Damn weather, it's ruining my plans! Finally, the weather's cleared up. Those old guys from Shenfeng Academy should be heading to the Death Zone by now..." Ling Yun's eyes gleamed. He had been waiting for news of the Death Zone's disappearance so he could implement his previous plans.
He has stirred up trouble in the City of Sin, and many people are already dissatisfied with Chen Nan. In this chaotic situation, Ling Yun has sent people to sow discord everywhere. At the same time, he has prepared a large amount of money. After the news of the disappearance of the Deathly Abyss spreads, he will anonymously inject 150,000 gold coins into various assassin organizations and mercenary guilds, so that they will go into the mountains to hunt down Chen Nan.
He believed that money could make the devil turn the millstone, and he would issue countless bounties under various pretexts to encourage people to kill the "villain" Chen Nan. In the chaos, even if the people of Shenfeng Academy wanted to control the situation, they would be too busy to do so. When everyone was calling for Chen Nan's death, Shenfeng Academy could not risk public anger by killing Chen Nan in the chaos, and in the end, no one would be able to hold him accountable.
Ling Yun had no way out; he awaited news from the Death Abyss...
Although the mountains in the central part of Tianyuan Continent have been experiencing continuous heavy rain for days, the rest of the continent has enjoyed sunny weather, which has not affected the senior experts from various places heading to the City of Sin.
The cultivation world on the mainland has been in an uproar recently. A deadly wasteland has been discovered in the mountains at the border of the eastern and western continents, and this news has touched the hearts of all cultivators.
The older generation of cultivators from famous families had all heard of a "heaven-defying one" in the mountains of the central Tianyuan Continent, who would appear once every few hundred or a thousand years. This time, they were truly shocked to hear that his dwelling place was the Deathly Abyss.
Everyone is paying close attention to the latest news from Sin City. Countless carrier pigeons travel back and forth between Sin City and various parts of the continent every day, and the latest news from Sin City can spread to every corner of the continent in a single day.
Chen Nan, the once-prominent protector of the Chu Kingdom, has turned into a demon in just a few days. All the negative news about him in the City of Sin has reached the ears of all cultivators on the continent, and Chen Nan's reputation has been completely ruined.
Of course, the Ling family's influence played a significant role. Their representatives in various regions were secretly spreading rumors about Chen Nan's various "evil" deeds. This force, which fueled the flames, had a subtle effect, like a butterfly effect, stirring up a huge storm.
Those who were dissatisfied with Chen Nan, as well as some impulsive young people, despised him greatly, and many wished they could tear him to pieces immediately.
Although some people did not believe the rumors at first, the power of public opinion is such that even falsehoods can become truths, and Chen Nan has become a "devil" in the eyes of many.
On the contrary, Ling Yun bravely explored the secrets of the Deathly Abyss and then successfully escaped the clutches of the nameless god and demon, becoming a hero in the eyes of the world. His prestige soared to its peak, making him the most eye-catching young powerhouse!
Meng Ke'er's whereabouts remain unknown, and everyone is speculating about her fate. Some believe she ultimately failed to escape the death trap and was captured by the nameless demon; others believe she is seriously injured and is recuperating in a secret place...
A storm was brewing on the continent, and the cultivation world, which had been dormant for many years, was stirred up by the appearance of the Deathly Abyss.
After the storm cleared in the City of Sin, two days later, most of the senior experts from various regions had arrived.
After Ling Yun escaped that day, he deliberately described the Death's Absolute as incredibly terrifying, as if a mere glance would bring certain death. The vice-deans of the four academies, for various reasons, believed it to be an extremely dangerous place and strictly forbade anyone from exploring it without permission.
Therefore, none of the cultivators in the City of Sin have gone to explore the Death Zone these days, and they have no idea that the terrifying Death Zone has disappeared into thin air.
In fact, without the orders of the vice deans of the four academies, those cultivators would not dare to investigate on their own. After so much hype, that place had become synonymous with hell, and no one would risk their own life.
After the legendary masters gathered together and rested briefly, they embarked on a perilous journey into the death zone.
No one outside knew how many experts had arrived, who they were, or how they had made their way to the death zone.
However, for a period of time, all the dragon knights in the City of Sin sensed an unusual atmosphere; their dragons were restless and seemed terrified. These dragon knights speculated that at least three or four holy dragons had appeared in the City of Sin during that period, and some even claimed that legendary divine dragons had appeared.
Based on these speculations, one can imagine how terrifying the strength of those senior masters must have been. Legend has it that they haven't set foot in the world for decades, and it would have been difficult to persuade them to come out of seclusion if this news hadn't been so astonishing. Of course, legends are just legends, and apart from the vice deans of the four academies, outsiders have no way of knowing the truth.
While the City of Sin was in an uproar, the Ling family's assassins in the vast mountains were suffering terribly. Everyone knew that Chen Nan had escaped with serious injuries that night, and they knew they absolutely could not let him recover, otherwise their group would be in real danger. They had to kill him before he recovered; it was their only chance.
