Chapter 264: My Heart Refuses to Surrender!

I always thought the rumor that Ji You failed to break through in the Sacred Ground of the Ancients was just gossip.

If it were just gossip, it wouldn't be so uniformly spread—Chenfeng returned from the Sacred Ground too; he saw it with his own eyes. Even I was shocked when I heard it.

Jiang Yan stood beside Yan Qiubai, speaking softly.

They got along well; when they first learned Ji You could brawl with the Barbarians, they teased each other, saying such a strong body ought to attract a son-in-law.

But after Ji You failed to break through and merge with the Dao for so long, they never took any real action—now, meeting again and speaking of him, they both sighed with sorrow.

The Qingyun Realm has no shortage of prodigies, but only those who walk all the way to the end deserve the title of Heavenly Prodigy…

Jiang Yan snapped out of her thoughts and lightly bowed to Yan Qiubai before parting.

When she returned to Jiang Chenfeng's side, she found him staring intently at Huo Hong, so she lifted her gaze to look as well.

She too had noticed Huo Hong's oddness, but hadn't thought much of it before…

Then another figure emerged from the forest; Huo Hong glanced at him, then bowed slightly to the group, politely took leave, and departed with him.

Suddenly, the valley fell silent; everyone couldn't help but stare in the direction he had left.

"Young Master, the location has been confirmed; we're sending people to follow."

Huo Hong entered the forest and found five servants gathered together: "How many?"

One servant raised a finger: "Only one—the man named Bu Hui."

"Looks like fortune still favors me."

"Young Master speaks truly."

Huo Hong gazed coldly at the horizon: "Night is falling. Quiet your qi and follow me silently—don't let anyone spot you."

The five servants immediately bowed and suppressed their qi, following him in silence.

The eastern side of Zhuoying Gorge was a river carved by rainwater; the six of them raced along its bank, swiftly weaving through dense forest, steps like wind.

Throughout, Huo Hong turned back multiple times, yet his pace never slowed.

After about an hour of running, the night became thick as viscous black liquid poured from the sky, deepening the forest's stillness.

Huo Hong led the five past a patch of frozen earth, then suddenly halted, gripping his waist-long blade lightly with his right hand, and turned his gaze backward.

The five servants behind him stopped, exchanged glances, confused—why had their master stopped here?

At that moment, Huo Hong's voice rang out from the empty forest.

"You've done well—suppressing your qi and hiding your movements within the footsteps of my servants."

"But the sixth sense of spiritual sense is sometimes uncanny; even though I detected nothing, I still knew someone was following."

"Since you've come this far, why not step forward and show yourselves?"

His words faded, yet silence remained—no sign of life in the woods.

Huo Hong's face hardened again: "Now that I know someone's tracking me, aren't you afraid I'll deliberately change course and lead you on a wild chase through the forest?"

With those words, stillness finally broke.

Figures emerged from behind ancient trees and thickets—his old companions from the snowlands, the ones who had journeyed with him to the Demon Tribes, along with their disciples.

Jiang Chenfeng stood at the front, hand resting on his sword hilt, yet his smile remained unchanged: "Huo Brother, what a coincidence."

Huo Hong smiled faintly: "I'm just like this—when something weighs on my mind, I can't hide it. Easy to spot."

"Huo Brother, don't misunderstand," Xie Chenyu from Tianjian Peak stepped forward: "We're merely curious why your movements have been so secretive—nothing more."

Huo Hong pondered a moment: "Is it because I didn't speak with you tonight, or because people keep sending me messages?"

"Both."

"Looks like I should be more careful with this habit…"

Jiang Chenfeng cleared his throat, cutting off their idle talk: "I assume Huo Brother has confirmed the Bu family's whereabouts?"

Huo Hong looked at them, smiling faintly: "I merely spotted some traces. Thought if fortune favored me, I might land the first success and earn a breakthrough elixir."

"Huo Brother has such information and won't share even a hint with us?"

"We're not from the same sect."

Jiang Chenfeng bowed slightly: "Finding clues is your skill, but since nothing's confirmed, it's likely false. I have little interest—farewell."

