily. Do not let anyone discover you."

The five servants immediately bowed and agreed, then concealed their presence and followed the group away.

On the east side of Eagle Falling Gorge is a riverbed carved by rainwater. The six of them sped along the riverbank, swiftly traversing the dense mountain forest, their steps as light as the wind.
During this time, Huo Hong looked back several times, but his pace did not slow down.

After traveling for about an hour, the night was as dark as thick black liquid poured down from the sky, making the tranquil mountain forest even more secluded.

After leading the five men across a patch of frozen ground, Huo Hong suddenly stopped, gently gripped the long sword at his waist with his right hand, and then looked back.

The five servants following behind him stopped when they saw this, looking at each other with some confusion, not understanding why their master had stopped here.

Just then, Huo Hong's voice rang out from the desolate mountain forest.

“You all have skillfully concealed your breath and hidden the rhythm of your movements in the footsteps of the servants beside me.”

"However, the sixth sense of divine power is sometimes truly mysterious. Even if I didn't discover anything, I still knew that someone was following me."

"Since you're already here, why not come out and greet us?"

After he finished speaking, the surroundings remained silent, as if there was no one in the forest at all.

Huo Hong spoke again with a cold face: "Now that I know someone is following me, aren't you afraid that I will deliberately change the route and lead you in circles in the mountains?"

As these words were spoken, a sound finally broke the silence.

One by one, figures began to emerge from behind the ancient trees and forests. They were his old friends who had traveled with him to the snowy region and served as envoys to the demon race, as well as the disciples of their sects.

Jiang Chenfeng stood at the very front, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, but his smile remained unchanged: "Brother Huo, what a coincidence."

Huo Hong smiled faintly: "That's just how I am. I can't hide what's on my mind, and it's easy for people to see through me."

"Brother Huo, please don't misunderstand." Xie Chenyu, who came from Tianjian Peak, stepped forward: "We are just curious about why Brother Huo's whereabouts are so mysterious, and we have no other intentions."

Huo Hong pondered for a while: "Is it because I didn't talk to you tonight, or because someone keeps sending me messages?"

"Both, I suppose."

"It seems I really should be more mindful of this habit in the future..."

Jiang Chenfeng coughed lightly, interrupting their conversation: "I think Brother Huo has confirmed the Bu family's whereabouts?"

Huo Hong looked at them and smiled faintly: "I only saw some traces. I was thinking that if I'm extremely lucky, I might be able to make a name for myself and exchange it for a pill needed to break through to the next realm."

"Brother Huo, you have such news, yet you're unwilling to share any of it with us?"

"After all, we are not of the same lineage as you."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chenfeng cupped his hands in greeting: "It is Brother Huo's skill to be able to find clues, but since the information has not been verified, it is more likely to be false. I am not very interested, so I will take my leave."

Tu Ri originally intended to press Huo Hong for answers, simply to find out why the information was kept so secret, but he never expected his senior brother to leave so decisively.

After a long pause filled with doubt, he could only hurriedly follow, not understanding why his senior brother had believed him so easily.

Meanwhile, the others seemed to be deep in thought for a moment, and then, like Jiang Chenfeng, they bowed and left.

After the last person left, the forest returned to silence, and the five servants looked at Huo Hong again.

However, Huo Hong did not leave. Instead, he chose a flat bluestone to sit on and stared intently in the direction the people had gone.

The night grew thicker, with dark clouds obscuring the moon, and only a faint ray of sunlight chilled his cold expression.

After a long while, footsteps began to echo in the mountains and forests, approaching from afar.

The departing friends returned and gradually walked to the places they had originally left behind.

However, only those old friends from the snowy region returned this time, while the clansmen who had followed Huo Hong with them earlier did not come back.

Why have you all returned?

"It's nothing, I just wanted to lend Brother Huo a hand. I was worried that Brother Huo would refuse, but now it seems that Brother Huo was waiting for us."

Jiang Chenfeng spoke upon hearing this, his smile remaining unchanged.

Huo Hong acted in secrecy, which was completely different from his usual personality. Even without thinking, it was obvious that things were far more complicated than he made them out to be.

