Ambush on the Road

Chapter 21: Ambush on the Road

Blood Qi Wolf Smoke!

Lin Le consolidated the even more solidified Blood Qi within his body and couldn't help but clench his fist. His self-preservation capabilities had taken another step forward.

But it wasn't strong enough!

Lin Le gazed eastward. His enemy was a Fox Demon who had entered the Qi Refining Realm, and it was hard to say how many layers of cultivation it possessed.

He had to get stronger.

Lin Le turned to meditate. He had been busy with altering his Bone Structure recently, and the matter of refining his soul had been neglected.

The moon set and the sun rose. After completely digesting his gains, Lin Le, carrying the spine and fur of the tiger spirit he had specifically kept, prepared to depart.

No one sent him off, and no one tried to stop him.

Lin Le didn't care about this. However, as he passed a small courtyard, a boy with a small braid suddenly ran over and whispered, "Little brother, be careful. I heard He Ershen's son is going to the nearest county town to report you to the officials."

"I know, go back," Lin Le gently pushed the boy's forehead, his tone soft.

The boy immediately ran back home.

Lin Le looked towards the house and saw the farmer he had spoken to a few days prior smiling awkwardly.

Lin Le simply smiled and turned to leave.

As for He Ershen mentioned by the boy, Lin Le knew who it was without even thinking. It could only be that auntie whose head he had kicked and exploded three or four days ago.

Time gradually moved towards noon. On a road, two horses galloped rapidly towards Bai Ya Village.

However, before they could enter the village, an accident occurred. Someone blocked the road.

"Who are you?" From atop one of the horses, a man who looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties asked the person standing in the middle of the road.

Before the person could answer, from atop the other horse, a dark-skinned man shouted, "It's him! It's him who killed my mother for no reason!"

Lin Le picked up the temporarily prepared Tiger Bone Spear, glanced at the man, and then looked at the constable in black clothing sitting alone on a horse beside him.

"Lin Le?" The constable also sized Lin Le up coldly and directly called out his name.

"It's me," Lin Le nodded. "It seems my business has come out?"

"It really is you." The constable dismounted and drew his saber. "Did you kill Zhao Lang?"

"I killed him," Lin Le replied, then asked, "Who is he to you?"

"I am his elder brother, Li Xingzhi. You've killed a good dog of mine!" the constable said coldly. "Hand over your cultivation secret, and I can kindly spare your life!"

As he spoke, intense greed flashed in his eyes.

He had received news of Zhao Lang's death immediately, but unfortunately, Lin Le had already left the city, and he couldn't catch up.

A Martial Master at the Blood Qi Gauze realm possessed endurance and speed comparable to a horse. Overnight, no one knew where Lin Le would have gone.

But he never expected to get a lead on Lin Le during a routine case. The description—short stature, spear, Blood Qi Gauze realm—all matched.

So Li Xingzhi chased after him on horseback the next day, determined to capture Lin Le alive.

He was too curious about the secrets Lin Le possessed. He had mediocre Bone Structure, yet in just half a month, he had reached Blood Qi Gauze, and he could even kill an awakened Tiger Spirit.

An awakened ferocious tiger was troublesome even for him to deal with, let alone someone like Lin Le who had just entered the Blood Qi Gauze realm.

Therefore, Lin Le must have some great secret. With this secret, he might be able to become a Cultivator before the age limit of thirty.

In martial arts cultivation, one either advances or retreats. Before the age of thirty is when a person's Blood Qi is most vigorous and grows the fastest. If one doesn't become a Cultivator before thirty, it becomes increasingly impossible later on.

After listening, Lin Le simply shook his head and said, "Idiot."

"Then it seems you are..." Before Li Xingzhi could finish speaking, Lin Le lunged forward, closing the distance.

Then, his spear struck like a dragon, aiming directly for Li Xingzhi's head.

Clang!

Li Xingzhi reacted quickly, swinging his saber and deflecting the spear.

"You're looking for..."

Li Xingzhi was furious, but Lin Le attacked again, once more striking directly at Li Xingzhi's vital point.

