Knight Temple's Manhunt! A Desperate Situation

After finishing all this, Long Xingyu left without looking back.

Long Xuanye was already a dead man.

Deep in the forest.

When the first ray of sunlight pierced through the layers of branches and leaves, falling onto Long Xuanye's face, he opened his eyes.

He hadn't slept all night.

The unease in his heart grew stronger with the passage of time.

He finally couldn't hold back, leaped from his hiding place, and rushed towards home.

On the forest path, only a rapidly flickering afterimage was left.

"Creak—"

The familiar wooden door was violently pushed open.

The moment he stepped through the doorway, a light screen, visible only to him, popped up before his eyes.

[Choice two completed, reward issued.]

[Innate Inner Spiritual Power: 87→88]

The fleeting relief on Long Xuanye's face froze completely the next second he saw the scene inside.

Home was empty.

The presence of his mother and brother had vanished without a trace.

On the table, leftover bowls and plates were smashed to pieces, with debris scattered everywhere.

The storage box in the corner was violently overturned, its contents ripped to shreds. The few remaining bags of wheat and grain were also spilled on the ground, mixed with the soil, rendering them inedible.

People gone, house empty.

No, this wasn't simply people gone and house empty.

This was... a complete annihilation!

Long Xuanye's gaze swept over the damaged items.

A faint yet domineering aura of power still lingered on them.

This aura was something he knew to his very core.

It was Long Xingyu's!

He understood instantly.

That man had taken his mother and younger brother, then personally destroyed everything here.

Destroyed all the resources he relied on for survival!

A terrifying thought slithered into his mind like a venomous snake.

He remembered the original work of Throne of Seal he had read in his previous life.

Because he believed Long Haochen possessed the Demon God King's bloodline, Long Xingyu had watched as a group of human geniuses entered dangerous territory!

If not for the protagonist's halo, the future of humanity might have been destroyed!

What wouldn't such a madman do?

Now, this butcher's knife was swung at him, Long Xuanye.

A child with low External Spirit Power, no resources, and no means of survival, abandoned alone in this chaotic border town.

This was a death sentence!

Long Xuanye's eyes turned cold.

What a Doomsday and Slaughter Divine Seal Knight!

What a leader of humanity!

Someone like this...

Could he actually be worthy of the Throne of Seal?!

Long Xuanye stumbled back a step, his body hitting the broken doorframe with a dull thud.

A moment later, he slowly straightened his body.

Despair?

No.

He still had a chance!

Fortunately, the system's previous rewards had given him a physique far beyond that of ordinary people, and his External Spirit Power wasn't too low.

To survive...

Should still be no problem.

I can only say, fortunately, I didn't reveal my true strength before...

Just then, a familiar transparent light screen unfolded before his eyes without warning.

[Detected that the Host is in a fatal crisis, the moment of choice begins.]

[Choice 1: Stay put and conceal all your aura. Reward: Innate Inner Spiritual Power +20.]

[Choice 2: Face the enemy head-on and kill the Shadow Leopard left by Long Xingyu. Reward: Knight Secret Skill · Instantaneous Movement Steps, Innate Inner Spiritual Power +2.]

Shadow Leopard?

Long Xuanye's pupils suddenly contracted.

Destroying his home and cutting off his supplies wasn't enough, that man still left him such a "grand gift"!

"Roar--!"

Before the thought could even land, a black shadow carrying a foul stench pounced out from the shadows outside the house like an arrow released from a bow!

It was a devil beast, completely black, its scarlet eyes filled with hunger and ferocity.

Too fast!

Almost the instant the black shadow appeared, Long Xuanye's expression changed, his entire body's muscles tensed, he exerted force in his waist and abdomen, and his body dodged to the side at an incredible angle.

"Screech!"

The sharp claw wind grazed the corner of his clothes, leaving three deep claw marks on the dilapidated wooden door.

The Shadow Leopard missed its attack, landed steadily, let out a threatening whimper from its throat, its scarlet eyes locked onto the "prey" before it.

Looking at this beast, the hatred in Long Xuanye's eyes almost solidified.

This was Long Xingyu's will.

This was that man's determination to kill him!

Kill it!

Kill this beast!

Overwhelming hatred transformed into unprecedented power.

Instead of retreating, Long Xuanye advanced, stomping his foot fiercely, the ground cracked, and he charged towards the Shadow Leopard!

The figures of man and beast instantly crossed within the small wooden house!

Claw shadows, fist winds.

The clash of flesh and claws produced a dull thud.

Finally, when all was settled.

Long Xuanye panted heavily, his right fist covered in blood. Beneath his feet, the Shadow Leopard's head was deeply caved in, utterly lifeless.

[Objective Two complete, rewards have been issued.]

[Acquired Skill: Instantaneous Movement Steps. Can quickly reposition in crisis and unleash burst damage with speed.]

A warm current surged through his limbs, rapidly healing his injuries. The spiritual power consumed within him was not only instantly replenished but even improved slightly.

Long Xuanye looked at the new rewards on the system panel, a wry smile appearing on his face.

The gains were indeed significant.

The Magic Crystal from this Shadow Leopard could be exchanged for much-needed supplies, and the "Instantaneous Movement Steps" skill was a life-saving and counter-killing tool.

He mused, "As expected, real adventures yield good rewards. Accumulating External Spirit Power bit by bit before was truly slow."

But then, he showed a bitter smile.

"But I'm not an idiot. If I could steadily accumulate Inner Spiritual Power and External Spirit Power, who would want to risk adventure? Now, I don't have that option, I can only fight for my life..."

The next day.

The morning mist had yet to dissipate.

Long Xuanye, with a "let's try" mindset, quietly returned to the outskirts of Odin Town.

He wanted to check the Knight Temple's branch, to see if there was still a possibility of continuing his cultivation.

However, as he neared his own dilapidated wooden house, his steps halted.

Not far away, two men in the Knight Temple's standard leather armor were talking in low voices.

Their gazes occasionally swept towards the direction of the destroyed wooden house, their faces showing a hint of impatience.

One of them said, "It's been a whole day, why is there still no movement? Did that kid run off?"

The other scoffed.

"Be patient. Once we find the kid's corpse, we can report back."

Their voices, word for word, reached Long Xuanye's ears.

Long Xuanye's figure quietly vanished into the morning mist.

So, even his funeral arrangements were made.

They were waiting for his corpse.

Good, very good.

The morning mist was cold, seeping through Long Xuanye's thin clothes, but it couldn't match the chill in his heart.

Long Xingyu.

It was Long Xingyu again.

The Knight Temple, which should have been a symbol of protection and justice.

Now, it had become a butcher's knife urging him to his death.

In this world, where was safe?

The last shred of luck was utterly crushed.

Long Xuanye stood behind the tree, motionless for a long time, his body as stiff as a stone sculpture.

The Shadow Leopard's Magic Crystal in his arms now felt burning hot.

Where could he sell it?

Any shop in Odin Town might have eyes from the Knight Temple.

The moment he showed his face, he would be caught in a Net of Heaven and Earth.

The path to Become Stronger seemed to be completely blocked at this moment.

Just as this endless darkness was about to swallow him, a Faint Light lit up before his eyes.

[Detected Host in dire straits, triggering Fate Choice.]

[Option One: Completely conceal your tracks and evade the Knight Temple's search. Reward: Innate Inner Spiritual Power +1, External Spirit Power +3.]

[Option Two: Actively expose your whereabouts and attract the searching knights. Reward: Innate Inner Spiritual Power +20.]