Chapter 44: Sudden Attack
By now the sky had darkened and the moon had risen. At the foot of the mountain, pitch-black tree crowns covered the darkness in patches, with a faint path leading up the mountain.
Thorns and shrubs grew along the path. On the platform halfway up the mountain, several giant pine trees swayed gently in the night breeze, with sparse grass and exposed rocks on the platform.
Strategist Ji had been observing Li Yan. After he picked up the spilled water bag earlier, Strategist Ji noticed something different: the color of the rock beside Li Yan appeared different from other places in the moonlight, slightly darker.
There was nothing unusual about water dampening and darkening the color, after all, that area had water flowing from the spilled water bag, so it would naturally be different from other places.
But just as Strategist Ji was about to look away, something stirred in his heart. He felt something was off and looked back at that spot.
In his eyes, filled with concentrated spiritual power, he discovered a faint glimmer flashing in that area, clearly caused by water adhering to something and reflecting light.
But because the distance was too great, even with his magical power he couldn't see clearly. He lowered his head to look at the foot of the mountain, silently calculating.
From the foot of the mountain upward, there weren't many large trees, mostly thorns and shrubs extending upward. These low-growing plants generally grew horizontally close to the ground from their roots, with intertwining branches.
Trying to hide silently among them would be extremely difficult, but there were still several taller trees at the foot of the mountain.
At this point, Strategist Ji descended from the huge tree crown like an agile squirrel, reaching the ground in just a few movements.
With a few more leaps, he arrived at those trees at the foot of the mountain. He chose the tree with the best view of Li Yan and again floated up lightly.
Li Yan sat on the rock with his eyes closed, leaning against a pine tree, appearing to be dozing but actually having raised his magical power to the maximum degree, listening intently to the sounds around him with his whole heart and mind.
He had been here for more than two days. Just now, he suddenly felt as if someone was watching him, although he hadn't heard any sound or seen any person or demonic beast.
But in that brief moment, the natural balance of this place that he had begun to familiarize himself with seemed suddenly torn open by someone's hand.
"Is it him? It's a pity there wasn't time for me to cultivate to the second level of the Qi Condensation stage. With the ability to project divine sense, my chances of survival would've been much greater."
After months of bitter cultivation of the "Guishui True Scripture," his magical power had grown rapidly, and he had also begun to familiarize himself with many functions of this immortal art.
This immortal art involved cultivating the five elements to generate each other, so his magical power was much higher than cultivators of the same level. Ordinary cultivators could project divine sense at the third level of the Qi Condensation stage, but with the "Guishui True Scripture," one could project it after breaking through to the second level of the Qi Condensation stage.
'I can be certain it wasn't Hong Linying just now. I've already given him that 'Breathing Guidance Technique' as the first level of 'Wood Yin Art.' Those incantations are genuine.
He won't be able to find any problems with it in the short term, but since he doesn't have spiritual roots, he'll never be able to perceive spiritual aura.
But as long as he feels the 'secret manual' is real, he can see the extraordinary nature within it. With his martial fanatic disposition, he will likely come for a fight, doing his utmost to obtain the subsequent techniques.
The strange feeling just now is very likely that Ji Wenhe has found this place. Although it was just a momentary feeling, I can basically confirm it.
But now that Ji Wenhe has tracked me here, Hong Linying still hasn't arrived. Do I have to face him alone?'
Strategist Ji came to the treetop again. Although this tree was only growing at the foot of the mountain and wasn't as tall as the tree he had been hiding in earlier, he could still barely see the platform above, and the view was much closer.
After a while, a mocking smile appeared on Strategist Ji's pitch-black face.
"So it's the Strong Winding Crossbow. Hong Linying even gave him this thing. He's truly vicious. If I hadn't noticed it, it would have been a big problem."
The "Strong Winding Crossbow" had strings made of several twisted ordinary demonic beast tendons, equipped with a crossbow case containing seven strong bolts. The arrows were preloaded into the case, with killing power five to six times that of ordinary bows and arrows, and two to three times that of ordinary crossbow arrows.
Generally, it took three to four people to draw it, but this made its practicality too low. After continuous improvements by skilled craftsmen in the military, it could be operated by one master who had practiced internal martial arts. Even so, often a second-rate martial arts master could only fire about three bolts consecutively.
So, with further improvements, a groove was added to the back of the crossbow that could accommodate an adult's forefoot. The leg strength could be used to trigger the crossbow mechanism, allowing even an ordinary adult to possibly fire one bolt. Hence, it was also called the "Strong Foot Crossbow."
