52: Chapter 52 The Hunter

Deep within the dense forest, towering ancient trees rose from the earth, their gnarled branches intertwining to form an airtight canopy that shut out all light from the world.

Beneath the forest crown, light and shadow churned in Chaos; mottled rays squeezed through the thick foliage, so dim that one could not distinguish between sunlight and moonlight.

The damp scent of decaying leaves mingled with the raw fragrance of vegetation and the rank musk of Vicious Beasts, flowing slowly through the woods. Every gust of wind brushing past the leaves stirred a rustling sound, like countless hidden eyes peering from the shadows, carrying a heart-palpitating danger.

After leaving the city, Lin Qing headed straight into the deepest reaches of the forest.

Since his Breakthrough to the third rank, his endurance had increased significantly. Traveling day and night through the rugged and complex mountain forests, he hadn't rested for three full days, yet he felt no fatigue. The Blood-Qi within him continued to flow steadily, and a thick, enduring strength surged forth without end.

His Yellow Rank Advanced body control made his Movement Technique extremely exquisite. Every step, shift, and turn precisely grasped the terrain, allowing him to move with borrowed force, light and swift.

Complex, tangled branches, slippery decaying leaves everywhere, and crisscrossing rocky ravines posed almost no obstacle to Lin Qing. These three days of rapid travel had left his pursuers far behind.

In three days, he had ventured over a thousand miles into the forest.

That was enough.

Lin Qing suddenly stopped, no longer venturing deeper; he decided to wait for them here.

Night fell quietly as a bright moon hung high in the sky. Pure moonlight pierced through the gaps in the leaves, shedding strands of clear light that plated the dim forest with a layer of cold silver.

From the distance, the roars of Vicious Beasts echoed from dozens of miles away, reverberating through the valleys and woods, low and murderous, making the desolate forest seem even more terrifying.

At this moment, Lin Qing stood upon a branch, gazing at the bright moon in the sky to advance the progress of his Lunar Visualization Method.

The night deepened, and the wind began to slow.

After an unknown amount of time, a faint sound of footsteps came from the ground, breaking the silence. The first group of pursuers had finally arrived.

Five figures broke through the thick underbrush, spreading out in a fan formation as they slowly closed in on Lin Qing.

The man in the center looked up, staring at the youth standing calmly on the branch, his lips curling into a mocking and smug sneer.

"Kid, why aren't you running? Weren't you quite good at running before?"

The man's voice was playful, echoing clearly in the silent forest, already regarding Lin Qing as a trapped animal.

Lin Qing lowered his head slightly, his indifferent gaze sweeping over the five people below. His eyes were calm and waveless as a cool voice came from his mouth:

"Can't you tell? I've been waiting for you."

As soon as these words were spoken, the five men beneath the tree were stunned, followed by uncontrollable laughter.

"Hahaha! Waiting for us? What a big mouth!"

The man in black at the lead stopped laughing, the contempt in his eyes growing even stronger as he scoffed:

"Xie Chen, it seems the empty fame of the hidden dragon list has ultimately ruined you."

"A mere twenty-sixth rank on the hidden dragon list has made you so arrogant?"

He stood with his head held high, his Aura slowly rising, a touch of pride flooding his brow:

"I'm not afraid to tell you, I was also a member of the hidden dragon list back in the day, and my rank was even higher than yours is now."

The moment his words fell, the man in black suddenly shuddered!

Boom—

A thick and majestic Blood-Qi force suddenly erupted. A powerful airwave swept out from him as the center, shaking the surrounding low vegetation until it bent, scattering fallen leaves and causing the airflow to surge violently.

Visible crimson Blood-Qi rose like steam, swirling around him. In an instant, a condensed and heavy river of Blood-Qi, extending over ten feet, took shape!

The river flowed, crimson as flame and rushing without end, as the majestic pressure unique to a fourth-rank Martial Artist descended upon the mountain forest.

At the same time, the other four surrounding Martial Artists no longer held back. Their Blood-Qi exploded, and four pillars of Blood-Qi Wolf Smoke rose into the air.

The team that caught up first was indeed not simple: one fourth-rank and four third-ranks.

Majestic martial pressure layered upon itself, enveloping the entire giant tree. In the night, the five men's gazes were sharp, their killing intent exposed as they locked onto Lin Qing on the branch.

The leading fourth-rank man's gaze was cold, filled with absolute confidence as he spoke in a deep voice:

"Now, do you regret it?"

Facing the oncoming pressure and killing intent, Lin Qing remained steadily on the branch, his robes fluttering slightly, his face showing not a hint of emotion from beginning to end.

He just looked down at the five aggressive men and asked a quiet question in return:

"Did you bring money?"

