Hunter: I became stronger even after I died.

Chapter 223 Mirage of the Underworld
The lights, like dragons, spiraled upwards along the winding mountain road, illuminating the entire mountain path as if it were daytime.

The bustling crowd surged toward the mountaintop following the flow of light.

Kuroro stood still, looking up at the mountaintop illuminated by lights.

When his flip phone indicated that the target was still some distance away, he could be fairly certain that the target was on the mountaintop.

If only we can find it...

Then all the effort he has put in during this period has been worthwhile.

On the bustling mountain path, Kuroro slowly raised his hand and made a subtle gesture.

As he lowered his hand, several figures quietly emerged from the shadows and silently approached him.

These figures were none other than Paknoda, Kubi, and Machi.

Kuroro glanced at his companions, then followed the crowd to the mountaintop.

at this time.

Behind the shrine on the mountaintop.

An old-fashioned wooden building stands quietly.

The courtyard is lush with greenery, and amidst the rockery and flowing water, bamboo tubes make a crisp sound as the water flows.

The cobblestone path meanders forward, ending at a paper door illuminated by candlelight.

The flickering candlelight cast two blurry figures onto the plain white paper door, appearing and disappearing as the light and shadow shifted.

inside the room.

On the pale yellow tatami mats, the Onmyoji Soya and the Shikagakure ninja sat facing each other.

A broken samurai sword lay between the two men.

The blade was broken by a third, but the blade was still emanating bursts of spiritual energy, which swirled around like a thin mist, and wisps of smoke-like energy could be vaguely seen flowing between the blade's patterns.

"Lu Ping, is this the sword called 'Myriad Phenomena'?"

Cangye lowered his eyes and stared at the broken sword on the tatami mat, his voice as calm as a deep pool.

The flickering candlelight cast shadows of varying depths on his sharply defined profile.

The Shikagakure ninja named Shikahira nodded slightly, his voice tinged with heaviness: "The Shinra, which had been lost abroad, was found by our clan, but its spirit had been erased. Now, the Bansho, which we have finally found, is a broken blade, but its core spirit still remains..."

At this point, Lu Ping suddenly looked up, his gaze sharp as a knife, and asked, "Can you do it?"

Cangye did not answer immediately, but instead picked up Wanxiang.

His long, slender fingers traced the broken edge of the blade, where the cut was as smooth as a mirror.

"It's still intact, and that's enough."

"very good."

Lu Ping's tense lips unconsciously relaxed a little.

The entire Deer Hidden Sect has poured so much effort into this moment.

Now that he was only one step away from his goal, he felt an indescribable excitement.

Cang Ye ignored Lu Ping's reaction and simply asked, "Shall we begin now?"

"Correct."

Lu Ping suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart.

Cang Ye nodded, then slowly closed his eyes. All the pores in his body suddenly opened, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy gushed out from his body like a fountain.

Above his shoulders, his spiritual energy transformed into two waterfalls flowing in reverse, surging upwards before dissipating into the air.

"Mirage of the Underworld"

This is a special ability that Cangye has cultivated.

The ability's effect is to extract memory fragments associated with "death".

If the medium through which the ability is used is a corpse, it is possible to extract key memory fragments that led to the death.
At the same time, it can use the extracted memory fragments as a basis to manifest a mirage that has independent thinking ability, but is not the consciousness of the deceased.

This mirage possesses the most basic ability to communicate and interact.

In addition to being used on corpses, the Yellow Springs Mirage can also be used on items with residual spiritual energy.

Its effect is to directly separate objects and lingering thoughts, and then, after extracting the memory fragments associated with them, these memory fragments can be transplanted into other people.

However, this capability has some limitations and risks.

Whether it's a corpse or an object that retains a sense of purpose, its general shape needs to be ensured in order to meet the activation conditions of the Yellow Springs Mirage's ability.

Other than that,

From the moment Cangye developed it, the Yellow Springs Mirage has only been used "nine times".

Once the number of uses is exhausted, this ability will become a regular method of exorcising Nen.

Furthermore, Cangye bears the risk of memory decline when using his abilities.

The moment he activated his ability, Cang Ye's psychic power surged like a tide. His right hand gripped the Myriad Manifestations Blade tightly, while his left hand was enveloped in a ball of psychic light.

As his spiritual power dissipated, a phantom figure dressed in a white robe and wearing a demon mask appeared out of thin air.

A ghostly blue flame flickered deep within the hollow eyes of the mask.

