Chapter Eighty-Five: The Reward Arrives

Chapter 85: The Reward Has Arrived

Wind and Fire Forest.

Beneath a pile of dried branches lay a dark cave. Inside, nine people sat cross-legged with their eyes closed, breathing long and steady.

The pile of branches was densely layered, allowing not a single ray of light to seep in.

Chu Jie opened his eyes.

Only two days had passed, yet his wounds had already healed completely. Even he found his recovery speed astonishing. The White Jade Pill truly lived up to its reputation, accelerating his body’s healing. Unfortunately, the supply was limited; after distributing them, he was left with only a single bottle. To obtain more, he would have to venture into the outer or inner city to buy them, or else, by killing a few more Spirit Convergence experts, he might collect some White Jade Pills from their corpses.

The way Chu Jie had killed Huang Zhengde had been dangerously reckless. He resolved not to take such risks again; after all, one only has one life. If the injuries were too severe, no healing elixir would be of any use.

As usual, Chu Jie was the first to recover fully. His regenerative abilities were truly monstrous—others, though less injured, could not compare to his speed.

Duan Kun opened his eyes next, his body restored to peak condition.

Then came Wu Long. The moment he opened his eyes, he exclaimed, “Boss, I’m getting that feeling again—the sense of being watched!”

The atmosphere in the cave instantly grew sinister.

From the darkness, Duan Kun said, “Chu Jie, I sense it too. Could it be...?”

“It’s possible.” Chu Jie held his breath and focused intently on the subtle changes around them.

Their cryptic exchange left Wu Long puzzled, but the increasingly eerie ambiance kept him from pressing for answers.

The name left unspoken by Chu Jie and Duan Kun was that of the Peerless Fiend. The last time the Peerless Fiend appeared, both of them had felt something strange, but hadn’t paid it any mind until the entity fully manifested and overwhelmed them with its power.

Just then, a powerful pressure descended within the cave. Everyone felt as if a mountain bore down upon them, their bones creaking under the weight.

Auras of spiritual light erupted from their bodies. Wu Long and the others, less advanced in cultivation, quickly banded their energies together, forming a faintly glowing blue shield in the darkness. The pressure on them lessened, but that invisible force remained, keeping them on edge.

Light flickered across Chu Jie’s body, and the Wheel of Reincarnation within him churned wildly. He knew this was merely the beginning—the pressure would only intensify.

When the Peerless Fiend had appeared before, the pressure had, in its own way, tempered his and Duan Kun’s bodies, making them stronger.

But this time, the pressure vanished almost as quickly as it had come.

As the weight lifted, Chu Jie and Duan Kun remained composed, but Wu Long and the others coughed up blood, their blue shields growing dim.

A sudden whirlwind whipped through the cave. Chu Jie had dug this cave himself, and there was no ventilation—there should have been no wind. Yet now it felt as if they might be blown away.

When the wind died down, a fiery figure appeared at the center of the cave. Strangely, no matter where one stood, only the figure’s back was visible.

He wore garments made of great beast pelts, flames leaping from his body, his presence overwhelming.

Chu Jie glanced up at the roof—there was no change in the branches above, yet the Peerless Fiend had appeared inside the cave. How had he gotten in?

What surprised Chu Jie even more was that this time, the Peerless Fiend did not emanate that suffocating pressure. Still, his mere presence rendered them motionless, too frightened to act.

“A reward.”

A streak of light shot forth, landing in Chu Jie’s hand.

It was a bottle filled with red pills. Chu Jie smelled them, immediately feeling vitality surge within him. These were healing pills as well—only ten in the bottle, but clearly far more potent than the White Jade Pills.

Once Chu Jie accepted the reward, the Peerless Fiend unleashed a sudden wave of pressure. The blue shields around Wu Long and the others shattered, and they spat blood, scrambling to re-form their defenses and barely escaping death.

Chu Jie and Duan Kun, under a renewed onslaught, found it almost impossible to move, but once again, their bodies were further tempered, growing stronger than before.

Then, nine beams of red light shot from the Peerless Fiend, piercing into each of their minds.

It was a message: in an extremely well-hidden location on the ninth terrace of the Divine Demon Abyss, there was an entrance.

“Come here, or die.”

The Peerless Fiend’s voice was neither male nor female, but it left an indelible mark on all of them. The threat was unmistakable—if the Peerless Fiend wished to kill them, it would be effortless.

