Chapter 44: Breath Concealment, Hidden Weapons, Poison Coating—What Kind of Hero Are You?
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Rain from the towering sky became torrential, as if a summer thunderstorm had erupted in the midst of winter!
The night grew even darker.
Raindrops splattered on the Conical Hat, creating a misty water fog that seemed to chill the robust qi and blood of the martial artists facing off.
Li Che's eyes were fierce, as if all the savagery accumulated over two lifetimes had been unleashed in this moment.
He tilted his head back, gazing at the dark sky. The transparent raindrops fell, instantly fogging up the ox mask, blurring his vision.
The environment was harsh, but... for Li Che, it was the perfect time and place.
The cold rain was the easiest to dampen blood and qi.
The pitch-black night was the easiest to conceal one's form.
Combined, it was the ideal moment to conceal his breath and strike from the shadows.
"Move!"
In the rain-drenched night, the three masked Spirit Child Sect Blood Replacement experts roared and launched their attacks in an instant!
Their explosive qi and blood roared and shook!
Transforming into three blood-red figures, they burst through the rain, stomping the ground heavily, forming a surrounding formation, and charged at the towering Bull Demon like three bolts of lightning.
The Bull Demon's nine large tendons on his back twitched, unleashing a mountain-toppling force. He took a heavy step backward, the powerful force sending a transparent wall of water several feet high into the air!
His hunched back slammed into the brick wall behind him!
The brick wall instantly collapsed, sending up a cloud of dust and debris mixed with rain, creating a murky scene.
The three arrived in an instant, but their target was gone.
The three Spirit Child Sect experts, their eyes narrowing under their masks, exchanged glances... In their perception, the Bull Demon's qi and blood had vanished!
"He's gone?"
"Impossible... A Blood Replacement martial artist's qi and blood are like a blazing fire in the dark of night; how could they disappear?"
"Find him!"
All being Blood Replacement martial artists with rich combat experience, the three made their decision simultaneously.
Originally gathered together, they scattered, leaping over the high walls, trying to gain a broader view to locate the Bull Demon.
Such a massive figure, even in the rain, should be impossible to hide!
However, as they leaped onto the high walls and scanned the area, they still couldn't find the Bull Demon...
The massive Bull Demon, like a mountain, seemed to have vanished into the rain, as if he had evaporated into thin air!
"Damn, he's really troublesome!"
"He's gone?"
The powerful qi and blood surged around, dispersing the rain and suppressing the dust, but there was still no trace, leaving only the shattered bricks and stones on the ground.
"Where... could he have gone?"
...
...
Guo Zhan had excellent eyesight. Even in the torrential rain, which greatly affected visibility, he still caught the moment when the high wall was shattered, bricks and stones fell, and dust rose.
A figure, like a ghost, silently darted out.
In an instant, the rampant Blood Replacement-level qi and blood were entirely concealed within his body!
From explosive to subdued, it happened in a single breath!
What kind of bizarre technique was this?
A martial artist could not possess such a skill. Even the most advanced Breath Concealment techniques could not achieve such control!
Guo Zhan's scalp tingled, his heart pounding in his ears, drowning out the sound of the rain.
"He's coming for me!"
"His target... is me!"
Guo Zhan narrowed his eyes, but he was not afraid.
It was understandable...
For any martial artist, a sniper in the dark was a huge threat, making it impossible to fight with peace of mind.
So, targeting the archer first was common sense in battle!
"But... how dare you?"
Guo Zhan couldn't help but sneer, his qi and blood surging into his eyes. He activated an Eye Technique, his eyes becoming sharp like an eagle's, seeing everything as clearly as daylight even in the heavy rain!
He saw the Bull Demon, hugging the wall and moving swiftly, concealing his strength, only slightly splashing water.
"He's here!"
Guo Zhan let out a fierce cry!
Instantly, the calm of the rain-drenched night was shattered. In the distance, the three Spirit Child Sect Blood Replacement experts reacted immediately, turning to look.
Guo Zhan's eyes were filled with killing intent. Since Si Mu Bai had ordered him to kill the Bull Demon, he would do his utmost!
His fingers curved, the iron arrow he held instantly turned, and the steel bow creaked as it was drawn to a full moon. The bowstring snapped, and in a flash, the arrow shot out like a streak of fire!
Bang—!
The sound of the bowstring snapping was like a thunderclap!
But the arrow's flight was silent!
The air rippled, cutting through the cold raindrops silently!
Even the arrow's trajectory was unaffected by the rain, remaining perfectly straight!
This arrow demonstrated incomparable archery skills, both in timing and angle, it was flawless!
Li Che lifted his head indifferently, his eyes under the Conical Hat cold and emotionless.
This arrow was nearly perfect...
But, it wasn't perfect.
As Li Che ran, his sleeves flapped, and both arms swung out. Wooden darts and arrows whistled through the air in quick succession!
Sleeve Crossbow!
A quick shot!
The wooden arrows shot from the Sleeve Crossbow collided with the Blood Replacement expert's perfectly aimed arrow, causing it to deviate from its path!
The wooden arrows exploded, scattering wood chips everywhere.
But Li Che continued to charge forward, ignoring the incoming arrow, allowing it to hit the high wall, creating a large crater as if hit by a cannonball!
With the Divine Art of Engineering at level 3, Li Che's control over the Sleeve Crossbow had reached an extremely high level.
