Chapter 471 - 440: Duobao Arrives

Chapter 471: Chapter 440: Duobao Arrives

After the great battle, Celestial Beam Mountain fell into a deathly silence. All the Cultivators who had rushed over stared blankly at the young man standing atop the summit, his hands clasped behind his back.

The cliff wind gusted, sending Chen Che’s long hair flying and his robes snapping in the wind.

Lu Wanli was dead.

But that wasn’t the terrifying part.

What was terrifying was that he had come specifically to ambush and kill Chen Che. Yet, up to the moment of his death, he hadn’t even managed to take a single step onto Celestial Beam Mountain. From start to finish, he had been utterly dominated by Chen Che. His one and only chance to turn the tables had been effortlessly countered.

And that was to say nothing of his opponent’s final sword strike.

’Is this Valley Master Chen truly so fearsome?’

"He must be a spent force, right?"

"Perhaps..."

"The fight against Lu Wanli might have seemed effortless, but that kind of fighting style consumes a massive amount of True Essence and stamina. He could just be putting up a brave front right now. Why doesn’t one of you go test him? See how much he really has left."

"You go if you’re so eager! Don’t try to use someone else as your cat’s-paw!"

"Together?"

...

At some point, more than ten other Golden Core Cultivators had appeared under the cover of night.

The previous battle had been far too intense. Its shockwaves had been felt for thousands of miles around. Every Golden Core Cultivator who heard the commotion had rushed over at the first opportunity, and they had all witnessed the latter half of the fight.

Now, their gazes upon Chen Che were filled not only with shock and suspicion but also with scrutiny and greed.

Some were even secretly entertaining other thoughts:

’If he’s exhausted from killing Lu Wanli, isn’t this the perfect opportunity for us to strike? An opportunity like this won’t come again...’ Some even glanced around and noticed that others were already showing malicious intent.

"Chen Che! How dare you?"

Zhao Ming and Sun Ye cried out in horror.

The dignified Vice Alliance Leader of the Hong Alliance had died like a stray dog, vanishing without a trace. And Zhao Ming, who had been closest to Lu Wanli, took a sudden step forward. His True Essence surged, and his long hair whipped about like crazed pythons.

’Just as I thought, some can’t hold themselves back...’

Seeing Zhao Ming jump out, Xiao Chan was not surprised. Whether the man was seeking revenge or hoping to be the fisherman who profits from the fray, Xiao Chan immediately reached back for the Soaring Dragon Spear, ready to make an example of him.

"You’re courting death!"

But just then, Chen Che struck without a hint of politeness.

With a flick of his finger, several of the Flying Swords that had been knocked away by Lu Wanli leaped forth. They shot out like crossbow bolts, streaking across the night sky and leaving several white trails in their wake. Before Zhao Ming could even finish his sentence, a longsword had pierced through his chest.

"PFFT!"

Then, under everyone’s horrified gaze, the rising aura around Zhao Ming abruptly froze. His body, which had been stepping forward, buckled. His advance turned into a kneel as he dropped stiffly toward Celestial Beam Mountain, his head slumping to his chest, motionless.

The entire scene fell dead silent.

For the Golden Core Cultivators who had been thinking of taking advantage of the chaos, it was as if a basin of icy water had been dumped over their heads, extinguishing all greed. Zhao Ming’s strength might have been average, but he had formed his Core over a hundred years ago, and his Cultivation had reached the Golden Core Third Layer.

’And yet, he was killed with a single finger flick?’

Sun Ye, who was standing right next to him, shuddered violently. Then, he saw Chen Che slowly turn his gaze upon him.

Sun Ye trembled as if stared down by a Fierce Beast. He subconsciously retreated several steps, then stopped. Bracing himself, he cupped his hands and said:

"Valley Master Chen, I was coerced into coming here by Lu Wanli! I had no intention of making an enemy of you. But as the Vice Alliance Leader of the Hong Alliance, I didn’t dare defy his orders. I beg the Valley Master to see the truth, to be merciful, and to spare my life."

"You were afraid of Lu Wanli, but you’re not afraid of me?"

Chen Che glanced at him from the corner of his eye and slowly shook his head.

"You may not have attacked, but you were the one who led Lu Wanli here. And now you think you can absolve yourself of all responsibility with a simple claim of being coerced? Do you really think things in this world are so easy?"

"Valley Master Chen, spare me!"

Hearing this, Sun Ye’s expression changed drastically. He let out a cry and tried to fly away.

SHIIING—

Another flick of the finger, and several glints of cold light flashed through the night sky.

