"Zhū Jǐn's Mansion."
All the demons and devils were intimidated by Chen Piao's reputation.
For a moment, no one dared to utter a sound among the crowd, as if everyone were afraid that Chen Pu might discover them and thus avoid bringing more danger upon themselves.
The Leopard King's face changed constantly as he pondered ways to escape.
Hm, he's thinking of running away even before he's seen Chen Pu.
Wu Kejiu, Long Nǚ Sānjiǔ, and Ding Xu et al. were not too frightened because they were old acquaintances of Chen Yun.
However, they felt that, with Chen Yun standing on the opposite side today, it seemed as though things had become complicated.
Having spent a year in the cave of Yueyun Lake, Wu Kejiu, Long Nǚ Sānjiǔ, and Ding Xu et al. should know very well how powerful Chen Yun is.
They dare to say that if they face Chen Yun, scattering and fleeing, it may not be able to escape.
In fact, Wu Kejiu, Long Nǚ Sānjiǔ, Ding Xu, and others are relatively safe. They know that Chen Yun is quite sentimental and should not do anything harmful to them.
However, the Ghost King Wei Shù's heart was pounding like a drum inside.
Although he commanded two ghost generals, five ghost generals, and eight thousand ghost soldiers, his power seemed very powerful. However, he had heard that Chen Pu had killed a demon king with more power than him more than ten years ago.
Now, after more than a decade has passed, who knows how much his cultivation has improved?
Even the Ghost King Wei Shù could imagine being exposed by Chen Pu in a split second.
Zhu Jin could achieve the position of second-in-command in Wu Guo's military and government, so his ability to observe and understand people's intentions must be excellent.
He immediately noticed that the many evil spirits and outcasts who had just been boasting and threatening had changed their expressions. He felt very curious, couldn't it be that this Chen Pu was actually quite formidable?
Upon considering this, Zhu Jin couldn't help but speak up and ask, "Oh my lords, what qualifications does Chen Pu possess?"
The Leopard King sighed bitterly and said, "You didn't just hear him introduce himself? Zongnanshan Qinyang Cave's transmission of Dao teachings, a high disciple under Zhengyang True Man!"
Zhu Jin asked, "Who is the Zhengyang True Man?"
The Leopard King sighed and explained, "Zhengyang True Man is Han Zhongli, one of the Eight Immortals."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jin was startled greatly, "Ah? Chen Pu's background is so formidable?"
"His background is big, but that's not the most important thing. Moreover, the king heard that Zhengyang True Man seems to have committed a celestial law violation and been imprisoned in the sky's prison." Ghost King Wei Shù said with a serious face: "But this Mr. Chen Pu…"
Zhu Jin pursued further, "How so?"
Ghost King Wei Shù showed a bitter expression, "This person is particularly terrifying, his reputation echoes across mountains and rivers."
Zhu Jin, slightly disbelieving, asked, "Could it be that terrifying? Why haven't I ever heard of his name?"
The Leopard King said with a sense of melancholy, "You may not know the great name of Mr. Chen Pu, but you should have heard some of his deeds."
During this period, Wu Kejiu, Long Nǚ Sānjiǔ, and Ding Xu et al. only smiled bitterly and sat there without uttering a sound.
Zhu Jin was puzzled and asked, "What remarkable deeds does he have?"
"Well, I'll tell you the story so that you don't think we're unwilling to help." The Leopard King heaved a deep sigh and said, "Mr. Chen Pu's fame surged suddenly more than twenty years ago in Shu. At that time, in Liuxi City near Mount Emei, there was a master disciple of a heretical sect who caused chaos. That heretic was called Yin Wují. His cultivation was not too profound; it was said he only possessed the power of an upper-level mage. However, at that time, Mr. Chen's cultivation was even lower, only at the level of a middle mage, and yet he bravely slew Yin Wují."
Zhu Jin interrupted, "I've heard from the great sages that you all have mentioned about cultivation levels. For you guys, I suppose an upper-level mage is not much of a deal, right?"
The Leopard King said, "Hey, Deputy Governor Zhu, please let me continue."
Zhu Jin could only say, "Bao King, please go ahead."
The Leopard King nodded slightly and continued, "After forcefully slaying Yin Wují, Mr. Chen's name spread far and wide. Who would have thought that later, in Liuzhou, there was a ghost king, four ghost generals, and over ten thousand ghost soldiers causing trouble, causing great distress to the people. Mr. Chen's compassionate heart couldn't bear to see the suffering of the people. He traveled thousands of miles with his disciples and spirit warriors to go there. He also wiped out the ghost king, ghost generals, and ghost soldiers. That was a ghost king who commanded over ten thousand ghosts! Even King Wei has only commanded eight thousand ghosts at such a realm."
