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

This technology is far beyond the capabilities of ordinary forces in the lower realms; it must be backed by a blessed land or grotto-heaven, and someone with considerable knowledge of alchemy and genetic technology.

Chen Yang's heart sank.

"Just as I thought! The 'Heavenly Alliance' is colluding with 'Dark Star,' and 'Dark Star' is also connected to the remnants of certain blessed lands... This situation is getting increasingly murky. Li Rou, do you have a way to deal with this? Liu Yu is about to collapse!"

Chen Yang caught a glimpse of Liu Yu's critical situation out of the corner of his eye.

The five or six men in black surrounding her were all quite strong and worked together seamlessly. Although Liu Yu relied on her agility to fight off the talismans, she was already struggling to keep up. She had a wound on her shoulder and a wound on her leg, and blood stained her robes. Her breathing became rapid, and it was only a matter of time before she was defeated.

Li Rou hesitated for a moment, then said.

"There are two solutions. First, stall! This medicine, which combines the effects of the 'Power Gathering Pill,' is powerful but has its limits, and it is extremely damaging to the body, so it cannot be sustained for long."

If he can weather the initial burst of power, he will inevitably suffer a backlash, his combat strength greatly reduced or even completely collapsed. But... given your current state, Master, and the situation with Elder Liu, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold out until then.”

"What's the second option?"

Chen Yang dodged a blade of energy that nearly severed him at the waist and asked urgently.

"The second method..."

Li Rou paused slightly in her voice.

“An eye for an eye. I have some ‘Minor Power-Gathering Pills’ that I refined years ago. They’re relatively mild and have fewer side effects, but they can still significantly boost your strength in a short time. However…”

"Just what?"

"However, once this pill is taken, its power characteristics will be related to me. If someone with ulterior motives notices this, it may expose my existence."

Therefore, Master, after taking this pill, not a single one of the men in black here can be left alive! Their corpses must also be thoroughly disposed of; it would be best if I handled them myself, to prevent any lingering traces from being tracked down.

Li Rou spoke in a serious tone.

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Yang's eyes.

"I understand! Give me the pill!"

In a life-or-death situation, there is no room for hesitation.

Moreover, these men in black were assassins sent by the "Heavenly Alliance" to kill him, and they deserved to die.

In a moment of mental communication, a pill the size of a longan, pale golden in color, and emitting a strange and fragrant aroma, silently appeared in Chen Yang's mouth.

He swallowed it without hesitation.

The pill dissolved instantly upon entering the stomach.

A gentle yet incredibly powerful surge of heat erupted suddenly, rapidly flowing through the limbs and bones, seeping into every inch of muscle and flesh, and even nourishing the slightly weary soul.

This power was not as violent and chaotic as that of the leader of the men in black, but rather more refined and concentrated, like an undercurrent surging beneath a calm sea, full of resilience and inexhaustible.

Chen Yang felt his bones crackling slightly, his muscles bulging, and his previously depleted magical power recovering and surging at an astonishing speed. His consciousness also became exceptionally clear and sharp.

To his even greater surprise, the medicinal power seemed to have strengthened his physical body to some extent. The internal organ shock caused by taking the sword energy was quickly calmed down, and his sore arms were full of strength again.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

Seeing Chen Yang stagger backward and weaken after being slashed by his blade, the leader of the men in black thought victory was assured. He grinned and pounced again, raising his giant blade high, gathering dark red blade energy, intending to cut Chen Yang in two!

"Kid! I gave you a chance and you didn't appreciate it! Now, I'm not patient with you anymore! Die!"

Chen Yang restrained his aura at this moment, deliberately appearing even weaker. The clear light on the Xuan Sword was almost extinguished. He staggered to his feet, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the approaching enemy with unusual calmness in his eyes, hissing.

"Don't even think about it! Even if I, Chen Yang, die, I'll drag you down with me!"

"Tough mouth!"

The leader of the men in black cursed angrily, and his giant sword, carrying the force of splitting mountains, slashed down fiercely!

The wind from the blade whipped Chen Yang's hair and robes wildly backward.

Just as the blade was about to touch Chen Yang's head—

Chen Yang's eyes, which had been lowered, suddenly opened, and two dazzling beams of light shot out as if they were real!
His previously listless aura erupted like a sleeping dragon awakening!

A surge of powerful magical energy, far purer, more profound, and imbued with a sense of awe and righteousness than before, erupted from his body like a volcanic eruption!

"Purify the Subtle, Break Through Illusions, Slay!"

A clear shout echoed through the valley!

