Chapter 28: White Tiger Shatters the Dantian Kick

Li Lin moved slowly along the edge of the darkness, soon arriving beyond the formation formed by the Soul-Calling Banner.

The bonfire ahead was still burning.

In this backlit situation, he was even less likely to be spotted.

The scene had already become one-sided.

Three of the Spirit Hunters lay on the ground, blood pooling around them—likely dead.

Bai Liwei held his chest with one hand, blood seeping through his fingers, while using the other to shield his nephew Bai Bufen behind him.

Xu Saifeng stood before them, and behind her, a fat man fanned himself, blocking their escape.

The situation was already extremely dire.

“Bai Patrol Commander, why not join our Qin family?” the scholar-dressed fat man said with a smile, fanning himself. “We can remove the yin energy from your body, and we can arrange for your family and friends too. Why stay in Yulin County? Fengrong County is quite nice, wouldn’t you agree?”

Bai Liwei’s face twisted in struggle; he glanced at his nephew behind him and let out a bitter laugh. “Fengrong County is indeed a fine place—but the Qin family is no good household. I’ve heard plenty about your deeds even in Yulin County.”

The fat man shook his head helplessly. “What a pity.”

He fell silent, still smiling.

Bai Liwei turned his gaze to Xu Saifeng. “Since my nephew and I are going to die anyway, let us die with understanding! Why are you betraying your comrades? And what is this True Lord of the Bo Bai Garrison?”

“Hah, there’s nothing special about it. I wanted blood offerings, the Qin family needed a True Lord—we simply agreed.”

Bai Liwei stared at him in disbelief. “That’s your reason? If you wanted blood, just borrow some from your comrades or buy blood rice!”

Xu Saifeng gave a light laugh. “Buying blood rice costs silver. Those cursed soldiers have stronger blood qi than ordinary people—and it’s free. Why wouldn’t I take it?”

Bai Liwei sighed helplessly. “Bufen, we’ve been outmaneuvered. I should never have let you join the Spirit Hunters so soon.”

Bai Bufen cowered behind him, trembling with fear.

Xu Saifeng pulled three red flags from a pack beside him.

“Young Master Qin, I’m going to perform a spell to track Li Lin’s whereabouts and hunt him down. Watch these two for me—I’ll need their blood qi when I return.”

The fat man nodded slightly.

Xu Saifeng picked up one flag; its body was as red as blood, eerily strange.

“First flag, honoring the Wild Deceit.”

The largest and tallest banner was planted into the ground.

“Second flag, offering sincerity.”

Xu Saifeng scraped his finger with a small knife, squeezed out some blood, smeared it onto the flag, then planted it into the ground.

“Third flag…”

At this moment, Li Lin had crept to about ten meters behind Xu Saifeng.

But he dared not move closer.

Because he felt that if he took another step, he’d be detected—a strange, indescribable sensation—but he knew this feeling never lied.

Just like that night at the Tudimiao, when he felt he could slip behind the black-cloaked figure, he truly could.

Now, if he felt he couldn’t slip past, then he couldn’t.

Listening to the incantation, he felt mounting urgency within.

His stealth technique was powerful, but he knew it wasn’t invincible.

At least Zhao Xiao Hu could find him.

Whether Xu Saifeng’s spell could locate him was uncertain.

But he couldn’t rely on such a slim possibility.

Always prepare for the worst—assume the enemy’s tracking spell could find him.

Li Lin’s eyes turned icy in an instant.

Gamble it.

Xu Saifeng, with his back turned, had just planted the final red flag. His hands were forming seals, and a thick black yin energy was coalescing around him, about to take shape.

He couldn’t wait any longer.

Li Lin raised his long spear in his right hand, preparing to throw.

At the same time, a red square appeared behind Xu Saifeng—but far dimmer and less distinct than the one that night at the Tudimiao.

That meant low success rate!

But Li Lin could no longer hesitate.

With all his strength, he hurled the red-tasseled spear.

The Yu family spear technique did include this move—nearly all weapon forms had a similar technique, used when gambling everything.

