Environment Control: Night Rain, Slaughter

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!" A patrol of ten City Guard Army soldiers, holding torches, marched straight down the center of the street, on patrol!

Outside the city, it was the domain of Land Bandits and Water Bandits, requiring each village and settlement to defend itself.

But within the city, the City Guard Army was quite diligent.

However.

Three black figures, clad in specialized 'night-stalker suits,' could easily blend into the darkness. They moved without a sound.

Coupled with the cover of the night rain!

This allowed them to easily evade the patrol of City Guard Army soldiers.

The three continued forward. Rainwater fell on the black clothing that enveloped their bodies, sliding directly to the ground.

Finally, the three arrived at the entrance of the Wu family's street.

"Target!" The tall, thin figure in the lead raised his palms, his hand gestures shifting: "It's in the third-sixth household, in the west wing room."

"The opponent's strength is only that of a Martial Master!"

"However, there's a certain probability of a Hengyun Sect expert providing protection. If we encounter difficulties, retreat immediately!" The tall, thin figure's hand gestures continued to change: "We are only the first wave. This is an assassination, and also a probe."

"At the same time, remember, try not to harm anyone else."

"Understood." The short, stout figure and the muscular figure behind him let out soft chirps, like the sound of raindrops hitting the ground.

All three had undergone special training. They often communicated using hand gestures, and simple, common code words could even mimic bird calls, the sound of rain, or the wind.

They were true assassins!

"Enter!" The tall, thin figure in the lead waved his hand, taking the first step into the Wu family's street. The two behind him lagged three steps behind.

The three entered spaced six steps apart, forming a triangle formation, still utterly silent.

Despite the darkness!

With their strength, they could still easily see things twenty to thirty meters away and roughly determine direction by the 'sound of the wind.'

On the roof of an uninhabited small courtyard in the Wu family's street.

Wu Yuan was sitting there!

Raindrops fell, soaking his clothes, but a faint mist rose around him. He made no sound, completely blending into his surroundings.

Since his physical fitness had rapidly improved to its current limit, and his focus was now on 'nurturing' it, Wu Yuan had stopped 'Strength Training' frantically.

Every day.

Besides cultivating and maintaining his body's perfect state.

The remaining cultivation time was used to ponder combat techniques!

"The foundation is controlling one's own strength, requiring concentration! Extreme Strength is the multiple bursts after the body's bones and muscles are unified! Hard and Soft is the peak of human technique, controlling oneself at will!" Wu Yuan mused: "Mastery of Hard and Soft is the limit of human explosive power."

"Unless the spirit reaches an unimaginable level, perceiving the particles of flesh and blood, and integrating power to a higher plane, it is difficult to surpass further."

"Man has limits, but heaven and earth are boundless!"

Wu Yuan closed his eyes, sensing the falling raindrops, sensing the water flowing along the eaves, listening to the subtle sounds of rain hitting the ground... sensing the boundless darkness!

Everything within a radius of dozens of meters was clear in Wu Yuan's mind.

With his eyes closed, it was pitch black!

But his 'mind's eye' perceived everything clearly.

"A martial artist's life-and-death battle is not just about controlling and unleashing their own power, but also adapting to the environment," Wu Yuan pondered: "Like eagles are kings of the sky, tigers are kings of the jungle, and crocodiles prefer ambushing in shallow water. In their evolutionary journey, they each adapted to a part of their environment."

Once they left their familiar environment, the strength of these beasts would be greatly reduced.

The same principle applied to martial artists.

Some martial artists excelled in open-ground combat, some in mountainous terrain, some in water battles... different environments would either enhance or weaken their strength.

"Top Martial Dao experts do not seek to adapt to a specific environment, but to control any environment."

"Adapt to the situation, turning all disadvantages into personal advantages!"

"This, after mastering Hard and Soft, reaching the human limit, is what martial artists should pursue – Environment Control!" Wu Yuan said silently.

Environment Control!

That is, controlling the environment!

In his previous life, Wu Yuan's peak was at this level. It was with this combat skill that he had overpowered numerous Martial Dao Grandmasters in the 'Infinite Combat Tournament' and taken first place!

He became famous throughout the human Federation.

In this life, with a brand new body, a constantly evolving body, Wu Yuan was re-familiarizing himself while also resolving to re-experience it.

"The Wu family street on this rainy night is different from a clear day," Wu Yuan keenly felt.

The foundation of Environment Control is to actively perceive various different environments and scenes!

Open ground, jungle, desert, shallow water, cliffs, rivers, deep water... Martial Dao cultivation is not about imagining things out of thin air, but about physically experiencing and comprehending them.

The subtle changes in countless environments over the passage of time, while simultaneously altering the external variables of the same environment!

For example.

The same patch of jungle will change differently under various weather conditions such as drizzle, heavy rain, downpour, overcast skies, and clear skies, and will differ greatly across the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

One can only find these changes by personally experiencing, comprehending, and controlling them step by step!

Ultimately.

When one has personally experienced and controlled enough special environments, quantity will lead to a qualitative change, and only then can the commonalities among countless environments be found.

This is what Wu Yuan understood as 'Environment Control Perfection'!

Once this level is reached.

Then, even when trapped in a completely unfamiliar combat environment, one can instantly grasp every minute detail of that unfamiliar environment.

Wu Yuan is currently far from reaching 'Environment Control Perfection'.