More importantly, Huo Hong said he would rely on luck to gain merit and exchange it for breakthrough pills.

The problem is that none of the five people around him were disciples of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion; they were all his close attendants.

Therefore, they never believed this statement from the beginning.

Moreover, these people seemed to vaguely understand Huo Hong's thoughts.

He wanted to bypass the Mountain and Sea Pavilion and seize the opportunity for himself.

Coincidentally, it wasn't that they hadn't had this idea before.

In fact, since they entered the Dongping Mountains, they have had almost no contact with the outside world, and they don't know any specific information about the Bu family.

However, none of those who can cultivate to the Fusion Realm are truly stupid.

They had long harbored doubts: why were the combat strength of each member of such a small, declining family so formidable, and why did the major immortal sects insist on keeping them alive?

After thinking it over, I realized that there must be something even more tempting hidden within.

They actually held a fairly high position within their own sect, yet they were still treated as outsiders.

Based on their many years of experience, even if they eventually find some opportunity, it probably won't have much to do with them.

So they sent away their disciples, leaving only their own people, and returned to the place.

After a long silence, Huo Hongjian spoke up: "It seems that you all don't believe me, but what I just said was indeed true, and I didn't speak in riddles."

Jiang Chenfeng glanced at him: "I heard someone talking about something a few days ago. It is said that the head of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion has decided to let your personal disciple, the Holy Son Huo Xingzhong, try to control the Holy Artifact. Brother Huo, do you know if this news is true or false?"

The voice, which sounded like casual conversation, suddenly turned gloomy as Huo Hong's face darkened, and even a hint of ruthlessness appeared in his eyes.

He was the son of the leader of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, and Huo Xingzhong's half-brother, so his status should have been extremely noble.

Unfortunately, his mother was just a lowly woman whom the sect leader had favored because of his confused mind.

Because of this identity, he suffered countless humiliations within the Mountain and Sea Pavilion.

His elder brother, Huo Xingzhong, a disciple of the Mountain and Sea Pavilion, would even call him a "bastard".

But they clearly share the same blood, so why can't he become a direct descendant? Why can't he be recognized as a member of the clan?

That's why he thought of pursuing Princess Fengyang in the Demon Emperor City to elevate his own status...

After returning from the sacred site of the ancients, he heard news that his father had decided to let Huo Xingzhong try to wield the sacred artifact.

At that moment, his resentment reached its peak.

Therefore, Jiang Chenfeng's previous words were like touching the most painful thorn in his heart.

"Dou Yuankong's whereabouts were first discovered by our Shan Hai Pavilion. I also participated in the siege in the city at that time, so I know more about some things than you do."

After a long while, Huo Hong's voice finally rang out in the silent mountain forest.

Xie Chenyu immediately stepped forward: "What is it that you are referring to, Brother Huo?"

"The Bu family has a branch of descendants who run the family's winery. The head of this branch is named Bu Qirong. A year ago, he was only at the Tongxuan Realm, but now he is already a master at the Yingtian Realm."

Huo Hong's gaze swept over them: "The reason why the major immortal sects spend so much time trying to capture them alive is actually because of the secrets they possess."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes widened in surprise.

Because what Huo Hong said was almost exactly what they had thought before.

Jiang Chenfeng raised his head at this moment: "I have always felt that Brother Huo's talent is no less than that of your elder brother, so I really want to lend Brother Huo a hand."

Xie Chenyu and the others couldn't hide their excitement as they said, "We are old friends with Brother Huo, and naturally we can't bear to see him take such a risk alone."

Under the gloomy sky, no one could see each other's expressions.

However, Huo Hong's subsequent cold laugh was exceptionally clear. In fact, the moment he realized he had been discovered, he already knew very well that if he didn't let them get a share of the spoils, today's plan would certainly fail.

Because he knew that the people in front of him were actually the same as himself.

Ambitious, but of mediocre status, unable to match his ambitions.

Such people are the most greedy.

If I don't agree to their request, then the Mountain and Sea Pavilion will definitely find out about this.

His elder brother was even more cruel than him and would surely make him die a gruesome death.

However, thinking about it from another perspective, Huo Hong felt that joining forces with them wasn't such a bad thing.

