Stepping outside.
"Ladies and gentlemen."
"The Zhou Clan has already departed, and we must reach them as quickly as possible to avert any potential disasters!"
After observing the crowd, Jiang Xingtai turned to Qiu Liaoxi and said, "Alchemist Qiu, since you're only at the Soul Refining realm, I'll take you with me!"
"You come with me."
Du Bailei also instructed two trusted cultivators. The pair promptly approached him and allowed themselves to be grasped by the shoulders.
Upon witnessing this,
Qiu Liaoxi, concerned for her disciple, cast her reservations aside and nodded in agreement to Jiang Xingtai.
"Ning Xian, allow me to carry you."
"Though I'm only at the Spiritual Awakening realm, I've mastered the Starry Abyss Sect's body forging techniques, so my speed is quite impressive."
Jiang Chen nodded to Ning Xian.
Then,
Before Ning Xian could even respond, he effortlessly hoisted her onto his back, and instantly, a warm, tender sensation was transmitted.
"Ah!"
Ning Xian let out a gentle gasp, not having enough time to utter anything more.
All she heard was Jiang Chen saying, "Hold on tight."
Shortly after,
A powerful surge of acceleration enveloped her, and the surrounding landscape transformed into a blur of indistinct afterimages!
Ning Xian's heart clenched, her body tensed slightly, and she immediately grasped Jiang Chen's shoulders more securely.
Simultaneously,
Jiang Xingtai and Du Bailei set off with their respective companions.
As for the remaining individuals, their slightly delayed arrival was of little consequence, so they trailed behind independently.
Dashing at full speed,
Both Jiang Xingtai and Du Bailei were, after all, experts at the Mysterious Platform realm.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen's current cultivation level was merely at the Early-stage Spiritual Awakening. If he moved too quickly, he risked revealing himself.
Thus,
Even though he employed the 'Clear Sky Flash' technique, he gradually fell behind the pace of the two formidable Mysterious Platform realm experts.
"Jiang Chen, don't fret!"
"We'll intercept the Zhou Clan first. Take your time getting there!"
Jiang Xingtai called out to Jiang Chen before accelerating and racing ahead.
Witnessing this, Du Bailei nodded to Jiang Chen and trailed closely behind Jiang Xingtai.
Abruptly,
Only Jiang Chen and Ning Xian remained in the vicinity.
'Hehe!'
'Time for another private moment!'
Jiang Chen felt a secret delight in his heart.
He continued to employ the Clear Sky Flash technique!
Each time he utilized it, his body would abruptly surge forward.
Whenever this occurred,
He would then grip Ning Xian's two long, slender legs even more firmly.
Ning Xian, in turn, would cling tightly to Jiang Chen's back to avoid being thrown off.
Instantly,
The pair drew even closer, to the point where they could nearly discern each other's breaths...
Nonetheless,
Joyful moments were always fleeting.
Before long,
Jiang Chen spotted a valley not far off, scorched by flames.
Evidence of conflict littered the valley, along with the foul stench of demonic beasts' bloody remains.
A group of individuals stood in the valley, seemingly split into two factions.
On one side were the members of the Zhou Clan, led by Zhou Ruiyu, while the other side comprised Jiang Xingtai, Du Bailei, Qiu Liaoxi, and others.
As for Lin Feng, he was nowhere in sight.
Whoosh.
Jiang Chen quickly alighted behind Jiang Xingtai and the others.
Though reluctant, he skillfully released Ning Xian.
"Jiang Xingtai, what is the meaning of this?"
Zhou Ruiyu furrowed his brow and looked at Jiang Xingtai, inquiring in an icy tone.
The Jiang and Zhou Clans were the most prominent families in Autumn Glory City, and the two were also linked through marriage.
Although no particularly important members from either clan were married to each other, this connection did help alleviate the tension between them to some degree.
Hence, Zhou Ruiyu, despite his fury, halted when called out by Jiang Xingtai and waited patiently.
"Ah, my dear in-law!"
"This situation is quite peculiar!"
"Lin Feng is merely at the Soul Refining realm; how could he possibly slay those at the Spiritual Awakening realm?"
"Furthermore, there were two at the Spiritual Awakening realm, accompanied by a group of cultivators at the Soul Refining and Elemental Movement realms!"
