The Legend of the Netherworld

Chapter 191 Wang Mang is coming

As the night deepened, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, as if the entire world had fallen into a deep silence. Lin Xiao moved silently through the trees, each step calculated with impeccable precision. The air was thick with tension, the scent of battle looming. He knew that tonight would be a matter of life and death; any small mistake could result in a heavy price.

Lin Xiao continued to follow the group, keeping a distance, his gaze as sharp as a hawk. Suddenly, he noticed a faint purple aura rising from a dense forest ahead, as if some powerful individual was quietly setting up a formation. This purple aura bore a resemblance to the spiritual energy emanating from the amethyst jade, and Lin Xiao's heart stirred, realizing that this might be another powerful individual preparing an ambush.

"This group of people is not simple, it seems they come prepared." Lin Xiao was slightly alert. He decided not to follow the team of three for the time being, and instead approached the direction of the purple aura. This was an extremely delicate opportunity. If he could grasp the situation, he might be able to stand out in this melee.

As he approached the purple aura, the atmosphere around him grew increasingly oppressive. The spiritual energy in the air seemed to be controlled by a powerful being, filling the entire area with a dangerous aura. Lin Xiao remained alert, carefully observing the movements around him.

Suddenly, he felt a strong aura coming from behind. Without any warning, Lin Xiao instinctively turned around and attacked quickly. Suddenly, a dark shadow pounced on him, its figure as fast as lightning and carrying a strong murderous aura.

"Someone is ambushing us." Lin Xiao's heart trembled, and he quickly used the "Dragon Swimming Around the Seas" technique. His body slid out like a dragon, avoiding the attack.

"Hmph, want to escape?" The black shadow sneered, then swung the long sword suddenly, and pounced on Lin Xiao's chest with a sharp sword energy.

Lin Xiao narrowed his eyes and smiled, quickly pulling out the dagger from behind him. With a cold swing, it instantly intertwined with the sword energy, emitting a deafening roar. When the two collided, the sword energy instantly dissipated, but the dagger did not stop at all and continued to approach the person.

The man seemed to dodge easily, but he felt a strange chill on the edge of Lin Xiao's dagger. "Boy, you really have some skills." The man snorted coldly, a hint of fear in his eyes.

"It's a pity that you're not capable enough." Lin Xiao curled his lips slightly and said calmly, "You want to kill me? First, see if you have the ability to do it."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Xiao unleashed "Sword Dance Spin" and lunged at the man at a tricky angle. Simultaneously, he unleashed "Shadow Spirit Sword Stab," and the sword energy pierced through the air like a ghost, swiftly stabbing the man's vital points.

Seeing this, the man's eyes turned cold, and he immediately unleashed the "Heavenly Killing Sword Technique", sending a powerful sword energy towards Lin Xiao's attack. The two sword energies collided, and the air vibrated violently in an instant, turning the surrounding trees into powder.

However, Lin Xiao had anticipated this. He used the recoil of the sword's energy to shift his body to the side, transforming into a phantom. Using his "Illusionary Body Skill: Imitative Moves," he reappeared behind the man. At the same time, Lin Xiao sneered, "The move you just made isn't something I should be worried about."

The man's body suddenly shook, and he felt the murderous aura coming from behind. He desperately turned around, trying to block Lin Xiao's fatal blow. However, his movement was half a beat too late, and the dagger pierced his chest with a sharp force.

"You..." A look of disbelief flashed in the man's eyes, a trace of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and he fell to the ground before he could finish his words.

Lin Xiao looked down at the fallen enemy, his eyes clear as he quickly searched his body for spoils. Sure enough, in addition to several bottles of poison and some dry food, he also found several exquisite pills and a jade pendant inscribed with special runes. Lin Xiao's eyes narrowed; this jade pendant was clearly extraordinary.

He put his loot into a cloth bag, took a deep breath, and carefully analyzed the situation around him. As he made his move, the atmosphere around him became tense again, and more and more people began to notice the movement in the area.

"It seems like fighting is inevitable," Lin Xiao muttered calmly, his eyes growing sharper. "Tonight will be a bloodbath."

