Chapter 520: Untainted by All Laws

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Upon hearing Chen Fei’s words, Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu looked at the Heaven’s Passage River, constantly perceiving with their mental powers. However, they didn’t sense the slightest trace of that eerie aura.

Qin Haishan and the others believed in Chen Fei, but precisely because of their belief, they couldn’t perceive anything when faced with the eerie presence before them. Their hearts were inevitably filled with complexity.

As the saying goes, “One leaf knows autumn,” many things can be seen from the smallest details. Chen Fei’s investigative ability is incredibly strong, almost beyond belief.

Beneath the Heaven’s Passage River, the pupils in the pale eyes turned slightly, then closed completely, disappearing from view.

The pebbles quietly disintegrated, turning into powder and merging into the entire Heaven’s Passage River, flowing forward with the river’s current.

The entire process occurred silently. Within the vast Heaven’s Passage River, the change of a single pebble was too inconspicuous, too minuscule. Normally, no one would even notice such a thing.

However, Chen Fei noticed it.

It had to be said that this Master Xi Lian was truly cautious. He sensed the approach of a late-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivator near the Heaven’s Passage River and immediately prepared to flee, without the slightest hesitation or delay.

If it weren’t for this caution, he wouldn’t have been able to escape from the hands of the late-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm expert from the Shadow Abyss Sect earlier. After all, the disparity in strength between the two was too great, and a head-on confrontation would have likely resulted in instant defeat.

“He’s trying to escape.”

As Chen Fei’s words fell, he had already arrived above the Heaven’s Passage River. With a slight movement of his Qianyuan Sword, a sword energy shot into the sky, cutting the Heaven’s Passage River in half.

Back then, Chen Fei couldn’t split the entire Heaven’s Passage River with a single sword, but nowadays, it was effortless for him to cut it in half.

“Boom!”

The Heaven’s Passage River emitted a deafening sound as the river water was shattered by the sword energy, turning into mist. In the blink of an eye, the surface of the river was shrouded in a hazy atmosphere, resembling a fairyland.

Tong Zhongqiu joined Chen Fei’s side, setting up a sword formation that encompassed the entire area for a mile.

Qin Haishan followed suit, creating a similar blade formation to cover all directions.

Up to this point, neither of them had sensed Master Xi Lian’s presence. However, this didn’t hinder them from using their techniques to create a protective barrier around them.

Both the sword formation and blade formation were not their strong suits, but at the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, they could easily incorporate some basic formations into their techniques.

Their goal wasn’t necessarily to defeat their enemy but to provide an early warning, which they could effortlessly achieve.

“Hum!”

The formation stirred the elemental energies from all directions, emitting a trembling sound as the blades and sword shadows freely traversed the river water. However, apart from cutting some rocks into pieces, there was no tangible result.

Chen Fei watched the changes in the river water, his expression slightly shifting. Indeed, Master Xi Lian was currently trapped within the formation. Although Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu couldn’t pinpoint Master Xi Lian’s exact location, many attacks grazed by him.

Yet, some attacks did manage to land on Master Xi Lian. However, even so, there were no discernible changes in the river water.

Master Xi Lian seemed to have become intangible, impervious to all methods and untouched by all things.

Even considering the current situation, even if all the river water in this area were completely transformed, it seemed that Master Xi Lian could still evade without any difficulty.

This ability was something that ordinary early-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators could do nothing about because they couldn’t even determine Master Xi Lian’s precise location.

If it weren’t for that passage and the shattered spiritual treasure beneath the Imperial City, given Master Xi Lian’s abilities, the creatures within this region would likely be gradually eroded away.

Even if late-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators were to join forces to besiege him, Master Xi Lian’s evasion ability would be sufficient to preserve his life, allowing him to patiently seek opportunities later on.

This hidden ability was indeed Master Xi Lian’s greatest trump card. As long as he possessed it, he would always have an escape route, never worrying about being completely slain.

If it weren’t for the location of the passage and the frequent visits of late-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators nowadays, Master Xi Lian might have already found a way to escape to the Boundless Sea.

He would have returned when the timing was right.

However, unfortunately for him, today he encountered Chen Fei, an early-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivator who defied conventional wisdom.

Untouched by all methods, early-stage Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators wouldn’t possess such an ability. Ultimately, it came down to the fact that their attack power wasn’t strong enough.

Chen Fei’s figure flickered, disappearing from his original location. When he reappeared, he was already within the Heaven’s Passage River.

Due to Chen Fei’s impact, a human-sized passage was created amidst the surrounding river water. Before the water could fill the gap, Chen Fei’s Qianyuan Sword had already thrust forward.

Blood Ignition Technique! Aperture-Cracking Technique!

Chen Fei’s body erupted with towering blood flames, and his aura soared rapidly. As he made his move, he gave it his all.

In mid-air, upon seeing Chen Fei’s action and sensing his aura, Qin Haishan’s eyes twitched slightly.

Among peers, it could sometimes be challenging to perceive the exact cultivation realm of the other party if they didn’t go all out. Qin Haishan had always believed that Chen Fei was still at the first stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.

