Sudden Onset

As night fell and the moon rose, the dark canopy of trees at the foot of the mountain covered everything in shadow. A faint path led upwards, lined with thorny bushes. On the platform halfway up, only a few giant pine trees swayed gently in the night breeze, the ground sparsely covered with grass and exposed rock.

Military Advisor Ji had been observing Li Yan. After Li Yan picked up the overturned water pouch, he noticed something different. The color of the rock beside Li Yan was slightly darker than the surrounding area under the moonlight. The water stain deepening the color wasn't unusual, since that area had been wet by the spilled water.

However, just as Military Advisor Ji was about to look away, a flicker of unease made him refocus his gaze. He concentrated, pouring spiritual power into his eyes, allowing him to see as clearly as day under the moonlight. He noticed a faint glimmer, a reflection caused by water clinging to something. But the distance was too great, and his current magical power wasn't enough to make it out clearly. He then looked down at the foot and middle of the mountain, calculating in his mind. There were no large trees going up the mountain from the base; mostly just thorny bushes creeping upwards. These low plants mostly grew horizontally from their roots, close to the ground, with intertwined branches, making it extremely difficult to hide among them unnoticed. However, there were still a few taller trees near the base of the mountain.

He then descended from the giant tree canopy, as nimble as a squirrel, quickly reaching the base. With a few more leaps, he was under the trees at the foot of the mountain, choosing the tree with the best view of Li Yan, and lightly and gracefully climbed up again.

Li Yan sat on a rock, leaning against a pine tree with his eyes closed, seemingly dozing. In reality, he had maximized his spiritual power, listening intently to the sounds around him.

He had been here for over two days. Just now, he suddenly felt as if he was being watched. Although he hadn't heard any sound or seen any person or animal, in that brief moment, the natural balance of the world, which he had begun to familiarize himself with, was suddenly torn apart.

Is it him? It's a pity the Gui Water True Scripture is only at the peak of the first layer. If I could break through to the second layer, I could release Divine Sense, which would greatly increase my chances of survival.

Through these months of hard training in the Gui Water True Scripture, his magical power had grown rapidly, and he had begun to familiarize himself with many of the Immortal Technique's functions. Because this Immortal Technique cultivates the Five Elements and generates each other, his magical power was much higher than that of other cultivators of the same level. For example, ordinary cultivators could only release Divine Sense at the third level of the Qi Condensation Stage, while the Gui Water True Scripture allowed it upon breaking through to the second level of the Qi Condensation Stage.

I can confirm it wasn't Hong Linying. I've given him the Qi Guidance Art as the first layer of the Wood Yin Skill. Those incantations are genuine, and he won't be able to find any problems with them in a short time. However, he also has no Spirit Root, so he can't cultivate any senses. But as long as he feels the 'secret manual' isn't fake, he should be able to see its extraordinary nature. With his martial arts obsession, he should come and fight for the subsequent techniques. So the strange feeling just now is very likely that Ji Wenhe has found this place. Although it was only a momentary feeling, I can basically determine it. Now that Ji Wenhe has chased after me here, but Hong

Linying hasn't arrived yet. Am I going to have to face this alone?

Military Advisor Ji returned to the treetop. Although this tree only grew at the foot of the mountain and wasn't as tall as the tree he had previously hidden in, he could still barely see the platform, and the view was much closer.

After a while, Military Advisor Ji couldn't help but reveal a hint of mockery on his dark face. "So it's a Strong Crossbow. Hong Linying actually gave him this thing. How truly vicious. If one isn't careful, it could be a big problem."

The "Strong Crossbow" had a string woven from several ordinary monster tendons, and was equipped with a crossbow box containing seven strong bolts. The shooting power was five or six times that of ordinary bows and arrows, and two or three times that of ordinary crossbows. It usually took three to four people to draw it, but that was too impractical. After continuous improvement by skilled craftsmen in the army, it could be operated by a master of internal energy alone. But even then, a second-rate martial artist could only fire about three bolts in a row. So, after further improvements, a groove was added to the crossbow to accommodate the forefoot of an adult, allowing the leg muscles to trigger the crossbow mechanism. Ordinary adults could also fire a bolt, hence it was also called a "Strong Foot Crossbow".

