"You're a good grandson! Oh no, I misspoke again, a good grandson is just so obedient." Xiao Chen laughed wickedly, glancing at Sun Ming. He continued, "Shouldn't a grandson listen to his grandfather? Shouldn't mistakes be punished?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Sun Ming nodded frantically in terror. He didn't dare resist at all. He couldn't discern Xiao Chen's cultivation level, but judging by how Xiao Chen nearly crushed his fist with a bit of force, his strength was formidable.
"Very good! A good grandson indeed." Xiao Chen sneered playfully, slowly loosening his grip.
"Bang!"
Before Sun Ming could feel any relief, Xiao Chen's fist smashed into him. The speed was so fast that Sun Ming couldn't dodge it. With a dull thud, he was sent flying several meters away.
"This punch is for all the people you've bullied." Xiao Chen sneered coldly, his eyes turning icy and sharp.
Seeing Sun Ming getting beaten up without any chance to fight back, his lackeys fled in terror. Xiao Chen ignored them, considering them insignificant.
"Please, don't hit me anymore! I know I was wrong, please spare me!" Sun Ming begged in terror.
"Hit him! Hit him!"
"Hit him! Hit him!" The surrounding cultivators shouted, looking very satisfied.
"Punish him harshly! Drive him out of Autumn Wind Town! We can't let him bully us here anymore!" A cultivator yelled, remembering how Sun Ming had bullied them, which made everyone furious.
"Drive him out of Autumn Wind Town! Drive him out of Autumn Wind Town!" Waves of angry shouts rose, as the cultivators expressed their dissatisfaction and anger.
Walking over to Sun Ming, Xiao Chen sneered coldly, "Did you hear that? Scum like you can't be let off easily. Otherwise, you'll just go back to your old ways."
"Bang!"
Xiao Chen's figure flickered, leaving afterimages as he appeared in front of Sun Ming. He kicked him hard, and with a dull thud, the powerful force made Sun Ming cough up blood and roll away on the hard street.
"Stop! Please stop! If you keep hitting me, I'll die!" Sun Ming climbed up from the ground quickly, kneeling and begging for mercy.
"This kick was for myself. If you don't want to die, leave Autumn Wind Town immediately, or I'll kill you!" Xiao Chen said coldly, his sharp eyes scaring Sun Ming into trembling.
"Yes, yes, yes! I'll leave Autumn Wind Town right away!" Sun Ming said in terror. Desperate to escape, he ignored his injuries and fled quickly.
As Sun Ming fled, the cultivators on the street cheered excitedly. By the time they noticed, Xiao Chen had already disappeared, as if it were all a dream.
By this time, Xiao Chen was heading south of Autumn Wind Town. In a small valley to the south lay the lair of the Shadow organization. Xiao Chen planned to attack it alone.
"Xiao Chen, do you plan to just rush in?" the Ancient White Tiger asked through voice transmission.
"What else?" Xiao Chen replied without hesitation.
"I'm worried that the Shadow has many people. To control towns within a hundred miles, they must have over a hundred people. The second-in-command is at the Golden Core stage. The leader must be even stronger," the Ancient White Tiger voiced its concern.
Xiao Chen thought about it and agreed with the Ancient White Tiger. Although he was at the early Golden Core stage with powerful physical strength, facing over a hundred people, including the leader, would be challenging.
"Little White Tiger, do you have any strategies?" Xiao Chen asked.
"Hehe, I just happen to have an idea. You humans have a saying: 'Capture the ringleader first.' You've also mastered the art of stealth. The terrain is very advantageous for you. Why not use stealth for an assassination?" the Ancient White Tiger suggested.
"Assassination?" Xiao Chen's eyes lit up. "Little White Tiger, you're smart. This is a good idea. If I kill their leader, the Shadow will be headless, and the remaining ants will be no threat. They'll surely disband."
"Exactly, this will save you a lot of time. But assassinating a Golden Core stage cultivator isn't easy," the Ancient White Tiger added, feeling proud.
Half an hour later, Xiao Chen arrived at a mountain peak. Looking down, he saw a small valley surrounded by mountains. Many wooden huts were built in the valley, housing over a hundred people. There were many Shadow guards around the valley, maintaining strict security.
Xiao Chen observed carefully and found a cave in the valley. The entrance had the blood-red characters for "Shadow" carved on it. He also sensed a strong aura emanating from the cave.
