"Boss, I have the feeling that Li Wei has already accomplished our mission. With his incredible speed and experience, he should have caught up to our target by now," Lin Hao confidently voiced his thoughts.
Lin Hao considered himself fortunate to be part of this squad. Given his weak spirit root, he would have remained relegated to the lowest ranks among the outer disciples, ultimately facing expulsion from the sect. However, his unwavering loyalty and willingness to risk his life for the young master had earned him a place in this critical mission. And if he succeeded, he would be rewarded with a rare Nirvana Pill, which would pave the way for a smooth ascension to the peak of the foundation establishment realm.
Liu Yan, in response, adopted a serious tone, tempering Lin Hao's optimism. "While that's certainly a possibility, we can't simply assume it. We must remain prepared for the worst and stay vigilant."
"Yes, boss," Lin Hao responded, slightly deflated.
Ever since Liu Yan had begun gathering information and spying on Cheng Xiao, a sense of unease had settled within him. He couldn't shake the feeling that this mission would not end well. It was this intuition that had saved him from countless life-or-death situations in the past, so he remained cautious, and hoped that nothing will happen.
As they reached the location of the fierce battle, the aftermath was evident, with shattered trees strewn about and dark red blood staining the ground.
"Boss, there are clear signs of a fierce fight here, but there's no trace of Li Wei or our target," Lin Hao reported, his frustration apparent in his voice.
"They can't have gone too far," Liu Yan replied solemnly. "But it seems we've lost their trail for now."
"Even their auras have completely disappeared. It's truly strange," Lin Hao said, a tinge of shame in his voice as he meticulously examined the battleground.
A feeling of helplessness washed over them.
"Ahh, this is so frustrating. We shouldn't have informed the young master about our actions. If we fail, we'd be better off dead," Liu Yan thought to himself as he massaged his temples.
Zheng Lei, keenly observing the scene, broke the silence. "Boss, look here. I see blood on one path, and the other path appears disturbed. They must have taken one of these routes."
Liu Yan's mind raced as he considered their options. "Hmm, let's split up for now. It may not be the optimal choice, but given the circumstances, it's the most practical. Our goal remains the same to eliminate our target tonight, no matter what."
Lin Hao couldn't help but admire Liu Yan's unwavering determination. "Boss, you always know what to do. You truly are remarkable!"
Liu Yan's stern expression softened briefly, a small hint of gratitude in his eyes, before he refocused on the task at hand. "Now's not the time for compliments. Lin Hao, come with me, you brat. We'll head north. Zheng Lei, you take the eastern route. Let's move quickly."
With their roles assigned and a sense of urgency in the air, Liu Yan and Lin Hao set off, while Zheng Lei also disappeared from sight, albeit at a slower pace than the others.
Meanwhile, perched atop a nearby tree, Cheng Xiao remained hidden, observing their departure.
"Good, they're now separated. I'll have to go after the slowest one," he thought, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent as he focused on Zheng Lei making his way through the dense forest.
The vibrant forest, now transformed into an ominous labyrinth, seemed to loom over Cheng as he remained hidden within its embrace. His gaze fixed on the retreating figure of Zheng Lei, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to strike.
Time passed, and countless small needles materialized around Cheng, their movements swift and agile as they hovered in the air. The atmosphere grew tense, charged with anticipation.
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh," the needles moved with lightning speed, their deadly trajectory aimed towards Zheng Lei, ready to strike with lethal precision.
However, just as they were about to reach their target, Zheng Lei suddenly vanished from sight, leaving behind a giant crater where he had once stood.
"Where is he?" Cheng calmly observed the scene, his mind racing. "He was moving slowly, and he shouldn't have escaped my range of vision. He must have jumped... above."
More than a hundred feet in the sky, a small dot appeared descending rapidly with great momentum. It pierced through the air, generating a resounding whoosh as it headed down.
Realizing the imminent danger, Cheng swiftly directed the thousands of needles to intercept the flying giant. The air crackled with anticipation as the clash between the two forces became inevitable.