As soon as this was said, the scene fell deathly silent.

The pride and composure on the black-clad man's face froze instantly, his eyes filled with bewilderment, which was then replaced by a bone-chilling, icy rage.

"Stubborn! You're looking for death!"

A cold shout exploded through the woods!

"Do it!"

As the command fell, the internal energy beneath the feet of the four third-rank Martial Artists exploded, and they charged forward!

Three of them swung their blades to hack at the thick tree trunk, their sharp edges carrying the thick Blood-Qi of the third rank, intending to force Lin Qing to the ground.

Another leaped into the air, his sharp blade reflecting the bright moonlight as it carried a fierce wind, slashing straight at Lin Qing on the branch.

A third-rank actually dared to charge Lin Qing head-on; from the moment he jumped, his fate was sealed.

An incredibly fast flash of blade-light flickered across the branch.

Puchi—

Blood sprayed, and the ear-piercing sound of tearing flesh and bone suddenly erupted.

The third-rank Martial Artist didn't even have time to scream before his body was sliced neatly in half from head to waist by a single blade!

Blood splattered, organs spilled, and the two halves of the corpse fell heavily through the night wind onto the decaying leaves, completely devoid of life.

In an instant, one was dead!

Only then did the impact of the severed trunk slowly manifest. The thousand-year-old tree shook violently, its branches trembling incessantly as leaves fell in a rustling shower; the entire tree was on the verge of toppling.

Beneath the tree, fierce winds surged with chilling killing intent.

Standing on the vibrating branch, Lin Qing looked down at the three remaining men and let out a cold snort.

Trying to force me down?

As you wish.

Then, he leaped from the branch, his body carrying staggering weight and thick Blood-Qi.

Bang!

A dull, massive thud shook the forest!

He stepped precisely onto the head of one of the Martial Artists with one foot!

The third-rank Martial Artist had no time to react before his head was crushed into his chest cavity by that terrifying force!

Crack— the sound of dense bone fractures rang out.

The hard skull and cervical spine were completely pulverized, and the torso was instantly crushed and collapsed by the force; the man slumped to the ground like a pile of mud.

In less than two breaths, two of the four third-rank Martial Artists who charged had been lost!

The pupils of the remaining two Martial Artists contracted suddenly, their faces turning as pale as paper. Their blood almost flowed backward as their previous arrogance and confidence were completely crushed by fear!

The instinct for survival overrode everything. The two no longer had any Battle Intent; they turned abruptly and charged recklessly toward the fourth-rank man behind them, hoping to find a sliver of life under his protection.

But in a martial fight, the greatest taboo is exposing your back to the enemy!

Facing a top-tier expert far beyond oneself, fleeing in panic and exposing weaknesses is equivalent to seeking death!

As the two fled with their backs to Lin Qing, another cold blade-glow swept across the air.

A flash of cold light, and blood blossomed!

The third Martial Artist's body suddenly stiffened, and then he was slashed diagonally from shoulder to waist.

Warm blood gushed out, staining the layers of decaying leaves beneath his feet. The corpse fell heavily to the ground, its breath completely gone.

The last Martial Artist, relying on his companion's brief obstruction, spent all his strength to rush wretchedly to the side of the fourth-rank leader, drenched in cold sweat, his legs shaking uncontrollably, his soul barely intact.

From the instant death of the first Martial Artist to this moment of three dead and one fled, only a few short breaths had passed.

The fourth-rank man, who had been composed and proud, had realized something was wrong the moment his first subordinate fell. His river of Blood-Qi surged at full power as he charged recklessly toward the battlefield to provide support.

But Lin Qing's blade was too fast!

So fast that he had no time to rescue them, so fast that it shattered all his knowledge and predictions!

By the time he pushed himself to the scene, only one of his four elite third-rank subordinates remained, shivering by his side.

At this moment, the composure, pride, and certainty on the black-clad man's face had vanished without a trace.

In its place was a face full of disbelief.

He stared fixedly at the youth standing quietly ahead, his pupils trembling and his mind shaken. Even the surging river of Blood-Qi around him began to fluctuate slightly.

He asked himself if he, as a fourth-rank Martial Artist, could achieve such clean, efficient, and overwhelming slaughter!

The massive disparity and extreme fear struck his mind, causing him to lose his composure entirely.

The man suddenly threw his head back and laughed, his laughter hoarse and shrill, carrying endless absurdity and despair as it echoed in the dark, dense forest.

"Hahaha..."

"This is the fucking twenty-sixth on the hidden dragon list?!"

The shrill laughter had not yet completely dissipated.

What responded to him was a brilliant flash of blade-light.