"Mid-Golden Core stage," Xiao Chen noted, a wicked smile appearing on his face.
"Xiao Chen, what do you think? Didn't I tell you the Shadow has many people? Charging in directly would be like a moth to a flame. If you could fly, it would be a different story," the Ancient White Tiger said proudly.
"The Shadow's defenses are tight. There are many fasting stage cultivators. If I charge in directly, I'll be surrounded, and the leader will be alerted. That would indeed be like a moth to a flame," Xiao Chen whispered, then carefully descended to the valley floor, using stealth to move underground.
As Xiao Chen moved underground, the guards in the valley were unaware of his presence.
"Xiao Chen, be careful. There are many traps!" the Ancient White Tiger warned.
Underground, Xiao Chen saw large pits filled with sharp spikes. Falling into them would be fatal.
"The Shadow is ruthless, setting traps even in their own territory. They must be wary of enemies infiltrating. Good thing I didn't charge in directly. I'd be dead by now," Xiao Chen thought, carefully avoiding the traps as he approached the cave.
The cave was small, about the size of a regular room, illuminated by candles. It was empty, indicating it was just a place for the leader to cultivate.
Inside, a tall, burly man was sitting cross-legged, cultivating. Next to him was a broadsword with a bloodthirsty aura. The man's powerful aura indicated he was at the mid-Golden Core stage. No one in the Shadow, except the leader, had such strength.
"A mid-Golden Core stage cultivator, still cultivating here. This must be the leader. What a great opportunity! I wonder what it feels like to be pierced by a sword," Xiao Chen sneered, positioning himself underground near the leader.
"Xiao Chen, strike now!" the Ancient White Tiger urged.
"Got it!" Xiao Chen sneered, drawing his divine sword and stabbing upwards. If it hit, the burly man would surely die.
"Mm?" The moment Xiao Chen struck, the burly man sensed danger and swiftly moved to the right. Though he avoided a fatal blow, his leg was injured.
"Not good! He's noticed!" Xiao Chen's face changed.
"Who dares to ambush me? Show yourself!" the burly man roared, grabbing his broadsword and slashing at the ground with his true essence.
"Xiao Chen! Dodge!" the Ancient White Tiger warned.
"Boom!"
The broadsword's power struck the ground, creating a huge pit and sending debris flying.
Narrowly avoiding the attack, Xiao Chen quickly dashed out of the cave. The burly man roared, "Trying to escape? Not so easy!"
The loud noise alarmed all the guards in the valley. Over a hundred people quickly surrounded Xiao Chen as he emerged from the cave.
"Kid, it's you. The second-in-command's message described you well. I know you're Xiao Chen. You killed the Shadow's second-in-command. I haven't settled that score with you, and now you come to me, trying to ambush me. You have guts!" the burly man said, recognizing Xiao Chen immediately.
"Xiao Chen, the assassination failed. Be careful of the traps during the fight!" the Ancient White Tiger cautioned.
"Though I can't fly yet, I can step on the void. Even if the assassination failed, I can lure him away and kill him elsewhere," Xiao Chen whispered, then propelled himself into the air, stepping on the void to leap towards the mountain peak.
"Boss, that kid is running!" a black-clad man shouted.
"Hmph! Agile, but you won't escape! Stay here, don't follow," the leader ordered, then shot towards Xiao Chen.
"Xiao Chen, he's chasing you! He can fly!" the Ancient White Tiger warned.
"I know, but I must lure him away from the Shadow. Otherwise, those ants will follow and cause trouble," Xiao Chen sneered. Concerned about being pursued by the Shadow's guards, he aimed to draw the leader farther away.
Xiao Chen leapt to the mountain peak, his agile figure stepping on the void, becoming a black streak as he quickly moved across several mountains.
"Whoosh!"
The burly man flew through the air, matching Xiao Chen's speed, becoming a black streak as he disappeared into the sky.
"This Xiao Chen is a genius, reaching the Golden Core stage at such a young age. Though he can't fly, his speed is remarkable. Unexpectedly, a talent like this emerged in such a remote place on the Tianyue Continent. This kind of enemy must be eliminated before he grows, or he'll pose a threat to the Shadow in the future," the burly man thought, his eyes flashing with ruthless intent.