Chapter Five, Chapter Ten: Yan the Benevolent

Is a sneak attack shameful? In Chen Hongxu’s view, as long as one can win a life-or-death struggle, the means used are irrelevant. Does one truly need to strike a pose, deliver a long-winded speech, and then settle for a polite sparring match? People who think that way are not only pathetic in his eyes, but also somewhat laughable.

If he hadn't wanted to avoid alerting the high-level immortals in the heavens too early, he wouldn't have bothered putting on a show of evenly matched combat with this earth immortal, who was clearly only a mediocre talent. When experts fight, it is usually settled in a single move; the "three hundred rounds" battles depicted in storytellers’ tales almost never occur. After all, fighting is exhausting work.

Glancing at the disciple of the earth immortal who hadn't even had the chance to announce his name, Chen Hongxu frowned slightly. In fact, he was not the only one; many others noticed the strange transformation in this dying man.

The life force within the servant-disguised earth immortal had completely dissipated, yet his body suddenly emitted a series of crackling sounds like popping firecrackers. Immediately after, the dragon vein, which was on the verge of vanishing without a master, surged and condensed once more, darting into the young man's body with a whistle.

High in the sky, old man Wukong glanced at the servant’s body, pondered for a moment, and sighed, "Pitiable, lamentable, regrettable..."

At this moment, a bizarre glint appeared in the eyes of the young man disguised as a servant—eyes that had been staring blankly in death. He lay on the ground and stiffly twitched, as if adjusting to the comfort of his own body, creating an incredibly eerie impression.

Chen Hongxu clenched his fists. Hearing the music nearing its end, he decided not to waste any more time. Even if it meant exposing his cultivation, he could not let the two people inside complete the ceremony.

The servant seemed determined not to get up. After loosening his limbs, he lay on the ground, staring blankly at the person who had just killed him once, and muttered, "I, Yan Shanren, have reincarnated for a thousand years, only to have my golden body shattered by a brat like you. Should I blame you, hate you, or be grateful to you? If not for you, I fear I would not have awakened even after another thousand years of reincarnation. If not for you, how could my grand plan for refining my body have fallen short and collapsed in total defeat? Tell me, what should I do?"

Chen Hongxu blinked, not quite understanding the meaning behind the man's words, but seeing the sincerity in his eyes, he found it difficult to strike a killing blow at that moment.

"Too much nonsense! Master Fan has had enough!" Not far away, Fan Caobao exposed a flaw, taking a swipe from a werewolf's sharp claws on his back. Instead of using the opportunity to counterattack his opponent, he leveraged the force to dash toward Chen Hongxu, raising his staff and smashing it down toward the head of the man who called himself the thousand-year reincarnated Yan Shanren.

"Bang!" Gravel scattered everywhere, and Fan Caobao smashed a large crater into the ground. He stared blankly at the floor, completely baffled. "That makes no sense. Wasn't this guy a thousand-year reincarnation? With that level of skill, how did he vanish into thin air after one strike from me? Was he made of air?"

Chen Hongxu did not reply. Because he was sensitive to energy flows and had specifically sensed Yan Shanren’s aura, he knew that Fan Caobao’s sneak-attack-like strike hadn't actually hit the man at all. However, he had no idea what trick the fellow had pulled, let alone where he had vanished to.

When it comes to concealing one's own aura, it must be said that under equal levels of cultivation, no one is more adept than the lineage of earth immortals. After all, this lineage must constantly deceive the heavens, so it is only natural they have achieved some mastery in this area.

Suppressing the urge to have his Spirit Weapon track Yan Shanren’s trail, Chen Hongxu listened to the music, which seemed to be nearing its conclusion. He took a deep breath and, in a few strides, reached the door of the auditorium. He kicked the door open and shouted, "I object!"

In an instant, everyone—both those inside the hall and the experts outside—blinked. What was this guy doing? The confrontation inside the hall remained at a stalemate, and at a glance, Chen Hongxu saw Liu Yixian holding a dagger to Xue Xi’s forehead.

Wait, wasn't there supposed to be a priest-like figure on stage saying a bunch of stuff?

Fan Caobao kicked away a werewolf that had rushed over to attack him and stood there holding his sides in laughter. Only he knew that Chen Hongxu had been corrupted by that woman called Spirit Weapon; he had watched too many soap operas and thought that once the wedding march ended, the priest would pointlessly ask if anyone objected.

Seeing Chen Hongxu, Liu Yixian’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed. He gently discarded the dagger in his hand. His entire being seemed to lose its vitality as he knelt on the ground, yet the stretcher remained remarkably steady on his shoulders, showing no sign of slipping. His mouth opened and closed silently, but Chen Hongxu understood the meaning: "Your life is returned to you!"

Gu Jisong also wore an expression of relief. Unlike Liu Yixian, he understood even less what he had been holding onto. After all, it was rare to find a squad willing to accept him; his captain, Dog Bear, had been framed and killed, and the other three members of the squad had all died in various missions in less than a year, leaving only himself, a man afraid of death.

When a man who fears death finally understands what he is willing to die for, he is often more resolute than those who do not fear death at all.

Gu Jisong had also lived the life of a street rat. The experts on the Black List were far different from what he had imagined, and having long since lost his goals and not knowing when he might be killed for some trumped-up reason, he suddenly wanted to die comfortably. At the very least, he wanted to pay off his debts so he wouldn't have to walk the road to the afterlife carrying such heavy shackles.

That was the reason he had appeared by Xue Xi’s side. After all, he was accustomed to being ruthless and usually left no survivors, but Xue Xi was an exception, and Chen Hongxu had also done him a favor. Thus, he wanted his death to be meaningful.

"Brother Chen..." Gu Jisong called out, not knowing how to continue. The experiences of the past half-year had left this man, accustomed to ruthlessness, overwhelmed with emotions to the point of tears.

Chen Hongxu acted as if he hadn't heard, nor did he blush at his earlier blunder. He had eyes only for Xue Xi. Looking at her as she appeared to be sleeping, he smiled and murmured, "I’m back."

Chen Hongxu slowly walked toward the stretcher and gazed gently at Xue Xi, terrified that a single careless move might wake up this little princess, who was known for being quite grumpy when roused from sleep.

"Bang, bang, bang!"

Gunshots rang out the moment Chen Hongxu stopped walking. Gu Jisong’s body trembled; realizing where the shots were coming from, he turned, intending to use his own body to shield Chen Hongxu from the bullets.

"Hold that steady! If you wake Xue Xi, I’ll kill you!" Chen Hongxu, his eyes bloodshot, roared at Gu Jisong, who was entirely an innocent bystander.

Gu Jisong looked closely, only to find that Chen Hongxu was no longer beside him. At that moment, explosions began to sound repeatedly outside the auditorium. A group of mediocre fighters, possessing only second or third-tier strength, poured into the clubhouse and began to detonate their own bodies without hesitation, using the blasts to disrupt the natural spiritual energy in the area.

The numerous immortals standing in the sky dared not remain aloft amidst this chaotic energy. One by one, their faces grim, they descended to the ground to scan for potential enemies.