Chapter 514: Leading the Way

On the overgrown path at the foot of the mountain, the burly man was so terrified by the youth before him that his legs nearly gave out, leaving him unable to walk.

As for his two subordinates, one stood dumbfounded and bewildered.

The other, his arm broken, writhed on the ground in agony, looking like he'd rather be dead.

"I'm not a bloodthirsty person. I'll give you a quick end."

Ye Chen casually picked up two shattered blade fragments and jolted his palm.

"SWISH!"

"SWISH!"

The two blade fragments shot out like powerful hidden weapons, carrying an unstoppable force as they sliced straight across the necks of the burly man's two subordinates.

Blood gushed out like a fountain. Both men collapsed to the ground, clutching their necks and convulsing as their lives slowly faded away.

Watching this scene, the burly man felt a chill run through his entire body.

Even with his strength, he hadn't been able to see how Ye Chen had attacked.

There was just a flash of cold light, and his two men had fallen one after another, leaving him all alone.

"Senior, spare me! Please, Senior, spare my life!"

"They clouded my judgment! I was blind and failed to recognize your greatness, daring to target you, Senior. Please spare my life! I'll do anything you ask, I'll be your slave!"

The burly man scrambled to his knees and began to beg Ye Chen for mercy.

Ye Chen watched him leisurely, a cold smile on his face. "Your companions are dead, so you push all the blame onto them?"

The burly man trembled, cold sweat pouring down his back. "N-no... that's not it."

"Forget it. I can't be bothered to look into it. Just stay kneeling. I have some questions for you."

Ye Chen slowly walked over to the burly man, looking down at him.

The man was massive. Even kneeling, his head was level with Ye Chen's chest.

But facing this slender, upright youth, the burly man felt an indescribable pressure that made it impossible for him to remain calm.

"Tell me about the Celestial Mountain Sect."

Ye Chen found a flat, green rock to sit on and spoke with a relaxed expression.

The burly man was taken aback but didn't dare hide anything. "I don't know the specifics, but I heard people from the Yu family came looking for them."

"The Yu family?"

Ye Chen's brow twitched. 'Aren't they the arch-rivals of the Huo family?'

'Why would they suddenly pay a visit to the Celestial Mountain Sect?'

"Do you know why the Yu family is looking for the Celestial Mountain Sect?" Ye Chen asked.

It was no wonder the Celestial Mountain Sect was on such high alert. After all, the Yu family was one of the top powers in the Black Triangle, a force no one would dare to underestimate.

"I'm not sure, but it's said to be something bad. The Celestial Mountain Sect probably has its hands full; there isn't even anyone guarding the main gate at the foot of the mountain."

The burly man said cautiously.

"All right, I have no more questions."

Seeing that the man didn't know much and he wouldn't get any more details, Ye Chen nodded and slowly stood up.

"Senior, you're... you're not going to kill me to silence me, are you?!"

The burly man jumped in fright as Ye Chen slowly walked toward him.

"What? Still hoping I'll let you off the hook?"

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow and said with amusement, "Do you know the way to Jade Crane Mountain?"

"I do, I do!" The burly man froze for a second, then nodded frantically. "Sir, if you're going to Jade Crane Mountain, then I'm your man! I just came back from there a few days ago!"

The man's words surprised Ye Chen.

"You've been to Jade Crane Mountain?"

"Then get up and lead the way."

Ye Chen said calmly, "Once we get there, I might consider letting you live."

The burly man's heart tightened. He knew he wasn't out of danger yet, but for now, obediently following orders was clearly his only option.

"As you command!"

He got to his feet and began to travel with Ye Chen.

Although Ye Chen had a map, he knew that in a wild place like the Black Triangle, having a local guide would obviously save a lot of trouble.

And just as Ye Chen had thought, with the burly man along, his journey became much easier.

There were many small paths not marked on the map that only the man knew, and they were much faster than the main roads.

Back at his Peak, Ye Chen naturally wouldn't have needed to travel with such effort.

But now, with his cultivation gone, he could only travel like a mortal, one step at a time on solid ground.

"Sir, past this road, there's a cave. Inside lives a Spirit Sea Realm Great Demon. I've seen a Spirit Sea Realm Cultivator die there before!"

"We'd best go around it. If we get too close, that Great Demon will likely see us as intruders in its territory! That would be dangerous!"

The burly man's name was Li Hong, and he was currently carefully identifying the route ahead.

After confirming the danger ahead, he planned to lead Ye Chen on a detour.

But before they had taken more than a few steps, they heard the sounds of an intense fight coming from up ahead.

It sounded like people were fighting—the clash of blades, the thud of fists and feet, and the unending cries of battle.

"What's going on?"

Li Hong froze. "It's coming from the direction of that Great Demon! Could someone be fighting it?"

"They say rare treasures often appear in the territory of a Great Demon. Someone is probably here for a treasure."

Ye Chen remarked casually.

"Then, Sir, should we go take a look?"

Li Hong asked for Ye Chen's opinion.

"Then let's go see."

Ye Chen glanced at the map and saw that they had made good time. They weren't far from Jade Crane Mountain.

Seeing that Ye Chen had given the word, Li Hong immediately took the lead, cautiously guiding Ye Chen toward the Great Demon's territory.

"Halt!"

But before they had gone far, a group of people blocked their path.

Their eyes were vicious, and each held a spiritual weapon, looking utterly menacing.

'A robbery?'

Li Hong was startled. This kind of thing was common in the Black Triangle; he'd seen it plenty of times himself.

This time, however, despite being outnumbered, he wasn't the least bit flustered because he had Ye Chen backing him up. He just sneered, "If you know what's good for you, get out of the way. Don't bring disaster upon yourselves."

'No one would ever guess that the youth behind me, who seems to have no cultivation at all, is someone you absolutely can't mess with!'

'Anyone who dares to provoke him had better weigh their own strength and see if they measure up!'

"Oh?"

"Just the two of you, and you dare to be so arrogant?"

Among the group blocking their path, the leader was a dark-skinned woman with her hair in a ponytail.

She held a long spear, her gaze fierce. She looked sharp and capable, like a wild beast that had locked onto its prey.

The group merely gave Ye Chen a cursory glance before looking away, turning their attention to Li Hong instead.

They clearly didn't see Ye Chen as a threat.

After all, there wasn't the slightest fluctuation of Spiritual Power from Ye Chen's body. They just assumed he was an insignificant, ordinary person.

Ye Chen paid them no mind either. After a single, indifferent glance, he looked toward the distant cave.