Chapter 648 - 177: Bright Heart Realm? One Punch Each, Bare-handed Kills

"We didn’t take a wrong turn." Pei Yufeng’s voice turned eerie, a stark contrast to its previous warmth. At the same time, the thick fog surrounding the valley suddenly churned violently, as if something was stirring within it. SWISH! SWISH! SWISH! Three ghost-like black figures materialized out of thin air at three points around the valley, completely sealing off the escape route for Chu Fan and his companions. All three were women clad in black robes, their faces hidden behind grotesque bronze masks. A blood-red crescent moon insignia on the forehead of each mask was glaringly conspicuous in the dim fog, a chilling sight. "The Moon Worship Sect?!" Tang Tinghua’s expression changed dramatically. With a SHING, his Long Saber was already drawn! He roared, "Everyone, be careful! It’s an ambush! An ambush by the demons of the Moon Worship Sect!" The Demon Suppression Guard named Yun Bufan also drew his blade in an instant. He stood back-to-back with Tang Tinghua, their gazes locked onto Pei Yufeng, who stood before them with his back turned. His voice trembled with disbelief as he asked, "Captain! What in the world is happening? Why are there demons from the Demon Sect here?! Give the order, sir! We can break out together!" Pei Yufeng slowly turned around. At this moment, any trace of his previous warm smile was gone. In its place was a nearly fanatical and twisted expression, his eyes holding an eerie glint. He completely ignored his subordinate’s question, giving the three black-robed women a slight bow. Only then did he slowly turn to Tang Tinghua and Yun Bufan and say lightly, "Allow me to reintroduce myself..." "I am the Divine Communication Priest of the Moon Worship Sect, Pei Yufeng." "I have laid this trap today to sincerely invite you three, my colleagues, to forsake the darkness and embrace the light. Join my Moon Worship Holy Sect and share in the glory of the Moon God." "What did you say?!" His words struck Tang Tinghua and Yun Bufan like a bolt from the blue. A chill shot through them, as if they’d been plunged into an icy abyss. Their eyes widened in disbelief, and their Long Sabers instantly snapped to point at Pei Yufeng, their expressions a mask of absolute horror. In that moment, their entire worldview shattered. ’Their direct superior, Pei Yufeng, an official of the imperial court and a Demon Suppression Captain, was actually a demon from the Demon Sect—a villain that anyone would be justified in killing?!’ The thought of having spent so much time in this man’s company sent a chill down the spines of both Tang Tinghua and Yun Bufan. Yet Chu Fan, standing at the center of this storm, seemed to have anticipated it all. He didn’t even spare Pei Yufeng a glance. Instead, he tilted his head back slightly, his gaze fixing precisely on a spot high up the southwestern side of the valley. A massive, jutting boulder stood there, perched alone on the cliff’s edge. It was shrouded in thick fog, making it difficult to spot. A woman with a graceful, slender figure, also wearing a bronze mask, stood silently atop that great stone, gazing down on them from her high perch. ... "Tinghua. Bufan." Pei Yufeng spoke, his voice laced with a deep, bewitching Magic Power. With bloodshot eyes and disheveled hair, he looked utterly crazed. "What are you two still hesitating for?" "You risk life and limb, fighting bloody battles for the Demon Suppression Bureau, and for what? How much is your monthly stipend?" "Those paltry resources are nothing but table scraps leaking from between the fingers of those high and mighty lords!" "Open your eyes and look at the world! The era is changing! A storm is brewing!" "The so-called Righteous Sects are already rotten to the core, utterly corrupt and filthy within!" "The Martial Saint’s fate is unknown, and the three great dynasties are teetering on the brink of collapse!" "Only the Moon Worship Sect will be the true masters of the next age!" "Not just the Great Yan Dynasty... In the future, all Nine Provinces under heaven will belong to my Moon Worship Holy Sect!" The hands of Tang Tinghua and Yun Bufan, gripping their sabers, were trembling violently. ’They wanted to run...’ ’But how could they?’ ’The two of them were only at the Middle Stage of the Divine Power Realm, their foundations still shallow. But Pei Yufeng was a true master at the Fifth Heaven of the Acupoint Realm. His Cultivation was unfathomably deep! And that wasn’t even mentioning the masked woman on the boulder. The sheer, formless pressure she exuded was more than ten times stronger than Pei Yufeng’s. She was far beyond anything they could hope to resist!’ ’Damn that Chu Fan!’ ’This damned Fiend! He’s really caused some serious trouble!’ ’Of all the people to provoke, he just had to make a mortal enemy of the Moon Worship Sect. And now, he was dragging the two of them down to the grave with him!’ Seeing their resolve waver and their gazes flicker, Pei Yufeng’s face twisted into a triumphant sneer. He pressed his advantage, "The great cataclysm is imminent! The gods and demons of antiquity are about to awaken and return to the mortal realm!" "The Demon Suppression Bureau, the Martial Saint Hall—before true gods and demons, they are all nothing more than ants!" "Come now. Lay down your sabers. Surrender to my Holy Sect, and we shall bask in the Moon God’s glory and share in supreme power..." WHOOSH! A faint whisper of wind suddenly stirred. Pei Yufeng’s enticing words came to an abrupt halt. Before his very eyes, Chu Fan—who had been standing perfectly still without so much as twitching—vanished into thin air like a phantom. ’Too fast...’ ’So fast it was like a flicker of light. Not even the Divine Sense of a late-stage Acupoint Realm expert could have caught a single trace!’ The next instant— An indescribable and irresistible force, as terrifying as an Ancient Divine Mountain crashing down, slammed viciously into the back of his head. BAM! Caught completely off guard, Pei Yufeng had no time to mount any defense. Like a stake being driven into the ground, he was sent pitching forward, his face smashing heavily onto the cold flagstone. BAM—! Following the heavy impact, the hard flagstone ground shattered. Spiderweb cracks spread out in all directions as stone fragments flew through the air.