This kind of portable weapon with great killing power could be fatal even to cultivators. Ordinary cultivators before Foundation Establishment, apart from their magical power and some Immortal Techniques, were only slightly stronger than ordinary people in terms of physical toughness. If they were hit by such a deadly weapon, they would also die. But if they had advance warning, it would be a different story.

There was also a type of cultivator known as body refiners. Even in the Qi Condensation Stage, their physical toughness was far superior to ordinary people, the specific hardness depending on the body refining technique they cultivated.

Military Advisor Ji carefully observed that small area. The "Strong Foot Crossbow" was hidden in the gap between the huge rock and the ground. Perhaps the gap wasn't very big, and it was also for quick removal without revealing intentions, so only a small part of the bowstring was exposed. Li Yan accidentally knocked over the water pouch, and some water droplets landed on the bowstring. If he hadn't noticed that glimmer of light reflected by the water on the string, he would have been tricked. He felt a surge of hatred for Hong Linying, actually giving such a deadly weapon to Li Yan.

Looking at the low thorny bushes extending up the mountain from the base, Military Advisor Ji frowned. He was about two hundred feet away from the platform on the mountainside. If he could sneak another hundred feet, he was absolutely confident that he could reach Li Yan before he could react.

However, his brows soon relaxed. This wasn't a problem at all. Now that he had found Li Yan, all that was left was to wait, to wait for an opportunity.

This opportunity, to put it bluntly, was to wait for Li Yan to get tired. Even a cultivator at the third level of the Qi Condensation Stage like himself couldn't replace sleep with meditation, let alone someone at the early first level of the Qi Condensation Stage.

Li Yan sat on the rock, the night in the valley growing darker, the moonlight overhead growing cooler, and waves of drowsiness washed over him. He slowly relaxed his body, leaned against the pine tree, and his eyes involuntarily closed.

Military Advisor Ji lay on the tree, watching Li Yan intently. It was now midnight. Seeing Li Yan slowly close his eyes, he also began to slowly close his eyes, slowly adjusting the spiritual power in his body. The high tension of the past two nights, coupled with constant running, made even a cultivator like him very tired.

Now that he was sure Li Yan had fallen asleep, he began to adjust his breath and gather momentum, also allowing Li Yan to enter a deeper sleep.

Half an hour later, Military Advisor Ji slowly opened his eyes. After watching Li Yan for a while, his figure flashed and disappeared from the tree. Then, on the way up the mountain, his figure flashed again and disappeared. The next moment, he reappeared in the distance, only occasionally causing the thorny branches on the path to sway slightly.

Looking at the increasingly close platform on the mountainside, Military Advisor Ji's heart was as still as water. Li Yan became clearer and clearer in his eyes. He silently calculated in his mind that in another two breaths, he could reach Li Yan. Looking at Li Yan sleeping peacefully against the tree, he suddenly felt a sense of unease for no reason. "How can someone sleep so peacefully in this valley?" Even if this place had fewer monsters for some reason, as he got closer and saw Li Yan's sleeping posture more clearly, the ominous feeling in his heart grew stronger. Therefore, spiritual power surged into his legs, and he no longer concealed his figure.

Just as Military Advisor Ji made his decision, Li Yan, who was leaning against the tree, suddenly opened his eyes. A decisive look flashed in his bloodshot eyes. He lowered his body, extending a hand and a foot under the rock. In the next moment, he only needed to grab, equip, and release.

Military Advisor Ji's figure was still in mid-air when he saw Li Yan suddenly open his eyes. He secretly cried "bad," but he had already made a judgment in a flash of lightning. His figure folded and pounced towards the "Strong Foot Crossbow".

What took so long to describe actually happened in a breath. Li Yan's hand had just touched the bowstring, ready to grab it and pull it out, when Military Advisor Ji, with his Black Robe fluttering, rushed ahead. He bent his fingers into claws with both hands, one hand grabbing towards Li Yan's outstretched wrist, and the other hand violently grabbing towards the bowstring in the crack.

Li Yan was shocked. How could he dare to grab the "Strong Foot Crossbow"? He quickly retracted his arm, kicked off the ground with his toes, and rolled away in a panic.

