Chapter 164: Brother Jinbiao’s Darkening (Part 1)
Chapter 164: Brother Jinbiao’s Darkening (Part 1)
“Hmph!”
Hearing Jia Longwu’s startled cry, Tang Jinbiao showed no panic. Instead, he seemed calm, unnervingly calm.
“Why? Is this world still a world where humans devour humans?”
Tang Jinbiao lightly took a step, walking towards the cave entrance.
His heart was filled with confusion. He believed he had never wronged anyone, yet he was constantly schemed against and bullied.
“What happened to happily playing together?”
There was no anger in Tang Jinbiao’s eyes, only calm… a calm that felt frightening.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Step by step, he walked forward, stepping on the dry leaves and branches on the ground, producing crisp snapping sounds.
“Tang Jinbiao! Help me! Hurry! I’ve fallen into a trap!”
Jia Longwu’s startled cry echoed from within the cave once more.
Roar!
“Ah!”
A huge beast’s roar even accompanied Jia Longwu’s scream.
“Hmph!”
He could see everything inside the cave with complete clarity. There was no Demon Beast inside. Instead, seven or eight Cultivators were hiding within, poised to deliver a lethal strike against him at any moment.
Though he couldn’t see their expressions clearly, judging by their positions, they were clearly preparing to ambush him. Furthermore, one more person was concealed deep within the mountain’s belly.
“It’s you again!”
The person deeper within was distinctly different from the others. The others were merely fist-sized masses of Spiritual Energy, but the one hidden deeper back wasn’t composed solely of Spiritual Energy; it was a head-sized mass of Spiritual Energy entwined with a sphere of green, ghastly flame.
Over the past three months, he had become very proficient in using his Spirit Eyes. He could even gauge an opponent’s strength based on the size of the Spiritual Energy shaped by their body.
Cultivators in the Qi Condensation Stage possessed Spiritual Energy within like a wisp of loose mist. Foundation Establishment Cultivators condensed theirs into a fist-sized mass, with size varying slightly based on their Cultivation Level. Core Formation Cultivators manifested a head-sized concentration of energy. As for Nascent Soul Cultivators, since he hadn’t encountered any yet, he couldn’t determine what form their energy signature would take.
“Two Mid Foundation Building Stage, five Late Foundation Building Stage, and one Core Formation Cultivator… add Jia Longwu and Wei Wuya… Hmph, quite the luxurious lineup!”
Ignoring Jia Longwu’s screams echoing from the cave, Tang Jinbiao maintained his unhurried pace, walking step by step towards the entrance.
Roar!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Seeing Tang Jinbiao approach too slowly, the people inside seemed to start acting out their parts again. Tremendous roars and explosion sounds erupted from within.
“Hmph!”
The closer Tang Jinbiao got to the cave entrance, the colder the smirk inside his heart became.
This was the first time he had witnessed someone performing such a clownish act before his very eyes. This cold amusement even stirred a faint memory – he had once been viewed with such cold amusement by others, though those days were buried too deep in the past, almost forgotten by him.
Hum!
Though he clearly sensed a Restriction laid across the cave entrance, Tang Jinbiao chose to step inside regardless. However, as he entered, he lightly flicked his right index finger, sending a thread of Qi Energy towards a seemingly ordinary spot a short distance away.
Whoosh!
The barrier flickered gently and slowly dissipated as Tang Jinbiao stepped inside.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Roar!
The moment Tang Jinbiao entered, powerful shockwaves blasted toward him, making him slightly uncomfortable.
Not far ahead, he saw Jia Longwu locked in battle with a massive black bear nearly ten feet tall.
Roar!
The enormous bear roared and lunged toward Jia Longwu.
“Humph!”
Jia Longwu snorted coldly, swiftly dodging the attack. Sensing Tang Jinbiao’s arrival, she instantly rushed toward his location.
“Hehe!”
Tang Jinbiao found the scene increasingly absurd. Through ordinary sight and his current Divine Sense, the massive bear appeared genuine enough.
Yet, when he activated his Spirit Eyes, it became comically clear—this was no real beast, merely an illusion conjured by condensed Spiritual Energy.
“Tang Jinbiao! Run! This Demon Bear is a level-five Demon Beast! We stand no chance against it!”
Shouting with feigned terror, Jia Longwu sprinted toward him, though her eyes concealed a sharp, murderous intent.
“Hehe.”
Watching her approach, Tang Jinbiao let a weary sigh escape his lips. He shook his head softly, his eyes heavy with sorrow.
Thump.
Something about Tang Jinbiao’s expression made Jia Longwu’s heart skip an uneasy beat, as though she’d been laid bare before him.
“Tang Jinbiao! Why are you just standing there? Run!”
Despite the growing dread coiling in her gut, Jia Longwu pressed on with the act. Three whole months she’d spent gaining his trust, involving countless “sacrifices.”
“Heh…”
Tang Jinbiao gave another bitter shake of his head. His gaze drifted casually toward a few nearby spots.
These locations were precisely where Wei Wuya and his group lay hidden.
Thump.
Jia Longwu wasn’t the only one unsettled. Wei Wuya and the others stiffened under Tang Jinbiao’s lingering gaze—an unnerving feeling that their hiding places had been exposed washed over them.
“Tang Jinbiao!”
