A chill, without warning, rose from the base of his spine and instantly spread throughout his body.
Wáng Lín, who was tilling the soil in the field, suddenly stopped.
He felt as if he were being watched by something, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
It was killing intent!
And it was that kind of undisguised, bone-chilling killing intent!
Wáng Lín's heart sank to the bottom.
He didn't need to turn around to know who had arrived.
It was Lǐ Dàgǒu's brother, Lǐ Dàhǔ.
The notorious Qi Cultivation Layer 5 expert rumored to live by licking blood in the Black Wind Mountain Range.
Trouble, after all, had found him.
And it had come faster and fiercer than he had anticipated.
Wáng Lín did not turn around, not even revealing a hint of surprise.
He merely paused, then continued to swing his hoe, again and again, as if the deadly sense of crisis he had just felt was merely his imagination.
From this moment on, a silent contest for survival had begun.
He couldn't panic, couldn't be flustered, and certainly couldn't show that he had already detected the other party's presence.
Any sign of abnormality would cause the viper hidden in the shadows to strike immediately and sever his throat.
All he could do now was maintain his persona.
The persona of a hardworking, dull-witted farming boy, oblivious to danger.
Time ticked by, second by second.
The killing intent, like a thorn in his back, never disappeared, pressing down on Wáng Lín's heart like a heavy stone.
He could feel the other party's gaze sweeping back and forth between him and this Spirit Field.
Wáng Lín knew what the other party was thinking.
A cultivator with Pseudo Five Elements Spiritual Root, eleven years old, but possessing farming skills far beyond normal – this was the biggest suspicion in itself.
Lǐ Dàhǔ would absolutely not believe the nonsense that his brother ran away for ten spirit stones.
He must now consider him the killer of his brother, and a walking treasure trove carrying immense riches.
"I must find a way to deal with him!"
Wáng Lín's mind raced as he mechanically swung his hoe.
Fight head-on?
Impossible.
He was at Qi Cultivation Layer 3, and the other party was at Qi Cultivation Layer 5.
There were one or two minor realms between them, and the difference in strength was like heaven and earth.
Let alone that he only had "Mysterious Water Needle" as his trump card, even if he had several more, a frontal assault would undoubtedly be a death sentence.
Then he could only rely on strategy.
Use traps, use ambushes.
Use his most skilled methods to deal with this enemy, who was a hundred times more troublesome than Lǐ Èrgǒu.
Wáng Lín's heart gradually calmed down.
The more dangerous it was, the calmer he became.
He began to inventory all his trump cards in his mind.
The perfect completion realm "Minor Cloud Rain Technique," which could derive the incredibly lethal "Mysterious Water Needle."
The perfect completion realm "Metal Control Formula," which could imbue ordinary iron with the sharpness of a Magic Tool.
The perfect completion realm "Spring Revival Technique," which he had modified into a highly concealed "Slow Down Technique" to impede enemies' movements.
And the escape tunnel, which he had spent over a year digging with his own hands, leading from under his straw hut bed to a hidden cave in the back mountain.
These were all his resources.
Would they be enough to kill a Qi Cultivation Layer 5 cultivator?
Wáng Lín was not sure.
But he had no choice.
The sun gradually set in the west. Wáng Lín, as usual, put away his farming tools and, with his tired body, walked back to the straw hut.
That killing intent followed him like a shadow.
He knew the other party was waiting.
Waiting for the best opportunity.
Waiting for the dead of night, when everyone was asleep.
That would be the time for him to act.
And also, the time for Wáng Lín to counterattack.
Night soon fell.
The outskirts of the market town fell into a deathly silence.
Wáng Lín lay on his wooden plank bed, eyes closed, breathing steadily, like a child in deep sleep.
But the Breath Concealing Pendant he wore around his neck had been activated to its extreme.
All his focus was concentrated on his ears, carefully listening for any slight disturbance from the outside world.
He knew that the viper had arrived at his doorstep.
...
Night.
A cold wind blew, rustling a few dry leaves on the ground, making faint scratching sounds that added to the eeriness of the silent night.
Wáng Lín's straw hut stood silently like an inconspicuous dirt clod in the darkness.
Suddenly, a shadow, darker than the night, appeared soundlessly in front of the hut's door.
It was Lǐ Dàhǔ.
He landed as silently as a civet cat, his terrifying killing intent completely concealed.
