Chapter 243: Chapter 243: Hidden Weapon Ambush, Securing Victory with One Hand

’If everyone from the Cyan Yuan Sect dies here in White Jade City, my situation won’t be much better. So, I can lend a hand when it counts.’

’I don’t need to expose my cultivation. The hidden weapons and poisons I’ve prepared will be enough.’

’The Inner Master from the Celestial Sword Sect I just killed is a good example of that.’

There was no need to be open and honorable about it; just using hidden weapons from the shadows would suffice. This was, after all, what Yang Chan preferred to do.

Direct confrontations were fraught with too many uncertainties. If he’d had enough time to set traps, that would have been even better. It would have significantly reduced the danger.

Besides, Inner Masters had extremely fast reactions. It was difficult to land a hit without resorting to some tricks. The black-clad Inner Master from before was a case in point; even with a surprise attack, he had managed to avoid several fatal spots.

Although the man had been hit, the wounds weren’t in critical areas. If Yang Chan hadn’t prepared a potent poison—one he had specifically refined to target Inner Masters—killing him would not have been nearly so simple.

Yang Chan moved quietly toward the sounds of battle, his figure melting into the darkness. Along the way, he saw black-clad men fighting Cyan Yuan Sect Disciples. When the opportunity was right, he would lend a hand with a surreptitious shot before vanishing with his Wind-Stepping Technique.

He continued until he reached the spot where four Inner Masters were clashing.

Yan Jinfeng was facing one Inner Master. Their cultivation levels were similar, but Yan Jinfeng’s combat power was weaker, leaving him at a disadvantage. If this continued, he likely wouldn’t last much longer.

Ji Feng, on the other hand, was in a much better situation. The man he was fighting had only reached the Inner Refining of the Second Lungs and Spleen, making him weaker than Ji Feng. As a result, Ji Feng had the upper hand, but killing his opponent was proving difficult. The man was adept at using softness to overcome hardness, making it hard to secure a swift victory.

Seeing this, Yang Chan recalled a saying from the Pharmacist Alliance: reinforce success, don’t rescue failure.

’The outcome of Yan Jinfeng’s fight won’t affect the final battle,’ Yang Chan thought. ’Ji Feng’s side, however, is critical.’

’If Elder Ji Feng’s opponent dies, the situation here will be decided.’

Yang Chan also noticed that the man fighting Ji Feng kept glancing around, searching for something he couldn’t find.

Yang Chan could guess what he was looking for. It had to be the Inner Master who had gone to inspect his room.

If those two had teamed up, even with Ji Feng’s higher cultivation, he would have been suppressed, and might even have died at their hands. After all, someone at the Inner Refining of the Third Lungs and Spleen was not powerful enough to overwhelm two other Inner Masters.

’Clearly, this man is waiting for reinforcements,’ Yang Chan mused. ’To that, I can only apologize.’

’His reinforcements are never coming, and now he has to deal with my sneak attack as well.’

As Ji Feng and the black-clad man clashed, Yang Chan remained hidden in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. When Ji Feng unleashed a powerful blow that forced the black-clad man to receive it head-on, Yang Chan made his move.

Plum Blossom Sleeve Arrows, Flying Needles, and other hidden weapons shot out, all aimed at the black-clad man.

The instant Yang Chan attacked, the black-clad man’s sense of danger flared, and he instinctively tried to dodge. But seeing this, how could Ji Feng possibly let him escape?

With his Flood Dragon Demon Martial Seal activated, his immense power left the man with no opportunity to flee.

If he tried to run, he would have to face Ji Feng’s immense power—a force capable of shattering his Five Viscera and Six Viscera.

Even though an Inner Master’s cultivation was powerful, and their internal organs were tempered to be difficult to harm, they were not invincible.

If their organs were destroyed, they would still die. Such was the effect of absolute power.

Seeing this, the black-clad man’s brow furrowed. He abandoned the thought of escaping and instead pulled out another weapon to protect his vital spots.

An Inner Master’s reactions were swift; he could instantly think of a way to defend himself. As long as no vital areas were hit, it wouldn’t have much of an impact on him.

’Once my support arrives,’ he thought, ’I’ll kill Ji Feng first, then torture and kill this ambusher.’

"A hit."

Yang Chan was pleased when he saw the result.

’As I thought, this is the best time to strike,’ he mused. ’It completely robs the enemy of any chance to dodge. Most importantly, a scene like this was only possible because this man’s cultivation is no match for Elder Ji Feng’s.’

This was a classic example of the practical combat lesson: reinforce success, don’t rescue failure.

"Elder, the hidden weapons are coated in a potent poison! Kill him now! Don’t give him time to recover!"

Even as he shouted the warning, Yang Chan was already using his Wind-Stepping Technique to make a quick escape, giving neither the black-clad man nor anyone else a chance to come after him.

Hearing the voice, Ji Feng’s eyebrow twitched. He continued to channel his powerful Flood Dragon Demon Martial Seal, unleashing a barrage of Fist Power that gave the black-clad man no chance to recover.

This was the perfect opportunity to eliminate his opponent. Seeing the black-clad man’s aura weaken as blood trickled from his mouth and nose, Ji Feng grew even more excited and unleashed his full combat power.

This bastard had been a thorn in his side for far too long. He was going to pummel this black-clad man to death and end this fight for good.

Although the Cyan Yuan Sect had sent out a distress signal, it was uncertain whether reinforcements would arrive. White Jade City had already descended into chaos, which was a terrible situation. Just as they were being attacked, other Sects likely were as well. After all, many factions were looking to fish in troubled waters, or even to destroy the future prospects of other Sects.

Even though the major Sects were separated by different states, they would seize any opportunity to annex a rival and grow stronger, never giving their opponents a moment to recover.

The Xuanqing Palace of Yu State was a case in point. The Sect’s strength had dwindled so much that they had sent very few people to White Jade City—just one Advanced Pharmacist leading an ordinary Basic Level Pharmacist. They couldn’t even succeed in refining a First Revolution Nourishing Viscera Pill, a rarity among the various Sects.

Some Sects might fail at refining due to bad luck, but the Pharmacist sent by Xuanqing Palace had absolutely no experience with successful refining. Their attempt was a direct failure, with no possibility of success.

If not for the Court’s past intervention, Xuanqing Palace would have been completely wiped out by now.

Of course, their current situation was not much better. Though they hadn’t been destroyed yet, that fate was fast approaching.

Without external support, Xuanqing Palace would soon cease to exist in Yu State. Its territory would be occupied by other powers—perhaps a hegemon from another state, or even a puppet faction that would be forced to pay tribute with the region’s resources.

It was possible for a local power to take over, but the probability was low. The major Sects were what made the difference.

Xuanqing Palace had come to White Jade City not only for the Pharmacist Alliance’s cultivation resources but also in the hopes of finding allies to preserve their Sect’s legacy and prevent its destruction by others.

At a critical moment, it was even possible they would seek refuge with the Court.