Chapter 90: Strange Events in a Vast World
Shi Hao, using the Soul Chasing Locking Steps and his mysterious Primordial Energy, stealthily followed Jiao Han.
They passed several buildings, reaching a small, two-story pavilion. There was no one else around.
A small training ground with stone lions and weapon racks stood before the pavilion.
The pavilion itself was painted a dark, glossy black that shimmered in the lantern light.
Shi Hao hid behind one of the stone lions, watching the pavilion. He focused his mind, waiting. After a while, Jiao Han emerged.
After Jiao Han left, Shi Hao approached the pavilion and listened at the door.
Hearing no sound from within, he pushed the door open, then hesitated.
A sudden sense of danger washed over him.
He stood there, his Primordial Energy extending outwards through the Sacred Heart Clear Mirror Technique. He suddenly turned and leaped back.
A sneer echoed, and a figure landed before him, short and stocky. It was Jiao Han.
“You’re walking right into a trap!” Jiao Han laughed, his hands clasped behind him.
Earlier, beside Li Ximing, he had seemed cautious and reserved, lacking the demeanor of a gang leader.
But now, his aura was powerful and imposing, his eyes gleaming, blocking Shi Hao’s path like an insurmountable cliff.
Against a weaker opponent, Shi Hao could have used the Soul Chasing Locking Steps to flicker behind him.
But against this fifth-rank expert, such a move would be suicidal.
Jiao Han’s eyes glinted with disdain, “You’re Hao Xinghua? Quite skilled, and quite bold. Unfortunately, while following me, you were holding your breath to avoid making any noise, but circulating your energy like that inevitably causes some leakage when your feet touch the ground. That was enough for me to detect you.
“I heard you killed two seventh-rank martial artists, earning you the nickname ‘Mad Blade Hero.’ What a pity, what a pity!”
He sneered, “You underestimate the difference in strength between ranks. Although I have to admit, you were very careful. If not for that slight energy leakage, I might not have noticed you.”
Shi Hao took a deep breath and, without turning around, said, “So you led me here. If I had entered that pavilion, I wouldn’t have been able to leave?”
Jiao Han chuckled, “That pavilion is a prison for capturing powerful martial artists. There are at least seven traps inside. Even a fourth or fifth-rank expert would be trapped. I was hoping you would walk right into it, but it seems you’re more alert than I expected.”
His eyes narrowed, “Hand over the Emerald Beauty, and I’ll spare your life!”
Shi Hao shouted and, in a flash, appeared half a zhang away from Jiao Han, slashing down with his saber.
Space seemed to distort, and Shi Hao passed through him.
Jiao Han exclaimed in surprise, “Oh?”
As a fifth-rank demonic cultivator, his “Demonic Lock Across the River” technique, creating a wall of demonic energy, shouldn’t be breakable by a seventh-rank martial artist.
And Hao Xinghua’s saber strike had seemed so ordinary, so weak, without any visible energy.
He had even been amused by the young man’s audacity, thinking he underestimated the power of a fifth-rank demonic expert.
But the young man’s saber strike had somehow created a spatial distortion, a ripple in his impenetrable wall of demonic energy.
Of course, this wasn’t entirely Jiao Han’s fault. He was familiar with the Violet Vortex Blade Technique, but the true technique, combined with the Unfettered Demon’s Boundless Art, hadn’t been seen in over two hundred years. Even he had been caught off guard.
And he had been too arrogant, confident that his Demonic Lock could easily stop a seventh-rank martial artist. He had even stood there motionless as the young man approached, expecting him to give up.
He hadn’t expected him to actually break through his defenses.
Jiao Han turned and saw the young man with the hooked nose trying to escape.
He sneered, took a step forward, flicked his sleeve, and a surge of black demonic energy erupted, swirling and forming a demonic blade in the air.
The blade, silent and invisible, sliced through space towards the young man’s back.
The young man rolled on the ground, the demonic blade striking the earth before him, sending debris flying. He used the force of the impact to flip backwards, increasing his speed.
Jiao Han’s face darkened. This was humiliating.
He wanted information about the Emerald Beauty, so he hadn’t used his full power.
But this attack, formed from his demonic essence, silent and invisible, launched from beyond the young man’s line of sight, should have been unavoidable.
Even a sixth-rank expert wouldn’t be able to dodge it.
Yet, this young man had escaped.
