Chapter 67 Xiao Chen

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the leaves of the ancient tree.

Shen Lian slowly opened his eyes. After a night of recuperation, his injuries had recovered to 80%, and the broken bones in his chest were almost healed. He activated [Combat Power Detection], and could see all the movements within a radius of fifty feet.

The ancient tree area is very quiet.

"Wake up, everyone," Shen Lian whispered to rouse them.

Lin Feng was the first to open his eyes. After a night of arduous training, his "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" had successfully broken through to the Great Perfection stage, and his strength had increased considerably.

Chu Wen, Chen Yun, Zhao Ming, and the others quickly got up and checked their weapons and equipment.

After a night of recuperation, Zhang Meng and his two companions had recovered 70% of their injuries. Although they could not exert their full strength, they were able to participate in the battle.

"Proceed according to plan." Shen Lian spread out the map. "Chu Wen, you take Zhang Meng and Li He to guard the eastern trap zone. Lin Feng and Chen Yun, you are responsible for the west side. Zhao Ming and Tang Xue, the south side is your responsibility."

"Remember, our goal is not to fight head-on, but to wear them down. Use the terrain and traps to delay the enemy as much as possible, exhausting their stamina and patience."

Everyone nodded and went their separate ways to their designated locations.

Shen Lian climbed up the tallest ancient tree, sat on its thick branches, and looked down over the entire ancient tree area.

The morning mist drifted slowly, gradually increasing visibility. In the distant forest, birdsong rose and fell, and everything seemed so peaceful.

But Shen Lian knew that this was just the calm before the storm.

Half an hour later, the [Combat Power Detection] detected the first wave of enemies.

Five figures rapidly approached from the east.

[Combat Strength]: 38~48

[Combat Strength]: 36~44

[Combat Strength]: 34~42

[Combat Strength]: 32~40

[Combat Strength]: 30~38

Five people were at the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, two of whom reached the peak of the fourth level.

Shen Lian's eyes narrowed, and he sent an alarm to Chu Wen using a pre-arranged signal.

In the trap zone on the east side, Chu Wen, hiding behind an ancient tree, saw Shen Lian's signal and immediately made a hand gesture to Zhang Meng and Li He.

The three held their breath and gripped their weapons tightly.

Soon, five men in black came into view. They moved cautiously, with three scouting ahead and two keeping watch behind, clearly experienced.

The leader was a bald young man wielding a thick-backed broadsword, with a combat strength of 38-48, making him the strongest among the five.

"Be careful," the bald young man whispered. "Shen Lian and his men may have set up an ambush here."

"Boss, you're being too cautious," a tall, thin young man laughed. "Shen Lian did defeat Zhou Yang and Chen Yuan, but that was because of the terrain advantage. In a head-on fight, he might not be our match."

"Shut up!" the bald youth snapped. "Young Master Xiao specifically instructed that Shen Lian is not to be underestimated. Zhou Yang and Chen Yuan were both at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, yet they were defeated by him. This means he definitely has some trump cards that we don't know about."

The tall, thin young man pursed his lips, but said nothing more.

The five continued forward and soon entered the trap zone set by Chu Wen.

Suddenly, the tall, thin young man on the left tripped over an extremely thin thread.

Click!

A crisp click of the trigger sounded, and three crossbow bolts shot out from the bushes, aiming straight for the tall, thin youth's face.

"There's an ambush!" The tall, thin young man exclaimed in alarm and hurriedly swung his knife to parry.

Dangdang Dangdang!

Three crossbow bolts were shot down, but the tall, thin youth was forced to retreat three steps.

Just then, the ground beneath his feet suddenly collapsed, revealing a deep pit. The bottom of the pit was filled with sharpened wooden spikes, gleaming coldly.

"Help me!" the tall, thin young man cried out, losing his balance and falling into the pit.

The bald youth reacted quickly, sweeping his long sword to cut off the vines hanging down to the side. The vines coiled around the waist of the tall, thin youth like serpents, pulling him up.

"That was close..." The tall, thin young man was still shaken, his back soaked with cold sweat.

The bald young man's face was grim: "It seems they really are here. Everyone be careful, watch your step and your surroundings."

The five became even more cautious, testing the ground with their weapons before each step. After advancing another ten zhang, the black-clad youth on the right stepped into an animal trap.

