Chapter 689: Killing Intent
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ling Jian followed closely behind Xiao YouHan. Ever since he entered the Concealing Dragon Abode, Ling Jian’s divine sense had been locked on Meng FanYun’s body. However, with Meng FanYun’s tyrannical XianTian inner qi, his entire aura was melded together with his surroundings without showing the slightest flaw. Furthermore, his profound inner qi was even above that of Yu ManLou.
While Ling Jian knew that Meng FanYun was inside and his divine sense was already locked on Meng FanYun, Meng FanYun’s aura was completely as one with the hall and there wasn’t a single opening for him to exploit! Even with Ling Jian’s world-class assassination techniques, he wasn’t able to find any opportunity to attack!
Just when Xiao YouHan was about to walk out of the hall, Meng FanYun’s aura was suddenly in a mess for some reason. Furthermore, he could no longer stabilize his mental state!
Ling Jian was overjoyed! Such a chance was truly one in a lifetime!
One’s appearance could be faked and one’s martial arts could be faked, but the aura of a peerless expert could not be faked! Ling Jian did not know exactly what had happened to Meng FanYun to cause such a disruption to his aura, but Ling Jian wasn’t interested in finding out. He only knew that this was the best chance to kill Meng FanYun! As long as he could kill Meng FanYun, everything else wasn’t important!
Ling Jian was an assassin and his mission was to assassinate Meng FanYun. Regardless of how he did it and under what circumstances, Ling Jian’s mission would be completed as long as he killed Meng FanYun! Thus, Ling Jian couldn’t be bothered about the so-called big picture! Killing Meng FanYun was the biggest help to the big picture!
Thus, Ling Jian unleashed his attack without the slightest bit of hesitation! Indeed, his single sword proved effective! If not for Meng FanYun dodging swiftly, this single sword would have detached his head from his neck!
Despite the other party dodging his attack, Ling Jian was still able to deal a severe wound to the other party. If not for Ling Tian’s pointers and Ling Jian’s bitter practice, how could it be possible for him to make this split second decision?!
Xiao YouHan was shocked with her entire body shaking! It turns out that this stone-faced fellow was actually… he was actually… the First Pavilion Head!
He was actually the First Pavilion Head?! This, this… this… how is this possible? I, I… I… just what should I do?
The aura in the surroundings was oppressive with killing intent all around. However, Xiao YouHan who was outside the hall was completely dumbfounded. Her face was flushed red as she thought about how she had praised and confessed her love for the First Pavilion Head in front of him and Ling Tian…
It was truly too embarrassing! Xiao YouHan stomped her feet in anger and pouted. Her heart was full of joy and thousands of thoughts flashed past her head at this moment. Despite the swords flashing before her very eyes, her heart was actually trapped in her maiden’s thoughts.
Just how should I face him? What kind of an identity should I face him with? How should I talk to him?
This darn stone-faced fellow! He is truly too annoying and irritating! Xiao YouHan covered her face with embarrassment as she thought about her embarrassing actions. The thoughts of a little lady were like a poem, dream and fantasy. But the moment she faced reality, the fear of losing him had also filled her heart…
With a few swooshing sounds, forty to fifty black figures swiftly formed a large circle around Ling Jian. Their weapons were in their hands with a look of wariness in their eyes.
Despite being in their Above Heavens headquarters with dozens of experts in the vicinity, he was able to severely wound the sect master of Above Heavens, one of the top five experts in the world! Is this something that an ordinary individual could do?
Such martial arts, he was like a ghost and spirit! No, his martial arts had already exceeded ghosts and spirits!
“The lives of all humans are in my hands, the winds and rains heed the First Pavilion! First Pavilion Head truly lives up to your reputation!”
Meng FanYun let out a chuckle as he supported his injured shoulder. “Under such circumstances and being in the headquarters of our Above Heavens, how would a person capable of injuring me with a single sword be an unknown individual? While you did play some tricks with that sword of yours, the only group capable of performing such an assassination is the First Pavilion! In the First Pavilion, only the Pavilion Head would be capable of such a feat!”
He let out two coughs and a look of self-mockery could be seen on his face. “If any assassin in the world was capable of this, then the First Pavilion wouldn’t be called the First Pavilion!”
Ling Jian looked at his sword tip with a sharp gaze and said, “Are you trying to mock me for succeeding with an ambush?”
Meng FanYun snorted coldly and rolled his eyes, “First Pavilion Head, aren’t you looking down on me a little too much?! Victory is victory, defeat is defeat! Not having the ability to defend against an ambush is my own inability. Since I have lost and will be killed, what face do I have to blame others?”
He suddenly let out a long sigh, “Back then, I cultivated the Divine Blazing Sun Formula since I was young and improved rapidly. However, I was too hasty and achieved the third level before fifteen years of age! Before my foundation of the third level is stable, I consumed the Blazing Sun Pill. In the end, my body wasn’t fully developed and my vital Yang energy wasn’t stable. I suffered a backlash from the pure Yang fire and almost lost my life. I only managed to keep my life because of my master and martial uncles.”
