An unseen adversary.
It was uncertain whether they would become visible during the fight.
But it was wise to prepare for the worst.
He had to assume he was fighting an invisible opponent.
How could he detect them? How could he break their stealth?
Tang Wen pondered anxiously, though he wasn't overly worried about his own safety.
The Blood Raven and Brown-tailed Crow had informed him that General Zhao was already on his way.
Moreover, his mount was none other than the Extraordinary Sand Wolf King.
Three against one!
How could they lose?
The advantage was his.
Hmm… perhaps that wasn't the best thing to say.
He carefully reviewed the situation in his mind:
He had been targeted the moment he arrived at the Beast Taming Garden today.
It was highly unlikely that this was a Transcendent sent by the Blackwater Gang to protect him.
The Sand Wolf continued racing toward the Four Seas Camp.
Along the way, Tang Wen had noticed something.
When the Sand Wolf sped up, the pursuer would fall slightly behind.
The sensation of being watched would lessen.
When the Sand Wolf slowed or turned, the feeling of being observed grew stronger.
He refused to believe that the Transcendent behind him couldn't even keep up with a high-level Sand Wolf.
There were two possibilities.
First, the opponent couldn't exert explosive force while in stealth, making it difficult to catch up.
Second, the opponent wasn't in a hurry.
The first scenario was manageable.
But what if it was the latter?
If they weren't in a hurry, did they have a backup plan?
The wind blew, carrying yellow sand with it.
Ahead, the desert stretched endlessly, glimmering under the starlight like a blanket of frost.
A perfect location.
Reaching the center of the sandy expanse, the Sand Wolf gradually slowed to a stop.
Tang Wen looked back, his gaze fixed on an empty spot.
His eyes shifted occasionally, as if tracking an invisible figure.
'Hah! Can he really see me?'
'Impossible.'
'He's just an ordinary Transcendent.'
'I don't even leave footprints in the sand! How could he detect me?'
'Is it my gaze?'
'Got it. I'll just lower my head and avoid looking at him!'
Tang Wen frowned—the sensation of being watched had vanished.
"Awooo!"
The Sand Wolf howled at the moon.
It summoned a swirling storm of sand.
Layers of yellow dust swept outward in all directions.
The sandstorm came and went swiftly.
No traces remained on the ground.
The sand fell freely, unobstructed by any unseen presence.
Had the opponent left?
Unlikely.
They must have retreated beyond the sandy area.
Tang Wen felt like he was battling the air itself.
A night breeze stirred.
The wind had a shape.
As it blew, was there—
Tang Wen couldn't see it, but the Sand Wolf could.
"Awooo!"
It barked incessantly in a particular direction.
Tang Wen focused, merging his vision with the wolf's.
His perspective shifted.
The wind flowed like water.
At the edge of the desert, the wind curved around something unseen.
The outline formed the shape of a person.
A cloaked figure.
Not very tall—judging by the curves, a woman.
The female Transcendent who had set up the safe house?
He had found her!
Keeping his composure, Tang Wen directed the Sand Wolf to whip up another sandstorm in that direction.
The sand blasted toward the spot like a furious wave.
To avoid revealing herself, the woman dodged aside.
But the moment she moved, terror seized her.
'Damn it.'
'Hidden weapons.'
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A sharp, vibrating hum filled the air.
"Visualization Hidden Weapon Technique?!"
The woman's shocked voice rang out.
Several oval stones shot toward her in a triangular formation, sealing off her escape routes.
Tang Wen smirked. Done playing ghost?
In that split second, the woman realized she had no room to evade.
She had no choice but to take the hit.
Dark Night Divine Fist—Night Battle in All Directions.
Two pale fists materialized midair, shrouded in black mist, and collided with one of the stones.
Bang!
The air exploded.
The stone shattered into dust.
The woman staggered back three steps in quick succession.
Freak!
Absolute freak!
With that kind of force, is he a seasoned Transcendent? Or even a peak-level one?
Impossible!
His age alone makes it impossible.
Is it an advanced Hidden Weapon Visualization Method?
