Transcending the Nine Heavens

He saw four men's bodies. They had been chopped off into eight pieces, and were lying on the ground several hundred feet away. Everyone was headed towards the middle. So, it was obvious that the enemy had attacked them from behind.

He had killed four people in one strike!

A faint smell of blood spread in the Black Pine Forest.

It was approaching afternoon already. The wind entered into the pine forest with whistling sounds. And, rustling sounds were issued as a result. Branches and leaves were gently swaying in the Black Pine Forest. Simultaneously, countless shadows were swaying on the ground. It was daytime, but there was an increasing sense of gloominess in the forest because of the shadows.

Cai Xiao Cheng had such an angry look in his eyes that his eyes almost cracked open. Suddenly, he shouted with his spring-thunder-like voice, "Who's using such evil schemes in secrecy? Come out and face me if you're a man."

His voice spread far and wide like spring-time thunder. It vibrated the top of the pine trees, and numerous leaves fell down with rustling sounds.

A light flashed in Li Chang Long's eyes as if he had figured something out. He then suddenly said in a sinking voice, "King of Hell Chu, it's you, right? What's wrong? Don't you have the guts to face us?"

The voice spread out, but Black Pine Forest remained silent in response. No one replied.

Cai Xiao Cheng quickly scanned the vicinity with his lightning-fast gaze.

Suddenly, a golden light flashed. Cai Xiao Cheng bellowed, "Watch out!" He then dashed towards that golden light. He grabbed it before it could dig into the back of a King Level Expert, and received it in his hand. It was a small and exquisite dagger; it was only half-a-palm long. There weren't any fancy designs on its body. In fact, the only thing to praise was its sharpness.

Cai Xiao Cheng jumped up in an instant. And, everyone's gazes subconsciously followed after his silhouette. However, three black lights silently emitted out from another direction in this split second.

And, these three black daggers got inserted into the vests of three King Level Experts.

Li Chang Long bellowed, and rushed over with giant steps. He rushed like lightning in the direction from where those three black lights had been shot. However, he found no soul in sight there. In fact, there wasn't even the least bit of sound.

Nine experts of their team had been silently killed in such a short period of time, and they hadn't even been able to trace the shadow of the enemy.

It was like fighting a spectre in dense fog!

Ao Lang Yun tightly joined his hands together. Cold sweat was dripping from the hollow of his palms, and he could only feel the chill emitting out of his vest.

Had he ever experienced such a spooky and terrifying fight in his entire life?

Then, sudden sounds transmitted out very rapidly. The sounds had traveled suddenly from the right side one moment, and then from the left side the next moment. Then, a cold and sinister voice said, "He-he. That's right. You seem to be somewhat knowledgeable and insightful. You're right. I'm King of Hell Chu!"

There seemed to be dark and sinister vibes in his voice… as if it had come straight from hell. It made the listeners feel uncomfortable in their ears.

Cai Xiao Cheng and Li Chang Long focused the cultivation of their entire body to heighten their senses. However, they still couldn't find out where this voice was coming from. They only thought that the voice was faint and untraceable. It would resound from the south one moment, and then from the north the next moment.

However, these two sources where the sounds were coming from —south and north — were separated by a distance of approximately thousand feet!

[Formidable enemy!]

These two words suddenly emerged from the bottom of the hearts of Cai Xiao Cheng and Li Chang Long. Li Chang Long also overthrew his previous conclusion, [This enemy is not a King Level Expert. He is at the very least an Emperor Level Expert!]

"You're not King of Hell Chu!" Cai Xiao Cheng stayed calm. He shouted in a cold voice, "King of Hell Chu is indeed ruthless, sly, and fierce. However, he doesn't have an excellent cultivation like Your Excellency. Who are you after all? And, why are you set against my Ao Clan?"

One thing that he didn't say was, [King of Hell Chu by no means has this ghost-like gloominess!]

There was absolute silence in the Black Pine Forest.

There was a deathly silence!

Suddenly, a dense and gloomy aura was issued out. Then, it was promptly restrained.

Cai Xiao Cheng's eyes turned cold. He then silently drifted out towards the source of the aura. He had already moved from this side like lightning without making any noise, and had arrived at the opposite side. He then brandished his hands, and several trees were crushed by his palm with loud 'bang' sounds.

A piece of black cloth fluttered in the air.