He was like the most experienced hunter, concealing all his presence before launching a fatal strike.
He didn't rush to push the door.
Instead, he first cocked his ear, listening carefully for any movement inside.
Inside, there was only the sound of steady, prolonged breathing.
Like that of a child in deep sleep.
A cruel smile flickered across Lǐ Dàhǔ's lips.
He reached into his storage bag and pulled out a pale yellow talisman.
"Seal Breaking Talisman."
A type of talisman specifically used to break low-level restrictive formations.
Although he didn't believe an eleven-year-old child could set up any decent formations, he believed in acting with full force even against a rabbit.
This was the first rule he had learned in countless life-and-death struggles.
He silently placed the talisman on the door.
A faint spiritual light flashed and vanished from the talisman.
There was no reaction from any restriction on the door.
Contempt flashed in Lǐ Dàhǔ's eyes.
As expected, he had been overthinking.
He reached out and gently pushed open the dilapidated wooden door.
"Squeak..."
A faint, grating sound echoed in the silent night, exceptionally sharp.
The room became even darker.
A musty smell, mixed with earth and straw, wafted towards him.
Lǐ Dàhǔ's eyes gleamed with a faint green light in the darkness – a Night Vision Spell he cultivated.
At a glance, he saw the figure lying on the bed, covered by a ragged quilt, with only the back of a small head exposed.
The prey was in sight.
Without hesitation, his body flickered, and like a ghost, he drifted silently inside.
He intended to first cripple the boy's limbs using the most brutal methods, then slowly interrogate him for all his secrets.
He wanted this killer of his brother to die screaming in endless pain and despair!
However, the moment his foot touched the ground inside the hut.
An unexpected event occurred!
His foot sank, as if stepping into an invisible, viscous mire!
An unseen force, carrying a strange vitality, instantly entangled his legs, making his movements several times slower!
"Not good! A trap!"
Lǐ Dàhǔ was horrified!
He never imagined that the trap was not set at the door, but on this ordinary-looking floor!
And the aura of this spell was extremely concealed, even deceiving his Spiritual Sense and the Seal Breaking Talisman!
This was a variation of "Spring Revival Technique" – the "Slow Down Technique"!
Wáng Lín had reversed the application of this spell, originally used to nourish the land.
Excess vitality led to decay and slowness.
He had placed this trap on the path leading to the door, covered it with a thick layer of dry grass, perfectly concealing all traces.
The moment Lǐ Dàhǔ fell into the trap and his body became stiff.
Wáng Lín moved!
He hadn't been sleeping at all!
He leaped from the bed, his eyes devoid of sleepiness, only killing intent!
He formed a strange hand seal with both hands and let out a low roar at the dark room.
"Kill!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
In the next second, the entire straw hut seemed to come alive!
From the walls on all sides, from the gaps in the thatched roof, even from the cracks in the floor!
Dozens of "Mysterious Water Needles," thinner than a strand of hair and gleaming with a faint blue cold light, shot like a downpour towards Lǐ Dàhǔ in the center of the room from all unimaginable angles!
Only faint, almost imperceptible rustling sounds were heard, like the scythe of death slicing through the air!
This was the killing setup Wáng Lín had meticulously arranged for a full year!
The Mysterious Water Flying Needle Formation!He had preset all the "Mysterious Water Needles" he could condense in various corners of the straw hut, connecting them with extremely fine spiritual energy threads to form a chain-activated deadly kill formation!
This formation had no other purpose.
It had only one objective.
To tear the enemy to shreds instantly with overwhelming attacks at the most unexpected and unguarded moment!
Lǐ Dàhǔ's pupils constricted!
He felt an unprecedented, fatal sense of death!
"Roar!"
At the brink of death, Lǐ Dàhǔ unleashed an astonishing potential!
With a fierce roar, the Spiritual Energy within his body surged out unscrupulously!
A thick, solid, wall-like earth-yellow protective spiritual shield instantly expanded around his body!
This was his life-saving ultimate skill – the "Thick Earth Shield"!
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
In the next second, a dense, scalp-tingling series of crisp sounds, like hailstones hitting an iron plate, erupted madly in the small straw hut!
Dozens of Mysterious Water Needles fiercely struck the Thick Earth Shield!
The seemingly indestructible spiritual shield's surface instantly rippled violently, and small pits continuously appeared on the shield's surface!
