Chapter 242: A Helping Hand

Thunder and fire surged, the three lights crossed paths—

The mountain ranges were as if severed in half by a heavenly scythe, lowered by fully half their height.

The ground had sunk into a deep pit; looking down from its upper edge made one's spirit tremble and every hair on the body stand on end!

To settle the matter just now, Chen Heng had used a full ninety Thunder-Quarry Stones, detonating them all at once in a sudden burst.

Such immense power unleashed; not only Master Qiao Yan and his few companions, but even the magical artifact, the Moon-Wheel Mirror, caught off guard, suffered damage to its vital energy and took a heavy blow!

And the reason this battle result could be achieved today.

First, Chen Heng had the Dun Dun Jiesuo in hand.

Unless encountering methods that lock heaven and earth, one could move through the void at will, coming and going freely.

Thunder-Quarry Stones are not spiritual materials with intelligence, nor can they be refined; stored in that three-legged small cauldron, it is because once this item is exposed to the outer air of the mortal world for too long, it will shake internally and externally, exploding with boundless light and heat in moments.

Though this item is formidable, it distinguishes neither friend nor foe; without caution, it is said that before the enemy is crushed, one might first be blown to ashes oneself.

Thus, cultivators in this world who use this item are all extremely cautious, wrapping it in true Qi before hurling it from afar.

Fearing that before harming the enemy, they would first kill themselves.

And once the distance is increased, not only does the killing power of the Thunder-Quarry Stones diminish accordingly, but such a technique also gives the enemy a few moments of opportunity to dodge and escape.

If a cultivator skilled in escape speed encounters this fighting style, merely keeping vigilance in mind, they could withdraw and flee before the Thunder-Quarry Stones explode; though they might suffer damage, they would not necessarily die.

However, Chen Heng used the Dun Dun Jiesuo to rush directly within three zhang of Master Qiao Yan, threw the Thunder-Quarry Stones, and then withdrew without hesitation.

Such a distance for a Zi Fu Gao Gong is almost face-to-face, and not an exaggeration at all!

And what fate would Master Qiao Yan, at the center of the explosion, meet?

Naturally, there is no need to say more...

And secondly, the man in the purple robe, Xie Mou, was not of a temperament prone to reckless risks; he was deeply suspicious and always kept his own life-saving trump cards tightly sealed.

That he possessed such a deadly weapon as the Thunder-Quarry Stones; not only Master Qiao Yan, but even Xiao Xiao Xiujing, was unaware of it.

These two factors combined, with the calculated mind against the unprepared.

Master Qiao Yan's defeat and destruction were truly not unexpected.

And at this moment.

As Chen Heng reached out to grab the Moon-Wheel Mirror.

That three-inch small mirror suddenly burst forth with dazzling, cold rays, chilling to the bone, struggling fiercely between his palm and fingers!

Chen Heng let out a low shout; a mass of red water rose from behind him, like a flying lightning bolt, pouncing upon the Moon-Wheel Mirror, corroding its already dim and mottled treasure light until it was even more fragmented.

At the same time, the Dun Dun Jiesuo flew out from his sleeve; gathering his spirit, he pressed his magic power down hard upon the Moon-Wheel Mirror.

This struggle lasted for dozens of Xi Gong, yet showed no sign of success.

The Moon-Wheel Mirror was after all a Jing Shi Shang Pin artifact; unlike the Dun Dun Jiesuo, it was exceptionally skilled in killing and combat.

Even though it had been severely injured by the Thunder-Quarry Stones, it still retained the power of self-preservation; it was not mere fish on a chopping block.

And sensing a slight twitch in his brow, the warning sensation from his physical body grew increasingly intense.

Seeing that the Moon-Wheel Mirror could not be easily subdued in a short time.

Chen Heng no longer delayed; he flipped his hand and directly slapped the Yuanxu Fumo Sword Talisman onto the mirror's surface, causing a ripple of spiritual light to fluctuate wildly and without stability.

Like smashing pearls and shattering jade, with flying droplets surging back!

Pressed by the cold, fierce killing intent on the Sword Talisman, the artifact spirit of the Moon-Wheel Mirror could no longer sit still.

With a short, startled cry.

A beautiful, delicate woman appeared in mid-air.

