129: A Perilous Situation Resolved with Divine Skill; No Need to Give It Everything to Break the Siege

A crescent moon, like a jade ring or a golden halo, is embedded in the deep purple night sky, surrounded by clouds and mist, resembling a white sail floating in the depths of the sea.

In the woods, after confirming that there was no danger around, Chen Dengming took out a map to check his location.

This War Zone map is quite wondrous. It was drawn by a weapon-refining sect. After inputting a wisp of Spiritual Qi, it naturally reveals one's location.

Chen Dengming carefully followed the map and determined that he was now only a little over a thousand miles away from the rescue site.

This journey of a thousand miles can be completed in half an hour if you travel at full speed.

However, the wind-breaking noise generated when traveling at full speed was really too loud, but riding the Black Cloud Leopard was smooth enough.

After breaking through its limits, this leopard possessed some extraordinary Divine Ability set it apart from ordinary beasts. Its feet could generate clouds, and its wings could control the wind, reducing air resistance and making relatively little noise.

Even at a constant speed, it's comparable to 70% of his full-speed flight, allowing him to reach the rescue mission location in about half an hour.

Chen Dengming then looked at the location of Fengwu Workshop.

The distance is still quite far, more than seven thousand li, and as for Bright Moon Workshop on the border, it is even more remote.

On the map, both locations are circled in scarlet.

In particular, Bright Moon Workshop has been marked with a Devil Head symbol, signifying that it has been completely taken over by Devil Cultivator cultivators and is extremely dangerous.

"I wonder if the Ming family of Bright Moon Workshop escaped the calamity of the Devil Cultivator' invasion?"

Chen Dengming sighed inwardly and dismissed some of his ideas.

The War Zone is still too dangerous. Not to mention Bright Moon Workshop, he can't even go to Fengwu Workshop.

Moreover, both places are extremely dangerous, teeming with Devil Cultivator. Even if old friends are there, they have likely already perished. And if they have already left, searching for them there would be like trying to find a lost sword by marking the boat – futile and pointless.

"Damn, I finally understand why no one is taking my bounty."

Chen Dengming put away the map, rubbed his forehead and sighed, "I'm afraid some people will say that the person who put the bounty on it is a fool."

Who would go to such a dangerous place to look for someone? They might not even find any remains of a body.

Compared to the entire Luo Family, a large and Cultivation Family, Jiang Qiang and Zhu Xun, two small, Rogue Cultivator who got separated in Fengwu Workshop, were even harder to find once they were caught up in the refugee crisis.

Chen Dengming doesn't know if he will ever find his old friend in his lifetime.

However, he still has a long lifespan, so we should be able to find some in the "living years" series.

Even if you can't find the people from your past, it's possible to run into their descendants.

After resting briefly in a tree, he mounted the Black Cloud Leopard and continued on his journey.

Now that they've split up and are traveling separately, riding his prestigious Black Cloud Leopard flying mount, he's much faster than the others. Perhaps only Cao Yan, a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator, can match his speed; the probability of him surpassing him is still quite low.

Once you reach a certain speed, it becomes very difficult to increase or even double that speed.

It's not that a difference of just a few minor realms can cause a difference in escape speed by several times.

During the Foundation Establishment Realm, the difference between minor realms mainly lies in the difference in basic strengths such as Divine Sense and Law Power. Escape speed will not increase exponentially with the increase of Law Power, but flight time will be extended.

Therefore, in the Cultivation World, some magical Law Artifact that emphasize speed are extremely expensive.

Chen Dengming had just escaped poverty and didn't even dare to think about it.

However, he has the Black Cloud Leopard, which is a valuable flying mount.

After flying for almost half an hour, just as they were about to reach their rescue destination, Chen Dengming encountered Zhou Yunji.

It's foreseeable that the closer you get to your destination, the greater the probability of meeting other fellow travelers.

"Ah, it's so much more comfortable for you to ride this black horse, Junior Brother Chen. Traveling like this consumes my Spiritual Qi and emits spiritual light, making me an easy target for Demon Beast."

Zhou Yunji followed in flight, watching Chen Dengming ride the Black Cloud Leopard with admiration. He really wanted to ride along too, but was too embarrassed to ask.

He had barely finished speaking when the faint sounds of battle rumbling echoed from the mountain path to his left.

Both of them showed a slight change in expression.

The fact that a fight is taking place in this area at this time suggests that the perpetrators are likely from the same group.

"Let's go take a look!"

In his haste, Zhou Yunji was about to rush over when Chen Dengming grabbed him.

Zhou Yunji was taken aback. Chen Dengming said, "Don't rush. Keep a low profile and approach silently. Don't alert the enemy and launch a surprise attack!"

