Wuxia: Start with max-level Nine Yang Divine Skill

"Or is there more than one tiger in the forest?"

Tigers are usually solitary creatures, but when there are too many tigers, they may even huddle together in groups of three or four, lazily appearing on the road, let alone sharing a mountain forest.

just in case.

The three remained vigilant, wary of the ferocious tiger that might pounce from any corner, and also guarded against any deadly assassination attempt that could come at any moment.

Walking through these deep, treacherous, and easily ambush-prone mountain forests, one must be extremely careful.

"Dense forests have always been considered an excellent location for ambush and attack, highly regarded in military strategy. Would the Twelve Fiends really let such favorable terrain for assassination and surprise attacks pass by?"

Listen to all directions and observe all sides.

After walking for about half an hour, the mountains and forests seemed to become increasingly quiet.

Hey!

Suddenly, another tiger's roar came from a distance, about a hundred paces away.

After hearing it many times, the three of them, though still wary, gradually got used to it and were no longer as shocked as they had been at the beginning.

However, halfway through the tiger's roar, the sound suddenly rose and intensified!

It no longer resembled a simple roar of a ferocious beast, but rather contained an extremely strange and powerful true energy!

With a roar, the sound waves exploded outwards as if they were tangible!

The leaves rustled and shook violently.

Li Fu and his two companions felt a ringing in their ears, as if their hearts had been struck hard by a heavy hammer. Their blood and qi stagnated, and their horses could not withstand the pressure, collapsing with blood gushing from their mouths and noses!

The three men quickly dealt with the attack, leaping off the horse before it fell over, thus avoiding being knocked down.

"Sonic power!

It wasn't a tiger, it was a person!

Li Fu sensed something was wrong.

That was probably not an ordinary tiger roar. Someone must have activated some kind of sonic power similar to a tiger roar, using profound internal energy to disturb the mind and intimidate the enemy.

The tiger's roar was long and increasingly loud, and the three precious horses kicked twice, barely clinging to life.

At that very moment, when the whistling was at its most intense, most captivating, and most awe-inspiring, causing one's mind to reel and one's hearing to be impaired.

call out--!

A streak of dark light, moving faster than the eye could see, tore through the air and shot out from a great distance behind!

The arrow was imbued with incredibly refined true energy, and its sharp whistling sound was drowned out by the deafening roar of a tiger. Even with Li Fu's strong internal energy and hearing far exceeding that of ordinary people, it was still a result of his powerful internal energy.

He only vaguely heard it when the arrow was less than a few feet from his back.

At the critical moment of Li Fu's death, he was shocked to realize the deadly attack coming from behind. Without thinking, in a flash, his body instinctively twisted and dodged!

Sizzle—!

The arrow pierced through his protective inner energy and grazed past the outside of his right arm!

The sharp wind was like a knife, tearing a long gash in his sleeve and leaving a bloody gash about an inch long on his arm.

The arrow continued its trajectory with terrifying force, and with a loud thud, it embedded itself deeply into the trunk of a large tree.

The arrow's fletching was still trembling, emitting a lingering buzzing sound.

"Beware of assassins!"

Li shouted out loud.

Song Zhaoxue and Wei Ying also quickly regained their senses from the impact of the whistling sound. Upon seeing this shocking change, their expressions changed drastically, and they hid behind a tree, concentrating on dealing with this sudden assassination attempt.

In the deep, dark forest, a murderous aura suddenly filled the air.

The roar of the tiger still echoed in my ears.

Having steadied himself, Li Fu's gaze shot towards the direction from which the arrows had come, as sharp as lightning.

He possesses profound internal strength and exceptional eyesight.

Even though the light in the forest was dim and the branches and leaves were obscuring the view, one could immediately see a man standing on a thick, horizontal branch atop a towering ancient tree that would take several people to encircle, about a hundred paces behind.

