20demayo Chapter 143 Encountering a Sneak Attack
Chapter 143 Encountering a Sneak Attack
For the next half day, the entire city of Dingbei was under martial law.
Five hundred Snow Dragon Riders, like a silver torrent, crisscrossed the city.
These cavalrymen were all at least first-rank cultivators, with keen senses and excellent teamwork; the Cui family's shadow guards had nowhere to hide from them.
In less than an hour, more than 200 remnants of the Cui family were arrested and more than 80 resisters were killed.
Li Chunfeng's "Heavenly Net Formation" covered the entire city, and anyone who tried to escape the city would be marked and intercepted by the formation.
Zhuge Liang set up a notice in the government office, announcing the crimes of the Cui family and offering a reward for the capture of Cui Yuanhao.
When the people in the city learned that it was the Cui family who set the fire, they did not panic. Instead, they actively provided clues and cooperated with the search.
By daybreak, the Cui family's influence in the city had been largely eliminated.
In the main hall of the General's Mansion, Lin Chen listened to reports from all sides.
"My lord, a total of 327 remnants of the Cui family have been captured, and 173 have been killed," Zhao Zilong reported.
"All 500 members of the Cui family's shadow guards have been confirmed to have been wiped out."
"Very good." Lin Chen nodded. "Where's Cui Yuanhao?"
Ye Qingying shook her head:
"Still no news. However... the Bad Guys have discovered a clue: Cui Yuanhao might be in an abandoned mine in the north of the city."
"An abandoned mine?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "Let's go take a look."
……
Half an hour later, at the abandoned mine in the north of the city.
Lin Chen led Zhao Zilong, Li Chunfeng, Zhuge Liang, and Qin Shuyan to the entrance of the mine.
This place was originally an iron mine controlled by the Cui family, but it was suddenly abandoned three years ago, supposedly because the ore veins had dried up.
But standing at the entrance of the mine, Lin Chen sensed a subtle spatial fluctuation.
"This is it." Li Chunfeng held the black stone slab he had obtained from Falling Eagle Gorge, sensing the fluctuations emanating from it.
"The entrance is underground."
The group ventured deeper into the mine and arrived at a collapsed mine shaft.
The mine shaft was sealed off by boulders, but the vibrations emanating from the stone slabs pointed directly into the shaft.
"Break open," Lin Chen ordered.
Zhao Zilong thrust out with his spear, its energy like a dragon, blasting the boulder blocking the cave entrance into dust.
The mine shaft was revealed, its depths unfathomable, with gusts of eerie wind blowing.
Just as Lin Chen was about to enter, Zhuge Liang suddenly said, "My lord, wait a moment."
He lightly waved his feather fan, calculated with his fingers, and then frowned slightly:
"There is danger inside the cave, and... there is the presence of living beings."
"Scent of a living person?" Lin Chen raised an eyebrow.
"It seems Cui Yuanhao is hiding here."
He paid no heed and went into the mine first:
"Let's go and meet our Second Master Cui."
The crowd followed closely behind.
The mine shaft winds downwards, getting deeper and deeper as you go.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, the view suddenly opened up, revealing a huge underground space.
In the center of the space, there is an ancient stone platform.
The stone platform was covered with runes, emitting faint spatial fluctuations.
Three people stood in front of the stone platform.
It was Cui Yuanhao, Mr. Zhou, and an old man in black robes whom I had never seen before.
The old man had a withered face, sunken eyes, and exuded a cold and deathly aura—he was actually at the peak of the Celestial Realm!
"Lin Chen, you've finally arrived." Cui Yuanhao's face was contorted with rage. "I've been waiting for you for a long time!"
Lin Chen's gaze swept over the three people, finally settling on the old man in black robes:
"People from the Netherworld Sect?"
The old man in black robes slowly opened his eyes; there were no pupils in his eyes, only two eerie green flames.
"I am Ghost Shark, the Grand Elder of the Inner Sect of the Netherworld Sect."
"Lin Chen, hand over the stone slab, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse."
"Pretty boastful," Lin Chen laughed. "You think you can take me on?"
The green flames flickered in Ghost Shark's eyes: "Kid, you think you can be arrogant just because you have Li Bai backing you up?"
"I've come here to meet that terrestrial immortal. As for you..."
With a single step, the overwhelming pressure of a peak Celestial Realm expert erupted, causing the entire underground space to tremble.
"Killing you is as easy as crushing an ant for me!"
Zhao Zilong and Li Chunfeng stepped forward at the same time, protecting Lin Chen behind them.
"My lord, this person's cultivation has reached the peak of the Celestial Realm; he is not someone that one person can defeat," Li Chunfeng said in a deep voice.
"My lord, retreat first. General Zilong and I will join forces to hold them off."
"No need," Lin Chen waved his hand. "Mr. Li, you should focus on studying the stone platform. As for that old ghost..."
He looked at Ghost Shark, his smile growing cold: "Mr. Li Bai, thank you for your trouble."
Before the words were finished, a figure in a green robe appeared silently at the entrance of the mine.
Li Bai, carrying a wine gourd, walked in, his eyes blurry with drunkenness: "My lord, did you call me?"
Ghost Shark's pupils contracted sharply.
He had no idea when Li Bai had appeared!
"Li Bai!" Ghostly voice rasped, "You truly are a terrestrial immortal!"
"A terrestrial immortal?" Li Bai took a sip of wine and let out a burp.
"I suppose so. What, you want to spar with me?"
Ghostly Demon stared at Li Bai, then suddenly laughed:
"Li Bai, you may be strong, but my Netherworld Sect is not to be trifled with."
I came here today with no intention of leaving alive—but you won't have it easy either!
He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
The essence blood transformed into a blood-red rune in the air and merged into the stone platform.
The stone platform trembled violently, and the runes glowed with a blinding blood-red light!
"Since you want to enter the secret realm, then I will send you in!" Ghost Shark grinned maliciously.
"But...it's just going to their deaths!"
The teleportation array is activated!
A crimson pillar of light shot into the sky, engulfing Lin Chen, Zhuge Liang, Li Chunfeng, Zhao Zilong, and Qin Shuyan!
"My lord, be careful!" Zhuge Liang exclaimed.
But it was too late.
A beam of light flashed, and everyone disappeared.
In the underground space, only Ghost Shark, Cui Yuanhao, and Mr. Zhou remained.
Ghost Shark looked at the empty stone platform and sneered:
"Li Bai, why aren't you going in yet? Three peak Celestial Realm elders from my Netherworld Sect are already lying in ambush inside the secret realm. If you're even a step too late, Lin Chen's fate is uncertain!"
He turned to leave, but Li Bai smiled.
"Who said I was going in?"
Ghost Shark was taken aback.
Li Bai took a sip of wine and said calmly:
"I'm just here to watch the fun. As for the safety of our lord and the others..."
He glanced at the stone platform, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes:
"Guess what? I'm the only terrestrial deity by the Lord's side?"
Ghostly Demon's expression changed drastically.
But it was too late.
Li Bai raised his hand and gently tapped it.
A sword aura pierced through Ghost Shark's brow.
At the peak of the Celestial Realm, the Grand Elder of the Netherworld Sect's inner sect has fallen.
Cui Yuanhao and Mr. Zhou were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground.
Li Bai didn't even glance at them. He walked to the stone platform and stroked his chin.
"A teleportation array...that's interesting."
He thought for a moment, then stood still without going in, and used his sword energy to lock down Cui Yuanhao and Mr. Zhou, who were already paralyzed on the ground.