Click!

The trap snapped shut, its sharp teeth biting into his calf, and blood gushed out instantly.

"Ah!" the man in black screamed and fell to the ground.

"Damn it!" the bald youth cursed, stepping forward to check the wound. "How is it?"

"The bones...the bones might be broken..." The young man in black was pale, and cold sweat poured down his forehead.

The bald young man's face grew even uglier. They hadn't even seen the enemy yet, and they'd already lost one man. How could they possibly fight this battle?

"Boss, should we retreat first?" another companion suggested. "Let's wait for Young Master Xiao's main force to arrive before attacking again."

The bald youth hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "No! Young Master Xiao ordered us to lead the charge and ascertain the enemy's strengths and weaknesses. If we retreat now, we won't be able to explain ourselves when we get back."

He looked at his injured companion: "Third brother, you stay here and treat your wounds until we get back."

"Boss, I..."

"That's an order!"

The bald youth, without a doubt, led the remaining three forward.

But they didn't know that Chu Wen had seen all of this.

"We can start now," Chu Wen whispered to Zhang Meng and Li He. "Take care of the injured one first, then deal with the rest."

Zhang Meng nodded, his figure moving silently like a raccoon dog to the back.

The injured young man in black was bandaging his wound with strips of cloth when he suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck. Before he could react, Zhang Meng slapped him unconscious.

Zhang Meng took off his jade talisman; his score was 86 points, which was not bad.

"We've succeeded," Zhang Meng said to Chu Wen as he returned to his hiding place.

Chu Wen nodded and looked ahead: "Next are those four. Li He, you take care of the tall, thin one on the left. Zhang Meng, you deal with the one on the right who uses a sword. I'll handle the two in the middle."

"clear."

The three of them moved like ghosts among the ancient trees, quickly approaching their target.

As the four bald youths cautiously advanced, Chu Wen suddenly emerged from behind an ancient tree, his long sword thrusting straight at the bald youth's back.

"Watch out!" The bald youth reacted quickly, parrying with a backhand strike.

clang!

Swords clashed, sparks flew.

Chu Wen used the momentum to retreat, landing three zhang away, and sneered, "Not bad."

"Chu Wen?" The bald young man recognized him. "Where's Shen Lian? Tell him to come out!"

"I don't need Brother Shen to deal with you." Chu Wen pointed his longsword diagonally. "Today, none of you will leave here alive."

Before he finished speaking, Zhang Meng and Li He rushed out from both sides, facing the tall, thin young man and another man in black, respectively.

The battle erupted instantly.

Chu Wen faced off against the bald youth. Both were at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, and their strengths were roughly equal.

"Chasing Wind Sword Technique!" Chu Wen unleashed his ultimate skill, his longsword striking towards the bald youth.

The bald youth dared not be careless, wielding his thick-backed broadsword with impenetrable skill, blocking all the sword flashes.

clang clang clang!

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged more than twenty blows, with neither gaining the upper hand.

But the bald young man was anxious. Of the five men he brought, one was injured and captured, and the other two were also locked in a fierce battle. If this continued, they would surely be defeated.

"Third brother! Fifth brother! Retreat!" The bald youth suddenly roared, forcing Chu Wen back with a single slash, then turned and fled.

Upon hearing this, the tall, thin young man and another man in black also feigned an attack, disengaged from the fight, and retreated with the bald young man.

"Trying to leave?" Chu Wen sneered, pulled a bamboo tube from his pocket, and threw it violently in front of the three of them.

The bamboo tube hit the ground and exploded instantly, billowing thick smoke that obscured visibility.

The three bald youths were slowed down by the thick smoke.

"Chase!" Chu Wen shouted, and the three of them gave chase like cheetahs.

But just then, a long howl came from afar.

The powerful roar pierced through the thick fog, causing the ancient tree branches and leaves to rustle.

"That's Young Master Xiao's signal!" the bald youth exclaimed joyfully. "Reinforcements have arrived!"

Chu Wen's expression changed, and he raised his hand to signal Zhang Meng and Li He to stop: "Retreat! Return to the pre-arranged position!"

Without lingering in battle, the three turned and retreated, quickly disappearing into the depths of the ancient tree.

