Chapter 869: A Swift Counterattack

Ah!

The night was still so quiet, but in the mountain nook, screams like ghosts wailing and wolves howling echoed out. Once the screams faded, Dao Zhi was seen lying flat on the ground in a perfect spread-eagle position.

Damn it!

Meanwhile, Ye Chen, his face darkened with embarrassment, had already taken off his pants and was hurriedly putting on his underwear. As the majestic Holy Lord of the Heavenly Court, he had lost face in a way that was utterly fresh and unconventional today.

Whoosh!

Soon, a breeze blew by, and a black shadow appeared—it was Liu Neng. At first glance, Liu Neng saw Ye Chen's impressive manhood standing tall and proud. He froze, glancing at Ye Chen, then at his lower body, and finally at Dao Zhi on the ground. "What in the world is going on here?"

"Damn it! Do you walk without making a sound?" Ye Chen cursed loudly, quickly pulling on his underwear and pants. Even his thick skin couldn't handle Liu Neng's probing gaze.

"Don't say anything—I get it."

"You don't get a thing."

"Better to be early than lucky!" Liu Neng coughed awkwardly and darted over to Dao Zhi. "Who is this guy?"

"Your colleague."

"Colleague?"

"You're a tomb raider, and he's a thief—so yeah, colleagues." Ye Chen was still adjusting his clothes, tightening his pants to make sure his underwear wouldn't fly off again.

"That makes sense." Liu Neng stroked his beard meaningfully.

"Since you two seem to hit it off, he's all yours to handle." Ye Chen replied casually.

"Thanks, Holy Lord." Liu Neng was over the moon.

"Keep an eye on your underwear." Ye Chen's remark left Liu Neng baffled.

"Has the Haotian family arrived in Nan Chu yet?" As Liu Neng stood there puzzled, Ye Chen asked.

"Just arrived." Liu Neng responded. "And now, most of the Haotian family members have voluntarily started helping with the city wall construction."

"Alright, go get to work!" Ye Chen said, vanishing in a whoosh. He reappeared high in the virtual sky, shooting toward Yan Luo Shan like a divine ray.

Indeed, he was heading back to Yan Luo Shan.

His purpose was clear: to seize the various bloodline powers. Although the people with special bloodlines had been sent to Nan Chu, the extracted bloodline powers remained in Yan Luo Shan—true treasures, massive ones at that.

After destroying Zhengyang Sect, he had sent people to search for the special bloodlines collected by the Wang, but they found nothing. As for the Wang's collection, Ye Chen guessed it had turned to ashes in the thunder sea along with him, which had pained him greatly. But the bloodline powers in Yan Luo Shan—he absolutely wouldn't let them slip away.

"What?" In the pitch-black night, a furious roar echoed through the grand hall of the Shi Xue Palace—it was Shi Xue Yan Luo, completely losing his composure.

"It's my mistake." Below him stood a man in black robes, exuding an overwhelmingly powerful aura. Just standing there, he distorted the space around him, especially his eyes, vast like a starry sky, endless and unfathomable.

"As the Xue Zun, you couldn't even guard a few people?" Shi Xue Yan Luo scolded, his anger making him forget his manners. The person he was rebuking was of the same generation as his own master.

At these words, a cold glint flashed in Xue Zun's eyes.

Sensing the chill, Shi Xue Yan Luo quickly snapped back to his senses and hurried over, his tone turning conciliatory. "Xue Zun, I'm not blaming you—it's just that those bloodline powers are critically important. If the other factions create an eternal body first, it would be a catastrophe for Shi Xue Palace."

"Do I need you to teach me that?" Xue Zun retorted coldly, his voice like thunder, shaking the hall with a rumble.

"You're right, master ancestor." Though angry, Shi Xue Yan Luo didn't show it much.

By now, Ye Chen had returned to the vicinity of Yan Luo Shan.

Unlike before, the mountain now had nine powerful barriers reinforced around it, and even with his Xian Lun Eye activated, Ye Chen couldn't see inside.

"These barriers won't stop me." Ye Chen smiled faintly, using Tian Dao to slip into a spatial black hole. He followed the same route as last time, stealthily entering Yan Luo Shan.

"Stay alert, all of you!" As soon as he entered, Ye Chen heard shouts from all directions.

"What a setup!" Through the void space, Ye Chen surveyed his surroundings. Shi Xue Palace experts patrolled everywhere, and a massive void killing array hovered in the air, constantly active and ready for any sudden threats.

"Hmm?" As he looked around, Ye Chen murmured in surprise, "Xue Zun isn't here?"

"He's probably gone to the Shi Xue Palace headquarters." Ye Chen stroked his chin. After such a big incident at Yan Luo Shan, it would be strange if Xue Zun hadn't left.

