Dashing Student Chapter 1393 1393: No Escape

"They will return sooner or later."

Chen Nan had fully expected the pursuit of the four Great Demons, thus he wasn't taken aback.

However, Divine Calculator was thrown into a panic: "How can this be? Have we been discovered?"

Chen Nan abruptly halted his advance, fixing his gaze upon Divine Calculator. He found it perplexing that someone who had once masterminded schemes even against him in the Southern Marsh couldn't grasp such a straightforward deduction.

After a significant pause, Divine Calculator felt a growing unease under Chen Nan's scrutiny. Chen Nan then resumed their forward flight.

"I don't know if your actions stem from intent or merely your nature. I can't fully comprehend or predict your ways, but I am certain you are not as simple as you appear."

"I consider you a friend, but don't mistake me for a fool."

Divine Calculator lowered his head, a fleeting shadow of guilt crossing his features. When he looked up again, his anxious expression remained: "Ah, junior brother, let's not dwell on this matter now."

"The Demon Clan has their eyes on us. What course of action should we take?"

Chen Nan gestured towards a tiny island visible on the sea ahead, stating with a cold tone: "They are still uncertain if you are a genuine Nascent Soul True Man, so they will likely refrain from acting rashly for the moment."

"Therefore, we still have time to prepare. Let's confront and defeat them there!"

The pair landed swiftly on the small island, scarcely a few hundred feet in circumference, dotted with only a few sparse trees.

Chen Nan tapped his storage bag at his waist, and a set of Array Flags emerged, swiftly scattering and settling around the island. Almost immediately, a shroud of mist enveloped the area, obscuring all visibility.

Following them, Jin Ming observed this display and couldn't suppress a sneer: "I'm eighty percent certain that this portly fellow is not actually in the Nascent Soul Realm!"

Yet, Jin Sheng, Jin Tai, and Jin Ning displayed hesitation. None dared to wager on that remaining twenty percent; after all, if he truly wielded Nascent Soul Realm power, he could effortlessly crush them with a single blow.

Could they truly be forgiven for their transgressions, first and second offense alike?

Perceiving their conflicted expressions, Jin Ming felt a wave of helplessness and sighed: "Very well, let us wait a short while. If that fat man is indeed in the Nascent Soul Realm, he surely won't tolerate our presence here."

"If he makes a move against us, we shall retreat and never look back. Should he refrain from acting, it signifies he is merely projecting an image of strength and attempting to deceive us; only then can we launch a coordinated assault!"

The three exchanged significant glances and ultimately reached a consensus.

...

On the diminutive island, Divine Calculator paced with visible anxiety while Chen Nan remained engrossed in his tasks.

He summoned forth the Nabing Lotus Heart, and with a mere thought, twelve Array Swords detached from it. Still, he sensed the capacity for more. Gritting his teeth, he channeled a potent surge of mana directly into the Nabing Lotus Heart.

The Lotus Heart quivered and expelled three additional Array Swords, bringing the total to fifteen. The formidable, sharp aura emanating from them left even Divine Calculator in a state of astonishment.

"It's still insufficient!"

Chen Nan declared in a low voice, unleashing another wave of mana. The Nabing Lotus Heart vibrated intensely for a prolonged period before finally yielding three more Array Swords, completing the set of eighteen.

With eighteen Array Swords deployed, the Eighteen Star Constellation Sword Formation could now be enacted, revealing one percent of the power inherent in the complete Seventy-two Star Constellation Sword Formation.

The preceding Sword Arrays, while potent, were only marginally superior to standard formations.

Chen Nan perceived that he had reached his absolute limit. Despite his Divine Soul having undergone considerable strengthening, commanding the Sword Formation still exerted immense pressure on his concentration.

After all, the original Seventy-two Star Constellation Sword Formation was a Sword Array designed exclusively for cultivators within the Nascent Soul Realm to erect.

