Chapter 31: Those Who Seek to Kill Me Must Be Slain!

As the arrow bounced off Chen Tiansheng’s chest, everyone present gasped in shock.

Zheng Peng stood there, stunned. He was an expert archer, capable of bringing down a full-grown elk with a single shot, yet his arrow could not even pierce this man’s chest. Could this person be invulnerable to blades and arrows? Impossible; even among Foundation Establishment immortals, such a feat was rare. Could he be beyond the Foundation Establishment stage?

"Impossible!" The more Zheng Peng thought, the more terrified he became. Yet, he refused to believe Chen Tiansheng possessed such power—if he did, he wouldn't have had to part ways with Yue Wumiao in such a desperate manner. With a roar, he notched another arrow and drew his bow, determined to kill Chen Tiansheng. "Shoot him! All of you, fire at once!"

At his command, his men raised their bows and unleashed a volley toward Chen Tiansheng.

Chen Tiansheng narrowed his eyes at the rain of arrows. Zheng Peng’s previous shot had caught him off guard; were it not for his stone-like skin and bones, he would have been severely injured. However, his physical resilience alone might not have withstood such penetrating force. It was likely that the Yin energy he had used for tempering had further strengthened his physique. Combined with his stone-like skin and bones, his body was now as tough as copper and iron.

His thoughts settled quickly. Chen Tiansheng raised his dragon-phoenix blade to shield his front and stood his ground, making no move to dodge the incoming arrows.

Seeing this, Zheng Peng smiled. "I understand now. You took my last shot because you were using Qi to protect your body. You intend to use your internal energy to deflect these arrows, don't you? If that’s the case, I will simply drain your energy. Without your protective Qi, you are nothing but a mortal—meat on the chopping block!"

Zheng Peng suspected Chen Tiansheng was an immortal, and immortals naturally possessed Qi.

Chen Tiansheng spoke with indifference: "If you have the ability, then keep trying. Let’s see how many arrows you brought."

Hearing this, Zheng Peng became more convinced of his theory. His tension eased, and he sneered, "You are a turtle in a jar now. To defend yourself, you have to stand still and channel your energy. You don't dare move for fear of breaking your concentration, right? Heh, even if you have internal energy, it isn't inexhaustible. Judging by your voice, you’re no more than twenty—at most a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Let’s see how you handle these thousands of arrows!"

As he spoke, the rain of arrows descended upon Chen Tiansheng. Zheng Peng could already envision him being turned into a hedgehog, and he could barely suppress the grin on his face. Killing an immortal would be a glorious achievement!

Yue Wumiao turned her face away, unable to bear watching Chen Tiansheng being slaughtered. Though she desperately wanted to believe in him, the current scene made hope seem like self-delusion.

Just as she turned away, she heard a continuous clattering sound, like pebbles hitting a wall—*ding, ding, dang, dang*—a relentless, rhythmic noise. She assumed it was the sound of Chen Tiansheng’s heavy blade deflecting some of the arrows. She couldn't bring herself to look, but after a long while, Zheng Peng’s men were still firing, yet there were no cheers of victory, and the clattering did not stop. If Chen Tiansheng had been killed, it shouldn't have been like this.

Driven by curiosity, she steeled herself and looked back toward Chen Tiansheng.

The sight left her paralyzed.

Chen Tiansheng stood firm as a mountain, holding his great blade before him. Arrows were raining down from all directions. The ones in front were blocked by his strange weapon, while others struck his back, the back of his head, and his sides. Shockingly, every arrow that struck his body simply bounced off. They had only managed to tear his clothes; the skin visible beneath showed no trace of cuts or bleeding.

*Hiss!* Yue Wumiao couldn't help but gasp.

She could not believe a human body could possess such strength, enduring so many arrows without sustaining a single wound.

Injured? Chen Tiansheng merely smiled at the thought.

He was not relying on protective Qi; he possessed a tempered body with enhanced stone-like skin and bones. Protective Qi was indeed powerful, but as Zheng Peng had suggested, it would inevitably be depleted over time. He, however, was different. His strength lay in his physical constitution; he was enduring the arrows through sheer hardiness, like a wall of copper and iron that required no energy expenditure.

Zheng Peng and his men were mortals; even the strongest among them, Zheng Peng, was only at the level of a sect disciple. If Zheng Peng couldn't pierce his defenses, how could his subordinates, who were even weaker? Had it not been for this iron-clad physique, he would never have dared to stand against so many.

"How is this possible!"

"Keep shooting! Keep shooting! Kill him!"

"Anyone who stops, I will slaughter their entire family!"

As time passed, more than half the arrows had been spent, yet Chen Tiansheng remained unmoved, showing no signs of injury. The arrows littering the ground had proven useless. Zheng Peng panicked, screaming until his throat was raw.

