Time froze. For a fraction of a second, no one moved.
Lin Yu looked down at the arrow buried in his chest.
No... it couldn't be.
He tried to speak—no sound came, only blood. The poison was already racing, scorching his veins from the inside out, destroying, killing.
His legs failed. Lin Yu collapsed. The sound of his body hitting the ground echoed through the clearing.
Guo Zhen turned slowly, as if his mind couldn't process the sight. Lin Yu on the ground. An arrow in his chest. Dead.
Then, comprehension struck.
Spiritual energy EXPLODED—invisible waves swept through the area. His eyes scanned the ridge and found it: there, on the hill, a figure in black robes and a red mask, fleeing.
"YOU!"
The voice roared like thunder, spiritual energy carrying every syllable. The sound tore through the mountains, making the very earth tremble.
Wang Tao felt the scream before he heard it—a crushing wave of pressure. It nearly knocked him down.
Don't stop. Can't stop. The woods. I need to reach the woods.
He sprinted toward the forest. Almost there. Just a little more.
Behind him, Guo Zhen bellowed:
"SOMEONE! TAKE LIN YU! NOW!"
Disciples scrambled toward the body. But Guo Zhen didn't wait. He didn't care. Only one thing mattered now: the assassin.
A sword flew into his hand, spiritual energy erupting around the blade.
"Assassin..." his voice was low, lethal. "I will have your head."
He stepped onto the blade and took flight like a lightning bolt cutting through the night.
Wang Tao plunged into the forest.
Branches lashed his face, roots clawed at his feet—he ignored them all.
I'm safe now.
He knew it was a lie. Behind him, he felt the presence approaching—fast, implacable.
I know this terrain. Every root. Every slope. The traps. Use the traps.
Wang Tao ran faster.
The First Trap.
The moment Guo Zhen lunged between the trees, the air distorted—a Gravity Talisman.
The flow of Qi around his feet faltered. His sword sank through the air as if striking an invisible wall. His flight was cut short.
Guo Zhen fell—not clumsily, but like a meteorite.
The impact carved a shallow crater into the earth. Trees shattered; leaves exploded in every direction.
"Tricks..." he growled, rising instantly. The talisman crumbled into ash.
But it was already too late.
The Second Trap.
The air was thick with purple, toxic smoke. Guo Zhen attempted to circulate his Qi to expel the substance.
Too late—his Qi circulation was sluggish, incomplete. He had lost half his strength.
He let out a visceral snarl, feeling the sting of humiliation.
"RUN, WRETCH!"
Qi exploded in his legs—a movement technique. He launched himself forward, faster than before, eyes crimson with rage.
He found the Third Trap soon enough.
Lines of spiritual wire crisscrossed the path, nearly invisible in the shadows. Guo Zhen charged ahead. Poisoned wires lashed out from every side, triggered from trees and stones like lethal webs.
He spun his sword: slash, slash, slash. Blades of energy tore the wires apart. But one—just one—grazed his shoulder.
His robe dissolved. His skin burned. Without hesitation, he used his sword to slice away the affected flesh. Blood soaked his tunic.
Guo Zhen narrowed his eyes.
"WRETCH!"
He slammed his foot down—the ground cracked. In an instant, he was back on the hunt: faster, more furious, more decided.
Wang Tao heard it: a CRASH behind him.
Trees were being ripped from the earth. Guo Zhen was tearing through the forest like a divine beast, hunting his prey.
Now, he was in sight. Wang Tao felt the presence only meters away.
It's over. I have no more traps.
He stopped. He turned.
There was Guo Zhen: the earth erupting beneath his feet with every step, like a demon surfing on a wave of stone. His robes, once white, were now a mess of blood and mud.
He gripped his sword, eyes locked on Wang Tao: cold, mortal.
Wang Tao analyzed his situation.
Foundation Establishment Elder. Immense Qi. Powerful techniques. But the body is still human. The poison worked. The traps worked. I have a chance.
No words were exchanged. Guo Zhen lunged—the stone platform beneath him accelerated, carrying him like an unstoppable tide.
Wang Tao's heart trembled, but he didn't waver.
He pulled metallic wires from his bag, swiftly looping them around his fingers.
Control. Precision. As I was taught.
Like a maestro conducting an orchestra, he gave life to the wires. They flew in every direction—sharp, lethal, seeking to harvest life.
"AUDACITY!" Guo Zhen roared.
Rocks rose from the ground, forming armor over his body—Defense Technique: Stone Skin.
The wires met resistance. Sparks flew, but they couldn't penetrate. The elder pressed on.
Collision.
Sword met daggers—CLANG. Metal against metal.
Wang Tao held his ground. Strength against strength.
Hold it. Just one more second. Hold—
But Guo Zhen released the sword with his left hand and punched—a fist encased in solid rock.
Earth Technique: Rock Fist.
IMPACT.
It hit Wang Tao's chest—direct, brutal. The sound echoed through the forest like a cracked bell.
Arms. Broken. I can't—
He was hurled back like a ragdoll. Ten meters. He slammed into a boulder.
CRACK—broken ribs.
He fell against the stone, his vision blurring.
Guo Zhen approached and stepped on his chest.
"Who sent you?"
Wang Tao smiled, blood coating his teeth.
"Go to hell."
Guo Zhen snarled. His armor partially dissolved, leaving only his face exposed. He wanted the wretch to see the hatred in his eyes.
"What awaits you is far worse than death. We will torture you until you beg for the end."
But Wang Tao's hand was already in his bag.
The last talisman. The only chance.
The talisman glowed. Qi ignited.
Guo Zhen saw it.
"No—"
Too late.
FIRE—a concentrated blast straight into his exposed face.
IMPACT.
Flames engulfed his head. Skin scorched and melted. Flesh laid bare. His left eye turned white, blinded.
"AAAAAAAAAAAH!"
He screamed—not just from pain, but from HORROR. He fell back, hands clawing at his face, trying to douse the flames, but the damage was done.
Through the pain and exhaustion, Wang Tao saw the monster he had created.
Guo Zhen rose slowly. Half his face was charred—skin black as coal, raw red flesh exposed, one eye dead, hair singed away. Yet he was alive. Alive and FURIOUS.
"You..." his voice was raspy, distorted. "...WILL PAY!"
He advanced, sword raised high.
Wang Tao closed his eyes.
It's over. For real this time.
Then, he remembered: Steps Against the Current of Heaven.
The last chance. The only way.
He opened his eyes, determined.
And tramples upon fate.