This portable weapon with tremendous destructive power could cause fatal injuries even to low-level cultivators.
Ordinary cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage, apart from possessing magical power and knowing some immortal techniques, had bodies only slightly more resilient than ordinary people. If hit by such a lethal weapon, they would still perish.
However, there was another type of cultivator who, even below the Foundation Establishment stage, had bodily resilience far different from ordinary people. The specific hardness depended on the body cultivation method they practiced.
Strategist Ji carefully observed that small area. The "Strong Foot Crossbow" was hidden in the gap between the huge rock and the ground.
Perhaps the gap wasn't very large to begin with, and Li Yan wanted to retrieve it quickly without exposing his intentions, so only a small portion of the bowstring was visible.
Earlier, Li Yan had accidentally knocked over the water bag, and water droplets had adhered to the bowstring. If Strategist Ji hadn't noticed that slight reflection from the water on the string, he might have fallen into the trap if he had been careless...
Thinking of this, Strategist Ji felt hatred toward Hong Linying from the bottom of his heart for giving such a lethal weapon to Li Yan.
Looking at the low thorns and shrubs extending up the mountain below the tree, Strategist Ji frowned.
From here to halfway up the mountain was about two hundred zhang or so. If he could sneak another hundred zhang closer, he was absolutely confident he could get to Li Yan before he could react.
However, his frown soon relaxed. This wasn't a problem at all. Now that he had found Li Yan, what remained for him was to wait, wait for the right moment.
This moment, simply put, was to wait for Li Yan to become tired. Even someone like himself at the third level of the Qi Condensation stage couldn't substitute sleep with meditation cultivation, let alone someone at the first level of the Qi Condensation stage like Li Yan.
Li Yan continued sitting on the rock. The night in the valley grew deeper, the moonlight above became cooler, and waves of drowsiness assailed him. He slowly relaxed his body, leaned against the pine tree, and his eyes closed involuntarily.
Strategist Ji crouched on the tree, watching Li Yan without blinking.
By now it was midnight. Seeing Li Yan slowly close his eyes, he also began to slowly close his eyes, gradually regulating the spiritual power in his body.
After two nights of high mental tension, plus constant movement, even a strong cultivator like him was very tired.
Now that he had confirmed Li Yan had begun to sleep, Strategist Ji immediately began to regulate his breath and gather strength, while also waiting for Li Yan to enter a deeper level of sleep.
Half an hour later, Strategist Ji slowly opened his eyes. After watching Li Yan for a while, his figure flashed and disappeared from the tree.
Then one could see a shadow flashing in the moonlit mountain path, then disappearing again, and the next moment appearing in a more distant place. As he rapidly flew, only occasionally would the thorny branches on the small path sway slightly.
Looking at the platform on the mountainside getting closer and closer, Strategist Ji's heart was as calm as water. Li Yan became increasingly clear in his eyes. He silently calculated that in two more breaths, he could reach Li Yan.
Looking at Li Yan sleeping quietly against the tree, Strategist Ji suddenly felt an inexplicable unease.
"Can a person sleep so peacefully in this mountain valley?"
Even though for some unknown reason there were relatively few demonic beasts in this place, as Strategist Ji got closer and saw Li Yan's sleeping posture more clearly, the bad feeling in his heart grew stronger.
So, spiritual power suddenly surged into his legs, and he no longer concealed his form.
Just as Strategist Ji made this decision, Li Yan, leaning against the tree, suddenly opened his eyes. His bloodshot eyes flashed with determination. He lowered his body, with one hand and one foot already reaching under the rock.
In the next moment, all he needed to do was grab, pull, and place.
Strategist Ji's form was still in mid-air when he saw Li Yan's eyes suddenly open. He silently exclaimed.
"Not good!"
In a flash, he made a judgment, changing his direction to pounce toward the "Strong Foot Crossbow."
All this sounds lengthy in the telling, but it actually happened in an instant. Just as Li Yan's hand touched the bowstring and was about to grab and pull it out, Strategist Ji had already pounced over amid the fluttering sound of his black robe.
He bent his fingers into claws, one hand grabbing for Li Yan's extended wrist, the other hand expanding to grab for the bowstring in the rock crevice.
Seeing this, Li Yan was greatly alarmed. He no longer dared to grab the "Strong Foot Crossbow." His arm quickly retracted, his toes kicked against the ground, and his body rolled awkwardly to one side.
