True Qi Perishes

Lin'an County Office, "How many days has it been already? And still not a single clue."

Chen Pengtian sat in his chair, questioning Bai Yingfei. By now, none of his earlier soft-spoken manner remained.

"This subordinate is incompetent. I will certainly have them intensify the search and find clues about that symbol for you as soon as possible, Elder."

Frightened into breaking out in a cold sweat by Chen Pengfei's imposing presence, Bai Yingfei gave his assurance in trembling fear.

"How many times have you said that? And what have the results been? Not even the slightest progress."

"You need to understand that we do not have much time left. Those brutes from the Divine Fist Sect could come knocking at our door at any moment."

"We have already paid such a steep price. Are we really going to let all our efforts go to waste at the critical moment?"

Chen Pengfei was growing anxious. Taking Lin'an City had been his own private operation from the start, and the Divine Fist Sect was a colossal force he could not contend with.

"But for the sake of breaking through to the Condensing Gang Realm, all of this is worth it."

Chen Pengfei muttered to himself inwardly.

"I'll give you two more days. If you still fail to find any clues, then bring your head to see me."

Growing ever more impatient, Chen Pengfei issued Bai Yingfei his final ultimatum.

"We have news! We have news!"

Just as Bai Yingfei was about to force himself to accept the order, a voice came from afar. Immediately afterward, a member of the Yellow Heaven Cult ran in from outside the County Office.

"Reporting to Hall Master, we have found clues about that symbol."

"Speak! Where are the clues?"

Hearing this news, Chen Pengfei asked the man excitedly.

"Greetings, Elder. It is in the City God Temple in the west of the city."

Only then did the man notice Chen Pengfei's presence. He hurriedly paid his respects before answering truthfully.

"I'll head over first. Gather your best men and follow."

The moment he finished speaking to Bai Yingfei, Chen Pengfei's figure vanished from where he stood.

Inside the City God Temple in the west of the city, after Chen Pengfei arrived, the Yellow Heaven Cult member who had discovered the clue recounted the entire process to him.

"This must be Cen Xiuqi's burial site. But someone has actually gotten here before us."

"Has anyone come out through the entrance since then?"

Learning that the entrance had already been opened, Chen Pengfei questioned the Yellow Heaven Cult member.

"Reporting to Elder, from the moment I discovered it until now, this subordinate has been guarding this place. I have not seen anyone emerge from this entrance."

"Then there is still time."

"You have done well."

After letting out a sigh of relief inwardly, Chen Pengfei spoke to the man who had discovered the entrance.

"It is this subordinate's honor to share the Elder's burdens."

The Yellow Heaven Cult member was instantly overjoyed, knowing that his rise to glory was just around the corner.

Before long, Bai Yingfei arrived with his subordinates and the martial artists of the Sun and Zhao families. Under Chen Pengfei's lead, they entered the passage together.

Boom!

After the time it took to burn an incense stick, two powerful auras spread across more than half of Lin'an City. Bi Changsheng, who had been leisurely sipping tea, sensed those two auras at once.

True Qi Realm martial artists are fighting.

Bi Changsheng was certain of it. He then carefully sensed the two auras and found that the stronger one was identical to the aura that had locked onto him at Zhao Manor on the day Lin'an City fell. It should belong to someone from the Yellow Heaven Cult.

The other, unfamiliar aura felt slightly weaker than that of the Yellow Heaven Cult member. Bi Changsheng guessed that this True Qi Realm expert should be from the Divine Fist Sect.

The Divine Fist Sect actually underestimated their enemy. The person they sent has a lower Cultivation Level than the Yellow Heaven Cult member.

He found it somewhat strange, unaware that it was all the result of Chen Pengfei's meticulous calculations.

Bi Changsheng soon put it out of his mind. No matter which side won or lost, it would not affect him much. If the Yellow Heaven Cult won, at worst he would only have to lie low for a while longer.

Liu Zhengqing, who was practicing his fists, also sensed those two imposing auras and stopped.

"Young Master, this is...?"

Even Uncle Fu, an ordinary man, felt a heavy, stifling pressure in his chest.

"Experts are fighting. It has nothing to do with us."

Walking over and grasping Uncle Fu by the shoulder, Bi Changsheng sent blood qi into him to ease his discomfort as he explained.

At that moment, a flash of inspiration struck Bi Changsheng, as though he had remembered something. He carefully sensed the direction of those two auras.

The west of the city. The City God Temple.

That was right. Bi Changsheng finally remembered where he had seen that intricate symbol before. When the original owner was young, he had seen it on a mural in a side hall tucked away in a corner of the City God Temple. However, about ten years ago, the City God Temple had undergone renovations, and that mural had been covered by a new one.

