C20 The Venomous Serpent's Chain

After Chen Mingyu departed, Lee Zhenfeng left the Imperial Ancestral Temple to gather information from some junior brothers. He learned that the Sky Fiends were indeed planning to stage a dramatic event for the Polaris Holy Land in three days, intending to intimidate them.

Once he had a grasp of the situation, Lee Zhenfeng returned to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and vented his frustrations to Ye Chen. Ye Chen was already aware of the adversary's scheme. The Sky Fiends had chosen a small city, Riverfall, located a hundred miles from the Polaris Holy Land, as their target. The city was home to only a handful of martial cultivators, with the majority being ordinary citizens.

The Sky Fiends' strategy wasn't to besiege the city and slaughter its inhabitants after three days, but rather to encircle Riverfall and offer the Polaris an opportunity. If the Polaris could break their siege and repel them within three days, the citizens of Riverfall would remain unharmed. Failure to do so would result in a bloodbath, transforming Riverfall into a veritable hell on earth.

The architect of this plan was the Sky Fiends' eldest senior brother, Tuoba Le, also known as the Man Killer. He boldly proclaimed his challenge to all Polaris disciples. He declared that as long as the God-Man elders of the Polaris did not intervene, even if Lee Zhenfeng, the eldest senior brother of the Polaris, came forward, he would not return alive.

Many disciples from the Polaris Holy Land, unaware that Lee Zhenfeng had been assigned to guard the Imperial Ancestral Temple, formed teams and headed to Riverfall without notifying their senior brother. Had it not been for Chen Mingyu's revelation, Zhenfeng would have remained oblivious.

"Eldest senior brother, what's on your mind? Are you planning to head to Riverfall?" Ye Chen inquired with a calm demeanor.

Ye Chen was no fool; he could deduce Zhenfeng's intentions from his complaints. Lee Zhenfeng grinned at Ye Chen and asked, "Ye Chen, how has your eldest senior brother treated you? Well, I hope?"

"Eldest senior brother, just speak your mind; there's no need for this charade," Ye Chen retorted, giving the plump man a sidelong glance. "You claim to treat me well, but if it weren't for your amiable nature and your chubby charm, I would've lost patience with your incessant demands for Body Tempering and sword practice long ago."

Lee Zhenfeng's demeanor suddenly shifted to one of grave seriousness as he locked eyes with Ye Chen and spoke, "Ye Chen, I fear the incident at Riverfall may have been my doing. Tuoba Le of the Sky Fiends orchestrated that trap specifically for me. He likely intended to use our fellow disciples as bait to draw me out and end my life."

"Knowing full well it's a trap, a deadly snare laid out for you, why would you consider going?" Ye Chen inquired, his face the picture of tranquility, his heart undisturbed.

"Because I am aware, that's exactly why I must go. I cannot allow my brothers to fall victim to Tuoba Le's schemes on my account," Lee Zhenfeng declared earnestly. He then clenched his fists with resolve, a slight smile playing at the corners of his mouth, "Moreover, who ends up slain remains to be seen. Tuoba Le wouldn't have dared to target me with such audacity if he knew of my breakthrough. He would never be so bold."

Having achieved perfection in the Soul Nurturing Stage, Lee Zhenfeng was brimming with confidence in his combat prowess. He was convinced that he could face Tuoba Le of the Sky Fiends and not only hold his ground but potentially defeat him.

"Last time, I slew the young master of the Sky Fiends, and they've been seething ever since. This time, I'll take down their eldest senior brother too. I'm curious to see how many more they'll send after me," Lee Zhenfeng stated with a steely edge in his voice.

Ye Chen couldn't help but find the sight of the stout man before him speaking such harsh words somewhat amusing.

"If you're set on going, then go. You're the master of your own destiny. Why burden me with all this? I'm merely a servant here. Surely, you're not thinking of dragging me along?" Ye Chen said, rolling his eyes at the portly figure before him.

"Hehe," Lee Zhenfeng chuckled, looking at Ye Chen with a goofy grin, "The Sect Master has tasked me with guarding the Imperial Ancestral Temple in Zi Yuan's stead, hasn't he? I'll go incognito this time. Once I've dealt with Tuoba Le, I'll make a swift return. If anyone comes looking for me, just cover for me. Tell them I'm in seclusion."

Lee Zhenfeng intended to slip away covertly, finish his mission, and return as quickly as possible, preferring to keep his plans known to as few people as possible.

Ye Chen cast a glance at the chubby man, "I haven't seen anything, and I don't know anything."

"True friend," Lee Zhenfeng said, slapping Ye Chen's shoulder with a surprisingly strong hand. "Before I leave, I'll teach you two secret techniques in the next couple of days. These are the ace moves I've kept up my sleeve. If you master them, you could take on a Soulcatch realm opponent even with just your Body Tempering abilities."

