Fighting a Breath-Connecting Realm Expert

Xiao Chongyang had long since heard about Lin Xuan and several other young men from the Garrison hunting down a black bear. That only made him more interested in Lin Xuan's flesh.

He felt that he had been stuck at the Breath-Connecting Realm for a long time, with no progress to show for it. Perhaps this was the limit of his talent.

Going by the old saying that you should eat what you want to be strong in, he instinctively felt that eating Lin Xuan would revive his martial arts talent and help him reach new heights.

But Lin Xuan had spent nearly the whole month hiding at home and eating black bear meat, never showing his face. Xiao Chongyang had no chance to get at him.

Now Lin Xuan had come out to buy a new bow, arrows, and weapons, then gone hunting alone. He had handed them the perfect opportunity.

Xiao Chongyang had chosen to go alone because it would be easier to hide, and after killing Lin Xuan, he would not have to do much to cover his tracks. Lin Xuan hadn't reported the matter to the authorities, so nobody knew who was responsible.

There were so many bandit lairs around here. Who would suspect him? Even if Lin Xuan had powerful backing, there'd be no way for them to retaliate.

If he had brought more people, that would only leave more traces. More witnesses meant a greater risk of being exposed.

By now, evening had fallen, and the sun was setting.

Lin Xuan appeared to stroll leisurely down the road, but in truth, he was already prepared for battle.

He could still sense someone following him, watching his every move.

He took the bow and arrows off his back, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the wheat field beside the road, as if he were targeting a beast lurking among the stalks. In reality, he was watching his pursuer out of the corner of his eye.

"Whoosh!" Lin Xuan turned and fired at the man who had been tracking him all this way.

The shot came like thunder, catching his target completely off guard.

It was already late, and Lin Xuan couldn't tell whether his arrow had struck home. All he heard was a cry of pain from where he'd fired.

Then the figure limped off in some direction.

Lin Xuan capped his quiver and rushed after him at full speed.

As he pursued the man, he fired arrows at him as well. He didn't know whether they hit, but the man's pace grew slower and slower.

Lin Xuan fired a whistling arrow into the sky.

Its sound streaked upward like a firecracker. Lin An, who had been waiting on his orders, sprang up when she heard it, grabbed her saber and bow, and raced toward him.

After chasing for a while, Lin Xuan deactivated his Talent, [Sharp Eyes].

It was already late, and the talent's nighttime-vision penalty was so severe that he could barely make out the details around him. He had eaten bear heart earlier, which had improved his eyesight, but it had done little to offset [Sharp Eyes]'s drawback.

Lin Xuan saw the man about to flee into the woods. Though he was close behind, he suddenly realized the man was doing it on purpose, deliberately leading him into the forest.

He immediately understood: the man hadn't been injured at all. That cry of pain had been fake, meant to draw him farther from the residential area.

So the man had come prepared!

Lin Xuan felt a deep sense of foreboding. They were still on the plains, but the man was fleeing toward the woods. If there were people lying in ambush inside, Lin Xuan would be in grave danger.

So he changed tactics and sprinted toward open ground, foiling the man's ambush.

The man let out a surprised cry. Clearly, he hadn't expected Lin Xuan to suddenly stop chasing him.

"Figured out my plan? Doesn't matter." From who knew where, he produced a bow and arrows and shot at Lin Xuan.

An arrow flew toward him.

Lin Xuan wasn't just stronger now; his whole body had grown more powerful, including his reflexes. Snatching the arrow out of the air was as easy as a hawk grabbing a chick. It had no chance of hurting him.

The man then drew his saber and charged. He ran much faster than he had when Lin Xuan was chasing him.

Lin Xuan drew his own saber. This brand-new, finely forged Goose-Quill Saber had only just been sharpened and had yet to taste blood.

"Clang!" Their sabers collided, throwing off a bright spark that lasted only an instant in the darkness.

The blow left Lin Xuan's thumb and forefinger numb with pain. He immediately realized the man was stronger than him! Centurion Qin had judged Lin Xuan to be at the mid-stage of Bone Binding. This man was either at the peak of Bone Binding or already in the Breath-Connecting Realm; otherwise, he wouldn't be so difficult to handle.

Although martial artists at the Bone Binding and Breath-Connecting Realms had astonishing physical strength, they could still be wounded by cold weapons. They were simply quicker to react and harder to hit.

Without hesitation, Lin Xuan pulled a wire with his fingers, and the Sleeve Arrow's trigger clicked. The sinister arrow shot from his wrist straight toward the man's face.

Xiao Chongyang laughed. His reflexes were lightning-fast. He performed a perfect bridge—bracing himself on his legs, then arching his waist and upper body backward—to dodge the Sleeve Arrow.

Almost in the blink of an eye, he planted one hand on the ground, lifted both feet, and sprang back to his feet.

Lin Xuan pressed his advantage, raised the Goose-Quill Saber in both hands, and swung at the man's neck.

But Xiao Chongyang held his saber in his left hand. With another clang, his blade met Lin Xuan's once more.

This strike wasn't nearly as powerful. Xiao Chongyang barely managed to block it, putting little pressure on Lin Xuan. Lin Xuan eased back, planted his feet, and slashed at him again.

Xiao Chongyang had found his footing by now and could handle Lin Xuan with ease. He slashed diagonally, and their sabers clashed once more, sending sparks flying for the third time.

This time, Lin Xuan's hand throbbed from the impact. If the man landed a few more blows like that, Lin Xuan would fall behind and soon be killed.

Though they had exchanged many blows, very little time had passed. It had all happened in the space of just a few breaths.

At that moment, Lin An arrived. She raised her Sleeve Arrow and fired at Xiao Chongyang.

Her footsteps were silent. Approaching from Xiao Chongyang's flank, she moved like a ghost. The sudden shot startled him, but his Breath-Connecting Realm cultivation wasn't for show. He dodged the arrow all the same.

Lin Xuan was aghast. He hadn't realized the gap between them was so vast. At this rate, both of them would surely die at the man's hands.

Lin Xuan didn't turn around. Keeping his eyes on Xiao Chongyang, he instructed Lin An, "Don't get close. Stay back and shoot him."

At Lin An's level, if she got close, the man could kill her with a single blow. She had to keep her distance.

Xiao Chongyang snorted and charged toward Lin An, saber raised. He knew she was weaker, so he wanted to deal with her first and avoid being surrounded.

Lin Xuan gave a cold smile. He never went into battle unprepared. Before setting out, he had already planned for the worst and assumed that the person attacking him would be a Breath-Connecting Realm martial artist.

He had also chosen to come out during the You hour for a reason.

His countermeasure was actually very simple: blind the Breath-Connecting Realm martial artist.

In the blink of an eye, Lin Xuan opened the Book of Fate.

Grant Talent [Sharp Eyes]?

[Yes]