Strategist Ji's claw immediately grabbed nothing, which was due to him trying to grab two things simultaneously, limited by his arm span.
By now, the other hand had already grabbed the bowstring in the gap between the rock and the ground. His body had landed with depleted strength. He pulled outward, his toes touching the ground, intending to take the crossbow and then leap into the air again to capture Li Yan.
By this time, Li Yan had rolled away from the rock surface but hadn't yet stood up stably. Strategist Ji only needed one leap to reach him.
However, at this moment, Strategist Ji suddenly felt his foot tighten, and a great force pulled him upside down, whisking him into the air in an instant.
With a loud "crack," his suspended body was suddenly pulled down by a tremendous force. His entire person fell rapidly toward the cliff behind the pine trees, like a falling meteor.
This sudden change alarmed Strategist Ji greatly. In his haste, he felt his head spin, the wind whistling in his ears, his body plummeting toward the bottom of the cliff like a meteor.
In just a breath or two, he had already fallen seven or eight zhang.
But Strategist Ji was formidable. After briefly collecting himself, he flicked his finger, sending an arc-shaped wind blade flying toward his feet. His downward momentum immediately slowed.
Seizing the opportunity, his other hand shot out like lightning and grabbed the cliff wall. There was a muffled sound.
"Thud!"
He had forcibly embedded his five fingers into the hard granite wall. Then, with a powerful pull of his five fingers, his body was forcibly lifted up again.
At the same time, his toes touched a protruding spot on the cliff wall, and his body bounced upward more than a zhang. After several consecutive kicks with both feet, he had returned to the top of the cliff.
Only now did Strategist Ji faintly hear the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground at the bottom of the valley. It seemed this cliff was no less than a hundred zhang high.
As soon as Strategist Ji reached the top of the cliff, he saw a figure darting down the mountain.
It turned out that Li Yan had just peeked over the cliff, saw that Strategist Ji had only fallen seven or eight zhang before using an immortal technique to cut the rope lock of the huge stone hanging below his feet and was already flying back up. Li Yan immediately sensed trouble.
Seeing this, Strategist Ji shouted loudly.
"Wicked disciple, where are you going!"
Despite his extreme caution, he had almost been ambushed and killed by Li Yan. Strategist Ji was quite angry, and killing intent rose strongly within him.
If he hadn't possessed immortal techniques, he would have been buried at the bottom of the cliff. Even now, he wasn't clear how exactly he had fallen into that kid's trap.
Now, in his anger, he let out a great shout that shook the forest valley, causing flocks of birds to rise from the forest.
Hearing these words, Li Yan became extremely anxious. In his panic, he chose no particular path but plunged into the thorny bushes beside the downward mountain path. He couldn't care about the thorns cutting his body and tumbled out at an angle.
Seeing this, Strategist Ji coldly snorted and pounced through the air. But Li Yan was also rolling for his life, and his downward speed was truly much faster.
After several leaps, Strategist Ji still couldn't intercept Li Yan. A few breaths later, Li Yan had already rolled to the foot of the mountain.
But Strategist Ji had also barely caught up to Li Yan. He saw Li Yan, in his tattered black robe, forcibly stop his rolling momentum and, amid stumbling, get up and head toward the forest.
Strategist Ji, in mid-air, flashed a trace of killing intent in his eyes. He flicked his finger again, sending a blue arc of wind blade slashing toward Li Yan's legs, determined to cut off Li Yan's legs below.
Li Yan, with spiritual power filling his entire body, had suffered many injuries on the way down, but they were all external wounds. His internal organs had been protected by spiritual power and hadn't been injured at all.
Just as he stood up and was about to enter the forest, he suddenly felt a sharp gust of wind shooting toward his legs. A strong sense of danger immediately arose in his heart.
He channeled spiritual power to his legs and, while lunging forward, forcibly twisted his body, actually changing direction.
But with this sudden twist and change of force, Li Yan immediately felt a stifling sensation in his five organs and six viscera, almost passing out.
Then he felt a sharp pain in his leg. Looking down, he saw a blue light blade had flashed past his thigh, taking a piece of flesh with it.
Although his reaction was quick, in terms of magical power, martial arts, and fighting experience, he was far inferior to the experienced Strategist Ji, not to mention that Strategist Ji had used an immortal technique to attack.
This strike, although it didn't cut off Li Yan's thigh, still took a large chunk of flesh from his leg.
Li Yan let out a muffled groan, his leg losing strength and falling down. Seeing this, Strategist Ji smiled sinisterly and stepped forward.
(Chapter End)