Chapter 820: Malicious Intentions
As for Xiao Chen, he had not done anything along the way, behaving like an invisible person. How could the burly man have any confidence in him?
“Pu chi!”
Just as the few people continued to discuss what to do when they arrived at the Heavenly Evil Gate, Xiao Chen took a step back and instantly executed the Taiji Yinyang Flame Diagram.
The Taiji Yinyang Flame Diagram flew forward and moved from up to down, bearing down under Xiao Chen’s control.
It suppressed the impenetrable Nascent Flame bit by bit. After a while, the Taiji Yinyang Flame Diagram pushed heavily into the ground.
The blocked-off entrance became clear, appearing before everyone.
This sight stunned the burly man somewhat. Unexpectedly, Xiao Chen actually managed to suppress the Nascent Flame. He managed to accomplish something that these peak Inferior Grade Martial Sages could not.
Only when Xiao Chen’s figure flashed in did the elderlies reveal expressions of wild joy as they quickly followed.
“Little Friend Xiao Chen, it is all thanks to you this time. Rest assured, when we find King Grade Secret Treasures, this old man will make sure you get one.”
Elder Peng was extremely joyful. He had not expected this measure he had taken to be of great use at the crucial moment, suppressing the Nascent Flame, so he immediately gave Xiao Chen his guarantee.
Two beams of light flashed, and the Purple Thunder True Fire and the Lunar True Flame returned to Xiao Chen’s eyes. The Nascent Flame, which he had previously restrained, soared back up.
The burly man laughed and said, “Little Friend is really capable. This Feng offended you earlier; I apologize for that. This time, if there really is King Grade Secret Treasure, I’ll be sure to let Little Friend take his pick.”
The others also made guarantees one after another, saying they would let Xiao Chen have the first pick.
Xiao Chen smiled faintly. He casually acknowledged their words without saying anything. The Nascent Flame blocked everyone once again. If they could not find another exit, they would still have to depend on him.
These were all intelligent people. They all understood Xiao Chen’s current value. Although his cultivation was not high, no one dared to underestimate him anymore.
The old man from the Heavenly Mystery Gate said, “Let’s go quickly. If Lu Weiping already left from another exit, it will be somewhat problematic.”
This reminder brought the rest back to their senses, and they all quickly executed their Movement Techniques to their limits. Along the way, they saw all sorts of broken traps and signs of battle, so there was no need to worry about where to go.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
When the peak Inferior Grade Martial Sages executed their Movement Techniques, strong winds immediately blew. By using Thunder Dragon Steps, Xiao Chen could still keep up easily.
Xiao Chen’s Movement Technique was no weaker than these Martial Sages’. In fact, if he used Thunder Dragon Steps to its fullest extent, he was still slightly faster, which made him feel more confident.
Finally, the group arrived at a rather broad stone room and saw Lu Weiping’s figure.
The stone room was a hundred meters wide and several kilometers long. At one end of the cavern was a prayer mat with a black-robed skeleton sitting cross-legged on it.
Lu Weiping had already removed the spatial ring from the skeleton and was carefully searching through it, pouring out some treasures.
There were many unknown metals, strangely shaped Secret Treasures, some jade bottles, and a black beast-skin letter.
Xiao Chen stared at the black beast-skin letter. This was a letter that the Evil King held on to at his death. Perhaps the secret of the seven thrones was recorded in it.
There were plenty of other treasures. However, they did not match up with the Evil King’s identity as an ancient Sovereign Martial Emperor. Evidently, the rumors were right: there was more to the death of the Evil King.
“Lu Weiping, unexpectedly, you even dare to cheat this old man, trying to take all the treasures of the Evil King for yourself!”
Elder Peng stormed over in anger, leading the group of cultivators as he shouted at Lu Weiping.
The others also shouted at Lu Weiping. At this moment, they had the advantage of numbers. Furthermore, Elder Peng could hold his own against a Medial Grade Martial Sage, so they did not feel any need to fear Lu Weiping.
This was especially so for the burly man. Murderous intent poured out of his eyes as he stared at Lu Weiping with malice.
However, Lu Weiping did not seem flustered. He looked at the outraged group of people, and his face twitched slightly as he said, “I am the sect leader of the Heavenly Evil Gate and could be considered the progeny of the Evil King. If his treasures are not mine, then should they be yours?”
Elder Peng’s face sank. This Lu Weiping fell out with them entirely. However, there were so many people on Elder Peng’s side, so what was the basis for Lu Weiping’s confidence?
The burly man demanded furiously, “What is the point of speaking so much nonsense with him? Since he is not going to cooperate, then we should just directly eliminate him.”
When Elder Peng saw that the burly man was about to charge over, he quickly stopped him and said, “Don’t be rash. We can still talk this matter out. Brother Lu, you say— Ah!”
Before Elder Peng could finish speaking, he cried out in agony and vomited a large mouthful of blood. A dagger had pierced his back, stabbed through his heart, and exited from the front.
The exposed tip of the dagger was clearly coated in terrifying poison. Furthermore, since this pierced through the heart, together with the poison, Elder Peng was dead for sure.
Elder Peng turned his head, wanting to see his attacker. However, the person who sneak-attacked him promptly punched and burst his head.
In front, Lu Weiping laughed coldly and attacked at the same time. With his Medial Grade Martial Sage cultivation, he instantly dealt the burly man beside Elder Peng a grievous injury.
The situation suddenly changed.
