Chapter 239: Seizing the Core

A palm appeared out of thin air behind Chen Fei, pressing directly onto his back.

“You finally showed yourself!” Chen Wansheng’s voice rang out once more, followed immediately by a surge of energy that intercepted the attacking palm.

“Chen Wansheng! You’re still alive?!” A gentle voice sounded, one that made it hard for anyone to feel hostile toward its owner based on sound alone.

Qin Shuang’s eyes sparkled with joy as she exclaimed in surprise, “Master! You’re here!”

The figure of Dingshan slowly emerged, his expression amused as he gazed at Chen Fei and the Blood Soul Beast.

Chen Wansheng also stepped forward from Chen Fei’s side. His figure was hunched, and his hair was a wild mess—completely unkempt, far removed from the image of a mighty elder in people’s memories.

Cough cough! “I’ve waited all these years, and finally, we meet again,” Chen Wansheng said, breaking into a fit of coughing before he could finish speaking.

Dingshan squinted his eyes. “So, you fooled everyone after all.”

“Isn’t that perfect?” Chen Wansheng chuckled cheerfully, his gaze shifting to Dingshan’s chest. “Recovered from that injury?”

Dingshan’s expression darkened.

But Chen Wansheng carried on nonchalantly, looking nostalgic. “Age catches up with us, doesn’t it? When was the last time we fought? Fifty years ago? No, that was when I slapped you across the face! Ah, it was thirty years ago—you didn’t enjoy that palm strike, did you?”

Chen Wansheng rambled, but every word was like an invisible strike, each one slapping Dingshan in the face.

Even someone with a good temper couldn’t endure this—let alone someone like Dingshan.

“Chen Wansheng! You think I don’t know your situation? Your Dao Realm is shattered! How much longer can you last? Once you die, the Chen Clan will be finished!” Dingshan growled.

Chen Wansheng merely sneered.

Once, that had indeed been his greatest concern—until he met Chen Fei.

With Chen Fei’s emergence, that weight had lifted. After all, he was no longer walking this path alone. Another talent had risen within the Chen Clan, and that was worth celebrating.

“Dingshan, this time, which side of your face are you offering? Left or right?” Chen Wansheng grinned.

“Chen Wansheng! You’re pushing it!” Dingshan snapped.

“Pushing it?” Chen Wansheng shook his head with a smirk. “You still don’t understand, do you?”

With a sweep of his sleeve, Chen Wansheng stepped forward, and at that moment, the Blood Soul Beast let out a pained roar. Its body began to melt.

Before everyone’s eyes, the beast gradually transformed into a blood-red palace!

The palace radiated solemn majesty, and above the entrance hung a violet plaque inscribed with three large characters: Zi Qing Palace.

Chen Fei instantly felt the weight on his shoulders lift. Without hesitation, he backed away, staring in shock at the sudden transformation.

“This is the true core of the Chen Clan’s ancestral grounds,” Chen Wansheng said bluntly. “Dingshan, is that girl your chosen one? She doesn’t seem all that impressive.”

“Qin Shuang, go! Seize the core!” Dingshan’s face lit with delight as the transformation completed.

He had finally pushed the Chen Clan to the brink—this was his closest opportunity to grasp the core!

Qin Shuang didn’t hesitate. With a flash of light, she entered the palace born of the beast’s remains.

“Go,” came Chen Wansheng’s gentle voice in Chen Fei’s ear.

With the Dao Realm pressure gone, the Xutian Cauldron trembled lightly, and the nearly depleted spiritual energy rushed back into Chen Fei’s body through the Wufeng Greatsword.

During the battle with the Blood Soul Beast, the sword had absorbed its essence—and now, that energy surged into Chen Fei, not only restoring his depleted reserves but also awakening residual power hidden within the Xutian Cauldron.

Chen Fei said nothing more. The moment Qin Shuang entered the palace, he followed close behind.

But just as he approached the entrance, Dingshan attacked once more!

“Sigh, you really don’t learn from past beatings,” Chen Wansheng sighed, raising his hand. With a gentle motion, he shattered Dingshan’s attack.

“Chen Wansheng! How many more times can you do this?” Dingshan growled, his expression dark.

Chen Wansheng sneered. “That depends—how many more face-slaps can you take?”

Dingshan exploded with fury and launched another strike. In an instant, the entire Chen ancestral ground trembled violently.

Despite his seemingly frail appearance, Chen Wansheng’s counterattacks held firm, even overwhelming Dingshan. The resulting pressure made Dingshan roar in frustration.

Meanwhile, Chen Fei entered the palace—but Qin Shuang was nowhere to be seen.

From the outside, the palace hadn’t looked particularly large. But inside, what met Chen Fei’s eyes left him stunned.

“So this is the power of the ancient immortals?” he muttered.

Floating mountains filled the air, an utterly different scene from the exterior.

No wonder the ancestor had said this was the true core of the Chen ancestral land.

Though both he and Qin Shuang had entered the palace one after the other, she had already vanished.

“Where’s the core?” Chen Fei frowned.

He knew nothing of this place, and locating the core here would be unimaginably difficult.

Dingshan, on the other hand, had prepared for years. He undoubtedly had clues—and Qin Shuang would likely find the core before him.

Chen Fei couldn’t waste time. He leapt forward, aiming for the nearest floating mountain.

But the moment he jumped, all the energy within him vanished.

“A flight-forbidding zone?” he muttered in disbelief. That meant he could only proceed on foot!

Still, for Chen Fei, that might be a blessing in disguise. His physical strength was more than enough to support rapid movement—even without flight, his speed wouldn’t suffer much.

Without hesitation, Chen Fei dashed toward the closest floating mountain.

The space within was vast, and after a while, Chen Fei finally realized the truth behind the phrase “the eye deceives the legs.” The path was far longer than it had seemed.

Yet this vastness reassured him—no matter how fast Qin Shuang was, could she really outrun him?

Perhaps due to centuries without visitors, treasures littered the area, shining so brightly that Chen Fei dared not use his spiritual vision—it would’ve overwhelmed his senses.

Everywhere he looked glowed gold, almost blindingly.

He didn’t know how long he had been running—but at last, he was close to the core.

The mountains floated high above the ground. In this forbidden flight zone, he’d need a teleportation array to reach them.

Scanning the surroundings, the long-dormant Xutian Cauldron suddenly began to vibrate.

Feeling this, Chen Fei’s face lit up with joy.

It was time.

He still didn’t know what the “core” actually was—but for something coveted by even Dao-level cultivators, it couldn’t be ordinary.

And now, the cauldron pulsed with overwhelming desire once again.

Chen Fei wasn’t about to miss his chance. Following its guidance, he pushed his speed to the limit.