Villain: I transmigrated with Mind Control Powers

Chapter 74: Chapter 74: All out Attack

Ye Chen stumbled as he was unceremoniously dropped into a new location, the teleportation leaving him disoriented and nauseous. The world around him was vastly different from the familiar sights of the Starry Sky Sect. All he could see was dark, burnt trees, their gnarled branches clawing at the a dark-clouded sky. The ground beneath him was cold and unforgiving, a barren wasteland devoid of life.

Meanwhile, Aric, still disguised as Yu Haotian, sat in a secluded chamber within the Starry Sky Sect, a wicked smile playing on his lips. The tracking talisman he had given to the demonic cultivator was working perfectly, revealing Ye Chen's exact location. Aric's eyes gleamed with satisfaction as he passed the information to the heads of the Tang, Shen, Wu, Qiao, and Han Families.

Each of these families had a vendetta against Ye Chen, and they had long awaited an opportunity to rid the world of him.

"Ye Chen's location has been revealed.," Aric spoke, his voice smooth and confident. "He is thousand miles south-west of the Starry Sky Sect. You all know what to do."

The heads of the families had already mobilized their forces, and elite teams of cultivators were armed and ready to hunt down Ye Chen. The order had been given, and the hunt was about to begin.

Unaware of the danger looming over him, Ye Chen moved through the unfamiliar landscape, his thoughts a jumbled mess of fear and confusion. The battles he had fought during the sect competition had left him exhausted, his body aching with every step. He needed to find a place to rest, to heal his wounds and regain his strength.

But with the tracking talisman embedded in his skin, staying in one place was not an option.

After a travelling for some hours, the scenary changed and he entered into a dense forest. There he found a small, secluded cave, hidden away from prying eyes. The entrance was narrow and overgrown with vines, providing some semblance of security. He crawled inside, wincing as his injuries flared with pain.

Once inside, he pulled out a small jade bottle from his storage ring, containing a single pill—Rejuvenation Essence Pill. The pill was a rare find from his previous visit to the secret ruins, a potent remedy capable of healing even the most grievous of wounds and restoring a cultivator's strength to its peak.

Ye Chen swallowed the pill, feeling its warmth spread through his body, soothing his wounds and replenishing his energy. As the pill worked its magic, his thoughts drifted back to the events of the competition, the accusations, the betrayal. He couldn't understand it—how had he become a demonic cultivator in the eyes of the sect? Why were the demonic cultivators claiming him as their leader?

When did all this happen? he wondered, frustration and anger boiling within him. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that this was a carefully orchestrated plot—a plot designed to frame him, to turn him into a scapegoat for crimes he hadn't committed.

"Yu Haotian..." Ye Chen clenched his fists, his mind racing as he recalled the smirk on Yu Haotian's face before the competition began. Everything had fallen into place too perfectly—the accusations, the sudden appearance of demonic cultivators, the chaos that followed. It was all too convenient, too perfectly timed.

Yu Haotian, or whoever was behind this, had played them all, and Ye Chen had fallen right into the trap.

But the most painful thought of all was the image of Su Ling, his senior sister. In her eyes, he was now a demonic cultivator, a traitor to the sect. She had always been the one person he admired, the one person he had hoped would see him for who he truly was. But now, she would see him as a monster, someone to be feared and despised.

"How could she ever like me now? "Ye Chen's heart ached at the thought. "How could she ever trust me, when the entire sect sees me as a demon?"

Returning to the Starry Sky Sect was out of the question. Even if he managed to escape his current predicament, he had no proof to clear his name. The sect would hunt him down, just as they hunted all those who dabbled in demonic arts. He was alone, trapped in a nightmare from which there seemed to be no escape.

As these thoughts churned in his mind, Ye Chen felt a strange sensation on his chest, a creeping coldness that seemed to spread through his body. He looked down, his eyes narrowing as he noticed a faint glow emanating from beneath his robes. Pulling them aside, he discovered a small, intricately carved talisman embedded into his skin.

The runes etched into the talisman pulsed with a sinister light, and a sense of dread washed over him.

"What is this?" Ye Chen's mind raced as he tried to understand the nature of the object. It was then that he realized the truth—a tracking talisman, placed on him by the demonic cultivator just before his death. The talisman was unlike anything Ye Chen had seen before, its dark energy a clear sign of its malevolent origin.

But the implications were even more troubling. The tracking talisman meant that someone, somewhere, was aware of his location. Who could be behind this? As he pondered, a memory flashed in his mind—the image of Yu Haotian smirking at him at the beginning of the competition. Could Yu Haotian be involved in this plot?

The thought gnawed at Ye Chen, but he had no proof, just a gut feeling that something was terribly wrong.

"It must be him", Ye Chen thought, his anger simmering just below the surface. "But why?"

Realizing that his location was still being monitored, he immediately focused his energy and destroyed the talisman, shattering it into pieces. But a cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he understood that whoever had placed this talisman on him was already aware of his whereabouts. He had to move quickly before they closed in on him.

But Ye Chen wasn't ready to give up. He wasn't ready to let Yu Haotian, or whoever was behind this, win. He would find a way to clear his name, to expose the truth behind this conspiracy. But first, he had to survive.

Ye Chen darted through the dense forest, his breaths coming in ragged gasps as he pushed his body to its limits. His heart pounded like a war drum, every beat echoing the urgency of his situation. The terrain was treacherous, with roots and rocks threatening to trip him at every step, but he couldn't afford to slow down.