Jiang Xingtai expressed his concern, "There are numerous uncertainties surrounding this matter. You must exercise caution!"
Hearing these words,
The members of the Zhou Clan fell silent.
Indeed,
This was the most significant point of doubt.
"Sigh!"
"I'm aware that this matter seems rather implausible."
"However, the image Bao He sent to my transmission jade token using the Image Projection Stone before his death was of Lin Feng!"
"Before embarking, I investigated and discovered that after parting ways with you all, Lin Feng headed in the direction outside the city!"
"Furthermore, if it were a frame-up, the method employed was far too crude."
"Who would think of slaying two at the Spiritual Awakening realm and then pinning the blame on someone at the Soul Refining realm?"
"I'm more inclined to believe that Lin Feng concealed his true capabilities and murdered my dear grandson and the two esteemed guests of my clan!"
Zhou Ruiyu first sighed, then voiced his own analysis, growing increasingly agitated as he spoke.
By the end of his statement,
His eyes were bloodshot, and a murderous aura radiated from him!
Although Zhou Yihe had mediocre aptitude and could only remain at home since he couldn't join a superior sect for development,
He was still his grandson, after all!
Furthermore, it was only recently that someone from the Zhou Clan informed him.
The reason Zhou Yihe ventured here was to present him with the spiritual plant guarded by the Entwined Silk Vajra Python as a gift of filial piety, intending to surprise him.
But now,
He met a premature demise in his youth.
His body had even been dismembered!
At this moment, in order to preserve the scene and facilitate the investigation, they had not yet collected the scattered bones and remains.
Zhou Yihe's body still lay in the mountain valley's crevice, without a proper burial.
"Patriarch Zhou, please calm down!"
"This matter must be a misunderstanding."
Jiang Chen stepped forward and bowed, "I know Lin Feng, and he is not a cruel person."
"Sigh, Jiang Chen."
"Sometimes, one may know a person for a long time without truly understanding their nature."
"Whether Lin Feng is responsible for this or not, once I capture him and force the truth from him, everything will be revealed!"
Zhou Ruiyu shook his head at Jiang Chen, a glimmer of determination in his eyes.
"Patriarch Zhou."
"In the Soul Refining realm, the ability to consecutively kill two at the Spiritual Awakening realm, one of them being in the Middle-stage Spiritual Awakening, is exceedingly rare even in our Starry Abyss Sect and can be counted on one hand!"
"Although Lin Feng once trained in our sect, he was merely an inner disciple and could never have accomplished such a feat."
"Furthermore, he was expelled from the sect due to a shattered dantian. It was only with the aid of a secret medicine from the Jiang Clan's treasury that he was healed not long ago."
"From the time of his expulsion to now, it hasn't even been ten days!"
"May I ask, in ten days, how could he recover from such severe injuries and grow to the extent of consecutively killing two at the Spiritual Awakening realm?"
"As for the authenticity of what I say, Patriarch Zhou can investigate and verify it!"
Jiang Chen shook his head and approached Zhou Ruiyu directly, unveiling the background of Lin Feng.
In fact, with the situation having progressed to this point,
Given the power of the Zhou Clan, they could certainly investigate Lin Feng's past.
Rather than allowing the Zhou Clan to uncover it on their own and become intrigued by the secret of Lin Feng's dantian recovery,
It would be better for Jiang Chen to reveal it himself and take responsibility for Lin Feng's dantian restoration.
Instantly.
His words had an impact.
"What!? Is this true!?"
Zhou Ruiyu and the other Zhou Clan experts exchanged surprised glances.
If Jiang Chen dared to assert this confidently, then he must not fear being investigated.
So.
Could it be that Lin Feng was not the one who had committed the murder?
"Jiang Chen!"
"If what you say is true, then the likelihood of Lin Feng being the culprit is significantly diminished."
"However, just to be sure, I still need to examine the scene of the battle and inspect the injuries on the bodies."
Zhou Ruiyu nodded at Jiang Chen.
"Alright!"
"Please, go ahead and investigate!"
Jiang Chen nodded emphatically, thinking to himself: 'Lin Feng, as the protagonist, can it be that you don't even know how to clean up a battlefield properly?'
Stepping outside.
