Level Up in Martial World

Chapter 129: Impossible-grade Mission (2)

"How interesting. Finally, one is alone now. Can I kill him?" Lu Zhen contemplated as he fixed his gaze on the middle-aged man. Having gleaned from the quest that hostile creatures were lying in wait for him, he opted for the simplest course of action: to remain in his current position. He instructed Old Bai to conceal the carriage and find cover with the father and son.

With confidence in his ability to hide effectively, he decided to position himself at a safe distance from them, keeping a vigilant eye on their activities. In case they spotted him, he wanted to ensure that he could make a swift getaway. After all, he was a man driven by a desire for revenge.

To execute this, Lu Zhen employed the same technique as he did in the mage base to catch the trio of so-called grand elders off guard. He manipulated his aura to resemble that of an inanimate object by using his aura control skill and using the "Shadow Veil" technique he had learned from his personal guard to blend into the shadows.

Although Lu Zhen took a gamble to see if these second-stage martial artists could sense him or not, his efforts paid off, relieving him to some extent. He knew better than to underestimate an enemy. Just like a tiger that must exert its full strength to catch a rabbit, theory and practicality didn't always align.

Lu Zhen had a contemplative expression on his face. He faced a dilemma: should he attempt to make a run for the city or engage in a battle with the middle-aged man, potentially partially fulfilling the mission?

His mind meticulously calculated the odds of victory. After careful consideration, he reached a decision.

"Sigh," Lu Zhen exhaled slowly and cautiously began to manoeuvre around the area, subtly circling the middle-aged man. He had no desire to face a higher-stage martial artist unless his life depended on it.

Lu Zhen knew better than to recklessly provoke those in positions of higher power, as only a foolish and self-righteous person would engage them in combat without a reasonable chance of survival.

As he cautiously closed the distance to around 300 meters from the middle-aged man, a sudden, intense feeling of danger surged within him. In a swift reaction, he rolled to the side.

Whoosh!

A wooden log, propelled with tremendous speed, flew through the air. The sheer velocity caused the log to ignite from the friction, giving it the appearance of a fiery meteor. Upon impact, it created a small crater in the ground.

While the surrounding forest briefly illuminated with flames, the fire quickly extinguished, unable to consume the dense, resilient wood of the trees.

Lu Zhen's eyes widened as he felt a sharp object pierce his back, creating a hole in his chest. Oddly, there was no blood. It was then that the middle-aged man revealed himself.

"You should have remained hidden," the man sneered, nonchalantly stomping his foot, which sent shockwaves through the ground.

The moment the knife pierced Lu Zhen's back, his form seemed to disintegrate, vanishing as if it had never existed. He reappeared, rolling about 100 meters away from the middle-aged man.

"Did you believe the same trick would work twice, or that an afterimage could deceive me?" the middle aged man sneered.

Without hesitation, the middle-aged man extended his arm, generating a series of vicious wind slashes aimed at Lu Zhen.

"Hundred-fold Wind Slash," he whispered to himself.

The unleashed wind slashes effortlessly sliced through the dense trees like a hot knife through butter, travelling at an incredible speed towards Lu Zhen. Numerous thoughts raced through Lu Zhen's mind, but his body struggled to synchronise with his thoughts, leaving him unable to react in time.

The force of the wind launched Lu Zhen into the air, propelling him through the forest and directly crashing through a tree. As dust settled around the impact site, it became evident that a tree had been uprooted by the sheer force of the collision.

The middle-aged man sneered; however, he didn't move from his position as he stayed there as he took out a katana from his waist.

"Do you think you could fool a second-stage martial artist?" He sneered as he slashed with his katana.

"Wind slash."

The middle-aged man muttered in his head as a wind blade went in the direction of Lu Zhen; however, these wind blades reached a terrifying length of 10 metres, with their speed reaching a terrifying degree.

The wind blade directly went in the direction that Lu Zhen had previously crashed into, clearing the entire dust as it revealed Lu Zhen.

"I suppose I'll need to get serious now," Lu Zhen muttered as he straightened up. There were grievous gashes on his chest and stomach, and blood flowed profusely from the wounds. However, the incredible part was that the injuries visibly healed at a rapid pace, sealing up as Lu Zhen's body regenerated.

The middle-aged man was stunned by the recovery ability of Lu Zhen; however, he still didn't move from his position to attack Lu Zhen.

"How strange." He swung his katana again, sending a wind blade at Lu Zhen; however, this time Lu Zhen was prepared as he created a small whirlwind that directly nullified the wind blade.

Lu Zhen panted as veins popped in his head. He imagined feeling anger, and immediately a rage built up in him from within. His eyes turned completely blood red, with his pupils crimson red. His eyes almost looked like it was blood itself.

"Eh, why is he so angry all of a sudden?" The middle-aged man was stunned as he looked at Lu Zhen; however, his eyes widened to the limit when he saw the transformation of Lu Zhen as he expanded.

Lu Zhen's body expanded to a height of 12 feet (3.6576 meters), with his muscles inflating to an exaggerated degree. Sharp horns grew from his head, and a slim tail emerged from his back.

The middle-aged man was shocked, but his legs didn't stop. In a matter of seconds, he reached Lu Zhen and swung his katana directly at Lu Zhen's neck.