Li Xingzhi shut his mouth, having no choice but to focus on dealing with Lin Le's attacks.

However, the more they fought, the more surprised he became. Lin Le's spear technique was not only perfected, but his timing was also fast, accurate, and ruthless. Compared to him, Li Xingzhi felt as slow as a turtle.

Seeing Li Xingzhi engaged in combat, the constable on the other horse immediately dismounted to support him.

Whoosh!

The blade whistled as the constable, holding his saber, hacked directly at Lin Le.

Lin Le glanced at him, recognizing that the constable was using moves from the Five Tigers Severing Gate Saber, at the Great Accomplishment realm.

But Great Accomplishment, when faced with Perfection, was sometimes like paper, because he was too familiar with it.

Sidestepping, Lin Le dodged the attack. Then, like an eagle pouncing, he suddenly released his left hand holding the spear, his fingers like talons, grasping at the constable with a surge of blood-red energy.

Before the constable could react, Lin Le had already grabbed him by the neck.

With a cracking sound, the constable's head tilted to the side, and his body slumped to the ground.

"Xiao Zhi!" Li Xingzhi cried out in grief, seeing this. It seemed he and this constable had a good relationship.

But no matter how strong their brotherhood was, if he had to kill, he had to kill!

Lin Le looked at Li Xingzhi, who had inadvertently exposed an opening due to his grief. A cold glint appeared in his eyes. His Blood Qi surged, and he swung his spear at Li Xingzhi.

White Ape Splits the Sun!

I fell for it! Looking at the charging spear, Li Xingzhi's eyes revealed a hint of smugness and malice. A mere subordinate, what brotherhood?

If it could help him ascend as a Cultivator, he'd sell his own mother without hesitation.

But had Lin Le truly fallen for it?

Li Xingzhi raised his saber to block, preparing to receive the blow and then unleash his full Blood Qi to injure Lin Le and sever his limbs.

Clang!

The spear and saber collided. Li Xingzhi's expression changed drastically. This strength, how is it possible!

The spear pressed down with unstoppable force. A blood-red light shot from the blade, piercing Li Xingzhi's forehead.

Li Xingzhi stared blankly at Lin Le in the distance and said, "A Limit-Breaking Technique?!"

With that, he collapsed.

Lin Le retracted his spear and calmly watched Li Xingzhi die.

Li Xingzhi didn't know that Lin Le had already broken through the Blood Qi Wolf Smoke. With his Five Forms Martial Bone, his strength was no less than someone who had accumulated power in the second limit for a long time. He also didn't know that his White Ape Spear had reached Grand Perfection.

In the Body Refining Realm, Blood Qi generally couldn't leave the body; it could only be channeled into weapons or the body.

However, there was one exception: when a martial skill reached Grand Perfection, achieving the pinnacle of mastery, it could birth a unique move. This move could condense Blood Qi, multiply its lethality, and even allow it to pierce through the body.

Such moves were collectively known as Limit-Breaking Techniques.

Breaking limits meant surpassing the boundaries of a Martial Master, creating possibilities like a first-limit cultivator challenging a second-limit one.

Therefore, Li Xingzhi's defeat was inevitable. His trap was merely an open door in Lin Le's eyes.

With a few swift steps, Lin Le blocked a dark-skinned man. He stared at him expressionlessly. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Just need to relieve myself," the dark-skinned man replied with a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Who put you up to this?" Lin Le asked calmly.

When this man's mother died, he didn't report it to the authorities. He only did so several days later, clearly indicating someone had instigated him from the shadows.

"Old Liu!" the man immediately betrayed his accomplice. "He said that if you were captured, the Village Chief's inheritance and the tiger meat would all be ours."

Lin Le nodded slightly. "I understand. He'll be joining you soon."

As he spoke, in a flash of lightning, Lin Le reached out and crushed the man's neck.

After dealing with the body, Lin Le headed towards Bai Ya Village with his saber.

Soon, a panicked head landed in the fields.

Lin Le coldly looked at Old Liu's corpse. Thinking he could hide in the shadows and be fine? He was too naive.

Ignoring the startled villagers around him, Lin Le continued eastward. This time, he was truly heading east.