Ye Chu led Tan Miaotong quickly towards the exit. They had already spent quite a bit of time inside. There was no guarantee the villagers would not discover something. The fewer complications the better. Leaving before the other side could react would undoubtedly be the perfect outcome.
But heaven did not grant their wish. As Ye Chu and Tan Miaotong hurried into one of the cave tunnels, they saw two cultivators blocking the path ahead. Ye Chu’s expression changed. He abruptly pulled Tan Miaotong and shot towards the outside.
Ye Chu was not afraid of them. The cave was full of crisscrossing passages. Blocking them completely would be extremely difficult. Yet just as Ye Chu turned to leave, numerous massive boulders suddenly rolled into motion. From who knows where, the huge stones sealed off all the surrounding passages, leaving only two tunnels open: one forward where the two men blocked the way, and one behind where a single person stood in ambush.
“You are both staying here today.” The three men blocking Ye Chu sneered. Their gazes fixed on the jade box in Tan Miaotong’s hand. “Leave the thing behind!”
Ye Chu and Tan Miaotong exchanged a glance. Facing the three men closing in step by step, their expressions darkened as well. Who could have expected this kind of situation? Surrounded by three people and giant boulders, there was no way out.
“What do we do?” Tan Miaotong asked nervously.
Ye Chu patted the back of her hand to calm her. “How did you all know I would come this way?”
The three men scoffed. Their clan had lived here for over a hundred years. They knew every inch of these caves better than their own pores. When outsiders entered, they could naturally guess the most likely path the intruders would take.
The moment they discovered one of their clansmen unconscious in the cave, they knew outsiders had broken in. They had organised over a hundred villagers to set up an ambush. The villagers who had not reached the Innate Realm could not fight the intruders directly, but pushing boulders to seal the maze-like passages was well within their ability.
No matter how capable the intruders were, today they would die here.
The secret of this cave absolutely could not leak out. Otherwise, the resource that belonged solely to their clan would be seized by others.
“Our familiarity with this cave surpasses even our knowledge of our own pores!” one of them said, looking at Ye Chu. “Only outsiders like you would think the passages are so interconnected that we could do nothing to stop you.”
Hearing this, Ye Chu could not help glancing at Tan Miaotong. Her face flushed faintly. She blinked those soul-stirring eyes. “I only heard it from my family elders. I thought the passages were so interconnected that escaping would be easy.”
Looking at Tan Miaotong’s shy and utterly charming expression, how could Ye Chu have the heart to blame her? He thought that if she blinked at him a few more times like that, he would willingly take all the blame upon himself.
“We were just passing by and have no intention of becoming enemies with you. Moreover, treasures go to those fated to obtain them. Since we were able to take it, it proves we were destined for it. Why must the three of you press us so relentlessly?” Ye Chu smiled at the three men. “Rest assured, I will absolutely not reveal the secret of this place.”
“Only dead people are truly safe!” The three advanced towards Ye Chu, their momentum pressing down heavily. Each one was at the Innate level, and thanks to Demon Origin Grass, they were far stronger than ordinary Innate cultivators.
“If I beg for mercy, would you gentlemen be willing to let us go?” Ye Chu said with a fawning smile. “We will hand over the Demon Origin Grass right now.”
The three men looked at him with contempt and disdain in their eyes. Just as they were about to mock Ye Chu further, Ye Chu’s body suddenly exploded forward. Drawing Ground into Prison erupted in full force. A palm thrust out, carrying ten-tenths of his power. Endless waves of true qi surged forth like a landslide and tsunami.
The three men had never expected Ye Chu to strike so suddenly. One of them hastily met the attack. This man was no weakling; his strength was at least on par with Ye Yuanwu. Yet Ye Chu’s full-powered strike was not something he could block.
In the clash, the man was sent flying backwards. The sound of dislocated bones creaking rang out. He staggered back several steps, his face pale as he retreated unsteadily.
Ye Chu also retreated several steps. It was impossible to press the advantage and finish off another in one go.
Ye Chu felt a surge of surprise in his heart. As expected of cultivators who had consumed Demon Origin Grass. Their strength was terrifying. Judging by the man’s condition, he had only recently reached the second layer, yet he already possessed power comparable to Ye Yuanwu.
The other two had not expected Ye Chu to take the initiative, let alone cripple one of their own in a single move. They exchanged a glance, a trace of shock in their eyes.
Now they looked at Ye Chu with full vigilance, staring at him intently and not daring to act rashly.
“I guarantee I will not reveal the secret of this place. How about letting us leave?” Ye Chu said with a sweet smile to the two remaining men. “Though you are strong, dealing with me without paying any price is not so easy either.”
The two exchanged another glance, then looked at their companion who was spitting blood. With a cold snort, their bodies shot forward. One palm thrust towards Ye Chu with domineering force. Ye Chu’s expression changed slightly. He met it with the Vajra Fist.
The fierce fist collided with the palm. A massive force transmitted through his arm. Ye Chu was forced back several steps, his arm going numb.
“Ye Chu!” Tan Miaotong cried out anxiously. She hurried forward to support him, her face full of worry. “Are you alright?”
Ye Chu shook his head, but inwardly he grew even more cautious. These opponents were significantly stronger than the earlier cultivator, and far beyond Ye Yuanwu.
“I thought you were something special. Turns out you are only so-so!” one of them sneered, a trace of disdain at the corner of his mouth. They had originally thought the opponent could heavily injure their companion in one move because his strength far exceeded theirs. But from that clash just now, they realised the other party’s raw power was actually weaker than theirs. Clearly, the earlier success had come from the exquisite technique catching them off guard.
Ye Chu exhaled lightly and gestured for Tan Miaotong to step back a few paces. His intent surged forth. Facing such strong enemies, he did not dare hold back. Ordinary moves simply could not handle them. Only Drawing Ground into Prison could stand against them.
“Come again!” Ye Chu roared. His intent merged with spiritual energy, surging out like crashing waves, one after another.
The relentless offensive made the two men’s expressions turn grave. They attacked from front and back, surrounding Ye Chu. Both were peak second-layer Innate Realm cultivators, the strongest their village could send into the cave. Having consumed Demon Origin Grass, even ordinary third-layer Innate Realm cultivators were no match for them.
Yet Ye Chu’s endless waves of attacks forced them to unleash ten-tenths of their power just to barely hold him off.
“This kid is too strong!” The two exchanged a glance and saw the surprise in each other’s eyes. He was clearly only at the first layer of the Innate Realm, yet by relying on this martial technique, his explosive power had multiplied several times over. His intent was so pure and dense it shocked them. Even ordinary fifth-layer Innate Realm cultivators could not compare to such concentrated intent. Moreover, his intent alternated between hardness and softness, completely opposite in nature.