Because he had been thinking about how to take the person away under the noses of the major immortal sects after capturing them, something that would be very difficult for him to do alone.

However, if there are more, the chances of success will naturally be greater.

The path to enlightenment and immortality emphasizes following the natural course of events. He felt that since it was driven by the will of Heaven, he might as well go with the flow.

After a long silence, Huo Hong spoke: "Bu Qirong's third son, Bu Hui, is at the initial stage of the Fusion Dao realm and has the lowest combat strength. He is currently alone in the mountains. He is quite favored and must know the secrets behind this, and I happen to know his location."

A hint of doubt flashed in Jiang Chenfeng's eyes: "The core members of the Bu family have never shown their faces. Even the elders of the Immortal Sect cannot be found. How did Brother Huo find them?"

"Because I let them escape from the city."

"???"

When it came to finding Dou Yuankong, Shan Hai Ge acted the fastest.

They found the winery and fought a big battle with the Bu family, but unexpectedly, several key figures escaped the city without a trace.

Nobody knew how they did it, but now we have the answer.

"Actually, I know a bit about the Bu family because I've been there for drinks. I know there's something wrong with their cultivation, so I realized this was an incredible opportunity."

“But if they are caught in the city, I will have no chance at all.”

"So I pretended to have failed, and secretly sent people to follow them into the mountains until today when they finally caught someone alone."

Jiang Chenfeng gave him a deep look: "Brother Huo, you really have a lot of patience."

Huo Hong clenched his fist: "Those who achieve great things throughout history have all had to endure what ordinary people cannot. You all are no less talented or insightful than others, just like me, and you should have achieved even greater things."

Of the seven emotions and six desires, greed is the most common.

They were not true immortals, and naturally, they were no exception.

As the words fell, everyone's gaze turned fervent, and a sense of ambition began to waft through the air...

The sky was overcast, and a constant rumbling sound echoed beneath the thick, dark clouds.

Nine swaying figures flew through the air and landed gracefully on a solitary peak, standing as nine black shadows on the cliff.

Then they looked toward the dense jungle and saw three figures.

On the left and right were servants, while in the middle was a thin man, Bu Hui, whom Huo Hong had mentioned.

Just as mentioned before, these three people must have gotten lost by accident and are now anxiously searching for their way.

With just a glance, they determined that this person was not yet twenty years old.

His youthful appearance made him seem harmless, but his aura was undoubtedly that of someone at the Fusion Realm.

Upon seeing this, the gazes of Jiang Chenfeng and the others on the mountain became even more intense.

It should be noted that a prodigy who has reached the peak of the lower three realms before the age of twenty is already a rare find.

If it weren't for the young appraiser of Lingjian Mountain, Rongdao, who was not yet twenty years old at that time, would have been a fool's dream.

But it is precisely because of this that this opportunity becomes even more significant in their hearts.

Only Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai were present, their eyes revealing a hint of hesitation.

On the one hand, the opportunity to transform into an evil seed is truly unsettling; on the other hand, there is the anxiety caused by concealing the actions from the Immortal Sect.

The Immortal Sect, wielding sacred artifacts, stands tall throughout the entire Qingyun Realm, commanding the submission of countless noble families.

For cultivators, daring to have the thought of betraying their sect is not an easy thing.

However, there was no time to think about it, and a slight metallic clang suddenly rang out.

Five figures were the first to strike, descending the mountain like lightning in the pitch-black night, instantly surrounding the entire foothills.

Amidst the howling killing intent, the man named Bu Hui instantly revealed a look of terror.

The two old men beside him immediately shielded him in the middle, one in front and one behind.

Xie Chenyu gripped his longsword and said indifferently, "Surrender. We don't want your life. Just obey us and we'll ask you what we want to ask, then you can leave on your own."

"Young Master, you go first!"

hum!
With a loud shout, a dense aura of malevolence surged forth.

In the blink of an eye, the two old servants had transformed into the appearance of evil beings, their strong bodies charging forward fiercely, while their sharp claws stabbed out into the air.

