Chapter 548 - 516: The Dauntless Huang Shiwo

However, his current silence seemed rather defiant in the eyes of the others.

"A thousand years ago, True Master Chixia was just as defiant. Rumor has it that Valley Master Chen received True Master Chixia's inheritance. It seems those rumors aren't baseless..." Zhang Miaqing's gaze swept past Ping Miaohan before landing solemnly on Chen Che.

"Leave him to me."

Qu Ming said in a low, gravelly voice, slamming his White Bone Fist Staff heavily onto the ground. "Ruan Yan was my sworn brother. Whoever killed him will pay with their life."

Of course, there was more to it than that.

The Celestial Spirit Palace had joined forces with the Star-Picking Sect and Mist Rain Tower to dismantle the Primordial Sect. They had even taken on the perilous mission of infiltrating the city, naturally hoping to seize the opportunity to expand. Losing Ruan Yan was like losing a right-hand man.

He was naturally determined to recoup his losses from Chen Che.

"Don't forget, he also killed my sect's Left Protector. I'm here for him, too..." Jiang Shaotian chimed in at the right moment.

Chen Che remained silent, letting the three leaders discuss matters. Although he wished they would start fighting amongst themselves over an uneven distribution of the spoils, he knew it was highly unlikely. He scanned his surroundings from the corner of his eye, searching for a way to break out of the city.

Unfortunately.

Not only was the entire Primordial City enveloped by the Blood Sealing Array, but the three powers had converged the moment they appeared, trapping Jinyun Valley, the Primordial Sect, Ping Miaohan, and the few surviving Loose Cultivators from East City in the center.

At that moment, Chen Che's gaze met the eyes of Interim Sect Leader Duobao in the distance. The latter quickly averted his gaze, scanning other areas.

Clearly.

He too was searching for an escape route... but unfortunately, he had reached the same conclusion as Chen Che. Though he was confident that in a one-on-one fight he would be second to none here, they were now surrounded by over a hundred Golden Core cultivators.

The slightest move would bring down the attacks of more than a hundred Golden Cores. Even the Primordial Sect Leader would be instantly riddled with holes if he were here.

Of course.

It wasn't just Chen Che and Duobao searching for an escape; everyone else was doing the same.

However, the fact that their enemies dared to converse so openly meant they already had the entire situation under control. The only way out was for the remaining survivors to band together and fight their way out with everything they had. Any rash move would result in total annihilation.

'Unless someone steps forward to draw everyone's attention, creating an opportunity for the rest to escape...'

The shrewd Meng Qianxun saw this hidden sliver of a chance at survival in an instant, but a bitter smile immediately appeared on his face. There were fewer than five people present capable of such a feat: Chen Che, Duobao, Qiu Tianshui, and Ping Miaohan.

Chen Jiyuan of Xingtang Hall, Huang Shiwo of the Pill Hall, and Xiao Chan of Jinyun Valley would have originally had the strength as well.

Unfortunately.

Those three had been seriously injured early on. The others were somewhat lacking in strength and simply weren't qualified to step up. Anyone who had cultivated to the Golden Core realm knew how to read a situation, so they all remained silent.

In fact, seeing the three powers focus their attention on Chen Che, they were secretly pleased.

With Chen Che's strength, even if he couldn't stop these people, he could hold them off for a time. This would naturally increase their own chances of escaping alive. Chen Che, of course, understood this as well.

Streams of Divine Sense messages entered his ears. Some, both openly and covertly, urged Chen Che to step forward, while others advised him not to make any rash moves.

'In this situation, even if I do nothing, I'm still their target...'

Chen Che knew full well that the situation was out of his hands. Moreover, each of these Golden Core cultivators was a walking treasure trove. Their enemies would never let them go so easily...

Just as the thought crossed his mind.

A soft chuckle was heard.

"What's this? The three great powers—the Star-Picking Sect, the Mist Rain Tower, and the Celestial Spirit Palace—have the guts to charge into Primordial City, but you don't have the courage to attack us? Instead, you pick on a subordinate lord?"

The one who spoke was none other than Huang Shiwo. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Duobao, who was beside him, shot Huang Shiwo a look that screamed, 'Are you insane?' In a situation like this, whoever stepped forward would be the first to die. Shouldn't they be hiding in the back, waiting for the Three Sects to attack Chen Che so they could use the opportunity to escape?

And yet.

Huang Shiwo had actually taken the initiative to draw their fire?

Ignoring the murderous glare from his companion, Huang Shiwo shakily rose to his feet. His gaze swept over the crowd, and he adopted a sarcastic tone similar to Jiang Shaotian's. "What, are you scared? I'll be the first to fight you. Will you come all at once, or one by one?"

'I'll find a way to draw their attention. You take the people from Jinyun Valley and use the chance to escape.'

To Chen Che's great surprise, Huang Shiwo's voice transmission echoed in his mind at almost the exact same moment.

'Tributor Chen, the Primordial Sect is beyond saving. Take this opportunity and get as many people out as you can. Among everyone here, your talent is the greatest. You're also a Pill Master, so you will surely have a chance at Nascent Soul Formation in the future.

Now, I'll buy you a sliver of a chance for survival...'

As a Pill Master himself, Huang Shiwo understood the importance of a Pill Master better than anyone. Therefore, when choosing between his colleagues of several centuries and this Valley Master, he chose the latter without a moment's hesitation.

'Once you get out, find a chance to rebuild the Primordial Sect...'

"..."

Chen Che secretly shook his head.

Huang Shiwo's intentions were noble, but unfortunately, Chen Che was destined to disappoint him. He felt no great attachment to the Primordial Sect, let alone enough to raise the banner of its restoration.

The most he could do was avenge him.

"Hm?"

Huang Shiwo's sudden appearance left the three factions somewhat taken aback. It was truly rare to see someone rushing to their death.

After all.

The only reason the three powers could appear so calmly on the same battlefield was that they had already negotiated how to divide the spoils. While Jinyun Valley was not small, it was still several tiers weaker than the Primordial Sect.