Chapter 537: Mountain Dweller

The icy glint appeared with shocking suddenness, carrying an unparalleled force. It seemed to rip the very air apart as it passed, setting off a chain of concussive blasts.

Qing Lian’s pupils shrank. She sensed a deadly threat.

But though she reacted quickly, the icy glint was faster still. A bone-chilling cold enveloped her, and she had no time to dodge. Terror filled her beautiful face.

“BOOM!”

The flash of icy light suddenly exploded in front of Qing Lian.

A small dagger clattered to the ground, its blade still shimmering with a faint layer of Spiritual Power.

Next to the dagger lay a stone that had been shattered in two.

“Hm?”

A voice filled with surprise and doubt came from the distance. “It was actually blocked?”

“Sneak attacks are hardly a display of true skill.”

Ye Chen looked calmly at the newcomer, but a barely perceptible trace of killing intent flashed in the depths of his eyes.

‘The man had launched a surprise attack from the shadows. If I hadn’t acted in time to block that dagger, Qing Lian would have met a gruesome end—decapitated!’

“Heh heh…”

An old man in simple cloth robes sauntered out from behind a thick, ancient tree. With his hands clasped behind his back, his deeply wrinkled face was filled with a mocking expression.

“A sneak attack may be dishonorable… but it is undeniably a highly effective tactic.”

“However, you’ve surprised me, kid.”

“Anyone who can block that strike of mine is no ordinary person.”

The old man spoke with a grin, his voice incredibly hoarse. It sounded like ragged parchment scraping against a tree stump—grating and unpleasant.

“M-Master Mountain Dweller?!”

“It’s Master Mountain Dweller! We’re saved!”

Seeing the newcomer, the members of the Luo Race were stunned at first, then their faces lit up with irrepressible joy.

It was as if this old man who had suddenly appeared was the savior they had long been waiting for.

‘He’s… the Mountain Dweller?!’

Qing Lian’s beautiful eyes narrowed, and a chill rose in her heart.

Seeing Ye Chen’s calm expression, she quickly sent him a mental message to explain the Mountain Dweller’s background.

He was a Loose Cultivator, unaffiliated with any sect or school, and a notorious figure in the outskirts of Lieyang City.

He was an eccentric who, since his youth, had lived alone in the mountain forests, calling himself the Mountain Dweller. He would attack passing travelers without warning, killing them for their belongings, simply because he didn’t like the look of them.

That’s right—he killed without reason, only on a whim!

Furthermore, he frequently moved his hideouts, so no one ever knew which mountain pass they might cross only to run into this fiend.

As a result, everyone lived in fear, worried for their lives. They became exceptionally cautious when traveling through the mountains, not daring to make the slightest sound.

Yet even with such caution, many still fell victim to the Mountain Dweller.

He was so successful because he had a habit of stalking his chosen prey from the shadows, sometimes for days at a time.

Only when he was certain his targets possessed no means to threaten him would he strike. Using his talent for ambushes, he would first eliminate the strongest among them before slowly picking off the rest.

Ultimately, he was a ruthless killer who regarded human life as worthless.

His skills in concealment were so superb that even if he provoked a powerful faction, he could simply vanish into the mountain forests, impossible to find. He would only reemerge after the trouble had died down.

After learning of the Mountain Dweller’s background, Ye Chen’s expression remained unchanged.

‘Just an old rat who likes to hide in the dark. He isn’t worthy of my concern.’

In Dongxuan Province, he had seen far too many experts of the Cultivation Realm: patriarchs of great clans, leaders of provincial powers, and even peerless geniuses from the Central Province.

A mere killer prowling the fringes of the Black Triangle wasn’t enough to capture Ye Chen’s interest.

With the Mountain Dweller’s sudden appearance, the members of the Luo Race who had just surrendered to Ye Chen began to stir restlessly.

They exchanged glances, their eyes flickering, as if they saw a hope of escaping Ye Chen’s control.

Ye Chen saw all of this but said nothing.

‘In the end, strength reigns supreme.’

‘The Mountain Dweller was certainly an unexpected factor, but as long as I eliminate him, these people will have no choice but to submit to me again.’

“Kid, you seem to have some skill. I’d be reluctant to kill a talented young man like you.”

“So just let them go.”

The Mountain Dweller’s smile faded as he spoke, his tone casual.

But despite his calm tone, anyone could hear the unyielding command in his voice.

“And why’s that?”

“You’re going to step in to protect them?” Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, his expression unchanged.

“That’s right.”

The Mountain Dweller admitted it. He glanced at the members of the Luo Race, who were still kneeling on the ground begging Ye Chen for their lives, and said with contempt, “The Luo Race has become increasingly spineless. It’s truly pathetic…”

“But their late Clan Leader once did me a favor.”

“I promised him that if the Luo Race was ever in trouble, I would help them once.”

“I may be a step late, but it’s not too late to intervene now, is it?”

Hearing this, the faces of the Luo Race members turned red with shame, and they remained sheepishly silent.

Their behavior had indeed been disgraceful. Despite their numbers, few had shown any courage; they had all knelt and begged Ye Chen for mercy.

But the power Ye Chen had displayed was simply too terrifying. Their courage had long since shattered. Who would be foolish enough to oppose him now?

That would be courting death, wouldn’t it?

“They are indeed a spineless bunch,”

Ye Chen agreed, making the Luo Race members feel even more humiliated.

“However…”

Then, Ye Chen’s tone shifted. He looked the Mountain Dweller straight in the eye and said, “And what if I refuse to let them go?”

“Oh?”

“So you insist on opposing me to the very end?”

The Mountain Dweller was taken aback, seemingly surprised. “Kid, I actually quite like the look of you. I wasn’t planning on making a move.”

“But if you insist on courting death, I can certainly oblige you.”

As he spoke, a powerful aura began to radiate from his body.

The hearts of the Luo Race members trembled, and they felt a suffocating pressure.

Even Qing Lian and the others felt the immense pressure, and looks of shock appeared on their faces.

Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed slightly. He was somewhat surprised.

‘This Mountain Dweller is actually a Cultivator at the Peak of the Primordial Mansion Realm!’

‘And he’s not far from the Divinity Transformation Realm, either.’

‘If he weren’t so old, his potential largely exhausted, he probably would have already broken through to the Divinity Transformation Realm years ago.’

“Kid, you’d best know your own limits.”

“Not just anyone gets to speak to me with that kind of attitude.”