Trackers

"Two?" Ailongtan paused slightly, then asked curiously, "Who are they?"

"One is my brother..." Ling Xin said, "I've lived under his protection since I was little. Outsiders think we are both geniuses of the Ling Family, but only I know how terrifying my brother's talent is. The reason he broke through and entered the sect at about the same age as me was actually so that he could devote more energy to taking care of me when I was still young... If he had been given the best conditions and could cultivate without distractions, his achievements would definitely be even greater than they are now!"

Is he even better than the Number One Under Ascension?

Upon hearing Ailongtan's account, Luo Jun was slightly startled. He had never met Ling Yao Luo Jun, but he was already tired of hearing about him...

To achieve something higher than this title, it could only be taking that final step...

Just as Luo Jun was deep in thought, Ailongtan continued, "What about the other one?"

"The other one... is naturally Ye, who is currently riding high." Ling Xin shook her head and said, "I've only met him twice, but I can sense that in the short few months between those two meetings, his strength has improved considerably."

Progress? Luo Jun was slightly taken aback. This time was one thing, but the last time he met Ling Xin as Ye was in the Outstanding Trial Arena. At that time, both of them had been stripped of all enhancements and could only fight relying on their Innate Potential talents. Normally, Ling Xin wouldn't have been able to see his full strength then, so how could she judge whether he had improved?

"I heard you were rescued by Ye last time?" At Luo Jun's instigation, Ailongtan asked, "Was he not as strong back then as he is now?"

"At that time, we were all drained of our vitality by Mysterious Power... but I witnessed his figure challenging the monster." Ling Xin answered honestly, "Although I couldn't see through his level at that time, I could tell that he should be a Martial Combat Faction, and comparing the two times, his internal energy should have been greatly strengthened in the past few months."

"You can tell that?" Ailongtan asked in surprise. "Is there some trick to it?"

"Because of habit," Ling Xin replied. "Once a fighting habit is formed, it's very difficult to change it easily. Although Ye was without energy a few months ago, judging from his fighting habits, he was clearly the type who excelled in close combat."

"Then how do we determine if his Protective Qi Enhancement?" Ailongtan continued to press.

"It's still about fighting habits," Ling Xin explained. "Even though they're both Martial Combat Faction, the Protective Qi Strength differs, and so do their fighting styles. In most cases, Martial Combat Faction engage in close-quarters combat, trying to get as close to the enemy as possible, and their techniques are derived from ordinary people's fighting skills."

"However, once one's cultivation reaches a certain level, the Qi no longer clings tightly to the body surface, increasing the attack range, and some of one's combat habits will also change accordingly."

"I compared some details of his movements in these two nights, and I can see that he was quite used to close-quarters combat before, but this time, when fighting the enemy, he has almost abandoned the fighting habits of ordinary people!"

"Even First-class Expert Martial Combat Faction masters would find it difficult to achieve this. Either Ye switched factions in the past few months and acquired a skill that excels in close-to-mid-range combat, or his internal energy has undergone a terrifying enhancement, allowing for an extremely wide coverage area."

After listening to Ling Xin's explanation, Luo Jun thought about it for a moment.

That makes sense, but he doesn't completely agree.

His internal energy had indeed undergone a qualitative leap, after all, it was a transformation from nothing to something. However, the change in his fighting habits was not entirely due to his internal energy.

Although his Qi range is extremely large, his Gathering Origin Protective Qi compresses the massive amount of "fluffy" Qi to the extreme, turning it into hard armor that adheres to the surface of his body. Unless he uses attacks that extend Qi, in daily combat, the range of his Qi is not much different from that of ordinary Martial Combat Faction.

Why did his fighting habits become so drastically different?

Because of the Saint's Remains!

This thing is not a normal being. Although it has a human appearance, its moves, habits, and even the ability to stretch and deform its body to a certain extent are not things that ordinary people can possess. Luo Jun sparred with this thing for two days, during which he faced life and death dozens of times. Naturally, he gradually grew in the battle and changed many of his habits when facing ordinary people and Cultivators.

It could be said that Ling Xin's conclusion was not bad; it was a lucky accident.

"Even so, only these two guys are more talented than you right now," Ailongtan said with a smile. "You're still the top genius of the younger generation."

"It's different." Ling Xin shook her head. "Chimpanzees are second only to humans in intelligence, so what's the use?"

"Um... calling us chimpanzees is a bit much..." Ailongtan frowned. "If you consider us all chimpanzees, then what are we? Paramecia?"

