CHAPTER 248: CHAPTER 247: ARRIVAL OF THE PURSUER_1

"Not good!"

Not good! the Great Master Level Powerhouse exclaimed internally. As a Forbidden Army General with years of experience, his instincts screamed that they were in danger.

AARGH! In just an instant, a scream of agony echoed. On the other side, two of his subordinates had already fallen into a pool of blood, while Ling Chen’s figure flickered and disappeared from sight once more.

"Quickly gather and form a formation!" the Forbidden Army General hurriedly shouted. He was astounded that Ling Chen had so easily seen through their meticulously planned ambush.

However, in the blink of an eye, another scream resounded, followed by the thud of a body falling.

"You little bastard, stop!" The Forbidden Army General’s face darkened. These experts in black were death soldiers he had personally trained for many years. Each was an elite, one in a hundred, who had assassinated countless figures in the Martial World, even renowned Grand Masters. He had expected them to easily deal with Ling Chen, but instead, they were caught off guard and slaughtered.

Ling Chen paid no attention to his shouts and continued to weave rapidly through the forest. The Hidden Weapons couldn’t harm him in the slightest. One by one, the people in black lurking in the shadows were found and killed by him.

By the time the Forbidden Army General reached Ling Chen, most of his subordinates were already dead.

"Damn you, bastard! You die today! I’ll make you wish you were dead!" The Forbidden Army General was consumed by rage. Apart from the two men behind him, nearly all his men were dead, killed by Ling Chen in just a few minutes.

"Make me wish I were dead? Let’s see if you have what it takes." As soon as the words left his mouth, the Cloud-hidden Sword was unsheathed. With a swing, Ling Chen sent a killing strike towards the Forbidden Army Commander, who was ten paces away.

"You’re courting death! Surround him!" the Commander roared at the two men behind him. Then, he suddenly lowered his stance, his body firm as a horse’s. An incredibly powerful aura erupted from within him.

"Blazing Gang Qi!" The Forbidden Army Commander was prepared. His True Qi boiled, circulating at high speed, creating intense friction as it formed a protective layer around his body. The temperature of the surrounding air rapidly climbed. Tiny sparks of flame peeled off him, burning fist-sized black holes in the grass and sending up plumes of green smoke.

As a peak First Realm Grand Master, he was confident he could defeat Ling Chen in a direct confrontation, even if the ambush had failed. He was no ordinary vagrant from the Jianghu. He hailed from a renowned Aristocratic Family and had cultivated in major sects, possessing an incredibly profound True Qi.

The Blazing Gang Qi shrouding him greatly boosted his confidence. He had heard that Ling Chen’s sword was incredibly sharp, capable of cutting through anything. However, his own protective Gang Qi was nothing to scoff at. This was a good chance to see if this widely acclaimed genius of the Jianghu was truly as formidable as the rumors claimed.

SCHLICK! The pale golden sword qi instantly sliced through the fiery aura, unleashing a terrifying cutting force that sent thousands of sparks flying.

Before the Forbidden Army General could react, his protective Gang Qi shattered, a large gash appearing in it as his right arm flew into the air.

"How is this possible? He shattered my Blazing Gang Qi with a single strike!" The bone-deep pain contorted the Forbidden Army General’s features. Only now did he realize Ling Chen’s strength was far beyond what he could handle. Disregarding his grievous injuries, he frantically circulated his True Qi, darting away in a desperate attempt to flee.

But how could Ling Chen let him escape? In the blink of an eye, Ling Chen was in front of him again.

"Kid, be merciful when you can! I am a Commander of the Forbidden Army of the Aqua Country’s royal family! If you kill me, you’ll offend many people and draw even more pursuers after you!" The excruciating pain from his severed arm twisted the Commander’s face. He knew then that Ling Chen’s strength was indeed beyond his ability to resist. Ignoring his severe injuries, he frantically pushed his True Qi to flee, his voice a mix of bravado and fear.

"Slash!" Ling Chen remained indifferent, unleashing an even more potent sword qi.

SCHLICK! The Forbidden Army General’s head flew into the air while his body was still in motion. Blood gushed out like a fountain, dyeing a large patch of grassland crimson.

Ling Chen naturally paid no heed to the Forbidden Army General’s threats. Even if the Second Prince himself came after him, Ling Chen would kill him without hesitation, ensuring he couldn’t return. A mere Commander was even less of a concern.