The Xuan Sword in Chen Yang's hand seemed to be infused with boundless vitality, its blade bursting out with a dazzling, clear light. A sword aura, condensed to its extreme and seemingly capable of severing all illusions and obstacles, arrived first, ignoring the terrifying dark red blade aura at an incredible angle and speed, and precisely struck the weakest point in the flow of power of the giant sword!

"Ding—Click!"

First came an extremely crisp impact sound, followed by a teeth-grinding sound of metal shattering!
The leader of the men in black, whose strike seemed certain to succeed, was abruptly halted!

He was horrified to discover that his giant sword, forged from a special alloy and infused with violent power, had spiderweb-like cracks spreading across its blade from the point of contact with the tip, before exploding into countless fragments with a loud "bang"!
The clear sword energy, after shattering the giant blade, paused only slightly before easily piercing through his protective dark red energy, passing right through the center of his chest, as if piercing through a thin sheet of paper!

The sinister smile on the leader of the men in black froze completely, turning into boundless astonishment and bewilderment.

He looked down at the thumb-sized, smooth-edged, and translucent hole in his chest. No blood immediately gushed out because the sword energy was too concentrated and swift, instantly evaporating all life along its path.

"How...how is this possible...you..."

He struggled to lift his head, staring intently at Chen Yang, his eyes filled with incomprehension and horror, as if trying to penetrate Chen Yang's body and see the source of that sudden burst of power.

Chen Yang gave him no chance to react or send a message. His figure approached like a ghost, and with his left hand, his fingers were like a sword. With lightning speed, he struck several vital points on Chen Yang's forehead, dantian, and heart, sealing off all his remaining life force and any means of self-destruction or sending a message.

The leader of the men in black lost all his luster, and his burly body collapsed to the ground with a thud, kicking up a cloud of dust.

"Master, the corpse," Li Rou's voice promptly reminded him.

With a thought, Chen Yang waved his hand, and the corpse of the leader in black disappeared, disappearing into his Sumeru space.

All of this is a long story, but in reality, from Chen Yang's outburst to the collection of the body, it only took two or three breaths.

It wasn't until the leader's body disappeared that the other men in black who were besieging Liu Yu, or who were originally on guard against Chen Yang's escape, suddenly realized what was happening!

"Boss?!"

"Where has the boss gone?!"

"What was that light just now?!"

The attack on Liu Yu slowed down, and the group looked in the direction of Chen Yang with surprise and uncertainty.

Liu Yu felt a sudden relief from the pressure and took the opportunity to swallow a healing pill to regulate her breathing. She looked at Chen Yang in surprise, as she could sense that the sect leader's aura had undergone some kind of change, becoming unfathomable.

Chen Yang did not immediately rush to Liu Yu's side to help her out.

He took a deep breath, feeling the surging power of the "Minor Energy Gathering Pill" within his body, and coldly swept his gaze over the black-clad men who were somewhat flustered by their leader's inexplicable disappearance.

He deliberately appeared to be breathing unsteadily and still pale, even pretending to cough twice and swaying slightly, as if the earth-shattering attack just now had exhausted him and he was at his last gasp.

"Our leader must have been tricked by this kid! Brothers, let's join forces and kill him to avenge our leader!"

A man in black, who appeared to be a deputy, shouted sharply and charged at Chen Yang with his knife.

The other three men in black who had originally been besieging Liu Yu also split up and attacked Chen Yang, clearly believing that Chen Yang was at his last gasp and intending to concentrate their forces to deal with this biggest variable first. Chen Yang sneered inwardly, "That's exactly what I wanted!"
He feigned defeat, wielding his Xuan Sword to parry, but appeared powerless, forced to retreat repeatedly by the combined efforts of the four, constantly in danger. He even deliberately let the blades and sword energy graz his body, leaving shallow bloodstains, making him look even more disheveled.

"He's done for! Give it his all!"

The deputy was overjoyed at the sight and launched an even fiercer attack.

Chen Yang fought and retreated, seemingly in a panic, but in reality, he was deliberately leading the battlefield deeper into the valley, where the forests were denser and the terrain more complex.

The four men in black, eager to win, pursued relentlessly and gradually distanced themselves from the others.

Just as they entered an area filled with scattered rocks and obstructed visibility, Chen Yang, who had been "fleeing in a sorry state," suddenly stopped and turned around!
The weakness and panic in his eyes were instantly replaced by a chilling killing intent!
"A Glimpse of the Subtle!"

His speed increased dramatically, leaving behind afterimages as his true form darted into the midst of the four like a ghost.

The Xuan Sword hummed softly, its cold light like the scythe of death, drawing an incredible trajectory in the narrow space.

"puff!"

"Ugh!"

A flash of sword light, and blood blossomed.