Seeing Zheng Peng panic, his men followed suit. Many stopped firing and began to look for ways to flee.

"This is no good! This man isn't afraid of arrows at all. His strength is definitely above the Foundation Establishment stage. Staying here means certain death!"

"I’d rather offend the Zheng family than provoke an immortal of this caliber!"

"Run!"

In an instant, more than half of them dropped their weapons and scattered.

Seeing this, Zheng Peng flew into a rage. "Kill anyone who runs! Those who disobey my orders will be executed without mercy! Your families are in the hands of the Zheng clan—do you really think you can escape?"

Zheng Peng had expected his men to be afraid, but not a single one hesitated. They chose to flee for their lives, which made him explode with fury.

"Your men have all run away. Only you few remain. Are you not going to run?" Chen Tiansheng’s cold voice cut through the air.

Zheng Peng’s heart sank. He looked with trembling eyes at the man in black, who had lowered his great blade, and a wave of overwhelming fear washed over him.

"Young Master, this immortal is not to be trifled with! Let's go!" one of the guards shouted. He pulled the reins of his horse and fled, followed immediately by the other two men in a panic.

Zheng Peng regained his senses, but his guards were already nowhere to be seen.

"Trying to run?"

Just as Zheng Peng prepared to flee, the same mocking, cold voice sounded before him. Zheng Peng had no desire to fight; no matter how much he hated being spoken to this way, he had to endure it. Survival was all that mattered.

As Zheng Peng yanked the reins, his horse suddenly lurched. Looking down, he saw that Chen Tiansheng had swung his blade, cleaving the horse’s midsection. The beast collapsed instantly, dying on the spot.

Zheng Peng hit the ground hard, groaning in pain. As he tried to scramble to his feet, the door-sized blade was pressed against his neck. The freezing, sharp edge made his soul tremble, and a warm sensation spread through his trousers as he wet himself in terror.

Smelling the stench, Chen Tiansheng glanced down with disdain. "I overestimated you. You're just a coward."

Zheng Peng felt no shame; he only wanted to live. He pleaded repeatedly, "Immortal, it was I who offended you! I was wrong. Please, forgive me! I will never dare to do it again!"

"Again?" Chen Tiansheng narrowed his eyes.

Zheng Peng quickly stammered, "There won't be a next time! Immortal, I am the son of Zheng Guangzhong, the commander of Longhu Manor. My father has connections in both the imperial court and the immortal sects. This was all a misunderstanding. If you spare me, my father will surely compensate you well!"

"Your father has extensive connections," Chen Tiansheng mused.

Zheng Peng said with a hint of pride, "To be honest, my father has recently reached the Foundation Establishment stage and has received an invitation from the immortal sect. In the future, both he and you will be members of the sect; you could look out for one another."

Zheng Guangzhong had reached Foundation Establishment! Chen Tiansheng’s heart tightened. He studied Zheng Peng’s expression closely and realized the man was not lying. Being targeted by a Foundation Establishment immortal was no small matter.

"Zheng Peng, was it you who slaughtered our village and killed my entire family?" Yue Wumiao ran out from behind the wall, her voice trembling with rage.

Zheng Peng glanced at Chen Tiansheng, then turned to Yue Wumiao, not daring to show any arrogance. He said politely, "That is true, but our Zheng family is willing to pay. Whatever you ask for, we will provide. We only ask for your forgiveness."

Yue Wumiao shouted, "Do you think you can just pay for lives? You beast!"

Zheng Peng ignored her and kept his eyes on Chen Tiansheng, cowering. "I believe the compensation I offer will surely earn your forgiveness, Immortal."

He knew Chen Tiansheng was the one who made the decisions. He assumed Chen Tiansheng had only intervened because of Yue Wumiao’s beauty; otherwise, how could a mere girl hire an immortal? It wasn't Chen Tiansheng’s family that had died, so if the compensation was tempting enough, he would surely let him go. After all, everything had a price.

Chen Tiansheng remained silent for a long moment, making Yue Wumiao worry that he was indeed tempted by Zheng Peng’s offer. She wanted Zheng Peng to die, but she had no authority over the matter. Chen Tiansheng was merely a hired bodyguard; he had no reason to kill for her, and he had already done more than enough by saving her life. Furthermore, he was doing this for a reward, and no one could refuse a massive offer. Besides, who was she to him?

Just as she was about to speak, Chen Tiansheng’s blade moved. Zheng Peng’s head was severed from his shoulders.

He was dead on the spot.

Zheng Peng would never have imagined that Chen Tiansheng would strike so suddenly, without even a word of explanation.

The reason? Those who seek to kill me must themselves be killed.