Cai Xiao Cheng's body floated like a ghost, and grabbed that piece of black cloth in his hand. He then attentively looked at it, but couldn't make out anything. Then, he returned clenching that piece of cloth in his hand while being puzzled. But, that sinister and dense aura that he had felt a moment ago was lingering in his heart. He felt that it was very familiar. However, he couldn't remember where and when he had sensed it before.

"What did you find?" Li Chang Long quickly came over to him.

"Take a look," Cai Xiao Cheng handed the black cloth over to him.

"A piece of black cloth?" Li Chang Long was puzzled. He brought the piece of cloth near to his nose as he spoke, and sniffed it.

"Beware of poisons!" Cai Xiao Cheng hastily warned.

"It's all right. It doesn't have any smell," Li Chang Long smiled, and flipped this piece of cloth. He then said, "This seems to be an ordinary black cloth. Apparently, it got torn by your palm attack."

"However, I didn't see a person's shadow when I tore this piece of cloth. This fact is extremely strange!" Cai Xiao Cheng knitted his brows, "Moreover, I felt a strange aura just a while ago. It was very…"

He spoke till here, and then suddenly shouted, "Get away!"

Then, he rushed forward quickly. His speed was so fast that he suddenly drew a green smoke trail behind his body.

A golden light had arrived near Ao Lang Yun's vest!

Cai Xiao Cheng shouted loudly. He then went all-out in a desperate attempt to grab that golden light in his hand. The tip of the dagger wasn't even an inch away from Ao Lang Yun's vest at this moment.

Li Cheng Long bellowed, and pounced towards the direction from where the golden light had been shot. Simultaneously, forty-to-fifty men also set into action, and rushed over to attack from all sides.

Suddenly, several black lights silently appeared once again from another direction. Then, a knife-light of almost the same color as that of air flashed out of nowhere. It simultaneously struck the vests of five people while they were rushing towards that direction.

Several pitiful screams were heard. The five people fell down on the ground, and started to roll back-and-forth in pain. However, the attacker had shot too many hidden weapons at once this time. So, the strength in those weapons was lacking, and the attacks weren't fatal. But, one of the experts had gotten stabbed straight in the middle of his back. So, he had died on the spot.

Beads of sweat were unceasingly dripping down from Ao Lang Yun's forehead.

He had almost marched into Hell a moment ago.

He had missed it only by a bit!

His complexion had turned deathly white. He was using all his might to keep his calm, but a look of horror had already appeared in his eyes.

The rapid movement of the attacker was just like that of a ghost. Two eighth grade Emperor Experts couldn't catch even the shadow of this attacker. This dark forest seemed to have turned into a place of death! And, Ao Lang Yun could only watch in helplessness as his people died one by one.

"Run out of the forest!" Cai Xiao Cheng bellowed. The blue veins could be clearly seen on his face. He had already realized that the attacker was a super-talented assassin.

[Confronting this attacker in such a forest is equal to fighting with a crocodile in water. This place is a home ground for the attacker.]

[So, we must rush out. We must dash to an open area under sunlight. Only then can we make the enemy reveal himself.]

Li Chang Long had immediately come to this realization. So, he repeatedly shouted. He then led everyone to crowd around Ao Lang Yun, and run out of the forest.

Everyone had been in full confidence in the beginning that they would capture King of Hell Chu as soon as he would appear. But, who would've thought that they would land in a difficult situation, and would have to assume such a stance - to run out of the forest?

This was undoubtedly highly ironic.

A golden light flashed again. Li Chang Long joined his hands, and extremely quickly received the golden light in them. He then looked at it, and crooked his nose. It was merely a piece of crushed gold.

He threw it on the ground without giving it much thought. He then looked from his peripheral vision, and found that three more golden lights were coming from another direction. Li Chang Long leapt up hurriedly, and grabbed them one by one. He became aggrieved in his heart, and cussed, [Dammit! All of them are pieces of gold!]

But then, a black light densely flashed from another direction. Li Chang Long's heart jumped in fright. He knew that the attacker had finally launched his killer attack. So, he roared and brandished his hands to deflect the attack. Then, he immediately thought of charging in the direction of the men to the left side.

He had already understood the pattern of this attacker's attacks. [He leaves if he misses a shot. In fact, he leaves his hiding position as soon as he attacks.]