"No need to assume this applies to you..." Ling Xin shook her head. "You've only been looking and not buying along the way, are you preparing for the Treasure Appraisal Conference?"

"I'd like to buy it, but I don't have the money," Ailongtan shrugged.

"You completed this Tier B Mission on your own, so your evaluation is almost perfect, isn't it?" Ling Xin said with a smile. "Besides, the dean, professors, Old Yuan all took good care of you. It would be strange if you didn't have something to offer."

"Whether they have the goods or not, what I'm mainly curious about is the process of that Treasure Appraisal Conference," Luo Jun asked through Ailongtan. "What kind of auction will we use?"

"I haven't participated in any myself." Ling Xin shook her head. "The Treasure Appraisal Conference is held irregularly, sometimes a few times a year, sometimes not even once every few years. I've never been to one, but I heard it's a barter system. There's no use worrying about it now; we'll find out when the time comes."

At the entrance to the black market, three masked individuals confronted Anhao and entered smoothly.

"You actually have connections to the Ningdong Black Market?" one of the short, stout men asked. It was Blood Caltrop's voice. "I've heard about it before. The Ningdong Black Market is one of the major black markets in Zhendan. But Ningdong is, after all, the location of 'The Gate,' and the Yuan Cultivation Society invested a lot of resources here. We've never dared to get involved."

"You're all wanted by the authorities..." the tall, thin one of the three chuckled. "I lived in Ningdong for a while and got some credentials."

"How can you be so sure that kid named Luo Jun will definitely come here?" asked the strongest of the three. Judging from his voice, he was none other than the Mountain Shaking Ghost, who was ranked fifth on the wanted list.

"I can't be 100% sure." The tall, thin man shook his head. "But since that kid is hiding his strength, it means he doesn't completely trust the authorities. He certainly wouldn't trade high-grade magical artifacts openly, so he's most likely a regular on the black market."

"Especially this time, with his abilities, he should be able to complete a Tier B Mission on his own without any surprises, and he'll likely get an Epic-quality item. Plus, there's Treasure Appraisal Conference today, so he probably won't miss this opportunity."

"Treasure Appraisal Conference, huh..." Blood Caltrop rubbed his hands together, eager for a go. "There must be a lot of treasures here. If we loot this place clean, wouldn't we make a fortune?"

"Don't be foolish!" the tall, thin man pointed directly, "The Zheng Yuanqiang behind such a large black market is definitely not simple... Everyone says he's probably at his Peak, but in my opinion, without Peak strength, he wouldn't have the confidence to put on such a grand show right under the noses of the authorities!" "I know..." Blood Caltrop's gaze swept over the surrounding stalls, "It's just that seeing so many treasures makes my hands itch."

"Don't worry, that kid Luo Jun has plenty of treasures on him," the tall, thin man sneered. "Although Violence is theoretically prohibited in the black market, as long as you bypass the guards and informants, killing someone without anyone noticing isn't a big problem."

"Let's make it clear beforehand: I'm providing the Lockpick. Of the treasures that come out of them, regardless of their rarity, I'll take one first, and the rest you can split equally."

"Don't worry, even though we're wanted criminals, we still follow the rules," said the Mountain Shaking Ghost. "But I'm a little curious, why are you so determined to kill this kid?"

"Well..." The Yin Cold Man hesitated for a moment. At that moment, Blood Caltrop's eyes suddenly lit up, and he pointed in a direction, saying, "Look, that's the kid!"

The two looked in the direction they were looking and saw a young man and woman chatting in front of a stall.

"That's him!" the tall, thin man said, frowning. "He looks exactly like the person in the photo."

"That's Luo Jun?" The Mountain Shaking Ghost hadn't seen him before. "He looks quite ordinary... but the woman next to him has a refined and pure aura, hidden yet powerful—she's a master!"

"What do we do now?" Blood Caltrop licked his lips.

"Let's keep up. With so many people, we'll have a chance to make our move." As he spoke, the tall, thin man raised his hand, a silver needle between his fingers, its tip glowing Green Light, clearly poisoned.

And so, the three of them followed Ling Xin and Ailongtan, appearing to be casually strolling around, but actually keeping a close eye on their every move.

The error-free version can be read at 69 Book Bar! 6=9+shuba is the first site to publish this novel.

It has to be said that the Wanted List ten wanted individuals are quite capable. Blood Caltrop and Mountain Shaking Ghost have accumulated rich counter-surveillance experience over the years under the pursuit of the Yuan Cultivation Society. That tall, thin man is no ordinary person either; his ability to conceal his aura is remarkable. The three of them were hanging there at a distance, under the cover of many passersby, and even someone as perceptive as Ling Xin did not notice anything.

