Chapter 296: 【Narrow Escape from Death】（Part 1）

The seven warriors obviously hadn't expected the opponent to make such a choice. The man wearing the bronze mask reacted instantly, stepping forward with his right foot in a big stride, then his body shot up into the air over two zhang, and like a falcon he swooped down, his long knife making a chopping motion in empty air; the thin blade sliced through the dense rain threads at incredible speed, the fierce knife qi split the space ahead in two, and the rain threads, accompanied by a piercing whistle, flashed to both sides.

The man's left foot landed steadily on the edge of the rock, the brown eyes in the bronze mask's holes suddenly turned extremely sharp; he had not struck his target with that blow. Rain and mist filled the valley, and even with his eyesight he could not see clearly what was happening below.

His six companions almost simultaneously came up behind him; the bronze-masked warrior raised his right hand, signaling everyone not to approach, he sheathed his long knife, listened intently, and his right ear twitched rapidly at an astonishing frequency in the autumn wind.

When Hu Xiaotian and Princess Anping leapt down from above the valley, the rain and mist had completely sealed off the valley; the pine tree just moments ago was no longer visible, so this jump was essentially based on their earlier impression. Fortunately Hu Xiaotian's memory was good, his position did not deviate when he jumped down; his body landed on the pine tree, breaking its branches, and he continued to fall. In panic Hu Xiaotian reached out and successfully grabbed a branch; Princess Anping, as she jumped down, had already entrusted her fate entirely to Hu Xiaotian's hands. The sensation of leaping from a height filled her with dread, she stifled a scream, her delicate body froze mid‑air—then Hu Xiaotian's strong arm seized her arm and slowly pulled her up.

Princess Anping climbed up the pine tree growing on the stone cliff; their faces were close together, and each could see the alarm and relief in the other's eyes.

The sound of the breaking branch did not escape the mysterious warrior's ears; he slowly rose, took off his black cloak to reveal armor gleaming with deep metallic luster, his hands pulled the front latch, hearing the whir of gears, and a pair of shining metallic wings unfolded from his shoulders. The warrior drew his long knife again, without hesitation walked to the cliff edge and jumped down; the metallic wings spread to their fullest at the instant his body left the ground, spanning about one zhang, like a great bird hovering in midair.

Hu Xiaotian and Princess Anping had just steadied their footing. Supporting each other, they moved toward the cliff wall, trying to climb onto a protruding rock. The commotion above caught Hu Xiaotian's attention; he signaled Princess Anping to continue climbing the wall while he looked upward.

The bronze‑masked warrior suddenly appeared above his head; his cold eyes revealed a ruthless killing intent, and his outstretched wings slowed his descent, allowing him to soar like a bird in midair, both hands gripping his long knife raised overhead. Carrying the momentum of his high dive, he put all his strength into a downward chop aimed at Hu Xiaotian's head. Hu Xiaotian could hardly believe his eyes—these people actually possessed such advanced equipment. He dared not meet the blade head‑on, flung himself bodily at the cliff wall, his hands hooked like claws, and used the Profound Ice Yin Wind Claw against the pine tree. His ten fingers sank deep into the tree trunk where he had just been standing. The warrior's long knife then sliced through. The bowl‑thick branch was cut in two by his blow; the broken treetop scraped against the cliff wall with a rumbling roar as it fell into the unfathomable abyss.

After completing this attack, the warrior's body continued downward; he raised his left sleeve, and an arrowhead shot from inside his iron gauntlet, embedding deep into the pine's main trunk, the arrowhead's tail attached to a steel cable linked to his arm. He pulled back hard, using the recoil to launch himself upward again, landing securely on the trunk. The metallic wings on his back retracted into his armor amid the clatter of metal friction, his right hand holding the long knife pointed diagonally downward, his icy gaze fixed on the two who had drawn near the cliff wall.

Hu Xiaotian shielded Princess Anping behind him, facing the bronze‑masked warrior whose strange gear kept appearing one after another, he felt an urgent sense of danger. The distance between them was now only two zhang; the pine tree growing on the stone cliff had become their last foothold, their lives hanging by a thread.

Princess Anping hid behind Hu Xiaotian, her hands resting on his shoulders. Hu Xiaotian had thought she could produce something like the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle—a weapon to win against the odds—but seeing her now, it seemed she had none; after all, she wasn't Qiqi. If Qiqi were here, that little girl would certainly not lack poisonous hidden weapons.

The bronze‑masked warrior stepped forward slowly, another step, his intense killing intent enveloping Hu Xiaotian and Anping completely. Hu Xiaotian weighed the situation; before them lay only two options: either he rush forward and fight the warrior to the death, or they both continue jumping down. Not knowing how deep the valley was, whether a fall would shatter their bodies, lacking certainty, Hu Xiaotian dared not take the risk.

He also took a step forward and said in a low voice, 'Wait for me by the rocks; if I lose, jump down from here!' Faint sounds of rushing water came from the valley floor, probably not solid ground, more likely a river or similar waterway; if the water were deep enough, perhaps they could escape alive.

Princess Anping, however, had not observed as carefully as Hu Xiaotian; hearing his words, she felt a sour ache in her heart, crystal‑clear tears welled in her beautiful eyes, she turned and went to the rock he had mentioned, climbing up onto it.