Lin Xiao took a deep breath, calmed his mind, and narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew that the situation tonight was more complicated than ever. This was not only about his own life and death, but also about gaining the upper hand in this trial.

He quickly packed up his gear and made sure he had collected all the available spoils, especially the special rune jade pendant, which seemed to have unexpected uses in certain situations. Lin Xiao didn't rush to leave, but chose to stay a little longer and observe how the situation developed.

Soon after, there was a sudden sound of footsteps approaching. Lin Xiao's heart moved, and he immediately found a big tree to hide behind. Through the gaps in the leaves, he locked onto the movement of the person coming.

"If I'm not careful this time, I'll be treated as prey," Lin Xiao thought to himself, then fixed his gaze on the group of three. The leader was a young man in a black cloak, shrouded in a powerful aura, looking like a powerful figure. Next to him were two middle-aged men with weaker auras. They followed cautiously behind, clearly protecting the leader, Wang Mang.

The three men walked steadily, each step carefully treading on thin ice, clearly alert to the surrounding movements. A hint of coldness flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, and he knew that these people were not easy to deal with.

"They're also looking for prey," Lin Xiao thought to himself, quickly determining that these three were no ordinary contestants. While Wang Mang's aura wasn't top-tier, it was still around the seventh level of the Jiayin realm, enough to put many contestants under pressure. Lin Xiao's gaze swept over the two middle-aged men. Their auras were clearly weaker than Wang Mang's, likely around the second level, but they were equally formidable.

"It seems that this area is about to usher in a fierce battle tonight." Lin Xiao was mentally prepared. No matter what, he must stand out in this chaos.

At this moment, Wang Mang suddenly stopped, as if sensing something, and glanced around sharply. His gaze paused slightly in the direction where Lin Xiao was hiding, seemingly unaware of Lin Xiao's presence, and then continued forward.

Lin Xiao smiled slightly, feeling relieved, and then quietly adjusted his position and continued to follow their footsteps. The goal of these three people was obviously not to directly confront them, but to find an opportunity to ambush others, using the terrain and formations to set up an ambush.

Lin Xiao understood that this kind of battle might not be fair to him. After all, these people seemed to have a strong sense of cooperation. If he rashly confronted them, he might not be able to easily win. Therefore, he decided to remain vigilant, bide his time, and wait for the right moment to strike.

As the night deepened, the surrounding atmosphere became increasingly quiet, with only the occasional sound of the wind and the howling of wolves in the distance breaking the silence. Lin Xiao stared at the three people in front of him, with a certain intuition in his heart: tonight, there will definitely be a big chaos.

The night deepened, moonlight filtering through the treetops. The scattered shadows on the ground resembled lurking enemies, quietly waiting to strike. Lin Xiao gently adjusted his breathing, trying to avoid making any sound. His gaze remained fixed on the three figures, his mind constantly calculating his next move.

Wang Mang suddenly stopped and whispered to the two middle-aged men, "There's movement ahead. Everyone, be careful and search separately." He then led the two men in separate directions. A cold light flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes, but his heart remained calm.

"It seems they've noticed prey nearby." Lin Xiao pondered calmly, a premonition of danger rising within him. Wang Mang was clearly no easy opponent, and the two middle-aged men behind him were no witless either. If he attacked rashly, he might be surrounded.

He didn't intend to take any risks, but quickly adjusted his position and disappeared into the night, cleverly avoiding their sight. Lin Xiao's body movements were like a shadow, blending into the dense forest as quietly as a gust of wind.

He did not stop his pursuit, but quietly circled behind Wang Mang and the two middle-aged men. He knew that his advantage lay in his flexibility and agility, and it was this ability that allowed him to gain the upper hand when confronting powerful enemies.

A moment later, Wang Mang led the two middle-aged men to regroup. Lin Xiao followed closely behind, secretly observing their movements. Wang Mang's eyes scanned the surroundings, his expression still alert. He was clearly worried about whether others were preparing to attack them.

