Chapter 461

Chapter 461: Heart and Nature

In Daying City, there are not just one but hundreds of underground spaces, varying in size.

Each underground space can accommodate anywhere from thousands to just dozens or hundreds of people. The exact numbers remain unclear, as new underground spaces are continuously being excavated each year.

Some underground spaces have vanished or been abandoned due to various reasons.

Most of these spaces are interconnected by tunnels and linked to the surface, creating an extensive underground labyrinth.

Although Meng Fei had lived in the underground for several years, his activities were confined to his immediate area and a few nearby spaces, leaving him largely unaware of many aspects.

For two consecutive days, Wang Chen, guided by Meng Fei, ventured deep into several underground spaces for a firsthand look.

This young boy, blessed with exceptional talent, thrived on a diet of spiritual rice and beast meat, which nourished his Qi and blood, leading to a noticeable enhancement in his physique.

The rapidity of his recovery even took Wang Chen by surprise!

Indeed, the child of fortune was no ordinary individual; given the slightest opportunity, he demonstrated the potential to soar.

“This path leads to the Yinwind Cave,” Meng Fei explained on the fourth day underground, as he led Wang Chen into a new space. He pointed towards the entrance ahead, adding, “It’s rumored that evil spirits reside there. None of us dare to enter.”

Meng Fei’s voice carried a tone of regret and reluctance.

He had heard tales of special herbs and mushrooms growing within the Yinwind Cave, which could be exchanged for a considerable number of spirit stones.

Meng Fei had approached the entrance of this tunnel several times but had never found the courage to venture inside.

He wasn’t afraid of death itself; his fear was for his younger siblings, who would be left uncared for, leading to a more tragic fate.

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden gust of sinister wind blew out from the tunnel ahead.

Meng Fei shivered uncontrollably, his face turning pale.

He instinctively stepped back a couple of paces.

Noticing this, Wang Chen immediately cast a protective spell around him.

“Evil spirits are here!” Meng Fei exclaimed, trembling slightly before quickly regaining his composure, though his eyes remained wary.

Wang Chen narrowed his eyes at the tunnel entrance.

The eerie arrival of the sinister wind, coupled with the chilling dark energy, evoked unsettling thoughts in his mind.

The sinister wind disappeared as swiftly as it had come, leaving no trace.

Wang Chen had a foreboding feeling that the Yinwind Cave, accessible through this tunnel, was no benign place. It might well be a ticking bomb buried beneath Xun district, ready to erupt violently at any moment.

As the besieger of the Xun Celestial Guardian’s pavilion, he could not shirk this responsibility!

“Let’s head back for now,” Wang Chen decided, suppressing his urge to explore further, mindful of Meng Fei’s presence.

“Immortal Master, be careful!” Meng Fei suddenly warned, drawing the dagger from his waist, his eyes turning fierce.

Wang Chen quickly surveyed their surroundings and noticed five or six ragged individuals closing in, armed with sticks and weapons.

They stared fixedly at Wang Chen and Meng Fei, their eyes brimming with greed and bloodlust, like predators encircling their prey!

"Thieves!" Meng Fei’s voice quivered slightly.

The so-called thieves were marauders who roamed various underground spaces, surviving through plunder. Some of these thieves had committed crimes in Daying City and fled into the underground to evade capture, while others were born in the underground and colluded with bandits.

Thieves were inherently greedy and merciless, making them the most despised by the underground residents.

Meng Fei hadn’t expected to encounter thieves here, and there were as many as six of them! He deeply regretted bringing Wang Chen to this place.

The entrance to the tunnel leading to Yinwind Cave was secluded, with the nearest house hundreds of steps away. There would be no time to call for help, and few in the underground were kind-hearted; even if someone heard, they would likely turn a deaf ear.

The young boy couldn’t help but tighten his grip on the dagger in his hand.

The six thieves moved in unison, encircling the two. One of them, a muscular man with a fierce appearance, charged straight towards Wang Chen, suddenly accelerating as he swung his battle knife at Wang Chen’s head with full force.

This muscular man not only wielded a real weapon, but the blade sliced through the air, emitting a dazzling light.

An innate martial artist!

This man was quite cunning; he had hidden among his companions without revealing anything special, then suddenly unleashed his formidable strength upon approaching, intending to kill Wang Chen with a single blow.

Innate martial artists excel at close combat, and under such circumstances, even mid to high-level Qi Training cultivators could face defeat.

His strategy was indeed sound.

The problem was, not only was Wang Chen not a Qi Training cultivator at this moment, but even if he had not broken through to open a house, he was not someone an innate martial artist could easily scheme against.

Facing the thieves’ ferocious strike, Wang Chen merely raised a palm.

He struck out against the brilliant blade light!

Boom!

With a muffled sound, the blade light shattered and vanished like crashing waves.

The thief wielding the knife felt as if he had been struck head-on by a heavy hammer, his forward motion abruptly halted, then he exploded into pieces.

In the next moment, Wang Chen formed a spell with his hands and called out sharply, "Freeze!"

The other five thieves shuddered, their faces displaying immense shock.

They realized they were unable to move!

Body Freezing Technique!

As the saying goes, even if one has never seen a pig run, they’ve at least seen one walk. These thieves were not naive fools; they immediately understood that they had hit an impenetrable wall this time.

A wall that could not be thicker!

They wanted to beg for mercy, but found themselves unable to utter a word, frozen in place in a comical silence.

Wang Chen ignored these men and turned to the stunned boy beside him: "Their lives and deaths are up to you."

Though the thieves couldn’t move, their eyes were still able to shift, all turning to look at Meng Fei, their expressions pitiful.

Meng Fei snapped back to reality and tightened his grip on the dagger once more.

His hand trembled slightly, his eyes reddening, as he growled, "Thieves are beasts, they deserve to die!"

Meng Fei had once had both parents; though his life was hard, it was also happy.

However, misfortune struck, and his family was attacked by bandits, resulting in his parents’ untimely deaths, forcing him to struggle for survival in the underground with his young sister.

These thieves were not Meng Fei’s enemies, yet in his eyes, none of them were innocent!

The boy charged forward, plunging his dagger forcefully into one thief’s heart.

The man’s eyes bulged, his throat gurgling, before he collapsed to the ground.

Meng Fei pulled out the dagger, a spray of blood splattering onto him.

His courage waned as he attempted to kill a second thief, his hands and feet trembling.

"That’s enough."

Wang Chen did not allow Meng Fei to continue the slaughter.

He flicked his fingers, unleashing streams of energy that pierced through the heads of the other four thieves.

Just now, Wang Chen mainly wanted to assess Meng Fei’s character, not intending for him to be stained with too much blood at this moment.

Killing one was enough.