Chapter 279: Could There Really Be Such a Method?!

Lin Xuan's eyes finally opened completely, and that pale blue light seemed to illuminate the entire battlefield in an instant. The Black-Clothed Person immediately felt an unprecedented pressure and could not help but take a few steps back.

"Xiao Qing, Wang Zhenqiu, stay close to me!" Although Lin Xuan's voice was not loud, it possessed an irresistible power that compelled obedience. The Long Sword in his hand shimmered with a silver radiance; as the tip of the sword traced a light arc, a faint fissure seemed to be carved into the air.

"Brother Lin!" Wang Zhenqiu said excitedly, "I never expected you to have such a method!" Before his voice had even faded, he exerted force with both hands again, striking fiercely at one of the Black-Clothed Persons who was attempting to close in. The opponent reacted extremely quickly, dodging rapidly while drawing a short blade from their waist to counterattack. The two instantly became entangled, the sound of fists and feet clashing ringing out continuously.

Xiao Qing took the opportunity to sneak an attack on another enemy from the side; she was as agile as a civet cat, leaving behind trails of afterimages in the darkness. "Who exactly are you people? Why are you attacking us?" she questioned while attacking. The besieged Black-Clothed Person replied with an expressionless face: "Merely executing orders." Without further ado, the chain hammer in their hand came crashing down with a whistling sound.

Seeing the situation was bad, Lin Xuan quickly stepped between the two, his wrist moving slightly as he thrust his precious sword diagonally, precisely blocking the massive hammer head that was about to land on Xiao Qing's head. "Stop the chatter, focus on the enemy!" After saying this, he immediately changed his stance to counterattack, a series of three sword strikes forcing the opponent to scramble left and right, barely able to keep their footing.

At this moment, the first assassin, who had been grappling with Wang Zhenqiu, saw their companion in a difficult position and hurriedly abandoned their current opponent to rush over. Seeing the situation about to become complicated, Wang Zhenqiu calmly took two steps back to gather strength, then kicked off the ground and soared into the air.

"Haa—" Accompanied by a high-pitched battle cry, he shot out like an arrow released from a bow, aiming straight for the figure in the air who was preparing to unleash a secret technique to rescue their teammate. Just before the two sides made contact, he adjusted his posture in an instant, turning into a spinning human projectile and crashing directly into the opponent's chest; the massive impact caused both of them to fall to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

This series of changes happened in the blink of an eye, but Lin Xuan did not stop his pace. A flash of sharp light flickered in his eyes, and the next moment he accelerated again, charging toward the last remaining opponent. The latter was clearly an experienced individual; upon discovering they were isolated and without support, they did not panic, but instead made a swift decision to turn and run, intending to escape this battlefield that was clearly unfavorable to them.

However, this was the opportunity Lin Xuan had been waiting for. As the opponent ran wildly with their back to everyone, Lin Xuan lightly flicked his right hand, using the sword scabbard as cover, while the truly fatal strike was slowly unfolding, hidden in his left hand. When that person noticed the strange sound of wind coming from behind and turned their head, they saw only a streak of ghostly blue light flash by, followed immediately by a sensation of icy coldness sweeping through their entire body—

Suddenly, the air seemed to go still, all sounds vanished, and even time itself seemed to have stopped. A moment later, the fleeing Black-Clothed Person slowly collapsed, a wound on their chest slowly seeping blood.

"Is it over?" Xiao Qing looked at the three figures lying on the ground in a daze. But she was quickly awakened by the sound of footsteps nearby. "No... this is only the beginning." A low and slightly weary voice came, and as everyone looked up, they saw a figure exuding a powerful aura appearing in the distance, slowly approaching...

"Your performance is quite good," the newcomer said, "but the true test has yet to begin." He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone, "Tell me, if you wish to protect each other, or even change your destiny... are you prepared to face a greater storm?"

"Who are you?" Lin Xuan stared intently at the middle-aged man before him, trying to find a clue from his appearance, but other than the unfathomable aura revealed between his brows, the man had no other notable features. Beside him, Xiao Qing had already gripped her bow and arrow, three arrows shimmering with cold light already nocked on the string; while Wang Zhenqiu, though still appearing cynical, had quietly activated his own aura, forming an invisible but indestructible protective shield around his body.

Facing the trio's vigilance, or even a certain degree of hostility, the middle-aged man only smiled slightly, "You need not be nervous; my appearance is not for the purpose of harming anyone." His voice carried an irresistible charm, as if every word could reach the deepest part of the heart. "On the contrary, I am willing to help you grow—to become a power capable of changing yourselves and even the world."

"How do we know what you say is true?" Xiao Qing asked first, her voice soft but her attitude exceptionally firm. "And... why must we believe your words?"

No sooner had she finished speaking than several streaks of purple lightning suddenly flashed in the air, as if summoned by some mysterious power, instantly condensing into the image of a massive Thunder Dragon and launching an attack at the three. Seeing this, Lin Xuan quickly mobilized the spiritual power within his body to the limit, manifesting a Long Sword in his palm and pointing it directly at the thunderous beast about to descend; at the same time, Xiao Qing's arrows also streaked across the sky like meteors, each one shooting with absolute precision at the weakest points on the opponent's body; as for Wang Zhenqiu, he directly opened his unique barrier, protecting his teammates from direct harm while also beginning to accumulate energy in preparation for subsequent combat.

However, even with such all-out defense, they still felt that this powerful existence known as the 'Summoner' had not used his full strength. Just when everyone thought they might not be able to hold on any longer, the surrounding scenery suddenly changed drastically, and those forces that should have been fatal all vanished into thin air. "It seems you truly possess quite good potential."

It turned out that everything just now was an illusion test deliberately created by this middle-aged man. As everything returned to calm, he continued: "Now it is time for the real training to begin, please be prepared!"

Hearing this, Lin Xuan and the others looked at each other with eyes that were slightly surprised yet full of fighting spirit. "Since we have decided to follow you to learn and seek victory, no matter how difficult or dangerous it may be, we should not give up easily! Come on!" They immediately responded in unison.

In the days that followed, under the guidance of the middle-aged man, the three began to learn various advanced Martial Skills and spells they had never encountered before. At first, there were naturally many stumbles and repeated failures, but whenever this happened, the teacher could always use the most appropriate method to provide guidance and encourage them to move forward bravely. In particular, he taught them everything he knew about the arts of summoning and lightning control, holding nothing back.