Chapter 337

Chapter 337: Bandit Nest

"Ah!"

With a brief, agonizing scream, the middle-aged female cultivator who had ambushed Wang Chen was struck by the Fire Crow descending from above.

Her Protection shattered in an Instant, and she was immediately engulfed by scorching flames, turning to ashes in the blink of an eye!

Indeed, this middle-aged female cultivator was quite formidable, having reached the Qi Training seventh level.

Yet, she still couldn’t withstand a single strike from Wang Chen.

This illustrates the insurmountable gap between Qi Training cultivators and Purple Palace cultivators!

"Retreat!"

Upon witnessing this, the bandit leader’s eyes about to burst with rage, he immediately sprang backward, disappearing into the dense forest in an instant.

The remaining bandits scattered and fled in all directions.

They were well aware of Wang Chen’s prowess, each choosing a different path to escape.

Wang Chen reached out and recalled his Wind and Thunder Sword, then began his pursuit.

He paid no heed to the lesser bandits, focusing solely on tracking the leader.

Although unfamiliar with the terrain, given Wang Chen’s current cultivation level, catching up to this high-level Qi Training bandit was no challenge. Yet, he followed at a steady, unhurried pace.

This bandit leader had mastered some form of escape technique, darting through the forest with remarkable speed.

Moreover, he was exceedingly vigilant and cunning, his escape route erratic and unpredictable, zigzagging and leaping in all directions.

Even for cultivators of the same level, let alone Purple Palace cultivators, tracking him unnoticed was no simple feat.

Wang Chen maintained a distance of three to four hundred steps, cloaked by the Spirit Concealment Technique.

He then locked onto his target with his divine sense.

In this scenario, Wang Chen’s formidable soul attributes proved invaluable.

The bandit leader fled several miles through the mountainous terrain, completely oblivious to Wang Chen’s presence. Believing himself safe, he slowed his pace and altered his course.

After roughly the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the bandit leader halted before a cliff.

He warily scanned his surroundings, then swiftly vanished into the underbrush.

He disappeared without a trace.

Moments later, Wang Chen arrived at the cliff’s base.

He realized he had lost track of his quarry.

Yet, Wang Chen felt neither frustration nor disappointment. Instead, he meticulously surveyed the area.

Before him loomed a steep cliff, towering at least two to three hundred feet high.

The forest below was thick and dense, an ideal place for concealment.

Confident in his perceptive abilities, Wang Chen was certain the bandit wasn’t hiding nearby.

Perhaps he had fled using a magical artifact.

But where could he have gone?

He pondered for a moment, then raised his right hand, forming a sword finger with his index and middle fingers, and swept them across his eyes.

He activated the Cave Truth Technique!

In the next instant, the space around him unfolded into a more intricate and lifelike panorama within Wang Chen’s vision.

The scene before him shifted dramatically.

A path leading down to the base of the cliff suddenly materialized!

An Illusion Array!

An Illusion Array had been set up in front of the cliff, and it was remarkably sophisticated.

An ordinary cultivator would undoubtedly have been fooled.

But under the Purple Palace-level Cave Truth Technique, the enemy’s concealment was utterly exposed.

Wang Chen’s eyes traced the path, and he spotted the outline of a doorway etched into the cliff.

He knew with crystal clarity—he had found the Bandits’ Lair!

Without hesitation, Wang Chen sprang forward.

He slammed his palm against the cliff doorway!

Such cave entrances were inevitably protected by restrictions, and without the proper method of entry, brute force was the only option.

Boom!

Wang Chen’s strike was empowered by the Perfected Level Earth and Stone Technique, instantly transforming the solid rock into soft mud.

Then, a surge of potent mana blasted through, creating a hole roughly one square foot in size!

The stone door shuddered violently, and clumps of dirt cascaded down.

Wang Chen remained composed, delivering a second and then a third strike.

He widened the breach he had already made.

After five forceful blows, he had carved out a large hole big enough for an adult to pass through!

In a flash, Wang Chen slipped inside.

He didn’t forget to shield himself with the Spirit Light Shield—caution was always wise.

Beyond the door lay a hidden realm!

The Bandits’ Lair was vast, far beyond Wang Chen’s expectations.

Inside was a colossal cave, its ceiling adorned with countless hanging stalactites.

Though no sunlight reached this place, the stalactites and cave walls were dotted with Bioluminescent Mushrooms, casting a lightly milky glow that illuminated the surroundings clearly.

The ground was slick with moisture, and the air carried a faint, decaying scent.

Yet, there was no trace of any living soul.

Wang Chen pressed forward, his divine sense sweeping the area as he advanced.

After venturing two or three hundred steps into the cave, he suddenly sensed something amiss.

Before he could react, dozens of stalactites around him erupted in a dazzling light, their surfaces etched with countless runes. An invisible force instantly enveloped him!

Wang Chen suddenly felt as though he had been plunged into a quagmire; the mana within his body became sluggish and difficult to circulate.

Not only that, but the spiritual energy in the surrounding space vanished instantly, as if it had been forcibly expelled.

It created an area akin to a realm devoid of spiritual energy.

A spirit-sealing formation!

Wang Chen immediately realized what was happening.

The spirit-sealing formation was capable of isolating spiritual energy and sealing off a cultivator’s internal mana.

The practitioner who had set up this formation was highly skilled; they had cleverly utilized the cave’s unique environment, positioning the formation’s core on the stalactites, catching even Wang Chen off guard.

"Hahaha~"

A burst of maniacal laughter reached Wang Chen’s ears.

A group of gray-clothed bandits armed with crossbow arrows appeared around him, their cold, gleaming arrows aimed directly at his vital points.

The bandit leader, whom Wang Chen had been pursuing, now stood boldly in front of him.

He removed his cloth wrap, revealing a sinister and aged face.

"Wang Chen, village chief, didn’t expect this, did you?"

The bandit leader sneered, "I’ve been waiting for you to come knocking!"

Interesting.

Surrounded, Wang Chen smiled faintly, "Is everyone here now?"

The bandit leader was momentarily taken aback, then his face twisted in rage as he barked, "Kill!"

Without further ado, he issued the order to execute.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Crossbow arrows shot toward Wang Chen with deadly precision.

Due to the spirit-sealing formation’s effect, the magical spells attached to the arrows failed to activate, significantly reducing their power.

Nevertheless, the arrows were still formidable, capable of piercing through metal and stone!

At the same time, Wang Chen’s mana was severely restricted; the glow of his Spirit Light Shield dimmed, and its Defense weakened considerably.

In such a situation, the threat posed by the arrows was greatly amplified.

Moreover, after the first wave of arrows was unleashed, three gray-clothed bandits lunged at Wang Chen from different directions.

They moved with remarkable agility and an imposing presence, their weapons gleaming with a chilling light.

Their attacks were sharp, relentless, and filled with killing intent.

Innate experts!