Behind him, the Tang Family assassins were closing in, their swift movements barely making a sound as they tore through the underbrush. He noticed the emblem of the Tang family in their clothes. He quickly recognized their identity. Ye Chen was shocked to see this.

"Nascent Soul Realm assassins... Why the Tang family is attacking me? I don't even know them." Ye Chen cursed under his breath, glancing back just in time to see the shadowy figures flitting through the trees. Their leader, a formidable cultivator in the Spirit Severing Realm, was at the forefront, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

The fact that such powerful assassins had been sent after him spoke volumes about the Tang Family's determination to see him dead.

"If I have to survive then I must play this smart..." he told himself, his eyes narrowing as he scanned his surroundings.

Activating the Wind Shadow Steps, Ye Chen's body blurred as he moved quickly, vanishing into the shadows of the forest. His advanced swordsmanship skills, honed through countless battles, were ready at a moment's notice, but he needed the element of surprise. He couldn't afford to engage them all at once; he had to take them down one by one.

From the sidelines, he observed the assassins. They were skilled, their movements precise as they fanned out, searching for him. Ye Chen's sharp mind, bolstered by his Heavenly Dragon Ascension Art, worked quickly to devise a plan.

"If I can isolate them, I can take them down quietly..." Ye Chen thought as he steadied his breathing, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

One of the assassins passed by his hiding spot, completely unaware of the danger lurking nearby. Ye Chen's eyes gleamed with cold determination. With a swift motion, he drew his sword and struck. The Azure Flame Sword Art ignited his blade, the azure flames flickering as the sword sliced through the air with lethal precision.

The assassin's eyes widened in shock as Ye Chen's blade severed his head cleanly from his body.

But Ye Chen didn't pause to admire his handiwork. He immediately blended back into the shadows, his agility making him almost invisible as the other assassins reacted to the sudden death of their comrade.

"Where is he?!" one of them shouted, his voice tinged with fear and frustration.

"Spread out! Don't let him pick us off!" their leader commanded, his tone cold and authoritative.

"Ye Chen, you can't escape us!" The voice of the Spirit Severing Realm assassin cut through the night like a blade, cold and unyielding. "The Tang Family has decreed your death. Make it easier on yourself and surrender."

"Surrender?" Ye Chen muttered to himself, his grip tightening on the hilt of his sword. "Not in this lifetime."

Ye Chen's heart pounded as he moved silently through the forest. He needed to keep them off balance, to make them doubt themselves. His mind raced, calculating his next move. The Heavenly Dragon Physique granted him immense strength and resilience, but even he couldn't take on this many enemies without a plan.

He waited, patient and silent, as the assassins unknowingly walked into his trap. Seeing them distracted, he launched another surprise attack, this time using the Dragon's Wrath Fist. His fist, imbued with the power of his bloodline, struck with a huge force. The assassin he targeted didn't stand a chance as Ye Chen's fist connected, sending him crashing into a tree with bone-shattering force.

But the element of surprise was wearing thin. The assassins were beginning to adapt, their movements becoming more coordinated as they realized the threat they were facing. Ye Chen's guerilla tactics were effective, but he could feel his energy waning.

"I can't keep this up forever..." he thought, his breathing becoming labored. I" need to end this quickly."

The leader of the assassins, sensing Ye Chen's exhaustion, smirked. "You're only prolonging the inevitable, Ye Chen. Surrender now, and I'll make your death quick."

"Is that all the Tang Family can do?" Ye Chen shot back, his voice laced with defiance. "Send cowards to do their dirty work?"

The assassin leader's eyes narrowed, his pride wounded by Ye Chen's words. "You'll regret those words, boy."

"This is bad..." Ye Chen thought, his eyes darting around as more cultivators appeared, surrounding him. It was like a pack of wolves closing in on a lone deer. No, it was worse than that. It was like a herd of elephants trying to crush an ant. But who was this ant? The protagonist...

someone protected by the will of the world.

"I can't die here", Ye Chen reminded himself, his resolve hardening despite the desperation of his situation. He had fought too hard, survived too much, to be brought down like this.

The assassins pressed their advantage, their leader barking orders. "Surround him! Don't let him escape!"

Ye Chen fought like a cornered beast, using every trick he had up his sleeve. He summoned flames, conjured illusions, and even detonated explosive talismans, but his strength was waning. His body was battered and bruised, blood seeping from countless wounds. He was exhausted, and every movement sent sharp pains through his body.

"Why won't you just die?!" one of the assassins growled as he lunged at Ye Chen, his blade aimed straight for Ye Chen's heart.

Ye Chen barely managed to deflect the strike, but the force of the blow sent him staggering back. His vision blurred for a moment, and he shook his head, trying to clear it. But as he did, another assassin struck, a blade slicing across his side. He cried out in pain, his hand instinctively going to the wound.

"I'm innocent..." Ye Chen's mind screamed in fury. "Why are they doing this to me?"

But there was no time to dwell on it. The assassins were closing in for the kill, their eyes gleaming with triumph. Ye Chen knew he was running out of time, running out of options.

Just as the assassins prepared to deliver the final blow, a powerful aura washed over the area, stopping them in their tracks. The air seemed to vibrate with an unseen force, and the assassins instinctively took a step back, their eyes widening in fear and surprise.

From the shadows, emerged a figure, which made them feel terrified.