From Fanwu to Xinghai

Chapter 19 Underdark Sneaking

Lin Chen crawled in the darkness.

The drainage ditch was narrower than he had imagined; in some places, he had to squeeze through sideways. Water droplets seeped from the damp walls, soaking his robes. But he dared not stop or make any loud noise. The effects of the Qi-Sinking Pill were continuing, suppressing his spiritual energy fluctuations to a minimum, yet his breathing and heartbeat were still clearly audible in the silent ditch.

Time becomes blurred in the darkness.

He didn't know how long he had been climbing; he could only silently calculate the distance in his mind using Zhou Quan's map. One mile... two miles... three miles...

Just then, a faint light appeared ahead.

It wasn't firelight, but some kind of cold, silvery-white light that shone through the crack at the end of the channel, casting a long shadow of him.

Lin Chen slowed down and approached silently.

The gap was narrow, but enough for him to squeeze through sideways. He cautiously poked his head out, and his pupils suddenly contracted!

It was an abandoned weaving workshop.

The enormous loom was rusted and covered in cobwebs and dust, but a clearing had been cleared out on the ground. In the center of the clearing, a person was chained, arms outstretched, and suspended from a beam.

It was Chen Xuanfeng.

He had his head down, so his expression was obscured, but Lin Chen could see that his clothes were tattered, covered with crisscrossing bloodstains, some old and some new, some already scabbed over, while others were still bleeding.

Uncle Chen.

Lin Chen's heart clenched, but he forced himself to remain calm and scanned his surroundings.

There are nine people in the weaving workshop.

Seven ordinary-looking thugs were scattered at the four corners, armed and alert. The other two stood in front of Chen Xuanfeng: one was a middle-aged man in a gray, close-fitting outfit with a narrow-bladed knife at his waist, his eyes cold; the other was a young woman with her head bowed and holding a tray with various interrogation tools on it.

That middle-aged man must be the Shadow Four or Shadow Three Brother that Li Xuanqi mentioned.

Lin Chen's gaze swept quickly across the weaving workshop, searching for possible routes. The walls were high, there were no windows, and the only passage was through the narrow gap he had entered through. Ying Si, with his back to him, was speaking to Chen Xuanfeng in a low voice, which was difficult to hear.

time.

He needs time.

Lin Chen quietly retreated, hiding in the shadows of the canal, and closed his eyes.

The mark of time between my eyebrows began to warm slightly.

He immersed his consciousness into that illusory river, and everything around him began to slow down, become clearer, and more distinct—not stop, but decelerate.

three times.

He tried to reduce the flow of time to one-third of the normal rate.

In an instant, everything around them became like a reflection of the moon in water, moving very slowly yet with perfect clarity. Shadow Brother's voice was drawn out into a low hum, and the guards' footsteps sounded like walking on cotton.

The price of slowing down time is that my brow begins to ache slightly.

But he couldn't care less.

With time slowed down, Lin Chen peeked out again to carefully observe every detail inside the weaving workshop.

Shadow Brother San's position was directly in front of Chen Xuanfeng, no more than three feet away—the closest possible distance for interrogation. This position was crucial; if chaos could be created, he would be the first to react.

In the guard's blind spot, there is a shadowy area under the wall in the southeast corner, the ruins left after the loom collapsed, where one can take temporary cover.

What was Chen Bo's condition? Lin Chen turned his gaze to him and noticed a detail: Chen Xuanfeng's eyelids were trembling slightly, indicating that he was not completely unconscious.

and also……

Just then, Lin Chen noticed a detail that made his heart skip a beat.

In a corner of the weaving workshop, some miscellaneous items were piled up, among which was a roll of black cloth—no, not cloth, but a cloak. The edge of the cloak was embroidered with a small pattern that Lin Chen had seen somewhere before.

The symbol of the Qingyun Sect.

Are the people from the Qingyun Sect here?

Before he could figure it out, the side effects of the time slowdown began to appear. The pain between his eyebrows intensified, feeling like needles pricking him, forcing him to withdraw his consciousness and exit the time slowdown state.

Everything around them returned to normal.

His breathing was a little rapid, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Three times the speed reduction... that's still too much of a stretch. It only lasted for less than ten breaths, but the energy expenditure was already considerable.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and began to quickly formulate a plan in his mind.

The first step is to create chaos.

The second step was to take the opportunity to get close to Uncle Chen.

The third step is to unlock the chains and take him away.

The fourth step is to send a signal to Murong Xue to provide assistance.

The plan is simple, but there are too many variables.

The reaction speed of Shadow Four, the number of guards, the strength of the chains, and that mysterious third-party force...

He closed his eyes and mentally reviewed the map once more.

There was no other choice.

You can only try.

He reached into his pocket and took out an ordinary pebble, not the signal stone that Murong Xue had given him, but one he had picked up casually from the channel.

Take a deep breath.

Then, he aimed at the shadowy area in the southeast corner and threw the stone forcefully.

The pebble traced an arc before landing in the ruins with a crisp sound.

What was that sound?

The four guards immediately became alert and quickly walked in that direction.

Shadow Brother frowned slightly, but he didn't move. He simply said in a deep voice, "Be careful, it might be a trap."

Lin Chen cursed inwardly.

This Shadow Four is more cautious than he imagined.

But this also means that his attention was somewhat diverted.

Without hesitation, Lin Chen took advantage of the gap and silently squeezed out through the opening, quietly approaching Chen Xuanfeng under the cover of shadow.

