Ambush

Leafy branches and thick mist surrounded the vision. A white radiant circle hung above in the blurry sky.

Several men were stationed at different locations, between bushes or on a branch inside this forest. They wore a black robe with a purple headband, faces covered by a mask. In their hands was a sword or blade.

In a steady breath, they set their eyes on a high alert.

One man jumped to a tree branch, then reported to a masculine man. "He is about to pass this valley."

"Good." The masculine man unsheathed his sword and then licked it lasciviously.

"Get in a position!" He commanded. The man in front of him lowered his head as he transformed into a strand of shadow, jumping to a bush to pass down the command.

Not long after, one figure in a hood walked into the narrow alley. This figure halted his step, sizing up the surrounding quickly before he continued.

Suddenly, a sheen tip of the blade launched from the bushes in front of him. It aimed his neck, stabbing with a faint violet light surrounding the tip.

Before the blade reached the figure, his palm was already in the air, brushing it off crudely. His palm did not end; it continued warding several swords and blades, tipping them at the side or jamming the handle.

Clink! Clank!

In a blink of an eye, he blocked the ambush without receiving any damage.

With a cold glare, he put his hood off, showing a fierce and hot-blooded youth visage. A surge of killing intent burned in his eyes. Then he leaped upward at fast speed.

When the ambushers were about to react, one sword was shattered without no one noticing, and the wielder spurted fresh blood as his head fell with his eyes opened. Until the end of his life, he did not know how he died.

Then an arm flung, followed by a distressing scream from another man, as his blade escaped from his grip. His face was red from his own blood, and he gritted his teeth to suppress the pain. A look of horror adorned his face as his arm rolled to the ground.

However, as he wanted to move, two bodies fell at the same time. A clean line on their neck foamed bloody red.

This all happened in ten seconds.

The masculine man felt a sense of deadly crisis seeing the enemy cut five heads with ease like cutting papers. He quickly jumped off of the branch, fleeing through the forest.

A few moments ago.

Having a brief return to the plaza in his empire, Tang Chen commanded his people to take care of a few things and announced his decision: closed-door training.

He used the alibi everyone currently had: inspired by Supreme Elder's lecture. Thus, he ended the celebration early.

Afterward, Tang Chen disguised himself in a tattered hood and boring cloth. Although he said closed-door training, actually he planned to train in Collared Ghastly Ridge.

However, when he entered the ridge, Tang Chen felt intense killing intent. Though he was unsure, he put his sense on alert, positioning his palm ready to attack anytime.

And his sense was right. Not long after that, a total of five shadowy figures appeared; two from the bushes and three from trees.

Although thick mist hindered his sight, Tang Chen could easily anticipate it and killed them with ease.

But one ambusher, the masculine man, almost slipped out of his sense; Tang Chen only realized this after hearing a slight rattling noise.

Immediately after, Tang Chen channeled his spiritual Qi into the stolen blade, manifesting Blade Qi that launched, forming a crescent shape attack.

Pumping his feet and pouring endless spiritual Qi, the masculine man felt it was not enough to escape the freak enemy.

Thus, he slowed down a bit and ripped one talisman, which lit up in a brief moment, then a light ball shot outward from within.

'It won't be long before you die!' Watching the light ball fly to the sky, the masculine man cursed inwardly. Then he fastened his speed again.

Taking a casual look behind, his eyes shrunk sharply as a deadly Blade Qi came in his direction.

'Too late!'

The Blade Qi already cut his skin when he wanted to react, pressing past through his chest diagonally. This attack was so fast that he did not feel too much pain but was extremely surprised by Tang Chen's strength.

Getting a fatal hit, the masculine man crashed into a thick tree, leaving a deep mark that shook nearby trees. As he exerted the small energy he had, he weakly lifted his bloody right palm.

'A freak...'

The masculine man had many words and hatreds as well as regrets for the incapability even to put a fight. However, he must admit that this was a total defeat. His squad was instantly slaughtered in under one minute.

In the next second, he heard the melody of the yellow river.

Vision turned blurry, and head became heavy. While the masculine man had an extremely short time to look around, Tang Chen was not in his sight until his last breath.

