Chapter 373

Chapter 373: Chapter 372 Ye Tianchen, carrying Dongfang Meng on his back, landed on the ground. The moment he touched down, he did not move about randomly, for he could not sense even the slightest movement of wind or grass around him, nor could he hear any animal sounds in the night. It was so quiet as if everything had died, which was extremely eerie.

With a pair of eyes filled with Superpower, he could clearly see everything within a kilometer radius, so night was no different from day for Ye Tianchen. For many high-level warriors, fighting at night was no different from fighting during the day, as battles for them did not distinguish between night and day. If they couldn’t manage this, they wouldn’t be called high-level warriors at all.

After examining the surroundings, Ye Tianchen found nothing out of the ordinary, which puzzled him even more. Why was the forest so deathly silent? There had to be something wrong; he just hadn’t discovered it yet. So, after some thought, he carried Dongfang Meng and walked forward. He had not taken many steps before he suddenly froze, his eyes catching sight of something about a kilometer ahead. In front of him, there were bloodstains everywhere, large patches of grass dyed blood-red. The vegetation there seemed as if it had been soaked in blood, looking extremely unsettling.

"A battle?" Ye Tianchen thought to himself.

This was the Original Forest, where ordinary people were unlikely to appear. Could it have been members of an Ancient Martial Sect, or perhaps a fierce battle between deadly beasts and animals? With a trace of curiosity and suspicion, Ye Tianchen slowly made his way over. When he got close, he couldn’t help but be taken aback by the sight of dozens of corpses lying around, all of them killed, the scene was gruesome beyond endurance, with not a single body intact; there were severed limbs and broken arms scattered everywhere.

Ye Tianchen crouched down and examined the bodies. He discovered that the assailant was extremely formidable and vicious, certainly a top-notch warrior—as all the blows were fatal. Some had their heads crushed by a single palm strike, others had their hearts pierced with a punch, and still others had been brutally torn limb from limb. The manner of these people’s deaths indicated that they had all been killed in one hit, and their killer was incredibly powerful.

The dozens of corpses were not dressed in ancient apparel but modern clothing. However, the fluctuations of Inner Strength could be felt emanating from their bodies; these people were surely disciples of Ancient Martial Sects. It was unclear which sect they belonged to, but so many had died such tragic deaths.

Ye Tianchen knew that although many Ancient Martial Sects were hidden and powerful, they were not isolated from the world; they merely spent most of their time in cultivation. Many of their members were also people from the cities, seeking famous mountains to apprentice, which explained why their attire did not match the ancient garments one might imagine.

Suddenly, Ye Tianchen noticed a person propped against a large tree not too far away. The individual was standing rather than fallen and appeared to be the most intact corpse, except that the body was entirely charred, as if struck by thunder. Walking over, Ye Tianchen saw the man leaning against the tree, palms extended forward, the whole body scorched to death. He frowned, wondering what kind of person could be so powerful, and what type of Ancient Martial Arts could cause such damage?

When Ye Tianchen reached the charred man who was leaning against the back of the tree, he was shocked. The portion of the tree where the man was leaning against was also burnt. It meant that when this man’s palms clashed with another’s, there was a massive explosion that pierced through his body and charred the tree he was leaning against.

Being a high-level warrior himself, Ye Tianchen could imagine the scene: an attacker leaping forward with a palm strike, the man leaning against the tree retreating continuously, his reluctance to engage directly, only to find himself trapped by the tree behind him with no escape – forced to block with his palms. Yet, not being a match for his assailant, he was struck, his body exploding and burning.

"A high-level warrior, the person who attacked them was very powerful!"

Ye Tianchen thought to himself, if someone could kill a group of quite capable Ancient Martial Sect warriors with a single blow, wasn’t that a sign of a high-level warrior? And the body that was intact without falling, he might have been the strongest among these warriors, yet he too was killed so cruelly. Their enemy was very powerful.

After a moment’s thought, feeling that it was unwise to stay any longer, Ye Tianchen quickly left with Dongfang Meng on his back. Not long after they departed, three men in black arrived at the scene. Each had a longsword on their back, dressed in a very Ancient Martial style, clearly indicating that they were all warriors. They examined the wounds of the group professionally, their expressions showing a furrowed brow and eyes filled with anger.

"Brother Chen Hui, they were all killed with a single blow!" one of the men said fiercely.

"We’re too late, that scoundrel Tian Boguang must be killed for the sake of our deceased fellow disciples!" Another person also said fiercely.

The man known as the second senior apprentice in black squatted on the ground, inspected the corpses of the deceased disciples of the sect, and his face grew solemn with rage he couldn’t suppress. Dozens from their sect had come to pursue and kill Tian Boguang, only to be met with death themselves. They had arrived a step too late.

