Chapter 401 - 256: There’s a Sneak

Chapter 401: Chapter 256: There’s a Sneak

It took Yu Fei about 20 minutes to reach the location while in stealth. This was only because his starting position was relatively close. Most Martial Artists were exhausted from the journey, while others decided to lie in wait, picking a spot they considered auspicious and simply waiting.

No matter the method, obtaining the [Crimson Radiance Stream] was exceedingly difficult.

Yu Fei stood silently, counting the time. Half an hour passed, and after waiting a few more minutes, a stream of light descended from the horizon, its initial speed incredibly fast.

He watched intently. The position was perfect, almost directly above him. The final landing spot shouldn’t deviate by more than 10 kilometers.

Sure enough, after a slight adjustment to his position, he arrived where the stream of light was about to land. He was actually the first one here. Seeing the light still had a little way to go, Yu Fei found a spot and hid himself even more deeply.

He couldn’t jump as high as those Gang Qi Martial Artists, so he had to find a way to fish in troubled waters.

"Mr. Zhang, hurry! We’re the first ones here!"

"Quick, quick, quick! Secure the advantageous terrain and drive all the other bastards out!"

Just then, a team of eight arrived first. They had just gotten into formation when two other teams of Martial Artists attacked from the left and right, instantly sparking a huge battle.

Whoever first occupied the spot directly beneath the landing point became the target of concentrated attacks.

The team leader, known as Mr. Zhang, struggled to fend off the attacks of three people at once. Though he looked battered, he fought with great courage.

"Yaozi, the brothers are creating an opportunity for you! You have to grab it!"

As he spoke, he sent the enemy before him flying with a single slash. A massive blade light flared, crisscrossing and transforming into various strange beasts, forcing many more people back.

"Brothers, hold on a little longer!"

Zhang Cheng felt that this one was in the bag. The landing point for the [Crimson Radiance Stream] was relatively remote this time. They had also happened to be resting here, so they were in peak condition, had secured advantageous terrain early, and didn’t have many competitors.

Yaozi had the best Body Technique among them. Everyone knew each other’s strengths and weaknesses, their cooperation was well-defined, and in a week, with good luck, they could obtain a few streams of light.

Seeing the stream of light about to land, the long-legged young man named Yaozi forced back his opponent and was about to leap. Suddenly, he thought he saw a crab swaying back and forth, and his heart filled with confusion and doubt.

’Am I seeing things?’

Immediately after, a sharp sword light flared within his soul. Intense pain struck, and his mind grew sluggish, as if it had turned to paste.

His opponent saw an opening and immediately rushed forward, knocking him down with a blow from his staff.

"Yaozi!"

Zhang Cheng roared in anger, his long saber slashing repeatedly to cover the gap. He thought Yaozi had just been careless!

But this gave the attackers an opening. They pressed their assault with even more vigor, and the battle became a deadlock. Seeing the stream of light descend ever lower, no one could spare the energy to seize it.

Yu Fei estimated the distance and leaped decisively.

Although the [Celestial Star Travel Body] was considered mediocre among Gang Qi-level martial arts, it was still a top-tier Body Technique for the fourth realm. Yu Fei’s Qi Sea was vast, so his jumping height was passable.

He reached out and snatched the [Crimson Radiance Stream], immediately absorbing it into his soul. He had prepared for this in advance, forcefully suppressing the strange sensation in his soul so that his position was not revealed.

With the prize in hand, Yu Fei immediately leaped away to flee. Shielded by his Illusory Sword Intent, no one noticed him.

Down below, Zhang Cheng was fighting for his life. When some of the Martial Artists suddenly retreated, he was overjoyed, thinking they had given up. But then, one of his brothers roared in frustration:

"Mr. Zhang, the [Crimson Radiance Stream] is gone!"

He snapped his head up. The sky was a clear, washed-out orange, with no trace of the stream of light!

"FUCK!..."

"Son of a bitch, someone must have stealthed in just now! Which bastard was it!"

He was furious. Stealthy Martial Artists drew a lot of hatred on this battlefield.

In previous years, if a stealthy Martial Artist’s position was ever exposed, they would immediately face a siege from everyone else. While everyone else was fighting to the death, these sons of bitches would steal the fruits of victory. No one could stand it.

Losing a fight because you were less skilled was one thing, but the petty, underhanded tactics of a thief were what truly infuriated people.

This year, a Grandmaster had set the rules, which led to stealthy Martial Artists being even more rampant than before. But no one had a good way to deal with them. Only the legendary perception-type Martial Artists could handle these bastards.

