Chapter 136: Assassinating a Level Twelve Dou Cultivator!

Gazing at the two whose expressions had shifted, Captain Ji clenched his hands tightly, the cracking of his knuckles echoing sharply. A cold sneer curled his lips as he said, “I want to see where you can possibly run to now!”

Striding forward with great steps, Captain Ji slowly approached Yao Xin and the other, a surge of battle energy radiating from his hands, carrying an oppressive aura. Feeling this pressure, Yao Xin’s face grew even more solemn. She hadn’t expected him to recover so swiftly. It seemed the fierce battle from the previous night hadn’t drained much of his strength. The situation was becoming dire.

Sensing the stagnation of her internal battle energy, Yao Xin glanced at Su Yi. Though she possessed a high-grade Xuan-level combat skill, she had never actually trained in it and couldn’t unleash its full power. She was no match for Captain Ji. It seemed their only hope lay with Su Yi. Perhaps he had some means to break free from this peril. After all, his ability to perceive internal energy rivaled that of seasoned battle cultivators; surely he had some strategy against them.

As Ji closed in, he snorted coldly, slamming his foot into the ground. His figure shot forward like a wild arrow, his palm slashing down like a blade toward Yao Xin with furious force!

Yao Xin’s complexion paled as she sensed the sharp gust slicing through the air. Instinctively, she stepped back several paces but remained within the wind’s deadly reach. At that moment, Su Yi clenched his right fist tightly, twisting his foot, then unleashed a powerful punch straight onto Ji’s outstretched palm.

A heavy boom resounded as their forces collided. Ji’s body staggered slightly, while Su Yi was forced into a hasty retreat, clearly at a disadvantage. This clash was Su Yi’s first true taste of the vast power of battle energy wielded by a cultivator. Indeed, battle cultivators were a rank above fighters. Though Su Yi could handle tenth-rank fighters, facing Captain Ji, a battle cultivator, he could barely last a few rounds.

It was clear this attack was merely a probing strike. Though Su Yi managed to block it, if the fight escalated without special tactics, both he and Yao Xin would find it difficult to resist. The situation was indeed grim. Yet, Su Yi’s face remained unexpectedly calm; he recalled something crucial.

“What immense power!” Ji’s eyes flickered with suspicion as he glanced at Su Yi. With his keen insight, he noticed no battle energy fluctuated around Su Yi during his attack. That only deepened his confusion. Judging by Su Yi’s youthful appearance, could he be relying on raw physical strength alone?

“You brat! You survived my punch? Seems you have some tricks. But since you’re protecting this wretched woman, I can’t spare you!” Ji narrowed his eyes, sneering coldly. “This bitch caused my mercenary group’s annihilation. I won’t rest until I kill her! Don’t think you can play hero and save her from my hands!”

Ji spoke with the arrogance born of his strength. Despite Su Yi’s oddity, to him, he was merely a man of brute force with no battle energy—nothing to fear. If he couldn’t defeat someone like this, then all his years of cultivation as a battle cultivator would have been in vain!

Shaking off the numbness in his arm, Su Yi frowned, noting Ji’s relentless pursuit and lethal resolve. Clearly, escape was impossible. They had no choice but to fight. Without other means, this battle would likely end in Su Yi’s defeat. But fortunately, Su Yi still had the Xuan Dragon Tendons!

Perhaps due to the soul-shaking ordeal of last night, his spiritual perception was weakened, failing to sense Ji’s approach in time. Even the thought of the Xuan Dragon Tendons had just come to him. During their hurried journey, he had scarcely thought of them, almost forgetting entirely. But now he remembered — he had once used the sharpness of these tendons to kill a thirteenth-rank battle cultivator. Defeating Captain Ji shouldn’t be impossible.

Though Su Yi lacked battle energy and couldn’t wield the Xuan Dragon Tendons himself, Yao Xin could! If they seized the moment and struck unexpectedly, they could kill Captain Ji outright!

Step by step, Su Yi retreated, quietly positioning himself before Yao Xin. Silently, he unwrapped the Xuan Dragon Tendons from his right arm and slipped them into Yao Xin’s small hand. Ignoring her puzzled look, he whispered, “Infuse it with battle energy, guide it with your soul’s power.”

