Chen Yang faced off against a powerful black-clad assailant wielding a sinister aura. Using his Stone-Cutting Sword and the Triple Slash Sword Technique, Chen Yang managed to wound the assailant, only for the figure to recover and escalate the fight. The black-clad opponent, despite being injured, demonstrated incredible speed and ferocity, overwhelming Chen Yang with a barrage of attacks.
"I truly cannot let you live!"
After a series of attacks that failed to inflict even the slightest harm on Chen Yang, the man in black was once again startled.
So young, yet possessing strength comparable to his own; if given the chance to mature, who could possibly stand against him?
With this thought, the man in black's killing intent intensified.
The surrounding dark, malevolent aura surged and churned, engulfing the entire second-floor hall, accompanied by a potent scent of blood.
The whole atmosphere began to take on an eerie quality.
Simultaneously, his strikes grew more forceful, and he unleashed his cultivation technique.
Black energy coalesced in his hand, instantly forming a blood bead, dark with a crimson undertone.
He then hurled it fiercely towards Chen Yang.
The offensive power of this blood bead was, in fact, quite similar to the Gathering Spirit Seal.
However, Fundamentally, the Gathering Spirit Seal was still somewhat superior, being a high-level cultivation technique of the mysterious grade.
"Die!"
The man in black exerted all his strength.
Chen Yang faced the attack with composure.
With each movement, he easily parried the man in black's various assaults.
"Now it's my turn."
Having neutralized all the blood beads, Chen Yang immediately seized the moment to launch a counterattack.
In an instant, innumerable sword techniques converged in the air, ultimately forming an immensely powerful sword Qi.
"Triple Slash Sword Technique, the second slash!"
With a fierce cry, his sword Qi lunged aggressively at the man in black.
Whoosh!!
"You..."
The man in black was stunned, never having anticipated that the young man before him harbored hidden capabilities.
The earlier strike had not showcased Chen Yang's true might!
But by the time he perceived the shift, it was already too late.
The ferocious sword Qi flashed past, and his voice abruptly ceased.
With wide, unblinking eyes, only a look of sheer terror remained, and a crimson line slowly materialized on his neck.
A sudden crash resounded, and his body collapsed violently. The unsettling spiritual energy within the room dissipated instantly.
Everything returned to its prior state.
"Vice... Vice Hall Master!" Yi Dingxiang, trembling in a corner of the hall, immediately moved to assess the situation as the black mist dispersed.
But upon realizing the fallen figure was the Vice Hall Master of the Blood Bat Hall, he was overcome with both shock and fear!
Shocked that Chen Yang could defeat the Blood Bat Hall's Vice Hall Master!
Afraid because he had made the wrong choice. With the Vice Hall Master deceased, how could the young man before him possibly spare him?
Contemplating this, his face instantly turned ashen, and he collapsed onto the ground in despair.
Although an ordinary individual, he possessed considerable understanding of the cultivation world.
He knew that today, he would be unable to escape calamity.
"Chen Yang!" He Xiran finally reacted at this moment.
Previously unseen, she had been extremely worried for Chen Yang; now seeing that he was unharmed, her anxious heart finally found peace.
"More people are gathering downstairs; we cannot remain here for long." However, even after dealing with the Blood Bat Hall's Vice Hall Master, Chen Yang wasn't entirely at ease.
This was because he sensed a larger contingent of Blood Bat Hall members converging downstairs, and who knew what further trouble might soon arise.
Both of them needed to make a swift escape.
"Then let's leave quickly." He Xiran immediately agreed, pulling open the villa's floor-to-ceiling window with the intention of departing from the second floor.
"Wait, there is still someone here we haven't dealt with." Chen Yang's sharp gaze settled upon Yi Dingxiang in the corner.
Following Chen Yang's line of sight, He Xiran also noticed him.
Her expression shifted, revealing a mixture of hatred and anger.
Towards someone so ungrateful, He Xiran harbored no goodwill or sympathy.
"Don't kill me, I'll give you all these resources. As long as you spare my life, I can also compensate you with ten billion. Is that acceptable?" Yi Dingxiang, resigned to his fate, still trembled with fear when confronted with death.
Shaking, he attempted to bargain for his life with his possessions.
But for an individual like him, neither Chen Yang nor He Xiran had any reason to place their trust in him.
"You should take your assets down and explain yourself to the former Alliance Hierarch." Chen Yang retrieved a small pebble from the ground and flicked it, bringing Yi Dingxiang's life to an abrupt end.