"I'm not interested," Ye Chen replied icily, picking up a broom at the entrance to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and heading inside.

"But this is valuable knowledge. Learning it could significantly boost your combat power," Lee Zhenfeng persisted, trailing after Ye Chen and continuing to chatter.

"If you don't want me to spread the word about your plans to leave the Imperial Ancestral Temple for Riverfall, then stop following me and go practice on your own."

Ye Chen entered the Imperial Ancestral Temple with an air of detachment, paying no mind to the persistent fellow.

Inside the temple, a slight smile played on Ye Chen's lips, and a glint of cold light sparked in his eyes. In a whisper meant for his ears alone, he mused, "Just as I thought, the weasels are on the move, and the venomous snakes lurking in the shadows are starting to stir."

The incident in Riverfall City had followed right after the mysterious surveillance. Then came the influx of disciples seeking advice, with one of them accidentally spilling the beans. The sequence of events seemed orchestrated.

Ye Chen was convinced it was a setup.

"It looks like this cunning snake is being extra careful, taking advantage of Elder Zi Yuan's retreat to set a trap for Lee Zhenfeng. That means I'm the one he's after."

As Ye Chen swept away the dust inside the Imperial Ancestral Temple, his brow furrowed in thought. "How will he try to deal with me? Will he come after me himself? Or will he try to draw me out just like he did with Zhenfeng?"

After pondering for a moment, Ye Chen concluded that the adversary would most likely attempt to kill him. Given that he had only shown the strength of someone in the Body Tempering Realm, any cultivator from the Soul Nurturing Realm could easily assassinate him without raising any suspicion.

"It seems that displaying too little strength isn't always a good thing; it makes it too easy to be overlooked," Ye Chen chuckled sardonically as he cleaned the graveyard. He was not the least bit concerned about the venomous snake lurking in the shadows. With the aces up his sleeve, he was confident he could hold his own against a God-Man, even if only for a short while. Any disturbance he caused here would surely alert Zi Yuan, the elder in seclusion, along with other God-Man realm powerhouses. At that point, the snake would be powerless. The only real downside was revealing his own formidable cultivation level, but he could simply attribute that to some legacy within the graveyard.

"What's happening in three days? It's exactly a month since the demon's last move. Oh, the fifteenth, the night of the full moon; I think I'm getting the picture," Ye Chen murmured to himself. Time sped by, and before he knew it, three days had passed.

At the crack of dawn, Lee Zhenfeng bid Ye Chen farewell and stealthily departed from the Polaris Holy Land. Behind a large tree, two figures emerged. "Everything is unfolding as planned. The Devil Sect's elites are already in position around the Polaris Holy Land, ready to strike amidst the turmoil. With Lee Zhenfeng gone, and only that servant left in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the next move is yours. This operation is critical; after such extensive planning, failure is not an option."

"Don't worry, eldest senior brother. A mere Body Tempering Realm individual can't mess up our plans. I'll get ready for tonight's operation. This time, we'll completely obliterate the Polaris," the other replied confidently.

"The Heavenly Demon Immortal is with you," they affirmed to each other before vanishing into the woods.

Ye Chen had long been curious about the identity of the Polaris traitor and their ability to remain concealed. Now, the one he dubbed the viper was beginning to strike at the prey he had been watching. As Zhenfeng took his leave, Ye Chen felt that familiar yet foreign sensation of being watched again, signaling to him that the viper was on the move.

"They're moving incredibly fast. No sooner had Lee Zhenfeng left than his gaze was fixed on me. It's clear that the viper is poised to strike today, and I suspect he's not the only one."

Ye Chen's brow creased subtly, a hint of wariness flickering in his eyes.

He hadn't anticipated that the enigmatic figure lurking in the shadows would be ready to act so swiftly.

By allowing the adversary to 'lure the tiger from the mountain,' Ye Chen was setting the stage for his own strategy—to draw the snake out of its hole. He was intent on discovering the identity of the viper concealed within the Polaris Holy Land.

As for his own safety, Ye Chen harbored no concerns. Armed with the multitude of treasures he had acquired, he felt confident that he could hold his own against a God-Man, let alone a mere viper.

With a broom in hand, Ye Chen turned towards the Imperial Ancestral Temple, his lips curling into a mocking sneer. "Strike the snake at its vital point—that's the plan. I'm eager to uncover the identity of the viper watching me from the shadows. The weasel's foul stench gives away its presence among the snakes and rats. The answer will soon reveal itself."

"The puppeteer behind the scenes is finally ready to take the stage."