ISWI Chapter 144-145

Chapter 144: Senior Brother, They're Slandering Me!

"Stop fighting. You can't kill anyone fighting like this..."

Ye Chen's mocking expression momentarily stunned the two combatants, causing them to halt and narrow their eyes at him. Especially Kong Xiangli, who frowned even more deeply. Both were seasoned fighters, adept at making their feigned battle look convincing; they didn't expect anyone to see through their ruse so easily. But clearly, Ye Chen had.

Black Soul Elder withdrew his spirit, clutching the Human Emperor Banner swirling with dark mists, and sneered, "I told you, we should have just rushed him and finished it quickly. Why all this unnecessary complexity? Now that we've been exposed, even I feel embarrassed! You've been in the Green Cloud Sect too long; you've lost any semblance of the decisiveness our demonic path requires."

Kong Xiangli's face twitched as he coldly surveyed Ye Chen, "How did you figure it out?"

Ye Chen chuckled, "My grandma can fight better than you two!"

Ye Chen's unapologetic taunt only intensified their irritation.

"Just like that detestable Su Yuxuan, you disgust me. Wait till I trap you in my Human Emperor Banner, we'll see if you can still be so sharp-tongued!"

The Black Soul Elder immediately attacked, his Human Emperor Banner unleashing endless dark mists towards Ye Chen, filled with tormented souls.

And Kong Xiangli also charged towards Ye Chen, proclaiming, "So what if you figured it out? Today, you are undoubtedly going to die! And after you die, your master will follow..."

Both mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators attacked together—a situation that would usually spell certain death for any early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

However, Ye Chen's expression remained calm as he quickly retreated. The unprotected Scripture Pavilion exploded around them.

Black Soul Elder raised an eyebrow at Ye Chen's speed, "So fast?"

And Kong Xiangli added gravely, "Don't take him lightly. I suspect his claim of having a third-grade spirit root is false; he might be a monster or have some special constitution. Although he's only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, he likely possesses the power of a mid-stage."

Kong Xiangli took Ye Chen very seriously. Otherwise, he wouldn't have staged a fake fight to lure Ye Chen in for an ambush.

Black Soul Elder nodded in agreement, "True, anyone who can make Su Yuxuan suffer isn't a weakling."

The two became more cautious.

Meanwhile, Ye Chen, still grinning, turned to flee, "So, Elder Kong is a traitor, huh? I'll inform the sect when I get back, and annihilate your entire family. I recorded everything just now with the Water Mirror Technique. You're done for! Especially your grandsons, I have a Human Emperor Banner too, and I'll make sure to keep him in it for life."

Ye Chen wasn't incapable of fighting them off. Simply put, there was no need to fight! All he had to do was return to the sect, and their fate was sealed. As soon as he finished speaking, Ye Chen's figure vanished from the spot, his speed incredible.

Kong Xiangli's eyes reddened as he furiously pursued. Indeed, he was a spy sent by the Misty Sect. A relative of the Misty Sect's leader in the mortal world. After discovering his spiritual root, he was sent to the Green Cloud Sect and had climbed his way to his current position.

Kong Xiangli was well aware of the methods of the Green Cloud Sect. Although not a demonic sect, they were absolutely ruthless with traitors, and his own family would undoubtedly suffer terribly. Thus, he couldn't let Ye Chen escape.

Kong Xiangli utilized a magical treasure, furiously chasing after Ye Chen. Black Soul Elder, realizing the severity of the situation, also maneuvered a dark cloud in pursuit of Ye Chen.

But the more they chased, the grimmer their expressions became because Ye Chen's speed was simply too fast. How could an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator be so swift?

…

The worse the enemy's mood, the more Ye Chen knew he was doing the right thing. Watching the increasingly frustrated Kong Xiangli a few kilometers behind him, directly killing them wouldn't have been nearly as enjoyable.

