Chapter 150: The Deadly Pursuit
"Su Liang... What's the meaning of this?" Su Tianhao said, a deep frown creasing his face.
Su Liang's eyes narrowed as he gazed at Su Tianhao, a sneer spreading across his features. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here. The Su family's little prodigy, Su Tianhao."
Su Tianhao's eyes locked onto Su Liang, his expression unreadable. "What do you want?"
"Gotten even more disrespectful, I see? Why am I not surprised?" Su Liang said with a disdainful smirk, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"What happened to calling me foster uncle? Or at least Second Elder?" Su Liang continued, a smile playing on his lips—almost like he had the entire situation in control.
Su Tianhao's frown deepened, his golden eyes filled with bone-deep cold. "I am no longer a member of the Su family, so I cannot call you those names anymore. You don't even deserve it!"
"I see," Su Liang said. The smile vanished from his face, replaced by a terrifying coldness.
Seeing this, Su Tianhao's instincts flared. Without warning, he unsheathed Shadowfang, the dark blade gleaming under the morning sun.
"Haha, it's useless!" Su Liang said mockingly, his voice dripping with venom. "Your strength is nothing against mine. You of all people should know that."
As he spoke, he released his aura—menacing and saturated with murderous intent. His presence surged like a tidal wave, pressing down on Su Tianhao with crushing pressure.
Su Tianhao's face paled slightly, but his stance remained grounded and unshakable, his grip tightening around the blade.
After enduring the Baptism of the Mind—tempering his killing intent through visions of endless slaughter within his inherited memories—Su Tianhao could handle a Martial Master's aura. He could withstand Ye Shiming's killing intent, much less Su Liang's. But enduring an aura was one thing. The strength behind it was another. And here, there was no one to help him.
His expression darkened, his analytical mind already spinning through calculations and strategies to escape this disastrous situation.
"Hahaha, now I see why everyone calls you a genius," Su Liang said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes at all. "Able to hold your own against my aura. Who knows what kind of monster you would grow up to become."
He stepped forward, his voice dropping to a whisper, heavy with murderous intent.
"I cannot let that happen."
"Why are you doing this?" Su Tianhao said, his temples dripping with sweat.
"Why, you say?" Su Liang smirked. "From the day you chose to oppose me, your death sentence was already guaranteed."
His voice was casual—almost like he was discussing the fate of a chicken rather than a human being. Although Su Tianhao had known Su Liang was dangerous, this level of open hatred and malice shocked even him.
"Evil! Does the Su family even know what kind of person you are?" Su Tianhao said with disgust.
"Hmph!" Su Liang snorted. "Think what you like, but nothing you say is helping you..."
"Those who offend me DIE!"
His voice rang out like a judge's gavel striking the final blow—sharp, absolute, final.
The air seemed to vibrate with the intensity of his words. Su Tianhao's heart trembled, a sense of foreboding washing over him.
"I have been watching you, Tianhao..." Su Liang's voice resounded once more, cold and threatening. "I had no idea how you managed to get that girl Xie Ling out safely—but you are not escaping my wrath."
"You monster! Xie Ling was officially dismissed from the Su family and granted freedom. What could you possibly have against her?!" Su Tianhao shouted, his voice seething with rage and frustration.
"Rage all you want, but your fate is sealed," Su Liang laughed. "Today is the day that you die!"
"Is that so?" Su Tianhao said, his golden eyes narrowing with laser-sharp focus. There was a subtle shift in his demeanor—calmer, deadlier, more calculated.
"Guess you'll never know how badly I affected your precious little nephew..." His voice rang out calm and taunting. "...How badly I destroyed him psychologically."
"Jian'er? What are you talking about?" Su Liang frowned, his eyes flickering with confusion.
And that moment of confusion was all Su Tianhao needed.
Without hesitation, he gathered all the spiritual energy within his body into his legs.
And then—
BOOM!
Su Tianhao's figure propelled forward like a released arrow, blurring past in a trail of golden light.
Whoosh!
He closed the distance in mere seconds, arriving at the crowded market district faster than Su Liang could react. By the time he reacted, it was already too late.
"You deceitful bastard!" Su Liang roared. His figure vanished like a phantom—moving even faster than Su Tianhao.
In an instant, he appeared before Su Tianhao, eyes narrowing with killing intent. Spiritual energy gathered around his right hand.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Su Tianhao said, his eyes cutting to the surrounding crowd—all staring at the two of them with curiosity and interest, almost like they were waiting to spectate a match.
"Kill me now and risk exposing your true colors," Su Tianhao said with a sneer, voice low, just enough for Su Liang to hear.
"You—" Su Liang's face flushed red with anger and embarrassment, his killing intent intensifying. But he didn't dare move.
Not in public. He was more powerful than anyone present, and no one could stop him if he truly wanted to kill Su Tianhao—but he couldn't silence every witness. Word would spread. The reputation he had built, everything he had cultivated over decades, could unravel in a single reckless moment.
Suddenly a voice rang out from the crowd, loud and clear. It was unknown who spoke, but their words ignited discussions like a spark thrown into dry grass.
"Isn't that Young Master Tianhao?... And that man... It's Lord Su Liang of the Su family!"