With that, Ye Chen moved slowly through the void space, his Xian Lun Eye scanning every direction in search of the hidden bloodline powers.

After circling the area completely, he still couldn't sense any trace of them.

"Hidden so well." Ye Chen stopped, furrowing his brow.

Yan Luo Shan was one of Shi Xue Palace's key strongholds, highly secretive—even Yan Zun's memories had no information about it. Ye Chen could imagine how much Shi Xue Palace valued this place.

"Has Xue Zun taken them back to Shi Xue Palace?" Ye Chen pondered. If so, that would be troublesome. He dared to sneak into Yan Luo Shan, but the Shi Xue Palace headquarters was another story.

"The most reliable way is to ask someone." Ye Chen stroked his chin.

"I'm baffled—how did that person get in?" As Ye Chen thought, a team of nine Shi Xue Palace experts patrolled nearby, chatting quietly. Their cultivation wasn't high, but they were all in the Kong Ming Realm.

"In my view, it has to be an insider." One of them pondered.

"I think so too." The nine nodded in agreement and continued their patrol.

Shortly after they passed, Ye Chen whooshed out of the void space, but not in his own form—he had taken on Xue Zun's appearance. As long as no one with Tian Yan was around, he likely wouldn't be exposed.

Where is it?

Ye Chen shook his head and headed straight for the peak of Yan Luo Shan.

"Greetings, Xue Zun!"

"Greetings, Xue Zun!"

Along the way, he heard these respectful voices, but Ye Chen mostly ignored them.

It wasn't long before he stepped into a grand hall at the peak of Yan Luo Shan.

"Greetings, Xue Zun!"

As Ye Chen entered, the Shi Xue Palace experts in the hall quickly stood and bowed respectfully.

Ye Chen said nothing, his eyes narrowing as he scanned everyone present. His gaze was sharp, and his powerful aura left them all holding their breath.

Finally, his eyes locked on an elder in blood robes.

Among them, this blood-robed elder had the highest cultivation—a quasi-Tian realm, and not an ordinary one at that.

"Everyone else, out!"

Ye Chen spoke, and many in the hall sighed in relief, as if granted amnesty, and filed out.

Once they left, Ye Chen waved his hand to set up a barrier, isolating the hall from the outside.

"What do you make of tonight's events?" Ye Chen walked to the throne, playing the role convincingly, leaving the blood-robed elder stunned.

"I believe there's an insider." The elder replied hastily.

"Oh?" Ye Chen raised an eyebrow, looking at him with interest. "Go on."

"The barriers completely seal Yan Luo Shan from the outside—outsiders can't get in without alerting us. Even if they could, they couldn't do it quietly." The elder explained logically. "So, there must be an insider in Yan Luo Shan."

"Then, who do you think that insider is?" Ye Chen stared straight at the blood-robed elder.

"Hard to say." The elder shook his head slightly. "That person evaded your perception, Xue Zun, and killed a quasi-Tian realm expert and dozens in Kong Ming Realm in an instant. They must be extraordinarily powerful, with incredibly mysterious stealth abilities."

"So, anyone in Yan Luo Shan could be the insider?" Ye Chen looked at the elder mockingly. "Including you?"

At this, the blood-robed elder knelt down in panic. "Xue Zun, please see clearly—I have followed you for three hundred years. How could I betray you?"

"Then tell me, where are the extracted bloodline powers?" Ye Chen casually twirled the ring on his thumb. All his earlier chatter had been leading up to this question.

The elder's brow furrowed slightly, and his eyes narrowed.

"Sealed in the Sen Luo Gate Hall." The elder answered.

"Are you sure?" Ye Chen smiled enigmatically at the elder, though he wasn't certain if it was true. He asked to probe further and turn the tables.

"You seem a bit different today, Xue Zun." The elder didn't answer the question, his eyes narrowing again as he spoke.

"Oh? How so?" Ye Chen looked at him with interest.

"You're different in every way." To Ye Chen's surprise, the elder suddenly stood up, a blood-colored sword in his hand, wrapped in black lightning. He thrust it through the space, aiming straight for Ye Chen's forehead.

At such a close range and with no warning, even Ye Chen couldn't react in time.

Thud!

Ye Chen's shoulder was pierced on the spot. Thankfully, he had used Tai Xu Shifting in the split second before, or his forehead would have been struck.

What an old fox!

Ye Chen retreated several zhang before steadying himself. He hadn't realized where he'd slipped up—perhaps he'd been too overconfident and underestimated the elder.

"Care to tell me how you saw through me?" Ye Chen steadied himself and looked at the elder curiously.