Zhou Yunji blinked, and seeing Chen Dengming pat the Black Cloud Leopard, he immediately understood. He couldn't wait to ride the leopard, so he immediately withdrew his spiritual light and mounted the Black Cloud Leopard.

"Waaah--"

The Black Cloud Leopard rolled its eyes, flicked its tail, and looked displeased, clearly unhappy that anyone other than its owner's rear end had tainted its pure back.

"Hey, let's go, be careful and sneak up!"

Chen Dengming whispered, becoming highly vigilant, and approached.

As they approached the intersection ahead, they heard gusts of Yin Wind, the howling sound like a group of evil spirits screaming.

A thick black mist enveloped the area ahead, churning and swirling endlessly.

Faintly visible within the black mist was the spiritual light emanating from the battle between cultivators. Two Soul Devouring Sect cultivators, dressed in gray robes and holding large banners, were outside the black mist, manipulating the Yin Technique Method within the Soul Guiding Banner to attack the cultivators trapped inside.

"Cultivators from the Soul Devouring Sect? And two of them at the Foundation Establishment."

Zhou Yunji's expression changed.

"We're close to the rescue site, probably near some Devil Cultivator's stronghold. It's not surprising to see two Foundation Establishment here. Be careful."

Chen Dengming patted the Black Cloud Leopard on the back, Black Cloud Leopard instinctively lowered its body, using the surrounding trees and mountains for cover, and quickly approached.

"Stop--"

When they were about thirty feet apart, Chen Dengming immediately called out to the Black Cloud Leopard, then gave Zhou Yunji a wink and transmitted his voice.

"You to the left, I to the right! Quick, quick, strike!"

Seeing that the Soul Devouring Sect cultivators hadn't noticed them yet, Zhou Yunji felt excited and nodded quickly.

He is a fairly upright person, and this is the first time he has ever tried such a sneak attack from behind.

Moreover, the target was a wicked cultivator from the Soul Devouring Sect, so not only did he not feel much psychological burden, but he was also eager to make a move.

Chen Dengming silently summoned the Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions, finding the right angle to strike.

"Junior Brother Chen, I'm ready."

Zhou Yunji a telepathic reminder.

Chen Dengming glanced at it out of the corner of his eye and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

Zhou Yunji had already taken out three Law Artifacts and a stack of talismans, his expression expectant and eager to try them out.

"Can you manage to activate them all at the same time?"

"Divide it out in two batches, two batches, and release it first to be on the safe side."

Chen Dengming shook his head. Seeing the two Soul Devouring Sect cultivators in front of him shaking the Soul Guiding Banner again, just as they were releasing Spiritual Qi, he immediately shouted.

"Make your move!"

He made his move almost the instant he transmitted his voice. The Divine Transformation Blade flashed and swiftly pierced through the air, Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions also condensed a beam of light, transforming into a beam of blue-white light that shone on the Soul Devouring Sect cultivator on the left.

Zhou Yunji also acted simultaneously, activating both his Law Artifact and talismans at the same time.

The two Soul Devouring Sect cultivators opposite were shocked and reacted very quickly. They immediately tried to summon back their Yin spirits to protect their bodies, and the Soul Guiding Banner fluttered as it transformed into a large curtain to wrap around and protect their bodies.

But by the time they had the foresight to catch the unsuspecting, their actions were already too late.

As one of them roared, he released his Divine Sense, and his gaze became tangible, like a thousand-pound weight, instantly piercing into Chen Dengming's eyes, as if to strike hard into the depths of his soul.

However, Chen Dengming simultaneously unleashed a counterattack with his Divine Sense, like two gleaming daggers crackling with Thunder Fire, shattering the opponent's Divine Sense.

The Soul Devouring Sect cultivator let out a muffled groan. His Divine Sense was shattered, and he felt short of breath, his heart filled with fear, and a feeling of weakness and despair spread throughout his body.

The next instant, a surge of sword energy, like clouds gathering, swept through the gaps in the Soul Guiding Banner and struck his body directly.

"Laugh--"

Blood splattered!

A Soul Devouring Sect cultivator from the Soul Foundation Establishment died in an instant.

On the other side, amidst a barrage of talismans and Law Artifact, another Soul Devouring Sect cultivator was also in dire straits, barely holding on thanks to the Soul Guiding Banner.

But with Zhou Yunji's angry shout, a second wave of Law Artifact and talismans bombarded the area once again, without any fancy moves.

The Soul Guiding Banner was instantly blasted apart, and countless Yin spirits scattered in all directions. The Soul Devouring Sect cultivator inside the banner was blasted into Flesh and Blood on the spot.

As soon as a faint, transparent shadow emerged from the corpse, it was pounced upon by countless scattered ghosts. The ghosts turned on it, emitting shrill screams that could only be heard on a spiritual level.

