Minglong

Chapter 364 Secretly assassinating Chen Cang
Rumble…

The ground shook violently in the forest, with many mountains collapsing and even landslides, causing the scattered cultivators to turn around and look back.

Lu Yan was worried that Madam Han might escape from the Snake King Cave, so he didn't dare to rush over to investigate. However, the tremors lasted only a moment before a white-robed figure hidden in the rat tunnel burst through the ground and shot into the sky, landing on a tree canopy amidst flying sand and dust.

bang——

Wow…

Because his figure and clothing were so familiar, everyone recognized him simply by his nimble movements:

"It's Xie Jinhuan, he must have cornered Madam Han..."

Who shook him out?

"It should be Old Man Chen Yishan..."

As they spoke, Lü Yan, Zhang Jiwu, and the others almost simultaneously abandoned their road-blocking duties and rushed towards the hill at full speed.

Xie Jinhuan landed atop the towering tree and, finding figures approaching from all directions, did not flee. Instead, he remained calm and gazed at the cloaked figure hidden in the dark forest.

"Old Chen has excellent skills."

Chen Yishan stopped his incantation, did not approach to attack, but instead pulled down his hood, revealing his face and gray hair, and said in a mature and old-fashioned manner:
"These are mere trifles, hardly worthy of serious consideration. I've come here seeking opportunities, so I hope my young friend Xie won't hold it against me for taking advantage of my age."

Whizzing--

In the time it takes to exchange just a few words, sect leaders and elders like Lü Yan have already rushed over from Dragon Ridge. The slightly weaker first and second-grade cultivators have also appeared from various places and are approaching the vicinity. Meanwhile, Mo Yuan and Fang Qingxuan, who were lurking in the shadows, discovered that Xie Jinhuan was surrounded and knew that their opportunity was coming soon. They quietly made their way towards the hill.

Boom——

Wow…

Lightning flashed across the mountains and fields, and several figures appeared and disappeared in the forest.

Facing the impending storm, Xie Jinhuan stood with one hand behind his back, his eyes showing no fear, and simply said:
"Madam Han has already fled. Aren't you all afraid of coming to the wrong person to ambush me?"

Lu Yan had been saved a few days ago, and now he's coming back to bully the weak with numbers—it's shameless. He stroked his beard in response:

"If young friend Xie hadn't come, it's hard to say who would have gotten this opportunity. But now that you're here, if anyone else goes after someone else, it would be an insult to the name 'Xie Jinhuan'."

"However, since we have some friendship, I will not make a move in this battle. If you, young friend Xie, cannot hold on, just throw it out. If anyone tries to attack you again, I will definitely lend you a hand."

Zhang Jiwu, also a leader of the Southern Dynasty, was clearly hesitant to make harsh remarks to his future martial arts alliance leader. However, such opportunities were rare and life was of the essence, so he couldn't simply avoid the fight. Therefore, he replied:

"Young Master Xie is unparalleled in benevolence and righteousness, which I and my son deeply admire. Now that we have met here, I know that I am no match for Young Master Xie. However, in a battle between martial artists, going all out is the greatest respect. Therefore, I would like to make a fool of myself."

"However, regardless of whether we are inside or outside the pass, we are all allies of the Southern Dynasty. Sparring is about stopping when the point is reached. After the opportunity changes hands, who would dare to break the rules and ambush Young Hero Xie? I, Zhang, would be the first to object..."

They all sounded very nice, but they were actually just 'disclaimers' to prevent the situation from escaping the opportunity and creating a deadly feud, which Xie Jinhuan might hold a grudge against in the future.

The other sect leaders from the north had little interaction with Xie Jinhuan, and their conversations were much more direct:

"Young Master Xie has already taken all the opportunities from Phoenix Mausoleum. We, who have cultivated for sixty years, all wish to advance further, but this is the only opportunity we can currently seek. If Young Master Xie takes it away as well, it would be tantamount to cutting off our path of cultivation. We hope that Young Master Xie can assess the situation and not be greedy enough to swallow an elephant whole..."

"Yes, it is already a great favor that we, as young hero Xie, do not covet the divine gift of Lingguang from him..."

……

As the clamor arose, the once desolate hill gradually transformed into a bustling scene, with Xie Jinhuan's tree surrounded by layers upon layers of people.

The atmosphere, which had been relatively restrained, turned tense as some arrogant cultivators made threats.

Xie Jinhuan remained almost completely unfazed by the various veiled threats, yet his imposing aura silently spread throughout the mountains and fields, suppressing the chaotic noise.
"Things created by nature should be obtained by the capable. It is only natural for you all to seek them, and I, Xie, will naturally not hold a grudge. However, you should all have heard of my past deeds."

Everyone stopped talking, their eyes filled with alarm, for they knew all too well what Xie Jinhuan had done in the past.

But they refused to believe that Xie Jinhuan could wipe out their entire group of several hundred people today!
Xie Jinhuan's eyes held a haughty and arrogant air, like a martial god atop a mountain looking down at a motley crew of people. However, he didn't immediately and casually kill them all. Instead, he surveyed the crowd and continued unhurriedly:

"I remember last August, I was just a fourth-rank military officer, a commoner with a sword, venturing into the martial world. Back then, it was just like today, with thunder rolling and torrential rain pouring down..."

Blah blah blah... He gestured with his hands as he spoke, giving off the air of a grand and impassioned speech.

The numerous cultivators present were somewhat puzzled as to why Xie Jinhuan was saying this, but Xie Jinhuan spoke with righteous indignation and extraordinary momentum, as if he wanted to tell them some profound truth. Therefore, no one dared to interrupt and simply listened attentively to his analysis.

