Chapter 1677: Chapter 1979: Jungle Pursuit (Part 2)
The absence of firelight coupled with the night meant that the dense foliage blocked the moonlight, making it very difficult for Ling Chen to distinguish things in the undergrowth. He could only vaguely make out a black shape and couldn’t tell if it was a bush or a person.
After some thought, Ling Chen turned his head and gestured to Du Kang nearby. The latter understood and immediately led Su Mei and a group of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion disciples to quietly retreat.
However, Du Kang and the others hadn’t withdrawn very far when sudden cries of agony came from the front of the group. Hearing the sounds, Ling Chen’s expression changed instantly. Damn! The enemy has already flanked them. At this moment, the porridge girl who was beside Ling Chen reacted quickly and rushed towards Du Kang’s position.
"Careful, enemy attack!" Song Ge’s shout came, and Ling Chen hesitated for a moment, just about to help the porridge girl deal with the attackers behind. But before he could make his way over, a strong sense of danger suddenly hit him from behind.
Without time to think, Ling Chen spun around and threw a punch forward.
Bam! With a muffled sound, under Ling Chen’s punch, the man who had launched the sneak attack from behind was directly sent flying, crashing into a tree trunk and landing heavily on the ground. Looking closely, that man spat out a mouthful of blood and slowly climbed back up, eyes glaring coldly at Ling Chen.
Ling Chen was startled by the sight. This guy is tough—he used at least sixty percent of his strength in the punch, yet the opponent seemed unaffected. In a split second, the man started walking over, pulling out two sharp steel knives from his back.
"Kill!"
With a shout of rage, the man’s speed underfoot suddenly increased, resembling a gale, closing in on Ling Chen quickly. Seeing the blade descending from above, Ling Chen shifted his feet and instantly deployed the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, easily dodging the attack.
Failing one strike, the opponent continued to press closer, the steel knives in his hands ceaselessly swinging, the fierce wind of the blades whistling loudly. Yet, relying on the marvel of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, Ling Chen nimbly evaded the attacks, meanwhile sparing a glance to check on the porridge girl’s situation.
There weren’t many attackers; only one person on the porridge girl’s side and, along with his own opponent, a total of two people.
What’s going on? Ling Chen was puzzled. Did the Heavenly Dragon Sect really only send two people to ambush them? That’s too arrogant. Although he acknowledged these two were not weak, he, a dignified Heavenly List master, along with the porridge girl who had already touched the threshold to the Heavenly List—these two people alone couldn’t possibly annihilate them.
While pondering, a sudden exclamation came from the porridge girl’s side. Ling Chen glanced over to see that the previously dominant porridge girl was now gradually losing ground, seeming suppressed by her opponent, unable to retaliate.
How could this be? Could the opponent have hidden their strength... This thought had just surfaced when fierce blade winds again rushed from ahead. Ling Chen didn’t think further, tapping the tip of his foot, swiftly retreating backward.
Hiss!
A soft sound accompanied Ling Chen’s lowered gaze, discovering a cut had been made on the front of his shirt.
This... Ling Chen’s pupils shrank in disbelief as he looked at the man before him. At such a distance, to use Qi Force to tear his clothing—only a Heavenly List expert could do that.
Stunned, Ling Chen carefully observed that the man’s eyes showed a distinct red hue, and furthermore, his emanating aura seemed to be climbing. At this moment, Ling Chen finally understood.
Soul Devouring Skills!
These are dark sect members’ forbidden techniques to elevate their skills to Heavenly List levels temporarily using Soul Devouring Skills. Though short-lived, the effect is not weak, but the side effects are considerable. He first experienced the power of Soul Devouring Skills when he met Li Haibin and others.
It turns out they’re sent by the Dark Pavilion, explaining their formidable strength. Having confirmed the opponent’s identity, Ling Chen dared not underestimate him, watching as the man raised his two steel knives again to attack. Ling Chen slid his foot, transforming his body into a shadow, quickly moving around the man.
Though Soul Devouring Skills are strong, their weaknesses are apparent; they don’t last long. So, if these few minutes are exhausted, the opponent is like a lamb awaiting slaughter, powerless to resist.
Utilizing the wonder of the Nine Yang Qiankun Step, the opponent’s successive attacks missed their target, unable even to touch Ling Chen’s clothes. After several failures, the man gradually stopped and coldly eyed Ling Chen, "Is avoiding all you can do?"
Ling Chen smiled slightly, "I have other skills, but I don’t want to use them on you." He as a Heavenly List expert wouldn’t fear the opponent. However, being unsure if there were further threats apart from these two, before ensuring safety, he needed to preserve some strength just in case.
Furthermore, he’s clear about the structure of Dark Pavilion members; one envoy manages three members. The envoy, being an administrator without substantial strength, primarily operates from behind; key players are those three combatants. At present, only two have appeared, indicating there’s one more hidden around.
"Friend, where’s your companion? You’re alone, not my match; why not call him out together?"
Upon hearing this, the opponent snorted coldly, raising his head to howl. In an instant, the Dark Pavilion member who had been entangling the porridge girl pulled away and rushed toward Ling Chen’s side. Simultaneously, a shadow sneaked behind Ling Chen, the trio forming a triangle, encircling Ling Chen.
"Ling Chen!" Seeing Ling Chen’s situation, the porridge girl’s face slightly changed and hurried over to assist.
"Don’t come." Ling Chen gestured to the porridge girl, stopping her, "You take everyone and go first. Leave this to me."
The porridge girl hesitated briefly, looking at Ling Chen’s confident gaze, nodded lightly, then turned back to the main group.
After watching Du Kang and the others leave, Ling Chen returned his gaze to the three Dark Pavilion members. At present, only two have activated Soul Devouring Skills, considering the time already consumed, they could only maintain it for another one or two minutes.
"Ladies and gentlemen..." Ling Chen opened his mouth, about to delay for time. However, just as he spoke, the men to his left and right already struck, rapidly closing in, two steel knives combined with a steel sword, fierce Qi Force enveloping overhead.
As the attack approached, Ling Chen’s lips curled slightly, seemingly unaffected by the pressure. Nine Yang Qiankun Step was deployed directly. To him, delaying is very simple; just avoid letting the opponents touch him.
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