After Chen Feng and the others received the order, they quickly jumped down from their horses. Next, they displayed their movement techniques as they moved far away from the brigade to begin their reconnaissance.

“Chen Feng, Elder Wang is definitely doing this on purpose.” After they were far away from the brigade, Ye Tian was unable to stop himself from speaking up.

“Naturally. However, in order to get rid of me, he even pulled you in.” Chen Feng felt rather bad about it.

“Are we not friends? How can you even say that? Still, we will need to be careful,” said Ye Tian.

“Of course, don’t stray too far away from my position. I believe the road ahead will not be smooth,” Chen Feng replied.

Of the 10 selected disciples, Chen Feng was the strongest. The others were mostly at the reinforcement of internal organs (4th) layer and the hundred opened meridians (5th) layer. Their strength could be considered somewhat outstanding. In a straight up fight, they were strong enough to decimate a 100-strong team of soldiers from the Iron Sword Brigade.

“I did not expect the other side to take the initiative to set up an ambush with the Thunderbolt Beads. If struck, even a cultivator at the astral energy (6th) layer would end up coughing out blood.” Recalling the scene earlier, Ye Tian felt a lingering sensation of fear.

“That may not necessarily be the work of Steel Stone City. It could be the other sects or even some bandits,” said Chen Feng.

Chen Feng and Ye Tian whispered as they carefully explored the path forward. Each time they made their way through a certain distance, they would send a signal back to report the situation.

Thus, their forces advanced using this strategy and their rate of advance became slow. For three days, all was safe and no accidents happened.

“In a few more days, we should be making our way out of Black Origin City’s territory, right? I wonder if Steel Stone City’s army will be blocking our way?” Ye Tian wondered.

“Shh! Lower your voice!” Suddenly, Chen Feng’s face grew grim. His ears strained about and both his eyes glinted.

“Did something happen?” Ye Tian asked anxiously.

“Hurry back and report. Tell them there is an ambush up ahead,” said Chen Feng with a whisper.

“Really? How come I could not see anything at all? If there aren’t any ambushes, they will have something on us. We can be immediately executed,” Ye Tian said cautiously.

“I am certain. Enough nonsense! Hurry up and return. There is a very forbidding atmosphere up ahead. I believe the other side must have placed a considerable number of men in wait. If they discover us, I am not confident I can protect you,” said Chen Feng.

“All right, you be careful.” Ye Tian nodded. Next, his figure quickly dashed off and disappeared.

After Ye Tian disappeared, Chen Feng’s figure became like a monkey. Displaying his movement techniques, he quickly made his way forward by tens of metres. After that, he hid himself within the grasses.

Earlier, Chen Feng had sensed that something was amiss. Additionally, before even making his way here, he had become certain that there was an ambush here. He had not seen anything. However, for an instant, his spiritual sense had risen to its highest ever. In truth, this feeling was all due to the special cultivation technique that Chen Feng was practicing. Additionally, he had assimilated the tree spirit’s essence power. Thus, Chen Feng possessed a much deeper ability to perceive and understand the grasses around him.

Due to the cultivation technique he practiced, Chen Feng’s ability to perceive the surrounding worldly spiritual energy had grown more profound as well. Earlier, he had sensed that the grasses within the forest before him were all in a stiff state. Even the worldly spiritual energy there had frozen up. The trees were motionless as well. Not a single bird chirp could be heard coming from the forest. It was surprisingly quiet.

After sensing that, Chen Feng quickly sent Ye Tian back while he himself quickly moved forward to hide in the grasses and check the situation.

Sure enough, there is suppressed killing intent here. It seems the men waiting in ambush this time are not ordinary characters. Even though there is only a short distance between us, I had nearly failed to notice them. I wonder whose side are they on? Chen Feng secretly speculated. At the same time, he vigilantly inspected his surroundings.

Suddenly, Chen Feng’s ears perked up. He had noticed a sound. It was a very subtle sound, something that not even the average cultivator in the astral energy (6th) layer could sense.

It sounds like a fellow scout from the sect. Could they be assassinating the scouts? Chen Feng pondered as he moved forward with his movement technique. Utilizing the surrounding terrain, he quickly made his way toward the source of the sound.

After rushing forward for hundreds of metres, Chen Feng saw a fellow disciple lying on the ground with his eyes wide open. There on his heart was a bloody hole, a wound. However, no blood flowed out. It seemed as though a strange power had been employed to stop his blood flow.

As I recall, this fellow is at the reinforcement of internal organs (4th) layer. To think that he would end up being killed without a sound. Truly, terrifying. Chen Feng moved forward to shut his eyes. He could feel the suppressive quality of his surroundings.

Sou!

Suddenly, a man in black shot out from the grasses like a ghostly snake. His whole body was black and he moved with incredibly speed. In his hand was a fine short sword and its edge shone with sharpness.

The man in black saw that his sword was about to thrust down into Chen Feng’s heart from behind and revealed a victorious look of joy. However, the figure before him suddenly turned into a flash and disappeared.

Not good!

The man in black immediately realized that he had encountered an expert. He ignored where his opponent had gone and turned to run away. The moment his first attack failed, he chose to quickly escape. He was a capable character.