The two True Qi Realm experts fighting there now could not possibly be a coincidence. They must have discovered something there.

Although he understood that whatever the Yellow Heaven Cult was desperately searching for could not be ordinary, Bi Changsheng had no intention of joining the excitement.

He already possessed the Longevity Dao Fruit, the greatest treasure of all. Even casually uncovering a little of it would benefit Bi Changsheng without end. Unless it was something that could speed up his exploration, no matter how precious a treasure was, it would be hard to arouse even a trace of his interest.

This time, two True Qi experts had unleashed their full strength without restraint. After carefully sensing them, Bi Changsheng discovered that these two True Qi Realm martial artists were very powerful—especially the one from the Yellow Heaven Cult—but they were not unbeatable to him.

"Brat from the Divine Fist Sect, don't run!"

An angry roar infused with true qi rang out across the western district of Lin'an City, confirming Bi Changsheng's conjecture from the side.

In the western district of Lin'an City, near the City God Temple, the entire temple and its surrounding area had been reduced to rubble by the aftershocks of two True Essence Realm experts clashing.

At this moment, Ge Wenkang was finding it increasingly difficult to withstand Chen Pengfei's fierce assault.

Originally, after Fu Ziping and his group from the Divine Fist Sect entered that entrance, they discovered a sizeable underground palace below. After catching up to Jiang Ziyue and undergoing many trials, they had finally obtained the inheritance and treasures Cen Xiuqi had left within the underground palace.

But just then, Chen Pengfei appeared with his men, and a fierce battle naturally broke out between the two sides.

Although the Yellow Heaven Cult had the advantage in numbers, aside from Chen Pengfei, the others were no match at all for Fu Ziping and the Divine Fist Sect disciples.

Unfortunately, once Chen Pengfei entered the fight, the situation changed completely. Though Ge Wenkang did everything he could to hold him back, the Divine Fist Sect disciples still suffered a brutal slaughter. Now, only three Divine Fist Sect disciples remained alive, including Fu Ziping and Jiang Ziyue, and all of them were severely wounded.

"Run! All of you, run!"

At that moment, Ge Wenkang seemed to have made up his mind as he spoke to the remaining three.

He intended to risk his life to hold back the Yellow Heaven Cult members and create an opportunity for the three survivors to escape.

The remaining three also understood Ge Wenkang's intentions. Though they were deeply reluctant, they knew that staying behind would not help him in the slightest; it would only make his sacrifice meaningless.

Overcome with grief, the three fled in three different directions. Jiang Ziyue's face was streaked with tears, rain-soaked pear blossoms as she ran.

"Chase them!"

The Yellow Heaven Cult members received Chen Pengfei's order and rushed after them. Yet just then, Ge Wenkang completely ignored Chen Pengfei, who was fighting him, and threw a punch at the Yellow Heaven Cult members.

Those struck by Ge Wenkang's punch died on the spot, while the others were swept up by the force of the blow and hurled to the ground.

With that brief delay, the Yellow Heaven Cult members had already lost track of Fu Ziping and the others.

But the price was that Ge Wenkang was struck by one of Chen Pengfei's punches and sent flying dozens of meters away, blood pouring endlessly from his mouth.

"Since you want to die, I'll grant you your wish."

Seeing Fu Ziping and the others escape, Chen Pengfei spoke to Ge Wenkang with killing intent boiling over.

"Bring it on."

Chen Pengfei circulated his true qi throughout his body to the utmost limit, then threw a punch. His immense true qi seemed to transform into a poisonous dragon drill, burrowing toward Ge Wenkang. This was the Chasing Life Poison Dragon Yuan Breaking Art Chen Pengfei cultivated.

Ge Wenkang, meanwhile, refused to be outdone. Gathering all the true qi in his body, he threw a domineering punch that declared: none but me, I alone reign supreme. This was the cultivation art Ge Wenkang practiced, as well as the Divine Fist Sect's ultimate sect-defending art—the Hegemonic Heaven Divine Fist.

Though Ge Wenkang's martial art was more exquisite, Chen Pengfei's Cultivation Level was higher. The wicked poisonous dragon shattered the divine fist and struck Ge Wenkang in the chest, directly pulverizing his heart.

Ge Wenkang, elder of the Divine Fist Sect, perished on the spot!

"Even if you have to turn the entirety of Lin'an City upside down, you must capture those three people who just escaped!"

"Especially that brat carrying the underground palace's inheritance."

After killing Ge Wenkang, Chen Pengfei gave the surviving Yellow Heaven Cult members his orders with a dark expression.