CHAPTER 278: CHAPTER 277: COUNTERKILL_1

Outside East Desolation City, amidst a sparse grove of trees, sunlight dappled through the leaves.

Riding his Sweat-Blood Treasure Horse at rapid speed through the forest, Ling Chen had pushed his hearing and sight to their limits. Even the slightest rustling of wind or grass within five hundred meters couldn’t escape his ears.

As one’s Martial Arts Cultivation improves, the range a warrior can perceive also increases. Ordinary Great Master Level Powerhouses, for instance, can sense disturbances within three hundred meters. However, most people in the Jianghu practice techniques to conceal their aura or True Qi fluctuations, making detection very difficult. When encountering truly powerful experts, one might not even be aware if they approach from behind.

Yet Ling Chen was different; he used his Mental Power to perceive. His Mind’s Eye scanned everything. Regardless of how skilled others might be at subterfuge, under the reach of his Mental Power, everything was laid bare; no concealment could succeed.

Quite a crowd, Ling Chen thought after a quick scan, immediately detecting signs of people.

About three hundred meters ahead, two men in black were hiding in a large tree. Two more were carefully moving through the forest not far behind him. These four men were all Great Master Level Powerhouses; two were First Realm Grandmasters, and the other two were Second Realm Grandmasters. Their coordination was impeccable, suggesting they were from a single group. They were exceedingly skilled in concealment; if not for Ling Chen’s sharp senses, it would have been very difficult to detect them.

Ling Chen pretended to be oblivious and continued to ride his horse swiftly.

Seeing Ling Chen approaching, the two Grand Masters lying in ambush up ahead quietly took out Darts from their sleeves. The moment Ling Chen passed not far in front of them, they shot their Darts.

As the Darts flew towards him, the corners of Ling Chen’s mouth lifted into a smirk. He opened his palms, revealing two Flying Daggers. Almost simultaneously with the two men in black firing their Darts, Ling Chen released the two Flying Daggers from his hands.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! The sound of objects cutting through the air resonated as Ling Chen dodged the two incoming Darts with a swift sidestep.

What? The expressions of the two men in black changed sharply. Before they could think further, the Flying Daggers were suddenly upon them, striking their vital spots with lightning speed. With muffled grunts, the two men in black fell from the tree.

After Ling Chen shot down the two men in black, the ground beneath him suddenly collapsed. A large pit had been dug in the road, its bottom lined with upturned knives and swords. Anyone falling into it would undoubtedly die. However, Ling Chen was exceptionally perceptive. Though the trap was sudden, he reacted in the first instance, stepping on his horse’s back and using the momentum to leap out of the pit’s range. His Sweat-Blood Treasure Horse, however, was not so lucky. It fell in and was impaled by the blades, dying a gruesome death.

"Kill!"

Just as Ling Chen landed, two more men in black sprang from the forest behind him, attacking from the left and right.

SHLICK! Both weapons struck Ling Chen’s body. In the next moment, Ling Chen’s body suddenly dissipated.

Not good! Both men in black were Great Master Level Powerhouses, and their crisis awareness was very strong. Upon realizing they had struck nothing but air, they instantly felt a chill and hastily retreated. But in the next moment, a Sword Light flashed before their eyes, sweeping across their necks.

CRACK! Two heads flew high into the air as blood gushed out like pillars. Two Great Master Level Powerhouses, slain by a single sword strike.

"Giddyup!"

At this moment, several figures on horseback galloped towards them from nearby, kicking up a cloud of dust. Leading the group were none other than Feng Chen and the elderly man in black.

With so many experts ambushing Ling Chen this time, I refuse to believe we can’t kill that brat! A vicious glint flashed in Feng Chen’s eyes. This time, he had dispatched the "North Desolate Four Ghosts" from the Dragon-Tiger Sect to set up an ambush for Ling Chen on the main road, ensuring it would be foolproof. The "North Desolate Four Ghosts" were four Great Master Level Powerhouses, and they were all experts in assassination. The four coordinated seamlessly, as if a single entity, making the assassination of Ling Chen seem like an easy task.

"Rest assured, Young Master," the elderly man in black said with a smile, expressing his absolute confidence in the "North Desolate Four Ghosts." "Even if the North Desolate Four Ghosts can’t kill that boy immediately, they can at least ambush and severely injure him, then finish him off slowly! Don’t forget, they have a precedent of jointly killing a Fourth Stage Grandmaster!"

SWISH! Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead. He swung his sword with extreme speed, the Sword Light flashing and vanishing in an instant.

"Watch out!" The elderly man in black’s expression changed drastically.

SPLATTER! Feng Chen pulled the reins, his body jolting slightly. Inertia caused him to slide forward, and his head flew high into the air. The Sword Light was so fast and sudden that Feng Chen had no time to react before he was beheaded.

"You little bastard! How dare you kill the Young Master of our Dragon-Tiger Sect! You’re dead!" Seeing Feng Chen instantly killed by Ling Chen’s sword, the elderly man in black’s face contorted in fury, his eyes bloodshot as he roared.

"Not just him. You’re going to die too, old man!" From the treetops, Ling Chen lunged towards the elderly man in black. With a flick of his Cloud-Hidden Sword, the Sword Light became restrained, creating faint, illusory ripples in the air.

Immortal Points the Way!

Against this incredibly fast Sword Momentum, the elderly man in black was powerless, able to do nothing but watch as the sword tip enlarged before his eyes, thrusting rapidly towards his forehead. Blood splattered as the elderly man in black rolled to the side.

This old man in black is indeed a battle-hardened Third Level Great Master, Ling Chen thought, slightly surprised as he looked at the bloody ear on the ground. His willpower and reactions are outstanding, and his combat experience is extremely rich. He actually managed to control his body at the critical moment to dodge the fatal strike.

"Die!" Feng Chen’s death had filled the elderly man in black with immense rage. While still rolling, his right hand shot out, grasping fiercely from a distance.

CRACK! Ling Chen’s figure, along with the ground beneath him, was torn apart by an arc of Air Energy. The residual force of the attack continued, slicing the large tree behind him into several segments. However, amidst the fluttering leaves and debris, a figure suddenly shot out.

How is that possible! The elderly man in black’s face was stricken with horror. Even though my previous attack was hasty, anyone at my level wouldn’t have escaped unscathed! And I clearly saw Ling Chen torn to shreds by my Air Energy. There’s no way he could have survived! He couldn’t believe that Ling Chen’s True Qi afterimage had managed to fool even him.

It wasn’t entirely his fault for being so shocked. When he and Feng Chen had arrived in East Desolation City, the beast tide had already ended, so they hadn’t seen Ling Chen use the Wind Shadow Step.

"Die!" Ling Chen, man and sword as one, lunged fiercely from mid-air, aiming directly at the elderly man in black’s heart.

"Dragon-Tiger Body Strengthening Technique!" Seeing Ling Chen’s sharp and unstoppable Sword Light, the elderly man in black roared. His clothes instantly disintegrated into tatters. His skin tightened dramatically, as if a layer of tiger hide had formed a defense. Black scales even appeared on his chest, looking exceedingly tough.