Chapter 669: Terrifying Black Shadow

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the silent night sky; although it was tiny, Ye Qin still heard it, after all the surroundings were very quiet.

Within the tranquility lurked a strangeness, as if a great terror hid in the night; even Ye Qin, who had prepared beforehand, felt a hint of unease, danger seeming to approach stealthily.

Bang!

Suddenly, a mass of firelight appeared silently in the courtyard, as if out of nowhere, making Ye Qin start, "This person……"

Very strange!

Pale red light streamed in together; after the fireball exploded, a black humanoid figure instantly appeared before Ye Qin, several clusters of fire drifting around it, yet it harmed him not, appearing somewhat eerie.

"What is this?"

Ye Qin first stared, then looked at the black shadow, "Is it a movement technique or an escape art?"

He had some guesses, but they were not confirmed; however, the alternating bright and dark fire clusters around the opponent made him wary, "Being able to condense fire, at least not a novice Foundation Establishment cultivator."

But someone stronger.

But according to Ye Qin's speculation, he should not be a Golden Core or higher expert, for such a cultivator would hardly glance at him, nor would they not yet act, "So the most likely is that he is merely Foundation Establishment, but not early stage; Zhao Mo would not be so foolish as to send someone of the same realm."

In that case, the most likely would be someone at middle, late, or perfected Foundation Establishment—would that really be enough to overwhelm me?

It is obvious he does not think he cannot handle a middle, late, or perfected Foundation Establishment cultivator; at least he has the confidence to resist.

Whether sword technique or Sunset Power, both possess peculiar lethality, and their focuses differ. "You knew I would come?" Seeing Ye Qin not surprised, the black shadow couldn't help but ask curiously.

Ye Qin slightly nodded, responding, "I know, but not certain, and I don't specifically know who he would send; still, this is the usual tactic, I was mentally prepared."

The black shadow remained silent, seemingly weighing pros and cons, whether to retreat first.

After all, Ye Qin had already prepared.

Then Ye Qin gave a faint smile: "You want to retreat? Too bad there's no chance; since he sent you, it shows you have no choice, and I also plan to kill and seize treasure, making him lose his wife and troops—what do you think?"

A faint voice seemed to enter the ear without concern; the black shadow paused, "You want to kill me and take what's on me, is that so?"

"Exactly!"

Ye Qin nodded without hesitation, then calmly explained, "Although you came at Zhao Mo's behest, you are ultimately here to kill me, so I cannot be soft-hearted; you should understand that."

Being soft-hearted is impossible; at least in this cultivation world, soft-heartedness brings no benefit, only adds trouble to oneself.

"No, I fear you'll regret it; you can't kill me." The black shadow shook his head, his right hand suddenly spreading into claws, a dark red fireball appearing out of thin air, lightly tossed at Ye Qin, the flames flying toward him.

"Damn it!"

Ye Qin rolled on the ground, quickly drawing a sword—the crimson long sword he had received from Zhao Kai, its blade flowing with streaks of scarlet light, refracting an eerie gleam.

Instantly executing a sword move, he thrust swiftly.

The strike missed; the black shadow's expression remained calm, a red gleam appearing on his left hand, his right hand forming a shape, then both hands pointed at Ye Qin, firelight shooting out and exploding debris on the ground.

Ye Qin stomped his foot, darting aside, two great sword techniques instantly unleashed, wildly chopping at the black shadow, the crimson sword light flashing and leaping, dazzling.

Bang!

The black shadow was terrified, actually sensing danger in Ye Qin's sword technique; he hastily crossed his hands before him, countless flames rapidly forming a barrier.

Crack!

The barrier formed of condensed fire was shattered, a bloodstain appearing on the black shadow; he pointed at Ye Qin in terror, "You, you are actually this strong?"

Clearly only early Foundation Establishment, yet the erupted energy was so terrifying he had just barely avoided being sliced by a sword.

"What a formidable move!"…… The black shadow's voice trembled as he looked at Ye Qin, face grim, "Such strength cannot belong to early Foundation Establishment; no wonder he lost." Before his words finished, Ye Qin coldly replied, "He has already lost, you cannot escape either!"

The black shadow raised his head, hand slightly lifted, seals shifting swiftly, "Escape!" Red light instantly enveloped his whole body; his eyes flashed, he murmured, "I will not be defeated." As his words fell, his figure vanished abruptly, while Ye Qin's surroundings gained several clusters of blazing flames—this is the marvel of Fire Escape Technique, able to embody fire, vanish form, even lurk for a sneak attack.

