Chapter 462: The Truth of the Matter

Chapter 462: The Truth of the Matter

October 17, 2024

A stern rebuke startled the young disciples from various sects, leaving them in awe.

The young disciple who had just approached Su Chen was particularly flustered, not knowing what to do.

The atmosphere grew quiet as everyone's attention turned to the elders.

After a moment of hesitation, Wei Huifang from Huayan Sect stepped forward with a hint of apology.

His mouth twitched a few times.

It seemed like he wanted to apologize but couldn't find the words.

After a while, he finally spoke, "Young friend, how did you know about the Heavenly Demon ambush ahead? The scattered movements of Golden Demons shouldn't attract Heavenly Demons."

Wei Huifang's expression was apologetic as he spoke.

He was pleading for Su Chen to give them some face.

He didn't want Su Chen to rebuke them over this matter.

They were all of a certain age and didn't want to lose face any further.

But they couldn't help but admit their mistake.

If it weren't for Su Chen's reminder, they would have led their young disciples straight into the depths of the north, right into the Heavenly Demons' trap.

Without Su Chen's warning, they would have suffered greatly from the Heavenly Demons' ambush.

They didn't want to lose face, but deep down, they were grateful to Su Chen.

The elders of the various sects were not the unreasonable and foolish type.

If they had misjudged Su Chen, then they were at fault.

These elders and guardians had no intention of repaying kindness with enmity.

They only hoped that Su Chen would spare them some face.

"Logically, you are correct. Monsters are extremely sensitive about their territories.

The scattered movements of Golden Demons shouldn't attract Heavenly Demons.

But these Heavenly Demons are cunning and experienced.

They deliberately lured some Golden Demons to make us lower our guard.

I was fortunate enough to notice some clues and almost fell for their trick."

Through this exchange, the young disciples from the various sects understood the situation.

Su Chen's words proved to be true.

The elders and guardians of the sects had indeed encountered a swarm of Heavenly Demons in the north.

No wonder they had been scolded earlier.

Hearing Su Chen's explanation, the elders' expressions finally relaxed.

They looked at Su Chen with newfound respect.

In their hearts, they seemed to understand why Qiu Ruofang valued this young man.

He possessed both talent and composure.

These elders and middle-aged men, with their wealth of experience, had initially looked down on Su Chen.

They had belittled and scorned him.

Even in front of others, they had spoken disparagingly.

But in the face of a real crisis, Su Chen did not take advantage of their predicament.

Instead, he continued to offer them a warning.

The seemingly insignificant information he provided turned out to be their lifesaving straw.

"Young friend, you are too modest. When it comes to dealing with monsters, you are more authoritative than us.

Your keen insight is truly remarkable.

Back then, we old folks failed to recognize Qiu Ruofang's talent.

We belittled her rise, but now history repeats itself, proving that we lack the foresight.

A young man valued by Qiu Ruofang cannot be ordinary."

Wei Huifang finished speaking with a helpless smile.

Another elder standing beside him chimed in, expressing regret in his tone.

"Thinking back, we even thought you relied on your handsome appearance and sweet words to deceive Qiu Ruofang.

We not only belittled her but also you."

Before this elder could finish, another elder on the side laughed and added, "Perhaps this handsome appearance is indeed one of the reasons why Qiu Ruofang values Su, young friend."

This remark elicited laughter from the crowd, lightening the atmosphere.

The elders' attitude towards Su Chen underwent a significant shift.

Wei Huifang and the others now spoke to Su Chen with unparalleled kindness.

Some of the young disciples were astonished to hear their elders speak in such a gentle manner.

They couldn't believe their elders were capable of such a tone and demeanor.

Su Chen's decision not to humiliate them further and damage their pride was already deeply appreciated.

After some polite exchanges, Wei Huifang continued to voice his lingering confusion, a question shared by the other elders and guardians who had traveled together.

"Su, young friend, we didn't venture too deep into the wilderness before encountering the swarm of Heavenly Demons.

It's not surprising that they ambushed us from behind.

These cunning monsters often employ such tactics.

What we don't understand is why, when you suggested we retreat to the east, those beasts stopped pursuing us relentlessly.