Everyone did not know the reason for his words and listened silently.
“But from that day on, my meridians were harmed. With the improvement of my Divine Blazing Sun Formula, the injuries to my meridians also grew more and more severe. In the past few years, my Divine Blazing Sun Formula was finally fully completed but the burning of my meridians could no longer be controlled. My cultivation formula cultivates the vital yang energy and I suffered from a fire injury. If I want to recover, I only need to disperse my cultivation and my life will be saved. But if I did that, I would become a complete cripple! As a disciple from Above Heavens, it would be a fate worse than death if I lose my martial arts! Master had once said that I would suffer a huge loss because of my meridians and may even lose my life!”
Meng FanYun burst out into laughter and glared at Ling Jian. “It seems like my master was right indeed!”
Ling Jian had a slight smile on his face and was completely unbothered by the countless weapons gleaming around him. He looked at Meng FanYun with a sneer, “This is also a reason! You think that this is the reason for your loss! While it seems like you have accepted reality on the surface, you have not accepted it in your heart! With this mental state of yours, you will never be able to reach the peak of martial arts in this life of yours!” Ling Jian’s words were like knives, “You aren’t worthy with your mental state!”
A trace of anger flashed past Meng FanYun’s face and he snorted, “First Pavilion Head, we are both in different camps and there isn’t a need to talk about this. However, this old man is very interested in who sent you. Can you tell me?!”
Ling Jian laughed coldly, “Meng FanYun, you do not need to waste your effort to stall for time. You should know that your death is certain today! It isn’t just you, there are many who are going to die today! You will not have the walk the yellow springs road alone!”
From the beginning, Meng FanYun knew that Ling Jian’s aura had been locked onto him. As long as he made the slightest move, he would definitely be met with an all-out attack from Ling Jian. Thus, he did not make a single move and began talking. He wanted to diminish Ling Jian’s killing intent and make use of the chance to circulate his inner qi. When he was confident that he could break free from Ling Jian’s aura lock, he would make his move. At the very least, he would have to first purge the sharp sword qi from his shoulder!
However, even if he was stalling for time, wasn’t Ling Jian doing so as well?! If it was any other mission, Ling Jian wouldn’t even bother saying a single word and execute his mission before escaping.
Currently, Ling Jian couldn’t do that. He had to wait for Ling Tian and Justice to arrive.
Meng FanYun who was severely injured was already within his grasp. Under the lock on of his aura, even if Meng FanYun tried to escape, he would definitely die under a single sword! Ling Jian had absolute confidence! Thus, Ling Jian wasn’t anxious.
There was another reason. While Ling Jian’s sword strike seemed simple, it was imbued with his entire cultivation! Especially when he had to change his target after his opponent avoided his attack. While his sword strike was successful, it also exhausted a great deal of inner qi and mental strength. The longer time dragged on, the more he could recover. At that time, he would be more confident in both escaping and killing his enemy!
His gaze swept past the crowd surrounding him. Even with Ling Jian’s calm and stability, he could not help but be startled. The number of experts in the crowd was truly out of Ling Jian’s expectations. Especially the three white-haired elders in the crowd. While they seemed old and past their prime, their eyes were gleaming with strength and their auras were powerful. While they weren’t a match for Meng FanYun, they weren’t too far away either. Their inner strength alone was already at the level of Shui WuBo and Yu ManLou!
These must be the three most mysterious elders in Above Heavens! To think that Above Heavens would have three such experts! They truly live up to the name of being a hidden sect at the same level of Beyond Heavens!
If Ling Jian attacked at this moment, he was a hundred percent sure that he would be able to kill Meng FanYun. However, he wasn’t confident that he would be able to deal with the encirclement of the other experts! In fact, there wasn’t the slightest chance for him to escape!
Those in the hall could naturally understand this as well and thus none of them dared to make a move, afraid that a rash action of theirs may result in the life of their sect master being lost.
Both of them were acting warily.
No, perhaps only Above Heavens was acting warily. Ling Jian didn’t attack because the time wasn’t right! To Ling Jian, nothing was more important than the mission that Ling Tian had given to him! Including his own life!
Killing Meng FanYun was his mission! Ling Jian had never considered what would happen after killing Meng FanYun!
He would kill first before saying anything else!
In the hall, there was an eerie silence.
The situation was extremely tense. If Meng FanYun could purge the sword qi in his shoulder before Ling Jian took action, he would be able to regain the majority of his strength and have the ability to deal with Ling Jian’s sure-kill strike. At that time, it would be too late for Ling Jian to take action. Stalling for time was extremely beneficial to him!
It was a pity that Meng FanYun didn’t know that stalling for time would only bring them into grave danger! As he stalled for time, how could Ling Jian not understand such a simple logic? However, Ling Jian needed time to wait for Ling Tian and Justice to arrive. As long as they arrived, so what if Meng FanYun could recover?!