The three bald youths breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not pursue, and stood still waiting for reinforcements.

A moment later, eleven figures emerged from the forest.

The leader was Xiao Chen, dressed in white robes with a long sword at his waist. He was handsome and had an otherworldly air, but a hint of coldness flashed in his eyes.

"Young Master Xiao!" The bald youth hurriedly stepped forward and bowed. "This subordinate is incompetent and failed to break through the enemy's defenses, and even lost one man."

Xiao Chen waved his hand: "It's alright. If Shen Lianruo were so easy to deal with, it wouldn't be worth my personal intervention."

He looked at the ancient tree area ahead, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "Shen Lian, I know you're here. Come out, let's talk."

Xiao Chen's voice clearly resonated throughout the entire ancient tree area.

At the top of the ancient tree, Shen Lian narrowed his eyes slightly.

Xiao Chen has arrived.

Instead of responding, he signaled to everyone to proceed as planned.

Xiao Chen waited a moment, and seeing no response, he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he laughed: "Shen Lian, do you think I can't do anything to you just because you're hiding inside?"

He addressed the group behind him: "Everyone, attack in three groups. Remember, don't go too deep; focus on probing. Once you find their hiding place, send the signal immediately."

"yes!"

The eleven people were divided into three groups of four, and entered the ancient tree area from the east, west and south directions respectively.

Xiao Chen remained where he was, standing with his hands behind his back, as if he had everything under control.

On the east side, Chu Wen saw four enemies enter the trap area and immediately said to Zhang Meng and Li He, "Follow the second plan and lure them deeper in."

The three stopped hiding and deliberately made some noise to attract the enemy's attention.

"There!" A young man spotted Chu Wen and immediately gave chase, with the other three following closely behind. The four of them quickly entered the area densely packed with traps.

Chu Wen and his two companions fought and retreated, constantly leading the enemy into deeper traps.

Suddenly, the young man running in the lead lost his footing and fell into a deep pit. Although there were no splinters at the bottom, it was covered with sticky mud, making it difficult to escape once trapped.

"Damn it! It's a trap!" The other three immediately stopped and cautiously observed their surroundings.

Just then, dozens of bamboo arrows shot out from the bushes on both sides.

Although the bamboo arrows were not very powerful, their sheer number caused the three of them to scramble and panic.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Chu Wen darted out from behind an ancient tree, his long sword striking a man's shoulder like a venomous snake.

"Ah!" the man screamed, and his weapon slipped from his hand.

Zhang Meng and Li He also attacked simultaneously, forcing the other two to retreat.

"Retreat!" Chu Wen decided to stop while he was ahead, and the three of them retreated again.

This attack resulted in the loss of two enemy soldiers on the east side. The remaining two dared not venture any further and held their ground, awaiting reinforcements.

On the west side, Lin Feng and Chen Yun achieved even more brilliant results.

After Lin Feng mastered the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique," his combat power surged. Combined with Chen Yun's agile movements, the two of them worked together and defeated three of the four enemies in less than a quarter of an hour, leaving the remaining one seriously injured and forced to flee.

On the south side, although Zhao Ming and Tang Xue were slightly weaker, they successfully repelled the enemy and captured one person by relying on their carefully laid traps.

All three attacks were thwarted.

Upon receiving the news, Xiao Chen's expression finally darkened.

"Useless!" he muttered under his breath. "Twelve men, and they didn't even catch a glimpse of the enemy, yet seven have already perished!"

The remaining five people stood in front of him, heads bowed, not daring to speak.

"Young Master Xiao, it's not that we're incompetent, it's just that Shen Lian and his men are too cunning," a man in black said cautiously. "They never engage us in direct combat, relying solely on traps and ambushes. If this continues, our men will be gradually devoured by them."

Xiao Chen understood this principle perfectly well.

But he didn't expect Shen Lian's tactics to be so brilliant.

"Looks like I underestimated you, Shen Lian." A cold glint flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes. "But do you think you can win like this?"

He turned around, took out a signal arrow from his pocket, and pulled the fuse.

Bang!

The whistle-blowing arrow shot into the sky, exploding a hundred meters in the air and turning into a red firework.

"Since you want to play, then I'll play with you to the end," Xiao Chen said coldly. "I want to see how long you can hide."

