Chapter 431

Chapter 431: Ambush

With a leap and swoop, Wang Chen soared past the tightly packed houses and arrived in front of what appeared to be a temple with signs of life.

Though flying spells and tools couldn’t function properly in the Nine Dragons underground palace, over time, he had become familiar with the unique environment and developed a method for swift movement.

The city was eerily silent, and the main street was covered in dust, yet most Foundation Buildings remained intact.

Wang Chen found no trace of Evil Spirits or monsters anywhere.

A dead city.

Due to the absence of self-luminous stones and rare illuminating mushrooms, the overall lighting was very dim, making the firelight projecting from the temple particularly striking.

City God Temple.

Wang Chen looked up and saw the plaque hanging above the temple entrance, deciphering three True Seal characters.

The large doors of the City God Temple were made from an unknown material; after centuries, they showed no signs of decay or damage, and one of the doors stood ajar.

From a distance of about ten zhang, Wang Chen raised his hand and struck out.

Bang!

Accompanied by a dull thud, the other door thunderously swung open.

The interior of the temple Instantly came into Wang Chen’s view.

Inside the City God Temple, it was empty, with four sturdy stone pillars supporting the high dome.

Opposite the entrance stood a colossal statue.

The statue was over seven zhang tall, with a massive, heavily muscled build, clad in armor, wielding a great mace, exuding a fierce expression with lion-like eyes and wide nostrils.

Although the worshippers had long vanished, it still guarded the city!

Wang Chen noted that before the statue, a roaring bonfire burned brightly.

The firelight he had seen earlier clearly emanated from this bonfire.

Alongside the fire, a pile of bags and weapons lay scattered about.

It seemed a group of travelers had been resting here when they suddenly faced disaster, leaving behind their fire still burning.

Wang Chen didn’t enter the hall immediately but instead expanded his divine sense to thoroughly explore the temple.

He found nothing unusual.

Raising the Yaoguang Sword to protect himself, he stepped cautiously into the City God Temple.

Inside, it was very quiet, only the crackling sound of burning wood could be heard.

Judging by the ashes, the fire had been burning for quite some time, likely only lasting a minute or two more before extinguishing.

Then the question arose.

Who had started the bonfire here, and what caused them to vanish so suddenly?

Wang Chen frowned, a strange feeling rising in his heart.

After thinking for a moment, Wang Chen sat down next to the bonfire.

He took some twigs from his storage bag and added them to the fire.

Having finally detected signs of other people, Wang Chen decided to wait here for a while, hoping someone might return.

At the same time, he wanted to rest properly.

Sitting by the warm and bright fire, a heavy drowsiness crept over Wang Chen, making his eyelids grow heavy, perhaps due to his recent mental fatigue.

As he relaxed, his consciousness gradually faded, and soon he fell into a deep sleep.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, three shadowy figures slipped into the hall like ghosts.

They were two men and one woman, all cultivators!

Their robes were tattered, looking as though they hadn’t been cleaned or repaired for a long time. Each of them was dirty and disheveled, but their eyes, fixed on Wang Chen, gleamed brightly, like fierce beasts eyeing their prey.

“Hahaha!”

A scar-faced Male Cultivator danced and let out a raspy, unpleasant laugh. “What a big fat sheep!”

The female cultivator beside him licked her cracked lips and said, “Gan Ge, I haven’t had meat in ages.”

“Stop the chit-chat!”

The one-armed Male Cultivator said impatiently, “Let’s slaughter him quickly; there might be others coming!”

“Let me do it!”

The female cultivator eagerly volunteered, and without hesitation, waved her hand to launch a silver hairpin!

As the hairpin left her hand, it transformed into a streak of sharp light, shooting straight toward Wang Chen’s head.

The three of them were quite cautious, not approaching Wang Chen even after he was hit.

Ding!

Just as the silver hairpin was about to strike Wang Chen, it was suddenly flicked away by a raised finger.

Zing!

It changed direction and shot through the temple’s roof, disappearing out of sight.

Wang Chen, who had been sleeping, opened his eyes, sat up, and revealed a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown toward the newcomers.

The three cultivators were startled.

The scar-faced Male Cultivator shouted, “How did the Mysterious Deception Incense fail?”

“So it was Mysterious Deception Incense,” Wang Chen sniffed and smiled. “No wonder there was no smell.”

Mysterious Deception Incense was a special drug that could be mixed into firewood and burned, emitting no color or odor, making it hard to defend against.

This drug was particularly effective against Qi Training cultivators, putting them into a deep sleep without any signs.

A Purple Palace cultivator caught off guard would experience weakness in their muscles and bones, affecting their normal strength.

Wang Chen felt something was wrong the moment he stepped into the hall.

But he didn’t show any signs, pretending to be unaware, and simply sat down by the bonfire.

Luring the snake out of its hole!

In truth, this incense worked well against ordinary cultivators. In the special environment of the Nine Dragons underground palace, its effects were even more powerful. However, Wang Chen had already mastered the Heavenly Dragon Vajra True Method to the sixth level, forging an indestructible body.

Let alone the mere Mysterious Deception Incense, even a stronger drug like Drunken God Smoke would have little effect on him!

Invulnerable Vajra, immune to all poisons!

“Kill!”

The one-armed Male Cultivator, filled with bravado, did not retreat when their scheme was exposed. Instead, he roared and dashed toward Wang Chen.

He swung his only remaining arm and launched a punch at Wang Chen.

The one-armed Male Cultivator moved with incredible speed, reaching Wang Chen’s front in the blink of an eye.

His tightly clenched iron fist broke through the air silently, with the skin on his knuckles gleaming like metal.

The force of his punch caused ripples in the surrounding space.

At the same time, the scar-faced Male Cultivator swiftly threw a talisman.

A burst of spiritual light suddenly exploded!

The female cultivator next to him twisted her body, turning and sending dozens of cold rays flying from her hairstyle.

They shot toward Wang Chen’s lower body!

The three of them coordinated in perfect harmony, clearly accustomed to such a joint ambush.

Facing their surprise attack, Wang Chen did not dodge but raised his right palm to meet the iron fist hurtling toward him.

The one-armed Male Cultivator clearly excelled in Close Combat. His martial arts reached a high level, perfectly embodying the concept of enter the Dao through martial arts, having achieved the Qi Training ninth level.

Even a low-level Qi Training cultivator with magical shields would not be able to withstand this punch!

Clap!

Their fists and palms collided with a crisp sound.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment, and the one-armed Male Cultivator suddenly halted in place.

The ferocity in his eyes instantly turned into boundless horror!

The next moment, the one-armed Male Cultivator flew backward.

His fist erupted into a mist of blood, and his only arm twisted painfully, the white bones protruding through his skin!