Tu Ben had planned to press Huo Hong further on why the information was so secret, but hadn't expected his senior brother to leave so abruptly.

After a moment of confusion, he could only hurry after him, puzzled why his senior had believed him so easily.

Meanwhile, the others paused thoughtfully, then followed Jiang Chenfeng's example, bowing and departing.

Only after the last person left did the forest fall silent again; the five servants turned back to Huo Hong.

But Huo Hong didn't leave—he sat on a flat green stone, eyes fixed on the direction the others had gone.

The night grew thicker, clouds veiling the moon; only a faint glimmer of sky-light cooled his cold face.

Long after, footsteps began to sound in the forest, drawing nearer.

The old friends who had left returned, gradually reaching the spot where they'd originally departed.

But this time, only the old companions from the snowlands came back—their fellow disciples who had trailed Huo Hong earlier did not follow.

"Why have you returned?"

"Nothing much—just wanted to lend you a hand. We feared you'd refuse, but now it seems you were waiting for us."

Jiang Chenfeng spoke, his smile unchanged.

Huo Hong's secretive behavior was utterly unlike his usual self—anyone with half a brain knew his story was far from simple.

More crucially, he claimed he sought fortune and a breakthrough elixir.

But none of the five men with him were from Shanhaige—they were all his personal attendants.

So from the start, they didn't believe him.

And deep down, they seemed to understand Huo Hong's intent.

He wanted to sever ties with Shanhaige and claim the opportunity alone.

Coincidentally, they'd entertained the same thought.

Since entering Dongping Mountain, they'd had almost no contact with the outside world and knew little about the Bu family.

But none of them were fools—they'd all reached the Merge with the Dao realm.

They'd long wondered: why was a minor, fallen clan so formidable? Why did every immortal sect insist on capturing them alive?

The only conclusion: something far more alluring lay hidden.

They held high status in their own sects, yet were still treated as outsiders.

And from years of experience, they knew that even if they found the opportunity, it would likely have nothing to do with them.

So they dismissed their accompanying disciples and returned here with only their own people.

After a long silence, Huo Hong spoke: "You don't believe me? But everything I said was true—I didn't hide any riddles."

Jiang Chenfeng looked at him: "A few days ago, I heard a rumor—that Shanhaige's Patriarch has decided to let your direct disciple, Huo Xingzhong, attempt to wield the Sacred Artifact. Huo Brother, do you know if this is true?"

The casual tone faded; Huo Hong's face darkened instantly, his eyes flashing with venom.

He was the Patriarch's son, Huo Xingzhong's half-brother—his status should have been exalted.

But his mother was merely a lowly woman taken by the Patriarch during a moment of spiritual confusion.

Because of that, he endured countless humiliations in Shanhaige.

His elder brother, Huo Xingzhong, even called him "bastard."

Yet they shared the same blood—why couldn't he be a direct disciple? Why couldn't he reclaim his ancestral name?

That's why, in the Demon Emperor's City, he pursued Princess Fengyang—to elevate his status…

After returning from the Sacred Ground, he heard another rumor: his father had decided to let Huo Xingzhong attempt to control the Sacred Artifact.

At that moment, his resentment reached its peak.

So Jiang Chenfeng's earlier words had struck the most painful nerve in his heart.

"Dou Yuan Kong's whereabouts were first discovered by Shanhaige. I participated in the city's siege—so I know more than you."

Long after, Huo Hong's voice finally broke the forest's silence.

Xie Chenyu stepped forward immediately: "What exactly do you mean, Huo Brother?"

"The Bu family has a collateral branch that manages wine estates. Their patriarch, Bu Qirong, was only a Tongxuan cultivator a year ago—now he's an Yingtian expert."

Huo Hong's gaze swept over them: "All the immortal sects have spent so much time trying to capture them alive—because they want the secret they carry."

At these words, everyone froze.

Because what Huo Hong said matched their own suspicions exactly.

Jiang Chenfeng lifted his head: "I've always thought your talent isn't inferior to your elder brother's. That's why I truly wish to aid you, Huo Brother."