The man was tall and thin, with long arms and legs. He wore a tight-fitting gray hunting outfit with a worn-out blue robe over it, dressed like a hunter who spent most of his life in the mountains.

He held a giant bow in his hand. The bow was black, and its material was unknown. The bowstring was as thick as a little finger and gleamed with a cold light.

The bow was enormous and of an ancient design. Judging by its power, it could easily kill ordinary beasts, let alone hunt tigers, leopards, and bears.

He also carried a heavy hunting knife at his waist; the scabbard was worn, indicating it was a frequently used item.

At this moment, the man was looking down at them, his sharp, cold eyes, like those of a hawk, fixed firmly on Li Fu and the other two.

There was no emotion in his gaze, only the focused and cold gaze of a hunter examining its prey.

"What a powerful bow!"

The bowstring twanged like thunder; such a massive bow, when drawn and the arrow released, must have made an extremely loud sound…

Li Fu's mind raced, and he instantly understood.

"This person first used a sonic technique that imitated the roar of a tiger to attack the enemy, shake their mind, and interfere with their senses, while simultaneously masking the powerful sound of the bow breaking the wind and the whistling of the arrow tearing through the air when it was fired."

Then an arrow pierced his heart.

What a clever scheme!

Unfortunately, his first arrow was his most threatening, yet he failed to kill me with it.

He touched the wound on his right arm where an arrow had slashed his skin; it was just a minor cut, but it made him feel a chill.

"However—my Nine Yang Protective Qi was actually pierced by his arrow!"

This person's internal energy cultivation is very special; it seems extremely sharp and domineering, specifically designed to break through the protective true energy of internal martial arts, and can even adhere to and remain on arrows.

To Li Fu's slight surprise, there was no numbness, burning or other unusual sensation at the wound site, and the Nine Yang True Qi did not move abnormally, indicating that the arrow was not poisoned.

"This person didn't even put poison on the arrow?"

Assassins act solely for success, and they never hesitate to use any means necessary.

Those who use weapons and concealed weapons will most likely coat them with potent poison in order to achieve a decisive victory and increase their chances of winning.

The same applies to the Rat and the Rooster.

He didn't... Was he extremely confident in his archery skills and internal strength?

Or is it that one harbors a cold arrogance, disdaining to do such a thing?

In an instant, Li Fu made a preliminary judgment about the assassin's temperament and style.

call out!call out!

The sound of something cutting through the air rose again!

The hunter in green robes, perched high in the tree, saw Li Fu looking over and, without hesitation, fired two more arrows in quick succession!

The arrows almost transformed into two elusive afterimages in the dark forest, covering a distance of a hundred paces in an instant!

The sharp true energy attached to the arrow tore through the air, bringing with it a piercing shriek, and its power seemed to be three times greater than the previous arrow!

"Everyone be careful, don't come out and let him see you!"

Li Fu was prepared. He moved swiftly, like a willow in the wind, and in the nick of time, he turned sideways and twisted his waist, narrowly avoiding the two deadly arrows.

The arrow grazed past him, this time failing to penetrate his protective aura. Instead, it pierced through several trees in succession, making two sharp thuds before disappearing deep into the trunk of another tree, only stopping when the arrow reached the feather.

"What a fast arrow!"

Li Fu was secretly alarmed by the speed of the arrow, and even more furious at its audacity.

His gaze swept across the tree and he saw an ebony arrow that had previously missed its mark and embedded itself in the trunk. He then yanked it out with his right hand and threw it into the air.

"Go!"

He used his finger-flicking supernatural skill, channeling his true energy into his index and middle fingers, and flicked them outwards!

"laugh--!"

The ebony arrow transformed into a streak of black light, tearing through the sky and shooting towards the green-robed hunter in the tree a hundred paces away with an almost straight trajectory!

Li Fu's use of arrows to retaliate was truly astonishing, as was the skill, power, and speed of his technique. It was no less impressive than any powerful bow or crossbow!

