Nine Dragons Saint Ancestor

”Just a mere Hidden Finger, and you think it can hurt me?”

Sensing the energy stealthily attacking him, Yun Xiao revealed a peculiarly strange smile on his face. The words that came out of his mouth made Yue Manlou’s expression grow even darker.

”Try it and you’ll see!”

As the power of the Hidden Finger approached Yun Xiao within mere feet, Yue Manlou was confident, as if trying to prove the power of the Hidden Finger with such words. He had every reason to believe that this kid would soon be pierced through the skull and die by the Hidden Finger.

”It seems you don’t understand the true mystery of the Hidden Finger!”

The strange look on Yun Xiao’s face did not diminish. He then extended his hand and grabbed at the void where seemingly nothing was there, a move that puzzled some of the onlookers.

”How does he know?”

As the person involved, Yue Manlou was shocked to see Yun Xiao’s five fingers grasping in the direction where the energy of the Hidden Finger was about to erupt.

Yet, following Yun Xiao’s grab, the power of the Hidden Finger vanished abruptly, or rather, he crushed it so quickly that it couldn’t threaten him at all anymore.

Just this inexplicable hand-grabbing action brought much shock to Yue Manlou’s heart, but in the next moment, he couldn’t think too much.

”Not good!”

At this moment, Yue Manlou suddenly realized an extremely strange yet familiar aura attacking from the right rear side. If he stayed there, his life would be at risk.

In an instant, Yue Manlou didn’t have time to think. Seeing his body remaining motionless but shifting two feet to the left, if Yun Xiao’s partners saw this action, they might be struck speechless.

”Zombie Body Technique, huh?”

Seeing Yue Manlou’s movement, Yun Xiao couldn’t help but show a hint of surprise, silently acknowledging that the movement technique he once studied with that Dragon Needle had indeed been passed on to other Cultivators in the Dark Assassination.

Clearly, this was the bizarre method Yun Xiao had used during his time on the Hidden Dragon Continent to escape countless deadly attacks. This method was jointly studied by the Long Xiao Battle God and Dragon Needle in his previous life.

Since Dragon Needle delves deeply into assassination techniques, it inevitably explores some special Body Meridian Techniques. This Zombie Body Technique allows one to evade an enemy’s attack unexpectedly, and also provides an opportunity to deliver a deadly counterattack.

Whoosh!

The sound of wind breaking grazed past Yue Manlou’s neck, causing him to break out in a cold sweat. At the same time, a look of intense disbelief rose in his eyes because he already sensed what that attack was.

”It’s the Hidden Finger! But how... how could he execute the Hidden Finger?”

Clearly, Yue Manlou, who used the Zombie Body Technique to avoid a lethal hit, instantly recognized the covert attack appearing behind him as his usually unrivaled sinister assassination technique, the Hidden Finger.

But, as far as Yue Manlou knew, apart from a few reputable assassins in the Dark Assassination or top young talents, others weren’t qualified to cultivate the Hidden Finger.

Originally, Yue Manlou also didn’t have the qualifications. It was only after he risked his life to complete an extremely dangerous task that he obtained the method to cultivate the Hidden Finger.

But this coarse-clothed youth with the wooden sword, to Yue Manlou appeared extremely unfamiliar, so he could be certain this person was not one of the Dark Assassination’s assassins. But why could he execute such a secret technique as the Hidden Finger?

”This person... cannot be left alive!”

After discovering that Yun Xiao was using the Hidden Finger as an ultimate technique, even though Yue Manlou was greatly shocked, his killing intent intensified multiple times. Every secret technique of the Dark Assassination was extremely confidential. If they were leaked, their assassination methods wouldn’t be as effective.

”I already told you, you don’t truly understand the mystery of the Hidden Finger!”

Just as Yue Manlou’s killing intent surged, that coarse-clothed youth lightly spoke again, then smiled at him and snapped his fingers.

Pop! Pop!

With two light pops resounding, bursts of crimson bloodflowers exploded from both shoulders of this Dark Star Yue Manlou, appearing extremely striking.

”Why... why is this happening?”

Yue Manlou, feeling the acute pain from his shoulders, was shocked to the core, even harboring a sense of uncontainable fear—fear towards that coarse-clothed youth.

Because at this moment Yue Manlou could clearly sense that the blood holes pierced through his shoulders were caused by the seemingly unstoppable Hidden Finger. Yet he had just used the Zombie Body Technique to evade the Hidden Finger’s attack.

Thus, it was evident that what the coarse-clothed youth said was true. There were many aspects of the Hidden Finger technique that Yue Manlou hadn’t fully grasped. His shoulders being pierced was due to another type of execution of the Hidden Finger.