"Hmm?" Wu Yuan suddenly sensed something was wrong.

He had not opened his eyes.

But he, who constantly perceived his surroundings, could detect a subtle change in the sound of raindrops falling on the bluestone slabs on the street fifty meters away!

"Three people!"

"Their speed of advance... is very fast! Another forty meters! They are experts!" Wu Yuan could 'see' it all clearly in his mind.

It was only through his full sensory perception that he could be so clear.

"Hoo!" Wu Yuan opened his eyes, and through his senses of the changes in the rain and wind, he instantly pinpointed the location of the three individuals.

"A rainy night, cloaked figures, coming to Wu Family Street? Assassinating me?" Not a ripple of emotion stirred in Wu Yuan's heart.

He stood up.

A mask already covered his face.

At the same time, his body trembled slightly, silently 'shrinking' by ten centimeters.

"Whoosh!" As if weightless, Wu Yuan 'floated' down from the rooftop. During this process, barely any raindrops fell on him.

Environment Control!

It's not just about controlling the environment, but also about not changing or destroying it, preventing the opponent from detecting oneself through subtle environmental changes.

As the three black-clad figures gradually approached Wu Yuan's family courtyard, their speed continuously slowed until they stopped completely ten meters from the main gate.

Suddenly.

"Friends, why have you come visiting so suddenly?" A calm voice echoed from the darkness behind them.

The two at the rear felt their scalps tingle!

Because!

The voice sounded almost right next to their ears, how close was that? And they hadn't noticed it at all while moving at high speed.

Without hesitation.

"Swish!" "Swish!" Two sleeve darts shot out from the sleeves of the short, stout figure and the muscular figure like lightning, striking behind them.

At the same time.

Two streaks of cold light, shimmering with a faint blue hue, sliced through the night sky, each aimed at a different direction in the darkness.

This was because the two assassins were completely unsure of the speaker's exact location.

"Crack!" "Crack!" Two faint sounds rang out simultaneously.

The sounds were very quiet, even more inconspicuous in the rainy night, but the tall, thin figure who had just turned around felt a chill spread through him.

It was the sound of a crushed larynx!

As far as he could see, his two subordinates, who had been alive and kicking moments before, had fallen, their breaths gone, their attacks having missed.

The exchange from engagement to death took only an instant!

But the tall, thin figure had no time to dwell on the two corpses.

"You?" He swallowed hard, his eyes wide as he stared at the black-robed figure, only his eyes visible, just one meter away!

His eyes were filled with terror.

Having been an assassin for many years, he had never encountered such a terrifying expert.

A top-tier expert? Or even an Earth Ranking Grandmaster? At this moment! Wu Yuan's strength in his mind soared infinitely!

One meter was very close!

He could stab with his dagger with a raise of his hand, and the tall, thin figure believed that more than ninety-nine percent of First-class Experts would find it difficult to dodge this attack.

But his limbs were cold, and he didn't dare to move at all!

Because...

The two companions who had attacked him were already dead!

"Answer me, and perhaps you'll live. Don't answer, and you'll surely die!" Wu Yuan, with only his eyes visible, spoke softly. "Remember, I don't have much patience."

"Did you come here to assassinate Wu Yuan?"

The tall, thin figure hesitated for a moment.

"Screech~" A cold glint flashed, and the tall, thin figure felt a sharp pain in his arm, followed by a sense of powerlessness.

The tendons in his right hand were severed!

"Next time, it will be your neck." Wu Yuan's voice held no emotion. "Tell me, did you come here to assassinate Wu Yuan?"

"Yes." The tall, thin figure gritted his teeth and said in a low voice.

"Who ordered you to come?" Wu Yuan asked again.

"No one ordered me. We were just acting on orders," the tall, thin figure said in a low voice.

"Whoosh~" Another cold glint flashed, and the tall, thin figure was filled with terror.

Because the tendons in his left hand had also been severed!

"No one ordered you, yet you were acting on orders? Don't play games with me," Wu Yuan said coldly.

"I am an assassin from Nine Dragon Mountain. I accepted a mission to come and assassinate Wu Yuan!" The tall, thin figure was terrified and said quickly, "But I don't know specifically who gave the mission."

"When was the mission issued?" Wu Yuan asked again.

"I don't know the exact time. According to the usual schedule, it should have been issued yesterday or the day before yesterday." The tall, thin figure was already scared stiff and revealed almost everything.

"Is your organization's base within the city?"

"Yes!"

"Take me there." Wu Yuan's voice was cold.

"Senior, please spare my life. If I take you to the branch, not only will I die, but my entire family will not survive," the tall, thin figure said, full of fear.

Crack~

Wu Yuan's hand had already swept across his neck, instantly crushing his throat bone. At the same time, an invisible force passed through his fingertips, directly disrupting the inside of his brain!

Death!

"I said, I don't have much patience," Wu Yuan muttered to himself.

"Nine Dragon Mountain? What kind of assassin organization is that?" Wu Yuan frowned slightly. He had only heard of Seven Stars Tower and Nine Kill Mansion.

Other assassin organizations? He wasn't sure.

"Get rid of the bodies first." Wu Yuan temporarily put aside the matter of the assassin's identity.

He quickly stacked the three corpses, and then collected the fallen sleeve darts and dropped daggers, ensuring nothing was missed.

He picked up the bodies.

He disappeared like a wisp of smoke into the dark, rainy night.