A flicker of surprise crossed the tiger's eyes in the tree, seemingly not expecting Li Fu to react so quickly and decisively. (Latest chapter ignites the plot! Follow for more updates.)

His body seemed weightless, leaving ghostly afterimages as arrows grazed his cheeks and the sharp wind even severed a few strands of his loose hair.

With a final thud, the arrow pierced deeply into the thicker tree trunk behind him, almost the entire shaft disappearing into the wood. The force was astonishing.

"interesting……"

Yin Hu reached out and touched his cheek, which had been brushed by the strong wind. Instead of being angry, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly upward, revealing a faint smile that was both excited and amused.

His eyes were like those of an experienced hunter who suddenly realized that the prey he was chasing was actually a fierce beast that was extremely difficult to deal with and could turn the tables and pose a threat. His interest in hunting increased rather than decreased!

"In a battle fought from a distance, I am at a disadvantage."

Li Fu, having missed his first attack, did not hesitate. He exerted force with his feet, his body moving like an arrow released from a bow, and rushed towards the ancient tree, intending to close the distance and capture it at close range.

However, the moment he moved, Yin Hu chuckled, his green robe billowing as he drifted backward like a ghost.

In the blink of an eye, it disappeared into the even denser and darker forest behind it, vanishing without a trace.

With such superb lightness of foot and unpredictable movements, he truly thrived in this complex mountain forest environment.

Li Fu stopped in his tracks, his expression grave.

He knew that once he caught up with them, they certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to stay put and wait for him.

"If we rashly pursue him into the depths of an unfamiliar dense forest, not only will we fail to catch up, but we may also fall into a trap set by this person."

"That person...is gone?"

The two women were startled and looked around warily, fearing that the man might change direction and suddenly launch a sneak attack.

"Perhaps," Li Fu said.

"This person must be the Tiger, one of the Twelve Fierce Zodiac Signs?"

Song Zhaoxue rubbed her still slightly ringing ears and said with lingering fear.

"His tiger roar was so powerful it hurt my ears and made my head spin. What incredible internal energy! What amazing sonic power!"

"Tiger... The tiger is the king of beasts, roaring and gathering in the mountains and forests."

However, even more formidable than the tigers of the mountains and forests are the more skilled hunters.

Li Fu nodded and said in a deep voice.

"He seemed to be a hunter, and the three of us were the prey in his eyes."

He paused, his tone becoming increasingly serious.

"I'm certain that he won't leave us now; he'll follow us closely, like a shadow, constantly looking for an opportunity to strike."

In this vast mountain forest, he was familiar with the terrain, possessed superb lightness skills, divine archery skills, and even sonic abilities to disrupt sight and hearing and conceal his murderous intent.

We must be extremely vigilant; a deadly arrow could suddenly fly in from any direction!

Upon hearing this, Wei Ying was both shocked and furious.

"How dare he treat us and the young lady as prey?"

What audacity!

Song Zhaoxue's eyebrows furrowed in anger as she exclaimed, "Damn it! This fellow is even more hateful than that old Taoist priest Wei Yang! He hides his true colors and only dares to shoot sneak attacks!"

Unlike Li Fu, the two women both possessed superior lightness skills. However, judging from the sonic attack, the man's skill was terrifying. Even if they could catch up, they would probably be walking into the lion's den.

"This person seems to disdain the use of poison and is somewhat arrogant, but his actions are still in line with the assassin's strategy of fleeing far away after a failed attack, and he also has the cunning of a hunter who avoids direct confrontation with his prey."

Now the enemy is in the dark while we are in the light, and the terrain is extremely advantageous to him.

Li Fu glanced around at the deep woods and reminded the two to add to the list.

"Be careful, this person who is suspected to be Yin Hu is already a master, but he may not have come alone."

Now that the twelve assassins have joined forces, it's hard to guarantee that there aren't other killers lurking nearby, waiting for their chance to strike.

We must not let our guard down; every step from here on must be taken with utmost care.