She looked deeply at Chen Heng, her eyes flickering; she seemed about to speak but stopped, as if her emotions were extremely complex.

But Chen Heng had no time to ponder the Moon-Wheel Mirror's thoughts; he merely drew forth a trace of the killing intent from the Yuanxu Fumo Sword Talisman and said in a faint voice:

"Release your mental restrictions and acknowledge me as your master, or do not blame me for suddenly applying ruthless force."

"You would actually dare to—"

The Moon-Wheel Mirror's face lost its color.

"Although this item is precious, Your Excellency might as well guess: how many more do I have on my person?"

Chen Heng chuckled lightly, cutting her off.

Hearing Chen Heng's voice carry an extremely confident and composed tone, as if he was fully prepared and had already counted on her submission.

Glancing again at the smile on his face, a strange blush flashed across the Moon-Wheel Mirror's face, and her eyebrows unconsciously lowered.

After hesitating for a long while, pressed again impatiently by the Yuanxu Fumo Sword Talisman.

Her originally half-reluctant, half-willing mindset tilted slightly.

"Looking at your appearance, I originally thought you were a gentle gentleman; I did not expect that in action, you are a ruthless, uncivilized bandit from the green forests who kills without blinking!"

Finally, under Chen Heng's piercing gaze, the Moon-Wheel Mirror glared at him and helplessly shouted:

"If you wish for me to serve you, you must treat me well in the future and not erase this True Mark of mine!"

The Dun Dun Jiesuo, hearing this, could not help but shake its head and smile, as if guessing something.

Chen Heng merely kept his expression unchanged, nodded slightly, and said:

"Your True Mark can be preserved; this is a natural matter."

The Moon-Wheel Mirror's expression brightened slightly, then shook her head again and sighed:

"However, even if I am willing to serve as your master, there is still one trouble at present...

Within my True Mark, there remains a restriction deliberately implanted by Xiao Fang. Although Xiao Fang gave me to his descendant Xiao Xiao Xiujing, and Xiao Xiao Xiujing then gifted me to Master Qiao Yan, ultimately, the one who refined me was still that Xiao Fang..."

After the Moon-Wheel Mirror finished speaking these words, Chen Heng frowned slightly and pondered for a moment.

If the Moon-Wheel Mirror belonged to Xiao Fang.

He wished to refine this magical artifact.

This is indeed somewhat troublesome...

Xiao Fang is a Primordial Spirit True Person of the Hongguang Xiao Clan; in his youth, he once entered the Xiantianmo Sect of Nan Chan Province to cultivate the Dao, and his cultivation is profoundly deep, to the point where he is nearly about to achieve the Return to Void Dao Fruit.

Only one step remains.

And he will be a Chen Yuanshu Chen Yuanshu Zhenjun of the Immortal Dao!

With my current cultivation at Zi Fu Er Chong, attempting to grind away the magic power seal of a Primordial Spirit True Person is indeed an impractical matter, extremely difficult to accomplish.

Yet if that magic power seal left by Xiao Fang is not ground away, the Moon Wheel Mirror cannot be refined into my possession.

Even worse, Xiao Fang might sense it through some obscure connection.

Using that magic power seal as a foothold, he could manipulate the Moon Wheel Mirror to suddenly flee or strike back; such a possibility is not lacking.

"Since that is the case, I beg you to first bind yourself somewhat; regarding the seal left by Xiao Fang, once we depart the Fan Fan Dongtian, I will have my own plans."

After a moment, Chen Heng's eyes flashed, and he spoke in a deep voice.

"..."

The spirit of the Moon Wheel Mirror hesitated for a moment, then helplessly nodded.

It flicked its wrist, causing much of the brilliant radiance on its body to recede, then transformed into a simple shadow and obediently merged back into the mirror.

And at Chen Heng's signal,

the Dun Dun Jiesuo also raised its magic power, transforming it into strands of azure chains to bind the small mirror, preventing it from suddenly erupting in violence.

Only after doing all this did Chen Heng finally settle his heart and breathe a slight sigh of relief.

Even though the Moon Wheel Mirror was a hot potato, carrying it inevitably carried risks.

But facing such a heavy weapon of slaughter,

there was absolutely no reason to abandon it!

