Free Web NovelChapter 374: Chapter 140: Night-Roaming Cloud Dragon, Soul Banner Devours Bandits, The True Purpose of Yue Mankong’s Mission
From their words, he pieced together the whole story.
They were hunters from the Yunlong Mountain Range. Their village had been plundered by the Heaven-Flipping Saber bandits, and the young girl’s sister, along with many other women from the village, had been abducted.
The two of them knew they couldn’t win, yet they had still pursued them, ready to die trying to save their people. freeweɓnøvel.com
"Like I said, I’m from the Demon Suppression Bureau. I’m here to eliminate the bandits."
Chu Fan repeated himself, a hint of exasperation in his voice, and pulled out his token, flashing it before the hunter and his daughter.
"Stay here. Don’t go any further and cause trouble. I’ll get your people back for you." ƒгeewёbnovel.com
He stood up and asked, "What’s your daughter’s name?"
The old hunter answered reflexively, "Liu... Liu Lingling..."
"Got it."
Before the stunned and uncertain pair could say another word, Chu Fan’s figure blurred and vanished into the dense forest, leaving only a single command hanging in the air: "Wait here!"
The father and daughter stared at each other, their eyes reflecting the joy of having survived, mixed with a sliver of hope they barely dared to entertain.
Though still anxious, the memory of Chu Fan’s otherworldly movements was enough for them to suppress their unease and wait as instructed.
Chu Fan pushed his Running Technique to its absolute limit, his body becoming a blurry residual image as he streaked through the mountain forest.
After sprinting nonstop from dawn until noon, the Experience Points for his Running Technique had skyrocketed by over six hundred!
[Technique: Running Technique (Third Limit Break 6555/10000) (Traits: Wind under the Feet; Light as a Feather; Wave Riding and Wind Chasing)]
Before long, he spotted a mountain stronghold nestled in a hidden valley, concealed by the natural terrain.
The stronghold was crude but of a decent size. Through the wooden palisades, past the watchtowers, and inside the rough-hewn buildings, he could faintly make out figures moving about.
Chu Fan remained hidden in the shadows, not making any rash moves.
With a mere thought, the Primordial Qi inside him began to circulate along the pathways of the Demon Dragon Celestial Spirit Scripture.
’Spirit Array Map, activate!’
He wasn’t preparing to attack, but rather to use the map’s drastically enhanced senses to probe the stronghold’s true strength.
Instantly, auras from a radius of several hundred meters flooded into his senses, centered on him, flowing like quicksilver.
He noted the number of bandits and their approximate Cultivation levels... but as his senses swept over the largest wooden house in the center of the camp, they suddenly focused, sharp and intense.
An incredibly powerful aura blazed like a torch in the dead of night, searingly bright!
That aura... it was nearly on par with the Fourth Heaven of the Divine Power Realm cultivator he had slain back in Cyan Yang Ancient City!
’What’s going on?’
Chu Fan’s expression flickered as he deactivated the Spirit Array Map.
According to his prior intelligence, the strongest leader of the Heaven-Flipping Saber gang, "Heaven-Flipping Saber" himself, was merely at the First Heaven of the Divine Power Realm.
’How could there be someone at the Fourth Heaven of the Divine Power Realm here?’
’If such an expert was truly holding down the fort, how could that Thousand Commander from outside Cyan Yang City—a First Heaven of the Divine Power Realm—have retreated with his troops completely unscathed?’
After a moment’s thought, a cold glint flashed in Chu Fan’s eyes. ’The Moon Worship Sect?!’
’That’s it. During the battle at Dragon Ridge Mountain, the Divine Sacrifice Envoy Lingkong Jade had her subordinates scatter and flee for their lives. Yue Mankong only managed to kill her avatar and a few small-fry.’
’The expert in this camp must be a remnant of the Moon Worship Sect who escaped here!’
At this thought, Chu Fan hesitated no longer.
He withdrew the Sunset Bow from his Sumeru Ring, nocked a heavy Black Kite Arrow, and drew the bowstring until it formed a perfect full moon.
Even without the Spirit Array Map fully active, his powerful senses had already locked firmly onto the aura inside the wooden house.
FWOOSH—!
The Black Kite Arrow flew from the string, cloaked in the dim glow of a lunar eclipse as it tore through the air.
It shot toward the wooden house like the kiss of death itself!
But the person inside the house reacted with astonishing speed.
Just as the arrow was about to pierce the wall, a furious roar echoed from within.
A figure was suddenly grabbed and used as a human shield!
THWACK!
The Black Kite Arrow instantly pierced the unlucky bandit’s body. Its momentum lessened, but the person inside still managed to swat it aside with a single palm strike.
"Ambush!!"
The entire stronghold erupted into chaos.
Chu Fan’s expression remained unchanged. His movements were fluid as he switched to the lighter Purple Bamboo Arrows, the bowstring thrumming in rapid succession.
THWIP! THWIP! THWIP!
Three arrows flew as one.
On the watchtowers, three bandits who had just raised their own bows crumpled, each with a quivering arrow buried in their throat.
"Over there! Surround him!"
The bandits roared, and over a hundred of them surged from the stronghold like a tidal wave.
Many of them also raised bows, firing blindly in the direction of Chu Fan’s hiding spot.
Chu Fan moved swiftly through the woods, his form as agile as a cheetah, easily evading the sparse rain of arrows.
Yet the Sunset Bow in his hands never ceased. Every time the string sang, a bandit would fall screaming.
One arrow might not have been enough to kill a Fourth Heaven of the Divine Power Realm expert, but against this early-stage Spirit Awakening Realm fodder and those who hadn’t even achieved Mortal Transformation, it was like mowing down grass.
Three arrows loosed, three lives taken.
Just then, two figures emerged from the stronghold.
One was a man with a hideous saber scar across his face, wielding a Ghost Head Saber. His aura was ferocious—it was none other than Heaven-Flipping Saber, at the First Heaven of the Divine Power Realm!
The other was a woman in black robes. Her face was grim, and she radiated an unsettling Cold Qi. This was the expert Chu Fan had sensed—at the Fourth Heaven of the Divine Power Realm!
The killing intent in the black-robed woman’s eyes flared. Her figure blurred into a shadowy afterimage, and she lunged toward Chu Fan with incredible speed!
Chu Fan loosed several more Purple Bamboo Arrows, but she evaded them with ease, using an eerie and unpredictable Body Technique.
’Ghost Shadow Illusionary Body Step...’
Chu Fan’s eyes narrowed, confirming his suspicion. She was a Moon Worship Cultist.
He felt a sense of calm settle over him. ’Just one expert at the Fourth Heaven of the Divine Power Realm. Not too difficult.’
Still, even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit. He would not underestimate her.
Seeing the black-robed woman closing in, Chu Fan stowed his Sunset Bow and drew the Thunder Blade from his waist in a smooth, backhanded motion.
In that brief exchange, he had already killed dozens of bandits.
If not for the ample supply of Purple Bamboo Arrows in his Sumeru Ring, his quiver would have long been empty.
SHING!
As the Thunder Blade left its sheath, a faint sound of wind and thunder followed.
WHOOSH!
Almost at the exact moment he drew his blade, the black-robed woman appeared before him, a slender sword in hand, blocking his path.
Their eyes met, both gazes brimming with killing intent.
They both knew the other was an enemy that had to be eliminated. There was no need for words.
