652: Chapter 648: Inner Sect?
Outer Sect?
652: Chapter 648: Inner Sect?
Outer Sect?
As for the Ding brothers, they looked at each other in dismay.
They had thought that by joining forces to kill the Great Ape King, they had picked an easy peach off the ground.
However, they had not anticipated that the man responsible for the Great Ape King’s serious injury was none other than the man before them now.
His strength was truly terrifying!
“Swoosh!”
Huang Bo, the Great Ape King, and the puppet were no match for Ye Tian.
Naturally, Sima Hong was far inferior to Ye Tian, so he could only point his toe and leap straight out of the bus.
“He’s escaping!
Chase him!”
Ding Da shouted.
Although Sima Hong was not strong, he was still a member of the Sima Family.
If he went back to give the alarm, everyone would likely not survive.
However, the Ding brothers were seriously injured and unable to give chase.
Currently, the only one who could pursue Sima Hong was Ye Tian.
But Ye Tian didn’t move, because on the bus was Bai Lan.
If Ye Tian chased after Sima Hong, Bai Lan would be left unprotected and accidents could easily occur.
Seeing that Ye Tian did not pursue Sima Hong, the Ding brothers could not do anything but watch helplessly as Sima Hong escaped.
Sima Hong’s figure disappeared into the dense forest after a few leaps and bounds, beyond the reach of pursuit.
“Is it over?”
The bus driver, seeing that the most terrifying person had fled, finally dared to show his face.
“Yes,” Ye Tian nodded, “Driver, can this bus still run?”
“Well…
it’s going to be difficult…”
The bus driver’s face was bitter.
So many martial artists had fought on his bus, leaving it in shambles, almost a write-off.
How could he know whether it was still operable?
With a try-and-see attitude, the driver started the bus and, to his surprise, it actually moved!
The clash of the martial artists had left the bus badly damaged.
Fortunately, the most crucial part, the engine, was not harmed, so it was able to continue on.
“Take us back to the city!”
Ye Tian commanded, and the bus driver dared not disobey, driving the wrecked bus towards Jiang City.
“Lan, don’t worry, I will get you home!”
Ye Tian sat down next to Bai Lan again.
Bai Lan was still terrified by the battle between Ye Tian and those monsters just now.
Especially the puppet that Ye Tian had defeated, which was still lying in the bus, made Bai Lan dare not glance directly at it.
Fortunately, Ye Tian was holding Bai Lan’s hand tightly, which gradually relaxed her mood, and she was no longer as frightened as before…
As for the Ding brothers, although they had many things to say, seeing Ye Tian getting along so well with the curvaceous woman Bai Lan, they refrained from asking further.
All three brothers had suffered different degrees of internal injuries, so they sat in the bus seats to heal with their cultivation technique, slowly recovering from their wounds.
Before long, the bus finally entered the urban area of Jiang City.
Different from the suburban scenery, the urban area was brightly lit with wide roads.
A battered bus driving on the road immediately drew the attention of many onlookers.
The bus driver also wore a helpless expression, thinking that with all the stares, the bus might soon become an internet sensation…
But after all, it wasn’t he who had damaged the bus, was it?
The bus drove on a little further and finally arrived at Bai Lan’s residence.
“Driver, please stop the bus!”
Ye Tian directed, and the driver immediately hit the brakes, stopping the bus at the curb.
“Lan, have a good trip and sweet dreams!”
Ye Tian bid farewell to Bai Lan.
They were now in the city center, surrounded by dazzling lights, so there was no need to worry about Bai Lan encountering any danger.
“Hmm…”
Bai Lan nodded gently.
Although she had faced danger during the trip to Lingyin Temple, she had been safely protected by Ye Tian, so it all ended without misfortune.
In parting with Ye Tian, Bai Lan felt somewhat reluctant.
Despite the dangers, she wished she could have spent more time with Ye Tian…
“Ye Tian, goodbye.”
Bai Lan spoke softly, then reluctantly stepped down from the damaged bus door.
Ye Tian watched Bai Lan enter her building before instructing the driver to continue on.
“You three, where do you live?”
Ye Tian asked the Ding brothers.
Ding Da promptly replied, “Friend, we are from out of town.
We don’t have a place in Jiang City, so we’re staying in a rented room, just one stop ahead!”
After all, Ye Tian had saved the three brothers, so Ding Da saw no need to conceal anything from Ye Tian.
“Take me there!”
Ye Tian requested directly.
Ding Da hesitated for a moment, then said, “Alright!
But the rental is very simple, please don’t mind!”
“I won’t mind,”
Ye Tian responded and had the bus driver continue driving.
After one more stop, the bus finally pulled over.
This is an industrial zone in Jiangcheng, surrounded by factories, so there are no tall buildings.
Most people living near the industrial park are commoners, which is why housing prices are relatively cheap here.
The cheap rent and mixture of good and bad people are probably why the Ding brothers chose to stay in this area…
Ye Tian and the Ding brothers got off the bus, and the bus driver finally heaved a sigh of relief.
Driving this last bus had been incredibly dangerous; even the bus almost turned into scrap metal.
The scene of martial arts masters battling it out on the bus felt like a dream!
