The sudden appearance of the red-clad figure caused the hearts of the three to nearly skip a beat.
They stared, stunned, at the familiar face, their eyes filled with amazement and confusion... Even Lu Xuanming, who was usually composed, looked somewhat flustered at this moment.
Chen Yifei?!
That Fire Tamperer?
Didn't he die long ago?!
One after another, doubts surfaced in their minds, leaving them feeling overwhelmed... Only Pu Wen recovered first, staring intently at Chen Yifei and croaking,
"I knew something felt off... You've been manipulating everything from behind the scenes?"
"To be honest, I'm not too keen on explaining myself to you." Chen Yifei paused for a moment. "After all, villains often die from talking too much."
The three: ...?
Chen Yifei slowly stood up, his gaze sweeping over the trio below. His bright red opera robe fluttered wildly in the wind, making him resemble a bloodthirsty demon.
A maniacal grin spread across his lips,
"You three, come at me all at once."
The three on the hillock exchanged glances, their faces contorted with unease, but Jian Changsheng was the first to charge, lunging at Chen Yifei like a rabid dog. Lu Xuanming swiftly drew his long knife from the ground and followed close behind.
Pu Wen, however, remained rooted to the spot, immediately biting his finger and swiftly scribbling on the ground... He had exhausted all his pre-prepared 'Seal' characters, and the one he used to freeze Number 8 was hastily written on the spot. Now he had to act again.
Chen Yifei stood atop the towering boulder, leisurely stretching out his finger to his cheek and peeling it off effortlessly.
A facial mask fluttered away with the wind.
Simultaneously, the Chen Yifei standing there seemed to vanish into thin air. Jian Changsheng and Lu Xuanming both froze in surprise as a black blur darted past them!
It was a black hawk.
"What kind of skill is this?!"
Lu Xuanming had never seen anyone transform into an animal before. Even the notorious "Theater Path," known for its shape-shifting abilities, could only alter faces... Could this be a technique of the Sorcerer Path?
The hawk flew through the air, transforming back into Chen Yifei mid-flight before plummeting towards the ground like a meteorite of crimson!
Pu Wen, who was merely a stroke away from completing another 'Seal' character, felt something flash past him. Amidst flying gravel, his wrist was clamped down with a vice-like grip!
Pu Wen stared in disbelief at the face inches away from him, only to have the barrel of a gun pressed against his forehead. Chen Yifei smiled faintly,
"Impressive skill, but your setup is too slow."
Bang!
With a single shot, Pu Wen was dead.
Having observed from behind the scenes for so long, Chen Yifei had long since discerned each of their abilities. Pu Wen's Scholar Path was indeed formidable, all-around strong, but its Achilles' heel was the need to prepare paper beforehand. Without it, he had to write on the spot...
If this were at the beginning of their adventure within the Ancient Treasure, Chen Yifei would never have dared to take on all three at once. But now that Pu Wen had exhausted all his rice paper, and Lu Xuanming was heavily injured, with one hand and one leg out of commission, his combat effectiveness had been significantly reduced.
Eliminating Pu Wen first was crucial to Chen Yifei's plan, lest he unleash another 'Seal' character and turn the tables instantly.
Watching Pu Wen get swiftly dispatched by Chen Yifei, Lu Xuanming and Jian Changsheng's pupils dilated in shock.
They exchanged a glance, tacitly understanding each other, and abruptly turned, rushing towards Chen Yifei from opposite directions... Jian Changsheng, the fastest among them, was a blur of crimson, arriving before Chen Yifei in the blink of an eye.
Meanwhile, Chen Yifei plunged the red ring into Pu Wen's body and slowly stood up, waving his hand dismissively at him.
"Crush."
Snap!
Jian Changsheng reacted swiftly, dodging to the side as the space distorted. Even so, his shoulder on one side was crushed into a blood mist. He groaned in pain, his eyes blazing with ferocity, but losing an arm severely compromised his balance, especially while moving at high speeds. His body instinctively leaned to one side, almost toppling over.
In this brief respite, the figure in the bright red opera robe had already engaged in battle with the black-clad Lu Xuanming!
The dagger and long knife sparked violently as they clashed in mid-air. Lu Xuanming caught sight of Chen Yifei's ring and spoke coldly,
"Did you kill Yan Xicai?!"
"So what?"
Feeling a massive force surging through the dagger's tip, Chen Yifei retreated smoothly, his movements as graceful as a fluttering butterfly. In an instant, he flashed behind Lu Xuanming!
With his 'Iron Garment,' Lu Xuanming possessed immense strength and defense, so Chen Yifei knew he couldn't confront him head-on. Instead, he relied on the agility granted by the 'Dance of Slaughter' to engage him in combat.
As long as he maintained his speed and precision in striking, Lu Xuanming wouldn't have time to activate the 'Iron Garment' for defense.
With one hand incapacitated by Number 8, Lu Xuanming struggled to keep up with Chen Yifei's relentless attacks, barely defending and retreating, waiting for Jian Changsheng to come to his aid.
But Chen Yifei wouldn't give him that chance.
Like a ghostly apparition, Chen Yifei sidestepped Lu Xuanming's counterattack and plunged the ring-adorned hand into Lu Xuanming's wound, unleashing a ravenous consuming force that visibly wasted Lu Xuanming away.
Lu Xuanming acted swiftly, swinging his knife towards Chen Yifei's wrist, only to have it halted mid-air by the dagger.
After a brief struggle, Chen Yifei was forced back several steps. Before Lu Xuanming could raise his knife again, Chen Yifei gestured lightly towards him:
"Crush."
A localized distortion in space precisely targeted Lu Xuanming's knife-wielding hand, instantly shattering the bones and causing him to drop his weapon. In the blink of an eye, a blur flashed in front of him, and a chilling blade pierced his chest!
Lu Xuanming groaned, staring intently at the nearby Chen Yifei before collapsing lifelessly to the ground.
Simultaneously, a whooshing sound echoed from behind Chen Yifei!
He nimbly dodged to the side, the short sword grazing his cheek. Jian Changsheng's eyes blazed with malice as the dagger and short knife clashed in mid-air over a dozen times at breathtaking speed, neither gaining the upper hand.
After an explosive exchange, both combatants retreated, the two red-clad figures standing on opposite ends of the battlefield, eyeing each other intently.
"Whether you're human or a ghost... you die today," Jian Changsheng gritted through clenched teeth. He could sense Chen Yifei's strength, having witnessed the downfall of Pu Wen and Lu Xuanming. But he had come this far and refused to perish here.
His willpower soared, a murderous aura permeating the air as he growled, lunging at Chen Yifei like a bloody lightning bolt.
Chen Yifei's expression remained stoic as he raised his gun, aiming at the approaching blood-red figure. He spoke slowly,
"For the reboot of human civilization... I sentence you to death."