Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Ning Yue sprinted down the brightly lit main road of the outer city, his blue robe flapping in the wind, moving with lightning speed, yet he couldn't shake off the figure behind him.
Just from the qi he sensed from the not-so-distant figure, Ning Yue could tell that his opponent's raw strength was far superior to his own; he was likely at Lianrou (Body Refinement) Completion and had begun to tentatively attempt Yijin (Tendon Changing).
The sword light, sharp and relentless, clung to him like a shadow, and the Black-Clothed Man's mocking voice came from behind: "You can run pretty well. Be careful, if I catch you, I'll break both your legs first!"
No time to send a message!
Ning Yue thought to himself, the sword light behind him getting closer and closer, its sharp edge almost touching his back.
In front of such a sharp sword light, the Skin Grinding Realm achieved by the Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art was no different from a thin piece of paper.
He flashed, and clouds suddenly rose beneath his feet, carrying him into an alley. The sword light followed like a shadow, also making a sudden lurch to pursue him.
However, while the main road just now had dim lights and one could still distinguish figures, the alley was now pitch black, making it impossible to see one's hand in front of their face.
The sudden change from light to dark made the Black-Clothed Man a bit uncomfortable, and Ning Yue's footsteps had strangely vanished!
"Oh! How could a dignified Gu City Xiaoqi officer hide like a rat?" The Black-Clothed Man was masked with a black cloth, only his eyes visible, and his gaze still held a hint of condescending playfulness as he slowly began to pace forward.
The secluded alley was long deserted, the night like a vast curtain, completely covering all the dilapidated houses and broken tiles.
The Black-Clothed Man continued, "I heard that half a month ago, Ning Xiaoqi displayed great power, hitting every arrow, shooting my brothers on the mountain like wild dogs. With such martial arts, why do you avoid battle today? Did you forget to bring your bow?"
"Hahahaha!"
Ning Yue's heart stirred upon hearing this. The person who came was indeed one of the three highwaymen from Bald Mountain, and judging by the martial arts aura of the one who attacked first, he had clearly entered the Forging Bone Realm!
But he remained silent, only a significant doubt rising in his heart.
Xue Ren had only by chance decided to stay overnight at the military camp tonight. According to common sense, the enemy should have ambushed Xue Ren on his way home, not in the outer city!
Thinking of this, Ning Yue's heart suddenly jolted. The mole was among the guests at tonight's banquet!
Based on the previous deductions during the encirclement of Bald Mountain, it should also be someone from the military, and their position must not be low, otherwise, these three could not have been mobilized!
In the alley, the Black-Clothed Man's footsteps remained unhurried: "Hide well, don't show any weakness, or I promise, you will die a terrible death, worse than a wild dog by the roadside!"
Still no response.
Ning Yue squatted behind a low wall, suppressing his thoughts, holding his breath, oblivious to everything, his Cold Light Blade also silent.
The thick wad of silver notes in his chest silently disappeared.
【Host: Ning Yue】
【Bone Structure: Ape Back Bee Waist】
【Talent: Heavenly Martial Star】
【Realm: Lianrou (Body Refinement) Initial Stage】
【Internal Arts: Military Department Skin Grinding Method (Completion), Gold Jade Skin Grinding Art (Completion), Profound Gang Body Tempering Art (Minor Accomplishment 30%)】
【External Arts: Cloud Chasing Step (Completion), Night Battle Eight Desolations (Great Accomplishment 99%), Cold Star Archery (Completion)】
【Secret Skills: Stepping on Clouds, Three Arrows Chase Stars】
【Wealth Points: 6489 points】
Ning Yue's eyes were slightly closed, his thin eyelids covering a heavy murderous intent.
Upgrade!
His muscles slowly writhed, veins bulging, as if countless small snakes were rapidly scurrying beneath his skin.
The daily grind, forcibly accelerated by the system in a short period, was naturally excruciating. Beads of sweat rapidly formed on his forehead, but before they could drip, they were wiped away by a trembling hand.
The muscles on Ning Yue's face also twisted and transformed, the pain making him clench his teeth almost to the point of breaking!
His entire body's muscles rose in layers like furrows in a field, then receded back into the skin, repeating like undulating waves.
The progress of the Profound Gang Body Tempering Art on the system began to skyrocket!
【Ding! Congratulations, Host! Profound Gang Body Tempering Art has been cultivated to Great Accomplishment, and your realm has advanced to Lianrou (Body Refinement) Great Accomplishment Stage!】
【Ding! Congratulations, Host! Profound Gang Body Tempering Art has been cultivated to Completion, and your realm has advanced to Lianrou (Body Refinement) Completion Stage!】
In just a dozen breaths, a Profound-grade internal cultivation method was forcibly pushed to its peak by the system.
And the wealth points suddenly shrunk by three thousand!
