Sword Sovereign of the Celestial Emperor-Chapter 143, Ambush

"Is there a tea house ahead?"

The sun was high, and although Ma Fei was riding swiftly along the main road, feeling the strong wind sweeping past on both sides, Chu Ming still felt parched.

In a blur, the outline of a tea house gradually expanded in his vision, becoming clearer. Several figures were bustling around inside, creating a lively scene.

Clip-clop! Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

In just a moment, Chu Ming approached the tea house, riding Blue Star Horse over a distance of several hundred meters. As soon as he arrived, the tea house’s attendant quickly came forward.

"Young hero, come down and have a cup of cool tea to quench your thirst..."

The attendant quickly draped a dirty cloth over his shoulder, speaking with a flattering expression.

The tea house wasn’t large, only ten zhang in length and width. It was simply constructed with ordinary cloth stretched over several wooden stakes, appearing crooked but just suitable enough for tea drinking.

"Tie up my horse and feed it some hay!"

Chu Ming took out a silver tael from his pocket and tossed it into the attendant’s hand. The attendant’s face lit up with joy as he accepted Chu Ming’s rein.

Inside the tea house, there were five tables. The owners were an elderly couple, both around sixty years old, who were somewhat strange as both were disabled.

The old woman had one arm, dressed in a gray robe, skillfully manipulating her only hand in the pot, quickly brewing cool tea for passing travelers, moving so fast it dazzled the eye.

The old man was missing a leg, barely able to walk with a cane made of elm wood. When Chu Ming entered the tea house, the old man was sitting in a rocking chair, gently rocking back and forth, appearing serene and composed.

Apart from them, there were three others in the tea house, presumably martial artists, sitting at a nearby table, drinking tea and chatting loudly.

Seeing Chu Ming’s attire, a flash of oddness appeared in the three martial artists’ eyes but, in an instant, they resumed their idle chit-chat.

"Hmm? There’s killing intent!"

Chu Ming’s soul power was exceedingly strong. Any slight disturbance around couldn’t escape his notice. As soon as he stepped into the tea house, a faint aura of killing intent emerged, aimed directly at Chu Ming.

"Young hero, your cool tea!"

The old woman walked over carrying a bowl of tea with one of her arms. In the bowl, the cool tea floated with three or four tea leaves, occasionally rolling over.

Swish!

Chu Ming’s ear twitched, and the Blue Red Sword at his waist instantly unsheathed, a flash of silver light illuminating his eyes, lighting up the entire tea house.

Clang!

At some point, the old man had already gotten up from the rocking chair, his elm cane pressing against Chu Ming’s head, unable to advance further, blocked by a blue sword blade.

Whoosh!

Chu Ming instantly sprang up, his toes lightly touching the ground, his body splitting into nine, creating nine white phantoms flashing in the air. Amid their transformations, four streaks of sword light flickered.

Swish, swish, swish...

The tea house collapsed as four pillars supporting it were immediately sliced in half, and five people were buried beneath it, rolling, raising layers of white waves on the ground.

"Hmm?"

Chu Ming turned his head and saw a dead horse behind the tea house, its body split in half with hot blood flowing from it, clearly just recently killed. It was indeed the Blue Star Horse he had ridden on his way here.

A flash of cold light appeared in his eyes, and the Blue Red Sword in his hand instantly stabbed backward. A white column of sword aura surged out, transforming into spikes, shattering the space completely.

Splatter!

A streak of red floated in the air; the blood hadn’t yet fallen when a corpse with wide eyes collapsed, a red mark on its forehead, clearly the tea house attendant trying to ambush Chu Ming but instead losing his own life.

Splatter!

At this moment, the white cloth where the tea house had collapsed suddenly stopped rolling. In Chu Ming’s astonishment, a dazzling black light directly tore the cloth into countless pieces, scattering them in the air.

Five figures flew out, the three martial artists and the elderly couple from the tea house, no longer casual. Their expressions were stern, cold, and ruthless, each holding a forked sword with dual tips, ready to kill.

The elderly couple, seemingly frail while supporting each other, emitted an aura that demanded Chu Ming’s attention. All five were surrounded by faint evil qi.

"Who sent you?"

Chu Ming asked indifferently. The couple were Fourth Layer True Dao martial artists, while the three others were only Third Layer True Dao, but Chu Ming didn’t underestimate them.

The Great Yan Kingdom, located in a remote area, had the lowest martial techniques and cultivation skills within the Celestial Realm, thus the martial artists’ spiritual power quality and quantity could only be considered at the bottom among their peers.

Though Chu Ming, before his breakthrough, could spar with Fifth Layer True Dao martial artists in the Great Yan Kingdom, and after breaking through, he feared not True Dao Fifth Layer martial artists.

But outside the Great Yan Kingdom, handling Fourth Layer True Dao martial artists was already commendable, facing formidable True Dao Fourth Layer martial artists was still a challenge.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The five didn’t speak but moved simultaneously, surrounding Chu Ming, their gaze terrifying.

"Heart Devouring Palm!"

The elderly couple, unusually coordinated, showed their spiritual power faintly merging. The old woman launched a palm, black qi permeating, accompanied by ghostly wails, extremely horrifying.

"Shadowless Burn!"

With a sword slash, the Blue Red Sword emitted faint flames of the Rootless Flower, absorbing all surrounding spiritual power, creating numerous whirlpools of spiritual energy.

Crunch!

The black palm seal, exceedingly terrifying, grabbed the sword aura, shattering it into countless pieces.

Step!

Chu Ming’s body retreated instantly, driven by inertia. Layers of black shadows appeared before his eyes, three real silhouettes flickering, blurring sword shadows.

Boom!

"Blood Killing Fist!"

Chu Ming clenched his left fist, his body arched in a difficult bow stance, muscles trembling, blood-red glow flashing on his fist, light red whirlpools lightly spinning.

With a punch, the red glow surged like a dragon, annihilating the layers of illusions instantly, as if light shining in the darkness.

Swish, swish, swish...

Three cold lights shattered before fully flashing, the three shadows were blasted out, blood gushing from their mouths. Each of their chests had a deep pit, their organs entirely crushed, dead beyond saving.

One punch, three dead!

Splatter!

At the corner of his eye, Chu Ming saw a wide black shadow already reaching him. The elderly couple attacked together, the old woman using her fists, the old man wielding his cane, spiritual energy flashing with great momentum.

"Clear River Finger!"

"Silent Extinction Palm!"

The old man pointed with his cane, creating ripples in the space, a splendid green light exploding like the Arctic aurora.

The old woman’s palm carried the aura of twilight death, everything withering, turning to decay.