Free Web NovelChapter 1667: Chapter 1969: Fate Pavilion’s Survival (Part 1)
The night fell, and under Su Mei’s watchful gaze, Du Kang slowly disappeared into the darkness. Seconds ticked away, and under the cover of night, Du Kang quietly made his way outside the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. At that moment, not far from him, more than a dozen lanterns were lit, each representing a patrolling disciple of the Heavenly Dragon Sect.
Glancing at the disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Sect in the distance, Du Kang chose not to disturb them but instead detoured around them, heading straight for the outskirts of the forest.
However, Du Kang had not gone far when suddenly someone crawled up from the area he had just passed, watching the direction Du Kang was heading. Du Kang probably hadn’t expected that those lit lanterns were merely there to confuse him; in fact, there were many invisible spots in the forest where people were lying in wait. They were the true dark posts, able to detect anyone passing nearby.
Without realizing it, the sprinting Du Kang was already close to the forest entrance.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, the sound of something piercing the air came, and the charging Du Kang swiftly halted, deftly turning to evade an attack. He glanced at the hidden weapon that had fallen into the grass, his eyes slightly raising to look ahead. He saw a few people slowly emerging from behind several large trees, blocking his path.
"Elder Du," a middle-aged man at the front smiled and said, "Where are you heading on this late night?"
"Who are you?"
"My name is Tan Gang, a trivial nobody. Elder Du surely hasn’t heard of me."
"The Vice Sect Leader of the prestigious Heavenly Dragon Sect is hardly a nobody. Master Tan, you’re being too humble." As Du Kang spoke, he subtly paid attention to the surrounding movements. At that moment, rustling noises occasionally emanated from all around, suggesting many people were moving towards him. However, despite his observations, no one was visible; presumably, they were hidden in the grass.
"Elder Du, if you don’t mind, I’d like to invite you to the camp for a while," Tan Gang extended an invitation.
"Thank you for your kindness, Master Tan, but I’m busy tonight. When I have time, I’ll definitely visit another day." With that, Du Kang stepped forward, trying to bypass Tan Gang and his group.
Seeing Du Kang’s action, Tan Gang grinned with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes and said, "Elder Du, what if I insist on inviting you as a guest?"
"That depends on whether you have the ability to do so."
Upon hearing this, Tan Gang said no more and slowly retreated with his companions. Then, with a wave of his hand, more than ten men emerged from the grass surrounding Du Kang, each holding a rope. As they pulled the ropes, a large net suddenly appeared beneath Du Kang’s feet, enveloping him entirely. At the same time, a row of wooden spikes, connected by tree trunks, descended from above.
Du Kang looked up at the wooden spikes, his brows instinctively drawing together. Instantly, he raised his hands high, unleashing his Qi Force, and in an instant, there was a ’bang,’ and the descending wooden spikes exploded, scattering in all directions.
However, although he successfully resolved the overhead threat, the net below had already wrapped tightly around his body. The surrounding Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples quickly moved, circling Du Kang. Instantly, the large net layered tightly around Du Kang’s body, rendering his hands and feet immobile.
Looking at the steadily tightening net enveloping him, Du Kang frowned slightly, attempting to move his body. However, the net was so tight that he couldn’t even budge.
"Elder Du, don’t waste your efforts," Tan Gang said with a smug smile. "This net was specially prepared for you, made of the most advanced materials. No matter how strong you are, it’s impossible to get free. So I advise you to cooperate obediently."
Du Kang maintained a stern expression, disregarding Tan Gang’s words.
Taking a deep breath, Du Kang slowly activated his Inner Strength stored in his Dantian, channeling it throughout his body. As a master on the Heavenly List and having cultivated for many years, his accumulated Inner Strength was formidable. With a soft shout, Du Kang suddenly exerted force with his whole body, a powerful burst of Inner Strength exploding outward.
Yet, the net enshrouding him did not completely break; only a few ropes snapped. Even so, Du Kang’s action still surprised Tan Gang and his comrades. This net was crafted specifically to handle Du Kang, using newly developed material that was soft yet elastic and extremely sturdy, impervious to water and fire. The Heavenly Dragon Sect had even let a master on the Heavenly List conduct experiments; once ensnared by the net, escape was exceedingly difficult.
"Elder Du’s strength truly is extraordinary," Tan Gang remarked with a bland smile, "but I advise you to cease your futile struggles." With that, he gestured to Mo Shuiyan beside him. The latter understood, promptly approached Du Kang, drew a flying knife from his waist, and stabbed it into Du Kang’s body.
The blade didn’t penetrate deeply, and Du Kang merely frowned slightly. However, after the knife was withdrawn, a wave of weakness surged through him, as though his limbs had lost their strength entirely.
The knife was poisoned! Du Kang’s expression shifted somewhat, still wanting to gather his Inner Strength. Yet once he started cultivating, the lethargy intensified, rendering him powerless even to stand, collapsing directly to the ground.
"Haha!" Tan Gang let out a laugh, hardly concealing his delight. He knew full well that Du Kang was the sole reliance of the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; dealing with him meant the rest were easy pickings. Tan Gang had racked his brain for many strategies to counter Du Kang, and the current outcome had rewarded his painstaking efforts.
"Everyone, help me ’invite’ Elder Du to the camp."
With this command, several Heavenly Dragon Sect disciples immediately picked up Du Kang’s body and headed in the direction of the camp.
As they gradually moved away, a figure slowly rose from the nearby grass—the very Ling Chen. During Du Kang’s ordeal, he had been lying in the vegetation, refraining from intervening. Not because he was unwilling, but because it was too dangerous; the Heavenly Dragon Sect had clearly come prepared. If he made a move, both could end up captured.
Watching Tan Gang and his group vanish into the night, Ling Chen secretly followed them. After more than ten minutes, he arrived near the camp. Observing Tan Gang and the others entering the tent, Ling Chen did not continue further inside. The camp was guarded by disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Sect, and fearing discovery, he decided it was safer to remain hidden outside.
With Du Kang taken into the tent, Ling Chen was clueless about what happened inside, so he dared not act rashly. Given the current situation, he had to await an opportunity, stealthily infiltrate the camp, then find a chance to rescue Du Kang.
As he contemplated, more than ten disciples of the Heavenly Dragon Sect came out of the camp, swiftly heading towards the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion. Ling Chen watched them for a moment, hesitated briefly, then eventually abandoned the idea of following them. Moments passed, and Ling Chen took out his phone, wanting to check the time, only to discover it had run out of battery.