Suddenly, the whirlwind rose again, and the fiery figure vanished from the cave.

With the pressure gone, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Thankfully, their wounds had healed before the Peerless Fiend’s arrival—otherwise, they might not have survived.

“What was that just now...?” Wu Long and the others were still shaken, but it was clear that the visitor had not come for them, but for Chu Jie and his companion.

Chu Jie pondered. It seemed the Peerless Fiend had been observing his actions in the Divine Demon Abyss all along. He had just slain a hundred Spirit Convergence experts, and now the Peerless Fiend appeared.

As for the location he spoke of, Chu Jie thought it wise to investigate—perhaps there would be some benefit. After all, if the Peerless Fiend wanted them dead, he would have already acted; there was no need to summon them elsewhere.

“Duan Kun, let’s go take a look,” Chu Jie said.

Duan Kun replied, “Alright. I’m curious to see what’s so mysterious about that place.”

All nine of them had received the red light from the Peerless Fiend, so they would all have to go.

They rested for a few more hours; only when their injuries were fully healed did they leave the cave.

The cave was damp and oppressive; outside, Chu Jie felt clear-headed and invigorated.

Above, the sky was more ominous than ever. A massive vortex churned slowly over the Divine Demon Abyss, with flashes of lightning within. Streams of light continuously rose from the center of the abyss, feeding the vortex and making it ever more formidable.

According to the Peerless Fiend’s instructions, they needed only to head east—once they reached the end, they would arrive at their destination.

But having just killed over a hundred martial artists, they knew even more people were now hunting for them. The pressure was mounting.

Perhaps, by going to the place the Peerless Fiend had indicated, they could lie low for a while. With only nine of them, it would be difficult to stand against all the martial artists in the abyss.

Their route would take them almost all the way across the ninth terrace, a journey of at least a day. Anything could happen along the way, but if they refused to go, the Peerless Fiend might truly come to kill them.

Meanwhile, more and more people were searching for Chu Jie. Killing him now would bring a reward of three thousand high-grade black crystals, and merely providing information about his whereabouts would earn five hundred. Thus, every martial artist in the Divine Demon Abyss was scouring the area.

With the abyss’s rare treasures yet to appear, most people had nothing else to do; all eyes remained fixed on Chu Jie, Duan Kun, and their Peerless Fiend adversary.

Chu Jie and his group traveled with great caution, avoiding contact with others to prevent any further battles.

Unbeknownst to them, a seductive-looking man was searching the area, flying through the air by sheer power—he was a Spirit Convergence Stage Eight cultivator.

At the eighth level of Spirit Convergence, one was truly a master—just one step away from forming a Star Core, which would bring a tremendous surge in power. Thus, most cultivators at this stage were seeking ways to break through to the Star Core Realm. This man was here in the Divine Demon Abyss for that very reason.

Yet, even with his power, it was not easy to find Chu Jie. Though he could fly, the energy consumption was great, so after a short while he would have to land and search on foot.

As Chu Jie and his group pressed onward toward the Peerless Fiend’s designated location, the seductive man had already searched a fifth of the area.

Many of those hunting Chu Jie were after the black crystals, but more than that, they sought fame. In the Divine Demon Abyss, killing a Peerless Fiend would make their name resound far and wide.

But killing Chu Jie would not be easy.

With a swift motion, Chu Jie drew his sword from a corpse. The martial artist had tried to kill him, but hadn’t even reached the Spirit Convergence Realm. Not wishing to attract attention, Chu Jie dispatched him quietly.

They had been traveling for half a day, often encountering small groups of martial artists. Some did not recognize them, so there was no conflict. When others did, Chu Jie struck first.

Along the way, the nine of them killed many more.

Now, they had covered half the distance.

“There’s something ahead,” Chu Jie suddenly warned, putting everyone on alert.

After a while, they saw a man standing among a heap of corpses on the road ahead. As Chu Jie and his group approached, the man fled.

They rushed forward—could there be others besides themselves committing slaughter in the Divine Demon Abyss?

But it made sense. With so many unruly individuals, clashes were inevitable. Battles like these were only to be expected.

“Boss, should we chase the one who ran?” Wu Long asked.

“Not yet,” Chu Jie replied. “Let’s see if there are any survivors.”

As they moved closer, Chu Jie couldn’t shake the feeling that the fleeing man was somehow familiar, though he couldn’t quite place him at that moment.