Chapter 181 - 181: Sealing the Four Sides
Ling Jiahua gazed at Chen Fei’s receding figure and suddenly remembered that this person was the one who had just exchanged moves with Lei Yingchao. Before, they were at a distance, so Ling Jiahua hadn’t paid much attention.
Now, only just realizing who Chen Fei was, Ling Jiahua finally understood Lei Yingchao’s emotions at that moment. With such speed and agility, there were probably only a few individuals within the secret realm who could match it, and yet they encountered him.
The key question was, wasn’t Chen Fei just at the Marrow Tempering realm in terms of cultivation? Why did his agility display such exaggeration? Did he channel all of his talents into his agility?
If Chen Fei had the cultivation of the Visceral Tempering realm, Ling Jiahua wouldn’t have been so careless.
And now, all they could do was watch helplessly as Chen Fei surpassed them, heading towards the true form of the Dreamlike Lotus. By the time they caught up, Chen Fei would likely have already escaped with the Dreamlike Lotus.
Ma Xuefei let out a soft sigh from the side. She had intended to remind Ling Jiahua, but considering Chen Fei’s Spatial Evasion technique and his long-distance speed, any reminder would likely be futile.
As long as no one restrained Chen Fei, he could come and go as he pleased. This was the extreme convenience brought by his exceptional agility.
Ma Xuefei’s goal had always been similar, especially as an archer; she placed great emphasis on honing her agility. Unfortunately, though Ma Xuefei’s agility was decent, it couldn’t reach this level.
Chen Fei was oblivious to the thoughts of those behind him, his gaze firmly fixed on the direction in which the Dreamlike Lotus was escaping.
Ling Jiahua’s group didn’t pose much threat and their agility and speed determined that they were unlikely to be in the first tier. But apart from them, there were others lurking around, waiting for an opportunity.
If Xiao Liling’s team successfully attacked the Dreamlike Lotus, these people who were observing from the surroundings would eventually pretend as if nothing had happened and leave quietly. After all, Xiao Liling’s team was exceptionally large in numbers, and they had the support of spiritual artifacts.
However, if the battle took an unexpected turn, their chance would come.
Those daring enough to observe from the sidelines possessed formidable strength; otherwise, they wouldn’t dare engage in such actions. Not to mention other aspects, their agility was undoubtedly exceptional, for without it, they could seize the Dreamlike Lotus but might not have the chance to escape with their lives from this place.
Chen Fei’s speed was exceptionally outstanding. At the moment, there were three individuals about a dozen meters away who matched Chen Fei’s speed. After observing for a moment, Chen Fei realized that all of them were at the Visceral Tempering realm in terms of cultivation, with one of them even at the peak of the Visceral Tempering realm.
These people likely had their own teams before, but right now, only these three were able to keep up with the speed and chase after the Dreamlike Lotus.
Compared to these three, Chen Fei’s Marrow Tempering realm cultivation stood out significantly. From the occasional glances these three gave, one could perceive their surprise and a hint of mockery.
While Chen Fei’s agility was formidable, the others couldn’t overpower him in that aspect. However, they definitely could entangle him. Once they engaged in combat, it wasn’t about agility but required solid brute strength.
Chen Fei remained expressionless, and Bacca was currently sitting on Chen Fei’s scabbard.
Unless Bacca entered a berserk state, his speed relative to Chen Fei’s would be slightly weaker. Thus, Chen Fei leading Bacca made things more convenient.
Of course, aside from this, if any trouble arose later, Chen Fei could suddenly release Bacca to help fend off an immediate threat.
The speed of the Dreamlike Lotus began to decrease. As a spiritual material, its natural movement was not significant. Having already unleashed its potential during its self-explosion, its speed inevitably slowed down as time passed.
“Consume the potion; the Dreamlike Lotus will likely counterattack later!”
Chen Fei reached into his pocket and pulled out a water pouch, tilting his head back to drink the Ice-cold Soul Elixir. As the potion entered his system, Chen Fei’s slightly excited emotions due to the Dreamlike Lotus instantly cooled down, and all negative feelings seemed to dissipate.
Bacca took the water pouch handed to him by Chen Fei and also drank from it, causing his presence to become elusive.
“Hahaha, let me have this spiritual ingredient; there will be repayment in the future!”
An Shijie burst into laughter, his steps flashing as he arrived in front of the Dreamlike Lotus. With a grab, he took hold of it. Among the group, An Shijie was the only one at the peak of the Visceral Tempering realm, which gave him sufficient confidence in his strength.
“Buzz!”
Sensing a human approaching, the Dreamlike Lotus scanned its surroundings with its consciousness. However, An Shijie coldly snorted, a beam of light flashing to protect his head. Surprisingly, the Dreamlike Lotus’s mental attack had no effect on An Shijie.
Those daring to target the Dreamlike Lotus had naturally developed their own techniques for mental defense.
Of course, if the Dreamlike Lotus were in its peak state and not a spiritual artifact, it would be unable to withstand its mental attacks.
But now, the Dreamlike Lotus had suffered considerable damage. Only a trace of its core essence remained within it, making it unable to unleash the peak power of its mental attack.
“First clear out the others, ensure the spiritual material’s safety, and then find a place. You and 1 can each take half. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Duan Yinfeng’s figure appeared next to the Dreamlike Lotus, and she winked at An Shijie. Her flirtatious and charming intent was unmistakable as she extended her delicate hand, playfully aiming for An Shijie’s right arm, as if they were lovers engaging in playful banter.
“Get lost!”
An Shijie’s eyes widened, and he didn’t even bother dodging her. He struck her with his elbow and simultaneously reached for the Dreamlike Lotus with his left hand.
