Translator: CinderTL
"Strange, the critical hit rate is unusually high," Jiang Ye murmured, surprised.
The critical hit effect of Beauty's Inquiry was supposed to be a probabilistic event.
When he teamed up with Xia Qing to hunt the Shadow Clan, it only triggered once throughout an entire session.
But now?
Teaming up with Zhao Qingli, nearly half of his fist techniques were landing critical hits.
Was this an unprecedented stroke of good luck, or did the system favor those with good looks?
Jiang Ye didn't have time to dwell on it. After eliminating the two enemies, he swiftly rushed to Zhao Qingli's aid.
Zhao Qingli was struggling to hold her own against three black-clad assailants.
Whoosh! Whoosh! She unleashed rapid leg whips, her snow-white thighs slicing through the air like blades, targeting the enemies' lower bodies.
Zhao Qingli's leg techniques were exceptionally sharp, honed through rigorous training. Even Lin Yushu might have struggled to match her skill.
Against two opponents, this strategy would have been effective.
But against three? It was pushing her to her limits.
Boom!
Just as Zhao Qingli was about to collapse, a faint silver light flashed.
Jiang Ye launched a surprise attack from behind, his fist aimed squarely at the back of one of the black-clad figures.
With all his attributes enhanced, his strength and speed had been comprehensively amplified.
At such close range, his strike was instantaneous.
The black-clad figure didn't even have time to react before Jiang Ye's fist slammed into the back of his head.
Eight Trigrams Thunderclap Fist!
Boom!
The black-clad figure felt a thunderous roar erupt in his mind, instantly dazing him.
Crack!
A faint sound like a skull fracturing echoed through the air.
"Tough skull," Jiang Ye muttered, his palm stinging, but he didn't hesitate. Silver light flashed across the surface of his fist as he unleashed a series of transcendent energy-infused strikes against the man's head.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In mere seconds, blood streamed from the black-clad figure's seven orifices, and he collapsed unconscious.
"Jiang Ye!" Zhao Qingli's cherry-red lips parted in astonishment.
But there was no time for shock. She quickly joined Jiang Ye in confronting the remaining two attackers.
With Jiang Ye's arrival, the remaining black-clad figures stood no chance.
Jiang Ye and Zhao Qingli quickly joined forces to eliminate the remaining black-clad assassins.
They immediately turned to assist Wang Zi'ang.
Half a minute later, all six black-clad assassins in the area, each nearing their first breakthrough, had been neutralized.
"Jiang Ye, your strength..." Wang Zi'ang exclaimed, visibly astonished.
He had witnessed Jiang Ye's earlier clash with the two assassins, and the sight had left him deeply shaken.
Is this really Jiang Ye? he wondered. His combat prowess seems even greater than mine now!
"Jiang Ye, your shoulder," Zhao Qingli said, her delicate face etched with concern as she noticed the gruesome knife wound on his shoulder.
"We'll deal with it later. Let's move," Jiang Ye said grimly.
Zhao Qingli and Wang Zi'ang nodded, and the trio sprinted toward the exit.
Boom!
A tremendous explosion echoed from the distance.
The black and white elders, the two strongest figures in this hideout, unleashed their unparalleled qi prowess, instantly suppressing Wan Yaoyang.
"Something's wrong. This is..." Zhao Qingli's expression paled. "Nearing the second breakthrough!"
She had witnessed the qi prowess of second breakthrough experts before.
Now, the black and white elders were displaying qi prowess only a hair's breadth below that of true second breakthrough experts!
"They've been concealing their true strength all along?" Jiang Ye's gaze sharpened.
Previously, the black and white elders had seemed evenly matched with Wan Yaoyang, far from the overwhelming force they were now displaying.
They had clearly been biding their time, waiting to confirm their targets before closing the net.
"We need to move, now!" Jiang Ye shouted, sprinting toward the exit.
Simultaneously, Wan Yaoyang sensed the elders' surging qi prowess and reacted instantly.
Without a word, he turned and fled toward the exit.
"Heh heh heh..."
"Trying to escape now? Isn't it a little late for that?"
The black and white elders' hoarse, chilling laughter echoed behind them.