The group searched all night, but by dawn they had found no trace of Chen Nan. The heavy rain of the night had completely washed away any traces Chen Nan had left on the road. The hunting dogs were rendered useless and could not find any trace of Chen Nan. The falcons they had released also did not find anything.
Two days later, their nightmare began. As soon as Chen Nan recovered, he launched a counterattack. The number of Ling family assassins was less than a third of what it used to be. The high-level experts among them had already suffered heavy losses before this counterattack, and after this attack, only a few remained. Their overall strength was now far inferior to what it used to be.
Although there were two powerful old men in charge, only one of them could actually fight, as the other, a seriously injured old man, would not be able to fully recover in two or three days.
In just half a day, the Ling family's assassins lost another ten men. Chen Nan used the concealment of the mountains and forests to launch surprise attacks on them. Now, these men have become like frightened birds, and at the slightest disturbance, they will immediately grip their weapons and stand ready for battle.
Another scream rang out as another assassin was ambushed by Chen Nan. The blade light from Chen Nan's long sword ripped a terrifying blood hole in the man's back, allowing blood to gush out.
Enraged, the old man in black robes chased after Chen Nan like an angry lion. Chen Nan did not rush to escape. He waited until the old man in black robes caught up with him and exchanged a few blows before calmly leaving.
He tried to lure the old man away, but the old man in black robes wouldn't fall for it and wouldn't stray even a step away from the dozen or so assassins. The old man in black robes knew that Chen Nan's ultimate goal was to kill the already seriously injured old man in blue robes. If Chen Nan really eliminated the old man in blue robes, then Chen Nan would truly have nothing to fear.
A dozen or so black-clad assassins gathered together, tightly protecting the old man in blue in the center. The old man in black stood on the outermost edge, coldly staring at Chen Nan not far away. He gritted his teeth and said, "Boy, don't be so smug. In two days, you will die without a burial place!"
Chen Nan felt a chill run down his spine. In the past two days, he had seen carrier pigeons taking off into the sky. He knew that the old man in black robes had been maintaining contact with the outside world. Looking at his confident appearance, it seemed that he was not bluffing.
Chen Nan had no idea what was happening in the outside world. He really wanted to get out of the mountains as soon as possible, but after several days of fleeing through the vast mountains, he had lost his way and had no idea how to get back.
Furthermore, he always felt threatened if he didn't kill those two highly skilled old men before leaving, as they might sneak up and kill him at any time, so he never tried to return.
Seeing the cold yet confident look in the old man's eyes, Chen Nan knew things were going badly; their reinforcements might be arriving soon.
"Damn it, is Ling Yun going to send another batch of experts?" he muttered to himself. He hadn't even dealt with the people in front of him, and now fresh troops were coming. His situation was precarious.
But then he laughed. If Ling Yun sent someone, he would definitely send them a flying dragon. If he could successfully obtain a flying dragon, then breaking out of this mountain would not be a problem.
Chen Nan squinted at the people in front of him and sneered, thinking to himself: I don't believe you won't rest for days and nights. If you are even slightly careless, I will take the old man in blue's life!
The City of Sin, those predecessors returned in just half a day, bringing back news that everyone found unbelievable: the Death Abyss had vanished into thin air!
The City of Sin was in an uproar. All cultivators were utterly astonished; this was far beyond their wildest imaginations. The news quickly spread across the continent by carrier pigeon, leaving experts from various noble families and ancient sects speechless with astonishment.
In order to verify this news, many cultivators in the City of Sin set off to explore the Deathly Abyss. It wasn't that they didn't believe the news brought back by their senior experts; they were mainly curious and wanted to see with their own eyes what traces the legendary, terrifying abyss had left behind.
Ling Yun was overjoyed; he had been waiting for this moment. He immediately mobilized his men to prepare. When many cultivators arrived at the Death's Desolation Ridge on dragon knights, Ling Yun's men also arrived. Their main purpose was to put on a show. While others stared at the empty forest, they ventured deep into the mountains and began shouting, "Demon Chen Nan, don't run away..."
Although the show wasn't particularly clever, the name "Chen Nan" was currently very sensitive to everyone, immediately attracting everyone's attention. Without giving it much thought, people flocked to the mountains.
...
The news quickly reached the City of Sin, confirming Chen Nan's reputation as a demon. The Death's Edge vanished, yet he appeared unharmed before everyone. "Many" people had seen him in the mountains. And if he had nothing to hide, why did he run away? Why was he afraid to face everyone?
This news enraged all the cultivators in the City of Sin, who condemned his "evil deeds," including the revelation of his past "harassment" of Dongfang Fenghuang at the Divine Wind Academy. Coupled with the rumors of his "indiscriminate killing" in the Jin Kingdom, Chen Nan truly became a demon in the eyes of the cultivators.
Sometimes, what people say can really be a fearsome thing!
The same thing might be talked about with great interest one second, and the next second it might be used as a negative example to condemn the evil deeds.
Ling Yun wanted to laugh out loud. Although the news coming from the depths of the mountains had been driving him crazy, he was now genuinely overjoyed. He thought to himself, "Dynastic history is in the hands of the ruling class, but what about the history of the cultivation world? Naturally, it's in the hands of the 'powerful.' The so-called 'truth' is all fabricated!"