The spearhead glowed with bright red light and shot through the darkness with a swift hiss.

After throwing the spear, Li Lin lunged forward.

Tiger Leap Body Technique.

Everyone present was a skilled expert.

All of them instinctively turned their heads.

But quick awareness was one thing; bodily reflex was another—especially since Xu Saifeng’s spell was already forming.

The instant Xu Saifeng turned his head, his body twisted desperately to the side.

But the spear’s speed was faster than he’d imagined!

As he twisted halfway, the red-lit spear pierced his side, embedding itself in his ribcage.

Though it missed his heart, the spear lodged between his ribs, dragging him backward several steps.

The black yin energy on his body coalesced into a black human face—strikingly resembling Xu Saifeng—and shot forward on its own.

The spell was complete.

“Who dares attack me?!”

With a roar of pain, Xu Saifeng yanked the spear from his body—only to see the black face curve through the air and strike empty space ahead.

A figure suddenly appeared midair.

It was that eerie, impossible kind of sudden appearance—like a person materializing out of nowhere.

“Li Lin!”

Xu Saifeng was stunned and furious. He didn’t understand how Li Lin had crept so close without him sensing a thing.

Were Spirit Hunters’ spiritual senses fake?

He struggled to dodge, but Li Lin was already upon him.

Broken Spine, Tendon-Pulling Claw!

Li Lin struck without mercy from the start.

Xu Saifeng blocked desperately—he could only move one arm now.

In terms of spellcraft, ten Li Lins weren’t his match.

But strength favors the young, and he’d lost the initiative—he was wounded and now in close quarters.

Li Lin was a young man, constantly trained, still a virgin—his body burned with fierce yang energy, his strength seemingly endless.

When claw met fist, the expert Xu Saifeng was forced to stagger backward.

At the same time, Bai Liwei growled: “Help!”

Bai Bufen’s trembling stopped instantly; his eyes shifted from clouded fear to sharp focus.

The uncle and nephew immediately turned and lunged toward the fat man, who was rushing to aid Xu Saifeng.

Bai Liwei no longer pressed his hand to his chest—his earlier injury had been partly feigned.

Two short knives whirled into a whirlwind of silver, and the fat man, hampered by his fan, couldn’t block effectively, retreating step by step.

Bai Bufen circled nearby, waited for an opening, and threw a cloud of white powder.

The fat man covered his nose and mouth with his fan, retreated quickly, then screamed: “Lime?! That’s damn low!”

After speaking, he turned to look at Xu Saifeng—and his eyes widened in shock.

Xu Saifeng’s shoulders were now locked in Li Lin’s grip. He screamed, but before he could struggle, Li Lin twisted his body, using Xu’s own momentum to flip them both sideways onto the ground.

Li Lin’s claws remained locked on Xu’s shoulders.

White Tiger Shatters the Dantian Kick.

Li Lin’s legs lashed out in rapid succession at Xu Saifeng’s groin!

A barrage of strikes, like heavy rain.

Papatapata…

A relentless series of impacts.

This technique evolved from fighting alley cats—deadly in its precision.

Xu Saifeng’s eyes bulged, his body curled into a bow—but he couldn’t break free from Li Lin’s grip. Within three breaths, he was completely motionless!

Li Lin rolled backward, stood up, gasping for air—and immediately felt a chilling cold spread through his body.

The Soul-Tracking Spell had finally taken effect.

His blood qi was being drained rapidly and heavily—this was a seventh-rank Spirit Hunter’s spell. Li Lin estimated his blood qi would be exhausted soon.

Then he’d become a corpse.

He spun around, facing away from the three, fumbled twice in a small pouch at his waist, and in less than a breath, pulled the cork from a porcelain vial, poured out half its contents, grabbed three or four pills at random, shoved them into his mouth, and swallowed.

These movements were swift and hidden—no one noticed.

The Life-Sustaining Pills took effect quickly, generating a faint, steady stream of primordial energy that counteracted the unbearable cold.

(End of Chapter)