The two elders transformed into "afterimages," their speed astonishing.
They seemed to merge with the shadows on the ground, moving as if they were one with the darkness.
It was clear they had already mastered the rudimentary techniques of the Shadow Clan.
The black-robed elder pursued Lin Yushu.
The white-robed elder intercepted Wan Yaoyang.
Moving with lightning speed, he instantly blocked Wan Yaoyang's path.
"Boy, join my divine shadow, and I'll spare your life!" the white-robed elder said with a sinister smile.
Wan Yaoyang narrowed his eyes and replied in a low voice, "The girl ahead is a descendant of a Star Practitioner. She's far more valuable than I am."
"Oh?"
The white-robed elder glanced in Zhao Qingli's direction and sneered coldly. "Too bad they're almost out. We have no intention of chasing them into the outside world."
Wan Yaoyang lowered his voice further. "Let me go, and I'll help you capture her. What do you say?"
As he spoke, he glanced at Zhao Qingli, a faint golden light flashing in his pupils.
Instantly.
Zhao Qingli, who had been sprinting toward the exit, stumbled and collapsed to the ground.
Innate Talent—Abyssal Gaze!
Wan Yaoyang's ability had little effect on opponents of higher cultivation realms, but it was remarkably effective against those of equal or weaker strength, inducing temporary paralysis.
Whoosh!
Seeing this, the white-robed elder transformed into a blur of motion, darting toward Zhao Qingli.
Clearly, he too was keenly interested in the "descendant of a Star Practitioner" Wan Yaoyang had mentioned.
At the same moment.
Jiang Ye's heart sank when he saw Zhao Qingli collapse to the ground.
Without a second thought, he turned and swiftly scooped her up, dragging her toward the exit at full speed.
But in that brief moment of hesitation...
A figure had already materialized at the exit, radiating a terrifying qi prowess.
It was the white-robed elder!
"Stay here," the white-robed elder sneered coldly, his gaze sweeping across the scene. "Not bad. We've actually captured seven promising talents this time."
Meanwhile, the black-robed elder had subdued Lin Yushu and the other two.
"Seize them all and get out of here," he rasped. "This place has been exposed. We can't stay any longer."
The white-robed elder nodded, his smile chilling. "Little whelps, the game is over."
In the next instant, he reached out toward Jiang Ye and the others.
Jiang Ye's face turned icy as he prepared to draw his hidden pistol for a desperate last stand. He had kept this special weapon concealed precisely for such emergencies.
But just then...
Whoosh!
A golden beam suddenly pierced through the ground, tearing through the air, and in an instant, it pierced through the white-robed elder's skull.
He didn't even have time to react before collapsing dead on the spot!
Immediately afterward, two figures emerged from the exit.
It was none other than Zhang Jianwu and Cang Haisong.
"It's time to end this," Cang Haisong said with a cheerful smile.
The black-robed elder's expression twisted in alarm at the sight of the two men.
Without a word, his body dissolved into a shadow and darted deeper into the cave kiln at breakneck speed.
"Think you can escape?" Zhang Jianwu's cold voice echoed through the cavern.
With a flick of his wrist, the golden light he had unleashed earlier shot forth again.
This was clearly another star weapon, but the power Zhang Jianwu wielded far surpassed Wan Yaoyang's earlier display.
Boom!
The golden light streaked past at several times the speed of sound, creating a deafening sonic boom.
In the blink of an eye, it pierced through the shadow like a divine nail, pinning it violently to the ground.
Sizzle!
The shadow writhed frantically before finally reverting to its human form.
The black-robed elder lay pinned to the ground, a golden light piercing his chest. The light in his eyes gradually faded.
Cang Haisong chuckled. "I'll handle the remaining rats."
With that, he strode forward and vanished into the depths of the cave kiln.
Seeing this, Jiang Ye finally breathed a sigh of relief.
By now, he understood that the school had anticipated this all along.
Meanwhile, Wan Yaoyang approached Zhang Jianwu and bowed respectfully. "Thank you for saving me, Senior."
Without waiting for a response, the enigmatic young man turned and headed toward the exit.
"Wait."
A voice called out.
(End of the Chapter)
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