"Pursue, he can’t have gotten far!" Chen Hui stood up and stared ahead as he spoke resolutely.

"But... Second Senior Apprentice, we don’t know Tian Boguang, and pursuing him might be dangerous..."

The first to speak showed hesitation because in the Ancient Martial World, Tian Boguang was infamously known as a debauchee, committing all manner of rape and plunder. Yet, despite his notoriety, his martial arts skills were extraordinarily profound, to the point where even masters of some sects might not be a match for him. There were many who wanted Tian Boguang dead, but very few who could actually achieve it. Plus, with his unrivaled agility, few could catch up to him, so even the Grandmasters from some sects found it difficult to assassinate him.

"Are we to let our brothers die in vain?" Another person said, unwilling to give in.

"No need to worry, he can’t have gone far, and First Senior Apprentice should arrive soon. With First Senior Apprentice Xiao Yuan’s cultivation, killing Tian Boguang should pose no problem. Nobody has ever dared to slaughter so many of our Sword Control Sect. Tian Boguang must die. If necessary, I will personally take his life; there will be no need for First Senior Apprentice to act!" Chen Hui said coldly.

The other two nodded, fueled by their own anger and unwillingness to let Tian Boguang go unpunished. They knew how reprehensible he was and that he deserved to be executed. However, they also understood that Second Senior Apprentice Chen Hui and First Senior Apprentice Xiao Yuan appeared amiable on the surface but were fiercely competitive beneath. The Sect Leader of the Sword Control Sect had announced that whoever could kill Tian Boguang would be taught the Sword Energy Heart Method. The reason was that Tian Boguang had the audacity to flirt with the Sect Leader’s daughter and almost succeeded, if not for the elders of Sword Control Sect who discovered it in time and used their great divine power in swordsmanship to fend him off. Otherwise, the Sect Leader’s daughter might have already been dishonored.

Not only did the disciples of Sword Control Sect desire the Sword Energy Skill, but so did many from other Ancient Martial Sects. Everyone knew that the Sword Control Sect’s history was very ancient, stemming from the Qin Emperor Period when there were Taoist cultivators in Pre-Qin times. The mere name "Sword Control Sect" conveys its primary focus. With their powerful Sword Energy Heart Method, they could kill unseen and were one of the strongest sects in the Ancient Martial Sects. Countless people yearned for the powerful Sword Energy Heart Method, summarized by the phrase: "With Sword Qi unleashed, heaven and earth are shaken," underscoring its formidable power.

While Chen Hui was not as strong as Xiao Yuan, the difference was not substantial. However, Chen Hui’s schemes and strategies were deeper. Knowing he was less capable than Xiao Yuan, and that a direct confrontation could lead to his own defeat, he led the pursuit against Tian Boguang, hoping to be the one to kill him and obtain the sect’s Sword Energy Skill. If he failed, he counted on Xiao Yuan to take over and had other plans prepared.

The two disciples of Sword Control Sect who followed Chen Hui knew about his ulterior motives and deep cunning, but they had no choice but to accompany him. One reason was the Sect Leader’s order; the other, that Chen Hui might actually obtain the Sword Energy Skill and even become the Sect Leader of Sword Control Sect. Although the Sect Leader did not explicitly say so, the implication was clear: whoever killed Tian Boguang could not only learn the Sword Energy Skill but also potentially become the son-in-law of the Sect Leader of Sword Control Sect, who only had one daughter. To become her husband meant eventually inheriting the Sect Leader’s mantle.

Sword Control Sect was a very powerful sect among the Ancient Martial Sects. The Sword Manipulation Skill has a long history, believed to have been practiced by Taoist cultivators even in Pre-Qin times. After thousands of years of inheritance and evolution, it had grown increasingly potent.

"Yes!"

The second disciple of the Sword Control Sect, Chen Hui, led the other two disciples in pursuit of Tian Boguang. Meanwhile, Ye Tianchen had already departed some distance, carrying Dongfang Meng on his back. His eyes gathering superpower, he searched for the possible location of the Ancient Tomb Sect. While certain that the Ancient Tomb Sect must be within the midsection of the Qinling Mountain Range, finding it was no easy task. Ye Tianchen could only rely on his intuition since Dongfang Meng, still unconscious on his back, had only ten days left. Although Zhang Yide had informed Ye Tianchen that entering the Ancient Tomb Sect and finding the final mental method of the Jade Maiden Heart Scripture could awaken Dongfang Meng, if she woke up and did not immediately cultivate the scripture, she would surely die. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit qidian.com to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)