The second-in-command was the first to be hit. He felt a chill on his neck, and then his vision spun. The last thing he saw was his headless body slowly falling down.

The other three didn't even see how Chen Yang drew his sword before they felt a sharp pain in their vital areas, and their consciousness quickly sank into darkness.

Without pausing, Chen Yang swept the four corpses into his spatial dimension.

The whole process was clean, efficient, and silent.

Having dealt with the four, Chen Yang didn't linger. He moved again, like a cheetah in the dark, silently circling back to the main battlefield.

At this moment, only five men in black remained on the main battlefield, still besieging Liu Yu.

Liu Yu got a moment to catch her breath and took some medicine, barely managing to hold on, but she was already at her limit. She had new injuries and her movements became increasingly sluggish.

The five men in black were also getting impatient. Their leader and a few brothers had been chasing them into the woods for a long time without making a sound, which made them feel uneasy.

Something's not right... Why haven't my older brother and the others come back yet?

One of them couldn't help but whisper.

"Could something have... happened?"

The other person sounded surprised and doubtful.

"fart!
That kid was clearly at his last gasp just now. With my brother personally leading the chase, what could possibly go wrong?
"That kid must be slippery; he's hidden himself!"

The third person refuted this, but their tone was also uncertain.

Just then, they saw Chen Yang stagger out of the woods on the other side, his sword on the ground, his clothes stained with blood, his breath seemingly even weaker than before, and his face showing fear, as if he had just experienced a terrible chase.

"look!

That kid's over there!

A man in black pointed at Chen Yang and shouted.

"Just him? Where are the others?"

The other person shouted angrily.

"Kid, where are our boss and the rest of the brothers?!"

Chen Yang was panting heavily, a hint of fear on his face, his voice trembling.

"They...they chased us too fast, it seems...it seems they triggered some ancient restriction, and we were...were swallowed up by a sudden black mist! I fought desperately to escape!"

His words were half true and half false, and given his current "miserable" appearance, they seemed somewhat believable.

"Prohibition?"
Black mist?

The five men in black exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of disbelief and skepticism.

It's not surprising that there are ancient formations or dangers in these deep mountains and forests.

"Never mind that! Let's take down this kid and this woman first!"

One of them said fiercely.

"Without a leader, the credit belongs to us brothers!"

Three of the five immediately rushed towards Chen Yang, while the other two intensified their attack to entangle Liu Yu, preventing her from having a chance to reunite with Chen Yang.

Seeing that Chen Yang was barely breathing, the three men who rushed towards him became even more reckless, drawing their swords and knives, wishing they could chop him into mincemeat immediately.

Just as the three attacks were about to strike, Chen Yang suddenly raised his head, which had been hanging low. There was no trace of fear or weakness in his eyes; only a chilling killing intent and surging power!
"careful!"

One of them realized something was wrong and screamed in horror, but it was too late.

The medicinal power of the "Minor Power Gathering Pill" within Chen Yang's body was unleashed without any reservation!
He moved with lightning speed, his sword like a streak of light!

"Qingwei: Starfall!"

The Xuan Sword flashed, its light like stars falling from the night sky, beautiful yet deadly, instantly enveloping the three of them.

"Do not--!"

A short, piercing scream rang out, then abruptly ceased.

The three people's protective auras were as fragile as paper in the face of absolute power and exquisite swordsmanship. Their throats, hearts, and other vital organs were pierced by the sword energy at the same time, and their bodies fell to the ground.

Chen Yang didn't even look at it, and waved his hand to collect the corpse.

With a flash, he appeared behind the last two men in black who were besieging Liu Yu.

The two men were focused on dealing with Liu Yu and were about to succeed when they suddenly felt a chilling aura and a terrifying threat of death coming from behind them. They turned around in horror and saw a dazzling, clear sword light that filled their vision!

"Pfft!"

The sword flashed, and two heads flew high into the air. The headless corpse swayed and collapsed to the ground.

The valley fell silent instantly.

The only sounds were the rustling of the wind through the trees and the lingering, not-yet-completely-dissipated stench of blood in the air.

Chen Yang exhaled a long breath, and the surging medicinal power in his body began to slowly calm down. A faint feeling of weakness began to emerge, but it was still within a controllable range.

He walked over to Liu Yu, who was swaying precariously, and helped her up.

Elder Liu, how are you?

Liu Yu's face was pale, her forehead was covered in cold sweat, and she was still bleeding from many wounds on her body. She was very weak.

She forced herself to stand up straight and shook her head.

"Thank you for your timely assistance, Sect Leader. I only suffered some superficial wounds, blood loss, and my magical power is nearly exhausted. My internal organs have also been somewhat shaken. After some time to recuperate, I should be fine." (End of Chapter)