Chapter 327: Ambush
In the wilderness outside the city, hearing a voice emerge from the shadows, Ye Chen couldn't help but turn to look.
Two figures suddenly emerged from behind a nearby mountain.
They were bathed in brilliant Buddhist light, dressed similarly to the Saint Monk before him. An exceptionally terrifying aura pulsed from their bodies.
Evidently, they were two more Saint Monks!
"That's… Saint Monk Fa Zhao and Saint Monk Fa Ming!"
"Including Saint Monk Cheng Ji, who fought Ye Chen earlier, that makes three of them!"
A commotion broke out among the Xu family's experts.
Every Saint Monk was a renowned figure throughout the eastern part of the dynasty and a rare sight to behold. They represented the peak combat strength of the Saint Temple, Flame City's number one faction.
So how could they not be thrilled to see three of them at once?
Xu Ao also drew a sharp breath, his heart trembling.
Originally, after he had contacted the Saint Temple, they had promised to lay an ambush at the agreed-upon location to deal Ye Chen a fatal blow. The Xu family's only task was to lure him there.
Thus, while Xu Ao knew that men from the Saint Temple were lying in wait, he didn't know the caliber of the experts involved. The cultivators from the Saint Temple hadn't shared those details with him.
He had been counting on the Saint Temple to intercept Hongyu Pill Venerable or Mo Tianyun from the Demon Exorcism Institute. After all, he assumed that as long as Ye Chen wasn't a fool, he wouldn't come alone and would have other experts following in secret.
But in the end, Ye Chen had truly come alone. Only after witnessing his power did Xu Ao understand that Ye Chen wasn't being reckless or foolish—he genuinely had the strength to stand against them.
If not for the presence of the men from the Saint Temple, his party from the Xu family would likely have been completely wiped out here!
What Xu Ao also hadn't expected was for the Saint Temple to dispatch three Saint Monks at once.
This was, without a doubt, astonishing.
As far as he knew, the Saint Temple, as Flame City's premier faction, had numerous disciples and countless subordinate powers.
Yet, only twelve individuals held the title of Saint Monk.
These three Saint Monks represented a quarter of the Saint Temple's high-level fighting force.
This just went to show how determined the Saint Temple was to kill Ye Chen.
Three Saint Monks might not sound like many.
But in reality, the remaining Saint Monks were most likely occupied with their own important duties.
They were either traveling abroad on missions, guarding the Saint Temple and patrolling the region, or in seclusion, cultivating to break through to a higher path.
Xu Ao was already more than satisfied that they could dispatch three Saint Monks.
"Oh?"
"What, two more old bald donkeys?"
Ye Chen raised an eyebrow. Upon seeing the two Saint Monks, Fa Ming and Fa Zhao, he showed not a hint of panic. Instead, he taunted them with amusement in his voice.
"Insolence!"
"To dare speak so flippantly in the presence of the Saint Monks! Ye Chen, are you trying to hasten your own death?"
Xu Ao's voice was grim as he berated Ye Chen.
"If you keep barking at me, believe me when I say I'll slaughter you first, even if it means taking a hit from them."
Ye Chen's gaze on Xu Ao was apathetic. His voice was calm, but it sent a chill through Xu Ao's heart.
"You…!"
Xu Ao's face changed, a flash of anger in his eyes.
'At a time like this? In this situation, the kid still dares to threaten me?'
Xu Ao wanted to provoke Ye Chen again, but he didn't dare.
After all, with Ye Chen's strength, it wouldn't be difficult for him to kill Xu Ao if he acted recklessly. He didn't have the guts to risk another insolent remark.
"What a coward."
Seeing Xu Ao fall silent, Ye Chen sneered in contempt. He then ignored the ashen-faced man and turned his gaze to Fa Ming and Fa Zhao.
"You two. Are you going to fight me as well?"
Ye Chen instantly determined that these two Saint Monks were also experts at the Eighth Layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm.
'He wondered if these two would even dare to attack him.'
'After all, unless they were blind, they must have seen how he had crushed the previous Saint Monk.'
'Even if the two of them joined forces, they would be no match for him.'
"Be careful, this kid is no simple foe!"
Cheng Ji, the Saint Monk who Ye Chen had heavily wounded earlier, clutched his chest, coughing up blood.
He had taken a healing pill and was trying to stabilize his injuries. His breathing was gradually steadying.
"Don't worry. We saw the previous battle with our own eyes. We certainly won't underestimate this kid."
Fa Ming said coolly, his golden eyes glittering as he looked at Ye Chen, "You seem to think you've already won?"
"You think otherwise?"
"What can the two of you possibly do to me?"
Ye Chen shrugged, his reply nonchalant.
"Is that so?"
Fa Zhao snorted. He was a rugged-looking Monk, holding a wooden staff. The staff was covered in swirling golden patterns and inscribed with countless Buddhist scriptures, giving it an extraordinary and mysterious air.
"Since you are so confident, young friend, let's see you try this!"
With a great shout, Fa Zhao slammed his staff into the ground!
Instantly, the ground beneath him boomed as if struck by a heavy blow. BOOM! Countless cracks spread out from his feet, racing toward Ye Chen.
The next moment, a brilliant golden light erupted from the web of cracks. Countless golden threads shot out and rapidly coiled around Ye Chen's body.
"Now!"
At that very moment, the other Saint Monk, Fa Ming, also made his move.
He looked no different from an ordinary Monk, with a plain face and a thin, average frame. But when he struck, his astonishing aura seemed even more terrifying than Fa Zhao's.
He formed a series of hand seals, and the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi rapidly converged before him, quickly solidifying into a golden Light Seal.
The Light Seal hovered in the air, squirming constantly as if it were alive.
Under Fa Ming's control, the Light Seal plummeted toward Ye Chen. Just as it reached him, it transformed into a massive cage that crashed down, trapping him inside.
At that moment, Ye Chen was not only imprisoned within the cage but also tightly bound by the golden threads, rendering him completely unable to move.
Simultaneously, countless runes materialized before Ye Chen. It was an Array that had been lying in wait all along!
The terrifying power of the Array erupted, unleashing an irresistible force. Any ordinary Divinity Transformation Realm Cultivator would have been utterly crushed by the sudden, overwhelming power of this great Array.
But Ye Chen's expression remained calm, his gaze utterly indifferent.