Xu Wuyi looked at them, his face devoid of expression.
He slowly raised the Liaoyuan spear in his hand, its tip aimed at Shadow Stab.
"Try me."
A cold glint flashed in Shadow Stab’s eyes. Without another word, his figure vanished in an instant.
The next moment, he appeared at Xu Wuyi’s left, his Thrusting Sword striking toward Xu Wuyi’s temple like a venomous snake.
Fast. Unbelievably fast.
This was the speed of a Wind Shadow Hunter.
But Xu Wuyi’s movements were even faster.
The instant Shadow Stab’s Thrusting Sword shot out, the spear in Xu Wuyi’s hand was already in motion.
Not to block, not to dodge.
It was a counterattack.
The dark gold shaft carved a perfect arc through the air. The spear tip, though moving second, arrived first, stabbing directly at Shadow Stab’s throat.
Simple, direct, with no fancy moves.
But Shadow Stab’s expression changed in an instant.
Because this spear was faster than him.
Much faster.
He wanted to change his move, wanted to retreat, but it was already too late.
The dark gold spear tip rapidly filled his vision.
PFFT.
A soft sound.
The spear tip pierced through Shadow Stab’s throat and exited the back of his neck.
Shadow Stab’s movements froze. He looked down at the spear shaft piercing his neck, his eyes filled with disbelief.
’How is this possible...?’
’I’m a Wind Shadow Hunter, the most elite assassin of the Feathered People Civilization...’
’How could I... be killed in a single strike?’
Xu Wuyi flicked his wrist and pulled the spear free.
Shadow Stab’s body plummeted from the air, crashing to the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
The entire exchange took less than two seconds.
The other two Hunters were completely stunned.
They stared at their companion’s corpse, then back at Xu Wuyi. For the first time, their eyes showed... fear.
’This human... doesn’t he only know Area Attacks?’
’His close-quarters combat... how can it be this strong?!’
Xu Wuyi flicked the blood from his spear tip, his dark gold pupils sweeping over the remaining two.
"Next."
His voice was calm, yet it made the two Hunters tremble.
Far away, Shadow Blade, who was locked in combat with Lei Hong, caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye. His heart sank.
’We fell for it.’
’This Xu Wuyi... he’s nothing like the "squishy Mage" from our intel.’
’His close-quarters combat is probably even more terrifying... than his Flame.’
The dull thud of Shadow Stab’s body hitting the ground was like a Heavy Hammer striking the hearts of the two remaining Hunters.
Their names were Shadow Claw and Shadow Fang. Within the Wind Shadow Hunter squad, their seniority was second only to the captain and vice-captain. They had carried out seventeen assassination missions without a single failure.
But now, the hands they used to grip their weapons were trembling slightly.
’The intel was wrong. Horribly wrong.’
’What "squishy Mage"? What "weak in close combat"?’
The speed, angle, and timing of that spear thrust were clearly the work of a killing technique honed through a thousand trials. It was the kind of ruthless precision only a Martial Artist who had clawed their way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood could possess.
"Fall back!" Shadow Claw roared hoarsely as he shot backward.
But it was too late.
Xu Wuyi was faster than them.
The moment the words left Shadow Claw’s mouth, the Liaoyuan spear in Xu Wuyi’s hand had already transformed into a dark gold phantom, its tip stabbing straight for Shadow Claw’s chest.
Shadow Claw’s face contorted. He crossed his twin claws to block. His weapons were a pair of steel gauntlets, their blades coated in a lethal, fast-acting poison.
CLANG!
Shadow Claw felt an immense force travel up the spear’s shaft, rattling his arms until they went numb and sending him sliding backward uncontrollably.
His feet plowed two deep furrows into the barren, stony ground, kicking up sand and gravel.
’Such immense power!’ Shadow Claw was aghast.
’This is definitely not the power a normal Innate Martial Artist should have. Even if he’s level 45, he shouldn’t be this strong!’
As he was knocked back, Shadow Fang on the other side had already made his move.
He knew he couldn’t give Xu Wuyi the chance to pick them off one by one; they had to coordinate their attack.
Shadow Fang’s weapons were a pair of Curved Sabers, their blades long, thin, and strangely arced. He closed in on Xu Wuyi’s left side like a phantom, his twin blades carving two ghostly blue arcs of light—one aimed for the neck, the other for the waist.
This was the Wind Shadow Hunters’ combination technique, "Double Shadow Splitting Light." With this coordinated attack, they had slain more than one human Innate.
But Xu Wuyi didn’t even glance at Shadow Fang.
His attention seemed to be focused entirely on Shadow Claw. With a flick of his spear, a second thrust immediately followed, aimed straight for Shadow Claw’s throat.
A vicious glint flashed in Shadow Fang’s eyes. ’How dare Xu Wuyi ignore my attack? He’s courting death!’
His twin sabers accelerated, slashing downward.
However, just as the blades were about to touch Xu Wuyi’s body, an intensely scorching aura erupted from him without any warning.
VMMMM—
The phantom of a dark gold Heart Image flashed into existence behind him for a fleeting moment.
A towering mountain, a Golden Crow spreading its wings.
Shadow Fang felt as if his twin sabers had plunged into an invisible sea of fire. The Energy on his blades was being visibly evaporated and devoured.
What was even more terrifying was that the scorching aura surged back along the blades, instantly invading the meridians in his arms.
"AAAAH—!"
Shadow Fang screamed. He felt as if his hands had been thrown into a Melting Furnace; his flesh was charring, and his very bones felt like they were searing hot.
He wanted to let go, but it was too late.
At some point, Xu Wuyi had raised his left hand, palm facing him, his fingers forming a loose grip.
"Heart Fire, ignite."
Three calm words.
Shadow Fang’s pupils contracted violently.
The next moment, a dark gold spark ignited on his chest without any warning.
The instant the spark appeared, it expanded rapidly, transforming into a fist-sized Flame True Seal, and then... it erupted.
Dark gold flames swept over his entire body from the inside out. Before Shadow Fang could even let out a second scream, he had become a burning figure, plummeting from the sky.
From the moment Shadow Fang attacked to the moment he was incinerated, the entire process took less than three seconds.
Shadow Claw stared at his companion’s charred corpse, despair finally showing in his eyes.
’What in the world is this monster?!’
’His close-quarters Spear Technique is devastatingly sharp, and his Heart Image’s Flame is bizarre and unpredictable. His offense and defense are one, leaving no openings!’
"Captain—!" Shadow Claw shrieked, his voice filled with a desperate will to survive.
Far away, Shadow Blade, who was locked in combat with Lei Hong, caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of his eye, and his heart nearly stopped beating.
Two team members. One was killed in an instant, the other incinerated.
And Xu Wuyi... hadn’t even used his full strength.
"Retreat! All units, retreat!" Shadow Blade finally made the difficult decision, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
But it was too late.
At some point, Ye Guanlan had broken free from the vice-captain he was fighting. With a flash, he appeared behind Shadow Blade.
A silvery-white Foil had appeared in his hand, its blade covered in complex runes that now pulsed with a cold, chilling light.
"Trying to leave?" Ye Guanlan’s voice was calm, devoid of any emotion. "Too late."
A flash of sword light.
Not one flash, but dozens.
The silvery-white flashes of light wove into a net, sealing off all of Shadow Blade’s escape routes. Each flash was aimed precisely at Shadow Blade’s Energy nodes, forcing him to turn back and defend.
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