However, as Ye Chen continued his flight, his brow suddenly raised. Ahead, he sensed movements from several Foundation Establishment stage cultivators. And they seemed to be from demonic sects; one of the auras felt somewhat familiar to him. Could it be that he was about to be surrounded? Though strong, handling too many attackers was still problematic.

Ye Chen paused, deliberating whether to turn back and finish off Kong Xiangli and Black Soul Elder. But then, ahead of him, he spotted a figure in a white dress, fleeing with bare feet, a pair of perfect, bare feet that Ye Chen was very familiar with. There was no mistaking them.

Without even seeing her face, Ye Chen knew it was Su Yuxuan. Following her were two Misty Sect cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage—one in the early stage and one in the middle stage. And from their posture, it seemed like Su Yuxuan was the one being chased!

Ye Chen couldn't help but chuckle. Further ahead, Su Yuxuan, her form ethereal, ran while frowning in thought. When she saw Ye Chen, her eyes lit up.

"Senior Brother Ye, save me! These two villains are coveting my beauty, wanting to capture me as their cauldron, especially that short, fat one—he said he wants to hold my little feet day and night. I told them I already belong to Senior Brother, and my little feet are his, no one else should even think about touching them. You can stop dreaming!"

By the time she finished speaking, she had already rushed to Ye Chen's side.

Ye Chen laughed. True to her reputation as a little witch, she knew how to divert trouble so slickly. She even made a point to mention her little feet.

She must think that this particularly angers me. Trying to provoke my wrath, huh? Well, it kind of works.

The two Misty Sect elders, seeing Su Yuxuan standing next to Ye Chen, narrowed their eyes, showing a hint of wariness. It wasn't Ye Chen they were wary of, but Su Yuxuan.

Both knew of Su Yuxuan's formidable strength, and now with an extra helper, even if just at the early Foundation Establishment stage, she was even more difficult to handle.

"Su Yuxuan, hand over that technique, and we can let bygones be bygones. Otherwise, it's a fight to the death!"

"How dare you steal from your fellow disciples, even our Misty Sect's rules won't tolerate that!"

Both were internally fuming. They had finally broken through the array of a grand hall, discovering an extremely precious technique. Only for Su Yuxuan to appear out of nowhere and snatch it at the last moment. They were nearly livid.

As Su Yuxuan clung to Ye Chen's arm and looked up at him pitifully, "Senior Brother, they're slandering me…"

Ye Chen's smile grew even broader. True to her nature as a little witch, even her thievery was slick. But what did this have to do with Ye Chen?

Grinning, he wrapped an arm around Su Yuxuan's slender waist and slid closer, "If Junior Sister is in trouble, of course I'll help. But if Senior Brother is in trouble, Junior Sister will help too, right?"

Su Yuxuan nodded vigorously, "Of course, nobody can harm my Senior Brother! But you must help me kill them, otherwise if they go back to the sect and spread lies, I will definitely be punished by the sect."

Su Yuxuan agreed nonchalantly, not really believing her own words. But Ye Chen was powerful, having been able to dominate her back when he was only at the Qi Refining stage. And Ye Chen had given her the genuine Foundation Establishment technique without hesitation.

Though it might be partly because he liked her, it also showed that Ye Chen definitely had other techniques just as powerful, if not more so. Thus, Ye Chen's combat prowess was undoubtedly strong. Dragging Ye Chen into this would easily eliminate the two opposers.

As for helping Ye Chen if he was in danger later? How was that her problem?

Ye Chen nodded, reassured by Su Yuxuan's words: "Hearing Junior Sister say that puts my mind at ease. I'm also being chased, so practicing with Junior Sister makes me even more reassured! Look, here they come..."

As Ye Chen's words fell, two mid-stage Foundation Establishment figures thunderously arrived. Feeling the cultivation level of the two mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, who were even stronger than those chasing her, Su Yuxuan's lips twitched incredulously as she looked at Ye Chen.

What the heck?

Chapter 145: Siege at the Internal Affairs Hall

Su Yuxuan stared at Kong Xiangli and Black Soul Elder, her face turning pale. She wasn't very familiar with Kong Xiangli. But the aura of a mid-stage Foundation Establishment was unmistakable.

