Nine Paths Of Asura - 78 The Hanged Man Pt.3

I Don’t Want To Die Again: The Strongest Swordsman Or The Worst Zombie

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“Let’s end it here. Thank you for the pointers!”

Lineir clapped his hands together and sincerely bowed. Jun Li looked slightly hesitant, an unusual expression for such a large man. Why did this strange youth suddenly challenge him to a fight, and then back out after he gained an advantage? Regardless, while normally he would never back down from a real fight, this had after all been a simple duel and Lineir had backed down first giving him face.

“Very well, feel free to seek me out at any time, I Jun Li will accept all comers!” He clapped his hands together as well and then turned to leave.

“Where the heck did lil bro end up? ARRRGH damnit!! I totally forgot I was supposed to be bringing him back to the clan!” He looked at Lineir with an aggrieved expression,

“You chose a terrible time for a duel! Before I go, what’s your name, what clan are you from, I don’t remember any others that train in the laws of attraction besides my own and I haven’t seen your face before…?”

“Lineir, I’m afraid I don’t have a clan.”

Here in this Trial Lineir didn’t mind giving out his real name. No one was hunting him here. Additionally, he wasn’t lying he really didn’t have a clan name, and while it might be dangerous to reveal that he had no family backing him, he didn’t really care. It would become obvious eventually, and even still, many would assume he simply didn’t wish to disclose his family name, such cases were common after all when youths went out adventuring. Not everyone wanted to show off their status and power! Jun Li simply nodded acknowledging Lineir and headed off from the clearing into the tall grass. Lineir took one more look around at the cleanly shorn tall grass and walked the other way.

“Hmph, he was very strong. In terms of brute strength he far outclassed me. Even with my new insights I wouldn’t want to fight him in a head to head fight.” He then called out to Jun Li who was already half enveloped in the Sightless Plains.

“That snake man took a left up ahead. If you hurry you can probably catch up!” Of course, this information was something which he had asked from Mei whose senses easily penetrated the Sightless Plains. Jun Li simply flashed a massive thumbs up over his shoulder and adjusted his direction slightly.

Three days later, Lineir emerged from a secluded glade in the Sightless Plains. He had purposely had Mei find him a deserted corner and had withdrawn all his aura as he meditated trying to understand the rain. With a clap of thunder, the Death Qi rain had suddenly stopped when he had gained total mastery of its production. Realizing that it was extremely unlikely this was a coincidence, Lineir looked up at the Heavens and clasped his hands.

“Whoever you are, thank you for the lesson.”

He then headed off deeper into the Sightless Plains to test his insights out. It took him some time to return to the hotbed of action, but once he got to a more contested area, Mei immediately alerted him to a likely target.

“Kiddo, the guy up ahead looks like a weakling. I’d suggest ambushing him, cutting off something important and then testing out your new techniques!”

She displayed a ruthless approach which fundamentally was very practical. However, Lineir just sighed. He had long since gotten used to Mei’s ruthlessness and at times her advice had often saved his life so he couldn’t complain. He wasn’t a complete sadist however! If he ambushed someone unless he had very good reason he wasn’t simply going to wound them and then toy with them as a cat might play with a mouse. He would either slay them outright or face them in head on combat!

Shhhhuaaaa! Shua! Shua!!

After a few seconds observing the Chosen in question Lineir ascertained that Mei’s prediction was correct and that the Chosen was not particularly powerful. The Chosen was in black robes with a short stature and a small scimitar slung across his back and seemed to specialize in some sort of stealth technique. However, while that technique had helped him survive the Trials until now it did no good against Mei’s divine sense!

“Hmm? Not this damn rain again. What a pain.” The Chosen stared up as out of the sky which had cleared a few days ago inexplicably, dark raindrops fell. However, he soon came to know his mistake in believing that this was the same rain as before!

Shua! Shua!

Instantly when the rain made contact with the Chosen it evaporated as it clashed with his protective Qi. But instead of sizzling up and disappearing like the original Death Qi rain, a thick fog of Darkness Qi appeared.

“What? This isn’t Death Qi! It’s Darkness Qi? Is this another change to the Trials??”

The Chosen was bewildered as he was suddenly surrounded by a stifling atmosphere of Darkness and even his cultivators eyes were impeded by its blackness! That wasn’t all however! A moment later his mind was infected by poisonous whispers! The power of Madness gripped him and his eyes gradually took on a red haze as he desperately fought for control of his own mind!

“Die!”

“Die!””Die!”

“Die!””Die!””Die!”

“Die!””Die!””Die!””Die!”

“Die!””Die!””Die!””Die!””Die!”

“Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Insidiously a torrent of horrifying whispers permeated his very soul, slipping right past his Qi defences! His hands clenched and unclenched around his scimitar as he drew it and flailed about unleashing various techniques trying to disperse the fog of Darkness Qi.

“Chameleon Slash!!”

The black fog parted but was quickly reformed as the Rain fell faster than ever!

Iguana Jumping the Nine Hells!”

He crouched down on all fours like a lizard and suddenly vaulted off the ground soaring twenty meters forward into the sky! He landed outside the bewildering rain and hid amongst the tall grass.

“Ugh…I don’t know how they found me the first time but I refuse to believe they can penetrate my concealment technique now that I’ve fled! My clan may not be known for its combat power but in stealth and concealment we are unmatched! Additionally, our secret technique is based off the 5 Colored Iguana of ancient times, it is perfect for blending into these Sightless Plains!”

He reassured himself and tried to calm himself as the torturous whispers started to die down. It was at this moment that Lineir suddenly stepped out of the thick grass into an open patch!

“Hmmm…incredible, this technique covers such a large area yet wreaks such devastation even on single targets! Additionally…its Qi consumption is minimal as it is fueled by the power of Madness! I simply need to create the medium for Madness to travel!”

Lineir smiled evilly and his eyes had a hint of the snakelike pupils of the Hydra! He suddenly shifted his gaze from the rain on the ground and stared directly into the hidden Chosen’s eyes!

“It’s ok…he can’t see me. It’s just a coincidence! Impossible, no one at our level can see through the 5 Colored Iguana’s Mirror Scales technique! He knows I jumped over here and he’s bluffing trying to scare me out! As long as I don’t move he can’t see me!”

Frantically, he tried to remain still. Presently, Lineir seemed to lose interest and broke eye contact walking off to the side. Ecstatic the Chosen crowed,

“Hah! I knew it! Wait…What…the rain why is it here agai-…NOOOOOOOOO!!!” An instant later, a horrible downpour of Lineir’s Darkness Rain crashed from the sky like a flood of Madness. Before the Chosen could even decide whether to stay still and possibly break cover, it was upon him! The Madness quickly amplified and the Darkness came on twice as thick as before, so thick the Chosen could barely even move under the weight of the Laws of Darkness! The whispers of Madness swept past his Qi and penetrated into his mind.

“Diiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

Out of the corner of his eye Lineir caught sight of a flash of metal and then a crumpling noise as a headless body fell limply into the grass. The Chosen’s own hand and scimitar were quickly bathed in both blood and rain after he took his own life in Madness! Lineir almost walked away but then sighed and turned back.

“He might be weak but you never know…maybe he had some good items.”