The Fisherman Benefits, Seizing the Inheritance

That ripple, though faint, exploded in Lu Chen's heart like a thunderclap.

He had bet correctly!

This barrier was not a lifeless object; it was like a gatekeeper with a specific appetite. As long as it was fed enough "food"—that is, Profound Nether Cold Qi—it would open its gates.

And these Flying Horse Merchant Association guards who had delivered themselves to his doorstep were the perfect "feeding tools"!

A cold, cruel arc curled onto Lu Chen's lips.

Since you want to kill me, don't blame me for using you as stepping stones.

"What is he doing?"

Qian Tong had been keeping a close eye on the battlefield. Seeing the ripple in the barrier, a sudden sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.

But before he could think it through, Lu Chen's offensive suddenly changed.

Lu Chen, who had been fighting steadily and parrying blow for blow, suddenly became frantic.

He no longer cared about defense, even intentionally exposing openings to lure the guards into attacking.

"Good chance! He's lost his composure!"

One guard was overjoyed. Seeing Lu Chen's defenses wide open, he immediately swung his blade at Lu Chen's back.

The strike landed solidly.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound rang out as sparks flew.

The clothes on Lu Chen's back were shredded, revealing the dark, iron-colored skin beneath.

The Great Success Iron Cloth Shirt had withstood the blade, leaving nothing but a white mark.

Using the momentum of the strike, Lu Chen lunged forward. Like a wild bull, he slammed into the two guards standing before the secret chamber door.

Profound Nether Hand: Twin Dragons Emerging from the Sea!

Lu Chen struck with both palms, his pitch-black palms carrying bone-chilling cold as they slammed fiercely into the chests of the two men.

"Pfft!"

The two men sprayed blood wildly, their chests collapsing instantly. Even the blood they spat out froze into ice shards.

But this was not the end.

Lu Chen did not pull back his strength. Instead, pushing the two guards—who were either dead or severely wounded—he slammed them into the barrier behind him like a bulldozer.

"Open for me!"

Lu Chen let out a furious roar, unleashing every ounce of Profound Nether Cold Qi within his body without reservation.

Using these two "meat shields" as conductors, the violent cold energy surged forward like a black enraged dragon, slamming headlong into the light barrier.

"BOOM—!"

This time, the barrier's reaction was ten times more violent than before!

The entire door to the secret chamber trembled, the blue light flickering frantically and emitting an unbearable "sizzling" sound.

The massive influx of Profound Nether Cold Qi caused the once-stable formation to instantly overload.

The color of the light barrier began to deepen rapidly, shifting from blue to dark blue, and finally to pitch black.

It was like a piece of cloth soaked through with ink, no longer able to block anything.

"Not good! He's breaking the formation!"

The leader in black finally realized what was happening, his expression changing drastically. "Stop him, quickly!"

Ignoring everything else, he turned his dagger into a streak of cold light, thrusting it straight at Lu Chen's back.

Qian Tong was also desperate. Although injured, he could no longer afford to hold back; he pulled a handful of poison-tipped Bone-Piercing Nails from his robes and flung them all at Lu Chen.

"Too late!"

Lu Chen sensed the killing intent behind him, but he did not turn back.

He had gambled everything.

At the very instant the leader in black's dagger was about to pierce his back:

"Crack!"

A crisp shattering sound rang out.

The barrier that had obstructed everyone for so long finally could not withstand the impact of the excessive cold energy and shattered with a roar!

The sky full of light particles dissipated like fireflies.

The secret chamber was open!

"Hahahaha!"

Lu Chen let out a wild laugh. With a stomp of his feet, he moved like a loach, using the air currents from the shattering barrier to instantly slip into the secret chamber.

"Clang, clang, clang!"

Qian Tong's Bone-Piercing Nail struck empty air, embedding itself into the stone wall of the chamber and sparking a string of embers.

The leader in black also missed with his dagger, nearly crashing into the Stone Platform as he failed to check his momentum.

"No—!"

Qian Tong let out a heart-wrenching scream.

He watched helplessly as Lu Chen rushed into the secret chamber and reached the Stone Platform.

Lu Chen did not hesitate for a second.

With a wave of his hand, he grabbed the Ice Soul Art and the bottle of Marrow Cleansing Pills hovering over the Stone Platform, swiftly stuffing them into his robes (tucking them securely against his body).

Only after doing all this did he turn around to look at Qian Tong and the others, who stood at the entrance of the chamber with expressions of shock and despair.

At this moment, although Lu Chen's clothes were tattered and his back was wounded, his eyes were terrifyingly bright.

They were the eyes of a victor.

"Many thanks to Steward Qian for leading the way."

Lu Chen patted his bulging chest, a brilliant smile spreading across his face. "I shall gratefully accept this generous gift."

"Pfft!"

Qian Tong was so enraged that he spat out a mouthful of blood.

He had racked his brains, spent countless silver, and even exhausted his family connections just to find this place.

And the result?

Not only had he lost his men and suffered heavy losses, but he had ended up doing the hard work for someone else!

He hadn't just failed to obtain the legacy; he hadn't even gotten a taste of the broth!

The sheer scale of this disappointment nearly drove him mad on the spot.

"Kill him! Kill him for me!"

Qian Tong's eyes were bloodshot as he pointed at Lu Chen, roaring hysterically. "Whoever kills him, I'll give them ten thousand taels! No! Twenty thousand taels!"

The leader in black and the two remaining guards were also filled with murderous intent, blocking the entrance to the secret chamber.

Lu Chen was now trapped in the secret chamber, like a turtle in a jar.

As long as the entrance was blocked, he had no way to fly out!

"Lu Chen, hand over the item, and I will leave your corpse intact."

The leader in black said coldly, "This secret chamber only has this one exit. You cannot escape."

Lu Chen leaned against the Stone Platform, breathing slightly to recover his strength.

Indeed, the current situation remained very dangerous.

Although he had obtained the item, how to carry it out was a problem.

This secret chamber was a dead end, and those experts were blocking the outside. If he tried to force his way through, even if he managed to break out, he would have to pay a heavy price.

However...

Lu Chen's gaze swept across the Stone Platform, and he suddenly discovered an inconspicuous groove at the base of it.

The shape of that groove was exactly the same as the Netherworld Stone in his pocket.

Is this... a teleportation array? Or the activation key for some mechanism?

Regardless of what it was, it was better than waiting here to die.

Lu Chen calmly reached into his pocket and pulled out a Netherworld Stone.

Outside the door, Qian Tong saw Lu Chen's "dead pig doesn't fear boiling water" attitude, and his last shred of reason snapped.

Since he couldn't have it, he would destroy him!

Since this brat refused a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit, he would let all the experts of the Flying Horse Merchant Association come to play with him!

"Good! Good! Good!"

Qian Tong said the word "good" three times in a row, his expression becoming incredibly ferocious.

"Little Brother Lu, it seems you really won't shed tears until you see the coffin."

"Do you think I only brought these few people?"

Seeing the inheritance stolen, the merchant association manager was exasperated. He let out a roar, pulled a black Signal Flare from his robes, and crushed it in his hand.