Chapter 429: As If Seeing a Ghost
’What in the world is going on...’
After escaping once more, Chu Qingyun hid in a tree and carefully pondered the situation.
He suddenly recalled a detail.
It seemed that every time he was discovered, one of Tu Qiang’s men would make a grabbing motion under the tree, as if snatching something from the air, and only then would they begin their attack.
’Are they using something to track me?’
’My Shadow Martial Soul conceals my body, and the Hidden Qi Technique hides my presence. Hiding in a tree is silent, which leaves only... scent!’
’If that’s the case, they must have placed some kind of mark on me.’
Chu Qingyun had a theory.
To test his theory, he took off his robe and outer garments, then retrieved a new set of clothes from his Storage Ring and changed into them.
He left the discarded clothes in the same tree.
Meanwhile, Chu Qingyun himself hid in another tree thirty meters away, waiting quietly.
Before long, Tu Qiang and his group of over twenty men appeared again.
And just as Chu Qingyun had predicted, the group of over twenty men didn’t find him. Instead, they spread out and surrounded the tree where he had left his clothes!
’Just as I thought. They tampered with my clothes!’
Chu Qingyun’s eyes narrowed, and a cold sneer crept onto his face.
He dropped silently from the tree. Then, under the cover of night, he slipped through the scattered formation of Tu Qiang’s twenty men and crept up behind Tu Qiang himself.
The attention of those Level 6 Martial Spirits was entirely focused on Chu Qingyun’s old clothes; they had no idea someone was slipping right past them.
Just as he crept to within five or six meters of Tu Qiang, one of the Level 6 Martial Spirits at Tu Qiang’s side suddenly sensed something was amiss and turned to look back.
The two Level 6 Martial Spirits beside Tu Qiang were his personal bodyguards.
As such, both were on high alert, wary of Chu Qingyun ambushing Tu Qiang from the trees.
The moment the man sensed him, Chu Qingyun burst into action. He unleashed his Thunder Light Sword Qi, slashing at Tu Qiang’s back. Simultaneously, his other hand reached for the sword at Tu Qiang’s waist.
"Damn it, Chu Qingyun’s behind us!"
"Protect the Young Master!"
The two Level 6 Martial Spirits roared and sprang into action.
One spun around and threw a palm strike at Chu Qingyun’s outstretched left hand, while a ruthless glint flashed in the other’s eyes. To shield Tu Qiang from the blade, he fearlessly threw a punch straight at Chu Qingyun’s sword.
The Thunder Light Sword Qi was incomparably sharp.
The Level 6 Martial Spirit’s punch was instantly overwhelmed, and half of his fist was sheared clean off.
However, after clashing palms with the other Level 6 Martial Spirit, Chu Qingyun’s body was jolted by the impact, making it difficult for him to press his advantage.
"Die, brat!"
The uninjured Level 6 Martial Spirit drew the long saber from his back, infused it with Primordial Power, and the blade erupted in crimson flames as he slashed at Chu Qingyun.
The other Level 6 Martial Spirits nearby finally reacted, roaring as they charged at Chu Qingyun.
They couldn’t understand why the tracker bug had led them to a different tree while Chu Qingyun attacked from behind. However, this was no time to dwell on it.
In the blink of an eye, over a dozen Level 6 Martial Spirits lunged at Chu Qingyun, their momentum immense.
Faced with their combined might, Chu Qingyun had no intention of fighting them head-on.
He sheathed his Longsword and melted back into the darkness. After his figure flickered a few times, Chu Qingyun once again vanished from their sight.
As long as Chu Qingyun didn’t initiate an attack, they were completely unable to track him.
"There’s no trace of his presence, and we can’t see him! What the hell is going on?!"
All twenty men circulated their Primordial Power, carefully searching the area while remaining on high alert.
"It’s the Hidden Qi Technique! That brat is an Assassin from the Assassin Alliance! Everyone, be careful!" one of the Level 6 Martial Spirits shouted.
Chu Qingyun wasn’t surprised that his Hidden Qi Technique had been recognized.
In the Land of Hundred Dynasties, and even within the sect territories, there were undoubtedly a fair number of people who secretly held the status of an Assassin from the Assassin Alliance.
If they failed an assassination, had their identities exposed, and were hunted by major powers, fleeing to the Blood-soaked Land was an excellent option.
Therefore, in the Blood-soaked Land, there were likely many people who could not only recognize the Hidden Qi Technique but could also use it.
Now that he had been exposed, Chu Qingyun didn’t rush to retreat. Instead, he silently lurked on the periphery.
He could already tell that these nineteen Level 6 Martial Spirits were, for some reason, extremely loyal to Tu Qiang, willing to suffer grievous injuries to ensure his safety.
Therefore, if Chu Qingyun wanted to get that sword from Tu Qiang, he first had to take them out, or at least weaken their power by reducing their numbers.
Chu Qingyun’s first target was the Level 6 Martial Spirit closest to him.
After the man took two steps closer, Chu Qingyun lunged forward, once again unleashing his Thunder Light Sword Qi in a slash aimed at the man’s head.
"Hmph. So, you finally couldn’t hold back, brat!"
The man snorted, drew two short halberds from his back, crossed them in a defensive stance, and sneered, "Chu Qingyun, you’re a dead man. Once I tie you up, you can wait to be swarmed by everyone else!"
’Tie me up? You think you’re enough?’
"Shadow Splitting Clone Skill!"
A cold glint flashed in Chu Qingyun’s eyes as he instantly used his Shadow Martial Soul’s new Soul Technique: the Shadow Splitting Clone Skill.
From beneath his feet, a nearly invisible shadow, completely blended with the darkness, shot out and instantly merged with his target’s shadow.
Then, from within the man’s own shadow, Chu Qingyun’s Shadow Splitting Clone Skill divided into four tendrils. Four pitch-black shadows stretched out, forming four flat, paper-thin arms. Two seized the man’s legs, and two seized his arms.
With both his arms and legs caught, the man was momentarily frozen in place!
"Wh-what is this?!"
The man’s eyes bulged as if he’d seen a ghost.
In the pitch-black night, the arms formed from shadows were difficult to make out; only the Level 6 Martial Spirit himself could vaguely see them.
"Die!"
His position now exposed, Chu Qingyun wasn’t about to waste words. With a flash of his blade, he sent the man’s head flying.
A Level 6 Martial Spirit, slain in a single strike!
To the onlookers, it looked as if the man had been completely stupefied—he neither defended nor dodged, simply allowing Chu Qingyun to cut him down.
After taking the man out, Chu Qingyun didn’t pause for a second. He leaped backward, once again disappearing into the night.
The instant he leaped away, several blasts of Primordial Power and Soul Techniques slammed into the spot where he had just been standing. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The entire area was ravaged.