"Let's go."
The two then swiftly leaped from the villa's second story and departed the vicinity.
For experts within the Spirit Gathering Realm, their departure would be imperceptible to those in the Qi Refinement Realm.
Therefore, it mattered not how many individuals in the Qi Cultivation Realm descended to the lower floors; their efforts were futile.
They remained unaware of what had transpired upstairs, and none dared to investigate.
It was only upon the arrival of the Blood Bat Hall Master that everyone hesitantly ascended to the second floor.
Upon reaching the upper level, only a few lifeless bodies remained.
As for Chen Yang and He Xiran, they had long since vanished!
"A skilled expert has indeed emerged within the Vengeance Alliance! Investigate this matter thoroughly at once."
A prolonged silence enveloped the villa's second floor, broken only by a chilling voice that sent shivers down everyone present.
...
Meanwhile.
After departing the villa, Chen Yang and He Xiran were already far from the provincial city, heading back towards Fuling Village.
The journey was marked by their shared quietude.
While Chen Yang didn't dwell on it, He Xiran carried a heavy heart.
Their expedition to the provincial city for vital resources had concluded with no gains and a narrow escape from peril.
"Chen Yang, how do we explain this to Uncle Qiu...?" He Xiran finally broke the silence, turning to Chen Yang, who was at the wheel.
Chen Yang offered a relaxed smile. "We'll simply tell the truth. Yi Dingxiang's betrayal was beyond our control."
"Trying to forcibly take those resources would only lead to more trouble."
He Xiran's expression turned complex. "But the future development of our alliance hinges on those resources."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yang momentarily paused. Then, at a highway exit, he diverted their course, abandoning the direct route to Fuling Village.
"Getting those specific resources is impossible now. However, if we need some, I can take you somewhere else to acquire them," Chen Yang stated with a faint smile.
"Somewhere else?" He Xiran looked utterly puzzled.
"Indeed, we'll 'take' them," Chen Yang affirmed with a grin. Without further elaboration, he steered He Xiran towards the Gu Family's coal mine he had previously discovered.
This location appeared to be a standard coal mine from the outside, but in reality, it was where Spirit Stones were being secretly extracted, albeit in modest quantities.
Prior to uncovering the Spirit Stone mine in Fuling Village, he had frequently visited this place to pilfer some for himself.
However, once he was no longer in dire need of cultivation resources, he ceased his visits.
Considering their current predicament, he decided to bring He Xiran along once more.
Concealing their vehicle on the mountainside, Chen Yang briefed He Xiran on the situation unfolding below.
It was then that He Xiran finally grasped the true meaning of Chen Yang's earlier statement about 'taking'.
"The Gu Family... our alliance has no dealings with them. Isn't taking from them wrong?" He Xiran voiced a sense of unease.
Chen Yang, however, remained unfazed.
"Perhaps your alliance doesn't, but they have a personal vendetta against me. So why shouldn't we take?"
This reasoning resonated with He Xiran.
"Now that you put it that way, my guilt has significantly lessened. It does seem justifiable." He Xiran chuckled.
"Of course it is. Moreover, the people of the Gu Family are hardly upstanding citizens. Just take what you need; don't hold back," Chen Yang urged with a laugh, before quickly guiding He Xiran down the mountain and into the coal mine, navigating them with practiced ease to the underground excavation site to begin their work.
The two toiled throughout the night, ceasing only as dawn began to break, much to their reluctance.
To circumvent any potential trouble, they would have continued their efforts otherwise.
The yield was exceptionally abundant.
Whether by sheer luck or some other factor, they made a discovery approximately every few minutes, with Spirit Stones being unearthed at least once every ten minutes.
During the course of the night, they amassed over eighty Spirit Stones.
The quantity was indeed substantial, marking a highly fruitful endeavor.
Having secured the Spirit Stones, Chen Yang then escorted He Xiran back to Fuling Village.
Upon their return to the village, they proceeded directly to a hotel.
Chen Tianmin and Qiu Hongguang had been anticipating their arrival for quite some time within the establishment.
Despite their profound trust in Yi Dingxiang, Chen Yang and He Xiran had knowingly undertaken considerable risks on this vital trip.
To claim they felt no concern would be a gross understatement.
The sight of Chen Yang and He Xiran returning at last allowed their anxious hearts to find some measure of peace.