At the top of the ancient tree, Shen Lian saw the red fireworks and was shocked.

This is Xiao Chen summoning reinforcements.

Sure enough, less than a quarter of an hour later, eight more figures arrived from the forest.

These eight people possessed powerful auras; the weakest was at the mid-stage of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, and the strongest had even reached the peak of the fourth level.

Including Xiao Chen and the remaining five, the opposing side still has fourteen people, all of whom are elites.

"Shen Lian, I'll give you one last chance," Xiao Chen said loudly. "Hand over your points, withdraw from the trial, and I might spare your lives. Otherwise, once I break in, none of you will survive."

Xiao Chen's voice was filled with a chilling killing intent.

The ancient tree area was completely silent.

Everyone looked in the direction where Shen Lian was.

Shen Lian leaped down from the ancient tree, landing steadily on the ground. He didn't respond to Xiao Chen, but instead addressed the others, saying, "Prepare for the second phase of the battle."

"Xiao Chen has summoned reinforcements; they will launch a final assault soon. All we have to do is hold out until nightfall."

Chu Wen frowned: "Brother Shen, they still have fourteen people, and they are quite strong. If we fight them head-on, our chances of winning are slim."

"Who said we're going to fight head-on?" A glint of wisdom flashed in Shen Lian's eyes. "Remember the mobile warfare I talked about yesterday? Now, this is just the beginning."

He spread out the map and quickly assigned tasks.

"Chu Wen, you take Zhang Meng and Li He and are responsible for harassing the enemy on the east side. Strike and retreat immediately, and never linger in battle."

"Lin Feng, Chen Yun, the west side is your responsibility."

"Zhao Ming, Tang Xue, you two continue to guard the south side."

"I will coordinate from the center; I will go wherever support is needed."

Everyone nodded and headed to their designated spots.

Shen Lian climbed back up the ancient tree to observe the enemy's situation.

On Xiao Chen's side, the fourteen people were divided into four groups of three to four people each, and attacked simultaneously from four directions.

This time, they no longer proceeded cautiously, but instead used brute force to clear a path, destroying traps and launching direct attacks on obstacles.

Clearly, Xiao Chen had lost patience and was preparing to crush Shen Lian and the others with his absolute strength.

The battle broke out again.

On the east side, Chu Wen and his two companions used the terrain to constantly harass the enemy. They would hit and run, and when the enemy chased after them, they would circle around to another direction to launch a sneak attack. Although each attack did not cause much damage, the repeated attacks exhausted the enemy.

On the west side, Lin Feng and Chen Yun were more direct. Lin Feng, relying on his powerful combat strength, confronted the enemy head-on, while Chen Yun provided support from the side, focusing on attacking the enemy's weak points.

The two worked together seamlessly, wounding two enemies in less than fifteen minutes, forcing the enemy on the west side to retreat and regroup.

On the south side, Zhao Ming and Tang Xue faced the greatest pressure, but they managed to hold off the enemy's attack by relying on traps and the terrain.

Xiao Chen stood outside the ancient tree area, his expression growing increasingly grim.

He hadn't expected Shen Lian and his group to put up such a fierce resistance.

"Young Master Xiao, this won't do," a young man said. "Shen Lian and the others are clearly trying to stall for time. Once it gets dark and the fog thickens, it will be even harder for us to find them."

Xiao Chen understood perfectly well.

But if they retreat now, they will not only lose face, but also allow Shen Lian and his men to recover their strength. However, if they continue to attack, they will be gradually worn down by Shen Lian and his men.

dilemma.

"Order everyone to assemble on the east side." Xiao Chen finally made a decision. "Break through their defenses from one point."

"yes!"

The order was given, and the four groups of enemies quickly converged on the east side.

At the top of the ancient tree, Shen Lian's eyes narrowed as he witnessed this scene.

"Xiao Chen needs to concentrate his efforts on breaking through one point." Shen Lian immediately judged Xiao Chen's intention. "Chu Wen and the others can't stop him."

He leaped down from the ancient tree and ran swiftly towards the east.

On the east side, Chu Wen and his two companions were dealing with the enemy when they suddenly discovered that the number of enemies had increased dramatically, from four to ten, putting them under immense pressure.