If categorized by skill proficiency, he was at the master level, just one step away from the ultimate realm!
"Crossbow?"
From his position on the rooftop, Guo Zhan, who had been locked onto the Bull Demon's position, narrowed his eyes.
"Crossbow... a mere tool without the soul of archery!"
As a marksman, Guo Zhan had practiced archery for nearly thirty years, deeply devoted to the art. Compared to the soulless crossbow, he found it contemptible.
His fingers curved, reaching into his quiver to draw three arrows, his chin dripping with rain.
The bow was drawn to a full moon, and the three arrows were released simultaneously!
This time, they were not silent; the three arrows broke through the air, shattering raindrops and creating a long whistle!
However, beneath the dark high wall, the Bull Demon continued to shoot crossbow arrows without expression.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The three arrows missed again!
How could this be?
His proud archery skills were being suppressed by a crossbow!
Guo Zhan's eyes widened. Unbeknownst to him, during their exchange, the Bull Demon had already closed in to within ten zhang.
Ten zhang... not too far, not too close, but for a Blood Replacement martial artist, a single full burst could close the distance quickly. For a physically weak archer, being within ten zhang of an enemy was extremely dangerous!
Bang!
His foot stomped down, the ripples of Blood Replacement qi and blood spreading. He began leaping between rooftops, continuing to shoot arrows as he moved!
However, soon...
He was startled, reaching for his quiver only to find it empty!
His bow... had no arrows left!
The Bull Demon clearly noticed this and accelerated, his powerful qi and blood bursting out without restraint!
And at the peak of the burst, he swung his sleeves, and a barrage of wooden darts and arrows shot out!
Creating a spray of raindrops!
Guo Zhan gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with coldness. He realized that although he had no arrows left, he was still a Blood Replacement martial artist!
Although his close combat skills were not as good as other Blood Replacement martial artists.
He drew a bright long saber from his waist, his qi and blood enveloping it, and charged at the Bull Demon!
But as long as he could hold back the Bull Demon, the three Spirit Child Sect Blood Replacement experts would come to his aid!
Four of them together!
The Bull Demon... would surely die!
Li Che watched Guo Zhan charge back...
It seemed to be within his expectations.
He did not activate the Dragon Elephant Vajra, but instead, the Divine Art of Engineering hummed in his chest, as if an invisible hand had clenched it.
A heavy step, and the ground tiles shattered, sending a fan-like spray of water forward!
Li Che's left and right hands each revealed a mechanism.
Left hand, Guanyin Blood Lotus!
Right hand... Wooden Crow!
Li Che quickly activated the mechanism in the Wooden Crow's eye, causing the flint inside to spark and ignite the internal fuse!
The Wooden Crow's eyes seemed to light up, golden flames flickering in the carved eyes!
Instantly, a powerful thrust force erupted.
A sonic boom, like the sound of a rocket launching...
"Bip—"
The Wooden Crow, like a mad bird, charged at the charging Guo Zhan at an extreme speed.
Guo Zhan was extremely cautious, but he had never seen such a wooden bird.
Too fast, he couldn't evade!
His Blood Replacement reaction made him instinctively draw his saber!
The moment he sliced the wooden bird apart...
An extreme sense of danger surged in his heart!
As the wooden bird shattered, a terrifying explosion and shockwave erupted, as if it had been building up for a long time, suddenly releasing its hidden power!
Instantly engulfing him!
"Boom—!!"
Flames and smoke billowed, the shockwave tearing through the rain, wreaking havoc in all directions...
In the distance, the three Spirit Child Sect Blood Replacement experts, who were running, came to an abrupt stop.
Li Che stood in place, his left hand holding the Guanyin Blood Lotus mechanism, calmly watching the expected scene...
Behind the ox mask, his eyes were sharp.
"Playing with arrows..."
"Isn't as interesting as playing with explosions?"
But...
It wasn't enough.
His body swayed.
Instantly breaking through the wind and rain, he charged at Guo Zhan, who was now half-dead and bleeding profusely, roaring in pain.
His left hand swung out the Guanyin Blood Lotus.
The Guanyin Blood Lotus exploded in mid-air, spinning rapidly, releasing countless highly toxic, hair-like wooden needles, which blended into the rain, pouring down on Guo Zhan, whose skin was torn and defenses greatly reduced!
Guo Zhan, bleeding profusely and dazed from the explosion, his qi and blood surging, swung his saber, scattering countless wooden needles!
But even the best defenses have flaws, and several needles still pierced his torn skin.
Instantly...
A numbing sensation spread rapidly through his body via the bloodstream!
"Breath Concealment, Hidden Weapons... and Poison Coating!"
"What a vicious Bull Demon!"
"Is this... what you call a hero?!
Guo Zhan's body turned icy.
A silver thread stretched out, wrapping around Guo Zhan's neck, and the Bull Demon's towering figure stood behind him, now poisoned.
"I am a demon who seeks freedom, not a hero."
Li Che spoke calmly.
In the next moment, he yanked with both hands!
The Thousand Spider Threads tightened suddenly!
Behind him...
A massive head shot up, a geyser of blood spurting several feet into the air!
Today is the third round of the recommendation, I don't know if it will succeed. I hope everyone continues to follow and read, and check your reading rank on the last page. I also hope for more monthly votes to boost the new book's ranking! Old Li thanks you all!
(End of Chapter)