“Brother Liu, what are you doing?!”
The turn of events startled the attractive middle-aged woman and the skinny old man greatly, confusing them.
The person who mounted the sneak attack was none other than the Heavenly Mystery Gate’s old man, who had accompanied them. The moment he attacked, he caught Elder Peng off-guard and killed him.
Worldly affairs truly provided much food for thought. At first, Elder Peng and Lu Weiping worked together. The alliance between the two forced the rest to work together.
However, Lu Weiping reneged on the agreement and wanted to take all the treasures for himself, leaving Elder Peng behind.
Originally, Elder Peng thought that the matter would be cleared up when they arrived. The group would work together to deal with the traitorous Lu Weiping and then split the treasures evenly.
This situation really confused everyone. However, with a spectator’s perspective and some analysis, one could easily see what had happened.
On this second exploration, Lu Weiping no longer needed so many people. He only needed the old man with the family name Liu.
Splitting between just two people rather than seven or eight would definitely provide one with more treasure. Naturally, the old man with the family name Liu was willing to cooperate. Furthermore, Lu Weiping did not intend to let any of the rest off.
If Lu Weiping did not kill the rest and they came to the Heavenly Evil Gate to settle this account, he would have problems. Hence, the scene before them now.
The skinny old man and the attractive middle-aged woman reacted quickly, fleeing without a word. Now that it was two versus two, how could they not run? Even without the old man with the family name Liu, Lu Weiping could kill them himself.
Lu Weiping smiled coldly and said, “I’ll chase after those two and leave the brat to you.”
The old man with the family name Liu nodded to indicate he was fine with this arrangement. Then, he glanced lightly at Xiao Chen and said, “Should I make a move, or will you do it yourself? Perhaps that would be less painful.”
After saying that, the Heavenly Mystery Gate’s old man casually kicked Elder Peng’s corpse towards Xiao Chen.
The corpse bounced on the ground twice before landing at Xiao Chen’s feet. He took a look at the headless corpse and sighed.
Elder Peng was a peak Inferior Grade Martial Sage. After swallowing some of the Medicinal Pills he refined, even a Medial Grade Martial Sage could not do anything to him. However, the human heart was hard to predict. Even at his death, he did not know who stabbed him from behind.
Initially, this was a group of people with common interests. However, some betrayed the rest at the last minute, even doing it so viciously.
Xiao Chen raised his eyebrows and looked at the old man with the family name Liu, who believed that everything was already in the bag. “Kill myself? Sorry, after you killed an inner sect elder of my Supreme Sky Sect, I will not die before taking your life as an offering.”
The old man with the family name Liu smiled coldly and retorted, “Kill me? You must be crazy. I am just a step shy of advancing to Medial Grade Martial Sage. You are just a half-Sage yet you dare to say such words to me?”
Xiao Chen’s lips curled up as he mocked, “How long have you been stuck at this step? Fifty years? Seventy years? Or maybe a hundred years?”
“You are seeking death!”
Finally infuriated at Xiao Chen’s indifferent attitude, the old man Liu leaped up and unleashed his Heavenly Sage Laws, which formed strips of fiery-red ribbons.
Seen from a distance, they looked like long whips made of fire dancing around. Before they arrived, one could already feel the ambient temperature surging, heat waves spreading all over.
Xiao Chen wanted to test himself, to find out how far he was from a peak Inferior Grade Martial Sage. So he did not dodge or avoid the palm strike infused with Heavenly Sage Laws.
Instead, Xiao Chen clenched his fist tightly, and a dazzling electric light burst out.
“Bang!”
Fist and palm collided and gave off an intense report. Xiao Chen took ten steps back, each step traversing a hundred meters. Then, his feet pressed down, and he landed firmly on the ground.
He frowned. When it came to explosive power, there was still a clear difference between his and a peak Inferior Grade Martial Sage’s. However, he was not completely helpless.
By relying on his Rank 2 Sage Body, he did not need to fear clashing head-on. However, there was still Lu Weiping afterwards, a bona fide Medial Grade Martial Sage expert.
Xiao Chen had to end this fight quickly. Otherwise, he would not be able to put his plan into action.
The old man saw that Xiao Chen only moved back one kilometer after his palm strike. Xiao Chen looked normal, not even slightly injured, so the old man could not help but mutter to himself.
He no longer dared to be careless, so he brought out his full power. The Heavenly Sage Laws behind him burned up and turned into an overwhelming, intense flame.
The temperature in the stone room soared. Several items could not withstand the heat and spontaneously combusted. The air became frighteningly dry.
Xiao Chen had to circulate his Quintessence to block this dry heat. The old man’s cultivation was indeed horrifying. This heat was something that Xiao Chen could not re-create with his cultivation.
“Violent Force Raging Inferno Palm!” the old man with the family name Liu shouted, and his clothes fluttered. His face turned red, and his aura pressed down like a mountain. Clearly, he put all that he had into this move.
The boundless flames behind the old man turned into a fiery light and entered his right arm.
To Xiao Chen’s surprise, the other party’s utterly red arm exploded and turned into a gargantuan arm made of flames that connected to the old man’s shoulder. Then it smashed towards Xiao Chen. This gargantuan arm did not seem to match the old man’s body.
At a glance, it looked like an ancient giant’s arm forcibly attached to a human body. The old man thrust its gargantuan hand upwards, and it silently burned a huge hand-shaped hole in the ceiling above.
