Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

In the dense forest, Wang Chen moved swiftly as if he were flying.

His feet never touched the ground, either stepping over or lightly brushing the wild grass and vine roots, his figure ghostly and silent, swift as an arrow released from a bow.

Like all talismans, Tracking Talismans also have a limited duration of effect, which gradually weakens over time.

Wang Chen suddenly halted, activating another Tracking Talisman.

As he crossed a stretch of woods, the terrain ahead became steep, and he could hear the sound of flowing water from a stream.

The traces on the ground became chaotic.

Wang Chen's gaze flashed, and he suddenly expanded his Divine Sense.

He stopped tracking and said in a deep voice, "Come out!"

All around him was deathly still, with no response.

Wang Chen shook his head, about to summon his Flying Sword.

Suddenly, some bushes dozens of steps ahead shook, and a grey-clothed, masked person appeared.

One after another, more grey-clothed figures emerged, forming a semi-encirclement around Wang Chen.

None of them spoke, only watching Wang Chen with indifferent eyes.

A faint killing intent was barely perceptible.

In the hands of these grey-clothed figures, they each held a crossbow that gleamed with metallic luster.

Silver-white arrowheads were aimed directly at Wang Chen.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that the crossbow arrows and arrowheads were engraved with fine runes.

Wang Chen, as if unaware, asked, "Where are the villagers you kidnapped?"

"Heh heh."

The first grey-clothed person who appeared laughed, "Village Chief Wang, have you been chasing us to pay ransom or to snatch the people back?"

His laughter was aged and hoarse, filled with strong confidence, "If you're thinking of snatching them back, I advise you to think carefully, don't act rashly."

Wang Chen glanced at him, "Which clan are you from?"

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Organized bandits all have their own signatures, and it was clear that these people were not mere scattered ruffians—they also knew his identity.

Definitely not simple!

"We don't have a signature."

The grey-clothed person was quite sly, "Just a few poor brothers scrounging for a living. There's no need to press us so hard, Village Chief Wang—everything is negotiable, isn't it?"

"You're stalling for time."

Wang Chen asked with interest, "Waiting for whom?"

The grey-clothed person's breathing paused, clearly hit by Wang Chen's accusation.

A fierce look flashed in his eyes, "Kill!"

Whoosh!

No sooner had the grey-clothed person spoken than a dazzling Sword Light suddenly appeared in front of him, and fierce Sword Qi tore through the air.

Despite the grey-clothed people being extremely wary of Wang Chen and ready for combat, the decisiveness and speed of Wang Chen's attack was completely beyond their expectations.

Taken by surprise, he could only forcefully crush a Spirit Talisman he held in his hand.

A burst of golden light exploded, completely enveloping the grey-clothed person.

Pff!

The oncoming Sword Qi pierced through the golden light in an instant but failed to hit any target.

The grey-clothed person's figure reappeared on the other side, nearly thirty steps away from his original position.

On his chest was a sword wound about half a foot long!

The eyes of this bandit leader no longer held their original composure and fierceness, but instead betrayed an uncontrollable fear.

Only he knew how lucky he had been to dodge that sword!

Just then, a rolling Thunder Sound swept over, spreading in all directions.

God knows how many birds it startled!

Thunder Sound Sword Qi!

Having missed with his strike, Wang Chen was somewhat surprised.

His Thunderbolt Sword Technique had been refined to the level of Great Perfection, slaying cultivators below the Purple Mansion as easily as chopping vegetables.

I didn't expect him to dodge it.

The cultivation level of this bandit leader was at most Qi Cultivation Perfection.

But Wang Chen wasn't concerned, after all, magic artifacts and talismans for body protection were abundant, and it wasn't inconceivable that one could block or evade the Thunder Sound Sword Qi.

In such a situation, all he needed to do was follow up with another sword strike.

If one strike didn't work, then another!

Wang Chen formed a spell with his hands, and the Wind Thunder Sword suddenly flew upwards, tracing a beautiful arc in the sky.

The sword tip once again pointed at the man in grey.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Silver-glowing crossbow arrows shot towards Wang Chen with incredible speed!

These crossbow arrows were clearly empowered with a special force, their speed unbelievably fast, almost reaching Wang Chen's front in the blink of an eye as they left the crossbow.

Wang Chen's response was simple. He shot straight up into the sky like a rocket from dry land.

All the crossbow arrows missed, with the most threatening one merely grazing the sole of his boot as it flew by.

"Form the array!"

The bandit leader let out a heart-wrenching roar.

For a Qi Cultivator to contend with a Purple Mansion Superior, the best method was to rely on the power of an array.

A well-crafted Defense Array could absorb the power of hundreds, even thousands of low-tier cultivators, making high-tier ones hesitate to engage, unwilling to lightly challenge its edge.

Even if one could force their way through, they would have to pay a steep price.

Of course, these thieves couldn't have possibly set up a Defense Array here in advance; the array they formed belonged to a battle formation which, to a certain extent, could also gather everyone's strength.

Defending against a Purple Mansion was not a fantasy.

However, how could Wang Chen possibly give them the chance to comfortably form their array? The Wind Thunder Sword, which had just begun to dive, abandoned its original target and shot towards the nearest bandit.

Splat!

This bandit was incredibly unlucky. Without the Life-Protecting Spirit Talisman of his leader, he was pierced through by the Wind Thunder Sword in an instant, his magical shield as fragile as paper.

[Heavenly Merit +7]

Wang Chen ignored the information that popped up in his view, controlling the Flying Sword to slaughter the other bandits.

"Ah!"

Screams rose one after another, as bandits fell to their deaths one by one.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As he easily overpowered his enemies, Wang Chen caught sight from the corner of his eye of spheres of fire hurtling toward him through the air.

At the same time, a streak of light appeared silently behind Wang Chen and shot straight at the vital point on the back of his neck!

This was the enemy's real counterattack!

Wang Chen, floating in the air, had become a living target.

Yet all the attacks, including the assailant, couldn't escape Wang Chen's divine perception.

The next moment, Wang Chen's figure suddenly dropped down.

Before his feet even touched the ground, he swiftly turned around and punched the approaching streak of light.

Indestructible Vajra Fist!

Bang!

The seemingly sharp streak of light was instantly shattered, and a small Flying Sword trembled as it was knocked away, the sword now covered with numerous cracks.

A hundred paces away, next to a large tree, a middle-aged female cultivator spewed blood from her mouth, with horror filling her eyes.

Her Flying Sword, which she had meticulously nurtured with her own blood day and night, couldn't withstand Wang Chen's barehanded strike. Not only was her killing move broken, but her Divine Soul was also heavily injured.

The middle-aged female cultivator realized they had severely underestimated Wang Chen's strength, and the regret in her heart was indescribable.

Just as she was about to escape, a huge Fire Crow swooped down from the heavens.

Boom!

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The second update is here.