"Crack..."
After only supporting for less than a breath, a minute crack appeared on the Thick Earth Shield!
Lǐ Dàhǔ's eyes widened like copper bells!
He couldn't believe it!
His Thick Earth Shield, which could withstand the full-power strike of a Qi Cultivation Layer 5 cultivator, actually... actually couldn't block these tiny water needles?!
What kind of magic was this!
What kind of monster was this kid!
In a mix of rage and shock, he furiously propelled the Spiritual Energy within his body again!
However, there were too many Mysterious Water Needles!
And the angles were too tricky!
Just as he was fully maintaining his frontal defense, a few needles shot from below his feet and from behind accurately penetrated the weakest parts of the spiritual shield!
"Pfft! Pfft!"
Two light sounds of flesh being pierced!
A bone-chilling cold pain suddenly shot from his left shoulder and right thigh!
"Ah!"
Lǐ Dàhǔ let out a pained groan, stumbling and almost falling to his knees.
He looked down and saw two streams of blood gushing from his wounds!
The flesh around the wounds began to turn black and freeze at a visible rate!
A cold, sinister spiritual energy was drilling into his body along his meridians, attempting to freeze his Spiritual Energy and vitality!
What a powerful and venomous spell!
Lǐ Dàhǔ was both shocked and enraged. He quickly diverted a portion of his attention to suppress the cold energy within his body.
And in this moment of distraction, his Thick Earth Shield, which was already unable to bear the strain, finally shattered with a "bang"!
The remaining dozen or so Mysterious Water Needles found their outlet and shot towards his remaining vital points!
"No!"
Lǐ Dàhǔ's eyes widened with rage!
He couldn't have imagined that he, a battle-hardened Qi Cultivation Layer 5 cultivator, would fall into a gutter today, defeated by an eleven-year-old child!
However, just as he thought he was certain to die.
Wáng Lín made an unexpected move.
After a successful blow, Wáng Lín didn't even check the results, nor did he have any thoughts of lingering for a fight!
Like an agile civet cat, the moment he activated the trap, he rolled on the ground and went straight under the bed.
He skillfully lifted a disguised wooden plank, revealing a dark hole.
Then, without looking back, he plunged headfirst into it!
At the last moment before his body completely disappeared into the hole, he pulled the wooden plank back into place with his hand!
The entire process was smooth and swift, reaching extreme speed!
When Lǐ Dàhǔ, with the last of his Spiritual Energy, and in a disheveled state, managed to block the remaining flying needles, the straw hut was already empty.
Only the mess on the floor and the faint scent of blood lingered in the air.
"Where is he?!"
Lǐ Dàhǔ panted, looking around with rage and disbelief in his eyes.
He saw the empty bed, then his gaze fell on the floor beneath it.
He kicked away the old wooden bed with his foot, revealing the ordinary-looking floor.
He reached out and lifted it with force!
A narrow, deep tunnel, leading to an unknown destination, appeared before him.
"Little beast!!"
Lǐ Dàhǔ's body trembled with anger as he looked at the dark hole, the scar on his face twisting like a centipede.
He pulled out the Mysterious Water Needle still stuck in his shoulder and held it up to his eyes.
The needle was crystal clear, and the cold spiritual energy it contained made even him, a Qi Cultivation Layer 5 cultivator, feel a sense of trepidation.
This was definitely not a power that a Qi Cultivation Layer 3 cultivator could wield!
Coupled with the extremely concealed trap, the ruthlessly effective chain attack, and this escape tunnel prepared for who knows how long...
"It's him! It must be him!"
"Èrgǒu died at the hands of this little beast!"
Lǐ Dàhǔ harbored no further doubt.
His rage, at this moment, reached its peak!
But then, a greed even stronger than his rage instantly engulfed everything!
A child of eleven years possessed such terrifying cunning and methods!
What kind of secret was hidden within him?
Was it a cultivation technique? A Magic Tool? Or some tremendous fortune?
Whatever it was, if he could obtain it, he, Lǐ Dàhǔ, might be able to break through his bottleneck, and even... glimpse the ethereal Foundation Establishment Path!
"I will capture you! And dig out all the secrets on you!!"
Lǐ Dàhǔ looked at the bottomless dark tunnel, his eyes gleaming with madness.
He swore that he would tear this brat to shreds!