As the eighteen Array Swords were unleashed, embedding themselves deeply into the sandy terrain at various points across the island, Divine Calculator hurried over to Chen Nan, his face alight with exultation.

"Is this a Sword Array? Where did you acquire such a treasure?"

Chen Nan gave him an exasperated look. This incorrigible fatty had clearly not shed his innate acquisitiveness for all valuable items.

"Prepare your own countermeasures as well. I can handle the leader of the demons, but the remainder will fall to your responsibility."

Divine Calculator waved his hands dismissively: "No, I am incapable of such a feat; it will still depend entirely on you."

"Begone!"

Chen Nan could no longer tolerate the sheer audacity of this bothersome fatty. Not expelling him from the island altogether was, in itself, an act of considerable mercy.

Having finalized the placement of the Sword Array, Chen Nan assumed a cross-legged posture at the Array's epicenter, diligently recuperating his depleted mana, and patiently anticipating the arrival of the Demon Clan operatives.

Finally, after a full day had elapsed, the four Great Demons appeared in the sky directly above the small island.

Jin Sheng and his companions placed credence in Jin Ming's assessment, recognizing that in the estimation of Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, they were insignificant nuisances. The fact that they had not been instantly annihilated suggested that something was amiss.

"Rest assured, my judgment is not mistaken."

Jin Ming let out a cold laugh, the magnificent wings unfurling behind him slowly drawing together at their tips. They concentrated a brilliant mass of thunder, crackling with violent energy.

Possessing the inherent ability to command Thunder Power, the Golden-eyed Thunder Falcon Clan stood as one of the most ferocious amongst the Demon Clans.

CRACK!

A deafening thunderclap erupted, fiercely assailing the defensive Array surrounding the island.

With a resounding boom, the Array that Chen Nan had casually erected crumbled, the obscuring fog dissipating to reveal the two figures present on the island.

In the island's center, Chen Nan was engrossed in meditation. Nearby, Divine Calculator leaned against a large tree, his snores filling the air, neither showing any sign of alarm.

The sudden, loud noise jolted Divine Calculator awake. His gaze lifted to the sky in confusion, his expression instantly hardening.

Chen Nan, too, gradually opened his eyes. He looked upwards and uttered a cold sneer, "I do not favor having anyone loitering above me."

As his words faded, a flick of his finger sent several Wind Blades soaring, slicing through the air with a sharp, whistling sound.

Jin Ming responded with a frigid smirk, extending a hand to unleash a golden bolt of lightning. It arced between the Wind Blades, obliterating them in mere moments.

His attention then shifted to Divine Calculator, his expression a chilling blend of amusement and potent fury.

"Haha, tubby, you certainly know how to entertain!"

With that declaration, he abruptly beat a feathered wing, unleashing a tempestuous torrent of wind and thunder that swept overwhelmingly towards Divine Calculator.

Observing this, Divine Calculator swiftly conjured a Compass, hurling it skyward with a muttered incantation. His Hand Seal shifted, causing the needles on the Compass to spin with increasing speed.

When a needle settled upon "Kun," he brought his palm crashing down onto the ground, intoning, "The Force of Earth!"

A mound of earth surged upwards before him, rapidly coalescing into a formidable, mountain-like barrier that shielded him. The incoming gale of wind and thunder collided with it, shattering the earth with a thunderous impact.

However, the destructive force of the wind and thunder was entirely nullified.

Divine Calculator brushed away imaginary sweat from his brow and let out a relieved breath, "Phew, it was fortunate this Daoist reacted with such alacrity."

Jin Ming's smile widened; his earlier assault had merely been a probe, and he had now confirmed that the stout individual was certainly no Nascent Soul cultivator.

Had he truly reached the Nascent Soul stage, he would have eliminated them upon their very first move!

Jin Sheng and his companions realized they had been misled, their hearts now burning with indignation. They eagerly volunteered, "Boss, allow us to handle this situation!"

"If we do not dismember this tubby fellow into eight pieces, then we are no true demons!"