Chapter 23 Super Senses
Wang Xuan vanished among the branches like a divine monkey, shifting positions as he moved through the woods. His eyes gleamed with killing intent, driven by an urge to hunt in the night.
Someone had the audacity to try to kill him in the city. Though he usually remained calm, his heart now felt like a ferocious dragon trapped inside, longing to break free and attack the several hidden gunmen lurking in the darkness.
Never had Wang Xuan felt such a desire to unleash the dragon and fight back!
He typically kept a low profile, exuding peace, but that didn't mean he was weak. With enemies trying to kill him, how could he remain indifferent?
"Indeed, there are more of them!"
Wang Xuan's senses were extraordinarily sharp. After the gunfire narrowly missed his temple, his inner vitality surged, and his metabolism quickened, putting him in an extraordinary state.
Nearby plants became remarkably clear; the calls of night birds and the footsteps of pedestrians felt like they were right at his ears.
He fixated on the old community's fence, where he detected a cold gun muzzle pointing toward the woods—a discovery he made with acute awareness.
In this unusual state, his vision, hearing, and smell were frighteningly heightened; he now possessed what felt like "super senses."
In the realm of ancient techniques, this was the triggering of the "super self," an instinctual release of power to confront external threats.
From a modern medical perspective, it was a severe "stress response," marked by heightened sympathetic nervous activity, increased secretion of pituitary and adrenal cortex hormones, and a sudden surge of blood flow to the heart. This whole-body enhancement was a form of self-defense.
For practitioners of ancient techniques, the situation was naturally more complex. Wang Xuan's "super senses" were extremely acute, allowing him to perceive details incomprehensible to ordinary people.
In a fleeting moment, he moved stealthily through the forest, keenly observing the commotion outside the community. His mind gradually cooled, refraining from charging out.
There were at least seven people lying in wait, anticipating his exit from the thicket for a counterattack.
If he mistakenly believed only three were present and recklessly ventured out to retaliate, he would likely find himself in grave danger.
Crucially, he sensed the presence of even more gun barrels aimed at the forest from a distance.
Wang Xuan continued to shift positions, avoiding being locked onto. However, he felt restless about remaining idle while they lurked.
After all, he had to hold them off and buy time for Qingmu's people.
He picked up a fist-sized stone from the roots of a tree and weighed it in his hand.
Wang Xuan chuckled to himself, realizing that his weapon was far too primitive—like a Stone Age tool against modern firearms. But he truly had no other option.
His only advantage was his increasingly intense super senses, his eyes shining like bright stars in the night.
Though far away, he clearly identified the gunmen's positions, even catching glimpses of their eyes beneath hoods and the tattoos on their exposed arms.
He could not step out of the forest; otherwise, he would be immediately targeted. In the open space, without thick tree trunks for cover, the gunmen, equipped with their gear, would have the upper hand.
Yet, he ultimately awaited an opportunity. The gunman outside the fence would never expect someone in the darkness could accurately perceive everything about him.
In this moment, Wang Xuan's physical and mental state coalesced, his super senses sharpening alarmingly. In his mind, he envisioned the movement trajectory of the gunman.
He anticipated that the gunman would make a rising motion, finally growing somewhat relaxed, underestimating a practitioner of ancient techniques like him.
Wang Xuan summoned all his strength and hurled the fist-sized stone. The power was terrifying, the speed almost unfathomable.
Bang!
At the moment the man slightly poked his head out, the stone flew through the air, striking him right in the forehead. He didn't even emit a groan before collapsing, producing a soft thud.
Nearby, two men quickly turned to look in his direction, utterly incredulous. Their comrade's skull had caved in, blood flowing profusely.
They gaped, unable to comprehend or accept this outcome.
It felt like someone flying a plane to bomb the ancient era only to be speared down by a long spear—completely illogical!
These were elite gunmen, professionals sent to kill a practitioner of ancient techniques, yet they had been taken down by a mere stone.
They had undertaken numerous missions and had never faced such an outcome before.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As Wang Xuan shifted positions, several bullets flew past his former location, some striking tree trunks, others embedding themselves in the ground, producing faint sounds.
Wang Xuan retreated deeper into the woods, taking cover behind a thick tree trunk. Alarm bells rang in his mind as the assailants outside seemed enraged, firing recklessly into the forest.
No longer waiting, they began to fire indiscriminately.
Wang Xuan moved agilely, quickly finding cover behind a large ornamental stone, which served as a perfect shield.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Stone fragments flew as bullets hit the ground.
Wang Xuan's gaze hardened like a blade, fury igniting within him. These assailants disregarded all norms, brazenly attempting murder in the city, particularly in a residential area. What kind of audacity did they possess? Who could cover for them afterward?
"Don't let me discover who you are. Otherwise, I will uproot you all eventually. It won't matter which organization or conglomerate you belong to; I will settle the score."
Regrettably, Wang Xuan hadn't mastered the Golden Body Technique; otherwise, he would have charged out without hesitation.
Suddenly, the forest fell silent. He watched several figures dragging the downed man scatter, their movements agile and swift.
