Chapter 344

Chapter 344: Great Achievement

In Datian Village, at the Chen clan temple.

When Chen Anhe hurriedly arrived at the back hall, he saw Huang Deqi and the elderly woman from the Xu family sitting inside. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and panted, asking, “Lord Huang, what happened?”

The clan leader of the Chen family had received a letter of crane paper from the other party and had rushed over as quickly as possible. He felt as though his bones were about to fall apart.

But he had no choice; among the three of them, his cultivation level was the lowest, and he was accustomed to being ordered around by Huang Deqi.

Huang Deqi’s expression was grim: “Our village chief has been in the mountains for a long time, and there hasn’t been any news from there.”

Chen Anhe was startled: “What’s going on?”

He knew all too well how ruthless the group in the mountains could be.

Though Wang Chen was a Purple Palace cultivator, as the saying goes, even a roaring tiger cannot withstand a pack of wolves. With their schemes in play, he should have been caught in their trap.

Now, with no news, it clearly defied reason, and Chen Anhe immediately felt an ominous premonition.

“I’ve already sent someone to investigate in the mountains,” Huang Deqi said in a deep voice. “What worries me most is the mine. If something were to happen there…”

Before he could finish, they heard a faint “tap tap tap.”

Upon closer inspection, they realized it was Chen Anhe’s teeth chattering.

The old man was trembling with fear!

“What are you panicking for?”

Huang Deqi truly wished he could slap Chen Anhe: “The situation hasn’t reached that point yet. Don’t forget, Wang Chen is in the mine. If he hasn’t discovered anything, it’s fine, but if he has…”

“Humph.”

He sneered: “We’ll just have to find ourselves a new village chief!”

Chen Anhe, his face filled with despair, said, “But if he’s not dead and finds out about our connection with the Gray Wolf Bandits, what then? I told you there was no need for this; now…”

“Shut up!”

Huang Deqi exploded in anger: “Do you think I wanted this?

“Now that we’re all in this boat, we have no choice but to keep moving forward. Otherwise, neither of us will have a place to be buried. I didn’t call you here to waste time; we need to discuss what to do next!”

Chen Anhe fell silent, overwhelmed with regret.

If he had known it would come to this, he never would have let Huang Deqi drag him into this mess, risking his own life against the other party.

Now, with no benefits in sight, disaster was looming!

A heavy cloud of dread settled over Chen Anhe’s heart.

But he had no other choice.

He could only rack his brains and discuss the next steps with Huang Deqi and the elderly woman from the Xu family.

Meanwhile, as the three of them plotted in the temple, Wang Chen, deep within the mine, sensed something unusual from above.

A faint tremor began at the top of the underground, which soon grew into violent shaking.

Countless dust and stone fragments cascaded down, resembling a snowfall of gray-white frost.

Crack!

A sharp, crisp sound echoed as golden light streamed through fissures in the cave’s ceiling, silently dissolving the solid rock to carve out a vast hollow.

In the next instant, a pure, radiant spiritual light descended vertically from the cave.

It landed directly in front of Wang Chen.

As the light dispersed, a cultivator clad in a gray-blue robe, with a flying sword strapped to his back, emerged.

“Greetings, fellow traveler.”

Wang Chen promptly bowed in respect.

This cultivator was none other than Luo Zhen, a leader from the South Region Patrol Division of the West Sea Sect.

He was Wang Chen’s mentor; it was through his influence that Wang Chen had become the village chief of Datian Village.

The long-distance communication talisman Wang Chen had used earlier was a gift from Luo Zhen.

As per their agreement, Wang Chen was to use the talisman only in the most critical situations.

“Fellow traveler Wang.”

Luo Zhen reciprocated the greeting.

His eyes quickly scanned the cave, and his expression shifted slightly.

“The Wanhua Blood Pool!”

The Wanhua Blood Pool was a unique Demonic Tool, also considered a formation; its primary function was to condense the Qi and blood, magical energy, and souls of martial artists and cultivators to refine Wanhua Pills.

Wanhua Pills could enhance one’s cultivation level and extend lifespan, and they could also assist in achieving breakthroughs.

This was an irresistible temptation for many cultivators.

However, constructing a Wanhua Blood Pool to refine Wanhua Pills was strictly forbidden—anyone caught doing so must be eradicated without exception.

Those who engaged in such practices were typically demon cultivators!

Luo Zhen quickly realized that the Wanhua Blood Pool before him was nearing completion.

He couldn’t fathom how many innocent lives had been sacrificed!

A glint of killing intent flashed in Luo Zhen’s eyes: “Fellow traveler Wang!”

Given the involvement of demon cultivators and the Wanhua Blood Pool, although he was certain Wang Chen wasn’t involved, he had to thoroughly investigate the matter as per the West Sea Sect’s regulations.

Any discrepancies or flaws had to be scrutinized by the sect’s Punishment Division!

Wang Chen lifted his hand to seize the demon cultivator on the ground and pushed him towards Luo Zhen.

He succinctly recounted the entire incident without any embellishment or exaggeration.

Luo Zhen listened attentively until Wang Chen concluded, then nodded and said, “You did well.”

Until the full truth was uncovered, he couldn’t extend too much goodwill towards Wang Chen, so he focused his attention on the captured demon cultivator.

“Hmm?”

Luo Zhen suddenly reached out and rubbed the face of the demon cultivator, unexpectedly peeling off a thin, gossamer human skin mask.

An ugly, menacing face was immediately revealed!

“Yuan Shen Kui!”

Luo Zhen’s eyes widened in disbelief: “You actually captured him alive!”

Wang Chen had no idea who Yuan Shen Kui was, but Luo Zhen’s reaction made it clear that he was significant. After a moment’s thought, Wang Chen said, “He must have been injured, so I took advantage of the situation.”

During his life-and-death struggle with this demon cultivator earlier, Wang Chen had sensed that his aura was unstable.

The magical fluctuations were quite intense.

“Fellow traveler Wang, you have accomplished a great feat this time!”

Luo Zhen pointed to the floating demon cultivator and said: “Yuan Shen Kui has been wanted by our sect for capture, and the reward in the Contribution Hall has reached five thousand points.”

A significant achievement!

He looked deeply at Wang Chen: “That’s enough to exchange for a position among the inner sect disciples!”

The West Sea Sect was the premier immortal sect in the Mountain-Sea Realm, the undisputed ruler of the West Sea Spiritual Realm. Countless cultivators aspired to join.

For an outsider like Wang Chen, even with his Purple Palace cultivation, he would have to find connections to qualify for the entry assessment and then gradually make his way into the West Sea Sect.

He had endured numerous hardships and spent three years to attain merely the status of an Outer Sect Disciple.

Yet now, he was on the verge of a monumental leap!

Luo Zhen hailed from a prestigious family, and his demeanor was beyond compare. Yet, his feelings were quite complex at this moment.

Wang Chen smiled: “Without your guidance, fellow traveler, I wouldn’t have had such an opportunity. I wish to share this achievement with you!”