It's true that after heading east, they no longer chased us.

But we are perplexed as to the connection between these events."

"Why is it that once we retreat to the east, we are no longer pursued?" Wei Huifang voiced his confusion, and the others around him gathered to listen.

Everyone was curious about this.

At this moment, these elders from various sects no longer doubted Su Chen.

Without Su Chen's warnings, it would have been impossible to safely withdraw from the Celestial Demon Swarm.

"Actually, I also heard some information from Senior Qiu, and from that, I came up with some possible explanations.

The direction of these demons' attacks mostly comes from the northwest.

They want to give us the illusion that their hiding place is in the northwest, or even the west.

They want to protect whatever they seek in the northeast.

Based on this, how could these demons possibly drive you elders to the east?

If they really encounter something in the east, they would suffer a loss.

So, I have a few speculations.

As long as we head east, these demons won't pursue us relentlessly.

What they might do is create a bigger disturbance to draw away those who are investigating in the northeast."

After Su Chen's explanation, everyone seemed to understand.

The elders, in particular, pondered deeply.

Recalling the past, those demons had been using such tactics.

Every time a team went to investigate in the northeast, problems would arise in other areas.

Before, they would even attack the camp.

Now it seems that the demons aren't attacking the camp because they think it's vulnerable; instead, it's a strategy like 'besieging Wei to rescue Zhao.'

By attacking the camp, they draw away the teams investigating in the northeast.

They never allow our attention to focus on the northeast.

"Those demons have become so cunning!"

Several sect elders cursed, and their recognition of Su Chen's abilities grew.

They understood the reasons behind the situation.

It was clear that Su Chen's ability to deal with demons was indeed exceptional.

Qiu Ruofang's acknowledgment and support were facts.

"According to what Su Xiaoyou said, our other teams and the front-line positions are more likely to be attacked.

To draw our teams sent to the northeast, those demons will attack other areas."

Wei Huifang quickly grasped the situation and, based on Su Chen's speculations, came up with some possibilities.

The others around him agreed.

"What you said, Senior, is also what I was thinking.

We'll now return and stop five li away from the front-line position, then wait.

Five li is a distance you elders can cover in a dozen breaths.

This time, we'll ambush the Celestial Demons!"

Hearing Su Chen's words, everyone seemed to gain some morale.

Following Su Chen's arrangements, they headed towards the front-line position.

Maintaining a distance of five li, the demons, no matter how sensitive, couldn't detect them.

Just as they had stopped, Su Chen's brows furrowed.

"Elders, we must rush to the front-line position now!"

Wei Huifang and the others watched but couldn't see anything unusual.

They subconsciously wanted to deny it.

But thinking of Su Chen's previous performance, Wei Huifang and the others immediately rushed forward.

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However, just as Wei Huifang and the others rushed forward, they were still about two li away.

In the direction of the front line, distress signals suddenly lit up.

The red-glowing signals indicated an urgent request for reinforcements.

The group exchanged glances and then looked back.

The elders didn't hesitate and moved even faster than before, heading towards the front line.

At this moment, the Celestial Demon Swarm had just launched an attack on the front-line position.

But they probably didn't expect that they would be the ones ambushed this time.

While still fighting with the martial artists on the front line, they were suddenly attacked from behind by Wei Huifang and the other Transcendent Powerhouses.

The situation on the front-line position instantly reversed.

"Marquis Wei, how did you arrive so quickly?"

The martial artists guarding the front-line position were excited and asked loudly.

When the others saw this divine reinforcement, their confidence soared.

Seeing this, the Celestial Demons seemed to panic.

The unexpected reinforcement made them lose their previous determination to fight to the death.

It seemed that the Celestial Demons, like humans, had morale.

Seeing their declining momentum, they wanted to escape.

After fighting for a while, Su Chen and the group of young people arrived.

It wasn't that they couldn't keep up with the speed; it was that facing the Celestial Demon Swarm, they couldn't take the risk of getting too close.

With so many Transcendent Powerhouses present, they could handle the demons.

At this point, the Celestial Demons' momentum had already waned, and it was safe to approach.