It seems I’m really not cut out for driving a bus.
I’m going to resign tomorrow!!
As the driver took the damaged bus to the repair shop, the Ding brothers also brought Ye Tian into the small house they were renting.
This small house looked just like the kind of place ordinary laborers lived in; outsiders would never imagine that the people living here were martial arts grandmasters with formidable skills!
“You guys are also considered masters, so why do you deign to live in such a place?”
Ye Tian couldn’t help but wonder.
Although the Ding brothers were far from being as strong as himself, they were nonetheless stronger than other martial artists domestically.
Why would they demean themselves like this?
In Jiangcheng, there are so many martial art schools that can arrange accommodation for martial artists!
“How dare we be so ostentatious?”
Ding Da sighed and said.
“Ostentatious?”
Ding Da’s words left Ye Tian somewhat puzzled.
Was it considered showing off for a martial artist to stay in a martial art school?
Ding Er immediately interjected, “My friend, you probably don’t know, but in this past month, Jiangcheng has gathered hundreds of martial artists.
All these artists have cultivated the force of nature, and if we brothers make ourselves too conspicuous, we’ll be attacked by the lot of them!”
“Hundreds of martial artists?”
Ye Tian frowned slightly.
Indeed, he had also heard that many extraordinary individuals had gathered in Jiangcheng, so it seemed this was true.
“What exactly is the purpose of so many martial artists gathering here?”
Ye Tian asked directly, and the Ding brothers no longer concealed anything from Ye Tian.
“Isn’t it all because of that guy Sima Feng!
Spreading rumors everywhere that a dragon vein was discovered in Jiangcheng, causing a throng of martial artists who cultivate the force of nature to flock here!” Ding Da said indignantly.
“Dragon vein?
What exactly is a dragon vein?”
Ye Tian asked again, and Ding San hurriedly explained, “Actually, we three brothers don’t know what the dragon vein is either, but it’s said to contain immense power!
Of course, we three brothers also wanted to try our luck in Jiangcheng; sadly, we haven’t seen even a hair of the dragon vein up until now!”
“I see…”
Ye Tian nodded, sighing.
That is to say, there’s no solid evidence regarding the dragon vein; it’s merely hearsay that someone discovered a dragon vein in Jiangcheng.
As for its existence, no one knows.
Ye Tian had investigated the matter of the dragon vein himself but found no leads.
After all, throughout history, no dynasty had established its capital in Jiangcheng, nor was it considered a place of geomantic treasure.
Thus, Ye Tian tended to believe that the dragon vein was nothing more than a myth, spread by someone for some ulterior motive.
“Who is Sima Feng?”
Ye Tian asked in surprise.
He had heard this name many times already, but never knew who this person was.
From the name, it seemed he belonged to the Sima Family!
“Sima Feng is the second-in-command of the Sima Family, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Heavenly Gate.
Unlike us who are Outer Sect Disciples, he has been cultivating the Wind Flow Strength since he was young, and has not practiced any other Inner Strength.
Therefore, his power is formidable, far beyond what we could compare to!” Ding Da said with a trembling voice, showing a look of fear on his face at the mention of Sima Feng.
“What’s even more terrifying is that Sima Feng possesses a Life Weapon.
With it, he can create a multitude of puppets.
The power held by these puppets can amplify the strength of an ordinary martial artist by several times, which is very tricky!
The Sima Family has also grown gradually stronger due to Sima Feng’s influence, becoming an unparalleled force!”
“So it’s him!”
Although Ye Tian had never met Sima Feng face to face, from what he had heard, Sima Feng must be the manipulator of the puppets.
This person was ruthless and did not regard human life at all.
Such a person living in the world would surely bring suffering to many more!
However, Ye Tian had not yet found a way to deal with Sima Feng…
As Ye Tian looked troubled, Ding Er added, “This guy Sima Feng can turn martial artists who are severely injured or mentally distracted into his own puppets, leaving them in a state of being neither dead nor alive.
Our fear of the Sima Family is not of death, but of being turned into puppets and controlled by others!”
For martial artists, death is not the worst thing; the worst is dying in an ignoble way.
No wonder the Ding brothers were afraid of Sima Feng—he could trample on the dignity of martial artists…
“Right!”
Ye Tian suddenly thought of something else.
“On the bus earlier, I heard you say that you were from the same sect as Sima Hong.
Does that mean you are all from the Heavenly Gate?”
Questioned by Ye Tian, the Ding brothers had nothing to hide and told him all they knew.
Ding Da sighed and said, “We are from the same sect, but Inner Sect Disciples and Outer Sect Disciples are worlds apart!”
Ding Er also said, “Inner Sect Disciples are true members of the Heavenly Gate, able to cultivate the complete cultivation techniques of the sect from a young age, which is why they are so powerful.
But the techniques practiced by Outer Sect Disciples are incomplete, and most of them start their cultivation halfway through their lives, so their strength is not in the same league as the Inner Sect Disciples!”
Following up, Ding San said, “Inner Sect Disciples don’t even regard Outer Sect Disciples as part of the Heavenly Gate at all.
They can kill us at will, and the sect would not intervene in such infighting!”