He was also rapidly thinking of a solution.

On the battlefield, a small cavalry unit can use its mobility to constantly harass a large infantry force, keeping them constantly on the move.

The current situation is remarkably similar.

Yin Hu possessed superb lightness skills and exceptional archery abilities. He could change positions after firing a few arrows from a distance of a hundred paces. Although the three on his side were not weak in martial arts, they found it difficult to effectively counter him.

Although his finger-flicking technique could reach far, flicking arrows with his fingers was ultimately not as swift and sustained as the opponent's use of a powerful bow, and its power was also diminished.

How to break the game?

Li Fu also found it troublesome. His gaze swept over some small, sharp-edged pebbles scattered on the ground, and he bent down to pick up a few and weigh them in his hand.

"Perhaps... I should prepare a bag of iron pellets for use in the future, specifically for the Finger Flicking Divine Skill."

There are very few martial artists who use bows and arrows as weapons, perhaps even none. Generally, no one's internal energy can remain on an arrow after it has been released from the bow for long.

He hadn't expected to encounter this situation today; apart from his Finger Flicking Skill, all his other martial arts skills were useless.

The three continued their journey, which, as Li Fu had predicted, turned into a long and arduous chase and counter-attack battle between them and the lurking Yin Hu.

Like the most patient hunter, Yin Hu kept them at a distance, neither too close nor too far.

The roar of a tiger in the forest sometimes came from afar, sometimes from near, sometimes from the east, sometimes from the west, unpredictable and making one's nerves tense.

Sometimes it's just a normal tiger's roar, which raises people's guard but has no follow-up;

Sometimes, halfway through the whistling sound, it would suddenly turn into a sonic attack containing true energy, causing people's blood and qi to surge and their hearing and vision to be impaired. Immediately afterward, sharp arrows would pierce through the air and attack.

Sometimes, however, there were only sonic attacks without any arrows, causing the three to be tense for nothing and exhausting their energy.

This harassment, a mix of real and feigned attacks, forced Li Fu and his two companions to remain on high alert at all times, their eyes, ears, and minds never daring to relax for a moment.

Yin Hu clearly identified Li Fu as the biggest threat and target, and most of his attacks were directed at him.

The sharp true energy attached to the arrow could indeed pose a threat to Li Fu's Nine Yang Protective True Energy.

However, having learned his lesson the first time, Li Fu was on high alert, and although the subsequent arrows were still extremely swift and dangerous, they failed to harm him in the slightest.

However, this passive defense takes a real toll on their mental and physical strength.

"This is just the beginning."

After traveling several more miles, their horses died from their injuries, forcing them to continue on foot. Li Fu, keeping a watchful eye on his surroundings, spoke to the two women with a somber expression.

"He's using hunter's methods to wear us down little by little, eroding our energy and patience."

As time passed, after traveling through the treacherous mountains for an hour, even the three of them, with their profound internal strength, began to feel tired.

It wasn't physical exhaustion, but rather the mental fatigue caused by constantly being on guard against sneak attacks, distinguishing between real and fake tiger roars, and maintaining a high level of mental tension.

Song Zhaoxue's bright face showed signs of fatigue, and Wei Ying's breathing was also slightly rapid. She occasionally gathered her inner energy to prepare for an attack, and her breathing was somewhat disordered.

Li Fu, on the other hand, still looked energetic and full of spirit.

suddenly--

call out!

With a tiger's roar, another arrow was shot.

Li Fu dodged the attack and countered with a flick of his finger. The pebble was as fast as lightning, and this time it was even faster and more swift, forcing Yin Hu to dodge by leaping and dodging.

However, he was still no match for Yin Hu, a top expert with profound skills who benefited from the treasured bow and special true energy.

The two exchanged a few more blows, a hundred paces apart, before Yin Hu vanished into the dense forest in a flash.

"This is just the beginning. He will probably only show himself and deliver the fatal blow when we are truly exhausted."