Chapter 500: Turning the Clouds

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

This was a dream. Everything Duan Muxiao saw here was fabricated.

The fabricator was Duan Muxiao himself, but the one providing this dream was Chen Fei.

The Dream Entry Technique, which Chen Fei stumbled upon, was partial and severely incomplete, with only about twenty percent of its content.

Therefore, in direct confrontations, this Dream Entry Technique didn’t have much effect for Chen Fei. It could only confuse those with weaker mental fortitude than Chen Fei or those with obvious mental flaws.

Duan Muxiao’s mental strength was not weaker than Chen Fei’s, but after being captured by Chen Fei, he directly used the Mirror Image Profound Slaying Sword to almost shatter Duan Muxiao’s mind.

It was precisely during this time that Chen Fei used the Dream Entry Technique on Duan Muxiao.

Duan Muxiao felt that time seemed to be passing by quickly. This wasn’t an illusion but a subtle hint detected by Duan Muxiao’s transcendent mental state.

However, due to the severe damage to Duan Muxiao’s mental state, he himself couldn’t perceive this anomaly.

Everything Duan Muxiao currently saw and heard was based on his own past memories, and even scenes Duan Muxiao had never witnessed could be mentally reconstructed by him.

Just like ordinary dreams people had during their daily lives, many scenes hadn’t been witnessed before but could appear in this dream.

One must say, this Dream Entry Technique was truly remarkable, making full use of human nature.

The saying went, “A thousand years in one dream.” Within this dream, everything that seemed impossible could become possible. Unfortunately, the Dream Entry Technique Chen Fei obtained was incomplete, and achieving the current level was basically at its limit.

They were currently inside the cave on that island. Chen Fei sat cross-legged on one side, while Duan Muxiao kept his eyes tightly closed, with his eyeballs rapidly moving beneath his eyelids and a smile on his face.

Within the dream:

Duan Muxiao directly swallowed the pill in his hand and then began to refine it within the secret chamber.

Having been an assassin for so many years, Duan Muxiao had not only elevated his cultivation to the Combined Aperture Tempering realm but had also accumulated a considerable amount of resources.

Apart from a small portion carried with him at all times, Duan Muxiao had stored most of his belongings in the branches of the Death Shadow Sect.

To prevent any mishaps with his stored items, Duan Muxiao didn’t dare to keep too much in one place but distributed them among various branches.

In the dream’s sky, Chen Fei looked down at the contents inside a wooden box, with the majority being healing potions, followed by some medium-grade elemental stones, and cultivation pills.

There were also several jade slips, which should contain various cultivation techniques that Duan Muxiao had practiced.

Chen Fei casually moved his right hand, and time within the dream accelerated. Duan Muxiao had just sat down cross-legged, and in an instant, he stood up again, having completed the refinement of the pills.

Of course, for Duan Muxiao himself, it felt like several hours had passed, and his injuries had been partially healed by the healing potions.

However, this was not enough. Duan Muxiao was severely wounded this time, and all the healing potions in the wooden box had been used up. He couldn’t completely heal his injuries.

Especially the damage to his mental state, Duan Muxiao estimated that it would take at least a year of rest and various pills to fully recover.

“Chen Fei!”

Thinking of this, Duan Muxiao couldn’t help but clench his teeth. But when he considered the strength that Chen Fei had displayed, he took a deep breath, and his expression gradually returned to calm.

In the sky above, Chen Fei watched the changes in Duan Muxiao’s expression and couldn’t help but smile slightly. He lightly moved his right hand again, and time within the dream accelerated once more.

Duan Muxiao continued to take various medicinal herbs until his body barely recovered some of his Combined Aperture Tempering realm strength before finally stopping.

At this point, further rapid recovery of his injuries was difficult to achieve, and Duan Muxiao didn’t want to linger any longer.

He needed to head to the Death Shadow Sect’s headquarters to report the mission’s status. He couldn’t wait to have the mid-Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts from the Death Shadow Sect take action and eliminate Chen Fei.

As long as Chen Fei remained alive, the anger festering in Duan Muxiao’s heart could not be dispelled.

Duan Muxiao appeared in a shop, and the shopkeeper warmly saw him off. He then departed from Pohai City, soaring into the sky and continuing towards the southwest direction.

After another few hours of flight, Duan Muxiao’s heart gradually calmed as he looked at the familiar scenery along the way.

Encountering familiar things provided a sense of security, and Duan Muxiao was no exception. The closer he got to the Death Shadow Sect, the more secure he felt.

He landed in Heaven Mist City in the Heaven Wind Region. This region was under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Wind Sect, and the infamous headquarters of the Death Shadow Sect was located within Heaven Mist City.

The Heaven Wind Sect was one of the top ten forces within the Thousand Feathers Alliance, on par with elite sects like the Tiandao Sect and the Fengwu Pavilion. However, whether the Death Shadow Sect had any connection to the Heaven Wind Sect remained a mystery, known only to a select few.

The vast majority of Death Shadow Sect assassins were unaware of the location of the sect’s headquarters, as they were not privy to such information.

Only when one’s cultivation reached the Combined Aperture Tempering realm could they become aware of the Death Shadow Sect’s headquarters. As for the exact relationship between the Death Shadow Sect and the Heaven Wind Sect, even assassins at the Combined Aperture Tempering realm had no understanding about this either.