Xie Chenyu's pupils suddenly contracted. As he took a step back, he raised his hand, and spiritual energy rapidly gathered in his hand. The iron sword, surging with momentum, slashed down into the air, colliding with the sharp claws.

Sonorous!

The sound of clashing weapons echoed, and sparks flew in the night.

Xie Chenyu seemed to have underestimated the power of the two evil beings, and was knocked off balance after just one exchange.

Before he could regain his footing, the old servant leaped into the air. His mind was filled with murderous intent, and he was ruthless and decisive in his attacks. His left hand's sharp claws instantly tore through the air.

Fortunately, Xie Chenyu was not alone.

Just as the vicious claws were about to fall, a bolt of purple lightning struck through the air, sweeping one of the old servants away with a deafening roar.

Jiang Yuerou soared through the sky, lightning magic gathering in her palm.

However, with the powerful attack of the two evil creatures, Bu Hui, who was terrified, managed to break free from the encirclement and ran forward frantically with a panicked expression.

Upon seeing this, Jiang Chenfeng and Huo Hong, who were on the cliff, instantly leaped up the mountain.

slam-la-

As his robes fluttered in the fierce wind, a long sword and an iron knife, two flashes of cold light, chased after him in the direction he was fleeing.

The two old servants, who had transformed into evil corpses, instantly swung their claws with lightning speed. Their dark and sharp finger beams pressed down on the five people like blades, and then chased after Jiang Chenfeng and Huo Hong.

In fact, it would be best to end this siege quickly, otherwise the risks would increase.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai no longer hesitated, and their figures suddenly disappeared on the mountain peak.

Stupid!
The sword ascended into the sky, its gleaming sword energy slashing forward from behind.

The old servant on the left was slashed to the ground, his hard body scraping against the gravel road with a piercing shriek, until it finally stopped after smashing a section of blue rock.

Then an iron blade came flying through the air. Tu Ri used all his strength as a bow and spiritual energy as a string, ignoring the throbbing pain in his arm, and plunged the blade into the heart of the evil creature.

At the same moment, Lu Dacheng raised his arm and stood up, a flash of light appearing in his hand.

A black, fork-shaped magical artifact shot through the air, pinning another evil creature to the mountain wall.

Meanwhile, the prodigies lined up side by side, heads held high, walking towards Bu Hui with an air of arrogance.

Panicked and disoriented, Bu Hui kept backing away until he finally fell to the ground with a thud.

Seeing this, Huo Hong and Jiang Chenfeng couldn't help but chuckle: "Young Master Bu, there's no need to be nervous. We said before that we wouldn't take anyone's life. As long as you tell us what we want to know, you can leave now."

Bu Hui immediately spoke up, trembling: "I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!"

"You know what we want to ask?"

"Whatever you want to ask, I will tell you everything I know!"

"?"

The prodigies were slightly surprised, because they never expected Bu Hui to be so cooperative.

In my sight, Bu Hui clenched his sleeves, his pale face trembling as he raised his head.

“My father said that someone had been following me, but didn’t seem to be making a move. So my older brother said that these people must be trying to catch us on their own behind the backs of the others.”

"Second Brother said this is a good thing, because those powerful immortal sects are elusive and hard to avoid, but you are not."

"The route you took must have been carefully chosen, avoiding everyone. No one will know, and there will be no reinforcements, so it must be the safest. You can come and go as you please, as long as you kindly lead the way."

“I cried and begged my father to come with me, but he said that if we stayed together, we would be too conspicuous and too risky, and we would be subject to endless pursuit. Only if he stayed could my brothers and I leave safely and leave an heir for the family.”

"Because I was the youngest, my older brothers always bullied me and often made me do things I didn't want to do."

"They forced me to come this time. You can ask them if you don't believe me. It really wasn't my fault! It really wasn't my fault!"

Bu Hui's voice was hoarse and trembling, and he was practically in tears, clearly terrified.

But the nine geniuses who had been looking proud and arrogant just now changed their expressions drastically upon hearing this, and a look of fear appeared in their eyes.

boom!
In the mountains and forests, two even larger, cold and malevolent energies rapidly approached.

Before he could react, Jiang Chenfeng felt a sharp pain and was sent flying.

(End of this chapter)