Chapter 533: Hard to Escape

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

Chen Fei casually swept away the bodies of the two individuals on the ground, taking their two treasures and the bag of holding before soaring into the sky.

A phantom image emerged from behind Chen Fei and merged into his body, increasing his speed once again. In an instant, he disappeared into mid-air.

Substitute Shadow!

It elevated Chen Fei’s footwork to the highest level for the early Combined Aperture Tempering realm. However, as Chen Fei’s main cultivation techniques became stronger, the enhancement provided by the Substitute Shadow would inevitably decrease.

After all, the Substitute Shadow incorporated the Soaring Heaven Technique, which was a fixed enhancement and did not increase with Chen Fei’s cultivation. It remained constant.

Unless Chen Fei could find a similar clone technique, the ability of the Substitute Shadow would continue to be limited.

However, for Chen Fei now, the enhancement from the Substitute Shadow was still very significant.

Sui Minghua flew forward in panic, his eyes filled with fear.

Sui Minghua had never imagined that three early Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators would be forcibly defeated by someone of the same level, resulting in the death of two of them, and he himself was left fleeing in desperation.

Even the slightest hesitation would have resulted in his demise at this moment.

If the opponent were in the mid Combined Aperture Tempering realm, Sui Minghua would have had nothing to say, but the opponent was clearly also in the early Combined Aperture Tempering realm. How could they be this strong?

Moreover, the opponent was not someone from the top factions. Otherwise, Sui Minghua and his companions would have considered other methods at the beginning, rather than resorting to killing for their belongings.

Sui Minghua formed hand seals, and his entire body’s elemental energy began to boil.

Profound Origin Break!

A secret technique used as a last resort, now employed by Sui Minghua for escape. He knew that even if he used this secret technique, he wouldn’t be a match for that person.

The opponent had immediately used two prohibitive techniques at the beginning, and who could withstand that? Sui Minghua never wanted to encounter that person again; they were too terrifying.

Suddenly, Sui Minghua had a feeling, and he turned to look behind him. His eyes widened slightly. Somehow, Chen Fei had already approached not far away, and the distance between them was narrowing.

Even though he had used a secret technique, the opponent’s speed was still faster? What kind of monster was this? Their combat strength was so strong that even their footwork was at the highest level.

“It’s all a misunderstanding. Please spare my life!” Sui Minghua, at the end of his rope, shouted loudly.

Chen Fei remained silent as he continued to close the distance between them.

Whatever words needed to be spoken could wait until after he had incapacitated his opponent.

Sui Minghua’s fear grew, and his eyes darted around, trying to find someone who could assist him.

However, many Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators had already left ahead of time, and the area with the most people now was the one where the imperial city had originally been located. Even if Sui Minghua wanted to seek help, he couldn’t find anyone nearby.

“There!”

Sui Minghua’s eyes, initially filled with fear, suddenly brightened. Not far away, a white mist pervaded the area, with faintly visible mountain peaks within the mist. When Sui Minghua tried to sense it, he found that his perception was partially obstructed, similar to the eerie black fog.

Sui Minghua felt a surge of joy in his heart. The elemental energy within his body trembled violently, as if it were about to burst. His speed increased once again, seemingly impossible, as he instantly dashed into the mist.

“Misty Mountain?” Chen Fei saw Sui Minghua rush into the mist and remained unfazed.

This Misty Mountain was not far from the original imperial city and was a relatively well-known area.

According to legend, this place used to be a mass grave, where captured enemies in various dynasties were executed and buried. Over time, this area started to exhibit Evil, and eventually, a thick mist began to emanate from it.

Ordinary people who entered it faced almost certain death, and even if they miraculously emerged, they would go insane and not live for long.

Even Visceral Tempering realm cultivators, if they had the misfortune of coming here, might not return.

As for Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators, none of them would venture into this place. There were no precious cultivation resources within, and it wasn’t worth risking their lives.

If they needed something specific, they could send Body Tempering realm warriors to retrieve it for them.

Inside this Misty Mountain, while there were Evils, they weren’t particularly powerful. Moreover, there were no human settlements nearby, so it hadn’t attracted any strong warriors to hunt within.

The mist in this place was indeed peculiar, as it could partially obstruct one’s spiritual perception, which deterred Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivators from entering.

It left them feeling too passive and vulnerable should they really run into any trouble.

Chen Fei followed Sui Minghua into the mist.

As soon as he entered, a faint and elusive sound whispered in his ears. This was another characteristic of the Misty Mountain—illusory sounds.

For ordinary people entering this place, they would halt their progress and soon go insane, even if they hadn’t ventured far.

Sui Minghua’s figure vanished, and everything around Chen Fei was enveloped in white mist. It seemed as though he were the sole presence in this world, with nothing else remaining.

Chen Fei focused his mind, and all the distracting noises immediately disappeared. He touched his forehead with his right hand, and a beam of light shot out from his brow. As the light passed through, the mist dissipated along with it.

The entire world had turned into shades of black and white, with countless lines intersecting within it. Chen Fei’s gaze swirled around and locked onto the thread representing Sui Minghua.

Chen Fei stepped forward with his right foot, landing in mid-air. Ripples spread beneath his shoe, and in an instant, Chen Fei’s figure gradually faded before disappearing altogether.

Several miles away, Sui Minghua suppressed all of his qi and hid beneath the soil layer on a hillside.