He wasn't worried about giving himself away. He just needed a time gap to make everyone believe that Chen Nan was a demon. As long as he eliminated Chen Nan within that time gap, he would have a perfect ending, and even if someone questioned it later, they would be unable to find evidence to overturn the case.
Currently in Sin City, Ling Yun has very few Ling family members left to use, but he hasn't yet spent a single penny. He immediately ordered the instigation of resentment towards Chen Nan within the city, further escalating the conflict. Simultaneously, he used various false names to inject large sums of money into various assassin organizations and mercenary guilds, and numerous bounties for Chen Nan's capture were issued…
Finally, Ling Yun revealed his trump card: a fourth-tier expert who had just arrived from his family would lead ten other experts to join the mercenary guild and their pursuing forces deep into the mountains. This force would blend in with the crowd, disguised as an ordinary mercenary organization, and would strike Chen Nan at the most crucial moment.
Two days later, the pursuing army set off, riding flying dragons to the mountains. This was also the time when those senior experts departed.
Ling Yun stood by the window, sneering, "Once you're dead, everything will be over!"
In the past two days, it seems that the hunters and the hunted have switched places deep in the mountains.
Chen Nan finally succeeded in assassinating the seriously injured old man in blue, and then successively killed seven or eight more Ling family assassins. Now only the old man in black robes and six assassins are still struggling to hold on. They no longer dare to hope to kill Chen Nan. The situation has reversed so quickly from taking the initiative to being on the defensive.
After several life-or-death battles, the old man in black robes was exhausted and seriously injured. In the past few days, he had been heartbroken and furious. His two old brothers, who had been together for decades, had been killed one after another, and he was unable to do anything to the murderers.
Night fell quietly, but the night in the mountains and forests was not peaceful, with the roars of wild beasts rising and falling.
The long nights were an unbearable ordeal for all the Ling family assassins. Every night, several of their comrades would die tragically. The darkness was the devil's favorite place, and he would always reap lives in the dead of night.
However, these assassins seemed somewhat excited that night. They had learned that a large pursuing army had already headed to the mountains that day and might find this place by tomorrow. If they could hold out for just one more night, perhaps they would see the demon beheaded tomorrow.
The old man in black robes sneered into the dark depths of the forest: "Boy, your death is near. Tomorrow you will die without a burial place!"
There was no response from the darkness, only a faint fragrance wafting from the vent, its aroma refreshing and intoxicating.
The assassins were all puzzled, sniffing the air. One of them exclaimed in surprise, "Why does it smell so good? Is some kind of lingzhi or ginseng about to be unearthed?"
The old man in the black robe took a deep breath, then suddenly shouted, "Oh no! Everyone, hold your breath! This seems to be some kind of special sleeping potion!"
But it was too late. Thump, thump... all six assassins fell to the ground. The old man in black robes felt his eyelids getting heavier and heavier, and finally, he couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed to the ground.
In the instant before losing consciousness, he was still dazed. How could there suddenly be a sleeping incense in the forest? Could it be Chen Nan's doing? Impossible, if he had such a thing on him, he would have used it a few days ago.
All of this was indeed Chen Nan's doing. Today, he discovered a familiar plant called "Drunken Fragrance" in this mountain forest. The flowers of this plant, when ground into powder, can be made into the finest sleeping potion. He was overjoyed upon seeing it, lamenting that if he had discovered it a few days earlier, he wouldn't have had to go through so much danger.
However, it's not too late to discover this now. Chen Nan has already guessed from the black-robed old man's words that a large number of pursuers will arrive in the coming days. Now that "Drunken Fragrance" has been made into a sleeping potion, it's a good time to test it on the black-robed old man and others. Perhaps it will come in very handy in a couple of days.
Chen Nan emerged from the darkness, carrying a gleaming longsword. He strode toward the group of people lying unconscious on the ground and, without hesitation, brought his sword down.
Blood splattered, and several heads rolled to the ground.
Chen Nan remained expressionless, turned, and walked deeper into the forest...
He didn't want to kill without cause, but he had no choice but to wield the butcher's knife. If these people were to join the reinforcements tomorrow, he might be the one to be killed. To survive, he had no other option!
The enemies who had been hunting down Chen Nan for days were finally wiped out, but he did not feel relieved...
At dawn, the morning glow shines, the grass is covered with dew, and birds sing sweetly in the mountains and forests.
After washing up by the stream, Chen Nan muttered to himself, "I hope I can return to the City of Sin smoothly."
"Do you think you can leave these mountains alive?" Meng Ke'er stood atop a ginkgo tree ten meters away. Her voice, which should have been incredibly melodious, was now chillingly cold. Her beautiful face was filled with murderous intent, but it did not diminish her ethereal beauty. She still looked like a fairy who was not of this world, her white robes fluttering, like a celestial maiden descended to earth under the morning glow.
Chen Nan froze. Three people had escaped the perilous situation. Ling Yun had been targeting him from the beginning, and Meng Ke'er, who had been out of contact for a long time, had finally appeared, ready to strike...