A young man in a blue shirt sneered, overlooking Chen Yu, who was being surrounded by a crowd of elite fighters below.
"Chen Yu, oh, Chen Yu, today you've nowhere to run, your luck and fortune end here!"
Wang Lingyun's handsome face bore a hint of malice.
That day, after battling Chen Yu on the sect mountain, he felt uneasy.
Since the "Starfall Iron" incident, Chen Yu's progress had been astonishing, as if he had transformed into another person.
Wang Lingyun was convinced that Chen Yu must have some opportunity or secret.
After returning to Xiangyang City, Wang Lingyun had been secretly monitoring and inquiring about Chen Yu's movements and plotting this assassination attempt.
Upon learning that Chen Yu had luckily killed the Great Evil and received a generous reward, Wang Lingyun felt both envious and hateful.
At this moment, at the mouth of the canyon below.
Facing interception from six elite fighters, Chen Yu made the quickest decision—retreat!
Chen Yu unfolded the "Cloud Stepping" technique, his body lightening as he narrowly dodged the crowd's blockade with an extraordinary movement technique.
Still, there was a dart he couldn't avoid, catching it with the "Copper Statue Technique."
Seeing Chen Yu retreat unharmed from the encirclement with remarkable movement, a trace of surprise crossed the eyes of the two black-clothed men in the Late-stage Meridian Passage leading the siege.
"When did this kid's movement technique become so advanced? Wait, how does this movement technique resemble Le Feng's 'Cloud Stepping'?"
Above the canyon, Wang Lingyun's expression showed astonishment.
This movement technique he had seen with external-door genius Le Feng.
However, Chen Yu's rapid breakout didn't panic Wang Lingyun.
Wang Lingyun's eyes flashed coldly, "Luckily, I have already adjusted my estimate of your strength. Come, try my secret weapon!"
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
Chen Yu had just escaped a few feet when suddenly, from the dense forest on both sides, two rows of powerful crossbow arrows shot out.
Every single one of those crossbow arrows was as thick as a thumb, tearing through the air with an ear-piercing shriek.
"Armor-piercing arrows!"
Chen Yu's complexion changed at last. These rare armor-piercing arrows in the army could penetrate the steel armor of cavalry.
In some cases, these armor-piercing arrows were specifically used to ambush elite fighters.
Two rows of crossbow arrows—a total of twenty—completely blocked Chen Yu's escape.
No matter how he moved, it was difficult to evade all of the armor-piercing arrows.
The armor-piercing arrows' penetrative power was formidable, and their speed was far faster than ordinary arrows or hidden weapons.
Chen Yu quickly rolled on the ground, fully operating the "Copper Statue Technique" to protect his vital spots.
Still, two armor-piercing arrows pierced Chen Yu, transmitting a strong drilling force that made Chen Yu feel a slight sting.
Chen Yu's skin and flesh on the surface were pierced, oozing a trace of blood.
However, the blood from that wound soon solidified, visibly healing at an observable speed.
Such strong penetrative power!
Chen Yu was extremely aware of his own "Copper Statue Technique" defense. Of course, his "Copper Statue Technique" was only at the Copper Skin level; reaching a higher Copper Tendons level would be different.
Above the canyon, Wang Lingyun's face was frozen in shock.
"These armor-piercing arrows can even penetrate heavy armor but can't inflict much damage on Chen Yu."
Wang Lingyun was momentarily stunned.
He had known beforehand that Chen Yu had practiced a type of Horizontal Training of External Skills. But armor-piercing arrows were supposed to effectively counteract such external skills.
Wang Lingyun's misunderstanding lay in not understanding the true details of the death of the "Honghu Three Killers."
What he knew mostly came from second-hand reports.
Those so-called "eyewitnesses" all claimed that Chen Yu killed the Great Evil because the Great Evil took the "Violent Blood Pill," weakened and exhausted himself, and Chen Yu simply took advantage of the situation.
The only ones who truly understood the truth were City Lord Chu Fengyun and Chen Ying'er.
Wang Lingyun took a deep breath, a terrible light flashing in his eyes.
He refused to believe it.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
The second round of armor-piercing arrows once again locked onto Chen Yu just two breaths later.
"If this continues, it'll leave me too passive. I'll still be wounded even if I escape."
Chen Yu endured two more arrows and couldn't help but grit his teeth.
He made a decision, performing a carp flip to dart in the opposite direction.
Chen Yu, with a fierce killing aura, turned back to attack the six elite fighters behind him.
"This kid, what insane defense..."
The six elite fighters behind were shocked to see Chen Yu withstand two rounds of armor-piercing arrows' attacks.
The young man, with astonishing speed, counterattacked.
Thus, after braving through the third round of "armor-piercing arrows," the subsequent attacks ceased.
If they continued, the armor-piercing arrows would start hitting "their own."
The whip-wielding Late-stage Meridian Passage expert smirked coldly, leading the charge against Chen Yu.
They had pre-planned for this ambush.
If the target escaped, he'd face the armored arrows and lose his skin even if he survived.
Should the target retreat, they'd continue the encirclement and kill.
In any case, the target could not escape his fate of being surrounded and killed.
"Let me kill you first."
Chen Yu's expression darkened like a leopard as he rushed straight at the whip-wielding Late-stage Meridian Passage expert in front.
