Thrilling Escape

In the middle of the night, inside a mountain cave,

Jiang Yun sat cross-legged on the ground. After fully absorbing the effects of the Body Refining Pill, he let out a breath, feeling his body becoming stronger and filled with explosive power.

The exhaustion from consecutive battles and some minor injuries had finally disappeared under the effects of the Yi Jin Jing and the Body Refining Pill. Although he didn't directly break through to the fifth level of physical cultivation this time, both the internal energy from the Yi Jin Jing and the spiritual energy contained within his body had grown significantly. Breaking through was only a matter of time.

Lost in his thoughts, Jiang Yun suddenly heard footsteps not far away, and his expression changed. The approaching person was incredibly fast, heading straight towards the cave. Within moments, they would reach the cave entrance. Without much time to think, Jiang Yun quickly hid behind a rock at the entrance.

A few minutes later, a figure appeared at the cave entrance. Seizing the moment when the person's vision adjusted to the sudden darkness inside the cave, Jiang Yun activated his internal energy and unleashed a swift sword attack on the intruder.

The brilliance of the sword illuminated the cave for an instant, allowing Jiang Yun to see the person's features, who seemed to be in their forties. Just as the sword light shone, the person raised their hand with a disdainful expression.

"Clang!"

As their hands met, a resounding clash of metal and iron echoed through the air, leaving Jiang Yun trembling with fear.

That sword attack was the most powerful move he had executed in this world. Whether it was the energy from his dantian or the explosive power of his physical body, Jiang Yun was at the peak since his arrival. He was confident that even a solid iron plate would be split in two by that strike. Yet, the person before him had simply blocked it with their arm.

"Who is this person? Even if my sword strike could cleave through a thousand-pound boulder, this person remains unscathed. Truly terrifying," Jiang Yun's mind was filled with astonishment, wondering how such a monstrous individual suddenly appeared with such profound cultivation.

It seemed that Jiang Yun sensed the astonishment in Jiang Yun's eyes as the middle-aged man fixed his gaze on him. The intense hatred in the man's eyes made Jiang Yun's heart skip a beat. The middle-aged man spoke, "I didn't expect a mere fourth-layer Body Martial cultivator like you to unleash such a fierce and swift strike. You're impressive, but you still have to die because you killed my disciple and my nephew."

Jiang Yun instantly realized that this person was from the Xiao family, but he didn't know which formidable expert from the Xiao family he was facing. Perplexed, Jiang Yun tried to deflect the situation, saying, "I don't know who your disciple and nephew are. Perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else."

The middle-aged man's face turned cold, and he angrily retorted, "Jiang Yun, do you think I can't recognize you? Wasn't it you who killed my nephew Xiao Kuan? Wasn't it you who took the life of my disciple Xiao Da with your sword?"

Jiang Yun suddenly understood. The person who had intercepted him earlier was evidently this man's disciple, and the one called Xiao Kuan was his nephew. It should be Xiao Wanshui, the second elder of the Xiao family. Jiang Yun had heard that he had already reached the sixth layer of Yuan Wu and was one of the three top experts in the Xiao family.

"Xiao Kuan repeatedly tried to kill me. What's wrong with me killing him? As for your disciple Xiao Da, since he was an enemy, if I didn't kill him, he would have killed me. There's nothing more to say. But as a senior, aren't you afraid of being laughed at for bullying someone younger?" Jiang Yun spoke to stall for time, ready to slip away at any moment. In the face of Xiao Wanshui's sixth-layer Yuan Wu cultivation, he had no hope of defeating him.

Seeing Jiang Yun's flickering gaze, Xiao Wanshui understood what Jiang Yun was thinking. He said, "Once I kill you, nobody will ever know."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Xiao Wanshui raised his palm once again and struck at Jiang Yun.

As the palm force surged, Jiang Yun knew that the power behind this strike was astonishing, far beyond what he could withstand. He felt as if he was caught in a storm, with surging spiritual energy like an unstoppable wave crashing towards him.

With the two of them being so close, Jiang Yun knew that even with the Four Symbols Steps, he wouldn't be able to completely dodge this palm. In a desperate situation, Jiang Yun could only mobilize all his internal energy and spiritual energy to protect his vital meridians. As the palm was about to make contact with him, he quickly lowered his body and used his left shoulder to intercept the strike.