"Retreat quickly!" Chu Wen made a decisive decision and led Zhang Meng and Li He to retreat.

But the enemy was in hot pursuit, moving at an extremely fast speed.

Just as they were about to be caught up, Shen Lian arrived in time.

"You go first, I'll cover the rear!" Shen Lian drew his longsword and blocked the pursuers' path.

"Shen Lian!" The leading youth's eyes lit up. "You've finally shown up!"

Shen Lian glanced at the other party. There were ten people, including three at the peak of the fourth level, four at the late stage of the fourth level, and three at the middle stage of the fourth level.

Such a lineup is indeed not something Chu Wen and his two companions can withstand.

"Where is Xiao Chen? Tell him to come out," Shen Lian said calmly.

"There's no need for Young Master Xiao to deal with you," a young man at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm sneered. "Shen Lian, if you know what's good for you, hand over your points, and we might even leave you a whole corpse."

Shen Lian did not answer, but instead activated the [Combat Power Detection].

The combat power data of all ten individuals is clearly visible.

The three strongest fighters are between 42 and 52, not much different from him. But the enemy has more people and is more powerful, so a direct confrontation would definitely put him at a disadvantage.

"Since you're courting death, then I'll grant your wish." Shen Lian suddenly moved, pushing his 'Tiger-Taming Stance' footwork to its limit, his figure rushing into the enemy ranks like a ghost.

"You're courting death!" Three black-clad men at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm attacked simultaneously, unleashing their swords and blades to block all of Shen Lian's escape routes.

But Shen Lian neither dodged nor avoided, and swept his long sword horizontally.

"Mountain-Slaying Style!"

Shen Lian used all his strength in this strike.

Dangdang Dangdang!

Three loud bangs rang out, and the three men in black were forced back simultaneously, their hands split open, their eyes filled with horror.

The three of them joined forces, yet they were repelled by Shen Lian's single strike?

How is that possible?

Shen Lian pressed his advantage, unleashing a barrage of attacks with his longsword like a storm, executing three consecutive moves of the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique," forcing the three into a frantic frenzy.

The other men in black wanted to help, but Shen Lian was too fast, and they couldn't get a chance to help.

"Get out of the way!" the young man at the peak of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm roared, his longsword sweeping horizontally, a dazzling crimson light flashing, "Crimson Flame Sword Technique!"

The longsword transformed into a crimson rainbow, heading straight for Shen Lian.

Shen Lian's eyes narrowed, and he held his long sword horizontally.

clang!

Swords clashed, and powerful energy emanated from them.

Shen Lian was forced back several steps by the shock, and the young man was also forced back.

"Such powerful strength!" the young man thought in horror.

Shen Lian, long sword in hand, coldly stared at his opponent: "Still want to fight?"

The ten men in black looked at each other, none of them daring to step forward.

Shen Lian's strength far exceeded their expectations. They knew they would have a hard time defeating Shen Lian and dared not make a move rashly.

Xiao Chen's voice suddenly rang out: "All of you, step back."

Upon hearing this, the young man quickly retreated.

Xiao Chen walked over slowly, his gaze falling on Shen Lian.

"Shen Lian, you have indeed surprised me," Xiao Chen said calmly. "To be able to hold off ten fourth-level martial artists with your mid-stage fourth-level strength, your strength is enough to rank you in the top five among the younger generation in Qingzhou Prefecture."

Shen Lian gripped his long sword tightly, watching Xiao Chen warily.

"Young Master Xiao, you flatter me," Shen Lian said calmly. "I simply don't want to sit idly by and wait for my doom."

"Don't want to sit and wait for your death?" Xiao Chen laughed. "Unfortunately, in the face of absolute power, any struggle is futile."

He slowly drew the long sword from his waist.

"Shen Lian, I'm giving you one last chance." Xiao Chen pointed his sword at Shen Lian. "Submit to me, hand over your points, and I might spare your life. I might even take you under my command and give you a bright future."

Shen Lian shook his head: "We have different paths, so we cannot work together."

"That's a pity." Xiao Chen sighed, then his eyes turned cold. "Since you insist on seeking death, then I will grant your wish."

Before he finished speaking, Xiao Chen started to move.

He was so fast that Shen Lian could only see a blur.

Shen Lian hurriedly parried with his sword.

clang!