"Ladies and gentlemen."
"The Zhou Clan has already departed, and we must reach them as quickly as possible to avert any potential disasters!"
After observing the crowd, Jiang Xingtai turned to Qiu Liaoxi and said, "Alchemist Qiu, since you're only at the Soul Refining realm, I'll take you with me!"
"You come with me."
Du Bailei also instructed two trusted cultivators. The pair promptly approached him and allowed themselves to be grasped by the shoulders.
Upon witnessing this,
Qiu Liaoxi, concerned for her disciple, cast her reservations aside and nodded in agreement to Jiang Xingtai.
"Ning Xian, allow me to carry you."
"Though I'm only at the Spiritual Awakening realm, I've mastered the Starry Abyss Sect's body forging techniques, so my speed is quite impressive."
Jiang Chen nodded to Ning Xian.
Then,
Before Ning Xian could even respond, he effortlessly hoisted her onto his back, and instantly, a warm, tender sensation was transmitted.
"Ah!"
Ning Xian let out a gentle gasp, not having enough time to utter anything more.
All she heard was Jiang Chen saying, "Hold on tight."
Shortly after,
A powerful surge of acceleration enveloped her, and the surrounding landscape transformed into a blur of indistinct afterimages!
Ning Xian's heart clenched, her body tensed slightly, and she immediately grasped Jiang Chen's shoulders more securely.
Simultaneously,
Jiang Xingtai and Du Bailei set off with their respective companions.
As for the remaining individuals, their slightly delayed arrival was of little consequence, so they trailed behind independently.
Dashing at full speed,
Both Jiang Xingtai and Du Bailei were, after all, experts at the Mysterious Platform realm.
Meanwhile, Jiang Chen's current cultivation level was merely at the Early-stage Spiritual Awakening. If he moved too quickly, he risked revealing himself.
Thus,
Even though he employed the 'Clear Sky Flash' technique, he gradually fell behind the pace of the two formidable Mysterious Platform realm experts.
"Jiang Chen, don't fret!"
"We'll intercept the Zhou Clan first. Take your time getting there!"
Jiang Xingtai called out to Jiang Chen before accelerating and racing ahead.
Witnessing this, Du Bailei nodded to Jiang Chen and trailed closely behind Jiang Xingtai.
Abruptly,
Only Jiang Chen and Ning Xian remained in the vicinity.
'Hehe!'
'Time for another private moment!'
Jiang Chen felt a secret delight in his heart.
He continued to employ the Clear Sky Flash technique!
Each time he utilized it, his body would abruptly surge forward.
Whenever this occurred,
He would then grip Ning Xian's two long, slender legs even more firmly.
Ning Xian, in turn, would cling tightly to Jiang Chen's back to avoid being thrown off.
Instantly,
The pair drew even closer, to the point where they could nearly discern each other's breaths...
Nonetheless,
Joyful moments were always fleeting.
Before long,
Jiang Chen spotted a valley not far off, scorched by flames.
Evidence of conflict littered the valley, along with the foul stench of demonic beasts' bloody remains.
A group of individuals stood in the valley, seemingly split into two factions.
On one side were the members of the Zhou Clan, led by Zhou Ruiyu, while the other side comprised Jiang Xingtai, Du Bailei, Qiu Liaoxi, and others.
As for Lin Feng, he was nowhere in sight.
Whoosh.
Jiang Chen quickly alighted behind Jiang Xingtai and the others.
Though reluctant, he skillfully released Ning Xian.
"Jiang Xingtai, what is the meaning of this?"
Zhou Ruiyu furrowed his brow and looked at Jiang Xingtai, inquiring in an icy tone.
The Jiang and Zhou Clans were the most prominent families in Autumn Glory City, and the two were also linked through marriage.
Although no particularly important members from either clan were married to each other, this connection did help alleviate the tension between them to some degree.
Hence, Zhou Ruiyu, despite his fury, halted when called out by Jiang Xingtai and waited patiently.
"Ah, my dear in-law!"
"This situation is quite peculiar!"
"Lin Feng is merely at the Soul Refining realm; how could he possibly slay those at the Spiritual Awakening realm?"
"Furthermore, there were two at the Spiritual Awakening realm, accompanied by a group of cultivators at the Soul Refining and Elemental Movement realms!"
