The Art of Chaotic Divinity

Chapter 1482: Panic Spreads

Ling Feng never expected the Bloodthirsty Soul-Chasing Arrow to actually kill Yang Zhen. Forcing him back was already enough.

More importantly, Yang Zhen had still been cut by the arrow. With its ability to tear through both flesh and soul, even someone at his level would not get away clean. He could suppress the damage by force, but it would not be pleasant.

"Damn it!"

Yang Zhen's face twisted in anger as he watched Ling Feng escape. His gaze snapped toward the canopy of a nearby tree as he gritted his teeth. "Senior Brother Song, why didn't you make a move just now?"

Only then did it become clear that Song Feilian had been sitting atop that tree the entire time, eyes closed, resting as if none of this concerned him.

"If I don't feel like acting, then I won't."

Song Feilian opened his eyes and gave Yang Zhen a meaningful look. "Junior Brother Yang, ask yourself honestly. Weren't you too extreme today? I think highly of Ling Feng. I don't believe he would betray us!"

He had held his tongue earlier to preserve Yang Zhen's authority as commander. But now, a fellow disciple had died for nothing.

The surrounding Great Emperors fell silent.

If even Song Feilian believed Ling Feng was not a traitor, then what he said earlier might actually be true.

An ancient devil...

And the barbarians are trying to use it against them...

Unease spread through the Hall of War disciples once again.

Ling Feng had warned them twice. It did not feel like baseless talk.

So should they stay here, or leave?

Trust Yang Zhen, or trust Ling Feng?

That question weighed heavily on everyone's mind.

In the end, Bai Qi was the first to snap. "Screw this, I'm not staying! Ling Feng isn't the kind to play dirty behind people's backs. He's straightforward. I trust him! I'm leaving now! Who's coming with me?"

The moment Bai Qi spoke, Chu Tiange followed without hesitation.

He trusted Ling Feng completely. Seeing him get surrounded and forced to fight just to survive had already shaken his confidence in Yang Zhen as commander.

"I'm in. I know Ling Feng's character better than anyone. If he wanted someone dead, he wouldn't bother with schemes. And after killing so many barbarians, why would he suddenly switch sides?"

"No matter what, we can't stay in this valley. Even if there's only a chance it's real, we can't ignore it. Senior Brother Yang, you should decide quickly!"

More and more voices rose in agreement. Doubt toward Yang Zhen was growing.

Soon, around twenty to thirty people decided to leave.

Donghuang Xuanyi hesitated for a moment before making up his mind as well. With his influence, he brought along another twenty or so disciples.

In the blink of an eye, nearly half the group had left the valley.

As more Great Emperors walked away, the rest began to waver. One after another, they followed.

After all, no one treated their life as a joke.

"What are you all doing?"

Seeing this, Yang Zhen's anger flared again. He flashed forward and blocked the leading group of early-tier Great Emperors. His voice turned cold. "Are you trying to rebel?"

The leading Great Emperor stiffened, then quickly cupped his fists. "Senior Brother Yang, this isn't something we can gamble on. If the devil creature is real, we could all be wiped out instantly. Our deaths might not matter, but if it affects the entire battlefield, that's a different story!"

"Exactly, being cautious won't hurt anyone. We can't take that risk!"

Others spoke up in agreement.

Yang Zhen clenched his fists. The fury in his eyes slowly faded as he stared at the man who had spoken.

A breath of relief spread through the crowd. They thought he had finally calmed down and would agree to withdraw.

Then everything changed.

Bang!

Yang Zhen moved.

In a blur, he appeared before the speaker, his eyes filled with murderous intent. Before anyone could react, he shattered the man's heart with a single palm strike.

"Pfft!"

The early-tier Great Emperor spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed to the ground, lifeless!

Everyone froze.

What just happened?

Has Yang Zhen lost his mind?

Ling Feng had fought back out of self-defense, but Yang Zhen had just killed his own man without hesitation!

"All of you, listen carefully!"

Yang Zhen rose into the air, looking down at them like a ruler passing judgment. The oppressive aura of a peak Great Emperor pressed down on everyone.

"Ling Feng has ulterior motives. He is trying to shake our morale and disrupt our formation. Anyone who panics, disobeys orders, or attempts to flee will be treated as a traitor! I will personally execute them!"

His voice thundered across the sky. No one dared to speak.

Song Feilian only shook his head and returned to the tree, sitting down once more with his eyes closed.

He did not agree with Yang Zhen, but stepping in now would only make things worse. If they started fighting each other, they would collapse from within before any external threat even appeared.

Right now, the only option was to verify Ling Feng's information first.

"Ugh... So troublesome..."

Song Feilian sighed quietly. He had hoped to avoid getting involved, but it seemed he would have to act in his capacity as one of the "Heaven Slaying Ten Absolutes" after all.

Surely Yang Zhen had not gone so far as to target him as well.

Seeing Song Feilian's stance, the others exchanged uneasy glances. No one dared to go against Yang Zhen anymore.

"Everyone, return!"

Under his command, they all went back into the valley.

The atmosphere grew heavy. No one spoke.

Some of the more clear-headed ones wanted to suggest sending a team to verify Ling Feng's claim first. It was the safest approach.

But after what had just happened, no one dared to bring it up.

They could only follow orders and continue with the so-called strategic deployment.

At this point, it was obvious. Yang Zhen had lost his composure.

Or perhaps... he had been the problem all along!

Donghuang Xuanyi let out a quiet sigh.

At that moment, Song Feilian's voice suddenly sounded by his ear. "Junior Brother Donghuang, come here for a moment."

"Senior Brother Song!"

Donghuang Xuanyi's eyes lit up slightly.

Yang Zhen could no longer be relied on. But at least Song Feilian was still here.

Everything now depended on him!

As for Chu Tiange, Bai Qi, and the others who trusted Ling Feng, they were already making plans in secret.

They had to find a way to slip out and regroup with him.

As long as they were by Ling Feng's side, they felt safe!

That was a lesson they had learned the hard way in the Dead Soul Devil Abyss.

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