Not far off, Captain Ji’s eyes shifted. He snorted coldly, bowing slightly before darting forward. In an instant, he appeared before Su Yi, his palm radiating battle energy. Swinging fiercely, he struck down at Su Yi’s chest.

Thanks to his exceptional evasion skills, Su Yi tilted his body aside, the slicing wind brushing past him. Twisting his foot, he spun suddenly, driving his arm with spinning momentum to strike Ji’s face.

The fierce wind failed to rattle Ji. With a cold laugh, he swung his arm back fiercely, the clash producing a loud sonic boom as it struck Su Yi’s body.

A heavy collision echoed sharply. Su Yi groaned in pain as he was blasted backward. Ji swayed briefly, then steadied himself. Looking at the injured Su Yi, he sneered darkly, “If that’s all you’ve got, step aside and watch how I deal with this wretched woman!”

As he finished speaking, Ji leapt forward, slamming another palm toward Yao Xin’s chest. Her eyes flickered uncertainly, then she gritted her teeth fiercely. Channeling battle energy into both palms, she forcefully pushed forward, seemingly determined to clash head-on!

Their palms collided. Yao Xin trembled violently, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Ji looked at her disdainfully. With a shake of his palm, Yao Xin was flung back several steps, coughing up fresh blood.

Ji slowly withdrew his palm, sneering, “Overestimating yourself!” As he advanced again, two scrolls suddenly slipped from Yao Xin’s body, tumbling onto the ground and rolling to Ji’s feet.

“Hmm?” Ji’s eyes flickered with surprise. He stopped and bent down to pick up the scrolls. Upon inspecting them, his expression changed dramatically, a mixture of shock and disbelief in his voice: “These… these are high-grade Xuan-level combat skills!”

In that instant, Ji’s heart thudded wildly, as if struck by a hammer. Even the low-grade Xuan-level skill he had painstakingly acquired was a treasured prize. Though he hadn’t yet fully cultivated it, once mastered, it would vastly enhance his power. This was why he had relentlessly pursued Yao Xin with nearly his entire mercenary group — the low-grade skill was vital to him!

But now! Fortune had truly smiled upon him! Not only had he recovered the combat skill, but two high-grade Xuan-level skills had also appeared! Such skills were usually the purview of great noble families in major cities. Even in Lunluo City, few families or powers could produce combat skills of this caliber. If these two scrolls surfaced there, it would surely ignite fierce battles for possession!

“Haha! Heaven truly favors me!” Ji laughed joyfully, his head thrown back. Mastering two high-grade Xuan skills would make even breaking through ranks a trivial matter. Becoming a dominant power would no longer be far off. From this perspective, the deaths of those mercenaries were entirely worth it!

Feeling triumphant, Ji was about to inquire about the origin of these skills when, before his laughter died away, a shadow flashed like lightning in his peripheral vision, striking fiercely at his neck!

The sudden black shadow was slender, long, swift, and agile. Were it not for Ji’s abundant combat experience, he might not have noticed it! Though uncertain what it was, he knew he couldn’t let it slice his neck. Too late to fully react, Ji’s foot shifted as he stumbled backward, leaning his body to dodge the strike.

Seeing this, Su Yi let out a low shout, suppressing his pain. He slammed his right foot into the ground. Just as before during their journey, dust flew up, cracks appeared in the earth, and Su Yi shot forward like an arrow from a bow, crashing into Ji’s back with tremendous force!

Ji’s body was momentarily halted by the impact. It was at that instant the shadow slid swiftly across his neck!

Silence fell. Moments later, soft sounds echoed as Ji’s hands dropped the two scrolls onto the ground. His eyes widened in disbelief, as if unable to accept what had happened. At the last critical moment, he had summoned all his battle energy to form a protective layer around his neck, yet it was still cut through with ease!

What… was that thing? As the last trace of awareness faded from his mind, Ji’s body collapsed heavily to the ground...

(Second update! Flowers and bookmarks appreciated!)

&^^%# Martial Peak 136_ Chapter 136: Assassinating a Twelfth-Rank Battle Cultivator! Update complete!