Volume 2 - The Appearance of the Nine Provinces Map, Entering the Spirit Void Sect Chapter 145: Undeserved Calamity

With the opening of the Jianggong and Jiaji apertures, the two interconnected seamlessly. Chen Yu's perception was enhanced once again, making him exceptionally sensitive to the aura of all living things.

His current sensation was unprecedentedly refreshing; he felt as though he could communicate with all creation, sensing their movements and the fluctuations of their minds...

He stood by the stream with his sword in hand, closing his eyes to feel everything on the earth and the fish swimming in the river. Suddenly, Chen Yu raised his sword and swept upward. The stream water rose in a wave, and two lively fish were tossed into the air, falling onto the bank.

Chen Yu smiled knowingly, quite satisfied with his current level of cultivation. He skillfully prepared the two fish, sprinkled them with seasoning, and began to roast them over a fire. Humming a little tune, he found life to be immensely pleasant.

Yet, almost immediately, his thoughts drifted to Jing Zhe and Xue Han: "I wonder how the two brothers are doing?"

After a long while, the fish began to emit a burnt smell, which finally jolted Chen Yu back to his senses. He cast aside his worries and hurriedly picked them up in a flurry. Shaking his head, he muttered to himself, "People of fortune have their own natural protection; they are not short-lived individuals, so there's no need to worry. We shall meet again in due time."

Chen Yu heartily relished the fish. Although it was a bit burnt and the seasoning left something to be desired, overall, it was still quite acceptable.

Just as he was comfortably enjoying this delicacy, his brow suddenly furrowed, and he couldn't help but turn his head backward. The next moment, a figure stumbled out from the forest behind him, covered in blood, and collapsed onto the ground.

Upon seeing this person, Chen Yu recognized him at once—wasn't this one of the men he had met that day in the dilapidated temple?

The man coughed up a mouthful of dark blood, glaring at Chen Yu with a fierce and murderous look in his eyes, his intent to kill instantly rising from his fury.

"You brat, you're courting death." The burly man raised his massive saber and charged straight at Chen Yu to kill him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Chen Yu's brow furrowed deeply. He hadn't even said anything about being disturbed, yet such a person had developed the intent to kill him. This was truly beyond forbearance.

Without a moment's hesitation, Chen Yu raised his sword and thrust forward.

The moment he struck, the burly man was struck with shock and regret. Chen Yu appeared to be only at the first-element, sixth-aperture stage of cultivation, but his actual strength was extraordinary. The burly man, who was at the first-element, eighth-aperture stage, could only catch the phantom shadow of Chen Yu's sword. He felt a flash of golden light pierce through the center of his brows, and then he lost consciousness entirely.

Chen Yu glanced indifferently at the burly man. His good mood had been completely ruined, which was thoroughly vexing.

He sheathed his sword, picked up the remaining roasted fish, and prepared to leave. But trouble followed hard on the heels of the last. Three figures darted out from the forest—a young maiden was pursuing two men.

Judging by the attire and aura of the two men, they were clearly of the same faction as the fellow who had fallen dead beside Chen Yu.

"Third Brother..." The two men cried out involuntarily upon seeing the burly man lying in a pool of blood. With distorted features and faces full of anguish, they pointed at Chen Yu and cursed, "It was you! You bastard killed our Third Brother..."

Chen Yu paid them no heed, staring blankly at the young woman as his heart pounded uncontrollably like a startled deer.

The young maiden possessed a beauty capable of turning all living beings heads, and her temperament was like a vibrant rose blooming among a hundred flowers—passionate, dazzling, and mysterious. This woman was none other than Cui Dashu, the proud heavenly maiden of the Cui clan. She merely glanced at Chen Yu indifferently, yet it stirred up an irrepressible impulse deep within his heart.

"Little bastard, I'm going to kill you!" One of the men, seeing Chen Yu's indifferent demeanor, grew even more furious. He suddenly exploded into action, lunging at Chen Yu with murderous intent.

"Be careful..." Cui Dashu knitted her delicate brows slightly.

Her soothing voice brushed across Chen Yu's heart like a gentle breeze, bringing a sense of pure delight. However, the man's murderous intent instantly yanked Chen Yu back to reality. Being interrupted time and time again filled Chen Yu with mounting fury. As his own killing intent flared, a chilling look swept across his eyes, and by then, he had already drawn his sword.

A flash of golden light swept past, transforming into a drizzle that enveloped the man. At that moment, the man felt as though he were trapped in the middle of a rushing river; his movements were restricted, unable to move as he wished.

*Splat...* The golden light slashed through, and a deep, bone-visible sword wound instantly appeared across the man's chest as blood sprayed into the air.

This single sword strike stunned everyone present.

Cui Dashu murmured in astonishment, "Is that the power of a magical artifact, or the power of the water element?"

"Little bastard, how dare you injure my Second Brother!" The other man roared in anger and prepared to attack Chen Yu.

At that moment, however, Cui Dashu chided coldly, "You five ruffians of Shajiang, how dare you provoke the Cui clan? Today, you must leave your lives here."

Cui Dashu moved with extreme speed. As she waved her delicate palms, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth condensed into black threads that slashed toward the two men.

"Damnable... Law-Disrupting Demonic Art! Cui Dashu, does your Cui clan truly intend to exterminate us completely?"

"What a joke. Do you honestly take the Cui clan for benevolent philanthropists?" Cui Dashu sneered with utter disdain. Without holding back in the slightest, she battered the two men with several successive moves, inflicting severe injuries upon them.

Chen Yu's pupils constricted as he stared at Cui Dashu in disbelief, thinking to himself, *The Yin-Yang realm?*

"Fine... We'll fight you to the death!" The two men roared.

"Fight me to the death? Are you even worthy?" Cui Dashu said with utter contempt. At the same time, three more figures flew out from the forest to attack the two men. One of them happened to be Cui Ke, whom Chen Yu had previously encountered in the Zetong grotto-heaven.

"Those who dare cross the Cui clan shall be executed without exception."

Having already been heavily injured, the two men were no match for the three opponents. After dozens of moves, they became mere souls under their blades.

Cui Ke and the others searched the bodies, their brows furrowing because they only found the treasures belonging to two of the men. The implication of this was self-evident. They all cast unkind, suspicious gazes toward Chen Yu.

Chen Yu smiled faintly. Although he stood quite casually, he had already prepared himself to strike at any moment. While he was infatuated with Cui Dashu, he remained thoroughly clear-headed in the face of life and death.

Cui Dashu had also witnessed Chen Yu's strength and knew that subduing him would be no easy task. Thus, before Cui Ke and the others could make a move, she spoke up, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Chen Yu smiled slightly and replied, "I am Chen Yu of Lingxu. Greetings, Immortal Fairy Cui."

"Oh... You are a disciple of Lingxu?" Cui Dashu and the others asked in sudden surprise.

"As expected of an eminent disciple of Lingxu, your strength is truly extraordinary," Cui Dashu said with a smile. "I wonder what brings you to this place, Fellow Daoist?"

Chen Yu smiled politely and replied, "Fairy flatters me. I merely happened to pass by while on a training journey and stumbled upon this situation."

"Aren't you in cahoots with the five ruffians of Shajiang?" Cui Ke asked coldly.

Chen Yu's brow furrowed slightly. He had already guessed what Cui Ke was thinking, though he chose not to spell it out.

"Cui Ke, hold your tongue," Cui Dashu reprimanded sternly.

Cui Ke panicked for a moment and quickly offered an apology.

Chen Yu did not converse further with Cui Dashu and her group. After a brief exchange of words, he bid them farewell and departed.