"What?! It's really the Su family's Second Elder!"
"What's he doing? I saw Young Master Tianhao running from the direction of that desolate alley. Don't tell me that Lord Su Liang was actually chasing after him?!"
Hiss!
The crowd drew in a collective breath of cold air. The place fell silent as the implications of those words sank into the hearts of everyone present like a heavy boulder.
All eyes turned to the two of them, filled with renewed curiosity and wariness.
Su Tianhao smiled, seeing the odds finally turning in his favor. "So what's it going to be? Your revenge or your reputation?"
His confidence had returned in full force. Golden eyes locked fiercely onto Su Liang's.
Su Liang's fists clenched, his eyes burning with barely contained hatred. But even he knew when to give up. No matter how much he wanted this boy dead, he couldn't risk losing everything he had built for a chance to kill a sixteen-year-old. It simply wasn't worth it.
Although filled with reluctance and hesitation, Su Liang could only bring himself to retreat—at least for now.
Su Tianhao's lips curled into a triumphant smile seeing Su Liang's hesitation. Deep down, he knew he had won this exchange.
But it wasn't over—not yet.
'I must take advantage of his hesitation to escape into the crowd. As long as I can disguise myself and hide my presence perfectly, Su Liang will never find me.'
His mind was already spinning. And only one technique could make it possible—
The Shrouded Dragon Veil.
The First Form—Silent Pulse—suppresses the rhythm and flow of internal Qi, rendering the user's cultivation unreadable to anyone not at least five major realms stronger.
The Second Form—Illusory Flow—allows the user to feign a lower cultivation base or mimic the Qi fluctuations of an entirely different realm. When mastered, it could also partially conceal the user's presence.
The Third Form—Phantom Cloak—grants the ability to completely suppress all traces of internal energy and presence. To any observer, no matter how perceptive, the user appears utterly ordinary—no different from a powerless mortal. When mastered, it allows the user to fully conceal their existence—blending seamlessly into their surroundings, moving like a ghost beyond detection.
Su Tianhao had reached Great Success in the Shrouded Dragon Veil, meaning he had officially mastered the Phantom Cloak.
'If I activate the Phantom Cloak while Su Liang is distracted, he won't be able to find me even if he had nine eyes.'
The Shrouded Dragon Veil was effective as long as the enemy was below the Martial Lord Realm. He didn't need to worry about Su Liang seeing through his technique.
At this moment, Su Liang was blissfully unaware of Su Tianhao's plan. His focus had shifted entirely—clearing the air before unnecessary rumors could spread.
He forced a smile and turned to address the crowd—a smile masking the intense fury brewing beneath.
"Everyone, there's no need to worry. This... incident... is merely a misunderstanding." His voice rang out smooth and calculated—like honey dripping from a spoon, sweet but with a faint edge of danger.
Su Tianhao knew better.
The crowd murmured, some buying it, others visibly unconvinced. Su Liang pressed on. "I've merely... disciplined a rebellious junior, my own nephew. But all is well now."
'This is my chance!'
Without hesitation, Su Tianhao seized the moment. With Su Liang's attention fixed on the crowd, he quietly activated the Phantom Cloak. His presence began to blur—like ink dissolving in water. In the next breath, he melted into the surroundings, becoming one with the shadows.
Su Liang, still addressing the crowd, noticed nothing. With the Phantom Cloak in full effect, Su Tianhao slipped away—vanishing like a ghost in the night.
"...and so, all is settled. No further action needed."
By the time Su Liang finished his speech, Su Tianhao was already long gone.
Completely oblivious, he sneered inwardly.
'You cannot escape me.'
Without warning, his spiritual sense surged outward, sweeping the area in all directions. As a 4th level Martial Master, his spiritual sense could stretch for four kilometers—the same terrifying perception that had allowed him to detect Su Tianhao fleeing from the desolate alley earlier, giving him enough time to intercept.
"I don't believe you've gotten far," Su Liang mumbled, a smug smile settling on his face.
After all, Su Tianhao had burned through a massive amount of spiritual energy in that desperate burst of speed. With nothing left to fuel another sprint, he would have to flee on foot—slow, exposed, predictable. Minutes at most before he fell within Su Liang's range again.
Or so he thought.
Su Liang's spiritual sense surged to its limit—four kilometers of absolute clarity. Within that domain, nothing could hide. Every person, every object, every flicker of movement was laid bare before his mind's eye.
Yet Su Tianhao was nowhere.
"No... This can't be."
His frown twisted into something darker. His jaw clenched. A flicker of disbelief passed through his eyes—quickly swallowed by seething fury.
"How did he vanish?! How?! He was right here!"
The wind howled around him, as if echoing the storm building inside.
"SU!! TIAN!! HAO!!" Su Liang roared inwardly, each syllable carved with venom. His fists trembled at his sides, veins bulging with restrained fury.
His breath grew heavy, chest rising and falling in sharp bursts, eyes blazing like twin coals.
'You dare humiliate me like this... in front of everyone?'
The crowd continued to murmur behind him, completely unaware of the firestorm raging within the Su family's esteemed elder.
'You can run... but I will find you. And when I do...'
He didn't finish the thought. He didn't have to.
The killing intent leaking from him said it all.