Within the soil layer, there was a Second-Tier Evil. Sui Minghua directly took control of the creature and then merged his entire body into it, using the creature’s aura to conceal himself.

If a Combined Aperture Tempering realm warrior were to attempt this, they would be offering themselves as a meal for the Evil.

However, with Sui Minghua’s Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivation, not even a Second-Tier Evil could harm him in the slightest, even if he stood still.

The Second-Tier Evil lay stiff within the soil layer, its mysterious energy wafting around it. It flawlessly masked Sui Minghua’s aura. Outside, the mist swirled, further obscuring perception.

In a way, Sui Minghua’s current concealment had reached an extreme level.

The Misty Mountain covered an area of several miles. For a Combined Aperture Tempering realm cultivator, it might only take a moment to traverse it. However, finding a specific person in this place, especially with their perception shrouded, was an extremely challenging task.

At this point, Sui Minghua finally allowed himself to relax slightly.

In a short time, Sui Minghua had no intention of leaving the Misty Mountain to prevent that person from waiting outside.

When compared to life and death, waiting for several months was something Sui Minghua could easily endure.

Free of distractions, his mind remained still, and Sui Minghua gradually entered a state of clarity. The recent rollercoaster of events, from frantic escape to rebirth, had further refined Sui Minghua’s mental state.

Along with this, he gained deeper insights into his primary cultivation technique. Returning to cultivate in seclusion for some time might give him the opportunity to advance to the mid-Combined Aperture Tempering realm.

“Swoosh!”

A faint and soundless breaking of the air was heard, causing Sui Minghua’s body to freeze abruptly. He stared incredulously at the sword blade in his heart’s position and then slowly raised his gaze to see Chen Fei standing there expressionless.

The Second-Tier Evil surrounding Sui Minghua’s body didn’t even have time to scream before it silently dissipated.

Sui Minghua’s gaze was filled with shock and incomprehension as he looked at Chen Fei. He couldn’t understand how Chen Fei had found this place so quickly.

It simply shouldn’t be possible for someone in the early Combined Aperture Tempering realm. Who was this person, and what kind of techniques did they possess? How did they have so many techniques at their disposal?

Those top-notch talents from the prominent factions focused solely on comprehending their sect’s techniques at this stage, avoiding distractions.

However, this person had an unbelievably strong combat ability and possessed numerous secret techniques. How had they cultivated like this?

Countless thoughts swirled in Sui Minghua’s mind, but there were no answers to be found.

With a slight flick of the Qianyuan Sword in his hand, Chen Fei’s keen sword energy instantly pierced through various parts of Sui Minghua’s body. In an instant, Sui Minghua was critically injured, left with just a few breaths of life.

Chen Fei withdrew his sword, and Sui Minghua staggered, falling to the ground within the cave. His face turned pale, and his breath was feeble, like a dying ember.

“Forgive…”

Sui Minghua strained to raise his head to look at Chen Fei. Their eyes met, and for a moment, a hint of confusion flickered in Sui Minghua’s eyes.

After a while, the confusion in Sui Minghua’s eyes disappeared. Then, a flash of swordlight passed by, and the world plunged into darkness.

The Qianyuan Sword emitted a clear and crisp sound. Having absorbed the spiritual essence of four early Combined Aperture Tempering realm individuals in a single day, the sword’s spirit had greatly expanded.

Chen Fei waved his hand, turning Sui Minghua’s body into dust, and then he disappeared along with the Qianyuan Bag and the artifacts. When he reappeared, he was in mid-air within the Misty Mountain.

“The Black Divine Beads?”

Chen Fei held two black beads in his hand, resembling amber, as he pondered.

Before killing Sui Minghua, Chen Fei had used the Dream Entry Technique on him. Only individuals on the brink of death could be targeted with this technique.

When he was in the black mist within the Imperial City earlier, Chen Fei had considered using it on Heavenly Sun True Immortal. After all, the Heavenly Sun True Immortal’s Spatial Void Travel had caught Chen Fei’s interest.

Although this technique had been broken by the Heavenly Eye, it didn’t mean that the Spatial Void Travel wasn’t strong. It was just that the Heavenly Eye, a secret technique combining various eye techniques, was overwhelmingly powerful.

However, at that time, the situation was too urgent, and Chen Fei wasn’t sure when those late Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts would arrive. Therefore, he had to give up on the idea.

The Dream Entry Technique, despite its reputation of allowing one to dream for a thousand years, still required some time from casting to viewing the dream. It wasn’t an instantaneous process.

As for the human evil Master Xilian and Jian Jinsheng, one had a pure sea of treacherous energy, making it impossible to enter their dreams, while the other had fallen into madness, rendering him similarly unapproachable.

The incomplete Dream Entry Technique that Chen Fei had obtained had many limitations and couldn’t be used casually.

However, at this point, Chen Fei was content. With the Dream Entry Technique, he had gained plenty of benefits.

“Hidden Treasure!” Chen Fei’s eyes flashed as he recalled what Sui Minghua had seen in his dream.

This hidden treasure was located in the Boundless Sea, and there should indeed be a lot of valuable items within it, which had left a deep impression on Sui Minghua and his companions.

Chen Fei had a few thoughts in his mind, and then his figure disappeared from the spot.

A moment later, Chen Fei reappeared near the Imperial City, where he found that Tong Zhongqiu and Qin Haishan had returned.

Tong Zhongqiu had some injuries, and his aura was somewhat weak, but he had a smile on his face..