Jiao Han suddenly remembered Li Ximing’s description of Chongyun, a seventh-rank martial artist who had somehow blocked Blood Shadow Undying Child’s deadly attack, despite being subjected to both the Dim Soul Demonic Art and the Earthly Shadow Star supernatural ability.
Even Jiao Han himself wasn’t confident in his ability to survive such an attack.
In absolute darkness, Chongyun had somehow “seen” Blood Shadow’s attack. It was unbelievable.
And now, this Hao Xinghua, also seventh-rank, had dodged his “silent blade.”
He didn’t consider the possibility that Chongyun and Hao Xinghua might be the same person.
After all, Li Ximing had said that Chongyun used Daoist techniques, while this “Mad Blade Hero” clearly cultivated demonic arts.
Daoist cultivators practiced internal alchemy, while demonic cultivators refined demonic essence. No one had ever cultivated both.
But hearing that Chongyun, a seventh-rank, had survived Blood Shadow’s assassination attempt, Jiao Han had thought, The world is vast, and full of wonders.
And now, this young man, also seventh-rank, had dodged his silent blade. Were such miracles becoming commonplace?
Although he had held back to avoid killing him, having his attacks dodged twice enraged him.
He flickered and lunged towards the young man.
Shi Hao, although having dodged the attack, was inwardly alarmed.
Fifth-rank was fifth-rank! He was glad that if this had happened a few days ago, he would be dead.
Behind him, Jiao Han’s robe billowed as he channeled his power, his aura overwhelming.
Shi Hao felt a cacophony of demonic sounds assaulting his mind, a chilling sensation as a wave of force pressed against his back.
Anyone else would have instinctively turned to defend themselves.
Shi Hao, despite his fear, used the Sacred Heart Clear Mirror Technique to maintain his composure and precisely gauged the distance between them.
Even before Jiao Han reached him, his demonic energy, like a suffocating wave, pressed down on him, trying to crush his spirit.
It was a terrifying aura, making him feel like a tiny insect struggling against a sea of lava, about to be incinerated.
This feeling of helplessness and despair could paralyze an opponent, making resistance impossible.
Fortunately, Shi Hao had experienced the auras of high-rank experts like the Holy Jade Immortal and Su Mei. Compared to them, Jiao Han’s attempt to intimidate him seemed childish.
Shi Hao continued running, not even looking back.
As Jiao Han, using his superior internal energy, accelerated and reached out to grab him, Shi Hao, sensing his every move with his Primordial Energy, rolled to the side.
Jiao Han’s attack had been incredibly fast. To an observer, it would have seemed like a wave of dark grey demonic energy sweeping towards the young man’s back, while the young man remained motionless.
Then, Jiao Han would have flickered, his speed increasing dramatically, his hand reaching for the young man’s back in an instant.
Such speed, like a thunderclap, demonstrated his fifth-rank power.
And even more incredibly, the young man had dodged, albeit barely.
Jiao Han, overshooting his target, saw the young man disappear into a nearby building.
Two crashes echoed as the young man burst through the wall, creating a hole, then another as he emerged from the other side.
Jiao Han, enraged, gave chase, his speed like lightning, almost catching him, then his face darkened.
A wooden stool landed on the ground with a thud.
He stomped his foot, cracking the ground, stopping abruptly. He looked back. The young man had emerged from the initial hole.
Feeling mocked, Jiao Han’s fury intensified. He would no longer hold back.
He spun around, a surge of demonic energy swirling around him, and pursued the fleeing figure.
He reached out, and a demonic hand, formed from his energy, shot through the air towards the young man.
Shi Hao, startled, quickly turned, the Heroic Deeds Blade flashing, flames erupting as he channeled both the Mysterious Charm Technique and the Violet Vortex Blade Technique.
The demonic flames swirled.
With a clang, the saber struck the demonic hand, a shockwave rippling outwards.
Jiao Han continued his approach, retracting his demonic hand.
The young man with the hooked nose, however, was thrown backwards, crashing through a stone wall, sending debris flying.
He leaped to his feet, swayed slightly, and then, with a roar, charged forward again, flames trailing behind him.
This boy must die! Jiao Han thought, his killing intent rising.
A mere seventh-rank, yet so elusive, repeatedly escaping his attacks. If he was allowed to grow stronger, he would become a serious threat.
If he died, there was still Night Lily, who also knew about the Emerald Beauty.
But if he lived, he would become a formidable enemy to the Ghost Extreme Sect.
Jiao Han’s killing intent surged as he unleashed his full power—
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