In the midst of the ambush, there were a total of nine Heavenly Demons.

Two of the Heavenly Demons had already perished, and the rest were injured.

The entire frontline defense had been devastated, with various facilities in ruins.

The aftermath of such a clash between top-tier experts could easily destroy an entire city.

Fortunately, the location was in the wilderness, minimizing the damage.

The situation for the Heavenly Demons grew increasingly dire, and they no longer coordinated with each other.

Some of the Heavenly Demons disregarded their formation and began to retreat on their own.

This partial retreat naturally made the remaining Heavenly Demons more vulnerable.

Soon, nearly four more Heavenly Demons met their end.

As the fleeing Heavenly Demons escaped, Elder Wei Huifang and the other elders couldn't help but glance at Su Chen.

"Elders, we can pursue them now!" Su Chen exclaimed.

These Heavenly Demons lacked reinforcements, and they hadn't anticipated the danger they were in.

Injured as they were, they fled, but Elder Wei Huifang and the others, with their Transcendent Realm strength, could easily keep them in sight.

It had been a tiring day, but everyone's faces were filled with smiles.

The damaged facilities on the frontline were insignificant to the vast Jin Kingdom.

After tidying up, they simply moved to a new location and began reestablishing the frontline defenses.

Defenses against the Heavenly Demons were of little use.

The primary purpose was to provide slightly better accommodations for the Martial Artists stationed on the frontline.

Given the circumstances, they decided to relocate their camp.

During this process, the Martial Artists on the frontline witnessed a peculiar phenomenon.

Numerous guards and disciples were treating a young man with utmost respect.

In their conversations, they inquired about his well-being and offered warm greetings.

Some even brought food from somewhere and presented it to Su Chen.

Such treatment was unimaginable for a young disciple.

Not long after, one of the elders who had gone to investigate the situation returned.

He approached Su Chen first, sharing the details of the pursuit of the Heavenly Demons.

Witnessing this, the Martial Artists stationed on the frontline were left dumbfounded.

Su Chen also keenly felt the stark contrast in treatment, realizing the difference was immense.

Respect was earned through capability.

This principle was vividly demonstrated here.

Around 1 AM, Elder Wei Huifang and the others returned, dragging the corpses of several Heavenly Demons.

Since the Heavenly Demon menace began, this was the first time they felt such elation.

The elusive Heavenly Demons had been successfully ambushed by the group.

This situation exceeded everyone's expectations.

Even in their wildest imaginations, they hadn't envisioned such a scenario.

Although it was still the middle of the night, at the frontline, the group lit a campfire and roasted meat to celebrate.

This was the Jin Kingdom's victory celebration after battling the monsters.

As a young disciple, Su Chen received roasted meat from several elders.

Such treatment was unheard of for other young disciples.

Su Chen graciously accepted, without the arrogance that some young people might display.

Despite having the upper hand, he didn't relentlessly pursue the elders.

The key was that he had the capability and remained humble.

This was indeed rare and precious.

As dawn approached, the group rested briefly, leaving some Martial Artists on guard.

During the day, even if the Heavenly Demons sought revenge, they would be quickly discovered.

In the main camp tent, several Sect Elders gathered, discussing their response to the Heavenly Demons.

"Elder Xue, you may not believe it, but our swift reinforcement was largely thanks to Su Chen.

Just after 7 PM yesterday, we were already waiting five miles away."

When we saw your distress signal, we were less than two miles from the camp."

Hearing this, Elder Xue's face remained skeptical.

Seeing this, another Elder spoke up.

"Elder Xue, we also wish to claim these merits.

But we lack the capability.

Additionally, we must save face.

If we were to arrange it, we would have arrived early to fortify the camp.

We wouldn't have achieved such a decisive victory."

They lacked the ability to discern the Heavenly Demons' locations.

They were even deceived by the Heavenly Demons' traps.

They didn't have the qualifications to claim this merit.

After returning to their individual tents, the Sect Elders immediately summoned their disciples.

They instructed them to send a message.

The previous plan to send a few outstanding young male disciples was canceled.

Let's see if we can send young female disciples instead.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end