Wang Xuan instantly leapt like a cat, arriving at the power distribution room in the woods, where he found a steel rod over half a meter long—definitely not the most practical weapon, but it was all he had.
With nimble footwork, he navigated through the woods, maximizing his super senses. He swung his arm, and the air seemed to produce a sonic boom.
Among those retreating in the distance, one suddenly tumbled forward, crashing to the ground. His eyes widened in pain as he gasped, a front-to-back blood hole appearing at his chest—his heart was torn apart.
A steel rod had pierced through him, landing several meters away with a crisp metallic sound.
The expressions of the remaining gunmen changed dramatically. What immense power was required to achieve such a feat? To hurl a steel rod that penetrated one of their most alert and experienced members from such a distance sent chills down their spines.
"Quick, get out of here!" someone whispered. They hoisted their fallen comrade and hastily retreated.
Some even sprayed something over the blood trail, clearly professionals at work.
Though Wang Xuan was seething with rage, he ultimately refrained from chasing after them, repositioning within the forest. He sensed distant gun muzzles still aimed at the thicket; the moment he stepped out, he would be shot.
He speculated that Qingmu's people must have arrived, while these gunmen were either extremely well-informed or had someone stationed far away, prompting their rapid withdrawal.
Suppressing his impulses, Wang Xuan remained in the forest, waiting silently.
Soon after, Qingmu's people indeed arrived. From the time Wang Xuan contacted them until now, their speed was astonishing, and their efficiency remarkable.
Unfortunately, that group had been overly cautious and had retreated in advance.
"You all go chase them down and find out who they are! How dare they act with such impunity in the city, especially targeting a residential area? I want to see which overreaching dragon has crossed the river!"
Qingmu personally came, bringing a team to follow the leads and pursue.
He himself contacted Wang Xuan, entering the woods alone.
He arrived equipped with top-tier gear.
Wang Xuan immediately changed into a heavy outfit, donning three layers of bulletproof vests and a specially designed trench coat with defensive properties.
Additionally, he wore a baseball cap that, while looking ordinary, was quite heavy.
Wang Xuan typically disliked such attire, but now fully armed in the trench coat and cap, he picked up a gun and prepared to head outside.
After today's events, a flame raged within his chest. Being ambushed with such arrogance made it impossible for him to hold back.
"Wait, I need to change clothes too and go with you," Qingmu said, removing his blue mask to join Wang Xuan.
Of course, he didn't reveal his true face; he wore a realistic human mask underneath.
He didn't allow the group of professionals to enter but left with Wang Xuan, pursuing the target together.
They sheathed their guns and, following Wang Xuan's earlier predictions, ran toward a particular direction.
Unfortunately, due to the influence of the new star on the old soil, many called for privacy protections, leading to a significant reduction in surveillance cameras on the roads, resulting in numerous dead zones and blind spots.
Otherwise, Qingmu could have utilized connections to directly access footage.
Wang Xuan profoundly felt the strength of the exploration organization. In such a short time, they had mobilized a group of "professionals" to track the gunmen.
"With just a stone and a steel rod, you took down two gunmen?" Qingmu asked in surprise, given that this was still a novice, a young man in his twenties, yet he displayed experience and skill far beyond his age, even stronger than Qingmu himself had been in his youth.
Wang Xuan remained calm, his gaze sharp as a torch as they entered a bustling area filled with bars, where nightlife was just beginning.
Qingmu frowned. "This place is chaotic and mixed, with all kinds of businesses. Each one ensures the safety of their patrons, making it difficult to find anyone."
Wang Xuan had already realized that their targets had likely been well-prepared and were probably picked up along the way, making their pursuit unlikely to yield results.
Just then, he glanced up and spotted some familiar faces on the bar street. Not far away, Zhou Kun, Wu Yin, Zhou Ting, and a few others were approaching, looking like true beauties and handsomeness, headed for a well-known bar in the area.
Zhou Kun saw Wang Xuan and walked over. He was tall, and while his wild-eyed look could be intimidating to most, it had no effect on Wang Xuan, who had faced him before—more than once.
"Your outfit doesn't match your style from just a little while ago; it looks pretty cool. Planning for a romantic encounter tonight?" Zhou Kun asked casually.
However, his appearance lacked any real intimidation; his head was bandaged, an arm in a splint, and his battered nails were treated with ointment.
"You're all bandaged up, looking like a dumpling. Who did you face off against to end up like this?" Wang Xuan's words provoked a reaction from Zhou Kun, making his eyes widen.
He thought of that blue-eyed mixed-blood, a target for all his resentment, which had shifted from Wang Xuan back to the other man.
Wang Xuan continued, "You're really something. Just a few days and you're constantly in fights. Are you heading off again, preparing for another showdown?"
Zhou Kun nearly choked, almost spitting blood from his mouth, unable to find his words as he pointed at Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan was deliberately provoking him to see his genuine emotional reaction while also keenly observing the group of young people in front of him. Such a coincidence couldn't be overlooked; he wouldn't miss any potential suspicion or alertness.
It was hard to say who was out for his life that night.