Chapter 48: The Dawn of Hope

While Chen Feng was dealing with Jiang Hong, on the other side, outside the Xingfeng Sect.

Jiang Yaotian arrived with four elders and Jiang Chen. They saw no one at the entrance of the Xingfeng Sect; the surroundings were deathly quiet.

"Chen'er, stay here. We are leaving," Jiang Yaotian said. Bringing Jiang Chen along would only be a burden.

"Alright, Father!"

Jiang Chen immediately leaped onto a nearby tree to hide. From there, he could see everything happening at the main entrance of the Xingfeng Sect.

At this moment, Jiang Chen was brimming with confidence. His father and four elders had come together this time; even if those people possessed powerful weapons, they could never be a match for his father and the others.

The five of them, led by Jiang Yaotian, soon approached the entrance of the Xingfeng Sect.

Almost as soon as Jiang Yaotian and his group appeared at the gate, continuous gunfire erupted. A dense rain of bullets swept toward them.

However, the five Xiantian experts seemed to be prepared. They instantly circulated their astral qi to defend themselves. The bullets struck the astral qi and ricocheted away, creating a series of clanging sounds.

After feeling the impact of the bullets against his astral qi, an expression of excitement appeared on Jiang Yaotian's face. "This thing is truly extraordinary!"

Although the attacks could not harm him, they were already capable of suppressing him. Moreover, he could clearly feel his astral qi being rapidly consumed.

"I'll hold them off, you guys move in!" Jiang Yaotian shouted to the Jiang family elders.

He then circulated his astral qi and stepped forward alone. Jiang Yaotian's figure moved incessantly across the field, intercepting most of the bullets aimed at the other Jiang family elders.

Feeling the pressure ease, the four remaining elders did not hesitate. Their figures flickered as they charged toward the hiding place of Wang Hu and the others.

For Xiantian experts, a single second of breathing room was enough to change the tide of battle.

Seeing this, Wang Hu, who was currently firing, was struck with terror. "Watch out!"

However, his warning came too late.

One of the Jiang family elders charged directly in front of the nearest Xingfeng Sect martial artist. Before the martial artist could even raise his gun, he was killed instantly by the shockwave of the elder's astral qi.

Wang Hu's eyes instantly turned bloodshot. These thirteen inner-sect martial artists armed with guns had been following him all this time. He had long since regarded them as his brothers; how could he not feel agonizing pain seeing them die before his eyes?

"Retreat first!" Wang Hu shouted while firing.

The area at the entrance was too open and unsuitable for combat; once a Xiantian expert closed the distance, they would be nearly impossible to resist. Their only option now was to retreat into the sect and use the terrain to hold them off.

Seeing Wang Hu and the others preparing to flee, the Jiang family elders immediately wanted to give chase, but they were blocked by Jiang Yaotian.

"No need to pursue."

Hearing Jiang Yaotian's words, the elders abandoned the chase and gathered before him. One of the elders handed the submachine gun he had obtained from killing a Xingfeng martial artist to Jiang Yaotian.

Jiang Yaotian took the submachine gun, examined it carefully, and marveled, "The craftsmanship of this object is truly remarkable."

Every detail of the submachine gun filled him with surprise. But at this moment, his excitement far outweighed his surprise—this thing could belong to the Jiang family in the future!

If the martial artists of the Jiang family could all be equipped with such weapons, they would surely be able to sweep through all directions and might even dominate the entire State of Yue. This weapon could effectively narrow the gap between Houtian martial artists and Xiantian experts.

Just thinking about it made Jiang Yaotian incredibly excited.

"Patriarch, are we not going in?" an elder asked.

In the eyes of the elders, the Xingfeng Sect's trump card was merely these weapons. Although they were powerful, the martial artists using them were weak—at most, they were at the ninth level of the Houtian realm. They might be able to handle one or two Xiantian experts, but they were no match for the five of them.

Jiang Yaotian glanced at the Xingfeng Sect. So far, he had not received any news from Jiang Hong. This puzzled him; with Jiang Hong's strength, finding that Chen Feng shouldn't be a problem. Why was it taking so long?

"Wait for news from Hong'er. Let these people live a little longer; they can't run away anyway!"

Without news from Jiang Hong, Jiang Yaotian remained uneasy. He intended to wait for her. Now that the Xingfeng Sect was surrounded, the opposition had nowhere to run.

***

Inside the Xingfeng Sect, Wang Hu led his men in a retreat, and Liu Qian hurried to meet them.

"Brother Wang Hu, are you alright?" Liu Qian asked with concern.

Currently, Wang Hu and his men were the strongest combat force of the Xingfeng Sect. If something happened to them, there would truly be no hope left.

"I'm fine!" Wang Hu's expression was somber; the deaths of his subordinates weighed heavily on his heart.

"I have already sent someone to scout the north. It is close to the Great Forest; there is a higher chance of success if we attempt a breakthrough there," Liu Qian said.

They had all witnessed the clash between Wang Hu's group and the five Xiantian experts of the Jiang family. Wang Hu's group was clearly outmatched. The only remaining option was to abandon the Xingfeng Sect and flee to the Great Forest in the north.

The surrounding Xingfeng martial artists were all looking at Wang Hu, waiting for his decision.

Wang Hu looked at his people, feeling immense pressure. The Xingfeng Sect was no longer the small group of dozens of people it once was. If it were before, he would have stayed to fight to the death; he, Wang Hu, did not fear death. But now, there were too many things to consider.

"Sect Leader, where are you..." Wang Hu immediately thought of Chen Feng. If Chen Feng were here, he would surely have a way to resolve this crisis. Although Chen Feng rarely managed the sect's affairs, he was the backbone of the Xingfeng Sect. With him there, everyone would have confidence.

Just as the Xingfeng martial artists were waiting in low spirits for Wang Hu's decision, a figure slowly emerged from within the sect.

His footsteps were slow, and he was only noticed by a martial artist once he drew near.

"It's the Sect Leader! The Sect Leader has emerged from seclusion! The Sect Leader has emerged!"

A martial artist who spotted Chen Feng immediately shouted at the top of his lungs. His expression was incredibly excited, and tears even began to flow.

In an instant, everyone's gaze converged on the figure walking slowly toward them. Though the figure emerged from the darkness, he was like the first light of dawn, illuminating everyone in the courtyard.

***

On a peak of the Hengduan Mountains.

Qin Yao and Wang Tian had witnessed the entire battle between the Xingfeng Sect and the Jiang family.

"Five Xiantian experts! The foundation of the Jiang family is truly terrifying," Wang Tian said in horror.

Qin Yao asked in confusion, "The Jiang family has clearly repelled Wang Hu and the others, so why haven't they entered the Xingfeng Sect?"

Qin Yao had spotted the anomaly. Wang Hu and his men had clearly fled in defeat, yet the Jiang family members had not pursued them, choosing instead to wait at the gate. It was too strange.

"Regardless, the Xingfeng Sect is completely beyond hope. We should return to the sect, pack our things, and leave."

Wang Tian's expression was dejected. He felt that the Xingfeng Sect was doomed. If even their trump cards couldn't handle the Jiang family, then only destruction awaited them. The best course of action was to pack up their valuables and leave the Hengduan Mountains as soon as possible.

However, after Wang Tian finished speaking, he received no reply from Qin Yao. He turned to her in confusion.

He saw that Qin Yao was staring blankly toward the main gate of the Xingfeng Sect, murmuring

"Sect Leader Chen... he's back!"