From Minor Accomplishment to Great Accomplishment cost one thousand taels.
From Great Accomplishment to Completion cost two thousand taels!
The total three thousand five hundred taels of silver spent on cultivating the Profound Gang Body Tempering Art made the Cold Light Blade in Ning Yue's hand feel as light as a feather.
And the icy current formed by the wealth points was still flowing, this time for blade techniques!
Suddenly, countless figures flashed before his eyes, one swordsman after another fighting fiercely, each risking their lives, fearless, and he didn't know how much time had passed.
【Ding! Congratulations, Host! Your blade technique Night Battle Eight Desolations has reached Completion, and you have comprehended the secret skill 'A Blade of Startling Swan Falls'!】
With a sharp blade in his heart, murderous intent ignited!
But Ning Yue still restrained the surging killing intent, slowly stretching his body, rapidly adapting to the sudden surge in his cultivation.
With his improved cultivation, the 'Stepping on Clouds' secret skill derived from ordinary Yellow-grade light body techniques was enough for him to use without restrictions.
Although the enemy was in the Initial Yijin (Tendon Changing) Realm, a whole major realm higher, escaping to send a message was no longer difficult and was undoubtedly the safest choice.
Currently, the enemy was in the light while he was in the dark. It was uncertain if the enemy had any backup, and Xue Ren fighting a Forging Bone Realm expert alone was precarious and could not be delayed.
But tonight, Ning Yue didn't want to run. A suffocating feeling was lodged in his chest, making him extremely uncomfortable.
So—
"Swish!"
The crescent moon hid in the sky, and a cold light appeared on the ground!
A flash of cold light, like a bright moon hanging upside down from the sky, instantly illuminated the dilapidated houses and earthen walls in the alley. Unrivaled sharpness was embedded within the silver-white blade light, faster than lightning, heavier than a collapsing mountain!
Ning Yue opened his eyes in the darkness, no light in his pupils, only savage murderous intent!
The Black-Clothed Man's perception, which had been heightened to its extreme, was fine a second ago, but now it suddenly warned him frantically!
Cannot contend! Unstoppable!!
A Blade of Startling Swan Falls!
It was as if a flashbang had suddenly exploded above his head; the Black-Clothed Man's vision went white, and his sight was once again obstructed.
And this incredibly stunning blade strike had not even reached him yet, but wisps of blade qi already cut at the Black-Clothed Man's face, causing him sharp pain. He couldn't help but be greatly alarmed, 'Is this a blade strike that a Lianrou (Body Refinement) Realm martial artist can unleash?!'
If he could truly wield a blade like this, then Lord Wang's death was not unjust!
The Black-Clothed Man was quite experienced in battle; though flustered, he was not in disarray. His feet moved as if wading through mud, swaying left and right, retreating repeatedly, attempting to create distance.
The long sword in his hand swung frantically, covering his entire body tightly, defending rigorously.
But the fierce long blade struck down with brute force, unreasoning.
"Clang!"
The clash of metal echoed throughout the alley. The Black-Clothed Man felt his shoulder sink, as if a crescent moon truly pressed down on his shoulder, an unbearable weight.
Then his tiger's mouth split open, a bloody scent instantly permeated the air, and the long sword in his hand simultaneously snapped!
What?!
The Black-Clothed Man clutched his right hand, which had gone limp, drops of blood falling from his cracked tiger's mouth, his pupils rapidly contracting in the darkness.
He blocked it?!
He gasped for breath, a sense of joy at narrowly escaping death rising in his heart, but then he suddenly heard a soft "Puff!" sound by his ear.
Followed by a series of tearing sounds.
Wherever the Cold Light Blade passed, nothing was left uncut. It had already effortlessly sliced open the Black-Clothed Man's shoulder, extending diagonally down to his crotch!
It was just too fast; the Black-Clothed Man didn't even feel it until now, when a grotesque line of blood slowly emerged.
"Good... good blade technique!" The Black-Clothed Man barely managed to open his mouth, his voice hoarse as he exhaled, then with a thud, he fell face down, blood gushing out and slowly spreading beneath him.
At the end of the alley, Ning Yue leaned on his blade, his blue robe soaked with sweat. He began to take deep, greedy breaths of air.
Because he was unsure of how strong the Yijin (Tendon Changing) Realm truly was, he had used 'A Blade of Startling Swan Falls' without holding anything back.
The power of the secret skill derived from a Profound-grade blade technique was naturally terrifying. Coupled with the sudden attack, he took down his opponent with one strike, ending the battle quickly without wasting any time, though it drained most of his energy.
Fortunately, with that one blade strike, most of the pent-up frustration in his heart was also cut away, and he felt much clearer.
After a good while, Ning Yue slowly moved, forcing his body to walk to the Black-Clothed Man's side, and began to search the body.