Damn it.
Before she could think further—
Several more pebbles shot toward her like arrows chasing the moon.
Too late to dodge!
She had no choice but to block.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Her fists, leaving afterimages, collided with the stones in rapid succession.
Explosions rang out.
"Hmph? Underhanded!"
A muffled grunt escaped her as her fist struck a hard steel ball.
Already caught off guard?
Tang Wen fired off multiple Flying Stones in quick succession.
Each one carried terrifying momentum—
Like the roar of a massive cannon!
The Transcendent woman's head finally became visible.
Her face was shockingly young.
She was a genius too?!
The scene was bizarre.
A floating head and two fists continuously battled Tang Wen.
Swoosh!
The Transcendent woman's figure flickered.
A Flying Stone wrapped in darkness grazed past her calf.
'No good!'
'Can't keep dragging this out!'
'He's clearly a mid-to-long-range expert—I need to close the distance!'
Her eyes flashed with determination.
Darkness spread outward from her, enveloping several meters around her.
The darkness was so abrupt and dense—
Even the starlight from above couldn't penetrate it.
Tang Wen retreated steadily, his hands never stopping as he silently speculated—
Just how far had this female Transcendent's Darkness Ability progressed?
20%?
30%?
Or even higher?
Swoosh!
The Flying Stone plunged into the darkness.
Like a bullet sinking into water—
It vanished without a sound.
Hummm!
The darkness within a several-meter radius began shifting toward Tang Wen.
Like a black hole, it devoured a continuous stream of Flying Stones.
Whoosh!
The black hole suddenly accelerated—
Like a massive specter, it lunged to swallow Tang Wen whole.
Yet, instead of panicking, he relaxed slightly.
Her Darkness Ability was impressive.
But unfortunately, its range was limited.
The two engaged in a chase—
Tang Wen circled the small patch of sandy terrain.
The Sand Wolf also repositioned, ensuring its eyes remained locked on the shifting darkness.
'Just as I thought! This man doesn't dare let me get close!'
'He practices Hidden Weapon Visualization—rare, but the weakness is too obvious. Once I close the distance, 80% of his combat power will be useless!'
The female Transcendent was certain her deduction was correct.
Before coming here, she had thoroughly investigated Tang Wen.
A Beast Tamer. A cultivation genius!
Rumored to be under seventeen years old!
A classic case of being granted the title of "Young Master" due to sheer talent.
Before testing Tang Wen's limits, she had gathered every possible detail.
Their Thief Sect was most adept at reconnaissance.
Understanding the situation before acting was a tradition passed down for countless generations.
Though she didn't know why Tang Wen was hiding his status as a Transcendent—
From their battle, it was clear to her that this was the case.
For someone so young to reach Transcendent was already legendary.
Excelling in the [Hidden Weapon Visualization Method] was even rarer.
If Tang Wen, at such a young age, was also skilled in close combat—
Then every powerhouse in Mountain Chasing City might as well bash their heads against a wall!
All those years of living would have been wasted.
After careful consideration, she was confident in her reasoning—
Factoring in Tang Wen's age and the current battle conditions!
There was no flaw in her logic!!
Just like—how could a seventeen-year-old possibly be both a top-tier writer and an international athlete?
With this thought, the darkness around her billowed like storm clouds.
Tang Wen's expression turned wary.
The dark clouds shifted—
The female Transcendent abruptly changed direction, lunging straight for the Sand Wolf.
She had seen it clearly long ago.
That stone slab was tied beneath the saddle pad on the wolf's back.
Though she didn't know what the slab was, just a single glance from afar had made her mental energy surge uncontrollably.
It had to be a rare treasure!
It was precisely because of its allure that she had stubbornly followed them all this way.
Now, Tang Wen and the Sand Wolf had separated.
Wasn't this the perfect opportunity to seize the treasure?
The Transcendent woman could no longer restrain herself.
With a burst of Shadow Nether Steps, she lunged toward the Sand Wolf.
This was a strike the enemy had to defend against!
Beneath the black mist, her lips curled into a smirk.
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