[Now, this person has shot three times in succession. So, his current position is probably in this direction.]

[It doesn't matter even if it isn't. The route I have rushed towards is situated in the middle of three directions from where he has made attacks. So, I'll definitely intercept him once he makes a sound!]

But, sharp sounds of 'pew' aroused continually when his body had just flown to a distance of around seventy feet. More than a dozen golden lights were shot out from the place of the previous attack.

[The power of this attack has a sense of urgency to it!]

[He didn't change his position this time.]

"Damn it!" Li Chang Long gave a hateful look. He wanted to change his direction, but it was already too late.

Thirteen golden lights were scattered as if they had been arranged properly. They were targeted at one person each. Cai Xiao Cheng was next to Ao Lang Yun, but he had been caught off-guard. He desperately turned around to intercept these thirteen golden lights, but he could only block off five of them.

Some screams orderly resounded as eight people got injured at the same time.

Cai Xiao Cheng's fine beard pointed like a halberd as he vigorously commanded, "Don't worry about anything. Just rush out of the Black Pine Forest!"

Even this eighth grade Emperor Expert felt frightened in his heart now. [What is the exact position of this attacker after all? He's so sinister… and uses such a superb assassination method?]

Cai Xiao Cheng was unwilling to admit in his heart, but he had to do so, [The assassination level of this attacker is at the top in the present age.]

He vigilantly looked in all directions. Then, he drew back step by step, and personally took cover from behind.

Suddenly, a frightened scream was heard. The troop at the back was in panic. Cai Xiao Cheng got furious and shouted, "Why are you panicking?"

"Poison! There is poison on the short knives and daggers. They released poison the moment we pulled them out," a man exclaimed in misery.

Cai Xiao Cheng felt shocked in his heart. He hurriedly took a look, and a chill ran down his spine.

Those twelve wounded King Level Experts had clenched their teeth and persisted for the quarter of an hour. In fact, they hadn't even frowned. However, poison spread in their bodies as soon as the knives were pulled out. And, they instantly died on the spot. They couldn't even leave behind a few words.

Twenty-two people!

The attacker hadn't even made an appearance yet. And, twenty-two experts had died on this side!

The dead were only King Level Experts, and no Emperor Level Expert had sustained any harm. However, it was still a gigantic loss.

Cai Xiao Cheng had never seen such a sly and ruthless enemy in his 30 years of experience in Jianghu!

Everyone could see the sunshine in front of them. All of them had almost rushed out of the forest.

However, the mood fluctuations of the hidden enemy seemed to be getting intense. He was reluctant to let them escape. Suddenly, a sinister and dense aura spread out. Then, it seemed as if it was retracted forcefully.

Cai Xiao Cheng had a sudden thought in his heart, [Very familiar! It is truly very familiar… his name is on the tip of my tongue. How can I not remember?]

Suddenly, there was a flash of golden light… Dozens of golden lights had been thrown at the same time.

Cai Xiao Cheng let out a loud shout, and jumped up to intercept.

Meanwhile, a black light spread out from another direction like an inescapable net.

Li Chang Long let out a long roar, and his body whirled about in midair like a dragon.

Cai Xiao Cheng was unable to restrain his anger, and crashed into the place from where the black light had come.

He was hundred-percent sure this time, [The attacker hasn't left that place… because I'd locked on him with my tracking energy just now.]

[He shouldn't have attacked being this close.]

Cai Xiao Cheng's heart filled with pleasure as he quickly threw himself forward.

Suddenly, a shadow flew out from the umbra with a sighing sound. It flew out swiftly like a bird!

"You still want to run? Stop right there!" Cai Xiao Cheng bellowed. He circulated all of his martial power, and shot both his palms with all his might.

It was too late for that person to dodge. He had been forced into a dire situation with no way out. However, he suddenly let out a sinister and grim laughter. Then, his sword flashed out a sword-light, and he threw the sword to fly together with it. That sinister aura once again spread out. However, its range was much greater this time around.

Then, a brilliant light of realization flashed in Cai Xiao Cheng's mind. He had finally understood why this dark and dense aura seemed so familiar to him. The incoming flying sword crashed into his palm with a bang, and shattered into pieces. He blew his top, and shouted crazily, "Black Devil! So, it's you! So, you pretended to be King of Hell Chu! You're so shameless!"

….