Jiang Xingtai expressed his concern, "There are numerous uncertainties surrounding this matter. You must exercise caution!"
Hearing these words,
The members of the Zhou Clan fell silent.
Indeed,
This was the most significant point of doubt.
"Sigh!"
"I'm aware that this matter seems rather implausible."
"However, the image Bao He sent to my transmission jade token using the Image Projection Stone before his death was of Lin Feng!"
"Before embarking, I investigated and discovered that after parting ways with you all, Lin Feng headed in the direction outside the city!"
"Furthermore, if it were a frame-up, the method employed was far too crude."
"Who would think of slaying two at the Spiritual Awakening realm and then pinning the blame on someone at the Soul Refining realm?"
"I'm more inclined to believe that Lin Feng concealed his true capabilities and murdered my dear grandson and the two esteemed guests of my clan!"
Zhou Ruiyu first sighed, then voiced his own analysis, growing increasingly agitated as he spoke.
By the end of his statement,
His eyes were bloodshot, and a murderous aura radiated from him!
Although Zhou Yihe had mediocre aptitude and could only remain at home since he couldn't join a superior sect for development,
He was still his grandson, after all!
Furthermore, it was only recently that someone from the Zhou Clan informed him.
The reason Zhou Yihe ventured here was to present him with the spiritual plant guarded by the Entwined Silk Vajra Python as a gift of filial piety, intending to surprise him.
But now,
He met a premature demise in his youth.
His body had even been dismembered!
At this moment, in order to preserve the scene and facilitate the investigation, they had not yet collected the scattered bones and remains.
Zhou Yihe's body still lay in the mountain valley's crevice, without a proper burial.
"Patriarch Zhou, please calm down!"
"This matter must be a misunderstanding."
Jiang Chen stepped forward and bowed, "I know Lin Feng, and he is not a cruel person."
"Sigh, Jiang Chen."
"Sometimes, one may know a person for a long time without truly understanding their nature."
"Whether Lin Feng is responsible for this or not, once I capture him and force the truth from him, everything will be revealed!"
Zhou Ruiyu shook his head at Jiang Chen, a glimmer of determination in his eyes.
"Patriarch Zhou."
"In the Soul Refining realm, the ability to consecutively kill two at the Spiritual Awakening realm, one of them being in the Middle-stage Spiritual Awakening, is exceedingly rare even in our Starry Abyss Sect and can be counted on one hand!"
"Although Lin Feng once trained in our sect, he was merely an inner disciple and could never have accomplished such a feat."
"Furthermore, he was expelled from the sect due to a shattered dantian. It was only with the aid of a secret medicine from the Jiang Clan's treasury that he was healed not long ago."
"From the time of his expulsion to now, it hasn't even been ten days!"
"May I ask, in ten days, how could he recover from such severe injuries and grow to the extent of consecutively killing two at the Spiritual Awakening realm?"
"As for the authenticity of what I say, Patriarch Zhou can investigate and verify it!"
Jiang Chen shook his head and approached Zhou Ruiyu directly, unveiling the background of Lin Feng.
In fact, with the situation having progressed to this point,
Given the power of the Zhou Clan, they could certainly investigate Lin Feng's past.
Rather than allowing the Zhou Clan to uncover it on their own and become intrigued by the secret of Lin Feng's dantian recovery,
It would be better for Jiang Chen to reveal it himself and take responsibility for Lin Feng's dantian restoration.
Instantly.
His words had an impact.
"What!? Is this true!?"
Zhou Ruiyu and the other Zhou Clan experts exchanged surprised glances.
If Jiang Chen dared to assert this confidently, then he must not fear being investigated.
So.
Could it be that Lin Feng was not the one who had committed the murder?
"Jiang Chen!"
"If what you say is true, then the likelihood of Lin Feng being the culprit is significantly diminished."
"However, just to be sure, I still need to examine the scene of the battle and inspect the injuries on the bodies."
Zhou Ruiyu nodded at Jiang Chen.
"Alright!"
"Please, go ahead and investigate!"
Jiang Chen nodded emphatically, thinking to himself: 'Lin Feng, as the protagonist, can it be that you don't even know how to clean up a battlefield properly?'
