Chapter 665: Yellow Sparrow Behind

## Chapter 660: The Oriole Behind

It wasn't the attacker who revealed himself—he had, in fact, hidden his killing intent very well. Instead, He Lingchuan was simply accustomed to always being prepared.

Before sniping the Wu Beast, he had already set up the Ghost Cicada Shell there.

He leaped toward the captive and asked, "Who sent you?"

He wasn't surprised to see the face, as the attacker was none other than Hu Bin.

Just moments ago, this fellow had preemptively decapitated the Wu Beast in its lair and demanded the exorbitant price of forty *shuzhu*. Although his reasons sounded plausible, He Lingchuan didn't believe a word of it.

He could still distinguish between genuine intent to sell and feigned reluctance.

Now, Hu Bin had actually tracked him all the way to the mountains—a significant risk, as even a single *shuzhu* could be the death of a hero. He Lingchuan's own Chi Yan companions weren't willing to take such a gamble, yet Hu Bin had arrived.

Given that Hu Bin was a mercenary and He Lingchuan had numerous enemies, it was easy to infer that he was operating on commission.

Hu Bin’s timing was impeccable; he attacked precisely when He Lingchuan had killed the Wu Beast and let down his guard. He was just a little unlucky.

By a strange turn of events, Hu Bin had been outsmarted.

Hu Bin looked up at him and said coldly, "The one who wants your life."

"'Oh? Which one?'" He Lingchuan asked, waiting for the scent bomb's stench to dissipate before daring to approach. He placed the Fusheng blade at Hu Bin’s throat. "'Come on, give me a surprise.'"

Hu Bin struggled again, a cracking sound emanating from his body, like a walnut being crushed. At the same time, he responded to He Lingchuan with a single word: "Fine."

What had this fellow done? He Lingchuan was suspicious and cautiously took two steps back, just as the Mirror cried out, "Look out behind you!"

Before the Mirror could even finish its warning, He Lingchuan felt the hairs on his neck stand on end. It was an instinct he had honed through life-and-death situations in Panlong City: a powerful enemy was closing in from behind, signifying danger!

The rock crevice was very narrow, offering no room to maneuver. He Lingchuan could either run forward or leap upward.

No, wait—Hu Bin was still blocking the path ahead.

In that instant, he found himself cornered by his opponent.

His opponent had already anticipated his two escape routes, unleashing a vertical slash forward and a horizontal slash upward—a ferocious great cross-slash.

Within seven *zhang*, blade energy surged!

In such a confined space, He Lingchuan had nowhere to hide. Even if he ran faster, he couldn't outpace his opponent's blade.

The attacker struck with full force, leaving no room for escape. This person's resolve to cut He Lingchuan down was terrifyingly firm.

Yet, He Lingchuan neither fled nor dodged.

In the blink of an eye, he chose to turn and crouch, conjuring a large shield right before his opponent's eyes, planting it with a loud 'bang' directly in front of him!

The rectangular shield surface was smooth and highly reflective, even more so than a mirror, and stood more than half his height.

This was the Soul-Sucking Mirror's second form, having evolved several times and refined its new characteristics after consuming the Emperor's Dew. According to He Lingchuan, this contraption was finally proving somewhat useful.

As he crouched, the shield completely covered him.

The great cross-slash struck the shield with a resounding bang. What appeared to be a single blow was, in fact, seven consecutive strikes! The frequency was so rapid and the intervals so short that it sounded like one prolonged impact.

Even with He Lingchuan's current cultivation, he felt as if a colossal elephant were charging mercilessly head-on.

The Mirror shrieked, "Ahhh, that hurt so much! This guy is so strong!"

But it ultimately held.

Most of the most ferocious cross-slash was deflected by the shield, yet the remaining blade energy surged back and forth within the crevice like flying shrapnel.

The stone walls on both sides were smooth, and the blade energy reflected back and forth like sound waves. Even with the shield in front, He Lingchuan's sides and back were unprotected, and he was struck by countless slashes in an instant.

Although it was merely residual blade energy, it struck with the frequency and force of a thousand cuts, as if the opponent wished him to endure such extreme torture.

Fortunately, the faint light from the shield's surface extended over He Lingchuan's body. The Mirror Shield itself possessed the properties of a protective heart mirror, consistently offering him full-body defense, albeit with limited strength.

Two popping sounds emanated from his body as two more protective artifacts shattered. Any hunter preparing to enter the Fraser Realm would be well-equipped, and He Lingchuan had specifically acquired extra gear.

Regardless, he had successfully parried his opponent's most insidious and brutal strike, seizing the opportunity to counterattack.

With both combatants in close proximity, He Lingchuan immediately delivered a powerful, heavy shield bash.

As the opponent's center opened up, the Fusheng blade, previously hidden behind the shield, suddenly emerged, striking like a viper straight for the opponent's abdomen.

He Lingchuan now clearly saw that the attacker from behind was, shockingly, still Hu Bin!

Twice; his opponent had ambushed him twice.

The 'Hu Bin' bound by spider silk behind He Lingchuan slowly blurred, its form gradually fading until only two strands of spider silk swayed in the air.

Hu Bin recognized his follow-up move and, instead of taking it head-on, leaped back a step, dodging the Fusheng blade.

The blade gave him a distinct feeling of danger.

Furthermore, his great cross-slash had been met with a counter-shock from the shield. He knew his own strength best; even a ten to twenty percent rebound was enough to make his Qi and blood surge, cause a sharp pain in the web of his thumb, and severely jar his shoulder.

Having finally regained a slight advantage, how could He Lingchuan let it slip away? This was already a treacherous mountain path, and given the terrain, Hu Bin was below him. He Lingchuan's attack consequently unfolded like a tiger descending a mountain—ferocious and unstoppable.

