That night, they were thousands of miles from the Holy City.
The three travelers had veered off the official road, choosing to make camp on a small hill known as Qingfeng.
Two men, one tall and one short, were efficiently setting up their tents. Nearby, a handsome young man sat on a large rock, reading a well-worn journal by the warm light of the campfire.
Chen Guan used to have no interest in reading, but after coming to the Dou Qi Continent, he had forced himself to read countless books to better understand his new world. Gradually, he had come to enjoy the feeling of silently enriching his mind, and now he would take out a book whenever he had a spare moment.
"Young Master, the tents are ready. You can rest now," Wang Dalang said, stepping forward.
He felt a little strange. With their status, there was no need to rough it like this. There was a city just half an hour ahead. Wouldn't the large, soft beds in an inn be more comfortable?
Chen Guan nodded, put away his journal, and stretched before walking toward his tent.
"Rest early. We'll need to speed up our journey tomorrow."
After giving his instructions, he went straight inside. But instead of cultivating all night as he usually would, Chen Guan felt a restless anticipation. He was waiting for something else.
Late into the night, just as Chen Guan began to think his wait had been in vain, a hidden aura crept within a hundred meters of their camp. He detected it instantly.
Here we go.
Although Mo Cheng concealed his presence well, he couldn't evade Chen Guan's spiritual perception. His identity was confirmed in a flash.
To be honest, Chen Guan was quite disappointed that Mo Cheng had come alone. He had expected someone from the Misty Cloud Sect to make a move as well. When I left the Imperial Capital, I felt so many eyes on me. After all that fuss, this is it?
Mo Cheng was a three-star Dou Ling, the same as the Wang brothers. But Chen Guan was confident that with his array of trump cards, he could deal with all three of them in a very short time.
If there were no other factors at play, Mo Cheng would have enjoyed a longer game of cat and mouse. But thinking of the two figures who had instigated him from behind, he didn't dare waste time. He put aside his perverse thoughts. In order to ensure a quick and foolproof battle, he had already consumed the Blood-Burning Pill. At this moment, he was confident he could fight anyone below the rank of Dou Wang.
With such a surge in strength, he still chose to launch an unethical sneak attack late at night. How could I possibly lose?
Mo Cheng was brimming with confidence. He slipped on a mask, confirmed that the two Wang brothers were deep in their cultivation, and then shot forward, his body a blur as he charged the target's tent.
During his charge, his left arm spasmed violently. A fierce, dark energy erupted, shredding his sleeve and exposing the limb to the night air. Veins bulged and writhed like small snakes. The entire arm grew strangely larger and thicker, his nails elongating into sharp, black claws. It no longer looked like a human arm but the forelimb of a Magical Beast, pulsing with a crimson light that bespoke immense power.
"Die!"
Mo Cheng held nothing back, unleashing a ferocious strike with his Mountain-Breaking Arm. He knew the target possessed a Dou Ling-level puppet—he had seen it at Yao Ye's coming-of-age ceremony—so he wasn't worried about turning the boy into paste. With this single blow, he would destroy the puppet and gravely injure his target at the same time.
"How dare you!"
"Stop! Black and Silver Entanglement!"
The sudden attack woke the Wang brothers. They shouted in fury and immediately intervened. Wang Dalang, the faster of the two, rushed forward at full speed, while Wang Yan unleashed a Dou Skill from a distance. After decades of partnership, their coordination was flawless. But the gap in strength was still too great. Mo Cheng's speed was terrifying, and they were a step too slow.
Sizzle!
The tent exploded under the pressure of Dou Qi. But when Mo Cheng saw the scene inside, he froze. The two brothers, rushing to the rescue, also stopped in their tracks.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the blink of an eye, a dozen collisions were over. Mo Cheng's fatal attack had been easily neutralized, and he was sent staggering back more than twenty steps. He violently shook his left arm, breaking free from the black vines that had entangled it, his eyes wide with disbelief as he stared at the target's tent.
The young man looked completely unfazed, as if nothing had happened. He was sitting at a small table, drinking by himself, his contented expression utterly at odds with the tense atmosphere.
And surrounding him, seven puppets stood guard, as solemn and murderous as temple guardians, leaving no openings.
At this sight, not just Mo Cheng, but even the two brothers sworn to protect their master were left speechless. Feeling the immense pressure radiating from the seven puppets, they unconsciously glanced at the masked attacker, a hint of sympathy in their eyes. For some reason, they also felt an urge to laugh.
"Young Master, are you alright?" the two brothers asked, stepping forward cautiously.
"I'm fine. Come, let's continue drinking and watch the show."
With a single thought from Chen Guan, the seven puppets surged forward, cutting off Mo Cheng's escape and surrounding him.
A righteous group fight had begun.
Under the night sky, the three of them drank by candlelight while, not far away, a wonderful performance was underway. The scene was bizarrely warm and harmonious.
Mo Cheng was very strong. With the boost from the Blood-Burning Pill and his Mountain-Breaking Arm, his power at that moment surpassed any single one of Chen Guan's puppets. However, even ants can kill an elephant, and two fists cannot beat fourteen hands. Facing the relentless assault of seven puppets, he could only barely protect his vital points, letting out a scream every time a blow landed.
As long as a puppet's core and spiritual imprint remained intact, its offensive would never end. Mo Cheng's strength, however, was finite. The Dou Qi in his Dou Crystal was being consumed at an alarming rate.
The outcome of this battle was clear to all three spectators.
As expected, within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Mo Cheng began to falter. His strength declined rapidly. He could no longer withstand the coordinated assault and was reduced to being beaten unilaterally.
Seeing Mo Cheng on the brink of death, his life hanging by a thread, Wang Yan opened his mouth, wanting to suggest they capture him for interrogation.
However, Chen Guan had no intention of stopping the puppets. Only after the attacker had been reduced to a pulpy mess did he calmly recall them.
In Chen Guan's eyes, the matter was already crystal clear. He didn't possess some special physique that would warrant such an attack. Mo Cheng had no reason to risk offending the royal family on his own. He was acting on someone else's orders.
And as it happened, he knew exactly whose dog this old man was.
The only surprise was the fifth-grade Blood-Burning Pill. A pill of that grade was not common, even in the Misty Cloud Sect. It was unlikely Yun Leng would use one privately without the sect leader's permission. This meant someone else might have provided it.
As for Mo Cheng obtaining it himself? Chen Guan didn't believe it for a second. If Mo Cheng had a trump card like that, he would have used it when Xiao Yan came knocking on his door.
Therefore, besides Yun Leng, Yun Yun and Gu He were also suspects.
Deep down, Chen Guan was more inclined to believe it was the latter. After all, his trip to the Misty Cloud Sect to trade for the Na Ling was not a total secret. For an alchemist obsessed with obtaining a Heavenly Flame, no possibility would be overlooked.
***
(End of Chapter)
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