"Call--"

Zhou Yunji let out a long breath. After the initial tension and excitement, he felt a sense of emptiness. Looking at the Soul Devouring Sect cultivator who had been swiftly and decisively killed by Chen Dengming with a single strike, he once again felt the gap in strength between himself and his Junior Brother.

He only ambushed a Soul Devouring Sect cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage, yet it took two rounds of attacks to defeat him.

Junior Brother Chen attacked a cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, and he took him down with a single strike.

However, he suddenly grew to like this style of fighting, which involved ambushing and catching people off guard; it was very exhilarating.

In a direct confrontation, it would be unlikely that two Soul Devouring Sect cultivators could be defeated so easily; they might even suffer an unexpected defeat.

After catching their breath, the two immediately approached the Battlefield to confirm that there were no other enemies.

At this moment, the dark mist created by the Technique Method had dissipated, revealing two figures and a woman's voice.

"Senior Brother Chen? Is that you?"

"Yang Lan? It's us!"

Chen Dengming activated the Heart-Illuminating Mirror of Shattering Delusions, shining it on the two of them. Instantly, the evil spirits and yin Yin Qi surrounding them were dispelled, and the gloomy environment around them quickly became comfortable.

The two figures that appeared were none other than Yang Lan and Qi Fen, who kept calling Chen Dengming"Senior Brother".

The moment Qi Fen saw Chen Dengming's figure, he seemed completely relieved, his body went limp, and he collapsed.

Upon seeing this, Yang Lan was at a loss and immediately helped Qi Fen, her voice trembling with tears.

"W-What should we do? Senior Brother Chen, Senior Brother Qi just seemed to have been severely injured by a ghost while protecting me, sob--"

Chen Dengming frowned and walked over. After a brief examination, he felt relieved.

"It's nothing, just a temporary overexertion of Law Power, coupled with the entry of Yin Qi into the body, damaging the Divine Sense, causing him to faint."

"That's good!" Zhou Yunji breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing that Yang Lan was still crying, he shook his head inwardly, thinking to himself that this young Yang from the Longevity Sect probably had very little experience in actual combat. This time, she was probably going through a baptism.

Chen Dengming tossed aside a branch from a nearby tree and used his Withered to Flourishing Art to transfer a bit of Life Energy to Qi Fen, maintaining his health. Once his essence and energy were stabilized, they would naturally nourish his damaged spirit.

Seeing that Qi Fen was still unconscious, Yang Lan cried incessantly, "Waaah... Senior Brother Chen, he, he..."

Chen Dengming felt a surge of annoyance. Suddenly, a glint of lightning flashed in his eyes, and he hissed, "Enough! How long are you going to keep crying?"

Yang Lan was startled, her crying was interrupted, and she stood there stunned. Seeing that Chen Dengming, who was usually amiable, was now ashen-faced, she immediately realized her loss of composure. She wanted to apologize, but because of her pride, she hesitated and did not know how to start.

Seeing this, Zhou Yunji secretly chuckled to himself, and was about to smooth things over when Chen Dengming took the initiative to offer a way out.

"Alright!"

Chen Dengming waved his hand dismissively. Seeing that Yang Lan had stopped crying and her expression had softened, he knew that this female cultivator had probably not experienced much life and death. She had just been attacked by countless evil spirits and was on the verge of death, so it was normal for her mentality to be a little broken.

He immediately said calmly, "I'm not reprimanding you, Senior Sister Yang, but the place we're in right now is truly dangerous. It's best not to make any noise, lest we attract more enemies."

"No, it's alright, Junior Brother Chen. You're right, I was too out of line. I'm sorry."

With Chen Dengming providing a way down, Yang Lan followed suit, her pretty face slightly flushed as she apologized.

The three immediately cleaned up the Battlefield and prepared to leave.

When taking away the Soul Devouring Sect cultivators' Storage Bag and other spoils of war, Chen Dengming thought for a moment and decided to throw the Storage Bag away, only taking the Spirit Stone and the other party's Law Artifact.

Zhou Yunji was surprised to see this. "Junior Brother Chen, what does this mean?"

While examining the Soul Banner, which seemed to be filled with Yin spirits, Chen Dengming said, "The cultivators of the Soul Devouring Sect are very resourceful. They might use the Soul Power of Yin spirits as some kind of Soul Power marker. If their Storage Bag and items are marked, it will easily attract the attention of other fellow disciples."

This is not just wild speculation.

In fact, Chen Dengming himself also possessed such methods; they were techniques from the Hundred Ghosts Yin Record Spirit Refining Art.

Zhou Yunji had long been completely convinced of his Junior Brother, and upon hearing this, he immediately threw away his Storage Bag, taking only the Spirit Stone and items inside.

