Chapter 015
Chapter 15: Blurred Visions
In the blink of an eye, the shadow before Yu Chang Lu split suddenly into two.
A blinding flash of blade-light erupted from within the shadows. It was swift beyond measure, roaring forth with the fury of heavenly thunder, aiming straight for his arms.
Fear gripped Yu Chang Lu’s heart. He exploded with internal Qi, intending to dodge swiftly aside.
Yet at that moment, another blade-light tore through the air with a piercing whistle, aiming directly at his throat.
An intense dread of death screamed in his mind, warning him clearly: [If I dare dodge, my head will be severed!]
Yu Chang Lu froze in terror, hesitation binding him. In that brief instant, two lines of blood sprayed from his arms.
An abrupt numbness overtook him, and his arms fell limp. The giant hammer he carried dropped heavily to the ground like a tree cut from its roots.
Looking down, Yu Chang Lu saw a slim, cold blade pressed lightly against his neck. He could no longer feel his fallen arms at all.
“Qi projection? You’re a Martial Grandmaster?”
Yu Chang Lu raised his eyes, shocked and terrified, staring at Cang Yin Yue, who stood calmly before him.
Just then, a mountain breeze stirred Cang Yin Yue’s slender figure. Beneath the gently fluttering veil came a cool, clear voice:
“Not quite yet. Only half a step.”
In the path of martial cultivation, the Acquired Stage had three minor realms based on how many meridians a practitioner had cleared.
The Innate Realm likewise had three stages.
Clearing both Ren and Du meridians and drawing heaven and earth’s Qi into one’s body marked the first stage, Innate Expert.
If martial Qi could rotate internally and project outward in solid form, one entered the second stage—the Martial Grandmaster realm.
Any Martial Grandmaster commanded considerable respect in the Martial World, holding an elder’s status within the Bloodbath Alliance.
The twin shadows Cang Yin Yue summoned were a combination of her Puppet Shadow Body, a skill from her Ling Cang Shadow Art, and the condensed form of martial Qi.
Yet she still couldn’t perform true Qi projection fully. This technique was a clever shortcut rather than lasting mastery.
Even so, with this skill, she wouldn’t easily fall behind a true Martial Grandmaster.
“What does Miss Cang plan to do with them?”
Li Mu Sheng’s voice suddenly sounded behind her.
He sat lazily on his pack mule, thoughtfully studying Yu Chang Lu, whose hand tendons had been cut.
At these words, Yu Chang Lu instinctively glanced toward Li Mu Sheng, then toward his subordinates.
Yet he saw them standing utterly still, frozen like statues upon the mountain path.
Confusion filled Yu Chang Lu’s heart.
During his fight with Cang Yin Yue, he had glanced briefly at his men. Yet, he’d never once seen the young man move.
Li Mu Sheng had simply ridden forward on his unimpressive pack mule, yet Yu Chang Lu’s men were now strangely immobilized.
Cang Yin Yue had felt something similar.
Never truly regarding Yu Chang Lu as a threat, she’d watched Li Mu Sheng carefully while fighting, hoping to witness firsthand the mysterious acupoint sealing technique he wielded so skillfully, and perhaps find a way to break it.
To her great surprise, however, this time she’d seen nothing at all.
Yet somehow, all those from the Bloodbath Alliance had their acupoints sealed again.
“How did you manage it?”
Instead of answering Li Mu Sheng, Cang Yin Yue asked sharply, her piercing eyes fixed upon his youthful, casually mischievous face.
“How did I manage what?”
Li Mu Sheng was briefly puzzled, then turned around, realizing the meaning of her words.
“Oh, you mean them.”
Turning back, he said lazily:
“Of course, it’s my Sunflower Acupoint Sealing Technique. Didn’t I mention it before? It’s a martial art I created myself.”
Cang Yin Yue furrowed her delicate brows slightly and shook her head.
“But I didn’t see you move.”
Li Mu Sheng smiled gently.
“That just means your martial arts aren’t quite strong enough yet. You should practice harder. Honestly, I moved rather slowly just now.”
Cang Yin Yue snorted coldly, saying bluntly:
“You’re very good at bragging!”
The word “bragging” was something she’d learned from Li Mu Sheng himself. Using it against him now felt perfectly fitting.
Li Mu Sheng shrugged helplessly.
“Then let me demonstrate again. Please watch more closely this time.”
At these words, Yu Chang Lu, powerless to resist, became immediately alert. He fixed his eyes intently upon Li Mu Sheng.
Earlier, he hadn’t seen Li Mu Sheng move at all, and now he was extremely curious. What exactly had the young man done to subdue his men?
Yet to his great confusion, Li Mu Sheng remained perfectly still atop his mule. He suddenly asked, quite oddly:
“Miss Cang, did you see clearly this time?”
Before Yu Chang Lu understood what had happened, he heard a shocked exclamation from the woman.
“How did you do it?”
Cang Yin Yue’s eyes were filled with astonishment.
Because at the exact moment Li Mu Sheng finished speaking, she found herself unable to move. Her acupoints had been sealed entirely, preventing even her Qi from flowing.
All this had happened instantly, without any visible movement from Li Mu Sheng, who simply sat calmly upon the mule, seemingly unmoved.
“It’s merely practice makes perfect,” Li Mu Sheng modestly waved his hand and laughed gently.
“Miss Cang, don’t feel discouraged. If you keep training diligently, one day you’ll surely see clearly.”
As he spoke, he flicked his finger slightly, and Cang Yin Yue felt herself freed from restraint.
Her expression shifted repeatedly, and after deeply studying Li Mu Sheng, she slowly withdrew the slender blade from Yu Chang Lu’s neck, slipping it back into her sleeve.
“I underestimated you,” Cang Yin Yue murmured softly, exhaling lightly.
“Martial arts that seal acupoints from a distance are exceedingly rare in the Martial World. Clearly, you’ve reached Flawless Mastery in your skill. It’s only natural I couldn’t see your movements.”
Her gaze sharpened again as she regarded Yu Chang Lu.
“With such protective techniques, even Martial World Grandmasters would struggle to harm you. Our chances of safely making it through this journey have improved greatly.”
Yu Chang Lu still hadn’t recovered from his shock. He couldn’t tell if these young people were acting out some elaborate charade.
After all, Li Mu Sheng had not visibly moved a muscle.
Whether or not Li Mu Sheng had truly sealed the acupoints of Cang Yin Yue—a half-step Martial Grandmaster—in an instant was beyond his understanding or courage to question.
Yet, he vaguely understood why Cang Yin Yue hadn’t killed him.
(End of Chapter)