Chapter 380 - 250: Coming to the Rescue, A Misjudgment of Strength

Chapter 380: Chapter 250: Coming to the Rescue, A Misjudgment of Strength

The two pursuing Foundation Establishment Cultivators behind could only watch helplessly as their target disappeared behind the suddenly appearing Array and onto the island. Their expressions instantly turned foul.

They stopped outside the Array Light Shield, uncertain and alarmed. Gazing at the flowing Water Curtain and mist, and recalling the methods they had just witnessed, they dared not advance rashly.

"Who is in there? How can they be so powerful? They didn’t even show their face, yet they managed to strike at both of us simultaneously and block our path!"

Their eyes were filled with apprehension and... a growing sense of unease as they communicated via voice transmission.

The main point was, neither of them had seen the appearance or figure of the person who had acted.

And the unknown is what’s truly terrifying.

"Could there be a Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator inside?"

"Or was our previous intelligence wrong, and that Alchemist Lin is actually this terrifyingly strong?"

"Whatever the reason, we can’t accomplish our goal now. Staying here any longer is pointless and might even be dangerous!"

"But if we just leave like this, and word gets out, it will be detrimental to the great cause of our Three Races..."

The Gray Robe Cultivator glanced at the scorched, semi-molten marks on his Long Saber Spiritual Artifact. He immediately summoned a Defensive Spiritual Artifact to protect himself and conjured a Magical Power Shield around his body before frowning and speaking.

"That’s true..."

The two Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators were caught in a dilemma, communicating secretly.

...

Inside the Array, Chef Zeng was slumped on the ground, panting heavily. His face was a mask of relief and lingering fear from having survived his ordeal.

Lin Changheng’s figure slowly materialized. He looked at him with a placid expression, his tone unreadable. "Fellow Daoist Zeng, you should not have led trouble directly to my doorstep."

The Black Seal Platform shrank back to a small size and flew into Lin Changheng’s palm, where it bobbed up and down, incredibly Spiritual, as if he were toying with it.

Hearing this, Chef Zeng’s weary face showed an embarrassed expression. He pushed himself up from the ground and began to explain, his voice still laced with gasps and tremors: "Bro... Brother Lin! Forgive me! The situation was truly desperate. Those two were hunting me down, leaving me with no place to run and no place to hide. In my haste, I... I could only think that you might be able to save me... I truly didn’t mean to divert disaster your way!"

At this moment, he no longer dared to act the part of the senior. The cultivation and methods of this Younger Brother Lin before him were clearly astounding.

His strength had already far surpassed his own.

According to the unspoken rules of seniority and address in the Cultivation Realm, Lin Changheng should now be the "Brother." But Lin Changheng hadn’t changed how he addressed him, showing that he was a person who valued relationships and old ties.

Lin Changheng’s gaze swept over his pitiful state, then glanced through the Array Light Curtain at the two Foundation Establishment Cultivators outside, who had grim faces but didn’t dare to barge in. His thoughts raced.

’Although this man acted improperly, it’s understandable. The instinct to survive is only human, after all. How could he not grasp at the last straw?’

’Besides, we do have some history, even if it was mostly based on mutual benefit. And from the looks of him, he doesn’t seem to be harboring ill intentions.’

’Furthermore, those two are only at Middle Stage Foundation Establishment. Even without relying on the island’s Array, I have no reason to fear them.’

’If I had refused him entry just now and let him be killed, it wouldn’t have been the best choice for my Dao Heart either.’

"Forget it," Lin Changheng said lightly. "Heal your wounds inside the Array for now. As for the two men outside, I will deal with them."

Hearing this, Chef Zeng looked as if he’d been granted a royal pardon. He bowed deeply and cupped his fists, knowing that this Brother Lin was making an exception to his consistently cautious principles. "Thank you, Brother Lin!"

Lin Changheng said no more. He turned to face the outside of the Array and called out in a clear voice, "You two Fellow Daoists outside the Array, for what reason do you cause a commotion and fight before my Jade Belt Lake?"

"Do you truly take the Three Islands of Jade Belt Lake for a pushover?"

His voice passed through the Array Light Shield, clear and steady, carrying a hidden Spiritual Pressure.

Clearly, his two neighbors on the adjacent islands had long since gone out treasure hunting and were not in their residences. But this didn’t stop Lin Changheng from using their names to intimidate the enemy.

After all, the "offensive and defensive alliance" was a promise made by all three parties; it wasn’t a fabrication.

The Gray Robe Cultivator deliberately darkened his expression and said coldly, "Who might you be? Why are you interfering in the matters of our race’s war? Aren’t you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself?"