This kind of spiritually beneficial material like the Dreamlike Lotus was a welcome asset for enhancing mental strength. An Shijie’s goal was to claim it all for himself; there was no way he’d share it with anyone else. Nobody was allowed!
“Thud!”
A muffled sound rang out, and Duan Yinfeng’s delicate face turned pale. She involuntarily flew backward. Compared to An Shijie’s peak Visceral Tempering realm cultivation, Duan Yinfeng’s level was somewhat lower. In this clash, the difference in their strength was enormous.
Within the Sunken Water Pavilion, apart from a few select martial techniques, most of its contents were not particularly focused on combat prowess.
An Shijie coldly snorted. If it weren’t for the critical moment, he would have made someone like Duan Yinfeng pay a heavy price for daring to reach out to him.
Based on their brief exchange just now, within ten moves, An Shijie was confident he could take down Duan Yinfeng. Even if she were a woman, An Shijie wouldn’t show any mercy.
“Brute!
Duan Yinfeng harbored a secret resentment but had little recourse.
In terms of agility, An Shijie was on par with her, and in terms of strength, he surpassed her by far. No matter how they fought, she was bound to be defeated.
Don’t worry, Senior Sister. How about we share the Dreamlike Lotus?”
A cheerful laughter resounded, and Wei Baolai appeared beside An Shijie, his paper fan directed towards An Shijie’s head.
Although it was just a paper fan, at this moment, it seemed like an extraordinary sword, exuding a tremendous sharpness.
An Shijie’s brow slightly furrowed, his expression turning more serious. A long blade appeared in his hand, directly swiping at the paper fan.
“Clang!”
The sound of metal clashing echoed. Wei Baolai’s figure involuntarily faltered, and An Shijie was affected as well. His movement towards the Dreamlike Lotus’s left side paused momentarily.
“Buzz!”
Seizing the opportunity, the Dreamlike Lotus released another mental shockwave, surging towards its surroundings.
This mental impact seemed to have been accumulated for a long time. An Shijie and his companions involuntarily stopped, their eyes filled with struggling emotions.
Taking advantage of the situation, the Dreamlike Lotus swiftly burrowed into the ground from within the encirclement formed by the three.
“Whoosh!”
Chen Fei’s figure arrived at the spot where the Dreamlike Lotus disappeared. The fluctuation of the mental impact still lingered, but it was ineffective against Chen Fei.
Numerous details of the ground flashed through Chen Fei’s mind. Suddenly, his figure shifted, appearing about a dozen meters away. A surge of tremendous force propelled him as he thrust his sword into the ground.
“Bang!”
The ground exploded, and the true form of the Dreamlike Lotus was blasted out.
Although it was a spiritual material, it wasn’t truly adept at underground evasion. This attempt by the Dreamlike Lotus ended in failure.
“Such a low cultivation dares to vie for it? Get lost!”
Seeing Chen Fei’s appearance, An Shijie sneered. People of all levels were daring to come now—someone at the Marrow Tempering realm actually wanted to participate.
Wealth and possessions incited human desires, but you also had to assess your own capabilities before attempting to snatch them.
An Shijie swung his blade, emitting a ferocious aura as he prepared to kill this overambitious Marrow Tempering realm cultivator.
“Clang!”
A sword and shield appeared and were shattered by the blade, but Chen Fei had already used the momentum to approach the Dreamlike Lotus. He grabbed it.
The Dreamlike Lotus had unleashed consecutive mental shocks, and its already depleted core essence now lacked the strength to resist. Chen Fei easily grabbed hold of it.
Chen Fei activated his internal energy, delving directly into the core essence of the Dreamlike Lotus. Already on its last legs, the Dreamlike Lotus couldn’t mount any meaningful resistance to Chen Fei’s internal energy impact.
Its body quivered slightly, and its spiritual wisdom was erased. Even a formidable creature like the Dreamlike Lotus met its end. Chen Fei had previously believed that the Dreamlike Lotus was invincible within the body-refining realm, but as events showed, the world was full of uncertainties.
Having powerful tools while having slightly less strength might lead to such outcomes. This applied not only to spiritual materials but also to martial practitioners, and even to all things in the world.
“Capture the Dreamlike Lotus!”
Seeing Chen Fei’s actions, Wei Baolai’s eyes widened. His figure flashed, chasing after Chen Fei.
This Dreamlike Lotus had already become a treasure that they three considered taboo. Chen Fei, a newly emerged Marrow Tempering realm cultivator, was simply provoking them, asking for a death wish!
“You, Junior Brother, the Dreamlike Lotus isn’t easy to take. How about you give it to Senior Sister?”
Duan Yinfeng softly chuckled, her gentle voice reaching Chen Fei’s ears, trying to stir something within him. However, Chen Fei’s heart was as calm as ice, impervious to her attempts.
“Clang!”
The sword shield flashed, blocking Wei Baolai’s attack. Taking advantage of the momentum, Chen Fei dashed toward a distant location.
Their agility was fairly similar among the four, with An Shijie undoubtedly possessing the strongest combat power. If it came to a direct clash, Chen Fei wasn’t confident he could surpass him.
However, in the context of snatching the Dreamlike Lotus, there was no need for a head-on confrontation. Chen Fei only needed to seize the Dreamlike Lotus; when the time came, it would be a contest of who could flee faster.
As the four engaged in a chase, Chen Fei paid no heed to the angry shouts behind him. As long as he didn’t become trapped within the encirclement of the three, things should be fine.
At this moment, Chen Fei continuously sensed his surroundings. The real danger hadn’t passed yet, and it wasn’t from the three behind him. The true danger came from the rat demon thrown by Xiao Liling—it was the real threat.
“Buzz!”
The Thousand Origin Technique suddenly revved up at high speed, a sense of impending crisis closing in. In the blink of an eye, Chen Fei’s heart raced uncontrollably..