Chapter 331: Unraveling the Plan

In the narrow space, figures flitted back and forth with speed.

Holy Mother A-Yue locked her eyes on Chen Fei, but soon had no choice but to give up.

He was far too fast—she couldn’t even locate his exact position, let alone cast any spells to affect him.

“As expected of a dog from Heaven’s Apex! Don’t let him escape!”

The cultists couldn’t land a single hit on Chen Fei and could only throw spells and techniques to create interference.

But such attacks were hardly worth mentioning.

Under Chen Fei’s fierce counterattack, the Matriarch Cult’s members were suffering heavy casualties instead!

Amu’s expression had completely shifted.

Gone was the unsettling “benevolent” smile she usually wore—

replaced by a bone-chilling, cold glare.

“Heaven’s Apex may be a righteous sect of the Xuanhuang Continent,

but I want to see how you’ll escape this trap!”

With a cold snort, she waved her hand, and the walls of the room shattered.

Outside were throngs of dazed civilians, their faces vacant as they murmured strange chants.

Chen Fei’s eyes narrowed as he assessed the scene.

These cult followers had clearly lost their own consciousness.

At Amu’s chanting, their lifeless eyes turned crimson,

and they lunged toward Chen Fei like beasts.

This situation troubled Chen Fei.

These were innocent civilians—brainwashed perhaps, but not cultivators.

He couldn’t just cut them down.

Burdened by guilt, he made a bold decision.

With a leap, he flashed past the mob, appearing right next to A-Yue, whose face turned pale in shock.

“What do you want?! Stay away from me!”

She panicked, but was utterly powerless to resist.

“You’d better calm down,”

Chen Fei warned coldly, tightening his grip around her throat and turning to glare at Amu.

Amu’s face darkened.

“Do you think I’ll let you go just because you’ve caught a mere Holy Mother?”

Chen Fei chuckled.

“If she were just any Holy Mother, maybe.

But she’s different.”

He gripped A-Yue’s throat tighter.

“Wanna test that theory?”

Amu’s brow furrowed, and though her nervousness flashed only briefly,

Chen Fei noticed it instantly.

“Then go ahead and try!”

Amu barked, waving the red-eyed crowd forward.

Chen Fei’s fingers tightened further.

A-Yue, who had been struggling, began to weaken—

her hands clawing at his with less and less strength.

“Enough!”

Amu finally caved, shouting in frustration.

“Let her go, and I’ll let you leave!”

Chen Fei laughed coldly, knocked A-Yue unconscious,

stuffed her into his Ziqing Palace, and vanished with a leap.

“Amu!”

The cultists turned toward her, stunned.

“Shut up! All of you!”

Amu barked.

“Find her! Retrieve Holy Mother A-Yue at all costs—

or we’ll all die!”

The Matriarch Cult’s experts looked at one another in disbelief.

What they thought would be an easy hunt for a young Heaven’s Apex genius

had turned into an embarrassing failure.

Meanwhile, Chen Fei fled swiftly from Mutuo,

heading for the nearby Loess Plateau—a desolate, yellow wasteland of rolling mounds and crisscrossed gullies.

It was barren and vast, with no trees or grass,

but Chen Fei found a deep ravine to hide in.

Here, the uneven terrain made it incredibly hard for anyone to track him down.

Fortune favored him.

He quickly located the entrance to a natural limestone cave—

cold and damp, but adequate for shelter.

He didn’t rush to counterattack.

Instead, he sat down to analyze everything that had happened.

It was now abundantly clear—

Eastern Pavilion Nation was a trap, and Heaven’s Apex had walked straight into it.

Narrowing his eyes, Chen Fei waved his hand, and Holy Mother A-Yue appeared in front of him.

“Stop pretending.

You didn’t think such a small trick would let you escape me, did you?”

But A-Yue kept her eyes shut, playing unconscious.

“Still faking it?” Chen Fei sighed.

“Honestly, you’re not even good-looking—

but if I have to make do, I suppose I could manage.”

At this, A-Yue snapped her eyes open, flushed with rage.

“You call yourself a Heaven’s Apex disciple, and yet you’re this shameless?!”

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow.

“Coming from a cultist, that’s rich.”

Despite her angry posturing, Chen Fei could tell—

this girl was far more innocent than she pretended to be.

Her mentality was like a naive child’s.

That didn’t align with what he’d expect from a cultist.

But considering how Amu had weaponized innocent civilians,

it was obvious the Matriarch Cult was no group of saints.

Yet somehow, someone like A-Yue existed among them—

as pure as a white lotus.

This inconsistency only confirmed his suspicion—

A-Yue’s identity wasn’t ordinary.

“Hmph! The Matriarch Cult exists to save the suffering and deliver peace to all beings!

We are nothing like your Heaven’s Apex, always putting yourselves first!”

A-Yue huffed, completely convinced in her ideals.

“Let’s talk, then.

What plans have you made in Eastern Pavilion?”

Chen Fei asked while lighting a campfire.

The cave was freezing, even for someone with Mystic Realm cultivation.

There was definitely something strange about this place,

but now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

“You think I’d just tell you?”

A-Yue sneered.

Chen Fei stirred the fire and glanced sideways at her.

“No cooperation, huh?

Then I guess I’ll have to try… other methods.”

A-Yue’s expression shifted.

She quickly crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, alert.

“W-What are you trying to do?!”

Chen Fei rolled his eyes.

“Don’t flatter yourself.

You think you’re my type?”

Her expression twisted from rage to deep offense and embarrassment.

Clearly, she had misunderstood him—

but now she was offended that he wasn’t interested in her.

Watching her face cycle through so many emotions,

Chen Fei found himself speechless.

What exactly is going on in that head of hers…?

Still, this wasn’t the time for jokes.

His priority was to uncover the Matriarch Cult’s plan.

Though he possessed Mystic Realm strength,

he was far from invincible.

If Eastern Pavilion really was a death trap,

even Heaven-Path Realm cultivators could perish if careless.

In such a dangerous environment, Chen Fei’s first goal was clear:

survival.

“Tell me.

If you do, I’ll let you go.”

Chen Fei offered.

But A-Yue turned her head away like a stubborn child.

“Hmph!

Why would I tell you anything?!”

Chen Fei raised an eyebrow.

Still doesn’t get the situation, huh…

Looks like it’s time to give this brat a real lesson in reality.