Instantly, Sun Ye’s body shuddered and froze in place. Then, to the horror of the onlookers, his body convulsed and split into several pieces, which fell to the ground with a THUD.

HSSSSS!

If, when Chen Che killed Zhao Ming earlier, people still harbored suspicions that he was just putting on a brave face to make an example of someone, that was no longer the case. Now, he had just nonchalantly killed another Golden Core Cultivator.

No one could gauge his true limits.

Just then, Xiao Chan, who had been watching from a distance with the Jinyun Valley disciples, swept his sleeve and flew onto Celestial Beam Mountain. The already hesitant crowd completely lost their nerve at this sight.

"What are you still doing here? Let’s go!"

Seeing this, Hu Anyu had already turned to leave. He slapped a dazed clan member on the back of the head and scolded:

"We came to watch the fight. Now that it’s over, we should respectfully leave. Valley Master Chen killed those two men specifically to intimidate anyone who was lingering with ulterior motives. If you’re still not willing to leave, you might as well wait for Valley Master Chen to clear the field himself!"

It was simple logic.

If you stick around after the show is over, and you don’t even know the man, what else could you be planning if not to take advantage of the situation?

Those with no ill intentions had already left. Those who did now lacked the courage. And seeing his relaxed and effortless demeanor, they suspected he might truly have enough energy left to clear the field.

After speaking, Hu Anyu cupped his hands in a salute toward Celestial Beam Mountain from afar.

At this, the other Golden Core Cultivators also saluted from a distance and prepared to depart.

"Things should be stable now. No one else should be coming to throw their lives away."

Xiao Chan relaxed his grip on the Soaring Dragon Spear.

The battle on Celestial Beam Mountain, while not particularly bloody, had an unstoppable momentum that deeply shocked these Golden Core Cultivators. From now on, not only would they hold Chen Che in profound awe, but Jinyun Valley itself would also make a name for itself.

It would leap from being a new Golden Core Influence into the sights of Golden Core True Masters, finally establishing its reputation.

’So this is a battle of Immortals!’

Li Cang stood behind Xiao Chan.

He never imagined that before even setting foot in the Cultivation World, he would witness such a ferocious battle firsthand. The night wind was still cold, but instead of chilling him, his blood was boiling with excitement.

’Will I ever be like Master Xiao, like Valley Master Chen, one day?’

"These people fear power, not virtue. This is the only way."

Chen Che nodded slowly. "Otherwise, they would have seen it as weakness to be exploited and might have swarmed us all at once."

Xiao Chan nodded and was about to speak when he suddenly saw Chen Che’s expression change. At that moment, it wasn’t just Chen Che; the Golden Core Cultivators who were about to leave also stopped dead in their tracks.

In that instant, everyone could feel an incomparably powerful aura approaching at a frantic pace. The terrifying sensation made everyone’s hair stand on end.

Even an existence as powerful as Lu Wanli had been would seem like a mere pebble at the foot of Tai Mountain before this aura, as insignificant as a mote of dust.

"This aura... it’s so powerful."

"Who is it this time?"

The crowd that had been about to leave stopped in unison and turned to look back.

A streak of Escape Light cut across the horizon where heaven and earth met.

It moved so fast that the Escape Light seemed to tear through space-time itself, arriving above Celestial Beam Mountain in the blink of an eye. Under the light of the myriad stars, the newcomer dispelled the Escape Light, and their features gradually became clear:

It was a short, stout Golden Core True Master with a fleshy face, looking very much like a merchant. His ill-fitting, oversized robes flapped in the night wind like a banner.

"Duobao?"

A cry of recognition rose from the crowd.

WHOOSH—

Duobao hovered in mid-air. His cold gaze swept across Celestial Beam Mountain, and when he saw Chen Che among the crowd, an irrepressible joy spread across his greasy face. His eyes narrowed into thin slits.

However, when he noticed Xiao Chan behind him, he frowned slightly and asked in confusion:

"Hermit Fushan? Have we met somewhere before? You seem very familiar."

Xiao Chan’s voice was hoarse. He replied with a cold smile, "I’m just a Loose Cultivator under the jurisdiction of Mist Rain Tower, one who travels all year round. Perhaps we once crossed paths in some insignificant place, Interim Sect Leader."

"Is that so?"

Duobao raised an eyebrow. It was common for traveling Cultivators to use disguises, so it wasn’t unusual for someone to look familiar. Besides, he hadn’t come for Hermit Fushan.

His gaze shifted at once to Chen Che. He grinned and said:

"Tributor Chen, thank you for your hard work on this mission!"

Chen Che raised his eyebrows.

’The biggest trouble of this trip has finally arrived.’