At this thought, Zhang Cheng seethed with resentment. ’If only I knew a Stealth Secret Skill!’

"Yaozi, are you alright?"

The group helped the long-legged young man up. Yaozi, his face a mask of shock and anger, complained:

"Cheng, I got ambushed!"

"What?"

Zhang Cheng’s face turned grim. He had assumed Yaozi had been careless and gotten knocked down, but if someone had used underhanded methods, he would not let them get away with it.

"Explain in detail!"

Yaozi said angrily, "Just as I was about to grab the [Crimson Radiance Stream], I suddenly saw a crab, one as big as a human head! Then it felt like my brain was split by a sword. The pain was so intense I couldn’t react, and that’s when I got knocked down!"

Zhang Cheng frowned, asking doubtfully, "You’re saying you saw a crab?"

Yaozi nodded. Another person joked, "Don’t tell me a crab pinched your head?"

Yaozi was mortified. "Get lost! *Your* head got pinched by a crab."

"I didn’t see a crab, and my head doesn’t hurt. You’re not just making excuses, are you?"

Zhang Cheng immediately stopped them. "Don’t talk nonsense. There are countless Secret Techniques in this world. Let’s be more careful from now on. We’ll rest up first and assess the situation. It’s too chaotic here now, and there are more and more of these stealthy sons of bitches!"

"Yeah, who knows what that Grandmaster was thinking! Dammit..."

Zhang Cheng shot him a cold glare. The man instantly realized his slip of the tongue and shut up.

He sighed and warned, "That’s a Grandmaster from the Seven Greats. Nine times out of ten, figures like that possess powerful sensory abilities, unlike you and me. Watch your mouth. Grandmasters are highly respected and virtuous. We must show them respect, understand?"

"Yes, yes, the boss is right!"

The unaffiliated Martial Artists had very complicated feelings toward the Seven Greats. They were like a great mountain looming over everyone’s heads, inspiring reverence, jealousy, resentment, and even hatred.

But all these emotions could only be suppressed. On the path of martial arts, the strong were revered. It could only be this way.

The fair selection process of the Seven Greats made every Martial Artist with a chance want to send their children there. But something like martial talent was completely unpredictable.

Yu Fei had found the right way to collect the [Crimson Radiance Stream], and his efficiency soared.

He hid in the shadows, finding the stream’s landing points in advance and secretly striking at his competitors. He would either surreptitiously use his immeasurable Sword Qi to interfere with battles or, when that wasn’t convenient, suddenly reveal himself to attract a target’s attention before unleashing a Sword Intent attack with his Pupil Technique of Soul Capturing.

In just one day, he had harvested a shocking twenty-three [Crimson Radiance Streams].

This was nearly eighty percent of all the streams that had appeared that day.

Indeed, only by finding the right method could one avoid wasted effort.

Yu Fei was searching for the next stream’s landing point when he suddenly saw a large crowd of Martial Artists rushing toward the outskirts of the volcano. Even though a stream of light was about to descend, no one was waiting for it.

Not understanding what was happening, Yu Fei decided to follow the crowd.

When you don’t understand the situation, the worst thing you can do is act alone.

The crowd fled for over a hundred li before stopping. They looked back toward the [Thousand Mountain Caldera], their hearts still pounding with fear, yet they watched with great anticipation.

With so many people gathered, conversations naturally broke out. Since there were no immediate interests to fight over, no one started any trouble.

"Well now, Old Zhang, look at that long face. What’s wrong? Come up empty-handed today?"

Yu Fei saw that this was the team he had previously intercepted. The leader seemed to be named Zhang Cheng. He didn’t recognize the person speaking to him.

Zhang Cheng’s expression was sour. He retorted, "None of your business. You’ve got that smug look of a cat who got the cream. Looks like you made a good haul today!"

"Hahaha, I managed to snag one today!"

Immediately, people crowded around to congratulate him.

"Come on, let your granddaddy here touch it, get some of that good luck..."

"Old Fifth’s really made it big today, eh? Why not take it out and let us all have a look?"

...

Old Fifth roared, "Get lost!"

If he dared to take it out now, he’d be robbed on the spot by this pack of bastards.

"Sigh! I almost got one today. It was weird, I thought I saw a crab, then my head hurt and I fell. It’s like I saw a ghost or something!"

The moment the man’s complaint left his lips, the crowd instantly fell silent.

The man looked at the crowd in horror. All of them were staring at him.

"Fuck, what’s wrong with you people? Why are you all looking at me like that!"