Attacking from above conferred a significant advantage, both physically and psychologically.

Unlike his opponent's shifting attacks, He Lingchuan's shield bashes were exceptionally fierce, executed with broad, unreserved movements, while his right hand's Fusheng blade was unpredictable, targeting vital points with no regard for martial ethics.

The opposing styles of his two weapons left his enemy completely disoriented.

This was one of the combat techniques he had learned in the Great Gale Army, known as the 'Clam Sting.' It was inspired by a small clam, no longer than a pinky finger, that lived in the salt lake north of Panlong City. This clam, adept at fishing, had a venomous barb on its hatchet-like foot, which it could suddenly spring out from under its shell to stab nearby small fish.

The Great Gale Army adopted this method for combat, emphasizing a combination of robustness and unpredictability to disrupt the enemy's rhythm.

At every opportunity, he pressed forward, consolidating his position with each step.

Both were seasoned veterans, resolute and unwavering. Sparks from their blades illuminated the dim mountain wilderness, reflecting their equally fierce gazes.

When rivals meet on a narrow path, the brave one wins—and neither of them had a retreat!

From the very beginning, this was a fight to the death.

Fan Sheng and Meng Shan were simply incomparable to Hu Bin. Yet, as He Lingchuan fought, he grew more fluid, more comfortable, and increasingly excited.

From the moment he obtained the Ziwu Art in Panlong City, he had diligently practiced, not daring to slack off for a single day.

Since taking his first sip of Emperor's Dew, his progress had been relentless.

From the first time his blood stained the yellow sand, he knew his only path was one of courageous and relentless advancement.

However, upon entering Beijia, he had diligently kept his secrets and maintained a low profile, always acting cautiously and engaging in extensive maneuvering.

Even though he was a rational person, the long-accumulated suppression, anger, and resentment were bound to find an outlet and surge forth.

Like now, under these grueling gravitational conditions.

The more Hu Bin fought, the more unnerved he became.

He keenly perceived that his opponent was fighting with increasing fluidity, his blade technique and fighting spirit both gradually reaching their peak.

Like a coiled dragon, rising with unstoppable momentum.

In terms of close-quarters combat and grappling, it had been a long time since anyone could match him blow for blow. Yet, this youth was actually using him as a whetstone, on the verge of a breakthrough in real combat.

Just a few months prior, he had barely emerged, barely capable of withstanding a single exchange.

Such progress was truly outrageous!

His premonition had been correct; he should have cut him down then and there to prevent this future trouble.

The two had fought their way back from the rock crevice into a wider rock hollow. With the sudden change in environment, their fighting styles would necessarily adapt.

His opponent grew more excited with each blow, but Hu Bin wasn't worried. While He Lingchuan's momentum was strong, his true energy was being consumed like an unceasing flood from an open sluice gate. Given that the Fraser Realm had nearly four times the gravity, every full-force attack came at a significant cost.

By the time this kid realized it, his *dantian* would likely be bottoming out. In such a situation, Hu Bin could conserve his strength and eventually seize an opportunity to turn the tables and go on the offensive.

Hu Bin had honed his skills on battlefields for many years, defeating countless powerful enemies. He knew well that victory or defeat wasn't decided in a fleeting moment, but solely by the final outcome.

He still had a hidden move, a trump card. The moment He Lingchuan's strength faltered, that would be his chance for vengeance!

He just needed to wait for it—

Suddenly, with a resounding bang, a stone exploded about two *zhang* away from them.

At least it appeared to be a stone on the surface.

This was a marker He Lingchuan had previously buried in the ground around the rock hollow. It looked and felt like a stone, but inside, it was hollow, concealing a muffled thunder bomb and a fire talisman. The talisman would ignite upon pressure, triggering the muffled thunder explosion.

When the blast wave hit, no one could escape it.

The shockwave from the explosion blasted both of them away, their bodies glowing as their protective artifacts automatically activated.

Fortunately, both were highly skilled; they each executed a mid-air somersault and landed steadily on the ground.

Hu Bin secretly cursed. No wonder He Lingchuan had pushed him back into the rock hollow; he had clearly intended to use the hidden thunder bombs to blow him to smithereens.

He had almost fallen for the kid's trap.

But he wasn't happy at all, because the muffled thunder bombs wouldn't detonate unless stepped on.

An uninvited guest had arrived in the rock hollow, silently sneaking up to within two *zhang* of them.

Now that it had been directly caught in the blast, it no longer bothered to hide and immediately revealed itself.

Two *zhang* tall, with a mouth like a saltwater crocodile, powerful muscles, and sharp claws...

The Wu Beast leader had appeared!

Caught off guard by the muffled thunder, it fell onto a nearby large rock with a dull thud.

The rock tumbled down to the bottom of the cliff.

But the Wu Beast leader immediately rose and shook itself. The muffled thunder hadn't injured its body, but it had certainly sparked its fury.

He Lingchuan hissed. Li Qingge had distinctly assured him that while these muffled thunder bombs had a small blast radius, their power was incredibly concentrated, capable of splitting a several-thousand-jin Danube Beast in half.

If even the tough-skinned Danube Beast could be affected this way, what chance did Hu Bin have if he stepped on one?

He hadn't anticipated that the Wu Beast leader would accidentally detonate the bomb before Hu Bin could step on it, nor had he imagined that such a powerful muffled thunder wouldn't inflict any damage on the creature.

It was far too durable. No wonder it dared to confront a lord-level creature like the Thunder-Quelling Giant Beast head-on.

Even if this creature wasn't lord-level, it must be incredibly close, right?

(End of Chapter)