Military Advisor Ji's hand grabbed empty air. This was because he was trying to grab two things at the same time, and was limited by the reach of his arms. At this time, his other hand had already grabbed the bowstring in the gap between the rock and the ground. His body had also landed with exhaustion. He immediately pulled outwards, touched the ground with his toes, and was about to take the crossbow and leap into the air again to capture Li Yan.

Li Yan had already rolled away from the rock surface and hadn't yet stood up. Military Advisor Ji could reach him with just one leap.

However, at this moment, Military Advisor Ji suddenly felt a tightness in his feet, and a great force lifted him head over heels. In just an instant, he was in the air. Then, with a loud "crack," his speed suddenly increased, and his entire body rapidly fell towards the cliff behind the pine tree, like a meteor falling to the ground.

This sudden change shocked Military Advisor Ji.

In a hurry, he only felt his head dizzy and the wind whistling in his ears. His body fell rapidly towards the cliff like a meteor. In just one or two breaths, he had fallen seven or eight feet.

What a Military Advisor Ji! After regaining his composure, he flicked his finger, and an arc-shaped wind blade flew towards his feet. Then, his feet felt lighter, and the downward momentum slowed. He seized the opportunity, and his other hand grabbed the cliff wall like lightning. With a muffled sound of "puff," he actually embedded his five fingers deeply into the hard granite cliff wall. Then, he exerted force with his five fingers, and his body was lifted up again. His toes tapped on a protruding part of the cliff wall, and his body was pulled up more than a foot higher. Then, he clicked his feet in several places in succession, and he had returned to the top of the cliff.

At this time, he faintly heard the sound of heavy objects falling to the bottom of the valley, suggesting that the cliff was no less than a hundred feet high. As soon as Military Advisor Ji reached the cliff top, he saw a figure darting down the mountain. It turned out that Li Yan had just stretched his head to look down the cliff and saw that Military Advisor Ji had only fallen seven or eight feet before using Immortal Technique to cut off the boulder under his feet and fly back up on his own. He immediately felt bad.

Seeing this, Military Advisor Ji shouted, "Evil disciple, where are you going!" He was already very angry, and a strong murderous intent arose in his heart. He had actually fallen for this kid's trick. If he hadn't possessed Immortal Technique, he would have been buried under the cliff. Even now, he didn't know how he had fallen for that kid's plan.

This angry shout shook the forest valley, and flocks of birds flew out of the forest. Li Yan, hearing this, was in a great hurry. He plunged into the thorny bushes on the side of the downhill path, not caring about the thorns cutting his body, and stumbled and rolled out diagonally.

Seeing this, Military Advisor Ji snorted again and pounced out into the air. But Li Yan was also rolling desperately, and his downhill speed was really much faster. After a few ups and downs, Military Advisor Ji didn't intercept him. After a few more breaths, he was almost at the foot of the mountain. But Military Advisor Ji had barely caught up behind Li Yan. Seeing Li Yan, dressed in tattered Black Robe, forcibly stop his rolling momentum and get up in a stumble, he disappeared into the trees. Military Advisor Ji, in mid-air, flashed a murderous intent in his eyes, flicked his finger again, and a blue arc of wind blade slashed towards Li Yan's legs. He was going to cut off Li Yan's legs.

Li Yan filled his whole body with spiritual power. Although he had suffered many injuries along the way, they were all superficial wounds. His internal organs were protected by spiritual power and were not injured at all. Just as he stood up and was about to disappear into the forest, he suddenly sensed a sharp force shooting towards his legs. His heart suddenly raised an alarm. He poured spiritual power into his legs and forcibly twisted his figure, forcibly changing direction. This sudden wrong force and twisting caused a burst of stuffiness in his internal organs, almost causing him to faint. Then, he felt a sharp pain in his legs. Looking down, a blue light blade had flashed past his thigh, taking away a piece of flesh. It turned out that although his reaction was fast, his magical power, martial arts, and fighting experience were far behind the experienced Military Advisor Ji, not to mention that Military Advisor Ji was using Immortal Technique to attack. Therefore, although he didn't completely cut off his thigh, he still took away a large piece of flesh from his leg.

Li Yan groaned, his legs giving way, and he fell down. Seeing this, Military Advisor Ji smiled sinisterly and stepped forward.