The other cultivator in short clothes, who wielded a spear, also shouted, "Hand over that bastard from before! Otherwise, don’t blame us for getting nasty and breaking your turtle shell Array!"

Lin Changheng raised an eyebrow, his tone still level. "Heh, since this person has entered my Array, he is a guest of mine, Lin. If you two have a personal grudge against him, you might as well wait until he leaves this place to resolve it. As for breaking the Array..."

Lin Changheng paused, his voice turning slightly cold. "If you have the ability, Fellow Daoist, by all means, give it a try!"

With that said, a thought crossed his mind, and he activated the Main Array Flag of the formation.

BZZZT!

The mist of the Flowing Clouds Covering Moon Formation enveloping the island suddenly billowed more intensely. The Jade Wave Sea Curtain Array also silently drew upon the surrounding lake water, and a thick, illusory Water Curtain flickered into existence before the mist, emitting an even stronger defensive Spiritual Pressure.

At the same time, below the ground, the Thick Earth Carrying Object Formation connected to the Earth Veins, making the entire island’s aura feel more stable, profound, and unshakeable.

The combined might of the three layered Arrays subtly radiated outward, causing the expressions of the two men outside to change instantly as a trace of fear flashed in their eyes. They could sense that this Array was anything but ordinary; a forced attack would likely end poorly for them.

Even if they called for more Cultivators, it would not be easily broken.

The Gray Robe Cultivator and the short-clothed cultivator exchanged a look, each seeing the hesitation in the other’s eyes. Finally, the Gray Robe Cultivator snorted coldly. "Fine! We’ll give you face today! But my race will absolutely not let this matter rest! I suggest you watch your step and not bring ruin upon yourself!"

After tossing out a few harsh words, the two ultimately didn’t dare to make a move. They resentfully summoned their Escape Lights and turned to leave.

Seeing the two retreat, Lin Changheng’s eyes narrowed slightly as he slowly reined in the Array’s power.

Chef Zeng watched from the side, dumbfounded. Seeing the strong enemies repelled by just a few words, his perception of Lin Changheng shifted once again, and he hurriedly thanked him once more.

"Just focus on recovering. I was in seclusion and had to interrupt it because of you. I need to make up for the lost time. I’ll emerge in a few days, so wait patiently. I’ll give you the Elixirs then."

After giving the instruction, Lin Changheng glanced at the two Tier Two Spirit Beasts in the distance and entered his cave residence.

But in reality, he went directly through the back entrance of his residence, quietly arrived at a valley on the rear mountain, passed through a secret tunnel in a second residence, and left the island again.

He altered his appearance and aura, changed his robes, confirmed his direction, and then whistled off into the distance.

「Half a day later.」

Lin Changheng returned to Moonrest Island once more.

He didn’t look much different from when he had left, and his aura was still stable.

Anyone who didn’t know better would have thought he had just gone for a casual stroll.

But in reality...

The two extra Storage Bags hanging from his waist, however, were very real.

If anyone had been present and sharp-eyed, they would have seen that these two Storage Bags were the very same ones that had been hanging from the waists of those two Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators moments ago.

Now, they had quietly changed owners.

No one knew.

In truth, before they had uttered those threats, Lin Changheng had no desire to kill them.

After all, intimidating and driving them away would have been enough.

But since they insisted on threatening revenge, how could Lin Changheng tolerate it?

He could not tolerate a known risk. He had already decided to eliminate them and erase the threat.

But it wasn’t good to act openly in front of his own residence. After all, on the two neighboring islands, even with the Isle Masters gone, there was still a crowd of Spirit Plant Cultivators, Maids, and Chu Lingyu.

There were too many eyes and ears. It was not a good place to strike, as his involvement would surely be revealed.

That’s why he had quietly followed them and ambushed them on the road.

In fact, killing them had been so easy that Lin Changheng realized his long-term cautiousness and avoidance of Magical Combat had led him to misjudge his own strength.

This misjudgment was an underestimation, and a severe one at that, it seemed.

An ordinary Late Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator couldn’t have so easily slain two Middle Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators working together.

...

「Seven days later.」

Lin Changheng met with Chef Zeng again.

He looked calmly at the latter, who had recovered well. "Fellow Daoist Zeng, the trouble has been resolved for now, but it’s not a long-term solution. Why don’t you tell me what you did to provoke such a pursuit?"

"Ahem, I won’t hide it from you, Brother Lin. I was just going around trying to connect with others, hoping to find allies to take action."

Chef Zeng shook his head, his face dejected.

"Has your race truly reached the point of utter exhaustion? Is the situation that desperate?"

Lin Changheng frowned.