Although he managed to avoid a fatal blow to his chest, Jiang Yun was still sent flying by Xiao Wanshui's palm, soaring out of the cave and crashing into a tree at a distance.

A cold smile curled up on Xiao Wanshui's lips as he followed through, intending to strike Jiang Yun once again.

"Accept my sword!" Jiang Yun roared, his body suddenly shooting up as he unleashed a brilliant sword light, slashing towards Xiao Wanshui.

Xiao Wanshui was also taken aback. He hadn't expected that even after taking his palm strike, Jiang Yun could unleash such a fierce sword attack. The sword light appeared even more dazzling than the previous strike. Xiao Wanshui didn't dare to be careless. While he had forcefully blocked the previous sword with his arm, he felt his blood and qi surging within him. Jiang Yun's swordsmanship was indeed profound.

Seeing Xiao Wanshui's focused expression, Jiang Yun realized that he had been fooled. In fact, this sword strike was nothing more than a feint, without any real power. It was just a diversionary tactic by Jiang Yun. Taking advantage of Xiao Wanshui's cautious state, Jiang Yun casually threw the sword at him and swiftly activated his footwork, sprinting away.

Seeing Jiang Yun's sword flying straight towards him, Xiao Wanshui thought it was a hidden killer move from Jiang Yun. After all, this young man had already surprised him too many times. He cautiously enveloped his palm with spiritual energy and caught Jiang Yun's sword. But upon contact, Xiao Wanshui realized he had been deceived. The sword had no power at all. By the time he looked up, Jiang Yun was already far away, running swiftly.

Slapping the sword away with his palm, Xiao Wanshui seethed with anger. He had been played by Jiang Yun, falling into his escape plan. His teeth clenched tightly, Xiao Wanshui swiftly activated his spiritual energy and chased after Jiang Yun.

Ahead of them was a river, with fast-flowing water. If Jiang Yun could reach it before Xiao Wanshui caught up, perhaps he could escape this disaster. However, the premise was that the rumor Jiang Yun had heard was true.

According to the rumor, when Xiao Wanshui was born, a great master said that his destiny lacked water and encountering water would bring great calamity. So his father named him Wanshui (Ten Thousand Waters). Indeed, when Xiao Wanshui was seven years old, he fell into the family's lake and nearly drowned. Although the servants managed to rescue him in time, since then Xiao Wanshui had never dared to enter the water again.

As Jiang Yun saw Xiao Wanshui getting closer and closer behind him, he felt anxious but couldn't think of any other options. He could only mobilize his internal energy and run at full speed. Unfortunately, the Four Symbols Steps were not known for their speed. Fortunately, the river came into view. Just a few hundred meters away, and he could leap into it. If the rumors were true, Jiang Yun might be able to save his life.

One hundred meters, fifty meters, ten meters, five meters.

Jiang Yun felt delighted. He glanced back with a smile when he saw that there was still a distance of about ten meters between him and Xiao Wanshui. With a leap, he plunged into the river.

Xiao Wanshui was both anxious and furious. Seeing Jiang Yun about to escape, he quickly took out something from his pocket without examining it closely and flicked his finger.

Just before Jiang Yun was about to hit the water, he noticed Xiao Wanshui's action and remained vigilant. Moreover, the object had lost much of its force after traveling over ten meters. When it approached Jiang Yun, he had a sudden insight. The last trace of his internal energy circulated through his body as he pinched the dark shadow between his index and middle fingers.

"Bang!"

Jiang Yun sank into the water and disappeared into the riverbed just as Xiao Wanshui approached, unable to see any trace of him.

"Ah!"

Under Xiao Wanshui's furious roar, he swung his palms repeatedly, creating waves with each strike. However, it was all in vain. After venting his anger, regret filled Xiao Wanshui's heart. He regretted impulsively using the mysterious artifact he had just obtained, whose origins he couldn't discern, as a hidden weapon to shoot at Jiang Yun.

He had gone to great lengths to acquire this artifact, but he had been unable to figure out its secrets. He had kept it close to him in his pocket. In his haste, he hadn't even seen what he was holding in his hand when he threw it as a hidden weapon. It was only after he had thrown it that he realized his mistake, and a pang of heartache followed. Combined with the fact that his nephew and disciple had been killed by Jiang Yun, and he had been played by him, hatred and anger surged in Xiao Wanshui's heart. He felt a tickle in his throat and coughed up a mouthful of blood.