Chapter 50: A Fine Calculation

Half an hour later.

Two figures left Luoxia Peak, turning into streaks of light that vanished into the morning glow.

*

Jiangyue City.

A medium-sized city in the Southern Region, it lay several thousand li from the Qingyun Sect.

Unlike the Blood Fiend Sect’s previous stronghold hidden deep in the mountain forests, this was a bustling city.

People bustled through the streets lined with shops, and the cries of street vendors rose and fell ceaselessly.

Chen Ping landed on a hill outside the city with Lin Xiaoyu.

“Over there.”

He raised his hand, pointing toward the west side of the city.

In the western suburbs of Jiangyue City, ten li away, stood a manor spanning a thousand mu.

Blue bricks, black tiles, pavilions, and terraces were nestled among lush green trees.

From the outside, it looked no different from the estate of any ordinary wealthy family.

But Chen Ping’s Grand Dao Divine Eyes saw it clearly.

Hovering above the manor was a faint, almost imperceptible blood-red mist.

It was incredibly faint, so much so that ordinary cultivators could not detect it at all.

Yet that aura was identical to the one at the previous stronghold.

“Is this the place?” Lin Xiaoyu asked.

Chen Ping nodded.

“Let’s go.”

*

The two landed in front of the manor gates.

The gates were tightly shut, and a plaque hung above the lintel, bearing four large characters: Yuehua Manor.

Chen Ping raised his hand and gave it a gentle push.

The gate swung open.

*

Inside the courtyard, all was silent.

The pavilions and terraces remained as they were, the water in the pond still rippled gently, and a few koi swam leisurely.

But there was not a single soul.

Chen Ping led Lin Xiaoyu into the manor.

They crossed the front courtyard, bypassed the screen wall, and arrived at the main hall.

In the main hall, teacups still sat on the table, the tea long since gone cold.

In the nearby incense burner, half a stick of unburnt incense remained.

Chen Ping looked toward the backyard.

He activated his Grand Dao Divine Eyes.

The backyard, the wing rooms, the woodshed, the cellar…

All were empty.

Every single room was deserted.

Some rooms even retained signs of recent occupancy.

The bedding was neatly folded, unfinished books lay on the tables, and a few garments hung in the wardrobes.

But the people were all gone.

“They left,” Chen Ping said softly.

“They left in a hurry, but calmly.”

Lin Xiaoyu stood in the courtyard, looking at the empty rooms, and fell silent for a moment.

Lin Xiaoyu stood in the courtyard, looking at the empty rooms, and fell silent for a moment.

“Master… we’re too late.”

Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of disappointment.

Chen Ping walked over to her side and was about to speak.

Suddenly, his pupils constricted!

Within the vision of his Grand Dao Divine Eyes, deep beneath the entire manor, four auras were surging frantically.

Those auras were…

The Divine Ability Realm!

Four of them!

“Not good!”

Chen Ping swept Lin Xiaoyu into his arms and shot backward!

But it was already too late.

BOOM!!!

The ground beneath the entire manor suddenly exploded!

Four blood-red figures surged out from underground, positioning themselves in four directions and completely surrounding the master and disciple.

They were four elderly men dressed in blood-red robes. Their faces were withered like mummified corpses, and blood-colored Qi surged around them like a tide.

Their eyes were completely blood-red, devoid of whites or pupils.

But their auras were…

The Divine Ability Realm!

One at the early stage, two at the middle stage, and one at the late stage of the Divine Ability Realm!

*

“Trapping array… activate!”

The leading elder, at the late stage of the Divine Ability Realm, spoke in a raspy voice.

As soon as he spoke, countless blood-red patterns lit up across the ground of the entire manor.

These patterns crisscrossed, instantly forming a massive blood-red barrier that completely enveloped everything within a thousand-zhang radius.

A trapping array.

One could only enter, not leave.

*

Chen Ping shielded Lin Xiaoyu behind him, his expression as calm as still water.

But inside, a storm was raging.

Four Divine Ability Realm experts.

Ambush.

A trapping array.

The Blood Fiend Sect had spared no expense.

*

“You certainly think highly of us,” he said flatly.

The leading elder grinned, revealing a mouthful of blackened teeth.

“Two Qi Refining Stage cultivators destroyed a branch of my Blood Fiend Sect and killed over three hundred of my people. People like you are well worth four Divine Ability Realm experts.”

He paused, a bloody light flashing in his eyes.

“The Sect Master has ordered: bring them back alive, or bring back their corpses.”

Chen Ping nodded.

“And then?”

“And then?”

The elder laughed, a bizarre, crazed laugh.

“And then, you die!”

The moment the words left his mouth,

The auras of all four men surged violently at the same time!

This was not the aura of combat.

It was…

Self-detonation!

*

Chen Ping’s pupils shrank!

He wanted to move, but it was already too late.

The simultaneous self-detonation of four Divine Ability Realm experts would be enough to level the entire manor and reduce everything within a thousand-zhang radius to dust.