Black Soul Elder was one of the Misty Sect's formidable cultivators, his strength ranking just below those few late-stage Foundation Establishment elders. He was likely on the verge of breaking through to the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Especially with his Human Emperor Banner, which contained two mid-stage Foundation Establishment souls as its main spirits, the dark miasma it emitted was terrifying.

Su Yuxuan truly hadn't expected Ye Chen to be pursued by these two. Had she known, she would have turned tail and run upon seeing Ye Chen. The ones chasing her were merely one mid-stage and one early-stage. Escaping from them with some tricks would certainly not be difficult.

But seeing Ye Chen, she thought to divert her troubles his way and join forces with him to eliminate these two elders, to avoid trouble later when returning to the sect. Instead, she had walked right into a trap...

"Senior Brother Ye, I think I can handle it myself, I'd rather not trouble you!"

Su Yuxuan was ready to flee decisively.

Ye Chen, with a sly smile, held onto Su Yuxuan's waist firmly and didn't let go: "Junior Sister, your words just now really moved me. We shall die together. Come at us together!"

Su Yuxuan gritted her teeth. She wanted to throttle Ye Chen right then and there.

Can't you be reasonable? I don't want to die, I still have vendettas to settle!

...

As Kong Xiangli and Black Soul Elder, filled with urgent fury, caught up to Ye Chen, they exchanged a glance with the Misty Sect elders blocking the other way. Despite some confusion about the situation, they straightforwardly declared, "Let's kill these two first!"

The two elders nodded in agreement. Although it was unclear why Black Soul Elder was aligning with a Green Cloud Sect elder, killing the duo aligned perfectly with their intentions: "The technique on Su Yuxuan is ours."

Black Soul Elder nodded, "Fine, I just want their souls. Two talented souls as the main spirits, my Human Emperor Banner will surely increase in power, perhaps even advancing to a top-tier magic treasure!"

Kong Xiangli, however, didn't care about these details. He just wanted Ye Chen dead.

The four of them spread out, effectively cutting off all escape routes for Ye Chen and Su Yuxuan.

...

The air was thick with killing intent.

Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, pondering whom to take down first. It was quite the coincidence to run into Su Yuxuan here. Afterward, he'd sift through these people's treasures and pick out the most valuable one to give to her.

Ye Chen was not the least bit panicked. But Su Yuxuan was terrified. They were both only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Now, they faced three mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and one early-stage cultivator, not to mention Black Soul Elder. Even though she was a genuine Foundation Establishment cultivator and Ye Chen was exceptionally powerful, they were still outmatched in both number and level.

How were they supposed to fight this? It was a certain death scenario.

In her anxiety, Su Yuxuan quickly thought of something, her face lighting up. She secretly communicated to Ye Chen, "Earlier in the ruins, I obtained a token from the Boundless Demon Sect's Internal Affairs Hall. It's about ten miles in the direction I fled from. Later, Senior Brother, you make the first move to draw their attention. I'll strike at the early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator to create an opening, and we'll escape in that direction. Once we enter the Internal Affairs Hall, they won't be able to follow us immediately, and we'll have a better chance!"

After hearing her plan, Ye Chen's lips curled up. Su Yuxuan was clearly planning to use him as cannon fodder. If things went as she said, she'd likely escape while he got surrounded. But meeting Su Yuxuan, a fifty-fold reward, wasn't an everyday occurrence. Hiding in the so-called Internal Affairs Hall for a few weeks and racking up rewards didn't sound too bad.

Thus, Ye Chen readily agreed. It had nothing to do with Su Yuxuan's bare feet.

Ye Chen launched himself towards Kong Xiangli with several majestic, purple-golden hands bursting forth from behind him. Kong Xiangli's face paled as he quickly put up a defensive spell, but he was still struck hard enough to turn genuinely pale this time.