Ghost King Wei Shù explained, "I am dedicated to righteousness and only hope to enter the Taoist path, so I usually don't stir up trouble and have not incorporated too many ghost soldiers."
"Eight thousand ghosts can already rule a region and command respect even from the local land god. I bow to your wisdom, Ghost King Wei Shù," said the Leopard King, praising him. Then he turned to Zhu Jin and asked, "Imagine if there were tens of thousands of ghosts. What kind of significance would that be? Yet, despite having tens of thousands of ghosts at their disposal, Mr. Chen carried out the destruction of all your disciples and spirit warriors with his own. How could we dare to go up against him?"
Zhu Jin hadn't expected Chen Yun's achievements to be so brilliant, causing his face to fluctuate in color.
Little did he know that even more astonishing things were yet to come.
The Leopard King again revealed a bitter smile, "But unfortunately, Mr. Chen's most impressive achievement was not of that nature."
"Oh?" Zhu Jin was startled, "Erasing tens of thousands of ghosts is not the most sensational thing?"
"Yes," the Leopard King nodded deeply, his eyes revealing a mix of admiration and fear, "The most sensational feat of Mr. Chen was the massacre of a demon king, eight demon lieutenants, ten demon captains, and thirty thousand junior demons in Dengzhou eighteen years ago!"
Zhu Jin was shocked, "Was it Mr. Chen who resolved the demon king's rampage in Dengzhou over eighteen years ago?"
The Leopard King glanced at him and asked in return, "Now do you understand why we hear the great name of Mr. Chen Pu and remain motionless here?"
Ghost King Wei Shù sighed, "Mr. Chen Pu is far too powerful. He has a multitude of strong disciples and thousands of spirit warriors under his command. My companions and I are afraid that we are no match for him. If he were to come alone, perhaps my Lord and I, along with the head of the Wu sect, could lead our forces to confront him, with a minuscule chance of success."
"I'm sorry, but we would not intervene if the opponent is Mr. Chen," Wu Kejiu said directly.
The others thought that Wu Kejiu was scared and didn't dwell on it.
Unexpectedly, Wu Kejiu continued, "We had once accompanied Mr. Chen to the Cave of Yueyun Lake, where we stayed for over a year. During that time, we witnessed many awe-inspiring events by Mr. Chen. I can very responsibly say that if we engage in battle with him, we will be utterly defeated."
"Um?" Ghost King Wei Shù showed a keen interest and asked, "What great deeds did Mr. Chen accomplish in the Cave of Yueyun Lake that you all witnessed?"
Zhu Jin and the others also looked at each other with curiosity.
Wu Kejiu pondered for a moment and decided to explain the situation to the others to avoid further provoking Chen Yun and attracting fatal consequences.
He organized his words and said, "In the beginning, when we first entered the Cave of Yueyun Lake, we encountered a group of swordsmen. Among them was a swordmaster named Yuan Chu. Although he only had the cultivation level of a middle-period upper-level mage, his combat prowess was particularly terrifying. It is said that he once defeated a ferocious beast, the water python, whose strength was comparable to an early-phase high-grade mage. Even so formidable a person, when using the lethal techniques from the 'Heavenly Evade Sword Technique,' could not break through Mr. Chen's..."
He recounted the deeds he and his companions witnessed during their time in the Cave of Yueyun Lake.
At first, when the crowd heard Chen Yun withstand Yuan Chu's "Heavenly Evade Sword Technique," they were only amazed, feeling that his physical defense was too formidable.
However, as Wu Kejiu continued his story, the crowd became startled and excited all at once.
One sword strike killed a giant water python with a body length of several li!
Transformed into a magnificent rooster that scared away a giant centipede with the power of a ground fairy!
Withstood the power of an ice ring artifact and blasted a powerful enemy with lightning!
Even the formidable Yin Huo Dao Ren Lü Cheng was slain by him!
Eliminated the demon master Mei Lin, whose strength was comparable to that of a mid-level high-grade mage!
He also subdued a Demon Lord-level dragon!
"What... what?"
"Wow, Mr. Chen is even more terrifying than we thought!"
"He actually exhibited such fearsome power within the Cave of Yueyun Lake?"
Zhu Jin and the rest of the demons and ghosts present were all stirred up in shock.
These accomplishments, each one awe-inspiring, would be enough to make anyone famous if bestowed upon them.