However, to claim that they had absolutely no connection, it was unlikely anyone would believe it.

But for assassins whose cultivation had reached the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, there was no need to delve into such matters. Whether there was a connection between the two did not affect the rewards they deserved.

Sometimes it was best to remain blissfully ignorant. What was the use of knowing so much? Would it increase their rewards or accelerate their cultivation?

Sometimes, knowing too much could only invite unnecessary trouble.

Duan Muxiao was in Heaven Mist City. He entered an alleyway and followed a specific set of steps within it. After walking through the alley three times, the scene before him suddenly changed, and Duan Muxiao found himself in an underground cave.

In the vast sky above, Chen Fei watched this scene with a subtle expression.

The arrangement of this alleyway was indeed mysterious. Without knowing the exact way to walk through it, one would never discover the hidden secret.

And if Duan Muxiao were subjected to severe interrogation about this matter, even if he revealed some information, deliberately withholding certain details would likely lead to a different outcome.

There were few people in the cave. Duan Muxiao glanced around and walked directly toward a passage, where he sat down on a stone chair.

In just a moment, a shadow slowly appeared in front of Duan Muxiao. The shadow didn’t speak; it simply looked at Duan Muxiao with a calm demeanor.

Duan Muxiao was unfazed by this and said in a deep voice, “The mission failed. The mission target was too powerful, and couldn’t be assassinated without reaching the mid-Combined Aperture Tempering realm.”

The shadow remained silent. Duan Muxiao continued to narrate everything that had happened during the mission execution, portraying Chen Fei’s strength in great detail.

In fact, Duan Muxiao was slightly exaggerating Chen Fei’s strength, fearing that the Death Shadow Sect might not send a mid-Combined Aperture Tempering realm assassin.

“That’s the situation.”

“Alright!” Upon hearing Duan Muxiao’s words, the shadow nodded and vanished on the spot.

A faint smile appeared on Duan Muxiao’s lips. Now, he would wait for the Death Shadow Sect to contact the employer and negotiate the increase in the reward.

If the employer was willing to increase the reward, they would then assign the task to a mid-Combined Aperture Tempering realm expert to ensure the second assassination, which would be foolproof.

In most cases, the vast majority of employers would agree to increase the reward.

Those who came to the Death Shadow Sect to request assassination missions harbored deep hatred for their targets. Moreover, they had already invested a portion of the reward as a cost.

With prior costs already incurred, many people would agree to invest even more.

In the sky above, Chen Fei observed the scene within the cave.

Chen Fei didn’t have much interest in the Death Shadow Sect’s headquarters. At most, he was intrigued by the techniques of the Death Shadow Sect.

However, the techniques of the Death Shadow Sect would undoubtedly require various payments and wouldn’t be given away for free. For assassins associated with the Death Shadow Sect, it was more like an unconventional faction than a traditional sect.

Compared to traditional sects, the Death Shadow Sect operated with more straightforward principles, where one’s accomplishments spoke for themselves, and everything else was secondary.

“Should I become an assassin for the Death Shadow Sect?”

A thought crossed Chen Fei’s mind but was quickly dismissed. There was no need for that. However, he was curious about who had issued the task to assassinate him within the Death Shadow Sect.

Unfortunately, as an assassin, Duan Muxiao couldn’t access such information.

And if Duan Muxiao himself was unaware, he wouldn’t be able to provide that information within the dream.

Chen Fei saw that Duan Muxiao seemed to be looking for a place to recuperate. After a moment’s thought, he gently pointed forward with his right hand.

After leaving the cave, Duan Muxiao casually found an inn. He intended to enter a long period of convalescence, during which he couldn’t engage with others for at least a year, as it would worsen his injuries.

As Duan Muxiao was sitting cross-legged, he suddenly felt the entire Pohai City shaking violently. In the next moment, the sound of an explosion echoed throughout the city.

Duan Muxiao instantly appeared in mid-air and realized that the source of the battle’s fluctuations came from the location of the Death Shadow Sect’s alleyway. At that moment, an intimidating aura was permeating the area, sending shivers down Duan Muxiao’s spine.

Pinnacle of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm!

Duan Muxiao had seen a few Pinnacle of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm experts before, though he had never had the chance to get to know them. However, he could never forget the intensity of their presence.

Although they were both in the Combined Aperture Tempering realm, the gap in strength between the early Combined Aperture Tempering realm and the Pinnacle of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm was so vast that it left Duan Muxiao feeling somewhat despairing.

Someone in the early Combined Aperture Tempering realm could already slay Duan Muxiao, let alone a Pinnacle of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm expert who could likely kill him with a single wave of their hand.

And now, Duan Muxiao saw a Pinnacle of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm powerhouse attacking the Death Shadow Sect’s headquarters.

Duan Muxiao didn’t immediately think of fleeing; that would be too conspicuous. He also felt fortunate that he had left that area just before this occurred.

Half an hour later, in Duan Muxiao’s perception, the Pinnacle of the Combined Aperture Tempering realm expert departed. Two hours later, Duan Muxiao also left Pohai City.

The fact that someone had located and breached the Death Shadow Sect’s headquarters, where even the other branches of the Death Shadow Sect were in danger, was deeply troubling. Duan Muxiao had to retrieve all his belongings stored in various places.

Those were the fruits of his many years of hard work and accumulation!