Plink!

As Yue Man Building pondered, the snapping sound from the young boy echoed again, and this time, the blood splattered from Yue Man Building’s right forearm.

”This person is too eerie. It’s better to retreat for now!”

The intense pain from his right forearm finally made Yue Man Building understand some facts—that the rough-clothed boy opposite him, much younger in age, might not be someone he could contend with.

Seeing that prolonging this fight would lead to being pierced by the unknown Hidden Finger technique, Yue Man Building realized this was not the outcome he desired.

At this moment, Yue Man Building’s murderous intent diminished, his sole thought now was to survive. A strange aura emitted from him, transforming his entire body into a black mist.

”Fog Escape, perhaps?”

With Yun Xiao’s knowledge of the Dark Assassination, the techniques of Yue Man Building are revealed to his discerning eyes, like many techniques such as Hidden Finger, which were jointly researched in his past life with Dragon Needle.

This so-called Fog Escape doesn’t truly transform a person into mist, that’s exclusively the Strange Spirit’s domain. This technique uses the sudden appearance of mist to hide and flee.

Yet under Yun Xiao’s sensing with Heavenly Rank Advanced Soul, the figure of Yue Man Building hidden in the mist was exposed, with an instant attack from Hidden Finger arriving swiftly.

”Huh?”

However, when Yun Xiao assumed that his Hidden Finger strike would surely claim Yue Man Building’s life, his expression shifted slightly, as he turned his gaze to a particular direction.

Splat!

There, a mist-formed body exploded with a sound, but no blood or flesh spurted out, dissipating into nothing within a brief moment.

”Tsk tsk, I didn’t expect after a hundred years since I, Long Xiao Battle God, left Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, that old fellow Gu Yilong would actually research Fog Puppet successfully!”

From Yun Xiao’s insight and experiences, it only took a moment to understand what was truly happening, realizing that he underestimated the Master of Dark Assassination.

It turns out Yue Man Building had used an escape technique beyond Fog Escape, forming a puppet from the mist to make his getaway.

Back in the day when Yun Xiao sparred with the Dragon Needle’s Master, Fog Escape was a basic demonstration, and forming Fog Puppet was just a vague idea.

Now it appears that during the hundred years since Long Xiao Battle God’s ”death,” the Master of Dark Assassination honed Fog Escape to reveal special transformations.

Especially since the Fog Puppet could even avoid Yun Xiao’s sensing with Heavenly Rank Advanced Soul, it showed how realistic the aura was, which was crucial for Yue Man Building’s escape.

”Who exactly is that guy? How does he seem to know all of the Dark Assassination’s techniques?”

The true body, now appearing miles away, Yue Man Building heaved a sigh of relief upon realizing the bizarre and terrifying boy wasn’t pursuing, yet his mind brimmed with relentless doubt.

Initially, Yue Man Building hadn’t planned to use Fog Puppet, only Fog Escape, but in that moment of clairvoyance, considering the opponent’s Hidden Finger trickery, he resorted to this ultimate escape technique.

As proven by Yue Man Building’s survival, it was that flash of inspiration which played a critical role, confirming that simple Fog Escape couldn’t escape the discerning eyes of the rough-clothed boy.

Feeling the puppet he left behind had dissipated, Hua Manlou’s confused mind housed a trace of fear, musing that should he encounter that strange boy again, he mustn’t be negligent at all.

”Hmph, once I obtain the Supreme Treasure hidden by the Nangong Family and advance to Heavenly Realm Late Stage, I’ll make you repay today’s humiliation doubly!”

Recognizing it wasn’t safe to linger here, Yue Man Building dared not stay longer. As he left, a cold hum resonated far, revealing the dissatisfaction deep within his heart.

This young bright star known as Dark Assassination Star had been injured by someone whose name was unknown, which was a blow to Yue Man Building’s pride.

Yet he wasn’t discouraged, for he didn’t visit for Heavenly Void Soul Liquid, but for another purpose. As long as he found that place, he believed his strength would vastly improve.

Since Yue Man Building had already escaped miles away, Yun Xiao paid no heed to such a defeated opponent and refrained from pursuing further.

As he redirected his gaze, he savored scanning the observing cultivators outside, lightly tossing the bluish liquid in his hand.

”Do you still desire this Heavenly Void Soul Liquid?”

His calm voice echoed through the dense forest, causing all the observing cultivators to subconsciously take a few steps back, fearing the boy would vent his frustration from Yue Man Building’s escape onto them.

For a moment, the dense forest was utterly silent.