And now, all these magnificent achievements are credited to Chen Yun?
Zhu Jin's heart was shaking with fear.
The Leopard King was already scared, and now his legs began to tremble, making him even more afraid.
Ghost King Wei Shù wasn't much better. His eyes were filled with fear, truly intimidated by Chen Yun's achievements.
Wu Kejiu briefly explained the situation and sighed, "Therefore, regardless of whether we have any old acquaintances with Mr. Chen, my brother and I, along with many of our sisters and brothers, do not wish to face him in battle to seek our own demise."
Zhu Jin was utterly despondent. He really hadn't expected that Xu Zhijiao could summon such a powerful immortal and expert, Chen Yun. This couldn't be any clearer than a sign from heaven that it was time for Zhu Jin to die.
At this moment, the atmosphere was somewhat stagnant.
Suddenly, the vast and towering voice resounded once again across the heavens and earth.
"Yo there, Ghost King and Leopard Spirit, if you do not come out quickly to face death, do not blame the Taoist for his ruthless nature, as I shall thunder five lightning strikes upon your foreheads!"
This sudden declaration caused Ghost King Wei Shù and the Leopard King, as well as other demons, to be both shocked and angry.
Shocked by the realization that they had already been locked down by Chen Yun's aura, they now realized that escaping was impossible.
Angry was the fact that they had already retreated into the city and refused to engage in battle, yet the other side was still relentless in their pursuit and extermination.
Despite the combined shock and anger, Ghost King Wei Shù and the Leopard King, as well as other demons, were still dared not to say anything out of fear that they might further anger Chen Pu, who would then unleash his full fury and charge into the city without regard for anything.
Zhu Jin saw that the demons still hesitated to engage in battle, and he himself was in great danger. Clenching his teeth, he deliberately fan the flames by saying, "Since they have come knocking on our door, my respected kings and immortals, if there is no response from you all, it will surely be a laughing stock for the world."
Taking a chance might give him a chance to survive.
If these demons don't dare to fight, he might truly be doomed.
Of course, Zhu Jin had to find a way to get Ghost King Wei Shù and the Leopard King to engage in battle.
Ghost King Wei Shù and the Leopard King also knew that they were locked down by Chen Yun's aura and had almost no chance of escape. At present, there seemed to be no better way than to fight back.
"Alright, Mr. Chen Pu is being provocative, I'll go out to meet him!"
Ghost King Wei Shù showed a gallant, self-sacrificing expression and decided to fight against Chen Yun.
The Leopard King feigned a tough demeanor, "Wei King is right. It's just about dying, I can't be afraid of Chen Pu! Let's go, let's fight him for three hundred rounds!"
Yeah, he says that's what he'll say, but in reality, he's already thought through the possibility that things might not go as planned. If things go awry, he plans to kneel and beg for mercy at the first opportunity.
The Leopard King wasn't an idiot; of course, he didn't want to fight to the death for Zhu Jin. He just wanted to live a good life.
Whether it was genuine anger or a display of courage, Zhu Jin, Ghost King Wei Shu, the Leopard King, and Wu Kejiu, among others, all headed towards the city gates.
Not long after, the group arrived at the city gates.
In the distance, an open field, there were thousands of cavalrymen lined up in formation.
In front of the cavalry, standing was a middle-aged sorcerer who was well-known to everyone—Xue Wenjie.
None of that is particularly significant.
The young Daoist sitting on the boulder suddenly drew everyone's attention.
What kind of Daoist is this?
From his appearance, he appears to be about seventeen or eighteen years old.
He looks unusually handsome, and with his tall and imposing figure, he is strikingly impressive.
What truly amazed Ghost King Wei Shù, the Leopard King, and others was the fact that the young Daoist seemed to be holding back his aura and inner energy, with not even a hint of their circulation being leaked out.
At such a young age, he is already approaching the extraordinary realm of returning to the primitive and true nature?
Ghost King Wei Shù and the Leopard King, as well as other demons, secretly trembled in their hearts.
Although they were startled, upon seeing this scene, each of them broke into joyous laughter.
Mr. Chen Pu came alone, without any disciples, martial arts weapons, or divine generals?
Although everyone knew that Mr. Chen Pu was very powerful and had extremely high cultivation.
But now, you are here all by yourself.
Could he really withstand the combined efforts of eight thousand demons and over a hundred demons?
With the slight fading of their fear, Ghost King Wei Shù and the Leopard King finally gathered enough courage to challenge Chen Yun to a duel.
(Chapter complete)