As his bloody corpse fell, touching the damp soil, Tang Chen arrived. His expression was gloomy. Not expecting an ambush at all.

Squatting down, Tang Chen took a good look at the corpse. He observed the attire and weapon yet frowned upon it.

There were a set of tight black robes, pills, and weapons. The pills were considered an average and there's no expensive weapon.

"They don't have a unique characteristic. It's hard to judge where they belong," Tang Chen muttered softly.

Ambushers usually had their own unique technique to kill the target swiftly. However, the performance just now was too general—attacks with common technique and method.

"He must have notified his owner or client. Seems like I can't train with ease." Tang Chen recalled a glimpse of the light ball, which definitely was called by this corpse. It was one of many types of talismans to send a fixed message.

Tang Chen packed the loot in a black robe and kept it inside his spatial ring.

Swish!

The thick mist swirled as Tang Chen waved his sword before stabbing him into the ground. He then leaped forward, fleeing from the scene.

'I must find a safe place first.' With this thought in mind, Tang Chen carefully scanned the surrounding. So far, he had passed the quiet forest and thick mist. Sometimes he killed beasts on the way.

After walking around for a while, Tang Chen stopped in front of a cave full of moss. The cave entrance was six-meter tall, with foul stenches spreading from within.

'A beast has occupied the cave.' Bones, dry filthy waste, and rotten meat. Tang Chen saw filthy objects scatter at the entrance. However, he did not mind it.

'A dangerous place is also a safe place. First, I must check what kind of beast it is. Hopefully, it can be helpful to guard me against another ambush.'

Entering the cave, Tang Chen realized that this beast might be a Lesser Mythical Beast. Its power would be equal to a Zifu Master.

Pressing down the wall, Tang Chen thought. 'I must be careful. If push comes to shove, I can drill it with my spear.'

Walking further, Tang Chen held his spear while spreading his divine sense. The more he went inside, the more pungent the disgusting smell. It was as though he had entered an abandoned dump area.

Grrr!

Hearing a sleepy snort, Tang Chen immediately stuck to the wall and peeked behind it. Although the cave was dark inside, he could see it by enhancing his vision. 'This... I can't tame it. Good thing our distance is far.'

A giant, brown, furry animal with two legs and two hands. It curled up, hugging its legs and sleeping awkwardly. If it stood up, the six meters cave would not fit in.

'A Shattering Mountain Ape.' Tang Chen identified the mystical beast.

Shattering Mountain Ape was a Lesser Mystical Beast. Its ridiculous heavy attack was what makes it famous, for when it had become mature, its rage could shatter a small mountain.

'From the looks of it, this Shattering Mountain Ape is still at its adolescence age.' Tang Chen heaved a sigh of relief. Approaching, he covered his spear with thick spiritual Qi.

Tang Chen dashed from one wall to another. Right after he jumped five times, he bolted toward the ape.

Swish!

Aiming at the head, Tang Chen flashed from a hundred meter distance. The spearhead emitted faint golden light, hiding an explosive power.

"Growl!"

However, before Tang Chen pierced the head, a pair of big brown eyes lit up as one furry arm swung toward his direction. The Shattering Mountain Ape woke up!

Tang Chen was startled. Protecting his body, he hurriedly placed his arms on the right side. To his surprise, the big furry arm was heavy and kept pressing him in the air.

Boom!

Tang Chen was slammed to the ground. But the Shattering Mountain Ape did not stop; it roared while launching another hit with its left palm, shaking the entire cave.

'As expected of Collared Ghastly Ridge! There's a lot of hidden beasts like this.' With a dusty face, Tang Chen smirked excitedly. 'Training time!'

Rumble!

The cave trembled excessively as though something pounced it rudely. It kept shaking until several wall layers fell to the ground and cracks were formed, yet the Shattering Mountain Ape did not cause it.

Frowning, Tang Chen's overwhelming aura immediately exploded, covering the entire cave as it scanned the hammering source.

Noticing a total of ten humans surrounding the cave, Tang Chen's face turned grim. 'Another ambush?!'