"Could we encounter other masters?" Wang Mang whispered to himself, with a hint of uneasiness in his tone.

He didn't notice that Lin Xiao had been quietly following him. Lin Xiao sneered in his heart: "How arrogant! If I wanted to make a move, I would have done it long ago."

Lin Xiao was in no rush to act. He mentally calculated their every move, and finally waited for the right opportunity. Wang Mang and the two middle-aged men separated again and began to search the surroundings.

At this moment, Lin Xiao attacked fiercely, his figure flashing like lightning, quickly approaching Wang Mang. He suddenly swung the long sword in his hand, and the sword energy was like a rainbow, pointing directly at Wang Mang's back.

Wang Mang sensed the subtle change in the aura behind him, turned around abruptly, and waved his hands. A thick black airflow quickly rushed towards Lin Xiao, and instantly collided with Lin Xiao's sword energy.

"Shadow Spirit Sword Stab!" Lin Xiao unleashed this move without hesitation. The sword energy merged with the black air currents, instantly unleashing a powerful vibration. Wang Mang was forced to step back a few steps, but he quickly regained his balance.

"Who are you?" Wang Mang stared at Lin Xiao, a hint of surprise and alertness flashing in his eyes. "You are at the Jiayin Eighth Realm, but you can actually fight against me so easily!"

Lin Xiao sneered, his voice tinged with provocation: "Do you think you can hunt freely in this area? Tonight, it's not going to be that simple."

Just as Wang Mang was about to launch another attack, Lin Xiao unleashed his "Illusionary Body Skill: Imitating Shadow Moves," instantly summoning two powerful Lin Xiaos. The two figures stood shoulder to shoulder with him. The three figures attacked almost simultaneously, their sword energy and palm winds intertwining into one, instantly enveloping Wang Mang.

Wang Mang's face became solemn, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, and then he cast a powerful air barrier to cover himself.

"You forced me to take action!" Wang Mang roared, and a black ball of light condensed from his hands and quickly shot it towards the three Lin Xiaos.

However, Lin Xiao was not in a hurry to fight. He knew that although the opponent's attack was strong, he could easily dodge it with his body skills if he was not hit head-on.

He dodged the attack of the black light ball and ordered the two Qi Lin Xiao to increase the pressure to besiege Wang Mang's barrier from all sides.

"The sword dances with splendor!" Lin Xiao swung his sword, and two sword energies intertwined like two dragons and flew towards Wang Mang.

Wang Mang's eyes flashed with ruthlessness, and he finally unleashed his strongest defensive skill—the "Obsidian Shield." A massive shield of light, like obsidian, appeared before him, blocking Lin Xiao's sword energy.

"Hmph, how long can you hold on?" Lin Xiao smiled coldly and continued to launch more fierce attacks.

At this moment, Lin Xiao's eyes suddenly glanced to the side and sensed that two middle-aged men were approaching quietly, obviously wanting to surround him from behind.

"That's exactly what I want." Lin Xiao's mind moved and he changed his tactics instantly.

Lin Xiao's eyes quickly hardened as he secretly calculated his next move. The approach of the two middle-aged men from behind didn't panic him; instead, it only made him more determined: if he didn't defeat them this time, he was afraid that the trouble would be even greater.

He made a quick decision and sped up his attack, forcing Wang Mang to retreat. At the same time, he silently activated his "Illusionary Body Skill: Imitating Shadow Moves" and the two Lin Xiaos quickly separated, skillfully flanking Wang Mang.

Wang Mang saw himself trapped, his anxiety growing. Although he could still hold on with his immense strength, it was clear that he was beginning to lose it. With a sudden roar, he swung his black sword, fiercely engaging Lin Xiao. His obsidian shield lit up at this moment, like a beam of intense light, completely blocking the surrounding sword energy.

"You dare to look down on me, you will definitely die today!" Wang Mang shouted angrily, and suddenly a strong aura burst out. The black airflow around his body spun wildly, like a black storm sweeping around, intending to counterattack Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao didn't panic. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he quickly determined that Wang Mang's impending counterattack was a perfect opportunity. As long as Wang Mang focused too much of his energy on the counterattack, he would lose the opportunity to defend himself.