At this moment, after storing the Moon Wheel Mirror in his sleeve pouch, Chen Heng looked around, seeing only rolling gray smoke and jagged mountain rocks.

As for Master Qiao Yan and his group, let alone their flesh and bones, even the items in their Qiankun Bags had been utterly destroyed, leaving not a single trace behind.

The Lei Zeshi certainly possessed immense power, but it also had this particular drawback.

After sweeping his gaze around a few times and confirming there were indeed no survivors, Chen Heng withdrew his sight, looked no further, and merely stood with his hands behind his back, his robes and sashes dancing in the air, as he slowly concentrated his divine sense, seemingly waiting for someone.

This time, it took only a few dozen breaths.

Then suddenly, a sharp shout rang out, shaking the myriad mountains.

Immediately, a giant hand condensed entirely from pitch-black turbid water reached out from the sky curtain, moving with speed too fast to cover one's ears, and grabbed fiercely toward Chen Heng!

"Well done!"

Chen Heng smiled inwardly, neither dodging nor avoiding, but merely forming a hand seal as his Qi sea surged.

The Innate Great Sun Divine Light instantly burst forth, casting vast swathes of golden-red flame light that crashed fiercely against that pitch-black giant hand!

From high above the utmost heavens,

suddenly came a booming explosion like a raging torrent!

Fixing his gaze to look,

Chen Heng saw that the pitch-black giant hand had actually been struck by the Innate Great Sun Divine Light until it completely collapsed, dissolving into countless wisps of vital essence that listlessly diffused into the atmosphere!

"Ultimate Great Completion Realm? You have actually cultivated a superior Dao technique to such a realm?"

A cultivator wrapped in a black robe and wearing a Shaoyang Crown flashed out from behind the clouds; seeing this scene, his heart startled and his pupils trembled slightly.

Chen Heng did not answer, but simply looked up on his own at the wisps of vital essence circulating in the sky, arriving at a conclusion in his heart.

This exchange of blows was neither a victory nor a defeat.

In fact, he had even subtly gained a slight upper hand!

The cultivator wrapped in the black robe was clearly a Dongxuan Refiner; it was precisely because Chen Heng detected his approach that he no longer delayed, directly using the Lei Zeshi to blast Master Qiao Yan and the others into fragments, so as to avoid being caught in a pincer attack.

After completing his seclusion and emerging,

he had wanted to test just how large a gap still existed between himself and a Dongxuan Refiner as of today.

The last time he faced Liu Wulong Guan at Heming Mountain, he had unleashed almost all his methods, yet was still struck back and stumbled; today, however, he had instead subtly gained a slight upper hand.

Although there are distinctions of strength and weakness among Dongxuan Refiners, and this man in the black robe might not necessarily compare to Liu Wulong Guan,

through this incident, Chen Heng had gained some understanding of his own strength.

When facing an ordinary Dongxuan Refiner,

he might not be able to easily and steadily win, but at the very least, he would absolutely no longer show signs of defeat!

Meanwhile, seeing Chen Heng's attitude of treating him as if he were invisible, the man in the black robe grew extremely annoyed in his heart, yet dared not rashly attack; instead, he raised his True Qi, guarding against Chen Heng suddenly erupting in violence.

After a short while,

Chen Heng also came to his senses; seeing the cautious posture of the man in the black robe, he couldn't help but cup his hands and smile:

"I have not yet had the honor of asking this Xiao Xiao Shixiong's name?"

"White Commerce Academy, Yin He!"

The man in the black robe said coldly, "Chen Heng, you are truly arrogant and presumptuous! Having killed so many fellow disciples, you—"

"Let us spare the idle talk; both you and I know clearly what the situation truly is, so why bother putting on airs here."

Chen Heng shook his head.

Yin He, abruptly interrupted, found the words he was about to speak sticking in his throat,

when at that moment, another aura subtly spread out, stirring the surrounding spiritual machinery into slight fluctuations.

"It seems Xiao Xiao Shixiong Yin is of a cautious nature, and has even sought out someone to lend a helping hand."

Chen Heng was not surprised; flicking his sleeve, he stated:

"Since that is the case, then I can only visit your door another day."

The reason he remained in place after killing Master Qiao Yan was merely to genuinely exchange blows with a Dongxuan Refiner once; now that this objective was achieved, staying longer held little meaning.