Xie Chenyu and the others spoke with barely concealed excitement: "We're your old friends—we can't bear to see you risk everything alone."

Beneath the darkened sky, none could see each other's expressions.

But Huo Hong's cold laugh rang out clearly—he'd known the moment he was discovered: unless he let them share the spoils, today's plan would fail.

Because he knew these men were just like him.

Ambitious, yet stuck in a status too low to match their desires.

Such men have the strongest greed.

If he refused them, Shanhaige would find out.

His elder brother's nature was even crueler—he'd make Huo Hong die without a whole corpse.

But thinking differently, Huo Hong realized allying with them wasn't a bad idea.

He'd already wondered how he'd extract the captives under the noses of all the immortal sects—something impossible alone.

But with more people, the chance of success would rise.

Cultivation demands going with the flow. He felt this was fate's push—so why not go with it?

Huo Hong fell silent for a long time before speaking: "Bu Qirong's third son, Bu Hui, has just entered the Realm of Merging Dao and is the weakest in combat. He's currently alone in the mountains. He's greatly favored and must know the secrets within. I happen to know his location."

Jiang Chenfeng's eyes flickered with doubt: "Bu family's core members have never shown themselves—not even the Elders of the Immortal Sect could find them. How did you locate him?"

"Because I let them escape the city."

"???"

When searching for Dou Yuan Kong, the Shanhai Pavilion acted the fastest.

They had discovered the wine estate and fought a fierce battle with the Bu family, yet no one expected the key figures to vanish without a trace from the city.

No one knew how they did it—until now, the answer had appeared.

"I know a little about the Bu family because I once drank at their place. I sensed something wrong with their cultivation, and realized this was a tremendous opportunity."

"But if they were caught within the city, I'd have no chance at all."

"So I feigned a mistake and secretly sent men to follow them into the mountains—until today, when one finally went alone."

Jiang Chenfeng studied him deeply: "Huo Brother really knows how to endure."

Huo Hong clenched his fists: "Since ancient times, those who achieve great things must endure what others cannot. You and I are no different—our talents and insights are no lesser than anyone's. We should have achieved far greater things."

Among the Seven Emotions and Six Desires, greed is the most common.

They are not true Immortals, so they are no exception.

As his words faded, every gaze grew fiery, and a wild ambition began to drift on the wind…

Beneath the gloomy sky and heavy clouds, thunder rumbled endlessly.

Nine drifting figures descended from the air, landing silently on a solitary peak, standing as nine dark silhouettes on the cliff.

They turned their gaze toward the dense forest and saw three figures.

On either side were servants; in the middle stood a thin man—Bu Hui, as Huo Hong had described.

As previously said, these three seemed to have lost their way and were now frantically searching for a path.

A single glance confirmed he was under twenty.

His face still bore the innocence of youth, yet his aura unmistakably marked him as a Merging Dao cultivator.

Seeing this, Jiang Chenfeng and the others on the mountain grew even more eager.

A fully cultivated Lower Realm cultivator under twenty was already an exceedingly rare prodigy.

In the Qingyun Realm, if not for the Young Master of Lingjian Mountain, a Merging Dao cultivator under twenty would be pure fantasy.

Precisely because of this, the opportunity now seemed even greater in their hearts.

Only Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai showed a hint of hesitation in their eyes.

One reason was the terrifying nature of seizing the opportunity hidden within the Demon Seed; the other was the anxiety of acting secretly against the Immortal Sect.

The Immortal Sect held Sacred Artifacts and stood supreme over the entire Qingyun Realm, causing countless noble families to submit.

For cultivators, even entertaining the thought of betraying the Immortal Sect was not easy.

But there was no time for further thought—a faint metallic hum suddenly rang out.

Five figures struck first, descending like swift lightning through the dark night, instantly surrounding the entire mountainside.

Amid the howling killing intent, the man named Bu Hui instantly showed a look of terror.

His two old servants immediately flanked him, shielding him between them.

Xie Chenyu gripped his longsword and spoke coldly: "Surrender. We don't want your life. If you cooperate, answer our questions, and you may leave freely."