Immediately afterwards, Cang Ye lightly placed his left hand on the blade, and the phantom behind him also moved, with a withered hand with sharp nails reaching out onto the Myriad Manifestations Broken Blade.

next moment.

The illusory hand gradually solidified, its bluish-gray fingernails slicing across the blade.

Without any sound, the Nen energy that had been wrapped around the blade was like silk threads being peeled off, coiling into a glowing ball between the five fingers of the withered hand.

The blade of the Myriad Manifestations Blade dimmed, losing the spiritual energy that had been attached to it for countless years.

After severing the lingering thoughts, Cang Ye gently put down Wanxiang, turned to look at Lu Ping, and said calmly, "Enter the Absolute."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ping hesitated for a moment, but still closed all the pores in his body and entered a state of absolute stillness.

Cang Ye stood up, walked to Lu Ping's side, and patted Lu Ping's head.

The withered hand that extended from the phantom, holding the intent, also made the same movement, and then pressed the wisp of intent that had been separated from all things into Lu Ping's head.

Suddenly, Lu Ping's body trembled, and his closed seminal vesicles opened automatically without his consciousness.

In an instant, a torrent of spiritual energy surged from all parts of his body.

But at this moment, although Lu Ping's eyes were wide open, many memories welled up from the depths of his consciousness.

The source of these memories is the holder of the Myriad Blades.

Practicing swordsmanship on a snowy night, a blood-stained dojo, a breathtaking slash...

Fragmented memories flashed across Lu Ping's retina like a revolving lantern, finally settling on the clash of swords.

With the help of Cangye's Yellow Spring Mirage ability, Lu Ping finally obtained the power contained within his thoughts.

With the support of these memory fragments, he can absorb and master the sword techniques and insights of the wielder of the legendary sword Senrokumans.

Afterwards, he can pass on these insights to the others in the Hidden Deer School.

"good very good."

The glint of swords and spears in Lu Ping's eyes vanished completely, and a smile curved his lips, which were covered with hideous burn scars.

Upon seeing this, Cang Ye immediately withdrew his power.

The phantom behind him suddenly shattered, turning into countless fragments of psychic energy that dissipated into the air.

"you can go now."

Cangye remained kneeling in her original position, her expression aloof.

He has fulfilled his promise and will no longer have any dealings with the people of the Hidden Deer School.

Upon hearing this, Lu Ping picked up the Wanxiang Broken Sword from the tatami mat, got up without saying a word, and walked towards the door.

bang.

He opened the paper door, his back to Cang Ye.

"Thanks."

Despite it being a transaction, he still expressed his gratitude to Cangye.

Cang Ye did not react. Lu Ping then walked out of the room and onto the corridor.

Instead of going through the main gate, he entered the courtyard, intending to leave directly by crossing the wall.

"Ok?"

Suddenly, Lu Ping's pupils contracted slightly, and he abruptly raised the Myriad Manifestations Broken Blade in his hand, holding it upright in front of his face.

Zheng!
Without warning, a string of dazzling sparks erupted from the broken sword he held upright, and the lingering metallic vibrations echoed in the night sky.

"Wire?"

Lu Ping stared intently at the spot where sparks flew, where a thin but hard line could be vaguely seen.

bang bang bang-

Just then, gunshots rang out nearby.

In an instant, a sharp, knife-like intent flashed in Lu Ping's eyes, and a wisp of white breath shot out from the corners of his mouth.

The Myriad Forms Blade he held in his hand suddenly stirred up a bright aura.

week.

Using the sword intent he had just absorbed from the holder of the Myriad Phenomena Sword, Lu Ping swiftly severed the thought line with a swift sword strike. Immediately, his eyes sharpened like knives, he assumed a horse stance, and with a broken sword in his hand, he unleashed a sword beam forward.

In an instant, all six bullets fired at him were severed by the blade's edge.

Pat, pat—

The severed bullets ricocheted off the pebbles on the ground, making a sound.

But mixed in with these sounds was a faint sound of flesh being cut.

Lu Ping's face stiffened slightly, and a line of blood inexplicably appeared on his neck.

Behind him, Kuroro appeared out of thin air, holding a dagger in his left hand and an open black and red book in his right.

next moment.

A large amount of blood spurted from Lu Ping's neck, and a hint of astonishment remained in his eyes before he collapsed to the ground, exhausted.

Kuroro closed his Thief's Secret and walked along the path toward the house ahead.