Unfortunately, they attracted the attention of another person.

That's often how things are; people with the same goals tend to behave in similar ways.

Ling Xin and Ailongtan were both highly skilled, and while they were tailing each other, they also had to avoid being discovered. Even though the black market was full of stalls and crowds, there were only a few truly suitable points of contact to follow them.

The three sometimes separated and sometimes acted together, their attention focused on the couple, completely unaware of a figure that always seemed to appear unintentionally nearby.

What are these Masked Man doing? Luo Jun looked at the three men, who appeared nonchalant on the surface but were actually acting suspiciously, with a puzzled expression.

Judging from the looks of it, he seems to be following Ailongtan and Ling Xin as well... Ailongtan is wearing my face; an ordinary student shouldn't be someone to be followed. Could it be that he's planning to do something to Ling Xin?

What audacity! Daring to provoke the Golden Edge Witch? Are you out of your mind?

Luo Jun sighed inwardly, then suddenly noticed that the tall, thin one had suddenly raised his hand, seized the opportunity, and swung it at Ailongtan!

A tiny silver needle, as thin as a hair, flashed past and struck Ailongtan squarely on the back of the neck!

Although Ailongtan wasn't Martial Combat Faction and had some basic protective qi around him, the incredibly thin silver needle seemed to encounter no resistance at all, easily piercing through and dissolving into his flesh along with his blood...

"Um?"

Ailongtan felt an itch on the back of his neck, reached out to scratch it, but found nothing. Just as he was wondering about it, a wave of drowsiness suddenly washed over him, and he couldn't help but close his eyes.

He'd been hit! He instinctively wanted to call for help, but found he could barely control his body, unable to even open his mouth or blink. Although his consciousness was becoming increasingly Blur, there was no outward sign of anything wrong, and even Ling Xin beside him hadn't noticed anything amiss!

In the last moment before his consciousness was about to slip into sleep, Ailongtan communicated with Luo Jun.

"Master, I... have lost consciousness..."

This was the last bit of information he could transmit.

They came for me?

Upon hearing Ailongtan's message, Luo Jun, who had witnessed everything, was horrified. No matter how he called out to Ailongtan, he received no response. Then he saw Ailongtan tell Ling Xin that he had something to do and leave for a while, and then walk towards a less crowded area. The three people followed him silently.

Luo Jun frowned slightly, activated his Assassin's Cloak to conceal himself, and followed.

Soon, Ailongtan arrived at a corner, which in reality corresponds to the back of a factory building. It was a remote location where no one set up stalls.

Soon, the three wanted criminals arrived. The tall, thin, and sinister-looking man approached and asked Ailongtan, "Your name is Luo Jun, right?"

When faced with this question, Ailongtan did not answer immediately, but hesitated for a second.

To an outsider, it might just seem like he was a step slow in reacting, but Luo Jun had a different feeling.

Upon hearing this question, Ailongtan hesitated for a moment.

As for the reason for the struggle, only Luo Jun could sense it. Under the influence of that strange drug, Ailongtan could only instinctively answer the truth. However, because of his loyalty to Luo Jun, and because he had been impersonating Luo Jun for so long, Ailongtan was subconsciously struggling and locked in a stalemate with the effects of the drug when he answered.

What's even more interesting is that, in that moment of struggle, Luo Jun suddenly felt that he seemed to be able to Ailongtan's consciousness to some extent!

Because of the mind-linking function of the Dominator's Necklace, Luo Jun, as the Master, could influence Ailongtan's mind to a certain extent. However, when Ailongtan's Main Consciousness was active, this subtle influence was completely masked. But now, with Ailongtan's Main Consciousness dormant due to the drugs, Luo Jun's influence has suddenly come to the forefront.

Of course, the silver needles used by the tall, thin man should also be high-grade magical artifacts. If it were just an ordinary Master, it would be difficult to resist the effects of the medicine with a weak influence. But the problem is that after being strengthened by the dice and tempered by the ninth level of the Body Refinement Realm, Luo Jun's Mental Power has far surpassed that of ordinary Cultivators, and this influence has been amplified infinitely!

Luo Jun tried to mobilize his Mental Power and almost instantly found the knack. After a brief period of adaptation, he finally manipulated Ailongtan's mouth to answer the question.

"I am!"

(End of this chapter)