The Ethereal Domains

Chapter 948: Terrified!

Terrified! . . .

Han Bingxue unleashed a full-powered strike without any pretense of concealing his identity. The Frost Ninefold Heaven's Art, a technique synonymous with his name, left behind a glaring trail. Anyone with even a modest understanding of the martial world would readily identify it as the work of the Frost Sword.

With a chuckle, Han Bingxue extended his hand. A swirling force gathered the frost qi back to him, a low and resonant sound signifying its return. His hands, raised high, signaled the restoration of tranquility, save for the four lifeless bodies.

[He's aware of my ability to retract my frost qi... Not an ordinary young man...] Han Bingxue ruminated while performing this task.

"Let's depart."

The two individuals, Cha Eun Xiao and Han Bingxue, took flight one after the other and swiftly vanished into the depths of the forest.

...

In a short span, the battleground had already become a scene of chaos. A growing contingent from Saint Sunlight Sect had arrived, their voices resounding with a mix of rage and astonishment.

More and more sect members gathered.

Their eyes bore witness to an inconceivable sight. A man, previously on the brink of death and anticipated to expire at any moment, had astoundingly... dispatched four Dao Origin Stage cultivators simultaneously before calmly escaping.

The area had been meticulously cleansed, leaving no traces of his presence. His whereabouts remained a mystery, and not a soul could decipher the path he had taken.

Only one plausible explanation presented itself: Shadowless Assassin must be exponentially more formidable than the four deceased men. Furthermore, he was adept at obfuscating his movements, rendering him virtually invisible. He concealed not only his physical presence but also his aura, his spiritual power, and even his malevolence.

Aware of Shadowless Assassin's capabilities, they knew he was a pinnacle Dao Origin Stage cultivator, but they grappled with a profound dilemma: he should have been incapacitated, on the precipice of death.

[The elders who gravely wounded him unequivocally declared his imminent demise!]

[How, then, could he possibly elude discovery so effectively?]

[His capacity to remain hidden with such expertise implies he retains the ability to fight...]

[Although he may not contend with our sect's top-tier cultivators, could he be formidable enough to confront us?]

They weren't gullible; they comprehended the formidable might and dread inspired by a pinnacle Dao Origin Stage cultivator.

Everyone aspired for accolades, but the prospect of endangering their own lives cast a different light on the matter.

Abruptly, a collective trepidation overcame them. Their hearts brimmed with apprehension.

Could Shadowless Assassin potentially eliminate them all, even in a state of partial recovery?

Should he regain full vitality, he might systematically dismantle the congregation of thousands, one victim at a time.

"Dispatch a message to the sect! We need reinforcements! Inform them... Shadowless Assassin has fully recuperated!" ordered a middle-aged man with a dark beard.

"Yes," came the obedient response.

The middle-aged man released a profound sigh as he observed the carrier hawk ascending into the sky. The moment had arrived, marking Saint Sunlight Sect's most ambitious and large-scale operation in the past two years. For the first time, they had deployed over twenty senior-level cultivators simultaneously.

However, the venture had not come without a price. In the pursuit of Cha Eun Xiao, their elite cultivators had suffered a range of injuries, some so severe that recovery seemed implausible. Once it was established that Shadowless Assassin was critically wounded and on the brink of death, the decision was reached: some would continue the chase, while the injured could return to the sect to convalesce.

The younger generation had been entrusted with the task of the hunt, a formidable training exercise, laden with potential peril.

"Fear not death. We have no use for those who tremble at its specter," the elders had impressed upon the disciples, encapsulating the sect's unyielding ethos.

"Let this mission serve as an invaluable learning experience for our younger disciples," they extolled. "Shadowless Assassin, despite his immobility, still emanates an awe-inspiring aura. Those who endure this ordeal shall emerge mentally and physically fortified."

"They shall come to appreciate the resilience of the soul and gain firsthand knowledge that even a level nine Dao Origin Stage cultivator can be subdued, and ultimately vanquished, by their counterparts of lower stature, through unrelenting perseverance. Such stark realities of the martial world serve as salutary lessons."

"The sect shall reap enduring benefits from their participation, and the death of a superlative cultivator shall resound as a cautionary parable throughout the Qing-Yun Realm."

Such was the calculated strategy Saint Sunlight Sect had devised, widely regarded as flawless.

The harsh, Darwinian principles of the martial world were unequivocal: the strong prevailed.

Saint Sunlight Sect intended for their youthful disciples to assimilate this axiom. Yet, circumstances deviated from their expectations. The young disciples would only successfully complete their mission and pass their trial if Shadowless Assassin was genuinely incapacitated and unable to retaliate. What if, contrarily, he retained his power, concealed it, or, by some fortuitous turn, made a full recovery?

In sending a multitude of young disciples into the wilderness, they had essentially delivered a flock, or rather a herd of rabbits, into the lair of a colossal tiger. They had unwittingly offered themselves as a feast for the predator.

The situation was perilous, and their only recourse was damage control.

"All disciples, adhere to a strict group formation! No solitary ventures!"

"Remain within our established range. Dao Origin Stage disciples, be vigilant. Should any sign of danger arise, avoid conflict and immediately signal the others."

The middle-aged man with the dark beard issued his orders with an air of solemnity. This was the sole, albeit less than optimistic, strategy that could potentially salvage their own.

Prayers loomed large in his thoughts. [Elders, venerable elders... Please hasten your assistance...]

[In the event Shadowless Assassin emerges, I, a mere level seven Dao Origin Stage cultivator, may prove insufficient to restrain him.]

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