Then Pakunoda, Machi, and Kubi appeared, passing over Shikamaru's corpse and following behind Kuroro.

The telekinetic energy and the shooting just now were the work of Machi and Pakunoda.

They used their respective abilities to ambush Lu Ping, forcing him to reveal weaknesses in order to counter the attack.

At this moment, Kuroro used only the Emission-type teleportation ability sealed within Thief's Secret to easily slit Shikahira's neck with a dagger.

This is the most unreasonable aspect of coordinated operations.

In Nen battles, if a Nen user concentrates most of their manifested energy in one place, the defenses of other parts of their body will inevitably be weakened.

Even using the "condensation" technique only on the eyes can significantly impact the overall defensive strength.

Therefore, in coordinated operations, it is easy to use the numerical advantage to divert the target's apparent energy, and then as long as the target's weakest point is accurately hit, the battle can be ended in an instant.

Kuroro's Emission-type teleportation ability can easily end a battle if he has teammates to cooperate.

After killing Shikahira, Kuroro stepped onto the wooden corridor and opened the paper door.

inside the room.

Cang Ye was already on high alert, his body surrounded by surging spiritual energy, like an invisible flame burning.

His gaze swept over Kuroro and his group outside the door, and his expression turned serious.

He didn't know these people, but just from the aura they exuded, he could feel a tangible sense of oppression.

That's the aura that only those who have truly traversed mountains of corpses and seas of blood possess.

Every step was soaked in blood.

The road they walk on must have been filled with countless corpses.

These people...are extremely dangerous!
Cang Ye's fingers tightened slightly, and alarm bells rang in his mind.

Kuroro looked at Souya, who seemed to be on high alert in the room.

Before making a move against Lu Ping, he had already used the close-range mechanism of the Love Dialing to obtain some information about "this person" in front of him.

Once the goal is set, the next step is...

It means fulfilling the activation conditions of the Thief's Ultimate Skill to seize the desired ability.

With a thought, Kuroro's Nen surged in his hand, and he once again materialized the Thief's Ultimate Technique.

----------

The Obon Festival in Ryūō Kingdom lasted for three whole days.

On the last day of the festival, several figures boarded a ship moored in the harbor and slowly sailed away with the rise and fall of the waves.

These figures were none other than Kuroro and his group, who had successfully seized Souye's abilities.

"Has there been no response from Franklin and Lev yet?"

At the bow of the ship, Kuroro held the Thief's Manual in his hand, and on the open page was a picture of Souya.

Paknoda stood behind him, her brow furrowed, her voice heavy with worry: "Hmm, it's been two days. Could it be... something happened to them?"

"..."

Kuroro remained silent, a slight shadow appearing under his lowered eyelids.

Two days without any news was like a dull knife, slowly but surely cutting away at a certain possibility.

Franklin and Lev have probably met with the same fate as Feitan and Striker.

However, he did not respond to the concerns expressed by Paknotta; before the full assembly was confirmed, any speculation was just speculation.

Snapped.

With a soft click, the Thief's Secret was shut down by Kuroro.

His gaze was fixed on the distant horizon, but his thoughts were deeper than the waves.

If Franklin and Barov really did meet with misfortune, then the enemy lurking in the shadows likely possesses Nen abilities capable of tracking and locating them; otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to find Franklin and his companions so precisely.

The basis is—

The team has invested a lot of money in intelligence channels. If the other side is tracking their movements through intelligence channels, then they will inevitably leave clues.

After all, intelligence is always a double-edged sword.

However, no clues have been found during this period.

Furthermore, team members do not report their movements to each other.

The Thief's Intent in Kuroro's hand dissipated as Nen energy.

Having acquired the ability called "Mirage of the Underworld," I only need to use it on Feitan's corpse to immediately ascertain the perpetrator's identity, and even their abilities...

So thinking about these things now is meaningless.

at the same time.

Two days ago, the brigade members who had received the assembly order all headed to the assembly point.

Hisoka naturally received the order to assemble as well.

But he didn't immediately pass on the message to Moro; instead, he deliberately delayed it for two days.

Somewhere on the continent of Eurubian.

Moro suddenly received information from Hisoka.

"Are they gathering again...? We need to hurry."

After glancing at the information displayed on his phone screen, Moro then glanced sideways at Kurt in the passenger seat.

"How far is it?"

“Very close.”

Kurt looked down at the trembling paper life figure.

The outline of this cut-out paper figure vaguely reveals some of Phinks' characteristics.

(End of this chapter)