The Second Prince only sent a group of military experts; clearly, he didn’t dare to act personally. He knows that if he were to fail, it would mean his own death.

Ling Chen gestured, pulling the Forbidden Army Commander’s corpse towards him. He then swiftly activated the Absorption Technique, drawing all the man’s cultivation power into himself. The entire lifetime’s worth of True Qi from a First Realm Grand Master was absorbed by Ling Chen, converted into pure Lingtian True Qi, and used to replenish his Dantian and meridians.

Last time, absorbing the power of Liu Sha, the Black Dragon Gang leader, had stabilized Ling Chen’s cultivation at the Martial Artist Seventh Realm. Although this Forbidden Army Commander’s cultivation level wasn’t as high as Liu Sha’s, his True Qi was far more refined. Thus, absorbing his power significantly bolstered Ling Chen’s True Qi, bringing him closer to the peak of the Martial Artist Seventh Realm.

If he could absorb the power of five more First Realm Grand Masters, Ling Chen’s cultivation would undoubtedly break through the Seventh Realm and reach the Martial Master Eighth Level.

Of course, Great Master Level Powerhouses weren’t as common as cabbages; they weren’t easy to encounter. Besides, Ling Chen wouldn’t attack just anyone he met. If he did, how would he be any different from Demonic Path Followers?

A Grand Master is dead. The Second Prince probably won’t let this slide. I should leave this place first.

As long as he got far away from the heartlands of Aqua Country, it would be extremely difficult for the Second Prince to find him. No matter how long the Prince’s reach, it couldn’t extend that far.

Executing the Wind Shadow Step, Ling Chen pushed his speed to its limit. In a few blinks of an eye, he was hundreds of meters away, then vanished without a trace.

「Half an hour later.」

Several uninvited guests arrived at the scene. Five people appeared, all wearing Dou Li and black robes. The one in the lead, a young man, removed his Dou Li, revealing a very familiar face. This familiar face belonged to none other than Longyang.

"Senior Brother Longyang," a man in black reported after scouting the area, "I’ve just examined the bodies. They are elites from the Aqua Country’s Forbidden Army. One of them was a Forbidden Army General, likely at the peak of the First Realm Grand Master cultivation."

The Aqua Country’s Forbidden Army? They were also hunting that brat Ling Chen? Longyang was momentarily surprised, then a cold sneer formed on his lips. "That kid really knows how to stir up trouble, making enemies wherever he goes. He must have just fought and killed this Forbidden Army General. It surely took a monumental effort, costing him a lot of True Qi. He might even be seriously injured. If we can find him now, we can easily kill him."

"I’m afraid it’s not that straightforward," the same man in black said, shaking his head. "Senior Brother Longyang, this Forbidden Army General has only two sword wounds. The first strike severed his arm, the second decapitated him. There are no other injuries. My initial assessment is that the power gap between him and his opponent was too vast; he was killed instantly."

"What? Killed instantly?" An expression of disbelief crossed Longyang’s face. How could this Forbidden Army General, a peak First Realm Grand Master, be killed so easily by a junior?

This kid’s growth rate is too terrifying! We absolutely cannot allow him to continue developing! Longyang’s thoughts turned, and murderous intent gleamed in his eyes. Last time, in the Black Dragon Rift Valley, Ling Chen could only manage to defeat a newly promoted Grand Master. Now, he can effortlessly kill a peak First Realm Grand Master. This rate of progress in power was truly shocking.

After a moment’s hesitation, his gaze fell upon a mysterious man in black beside him. "Mr. Wu," he said, "I’m afraid my own strength might not be enough to kill that boy. I’ll have to rely heavily on you for this operation."

"Rest assured," the man called Mr. Wu, who had a slightly stooped back and withered skin, clearly an old man, replied. "He’s just a young whelp. How difficult can it be to kill him? Since I’ve taken your commission, I will naturally complete the task."

Hearing this, Longyang felt greatly reassured. This Mr. Wu was an expert he had gone to great lengths to hire from the Black Market Shadow Building, even using a renowned Treasure from the Jianghu given to him by Ye Nantian. Mr. Wu was a Fifth Level Grand Master. With him taking action, there was no room for error; failure was impossible.

Now, even if Ling Chen is heaven-defyingly talented, he definitely won’t escape this calamity. A cruel smile touched Longyang’s lips.