Relying on this Fire Escape Technique, with middle Foundation Establishment cultivation, he won battle after battle, being virtually invincible among peers.

"Indeed an escape art!" Ye Qin's eyes turned cold, he warily surveyed the surrounding flames; the flames faintly flickered with mysterious runes, the red light obscuring the runes' movement, appearing especially shocking.

A light curtain swiftly undulated around Ye Qin, instantly forming a spherical white shield that protected him. Ye Qin's heart slightly startled, he said in a deep voice, "If you hand over the Fire Escape Technique to me, I will let bygones be bygones!" Although he knew hope was slim, he still gave it a try.

Several strange energy undulations came from the floating fireballs around; he gazed a moment, secretly thinking, "He must not have left; surely he hides in a fireball, waiting for me to relax to deal a fatal blow!" After calming, he suddenly realized, seeing through the black shadow's scheme.

The two remained in a stalemate like that for about an hour.

Ye Qin's eyelids twitched slightly, his eyes shooting out a strange gleam like lightning, his right hand gripping the crimson long sword, a strand of peculiar true qi flowing into the blade.

Hum! The scarlet light on the sword like a bloodthirsty demon greedily devoured the breath of life. Ye Qin's feet moved without wind, a gloomy aura rose, several cracks sounded, surrounding stones shattered, dust flying.

Under the illumination of the surrounding fireballs, this scene appeared especially extraordinary, as if veiled by a mysterious gauze. One bright, one dark, both figures were hazy and indiscernible.

"Die!" Ye Qin's form like a phantom, he kicked off, shooting out like an arrow from a bow, rushing toward one of the fireballs.

Pu! Sword lights intertwined, the crimson radiance bathing the surroundings like a strange demon realm. The long sword like a spirit snake emerging from its hole swiftly pierced the black shadow. Where the fireball had been, at the moment he was stabbed, the black shadow's form revealed, the other fireballs also vanished.

"How did you discover it?" The black shadow clutched his chest wound, face pallid as paper, strength waning, pain tearing at his nerves. He flipped his right hand, a blue-and-white porcelain bottle appearing in his hand.

That was the Speedy Recovery Pill, refined from century-old wild medicinal ingredients over forty-nine days, its effect remarkable.

Clang! The porcelain bottle was flung away by Ye Qin's sword. He coldly said, "You are ultimately defeated; I will not give you another chance." Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself.

At this moment, Ye Qin stood before the black shadow, lifting his sword to lift the black robe and face veil, revealing a man in his thirties. His features were ordinary, his eyes full of disbelief.

Meanwhile, the black shadow secretly circulated his cultivation, seeking to restore true qi, hoping to escape at the crucial moment. "With my Fire Escape Technique, escape should not be difficult." He thought to himself.

After his life was no longer in danger, he then spoke with Ye Qin, lightly saying, "I have lost, but he will not give up. Moreover, the Zhao family is not something you can offend." This was his warning to Ye Qin; whether to listen or not was beyond his control.

Whoosh! The black shadow again pinched the Fire Escape seal with his left hand, a fiery red light rising from his palm, intending to envelop his body and flee as rainbow light. But suddenly he stopped the motion.

The crimson long sword emitted a mysterious vicious aura, like a demonic blade pressed against the black shadow's neck. Three fingers wide, the blade bore hidden patterns and runes, forming a mysterious formation.

The blade pressed tightly against the black shadow's neck, occasionally drawing a bloodline. "If you move even slightly, I can instantly behead you. I don't know whether your Fire Escape Technique will still work." Ye Qin's words carried a chill.

The black shadow couldn't help trembling, he glared at Ye Qin with an ugly look, snarling, "What exactly do you want? Do you really intend to kill me?"

"What else?" Ye Qin smiled. He focused his spirit, the hand gripping the sword exerted force suddenly. With a puff-bang, one arm fell to the ground. Before the black shadow could form a seal, his other arm was also cut off.

"Ah!" Intense pain spread through his body; the black shadow cried out, collapsing and wailing on the ground. To prevent sound from escaping, Ye Qin casually grabbed the ground with his left hand, fingers spread, strands of true qi coiling around it, swiftly rolling up a clump of rubble.

Pu! He pointed at the black shadow's mouth; a stone as thick as an infant's arm was stuffed inside, like a supple snake. The black shadow wanted to spit it out but couldn't; he wanted to dig it out with his hands but had none.