What was worse, they were sealed inside the trapping array!

There was no escape.

It could not be blocked.

This was a certain-death trap.

*

In the blink of an eye,

Chen Ping did not hesitate.

He spun around and pulled Lin Xiaoyu tightly into his embrace.

He turned his back toward the four spheres of blood-red light that were about to detonate.

“Master!”

Lin Xiaoyu’s terrified voice rang out.

But Chen Ping did not answer.

He simply pressed her head against his chest, shielding her completely with his body.

A purple-gold glow surged from his body, forming layer upon layer of barriers behind him.

One layer.

Two layers.

Three layers.

Ten layers.

A hundred layers.

He had done everything he could.

*

BOOM!!!!

The four spheres of blood-red light exploded simultaneously!

The light was as blazing as a bloody sun, swallowing everything in an instant!

Within the trapping array, everything began to shatter.

The ground caved in, buildings collapsed, the pond evaporated, and the very air burned.

The blood-red shockwave swept through like a tsunami, reducing everything in its path to nothingness.

Chen Ping stood at the center of the storm, enduring it all with his back.

One layer of barriers shattered.

Two layers of barriers shattered.

Three layers of barriers shattered.

…

In a split second, all one hundred layers of barriers were completely obliterated.

Then,

The terrifying shockwave slammed heavily against his back.

Pfft!

Chen Ping spat out a mouthful of blood, his entire body sent staggering forward by the impact.

Yet he did not fall.

He stood firm, shielding Lin Xiaoyu in his arms with everything he had.

The second wave of impact hit.

The third wave of impact hit.

With every wave, he coughed up more blood.

With every wave, his face grew a shade paler.

Yet he never fell.

He never let go.

*

Three breaths.

Five breaths.

Ten breaths.

When the final wave of the impact dissipated, Chen Ping sank to one knee, gasping for air.

His back was a bloody mess, with white bone visible through the torn flesh.

His face was as pale as paper.

Yet his eyes remained as calm as still water.

He looked down at Lin Xiaoyu in his arms.

“Are you alright?”

His voice was raspy, yet gentle.

Lin Xiaoyu looked up.

Her face was splattered with Chen Ping’s blood.

She looked at Chen Ping, at his pale face, and at his mangled back.

Her eyes reddened in an instant.

“Master… Master…”

She reached out a trembling hand, wanting to touch his face, but did not dare to.

Chen Ping forced a weak smile.

“Silly girl… why are you crying… I’m fine…”

The moment the words left his mouth,

he spat out another mouthful of blood.

Lin Xiaoyu panicked.

She scrambled to support him, only to realize she had no idea what to do.

“Master… Master, don’t scare me… I… I…”

Chen Ping waved his hand.

“Don’t panic… let me catch my breath…”

He closed his eyes, and the 《Grand Dao Divine Scripture》 within his body began to circulate furiously.

The power of the Primordial Chaos Creation surged forth, beginning to mend his mangled back.

But the injuries were too severe.

The self-detonation of four Divine Ability Realm experts in a sealed space carried enough force to heavily injure even a Grotto-Heaven Realm powerhouse.

That he had survived at all was already a miracle.

*

Lin Xiaoyu knelt beside him, tears streaming down her face as she stared at his bloody back.

“It’s all my fault… it’s all my fault…”

she murmured.

“I insisted on coming… I insisted on taking a look… If it weren’t for me…”

“Master wouldn’t have been hurt…”

“It’s all my fault…”

Chen Ping opened his eyes and looked at her.

“Silly girl.”

He raised his hand, gently wiping away the tears on her face.

“I am your master. Protecting you is only natural.”

Lin Xiaoyu shook her head frantically.

“But… but…”

“There are no buts.”

Chen Ping interrupted her, his tone solemn:

“Remember, you are my disciple. As long as I am alive, no one will harm you.”

He paused, then smiled again.

“The self-detonation of four Divine Ability Realm cultivators… that isn’t enough to kill me.”

Lin Xiaoyu looked at him, her tears falling even faster.

But she nodded hard.

“I… I will remember…”

*

Chen Ping took a deep breath and slowly stood up.

Though he swayed unsteadily, he stood.

He looked around.

The trapping array had already dissipated along with the self-detonations of the four men.

The entire manor had already been reduced to ruins.

On the ground lay a massive crater spanning a thousand zhang.

The bottom of the crater was charred black, with nothing left behind.

“A clever scheme,” he said softly.

“Using an empty manor as bait, and four Divine Ability Realm experts as a trap. The Blood Fiend Sect Master certainly spared no expense.”

Lin Xiaoyu stood by his side, staring at the massive crater in silence.

But in her eyes, golden lightning surged wildly.

That was anger.

That was killing intent.

*

Chen Ping turned to look at her.

“Let’s go.”

“Let’s return to Luoxia Peak first. I need to recover from my injuries.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded.

Supporting Chen Ping, she walked step by step, leaving the ruins behind.

*