"Now!" Lin Xiao's eyes lit up, and the long sword in his hand suddenly transformed into a streak of silver light, piercing Wang Mang's heart. At the same time, he unleashed the "Sword Qi Horizontal Technique," and the long sword shot out several rays of light, swiftly slashing at Wang Mang's vital points.

"Shadow Spirit Sword Stab!" He issued a low command again, and the two Lin Xiaos performed similar sword moves at the same time. The sword light followed like a shadow and attacked Wang Mang swiftly.

Wang Mang's counterattack arrived almost at the same time. A thick black air current formed a huge whirlwind, violently slamming into the three Lin Xiao figures. Faced with such a fierce attack, Lin Xiao's face showed no fear. He thought to himself, "Your final blow is destined to dig your own grave."

He instantly changed the direction of his attack, deflecting his longsword slightly and swiftly piercing the gap in Wang Mang's abdomen. The tip of the sword slashed through Wang Mang's body, and blood instantly gushed out. At this moment, the two Qi forces Lin Xiao simultaneously bombarded Wang Mang's shoulders and abdomen with their sword energy, tearing open the weak points in his defense.

Wang Mang's eyes widened in shock and disbelief. He opened his mouth to say something, but no sound came out. Just as his body began to collapse, Lin Xiao drew his sword and quickly retreated.

"He died a worthy death." Lin Xiao snorted coldly, looked at Wang Mang who was killed by him, then turned around to deal with the two middle-aged men who were approaching.

The two middle-aged men's faces suddenly changed when they saw Wang Mang fall to the ground, and their fear instantly erupted. They knew that Lin Xiao was very powerful and should not be underestimated, especially the fighting power Wang Mang had displayed in the previous confrontation with Lin Xiao, which made them even more vigilant.

"Brother, even if you and I join forces, we may not be able to defeat him." One of the middle-aged men said in a low voice, with a hint of hesitation in his eyes.

"There is no way back, we must unite to defeat him!" Another middle-aged man had a determined look in his eyes, and swung the long sword in his hand violently. A wave of air surged out instantly and shot towards Lin Xiao.

Lin Xiao sneered, unmoved. He quickly dodged the blast and leaped lightly to the side, thinking to himself, "It seems these two are getting impatient."

"Since you want to join forces, let me see if your cooperation is perfect enough." A cold light flashed in Lin Xiao's eyes. He raised his sword again and performed the "Sword Dance". His whole body turned into a stream of light and quickly approached the two people.

His body swept past like a sword, and the sword light rained down like raindrops, instantly tearing the air around him apart. Although the two middle-aged men cooperated tacitly, they still seemed powerless under Lin Xiao's attack.

"Extreme Wind!" The white-haired man swung his sword, unleashing a swift wind blade in an attempt to block Lin Xiao's sword energy. However, Lin Xiao's sword flashed, easily dodging his attack and creating a gap.

"Shadow Spirit Sword Stab!" Lin Xiao suddenly changed direction, and the tip of the sword followed like a shadow, quickly stabbing towards the side of the white-haired man.

"Retreat quickly!" the black-haired man shouted loudly, trying to use the fire in his body to block Lin Xiao's attack. However, Lin Xiao's swordsmanship was beyond their reaction speed.

"Today, you are doomed to have no way to escape." Lin Xiao sneered, his eyes revealing a strong murderous intent. Then, he unleashed the "Sword Qi Vertical and Horizontal Technique", and the sword energy instantly enveloped all the retreat routes of the two men.

The two middle-aged men looked pale and despaired. Even though they tried their best, they still couldn't avoid Lin Xiao's sword energy.

In the end, their figures slowly fell under the sword energy and their lives disappeared.

Lin Xiao stood there, his sword dripping with blood. He took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing, and whispered to himself, "The competition in this area has finally come to an end."

He searched some spoils from the two men and sighed in his heart: "Every battle is a tempering for me." Then, he did not rush to leave, but found a hidden place nearby, ready to wait quietly for the night to fall.