However, the very moment he turned, he saw that a youngster was standing before him. At the same time, something tightened around his neck and his body turned limp, losing all ability to fight back.

A hundred opened meridians (5th) cultivator. No wonder the scouts that our Iron Sword Brigade sent out could all be eliminated. Chen Feng secretly sneered.

“Who are you?” asked Chen Feng in a whisper.

“Just kill me,” the man in black responded with a calm voice and impassive face.

“Are you from Steel Stone City?” Chen Feng asked once again. Unfortunately, the man in black had chosen not to say anything anymore. Chen Feng asked him a few more times, but he refused to answer. As Chen Feng was about to choke him to death, he suddenly felt a sharp wind descending upon his back.

“So fast!”

Chen Feng was secretly shocked. He quickly sent his hand shooting backwards with a grasping motion while coating it with a thick layer of astral energy.

Next, Chen Feng felt a shock running through his hand as he caught an arrow. It was as thick as a finger and felt heavy. It was made using high-grade steel. However, due to the force behind the one pulling the bow and the way Chen Feng grabbed it with his astral energy coated hand, the arrow cracked.

Sou! Sou! Sou!

The moment Chen Feng grabbed hold of the arrow, three air-piercing sounds rang out. Judging from the sounds, the force behind them were even stronger compared to the one from before. They had come from three different directions, all aimed at three fatal points at Chen Feng’s body. All three had been shot out simultaneously as well, revealing the precision and accuracy of the archers.

“Humph.”

Chen Feng snorted. With a swing of his hand, he used the man in black to block one of the arrows.

Puchi!

The man in black’s chest was pierced.

Next, his hand shot out, catching the other two arrows. After that, he tossed the injured man in black, sending him flying tens of metres away. Chen Feng’s figure then flashed forward. In less than one breath’s worth of time, he had arrived before one of the attackers.

Seeing Chen Feng appear before him with lightning-like speed, the ambushing attacker revealed a look of horror. Just as he was about to make a run for it, he felt his vision going dark and he lost all sensations.

After finishing off the attacker, Chen Feng’s figure flashed forward once more, going towards the other two ambushing attackers. However, before he could reach them, he was forced back by tens of arrows.

Those arrows were all made using high-quality steel. Their tips were sharp and jagged and they were all fired out with bows capable of unleashing a force of 200 jin. It was easy for those arrows to take a person’s life within a distance of 300 steps. Even a stone could be shattered apart by the arrows (1 jin = 0.5 kg).

Utilizing his cultivation base, Chen Feng took on eight of the arrows in quick succession. He could feel his blood shaking as a result of that. After that, he dodged the rest of the arrows. Then, utilizing his movement techniques, he quickly retreated back to his own forces.

“Don’t give chase. He is a cultivator at the astral energy (6th) layer. We are no match for him. They have discovered us. Inform the others to attack immediately,” whispered one of the men in black. Next, the brushing sounds of grasses could be heard and tens of men in black emerged. All of them were clothed in black attire, revealing only their glinting eyes.

“Archers, ready! Fire!” Before Chen Feng could return, he heard Elder Wang’s voice. Next, the sound of bowstrings being let loose and arrows piercing through the sky rang out.

“Not good!” Chen Feng quickly felt a sense of foreboding. Looking far ahead, he saw only a dense number of arrows whistling through the sky. One look at such a scene would give anyone a strong suppressive sensation.

“That old bastard! He is deliberately trying to kill me!” Chen Feng could not stop himself from swearing.

There were grasses, a sparse number of trees and some large stones around him. Normally, it would be possible for one to hide amongst them. However, in the face of a sky filled with arrows, those things were useless.

Peng! Peng! Peng! Peng!

With several successive kicks, Chen Feng kicked up the few stones on the ground up into the sky, using them as shields. Next, his whole body trembled as bluish-green astral energy enveloped his whole body. He also unsheathed his sword. As far back as Chen Feng could remember, he had never responded so quickly to anything before.

In an instant, the stones he kicked up into the sky were shattered apart by the arrows. After that, the dense number of arrows rained down on Chen Feng. However, the stones had served their purpose, stopping more than 10 arrows.

“Hah!”

Chen Feng stamped his feet and the sword in his hand erupted with a dazzling light, shielding his whole body. Next, crashing sounds of metal could be heard as the sword in Chen Feng’s hand sent all the incoming arrows flying away.

By the time the pressure on him lessened, the land around him had turned into a forest of arrows. The trees not far from him had turned into piles of wood crumbs.

“Phew! What a powerful pressure.” Chen Feng released a breath of relief as sweat oozed out from his forehead.

Weng!

Suddenly, the sky turned dark and another volley of sky encompassing arrows rained down.

“Again!”

Chen Feng shouted and he quickly retreated a distance of over 30 metres. Again, the sword in his hand erupted with light.

When the arrows had finished landing, Chen Feng retreated again. Iron Sword Brigade sent out five volleys of arrows and Chen Feng retreated a distance of hundreds of metres before finally escaping the range of the bows.

The men in black did not possess Chen Feng’s level of cultivation. Under the rain of arrows, they were heavily wounded and many of them were killed. From what Chen Feng could see, tens of them were nailed to the ground. A considerable number of them had also been transformed into hedgehogs.