The Silent Hunter (Part 1)

The moment Jiang Chen stepped deeper into Evernight Valley, he knew something was wrong.

The silence had changed.

Before, it was merely an absence of sound—oppressive, unnatural, but tolerable. Now, it felt like the very air was pressing against him, smothering every breath, every movement.

His golden-amber eyes flickered as he scanned the darkness. There was nothing. No movement, no shadows shifting unnaturally. Yet, every fiber of his being screamed danger.

His grip on his spear tightened. This isn't normal. Something's here.

Then, he felt it.

A subtle shift. A distortion in the air around him—as if the space itself had twisted for a fraction of a second.

Jiang Chen's body reacted before his mind did.

With a sharp breath, he twisted sideways—

SHIIING!

A razor-thin limb sliced through the air where his throat had been.

"FUCK!" Jiang Chen cursed, heart pounding as he barely evaded the strike.

His feet slid across the damp earth, kicking up loose debris. He hadn't even seen the attack coming. It was just—there.

His spear lashed out on pure instinct, a brutal thrust aimed at where the attack had originated—

But nothing was there.

Jiang Chen exhaled sharply. He could still feel it—that presence. It was close. Watching. Waiting.

A grin tugged at his lips despite the tension. "Oh, so that's how you wanna play it?" His voice was low, a mixture of amusement and rising battle thirst. "Sneaky little bastard."

No answer. Not that he expected one.

The silence in Evernight Valley wasn't just unnatural. It was alive.

Jiang Chen took a step forward, spear angled low, ready to strike. He let out a slow breath, focusing everything on his surroundings.

The Strider was there. It had to be.

Then—

A flicker in the darkness.

Jiang Chen moved.

His spear shot out in a vicious arc, aiming for whatever the fuck was moving. The tip gleamed with a faint layer of Force Intent, a strike designed to pierce straight through—

Clang!

The impact was sharp, but wrong.

Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed. His spear had connected with something—but instead of flesh, it felt like he had just slammed into hardened, moving stone.

Then came the counterattack.

Something moved faster than his eyes could follow.

THUMP!

A crushing force slammed into his ribs, sending him skidding backwards several meters. His boots tore into the earth, carving deep trenches as he struggled to stay upright.

A sharp pain bloomed along his side.

Jiang Chen glanced down—a shallow cut, but clean.

The Strider had tagged him.

His grip on his spear tightened. "Alright, you fucker. You wanna dance?" He rolled his shoulders, blood pumping, eyes alight with a wild glint. "Then let's fucking dance."

Jiang Chen steadied himself, mind working at lightning speed.

The Umbral Strider didn't make sound.It could vanish from sight the moment it moved.Its body was unnaturally tough.

If this thing had Qi, Jiang Chen would have sensed it. But he didn't. That meant it wasn't just hiding its presence—it fundamentally didn't operate on normal cultivation rules.

That complicated things.

Jiang Chen exhaled slowly, his chaotic energy surging within him. He adjusted his stance. If I can't hear it or sense its Qi, then I need to force it into a situation where it can't just disappear.

He grinned.

Time to fuck up the battlefield.

Jiang Chen exploded forward, kicking off the ground and slamming his spear into the earth with all his strength—

BOOM!

A shockwave erupted outward, shattering the terrain, sending dust, loose rock, and shattered roots into the air. The entire area was thrown into chaos.

And then—movement.

A shadow blurred from the airborne debris, lunging for his back.

Jiang Chen twisted, whipping his spear around in a reverse grip—

CLANG!

His spear intercepted something—a clawed limb as sharp as a blade.

The force behind the strike nearly dislocated his shoulder.

Jiang Chen's jaw clenched as his feet slid backward from the impact, his muscles straining to hold ground.

Then, for the first time, he got a glimpse of his attacker.

It was thin. Too thin. Its limbs were elongated, almost grotesque, stretching into razor-sharp points that shimmered in the abyssal darkness.

Its head was featureless—no eyes, no mouth. Just a blank, smooth, curved shell.

It moved with an unnatural fluidity, like liquid shadow given form.

And worst of all?

It didn't make a single sound.

Even as Jiang Chen fought it, even as metal met unnatural flesh—not a whisper of noise.

Jiang Chen gritted his teeth. "Creepy fucker."

His spear pulsed with power, forcing the Strider backward, but even as it withdrew into the darkness, he knew the next attack would come faster.

And he was right.

Jiang Chen barely had time to reposition before the next attack came.

Swoosh!

He twisted—barely avoiding a limb that would have pierced straight through his chest.

Slash!

A second strike tore through the air, forcing him to parry on instinct. His spear trembled under the impact.

His mind sharpened. It's testing me.

This thing wasn't mindless.

It was toying with him.

Jiang Chen's grin widened despite the situation. His breathing was heavier now, his body already accumulating injuries.

A thin cut across his ribs. A sharp sting along his shoulder. Nothing life-threatening—yet.

But he knew.

The longer this dragged out, the worse it would get.

This was the first time he was fighting something he truly didn't understand.

And the realization sent a shiver of excitement through him.

His golden-amber eyes gleamed.

"You wanna play?" He spat blood to the side, rolling his shoulders despite the growing ache.

"Then let's fucking play."