If more people arrived afterward, he might well find himself trapped in a perilous situation.

"..."

Yin He's fingers twitched several times as a fierce battle raged in his mind.

In the end, he could only watch Chen Heng fly away openly, letting out a desolate sigh in his heart.

The technique he had just unleashed was called the Great Nether Swallowing Grabbing Hand, a secret method of the Yin clan and the Daoist art Yin He had mastered most thoroughly.

He had once accompanied elders of his clan to train in the South Sea; upon unleashing this method, a single strike of his great hand had instantly slain sixteen serpent-tribe demon cultivators of the same realm, reducing them to a pool of pus and water, leaving no bones behind.

It was precisely after this battle that Yin He gradually gained the favor of his clan's elders, and his usual supply of cultivation resources became much more abundant thereafter.

Yet just now, when he had unleashed the Great Nether Swallowing Grabbing Hand with full force, not only had he failed to capture Chen Heng, but he had also been subtly rebuffed by that strange divine light, allowing Chen Heng to gain a slight upper hand.

This discovery.

Shook Yin He's spirit, forcing him to be cautious.

Before long, a beam of escaping light approached from afar.

As it drew near Yin He, the radiance suddenly vanished, revealing the figure of a heroic man.

"Ji Yuetan, it hasn't been long since we last met, yet your aura has become even more daunting? It seems that even without the favor of True Person Ji Ji Fakai, your spirit has not declined; you are truly a remarkable figure."

Yin He and the heroic man appeared extremely familiar with each other; Yin He immediately spoke the man's name and offered a perfunctory bow with clasped hands.

"Why didn't you stop him?"

Ji Yuetan, however, had no mind for pleasantries; he knitted his brows and shouted:

"Yin He, if you had only hindered him for a moment longer, I would have arrived! With the combined strength of us two, could capturing a Purple Mansion cultivator possibly be difficult?!"

Yin He sneered coldly, speaking harshly to Ji Yuetan:

"Hinder him? He clearly killed those people and then deliberately stayed here waiting for me; if he had wanted to flee, he would have left already! Moreover, that Chen Heng possesses formidable means; in a one-on-one duel, I fear I could barely avoid defeat, and do not forget, he still holds the Sword Talisman in his hand!

I originally thought that with Master Qiao Yan and the others attacking together, overwhelmed by numbers, they would surely force him to reveal his trump card... Who could have expected them to be a bunch of damn useless trash!"

"Even you could not defeat him?!"

Ji Yuetan was startled.

"I know that your divine ability of forging sagehood through the flesh consumes vast resources, so you cannot avoid working for your clan, but seeking death is not done in this manner."

Yin He had no desire to speak further; he merely sighed, turned, and departed:

"Although I wished to curry favor with Xiao Xiao Sanlang to gain some benefits from this affair, I truly dare not meddle in it any longer; with that said, Brother Ji, take care of yourself!"

Seeing Yin He transform into a wisp of smoky light within an instant, rush into the depths of the clouds, and vanish, leaving him alone there.

Ji Yuetan's face was filled with bitterness; after struggling internally for a long while, he let out an angry shout, yet he did not dare to pursue Chen Heng.

He merely leaped onto the cloud head and headed toward the direction of the underground palace.

Crimson clouds hung heavy and obscure, while the exquisite landscape stood towering and majestic.

After traveling nearly a hundred li, seeing that no one was pursuing.

Chen Heng urged his escaping light forward, found a towering, precipitous stone cliff, halted upon it, and began to sit cross-legged in meditation.

"If you intend to regulate your breath and settle your Qi, why not return to the rock cave where you previously closed yourself off for seclusion?"

Dun Dun Jiesuo, uncertain of Chen Heng's intentions, spoke up to ask.

"This is not for regulating breath, but for waiting for someone."

Chen Heng shook his head.

"Waiting for someone?"

"Although the aristocratic clans are powerful, they are far from being able to cover the sky with a single hand!"

Chen Heng laughed loudly, his voice rumbling through the heavens as he said:

"They can gather in groups; does that mean I cannot find allies?

The opportunities within this Fan Fan Dongtian.

To be honest, I also wish to contend for them!"

(End of Chapter)