Ten zhang... five zhang... three zhang...

Just as he was about to get close, a voice suddenly rang out!

"I know you're there."

It was Shadow Brother's voice, cold and calm, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows.

Lin Chen paused in his steps.

Shadow Brother didn't turn around, still facing away from him, but his voice came clearly: "I sensed you when you came in. The Qi-Suppressing Pill can indeed suppress spiritual energy fluctuations, but your heartbeat... is too rapid."

He slowly turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, piercing straight towards the direction where Lin Chen was hiding.

"Come out, little one."

"Let me see who's so bold as to come to the Dark Blade Pavilion's interrogation room to rescue someone."

Lin Chen did not move.

He knew the other party was testing him.

If he doesn't move, Shadow Brother won't be able to pinpoint his exact location. And the guards are checking the southeast corner; this is his chance.

But Brother Shadow Three was clearly aware of this as well.

He sneered, drew the narrow-bladed knife from his waist, and swung it lightly.

A sharp blade of energy sliced ​​through the air, heading straight for the shadow where Lin Chen was hiding.

There's no escaping it.

Lin Chen instinctively rolled to the side, the blade's energy grazing his shoulder and leaving a deep crack in the ground. So fast, more than twice as fast as his reaction.

"It really is here."

Shadow Brother's voice carried a hint of amusement. He had already located Lin Chen's position and was walking towards them.

"Fifth level of the Spiritual Cultivation Realm... No, something on you is suppressing your aura, but I can sense it; you should be even lower." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Interesting. A mere Spiritual Cultivation Realm brat dares to intrude into the Dark Blade Pavilion's stronghold?"

He stopped, less than two zhang away from Lin Chen.

"Is he Chen Xuanfeng's disciple?"

Lin Chen did not answer.

He slowly stood up and held the signal stone tightly in his hand.

"Not going to talk?" Brother Shadow chuckled. "That's alright, I have plenty of ways to make you speak."

He raised the knife, its blade reflecting a cold light in the torchlight.

"But before that..."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Chen had already moved.

They didn't rush towards Brother Ying, but towards Chen Xuanfeng.

In the instant that Shadow Brother was stunned, Lin Chen had already arrived beside Chen Xuanfeng and grabbed the iron chain that was locking his wrists.

"court death!"

Shadow Brother's face darkened, and with a flash of light, he aimed straight for Lin Chen's back.

Lin Chen did not turn around.

He poured all his spiritual power into his right palm and struck the weakest point of the chain. The Time River Mark between his eyebrows suddenly throbbed violently, and he felt some kind of guidance telling him where to strike.

That's it.

"clang……!"

With a crisp snap, the iron chain broke.

Chen Xuanfeng leaned forward, but Lin Chen reacted quickly and caught him.

"Uncle Chen!"

Chen Xuanfeng opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy gaze, which quickly turned into a complex mix of emotions: relief, worry, and a deep sense of helplessness.

"You...shouldn't have come." His voice was hoarse and weak.

"Now is not the time to speak."

Lin Chen put his arm on his shoulder, preparing to leave.

But Shadow Brother Three was already closing in.

"Trying to leave?"

His knife was already raised, but his target was not Lin Chen, but Chen Xuanfeng.

"Then leave your life behind."

The blade flashed sharply, carrying a chilling killing intent, and slashed straight towards Chen Xuanfeng's neck.

Lin Chen had no way out.

He shielded Chen Xuanfeng behind him, raised his right palm, and took the blow head-on.

"Lin Chen!" Chen Xuanfeng exclaimed.

The moment the knife and palm clashed, the mark between Lin Chen's eyebrows throbbed violently again, and a strange power surged from the mark, flowing into his arm.

time.

At that moment, time seemed to stand still.

Shadow Brother's blade was less than an inch from his palm, but it seemed to be blocked by some force, making its progress extremely slow.

Lin Chen could clearly see every line and every glint of cold light on the blade.

He saw the expression on Shadow Brother's face: astonishment, anger, and a hint of disbelief.

He could even see his reflection in Shadow Brother's eyes; the golden mark between his brows was emitting a faint light.

Then, his arm moved.

It wasn't a block, it was a counterattack.

He concentrated all his power in his palm and, in the instant that time stood still, struck Shadow Brother Three in the chest.

"Bang!"

Shadow Brother's body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the wall, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

"You..." His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. "How could you..."

Before he could finish speaking, his eyes suddenly rolled back, and he fainted.

Lin Chen knelt on one knee, panting heavily.

The mark between my eyebrows had completely faded, replaced by a violent wave of dizziness.

That attack just now consumed at least 30% of his spiritual power.

But he dared not stop.

He struggled to his feet, helped Chen Xuanfeng steady himself, and then crushed the signal stone in his hand.

The signal has been sent.

Next, it's time to evacuate.

He looked up at the exit of the weaving workshop...

There, someone was already standing.

A person wearing a black cloak.

The edge of the cloak was embroidered with the emblem of the Qingyun Sect.

"Qingyun Sect..." Lin Chen's voice was hoarse, "Are you here to rescue people, or to kill them?"

The man in black robes did not speak.

He simply raised his head slowly, revealing a young face.

He was very young, even somewhat naive, but his eyes held a world-weariness that was completely incongruous with his age.

"Lin Chen".

He spoke, his voice calm and composed.

"I've been waiting for you for a long time."