The red light on the black shadow gradually faded; Ye Qin inwardly relaxed, muttering, "Even middle Foundation Establishment will die." He had said he would kill and seize treasure, and would never regret it.

He searched the black shadow's body thoroughly, finding only some Speedy Recovery Pills. Finally, in the interlayer of his clothing, he discovered a manual bearing the three characters "Fire Escape Technique."

"Got it without any effort!" Evasion technique, this life-saving method must be cultivated; at critical moments it can grant an extra life. Originally, even after becoming an inner-door disciple one might not obtain this secret manual, but now I unexpectedly obtained it, and he naturally accepted it. "You should also thank me; otherwise you would continue serving the Zhao family and commit heinous crimes." As for death, that's impossible.

"Lin!" The painful black shadow grimaced, murmuring softly, as if activating a forbidden technique. A terrifying red light surged around his body, gradually turning into flames that burned. He did not flee, because he could no longer activate the evasion technique manual.

Ye Qin gripped his longsword tightly, warily eyeing the black shadow, "Is there anything special? Want to escape?" He hesitated whether to give the black shadow a sword strike, ending its life.

But the flames were already raging, fueled by the black shadow's true qi, burning even more fiercely. A wave of air burst forth, the inferno unstoppable. The black shadow gave a grim laugh: "Rather than be tortured to death by you, I'd rather end myself."

After losing his arm, he might still have a chance to survive, provided Ye Qin is merciful. But that's impossible. The pain he endures far exceeds the initial sword wound.

Regret welled up in his heart. If he hadn't been careless, he wouldn't have ended up like this. "I have the realm advantage, I have evasion technique, what a pity!" Even so, he ultimately failed.

His outer clothes were already soaked in blood, and when the flames burned them, he felt the pain lessen, his mind gradually growing dazed.

"Choosing suicide?" … Gazing at the black-shadowed man in the red flames, his originally upright face became blurred, twisted and deformed by the scorching flames, a strange meaty aroma wafted out, Ye Qin frowned slightly, "He's a tough guy, just unfortunate to have followed the wrong master."

Even with a higher realm and stronger secret manual, longevity isn't guaranteed! Ye Qin sighed inwardly, his left hand suddenly extended, a thread of true qi infused with solar power coiled at his fingertips; he flicked it, and the true qi flew toward the black shadow's ashes. A sudden gust rose, scattering the bone ash on the ground in all directions, unknown where it would finally settle.

This mid-Foundation Establishment realm black shadow had been ordered by Zhao Mo to take Ye Qin's life, which would have saved Zhao Mo five hundred low-grade spirit stones. Yet in the end, the black shadow failed to complete the mission.

Only a human-shaped trace remained on the ground, nothing else. To avoid detection, Ye Qin slowly raised his left hand; a strange true qi turned into white light shooting from his palm, like a nimble serpent, coiling a pile of earth on the ground, swiftly covering the human-shaped trace until no trace was visible.

"Killing and arson earn a golden belt—ancient words truly do not deceive me!" Those few bottles of Rapid Recovery Pill may be nothing, but fire evasion technique is extremely important. Ye Qin held this manual; a red light shot from it and instantly entered his body.

The Vajra Bracelet inside his dantian swiftly absorbed that thread of red light, trembling slightly. Ye Qin's gaze sank; he immediately sat cross-legged, examining his internal condition. At the same time, he issued a fusion optimization command to the Vajra Bracelet, so he could better cultivate fire evasion technique.

When his consciousness entered his dantian, he happened to see the red light swallowed by the Vajra Bracelet. A tiny strand of it actually flew toward Huang Rong inside the Vajra Bracelet, quickly merging into her silhouette.

"The secret manual is a vessel for primordial power; the strand that just entered Rong'er's body—is it a primordial force of this realm?" Ye Qin secretly speculated; besides that, he had no other way to discern the truth.

However, from this he could infer that primordial power is absolutely harmless, and perhaps even brings unexpected benefits to Huang Rong.

"Infuse fire evasion technique into the Nine Grade Dao Art." Ye Qin commanded the Vajra Bracelet through his consciousness. He and this treasure shared a wondrous connection; suddenly a speck of light the size of a fingernail flared in his mind and quickly entered the Vajra Bracelet.

Inside the Vajra Bracelet, a flash of holy light vanished, and golden characters filled the entire space. Ye Qin knew that these characters were actually a manifestation of primordial power, and those that did not turn into golden script were excluded. (End of Chapter)