Chapter 232: Planning a Double-Cross

Putting away the map, Chen Fei looked outside.

At this moment, he was lagging behind the main group. Ahead, the sounds of battle echoed through the skies. The entrance to the Chen Clan Ancestral Grounds no longer held its usual solemn majesty—perhaps due to the bloodshed, a faint red glow was visibly emanating from the entrance.

Chen Fei took a deep breath. The moment he thought about seeing Qin Shuang again, a flash of hatred appeared in his eyes.

“Slut, we’ll meet very soon!”

Inside the ancestral grounds, Qin Shuang stood before a blood-stained grave marker, a smile on her face.

“Master was right! The essence blood here is incredibly rich. If I absorb it, I might break through to the Profound Realm—at the very least, I can reach the peak of the Intermediate Yuan Realm!” she muttered excitedly.

If Chen Fei were here, he would be quite shocked. While he had made rapid progress lately, Qin Shuang’s improvement was even more terrifying.

She had already reached the peak of the Intermediate Yuan Realm—equal to his current cultivation.

This was partly due to her Three-Eyed Spirit Pupil, and partly due to the mysterious master she often spoke of.

“Chen Fei, you really are my lucky star!” Qin Shuang muttered as she subconsciously touched her belly, only for a flash of sorrow to pass across her face.

Taking a deep breath, her expression hardened.

“No one is allowed to disturb me. Anyone who dares enter—kill without mercy!”

Her domineering presence made even the people from Cloud Out Sect hesitate. No one dared defy her orders. They immediately withdrew from the area around the blood grave and stood guard outside.

Relatively speaking, this was the most overlooked part of the Chen Clan Ancestral Grounds. There were few treasures here, and with the Cloud Out Sect guarding it, no one dared to court trouble.

Chen Fei was one of the last to enter the ancestral grounds.

The moment he entered, a strange feeling of familiarity washed over him.

He raised an eyebrow in surprise.

He had almost no memory of the ancestral grounds—yet everything here felt familiar, especially the layout, as if he were returning to his own home…

Unfortunately, this familiar environment was being desecrated by invaders.

He frowned deeply. The feeling… was not good.

Originally, he planned to go straight to Qin Shuang. The Cloud Out Sect had schemed for this event for a long time and would definitely be gathered together—he wouldn’t have trouble finding her.

However, just as he was about to leave, he felt a strange pull—an ancestral bloodline summons.

It was an indescribable sensation. Looking toward the depths of the ancestral grounds, he furrowed his brows.

After a moment’s hesitation, he sighed and decided to follow the summoning.

The Chen Clan Ancestral Grounds were, in reality, a secret realm.

According to the clan’s history, it was this secret realm that allowed the Chen Clan to survive the Great Cataclysm, laying the foundation for their future.

The ancestral grounds had never remained static—every generation of Chen Clan members had contributed to its development. Needless to say, the treasures inside were abundant, which was why so many sought to plunder it.

Chen Fei moved quickly toward the direction of the bloodline pull.

Anyone he encountered along the way—he killed without hesitation.

It took three full hours before he reached the core area of the ancestral grounds.

The area was shrouded in mist, giving off a mysterious aura.

“Stop right there!”

Just as he was about to enter, a voice barked.

Turning his head, he saw a scar-faced man glaring at him.

“Kid, never seen you before!” Scarface sized him up with a hint of menace.

Chen Fei turned his head slightly and gave him a cold look. With demonic energy swirling around him, his face looked eerily sinister.

Scarface froze momentarily, then quickly said,

“Don’t misunderstand, friend! This is the Chen Clan’s core zone—it’s extremely dangerous. If you’re not of core Chen blood, stepping inside means certain death!”

“So?” Chen Fei replied flatly.

“I’m Wang Zhen of Lingnan. These men with me aren’t nobodies.” Scarface waved his hand, revealing a group of people hiding nearby.

“If you’re willing, we can explore this place together. How about it?”

Chen Fei thought for a moment, then smiled and nodded.

“If it’s that dangerous, then traveling together is acceptable.”

Wang Zhen grinned.

“Don’t worry, you won’t lose out with us. I spent a fortune acquiring this route. If our luck holds, we’ll make a fortune!”

He pulled out a map.

Although Chen Fei had some doubts about its authenticity, he said nothing and nodded.

Wang Zhen signaled to his men, who subtly surrounded Chen Fei—seemingly protecting him, but clearly forming a formation.

Upon entering the mist, Chen Fei immediately felt a sense of intimacy with the environment. His body seemed to become more active, and his capacity to absorb spiritual energy increased dramatically.

Clearly, cultivating here would yield excellent results.

However, Chen Fei no longer needed that kind of boost. With the Void Sky Cauldron in hand, cultivation had already become far easier—why limit himself to a single location?

Wang Zhen turned to his comrades. Seeing that the timing was right, he pulled out the treasure map and said,

“Friend, wait—beyond here, it’s extremely dangerous!”

“Oh? So you can’t wait to make your move already?” Chen Fei stopped and looked back at him calmly.

“Interesting. You knew and still came this far without blinking—I’m impressed,” Wang Zhen said, stroking his chin with a mocking smile. “When did you figure it out?”

Chen Fei nodded slightly.

“It was simple. First, this is the core zone—your so-called treasure map is clearly fake. Second, all of you surrounding me wasn’t protection—it was a formation to trap me and prevent escape.”

“Smart kid. Anyone who can get here isn’t a fool.” Wang Zhen nodded.

“But confidence can also be deadly. You’re still too young!”

Wang Zhen chuckled coldly, eyes filled with scorn.

“Everyone says the Chen Ancestral Grounds are full of treasures, but they forget—people are the real treasure! Why risk searching for loot when you can just rob someone? Isn’t that faster?” His smile was now cold and venomous.

Chen Fei nodded seriously.

“As the old saying goes: ‘A horse grows fat on night grass; a man grows rich on ill-gotten gains.’ You’re right. Thanks for the reminder.”

He genuinely agreed with Wang Zhen’s logic. Robbing was indeed faster than searching—provided one had the strength to back it up.

Otherwise, it wasn’t robbery—it was suicide.

“Kid! Confidence is good, but too much becomes arrogance! That’s when you start paying the price!” Wang Zhen’s face turned dark.

“And one more thing—you talk too much. Don’t you know that the more you talk, the quicker you die?”