"You think this measly attack can hurt me?" Cheng screamed in wrath, his voice echoing through the forest. "Titan's Resounding Roar!"
"BOOOOOOOM!"
Zheng Lei let out a bone-chilling roar while performing a powerful mace strike, unleashing a concussive wave of sound that carried an immense force, drowning out the noise of the flying needles.
The impact of the resounding boom reverberated through the forest, momentarily disrupting the chaotic dance of the deadly projectiles.
"This sound... It completely severs my connection with the needles," Cheng thought, his eyes widening with surprise as he assessed his opponent.
The cultivation required control such a vast number of needles demanded exceptional willpower. Yet, despite the devastating counterattack, some of Cheng's attacks managed to hit their mark, causing damage to Zheng Lei's mace. Cheng's primary objective was to shatter his opponent's weapon and engage him in hand-to-hand combat.
Thus, he had chosen to hide and conjure more and more of those lethal attacks, relentlessly targeting the giant mace.
The collision of needles against the massive weapon produced metallic clinks and clanks that resounded throughout the surrounding area.
"BOOOOM!" Another thunderous and terrifying sound reverberated through the forest as Zheng Lei landed in a furious rage.
"You think this is enough? Show yourself, you coward!" Zheng Lei shouted, his voice filled with provocation, while simultaneously ignoring the cracks forming on his mace.
Cheng chuckled as he observed the scene, conjuring even more needles and sending them hurtling towards Zheng Lei. His ultimate aim was to wear down the giant and destroy his mace, leaving him defenseless for a close-quarters confrontation.
Even the spiritual energie consumed was minimal so cheng didnt mind this restless way of attacking, as long as he was far away from his opponenent.
The needles relentlessly bombarded the giant's weapon, their sharp tips colliding with the sturdy material, producing a symphony of metallic clashes that echoed through the forest.
But cheng was become more impatient as time passed.
" I have to end this quickly, i don't know if the others heard us, but to be safe i have to this as quick as i can"
The ferocious battle continued for a couple of minutes before the weapon was finally broken.
"Ohh, it finally broke. I'm exhausted and almost out of spiritual energy," he thought as he descended from the tree and closed the distance between them.
"Cowardly rat, you finally showed yourself," Zheng said, panting heavily.
He had expended a great amount of spiritual energy to fend off those attacks. Despite their low lethality, he had to give it his all due to the small and unpredictable nature of the needle controller.
Cheng didn't say a word as he increased his pace and attacked with full force, both of them utilizing their maximum strength.
"BOOOM!" A tremendous sound reverberated through the surroundings as the shockwaves traveled for miles.
Cheng was thrown more than fifty feet away, his body flung like a ragdoll, breaking several giant trees before coming to a stop. Despite his immense strength and durable physique, he instantly fainted from the impact.
Meanwhile, Zheng Lei lay on the ground, his back against the earth, bleeding from various orifices. His face contorted in pain as he remained in that state for a long time.
All the veins in his arms had been severed by some strange power, he could't move then an inch from their place, even his nervous system was wrecked leaving him paralyzed and bleeding in the night, creating a puddle of blood around him.
The stars shone brilliantly that night, reflecting in Zheng Lei's eyes and amplifying the suffocating sense of despair as he muttered with resignation:
"I failed to live up to your expectations, Father, but your son died an honorable death."
A couple of minutes after his death, Cheng woke up and crawled towards the corpse while ignoring his sever injuries, his hand penetrated his heart, draining him dry.
"What a satisfying feeling. This is true power," Cheng mused with satisfaction as he spat on the shriveled corpse he could feel his shattered bones healing at an extremely inhuman pace, after a couple of minutes he clenced his fists as he muttered .
"Everything, from my broken bones to my spiritual energy , is stronger and healed. This cultivation technique truly defies the heavens."
Having already reached the peak of the Qi Condensation realm and possessing formidable martial prowess, Cheng could now contend with early Foundation Establishment experts