It took me an hour to make it back, and from quite a distance away, I spotted a figure standing outside the cave dwelling. Upon closer inspection, I realized this was the very target of my mission. I crept forward stealthily, slowly closing the distance. When I was within three thousand meters, I suddenly launched my attack.
I unleashed the fifth sword technique of Qingyun, "Spring in an Instant," followed by the twelfth, "Dazzling Light Slash," the ninth, "Qingling Sand," and the eleventh, "Cloud Shield Ascending to Heaven," before finishing with a "Strike of the Heavens." I aimed downward, but to my surprise, the guy didn't move an inch. My first three strikes had been calculated based on his predicted trajectory. His refusal to move caught me off guard, and my sword techniques all missed, leaving me feeling as though my intelligence had been soundly crushed.
Before I could even collect my thoughts, I hit the ground with a thud, smashing a crater into the earth. I had failed to kill my target and had managed to injure myself instead. I scrambled to my feet, sensing no immediate danger.
Chapter 417