The whip-using expert was troublesome and easily controlled the fight.
"Young one, do you wish to die!"
The whip-wielding expert bore a cold smile, driving with full internal force as he lashed out a harsh wind whip shadow.
Under his full-force whip, even an iron board could crack.
Chen Yu shouted, not dodging an inch. He activated the "Copper Statue Technique," infusing internal breath, and reached for the whip.
The whip-wielding expert's face showed a cold smile: This guy dared to grab his whip barehanded?
Snatching a weapon from your opponent required a significant advantage in skill. Otherwise, it was inviting disgrace.
Chen Yu truly grasped the whip, his hand burning.
But having trained the "Copper Statue Technique," his palms, legs, and head were the hardest locations, known as "Copper Fists," "Copper Feet," and "Copper Head," fearing no ordinary weapon.
Chen Yu shouted, jerking the whip violently right after grasping it.
The whip-wielding Late-stage Meridian Passage expert felt a massive force pull him forward, stumbling a few steps.
He quickly reacted by releasing the whip, but his body couldn't stop.
Such a massive opening was severely critical in a life-and-death struggle.
Chen Yu, a moving blur, rushed forward to land a punch on his chest.
The brutal punch of sinister evil directly split open the Late-stage Meridian Passage expert's chest, spitting blood and dying upon hitting the ground.
Killing a Late-stage Meridian Passage expert!
At the outset of the engagement, Chen Yu created a favorable opportunity and successfully killed the tricky whip-wielding expert.
For that, he also paid a price. After all, his foes weren't just one man.
At the same moment, his "Copper Skin" was grazed by two hidden weapons, leaving tiny scratches.
The greatest threat was another Late-stage Meridian Passage expert's full-force strike.
Another Late-stage Meridian Passage expert's spear glowed cold as he infused it with internal breath and thrust it from behind toward Chen Yu.
Having just slain the whip-wielding expert, retreating unscathed was unrealistic for Chen Yu.
He had to activate the "Copper Statue Technique," hardening his arm to block the spear's powerful thrust.
Chen Yu's arm was once again cut open, the wound nearly half an inch deep.
For Chen Yu, it was the most significant injury since training the "Copper Statue Technique."
"How could this be..."
The spearman, in the Late-stage Meridian Passage, was speechless with shock.
His all-out attack, sneakily from behind, caused only a minor injury to Chen Yu.
For Chen Yu's robust physique, such wounds were trivial.
However, it did enrage him.
To think that he, standing firm in the sect, on the verge of entering the inner sect, was wounded by these mundane elites.
Chen Yu made up his mind: after returning to the sect, he must cultivate the "Copper Statue Technique" to the Copper Tendons level. Then, unless facing a treasure weapon, ordinary Meridian Passage-stage weapons would mostly be ineffective against him.
Chen Yu swung his arm, knocking the spearman back over ten feet.
Nevertheless, he did not pursue the kill.
Among those remaining, the spearman was the most formidable: the strongest in combat.
Once engaged head-on, he'd wind up surrounded by the other four Mid-stage Meridian Passage fighters.
Chen Yu shifted, leaving nearly an afterimage behind, dodging hidden weapons and attacking the other four Mid-stage Meridian Passage fighters.
At this moment, his "Cloud Stepping" mastery was nearing Great Success.
The spearman could barely keep pace with his rhythm in the short term.
Chen Yu threw a punch, the Cloud Evil internal breath roaring like a ferocious beast, sealing off a Mid-stage Meridian Passage fighter using hidden weapons.
The Mid-stage Meridian Passage expert couldn't withstand the fierce punch's violent brutality and was directly sent flying, his internal organs shattered.
The second expert met a tragic death.
Chen Yu's heart settled as he killed the long-range hidden weapon expert, making it easier to handle the remaining Late-stage Meridian Passage and three Mid-stage Meridian Passage experts.
He displayed the movement technique, with astonishing speed, once again leaving the spearman behind as he attacked the three remaining Mid-stage Meridian Passage fighters.
"You youngster! If you have the guts, fight me alone."
The spearman's eyes flared with rage, his voice that of an adult male.
Chen Yu chuckled coldly. With the same method, he swiftly, thunderously slew the other three Mid-stage Meridian Passage fighters.
At this point, only the spearman, the Late-stage Meridian Passage expert, remained on the field.
The spearman took a deep breath, with little hesitation, he flashed away into retreat.
Meanwhile, above the canyon.
With a "bang," Wang Lingyun punched the rock beneath, cracking it open.
At this moment, he too realized the advantage was gone.
"How could this be! How could..."
Wang Lingyun clenched his jaw, his sinister brow revealing deep resentment.
Below, Chen Yu shouted, pursuing the fleeing spearman, the Late-stage Meridian Passage expert.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Suddenly, some armor-piercing arrows shot out from the trees on both sides, blocking Chen Yu's advance.
The spearman, in disarray, dashed into the woods.
Chen Yu did not continue the pursuit but crouched down, unveiling the mask on the whip-wielding Late-stage Meridian Passage fighter.
Revealed was a middle-aged man with a high nose.
The man's face carried a sense of familiarity for Chen Yu.
Recalling earlier speculations, Chen Yu suddenly realized, murmuring, "This person is a clan elder of the Wang Family! Wang Lingyun, it is indeed you..."