After all, more than a year ago, Chen Fei had just reached the first stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. When they heard that news back then, it was already quite astonishing.

But today, Qin Haishan discovered that Chen Fei had quietly advanced to the second stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm.

What kind of outrageous cultivation speed was this?

Qin Haishan knew that Chen Fei had a lot of elemental stones in his possession, especially after the intense battles with four major families. Those shining two thousand high-quality elemental stones were known throughout the entire Sea Peak City.

Many people even wondered if Chen Fei slept on a pile of high-quality elemental stones every night. Otherwise, how could he possibly spend such a large sum of high-quality elemental stones?

However, resources were one thing, and cultivation realms were another. Having ample resources was essential, but it still required enough time to convert them into cultivation realms.

Reaching the second stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm in just over a year of cultivation, what kind of phenomenon was this?

Tong Zhongqiu, on the other hand, remained relatively calm. He had already accepted the fact that Chen Fei was originally supposed to be from the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect.

Tong Zhongqiu was quite accepting of any other changes related to Chen Fei.

“Boom!”

While Qin Haishan was lost in thought, a thunderous sound came from below. Wherever the Qianyuan Sword passed, a massive sword-shaped cavity appeared in the river.

The entire riverbed of the Heaven’s Passage River shook violently, and large cracks spread beneath it.

However, these were minor concerns. Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu were both staring intently at the front of the Qianyuan Sword, where a phantom figure appeared. This figure was currently holding a seal and constantly retreating, and it was none other than Master Xi Lian.

Chen Fei didn’t pursue him and instead glanced curiously at the seal in Master Xi Lian’s hand. He realized that a significant portion of the power from his previous strike had been absorbed by this seal.

Not only did it absorb the power, but it also reflected it back, partially nullifying the force.

Considering all this, the true impact of Chen Fei’s strike on Master Xi Lian had undoubtedly been greatly diminished.

Was this an exquisite top-grade magical treasure? If a damaged one had such capabilities, what would it be like when it was intact?

“Are you Tong Zhongqiu from the Immortal Cloud Sword Sect? A friend from the Boundless Sea, right?”

Master Xi Lian glanced at Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu, then turned his gaze toward Chen Fei, his expression tinged with curiosity. He asked, “You seem somewhat familiar. Have we met somewhere before?”

Even though he was currently surrounded by Chen Fei and the others, Master Xi Lian’s expression showed little panic.

“We have met once.”

Chen Fei nodded slightly and said, “Back when you had just subdued the Shangwu City, I happened to pass by and was almost drawn into the Shangwu City.”

“It’s you!”

Master Xi Lian searched his memory and quickly recognized Chen Fei. For Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, past scenes could be recalled rapidly, especially events within the past ten years.

Master Xi Lian’s gaze subtly fluctuated. He remembered that Chen Fei had been a mere mid-stage Aperture Tempering realm martial artist back then, and now he had advanced to the second stage of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm. Especially the power of that last strike, if not for the seal, Master Xi Lian would have been seriously injured.

“Let me go, and I will impart all my knowledge to all of you. The concealment technique I used just now is not the power of this seal but a technique passed down by my lineage,” Master Xi Lian concealed his shock and said solemnly, looking at Chen Fei and the others.

Upon hearing Master Xi Lian’s words, Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu exchanged glances, feeling moved.

The concealment technique demonstrated earlier had been truly astonishing. At least according to their perception, they couldn’t locate Master Xi Lian’s position at all.

If they could learn this technique, they might be able to escape dire situations or strong enemies in the future using this inheritance.

However, they remained silent, as the final decision would rest with Chen Fei.

“Your inheritance is truly exquisite,” Chen Fei commented.

Chen Fei’s gaze shifted, and a beam of light emanated from his forehead, casting an image of Master Xi Lian within a mile.

Master Xi Lian, covered by the light beam, looked panicked and didn’t hesitate. His figure flickered, swiftly racing into the distance.

The illusion that had originally stood in front of Chen Fei and the others had twisted and distorted, but in a matter of moments, it dissipated, like a fleeting dream.

Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu were also taken aback. They hadn’t expected that their formation, which they believed to be impenetrable, would be easily passed through by Master Xi Lian.

The illusion that had been right in front of them just moments ago had given them a genuine sense of Master Xi Lian’s complete presence. It was definitely not a clone or any form of deception.

As Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu still had their confidence, but this illusion had played a trick on them.

Just as Qin Haishan and Tong Zhongqiu were about to dash off in pursuit, they suddenly saw Chen Fei appear in the opposite direction, thrusting his sword into empty space.

“Boom!”

Like the previous burst, ripples spread out, quickly turning into a massive wave that swept across the Heaven’s Passage River. The entire river’s surface was forcefully pushed down by more than ten meters in the blink of an eye.

Before the Qianyuan Sword, a completely pitch-black figure materialized. It emitted an aura identical to the previous Master Xi Lian, yet there was no trace of any human intent in it.

If the Master Xi Lian who appeared earlier still carried a human presence, this black figure was purely chilling and emitted an eerie aura, warning strangers to stay away..