However, Black Soul Elder and another elder immediately attacked Ye Chen. The Human Emperor Banner roared with dark miasma, enveloping Ye Chen. Another cultivator unleashed a crimson divine light, striking at Ye Chen's back!

At that very moment, Su Yuxuan transformed into a blood shadow, blasting furiously towards the only early-stage Foundation Establishment elder. The elder's face changed dramatically.

Su Yuxuan's reputation was well known, and being evenly matched in cultivation stages, he knew he was no match for her. Facing her directly could lead to serious injury, and even if they secured the technique, his share wasn't guaranteed if he was gravely wounded. Deciding it wasn't worth it, he didn't confront her head-on but instead retreated.

Su Yuxuan, in her blood shadow form, suddenly veered and dashed straight for the edge of the encirclement. She broke through the perimeter in an instant.

The faces of the pursuers changed.

Black Soul Elder immediately ordered, "Kill Ye Chen first! As for Su Yuxuan, once we return to the sect, I will naturally help you retrieve what belongs to you and make her pay."

The other elder hesitated, then gritted his teeth and joined the attack on Ye Chen.

...

Meanwhile, Su Yuxuan had run quite far, watching Ye Chen surrounded and besieged, relieved that no one pursued her. Since no one was after her, there was no need to hide in the Internal Affairs Hall waiting for death. She was about to choose a direction to flee from the battlefield.

However, in the next moment, Ye Chen, shrouded in dark souls and black miasma, suddenly erupted in a brilliant golden light.

A massive hand appeared behind the mid-stage Foundation Establishment elder and smacked him away. In the next moment, Ye Chen burst out of the encirclement with unimaginable speed, reaching Su Yuxuan's side: "Junior Sister, your plan was indeed excellent, everything went smoothly. Let's head to the Internal Affairs Hall to hide now!"

Su Yuxuan, watching the four pursuers closing in, her lips trembling slightly, wanted to curse.

Smooth my foot. I could have escaped on my own. How are you so fierce that you managed to break out? Are those four just useless?

But as the pursuers nearly caught up, Su Yuxuan had no choice but to clench her teeth and, along with Ye Chen, sped towards a grand hall in front of them. They quickly arrived at the entrance of the hall.

Su Yuxuan cast a resentful glance at Ye Chen, then at the four furiously approaching figures. With no other choice, she reluctantly tossed out a token.

Immediately after, she pulled Ye Chen and pushed open the doors. Thanks to the token, the defensive array of the Boundless Demon Sect's Internal Affairs Hall did not react, and the two managed to enter easily. They quickly slipped inside.

As the four pursuers arrived, they attempted to fly into the hall but were blocked by the array. Black Soul Elder launched an attack that shook the ground.

However, the Internal Affairs Hall remained undisturbed. Frustrated and gnashing their teeth, they could only watch helplessly as the two closed the hall doors and hid inside.

Kong Xiangli was seething with murderous intent. Ye Chen's luck was infuriatingly good. He glared at the other two Misty Sect elders. It was because of these two incompetents that Ye Chen had escaped. And the Foundation Establishment elder who had been knocked away by Ye Chen, facilitating his escape, was also shaken.

Ye Chen's magic was too fierce. It was simply too much to withstand directly.

"If you think you can do better, go ahead! And what's more, you're a Green Cloud Sect elder daring to glare at me? It's practically a death wish..."

However, infighting was avoided. Black Soul Elder explained Kong Xiangli's identity. Kong Xiangli was a spy sent by the Misty Sect to infiltrate the Green Cloud Sect. He was one of their own. After verifying his identity with the token, the other two put aside their hostility.

Kong Xiangli's expression darkened. "Ye Chen must die. The sect leader said, if Ye Chen dies in the Boundless Demon Sect ruins, Gu Yunyun will certainly come out to seek revenge. Gu Yunyun is the most likely elder in the Green Cloud Sect to breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. If she dies, the Green Cloud Sect won't last many more years. Without a Golden Core successor, our sect will easily swallow them up. So, we will stay here, find a way to break the array, and accelerate its failure! Ye Chen must die!"