"Young Master, run!"

Whir!

With a roar, thick demonic energy surged violently.

In an instant, the two old servants transformed into Demon Seeds—muscular bodies lunged forward with ferocity, sharp claws piercing the air.

Xie Chenyu's pupils contracted sharply; he stepped back, raising his hand as spiritual energy gathered rapidly. His iron sword slashed downward with roaring force, meeting the claws head-on.

Clang!

The clash of metal echoed through the night, sparks flying everywhere.

Xie Chenyu had underestimated the demonic energy of the two Demon Seeds—he was thrown off-balance by just one exchange.

Before he could regain his stance, the old servant leapt upward, his mind consumed by demonic rage. His attacks were decisive; his left claw pierced the air instantly.

Fortunately, Xie Chenyu was not alone.

As the venomous claw descended, a streak of purple lightning split the air, blasting one old servant sideways.

Jiang Yuerou hovered in midair, her palm Ningju thunder.

But as the two Demon Seeds launched their fierce assault, the terrified Bu Hui managed to break free from the encirclement and fled forward in panic.

Seeing this, Jiang Chenfeng and Huo Hong instantly leapt from the cliff.

Whoosh—

As their robes whipped violently in the gale, a longsword and an iron blade shot forth like twin flashes of cold light, chasing after his escape route.

The two transformed Demon Seed servants swung their claws like a whirlwind, black, razor-sharp finger-missiles slicing toward the five, then turned to pursue Jiang Chenfeng and Huo Hong.

This ambush should have ended swiftly—otherwise, the risk would grow.

Seeing this, Jiang Yan and Yan Qiubai no longer hesitated—their figures vanished from the peak.

Shing!

A Dao sword soared into the sky; a brilliant blade of light slashed from behind to front.

The left old servant was instantly cut down, his hardened body scraping noisily across the rocky ground until it shattered a green stone cliff and stopped.

Then an iron blade flew upward—Tu Ri used his entire spiritual energy as a bow, spiritual energy as the string, ignoring the pain in his trembling arm, driving the blade straight into the Demon Seed's heart.

At the same moment, Lu Dacheng raised his arm, light flashing in his grasp.

A black, forked magical artifact shot through the air, pinning the other Demon Seed firmly against the mountain wall.

Here, the prodigies stood in a line, heads held high, their proud expressions advancing step by step toward Bu Hui.

Terrified, Bu Hui stumbled backward until he fell with a thud.

Seeing this, Huo Hong and Jiang Chenfeng smiled faintly: "Young Master Bu, no need to panic. We already said—we won't take your life. Just tell us what we want to know, and you're free to go."

Bu Hui immediately trembled: "I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything!"

"Do you know what we want to ask?"

"No matter what you want to know, I'll tell you everything I know!"

"?"

The prodigies were slightly stunned—they had never expected Bu Hui to be so cooperative.

In their line of sight, Bu Hui clenched his sleeve, his pale face trembling as he lifted it.

"Father said someone has been following me, but they haven't attacked. So my eldest brother said these people must be trying to capture us alone, behind everyone else's back."

"My second brother said it's good—because the Immortal Sect's great ones are elusive and hard to evade, but you aren't."

"The path you took was clearly chosen carefully, avoiding everyone. No one knows you're here, no reinforcements will come. So it's the safest route—easy to come, easy to leave, as long as you're kind enough to guide us."

"I begged Father to come with us, but he said sticking together makes too big a target, too much risk, and invites endless pursuit. Only by staying behind can he ensure our safety and leave a legacy for the family."

"Because I'm the youngest, my older brothers always bullied me, forcing me to do things I didn't want to."

"They forced me to come this time. Ask them—it's not my fault! It's really not my fault!"

Bu Hui's voice was hoarse and trembling, tears streaming—he was utterly terrified.

But the nine prodigies, who had moments ago held their heads high, now turned pale with shock.

Boom!

In the forest, two far greater waves of chilling demonic energy rapidly approached.

Before he could react, Jiang Chenfeng felt searing pain—and was flung violently through the air.

(End of Chapter)