Chen Dengming carefully examined the Soul Guiding Banner, which was taller than a person. He could sense a sinister space within the gloomy black banner, filled with many ghosts and spirits, fiercely fighting each other.

He dared not study this item rashly, nor did he dare put it into his Storage Bag; instead, he first stored it in the Spirit Subduing Bottle.

Zhou Yunji and he had a tacit understanding to each take their share. When Chen Dengming politely asked Yang Lan if she needed a share of the profits,

The girl was quite sensible; she politely declined and expressed her gratitude. She had initially felt a little awkward, but now her impression of Chen Dengming was growing better, and she had become very curious about him.

She had felt slightly superior to this newly promoted Foundation Establishment junior Junior Brother from the Evergreen Sect. She considered herself the junior sister among the four from the Longevity Sect, but in front of this junior Junior Brother from the Evergreen Sect, she was the senior sister and not the newest in the group.

However, her two experiences after entering the War Zone made her realize that she was still far behind her cautious, strong, and meticulous Junior Brother.

After packing, the three of them quickly set off.

Chen Dengming did not ride the Black Cloud Leopard again, but instead threw the unconscious Qi Fen onto the leopard's back and rode on his own.

Fortunately, the journey went smoothly from there. They encountered other people one after another, and before they even reached the mission rescue location, everyone had already gathered together. Qi Fen had also woken up from his coma and immediately expressed his gratitude to Chen Dengming.

"No need to be so polite. We're teammates, and if I were in trouble, you would definitely come to my aid, Senior Brother Qi."

Chen Dengming waved his hand with a smile.

Qi Fen smiled weakly, bowed deeply, and said, "Senior Brother Chen, from today onwards, you are truly my Senior Brother Chen. I, Qi Fen, owe you my life, so please don't call me Senior Brother anymore; I can't accept that title."

"Hahaha--" Cao Yan laughed from the side, "Alright, Junior Brother Chen, stop being so modest. If you keep being so modest, I'll be embarrassed to call myself Senior Brother."

Chen Dengming chuckled and shook his head, no longer bothering to be polite with Qi Fen.

This person is not bad; he knows how to repay kindness, so the rescue wasn't in vain, and he suits his taste.

Of course, he didn't save the person expecting anything in return. He was just a teammate, and if he had the ability and confidence, he would naturally save them. If he didn't have the ability, then there was nothing he could do.

At this moment, everyone gathered on a hillside not far from the mission objective. From this vantage point, they could see a dilapidated town, with the light of Formation faintly visible in its center.

Besides, most of the town was shrouded in a light black mist, within which some long, eerie white banners could be vaguely seen, as if ghosts were constantly patrolling and circling around it, surrounding it without attacking. As for the enemy's whereabouts, no trace was seen.

Seeing this, Cao Yan said with a serious expression, "The mission Jade Slip mentioned that Junior Brother Kong and the others were trapped here this morning. We set off immediately after sending out a distress message, and we arrived here in less than Heavenly Timing."

The enemy probably didn't expect us to arrive so quickly. It's possible that the two Foundation Establishment cultivators you just killed, Junior Brother Chen, were part of this enemy group. If that's the case, we've actually reduced some of the pressure."

Chen Dengming frowned slightly upon hearing this.

He doesn't like to think about things in a positive light; instead, he prefers to plan for the worst. This way, he can be well-prepared and avoid being caught off guard by unexpected events.

Cao Yan had been observing his capable junior Junior Brother's expression, and seeing this, he immediately smiled and said, "Junior Brother Chen, do you have any other ideas or plans? Tell me about them?"

Zhou Yunji had been holding back his opinions, wanting to offer them but not daring to do so for fear of making a fool of himself. But upon hearing this, he was suddenly invigorated.

He was utterly impressed by Chen Dengming's previous sneaky attack plan.

If it were him, he might have charged straight in and fought the enemy to the death, but he cleverly and easily resolved the battle.

Now I'd like to see what other good ideas this capable Junior Brother Chen has.

Seeing that everyone was looking over, Chen Dengming remained calm. He knew he should keep a low profile when necessary, but at this crucial moment of decision-making, offering his suggestions was a way to ensure his own safety, and he couldn't afford to be careless.

He immediately pondered and voiced his concerns, "When Senior Brother Zhou and I discovered those two Soul Devouring Sect cultivators, they had already surrounded Senior Sister Yang and the others. Is it possible that they had already relayed the news of discovering the Longevity Sect disciples to their accomplices via Sound Transmission Jade Talisman?"

If that's the case, then that town might very well be a carefully laid trap.

(Our monthly ticket rankings have dropped, brothers! Keep pushing! Monthly tickets are all gone, we're still a few places away. If we make it in tonight, there will be a big bonus chapter!)