Meanwhile, above the heavens, countless cultivators, both overt and covert, focused their attention on Xie Jinhuan.

Taking advantage of its species, the coal briquette kept moving between the clouds, observing what was happening below.

Upon noticing Xie Jinhuan's gesture, his amber eyes searched southeast. A moment later, he spotted a figure emerging quietly from the Snake King Cave, cautiously looking around.

"Goo?"

Upon seeing this, Coal Ball immediately drew a figure eight in the air to send out intelligence.

Nangong Ye and the others, hidden in the shadows, were able to keep an eye on the coal balls in the sky.

At first, the three of them stared intently at Xie Jinhuan, wondering what he wanted to do by jumping out like this. But when they noticed the coal ball's movement, Nangong Ye frowned, and after confirming the information, he shifted his gaze to the other side of Dragon Ridge:
"The coal briquette told us to go over there."

Empress Dowager Guo and Bu Yuehua quietly got up, crossed Dragon Ridge, and arrived at the exit of Snake King Cave. There they saw a young female warrior searching around.

"Heroine Ye?"

Nangong Ye quickly approached: "Why did you come out alone?"

Ye Yunchi's mind was currently filled with thoughts of having five children, and he was very worried about Xie Jinhuan's safety. Seeing his teammate arrive, he didn't waste any time, and a cyan light ball appeared in his palm:
"Xie Jinhuan is being targeted and will definitely be besieged by everyone. Unless he hands over the opportunity or achieves a decisive victory, he will be relentlessly pursued. He's drawing attention to make you bring this item back at full speed. Once it's publicly displayed in Yanbo City, the treasure hunt will be over, and all cultivators must cease their internecine warfare..."

What Xie Jinhuan said to Ye Yunchi just now can be summarized as—openly repairing the plank road while secretly crossing the Chencang pass!
He already knew that the Underworld Cult and Shang Mingzhen were plotting against him in secret, and that countless independent cultivators also regarded him as a formidable enemy. If he took the opportunity and fought to the death in Dragon Ridge or ran away, there would only be two outcomes—he would be chased and beaten until he gave up the opportunity, or he would kill everyone.

In either case, the Church of the Underworld will step in to clean up the mess, making the situation extremely difficult to manage.

But if you find an opportunity to secretly send the opportunity back, the situation will be completely different.

This treasure hunt was initiated by Yanbo City. The rules were set in advance: when seizing the opportunity, one was responsible for one's own life and death. Once the opportunity was brought back to the city and publicly displayed, the ceasefire thunder would inevitably sound. At that time, all righteous cultivators, no matter how angry they were, would have to stop fighting. The only ones who could fight against him were the evil and heretical sects of the Underworld God Sect.

If he could defeat this group, he would wipe them out on the spot. If he really couldn't, and the other righteous cultivators couldn't seize the opportunity, he would have to seize something from the evil and heretical sects to make up for his losses, right?
Even if these old bastards are truly furious and stand idly by, Shang Lianbi has no reason to pretend to be blind anymore. He can either openly turn against them and attack them, or he can only act as a righteous patriarch and step in to settle things.

If it were any other cultivator, this approach might not have been successful, but Xie Jinhuan was different.

His reputation is incredibly strong, and he's already at the peak of ridicule. He cornered Madam Han and forced her to come out, so everyone must think that the opportunity lies with him, and they all need to confirm it for a moment.

Even if some sect leaders or elders realize that he is secretly plotting something, he can still buy some time by attacking directly, enough for his teammates to run hundreds of miles away. All the people present can do is punch him a few times to vent their anger before the countdown ends; they are powerless to turn the tide.

Moreover, the purpose of the Underworld Cult is to target him. As long as he is not missing, his attention will inevitably be on him, and he will not pay attention to any small movements elsewhere.

However, the biggest risk of playing this way is that he has to use all his taunts and single-handedly withstand the siege of all the cultivators until the ceasefire thunder sounds. Given the current situation of Dragon Ridge, Xie Jinhuan may not be able to withstand it. That's why he started by talking and posing to buy time.

The three women were not stupid; they understood the meaning immediately. Bu Yuehua said in surprise:

"How dare he?!"

Empress Dowager Guo understood that this approach was feasible, but the distance from Dragon Ridge to Yanbo City was quite far, and the risks were extremely high. She then accepted the cyan orb of light.
"You all stay here and support Xie Jinhuan. Remember not to get carried away. Just drag things out until everything settles down. I'll be right back. Once this is over, the initiative will be in our hands."

Empress Dowager Guo was the most skilled, so even if she had to hide her identity and suppress her strength, she could return very quickly, and there was little risk in acting alone.

Bu Yuehua naturally had no objection to this. After seeing Empress Dowager Guo off, she went with her to support Xie Jinhuan.

However, after walking a short distance, Bu Yuehua suddenly noticed that Lady Ye was staring at her backside, and turned around in confusion:
"Is Miss Ye injured?"

Ye Yunchi wasn't exactly injured, but under the influence of the pills, he transformed into the 'Five Old Demons,' and walking with these two beautiful women, he couldn't help but have impure thoughts of female rivalry and suspicions that these two might be Xie Jinhuan's mistresses.

Caught red-handed, Ye Yunchi quickly withdrew his thoughts:
"No. You two haven't been in the Super Grade for long, and this battle is dangerous. Just stand in the back for now, and I can protect Jin Huan."

Enjoy yourself to the fullest?

Nangong Ye and Bu Yuehua felt that this form of address was a bit too intimate.

But one of them was a mother-in-law, and the other was also a mother-in-law. It was really inappropriate to gossip and be jealous at this time, so they pretended not to notice, nodded slightly, and disappeared into the rain together...

(End of this chapter)