The bronze‑masked warrior seemed to think he already had victory secured; he stood on the tree trunk, silently gazing at Hu Xiaotian opposite him.

Hu Xiaotian smiled at him and said, 'Brother, how much silver did you get? I'll pay you double!'

The bronze‑masked warrior slowly raised his long knife; Hu Xiaotian lifted his right arm, his right hand hidden in his sleeve, aiming at the warrior he asked, 'Have you ever heard of the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle?'

The bronze‑masked warrior startled, his right foot that had just been lifted fell back to the same spot. His eyes full of suspicion fixed on Hu Xiaotian's right hand: 'Are you trying to trick me?'

Hu Xiaotian chuckled, 'You're overestimating yourself; for a bird‑man like you, I can't be bothered to play mind games. I don't believe you'd dare take another step forward—would you believe I could shoot you full of holes like a beehive?' He raised his arm.

The bronze‑masked warrior indeed dared not move forward; the reputation of the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle among hidden weapons was truly immense. Although the bronze‑masked warrior guessed that Hu Xiaotian ** was lying, he nevertheless had to act cautiously.

Hu Xiaotian said, 'I don't know whether your armor can block the shots of the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle.' He took a step forward, his fearless expression making him look even more unfathomable, and it also intensified the doubt in the opponent's heart.

The bronze‑masked warrior's body remained still, yet the tip of his knife trembled minutely; although it was an extremely slight movement, it did not escape Hu Xiaotian's eyes. Since obtaining ten years of martial power from Quan De'an, Hu Xiaotian's perceptiveness had increased manyfold over before.

The bronze‑masked warrior suddenly laughed, 'You think such a low‑class lie could fool me? If you really had the Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle, why didn't you use it just now?'

Hu Xiaotian nodded and said, 'I never fight a battle without certainty.' He then shouted angrily, 'Look at the needle!' and gave his right hand a violent shake.

Although the bronze‑masked warrior had concluded that Hu Xiaotian was deceiving him, seeing Hu Xiaotian shake his right hand still triggered an instinctive reaction: he stepped back, his long knife waving before him in a sheet of light, hoping to protect himself that way.

Hu Xiaotian had no Violent Rain Pear Blossom Needle at all; he was merely bluffing. The bronze‑masked warrior realized the opponent really had none, so his hand motion naturally ceased. Hu Xiaotian seized this fleeting opportunity, lunging at him like a ferocious tiger, his left hand grabbing the warrior's knife‑wielding wrist, his right claw hooked tightly and drove into the opponent's throat. Even before launching the attack, he had noticed the warrior's right hand still holding the steel cable, which served as a safety line to prevent his body from falling from the trunk.

The bronze‑masked warrior never expected Hu Xiaotian to be so bold; this attack clearly put life and death aside. Faced with Hu Xiaotian's fierce right claw, he had to abandon the steel cable and use his left hand to grab Hu Xiaotian's wrist. Although he blocked the deadly throat‑locking claw, in the collision both lost balance and fell together from the trunk.

Princess Anping, who had been watching the two fighters from the side, saw Hu Xiaotian and the bronze‑masked warrior tumble together into the cliff, and she could not help but let out a sorrowful scream. At that moment, the six nameless masked men above had already secured their ropes and were descending the cliff.

Princess Anping bit her cherry lips hard, gazed at the swirling mist before her eyes, suddenly closed her beautiful eyes, and actually leapt off the stone cliff into empty air.

Hu Xiaotian had thought he could win by taking a risk, but he never expected the bronze‑masked warrior to resort to a move of mutual destruction; now he could only cling desperately to his opponent, silently thinking, 'My life is over.' The two tumbled in midair; the warrior was forced to release Hu Xiaotian's right hand, his left hand quickly pulled the shoulder latch, clang clang, and a pair of metallic wings unfolded from his back—but his body was pressed beneath Hu Xiaotian's, the wings spread but could not glide, and the two continued to spin as they fell.

When the bronze‑masked warrior released Hu Xiaotian's arm, his right hand seized the opportunity to pinch the warrior's throat; only then did he discover that the opponent's neck was also protected by iron armor, and his Profound Ice Yin Wind Claw was still unable to pierce that armor. The warrior twisted his left hand slightly, and three sharp iron claws protruded from the outside of his gauntlet, shooting straight at Hu Xiaotian's face.

Hu Xiaotian could only let go of his arm; after the bronze‑masked warrior shook off Hu Xiaotian's body, he flipped in midair, his wings spread, his left hand aimed at the stone wall and fired his iron claws, which sank deep into the wall; his body swung a little before coming to rest against the wall, and the left wing that had not yet been retracted was crushed and deformed by the impact with the rock.

As promised, I'm delivering the three extra chapters; Zhangyu today has fulfilled his pledge of five bursts, thanks brothers and sisters for giving me face, Zhangyu will also charge forward chest‑out, pressing ahead, there's still one day left, everyone must not leave me hanging, if you have monthly tickets in your pocket, be sure to vote for Zhangyu, otherwise Zhangyu will also hold a grudge, brothers and sisters, it's the last day, we must hold out! We must hold out, Zhangyu has gone into battle bare‑armed, give it your all to cover for me! (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)