Her anxiety spiked when his eyes lingered precisely where Wei Wuya’s team hid—it was too deliberate, too knowing.
Ten meters.
The distance between Jia Longwu and Tang Jinbiao had closed to just ten meters now.
“Heh… actually…” Tang Jinbiao muttered, his voice thick with resignation.
“What actually?”
Noticing the distance between herself and Tang Jinbiao narrowing, a murderous glint flickered within Jia Longwu’s eyes, though her face still feigned panic to deceive him as she questioned.
The gap between them was now just five meters!
“Actually, you could…”
A faint smile touched Tang Jinbiao’s lips. He had meant to say you could act more convincingly, but the words remained unspoken.
“Hmm?”
Jia Longwu’s delicate brows knit slightly.
Boom!
Abruptly, ferocity flashed in Jia Longwu’s eyes. A powerful aura erupted from her instantly, twisting her expression into savagery as she roared, “Actually, you can go die!”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
The instant Jia Longwu’s killing intent towards Tang Jinbiao became overt, seven or eight sections of the cave walls exploded simultaneously. Countless magical artifacts surged forth, attacking Tang Jinbiao.
“Kill!”
“Kill him!”
The atmosphere, seemingly tranquil but thick with hidden danger, instantly ignited.
Seven or eight Foundation Establishment Cultivators burst from the stone walls, channeling energy into the artifacts in their hands, hurling them violently towards Tang Jinbiao.
“Heh heh!”
Watching these fierce cultivators charging with deadly intent, Tang Jinbiao showed no panic. Instead, a hint of mockery curved his lips. With a slight shift of his feet, he retreated swiftly toward the cave entrance.
“What?”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao choose flight rather than succumbing to terror, Jia Longwu’s expression shifted slightly. This wasn’t the Tang Jinbiao she knew.
Over three months and dozens of encounters, she had probed his nature thoroughly: weak, kind-hearted, unsuspecting, glib, and utterly unaccomplished.
These were the labels she had affixed to him. That’s why she dared defy the initial plan of waiting for his battle with the artifact spirit to reach a crisis before ambushing him.
“Don’t let him escape! Activate the formation now!”
Seeing Tang Jinbiao flee, Jia Longwu screamed as she lunged after him.
“Yes!”
One Late Foundation Building Stage cultivator immediately responded to Jia Longwu’s cry, slapping his Storage Pouch. A Compass Disk materialized in his hand.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Snatching the Compass Disk, the late-stage cultivator hurled it into the air. He channeled his Spiritual Energy, rapidly tapping chaotic patterns onto the disk.
Hum! Hum! Hum!
As the Compass Disk activated, a powerful Formation instantly enveloped the entire cavern.
“Heh heh!”
Sensing the Formation locking into place, a flash of triumph crossed Jia Longwu’s face. With the Formation active, Tang Jinbiao was now a turtle trapped in a jar.
“Heh!”
Tang Jinbiao seemed to have long anticipated this outcome, showing no surprise. He kept his faint smile.
Bang!
But just then, the Compass Disk held by the Late Foundation Building Stage Cultivator exploded with a bang, completely without warning.
“What?”
“What happened?”
“Why?”
Except for Tang Jinbiao, almost everyone froze on the spot. Their meticulously arranged formation should have long been ready – why did it suddenly fail?
“What’s going on?”
The powerful aura that had just surged up vanished in an instant. Jia Longwu paused, slightly bewildered, before stopping and turning to demand an answer.
“I…”
The Late Foundation Building Stage Cultivator clearly didn’t understand either, standing there dumbfounded.
“Heh, you could actually wait a bit longer!” While the others were stunned, Tang Jinbiao had already retreated to outside the cave. His calm voice drifted in.
“Exactly what happened?” Seeing Tang Jinbiao outside, Jia Longwu didn’t immediately give chase. Instead, she remained rooted to the spot, questioning the Late Foundation Building Stage Cultivator.
“I… I… I don’t know either. It seems… it seems the formation foundation was sabotaged!”
The Late Foundation Building Stage Cultivator looked utterly baffled.
“What? The formation foundation destroyed? Where did you place the formation foundation?”
Jia Longwu’s face darkened slightly, her displeasure evident.
“Please calm your anger, My Lady! Calm your anger!” The man instantly dropped to his knees, scrambling to explain. “Originally, according to the plan devised by the Young Master and yourself, the intention was to lure that fellow inside the cave for an ambush! That’s why… that’s why I arranged the formation foundation outside!”
“Hmph! Useless trash! What good is Wei Wuya keeping you all around for?” Jia Longwu’s expression turned ferocious. “Can’t even set up a simple formation properly. I’ll just clean up his house for him!” Rage seemed ready to explode from her.
“My Lady, spare me! Spare me!” The Late Foundation Building Stage Cultivator kowtowed desperately, begging for mercy.
“My Lady, please spare him! Please spare Fourth Brother!”
“My Lady, have mercy!”
The other Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had come together also started pleading one after another.
“You pack of worthless trash!”
All traces of Jia Longwu’s usual allure vanished. She transformed into a demonic figure, her face contorted with pure savagery.
“Well, well, Young Lady Longwu,” came a calm voice. Just then, a man’s figure slowly materialized out of the seemingly ordinary stone wall. He stood there with a slight smile. “The show has barely started. Why lose your composure and start punishing your subordinates so soon?”