Three Against One

The black shadow arrow instantly pierced through the thick concrete slab.

Boom!

Gravel flew everywhere in the open area ahead as violent energy blasted a charred crater into the ground.

Behind the concrete wall, cold sweat seeped down the back of the Curse User in a star-chart robe.

He stared fixedly at the impact crater less than half a foot from his feet, his throat bobbing hard.

If that arrow had been even slightly closer, it would have blown off his head.

"Kid, your cursed technique is related to shooting accuracy, isn't it?" the Curse User called out loudly as he rapidly moved sideways, staring at the shadows cast by the load-bearing wall.

"To nearly hit me in terrain where you can't even see me, you've got some skill."

At the same time, he pressed a standard earpiece against his ear and spoke quickly in a low voice. "This one's tough. He's an elite from Jujutsu High. Requesting reinforcements!"

There was dead silence in the earpiece for a moment before an icy male voice replied, "Approved. They're already on their way."

There was not a trace of warmth in that voice, only the confidence of someone who had everything under control.

Lu Ping stood on the muddy ground without saying a word.

Against an ordinary Grade 2 Curse User, he had no need to reveal his cursed technique to gain a boost in power.

By keeping his own information hidden, he could still use the information gap to catch his opponent off guard.

Deep within the underground tunnels, another Curse User sat in a dark corner. He was thin and gaunt, with ribbons wrapped around his eyes.

His hands formed an intricate square seal. Though his eyes were tightly shut, the outline of a pale, solitary eye faintly showed through the white ribbons.

This Barrier Technique expert from the Pan Star Religious Group wielded a cursed technique called [Fivefold Eyes].

At that moment, this section of the sewers had already been completely covered by a concealed barrier.

Five [Cursed Eyes], invisible to the naked eye, floated at the top, bottom, left, right, and center of the barrier.

Like cameras without blind spots, these Cursed Eyes turned Lu Ping's every movement—even every adjustment in his breathing rhythm—into a live feed, constantly sharing it with the Curse User fighting with the [Mountain-Piercing Quake] technique.

This was a top-tier support technique, allowing allies within the barrier to gain a full-map view.

However, its weaknesses were equally obvious—the Cursed Eyes could not see beyond the barrier, and the sorcerer himself possessed no offensive ability whatsoever.

He continuously transmitted the images seen through the [Cursed Eyes], linking the vision of the two Curse Users fighting on the front line.

Learning that reinforcements were on the way, the fist-fighting Curse User became far more confident.

He kicked off the slick ground, turning into an afterimage as he circled behind the load-bearing wall beside Lu Ping once more.

Bang!

A dull shockwave passed through the concrete and struck precisely toward Lu Ping's ribs.

Lu Ping rolled nimbly across the ground, the [Piercing Ox Horn Bow] in his hand drawing taut once again.

Twng.

The second shadow arrow roared forth, blasting a large stretch of concrete wall into powder.

However, there was no one behind the wall anymore.

He had missed.

"Still one step too slow." Lu Ping steadied himself, frowning.

Within these tangled tunnels, he could not yet accurately pinpoint his opponent's location.

Yet strangely, whenever he took a step, the opponent's shockwave attacks always precisely blocked his only path forward.

It felt as though a pair of eyes above his head was watching him intently.

"There's a special scouting method, or someone else is hiding nearby and providing vision."

Lu Ping reached a decision.

The Three Corpses within him began to pulse rhythmically, slowly drawing in the leaking cursed energy and strengthening his close-range senses.

He did not linger in battle. Turning, he sprinted toward the plain tunnel he had come through.

The terrain there was simple, making it harder for him to be ambushed by complicated misdirection.

However, the fist-fighting Curse User hiding in the shadows had no idea that his lips were trembling slightly.

Lu Ping's second arrow had still missed, but the violent wind pressure it generated as it swept past had directly scraped a layer of flesh from his shoulder.

"This brat's instincts are getting sharper... If he fires another two arrows, I'm dead for sure!"

A flash of terror crossed the Curse User's eyes as he hurriedly followed close behind.

Lu Ping raced through the dim tunnel, and the exit ahead was already faintly visible.

Suddenly.

Riiip.

An icy black shadow tore through the air without warning.

Rumble—

Another dull boom rang out.

The ceiling of the underground tunnel ahead suddenly collapsed violently.

Tons of concrete crashed down like a torrential downpour, kicking up clouds of dust and sealing off Lu Ping's only retreat.

Before the dust had settled, a burly figure slowly emerged from behind the collapsed ruins.

The newcomer carried a pitch-black scythe formed from pure shadows, emanating a chilling gleam.

"Pan Star Religious Group, Grade 2 Curse User." The man spoke calmly, expressionlessly looking at Lu Ping as he introduced himself. "My cursed technique is [Shadow Scythe]. It can turn shadows within a ten-meter radius into scythes that cut flesh."

As soon as he finished speaking, cursed energy surged from his body like boiling black water.

He gave Lu Ping no chance to catch his breath. His body shifted as his arm swung, and the enormous black shadow scythe tore through the air, hurtling toward Lu Ping's neck with a shrill howl.

Tap, tap, tap.

Dense footsteps approached from behind as the fist-fighting Curse User caught up as well.

Looking at the blocked tunnel, the flesh on his face twisted violently as he burst into laughter.

"Kid, we've destroyed your way out! This sewer is your coffin today. Just lie down and die!"

Facing the pincer attack of two Grade 2 Curse Users, Lu Ping's expression remained calm.

A cold wind howled through the depths of the tunnel, stirring the tips of his hair.

This apparent "dead end" instead made his mind incomparably clear.

The enemy's tactical arrangement perfectly matched his deductions.

Leveraging his tall frame and long reach, the Curse User raised the Shadow Scythe high and came slashing through the air.

Rather than retreating, Lu Ping advanced. His body tilted eerily to the left, brushing past the edge of the black scythe.

At the instant their bodies crossed, Lu Ping seemingly carelessly stepped half a pace forward with his right foot, but he precisely stepped onto the scythe-wielding Curse User's elongated shadow.

Snap.

An extremely faint, crisp sound.

A thread of Lu Ping's shadow cursed energy silently branded itself into the other man's shadow like a parasite clinging to bone.

Using the momentum, Lu Ping leaped backward and landed steadily in the sewage.

He coldly watched the two enemies closing in, sensing the fluctuations of cursed energy coming from afar. The corner of his mouth suddenly curved upward.

He had not expected that, in just two short days, he had already grown strong enough to fight three Grade 2 Curse Users at once.

"The shockwave fist handles the frontal assault, while the shadow scythe restrains me from the side and blocks my escape route."

Lu Ping slowly twisted his neck. "Two against one? No. Three against one."

His quiet voice echoed through the empty sewers.

"And there's the one hiding in the rear, feeding you information. Your lineup is rather complete."

The two Curse Users attacking him exchanged glances, and both saw confusion and disbelief in each other's eyes.

How had a lone Grade 2 Jujutsu Sorcerer deduced so much information from barely more than ten minutes of continuous attacks?