Chapter 6

Unlike others who were hesitant, Ai Hui felt like a fish in water.

In the wilderness, darkness was the ruler. Countless killings and ambushes blossomed silently in the darkness, taking lives and warmth. Yuan cultivators who could not adapt to the darkness, no matter how powerful, could not survive in the wilderness.

Ai Hui immediately sensed someone nearby, much closer than he had anticipated.

He had not planned to take action. As long as he quietly hid in a corner and held on for five minutes, he could claim the prize and leave. According to the rules, as long as he lasted five minutes without being defeated, he would win.

However, in the wilderness, there were only life and death, no rules.

When Ai Hui realized the situation had changed from his expectations, he immediately reacted instinctively. The opponent was too close, and at such a close distance, if the opponent attacked, he could easily be put on the defensive. Ai Hui, who was in his combat state, measured danger by the terrifying beasts of the wilderness. He would never have the foolish thought that the people around him were not adapted to the darkness.

Countless experiences of life and death had taught his body that when encountering such a situation, the one who initiates the attack has more advantages.

His steps were light, like a cat at night, silent and untraceable.

His movements were very slow, so slow that there was not a hint of wind. This was where Ai Hui's experience showed. In the darkness, air currents and wind were as glaring as light. Skilled predators were as quiet as a pitch-black night before they attacked.

Silence and darkness were the best companions.

Ai Hui vaguely sensed the position of the other person and moved gently towards them.

His nerves were highly tense, his muscles in a strange state, like a volcano on the verge of eruption, ready to explode at the slightest spark. However, from the outside, there was no sign of it.

Suddenly, he stopped and held his breath.

He was like an experienced hunter who sensed his prey's awareness.

He couldn't describe this vague feeling or the basis for his guess, but the wilderness didn't need reasons; there was only victory or defeat, survival or death.

He stood still, motionless, like a statue.

Shi Xue Man faintly sensed a hint of danger, though she wasn't entirely sure. This made her more alert, her attention highly focused, her ears straining to catch any sound around her.

The surroundings were very quiet, empty.

A bit further away, she could hear the breathing of a few people. Although they tried to hold their breath, she still caught it. She also heard someone moving stealthily to her left.

She couldn't help but shake her head; any movement at this time could provoke an attack.

At that moment, shouts and groans, along with the sound of intense fighting, suddenly erupted about ten meters away. Soon, that area was in chaos.

Shi Xue Man felt a slight relief, thinking it must have been her imagination. There was no one within three meters of her.

The feeling of blind combat was indeed different.

Shi Xue Man was a bit excited. She had never experienced such a battle before. She felt her nerves were more taut than ever, and her perception of the surroundings was more acute than ever. If she could maintain this level of sharpness, her combat ability would surely improve dramatically.

She saw an unprecedented path.

She felt like a hunter lurking in the shadows, waiting for the best moment to strike. She was full of confidence; any slight change in the surroundings was clear in her mind.

The feeling was fresh and captivating.

Suddenly, she felt something touch her shoulder.

She immediately snapped out of her state, her hair standing on end. She hadn't moved, so why did she touch something?

Someone was approaching her! She had no awareness, heard no sound, and felt no change in the air currents. A chill spread from her tailbone up her spine.

However, her reaction was a half-beat late. By the time she realized it, she was already in danger.

When Shi Xue Man's mind had a slight lapse, the statue-like Ai Hui suddenly moved. His movements were very slow, even slower than a ninety-year-old woman's. His fingers gently probed forward.

His body slightly leaned forward, his muscles ready to spring.

Ai Hui's attention was highly focused. The nearby fighting sounds were ignored, not affecting him at all. All his attention was on his fingertips. He knew that if he touched the target, the battle would be over in an instant, and victory or defeat would be decided in a flash.

The moment his fingertips felt a slight obstruction, Ai Hui launched his attack without hesitation.

His slightly bent knees, powerful tendons, and muscles burst forth, and his body, like a fierce and agile cheetah, pounced forward in a flash. The sensation on his fingertips became stronger, and the experienced Ai Hui immediately judged that he had touched the opponent's shoulder!

By the time Shi Xue Man reacted, the fierce pounce was like a mountain pressing down on her. She lost her balance and fell backward. Her left hand, ready to counterattack, lost its effectiveness. She instinctively reached out to steady herself.

But her arm was caught by the other person's arm. The technique was so fierce that she felt her right arm had lost sensation.

From a young age, Shi Xue Man had never been so close to a man, but at that moment, she felt no ambiguity, only deep fear.

The fierce lock made her feel like a fish caught in a net, powerless to struggle. She wanted to remove the suppression bracelet, but her limbs were locked, unable to move. She didn't hear any breathing or movement from behind, the cold and silence terrifying her. It was as if she was being attacked by a lifeless machine, and the steel cable wrapped around her was tightening.

She smelled the strong scent of death.

The intense fear made her struggle desperately, her survival instinct causing her to burst with unprecedented strength.

Her hair swept across her mask, and the face behind the mask remained cold and composed. This was normal; any beast's struggle before death was the most intense, let alone a human.

The battle was not over; next came the contest of wisdom and resilience.

He loosened his grip slightly.

Sure enough, feeling that her struggle was having an effect, Shi Xue Man's body writhed even more.

Ai Hui, like a cold hunter, held the opponent's joints firmly. The opponent's struggle only consumed energy, and when the energy was exhausted, the prey would die.

Shi Xue Man soon panted and sweated profusely. She could feel her energy rapidly depleting, becoming more and more tired, while the other person tightened the grip.

Only then did she finally snap out of her fear.

The effects of her long and arduous training immediately showed. Born into a powerful clan, she had a broad perspective. Initially, her panic had caused a brief moment of chaos, but now that she had calmed down, she found a way to counter.

Her eyes flashed with a strange light, and her internal energy flowed, causing her tightly bound body to tremble slightly.

This tremor was not as intense as her previous struggles, but the force it generated was far greater than any before.

Ai Hui felt a shocking force surge through his body, his limbs tingling, almost losing his grip.

Danger!

The prey's strength exceeded his expectations. The danger signal had just risen in his mind when his body reacted instinctively. Without hesitation, his left forearm, which had been holding the target, rose like a venomous snake, and his fingers, spread wide, shot towards the target's throat like lightning.

Unlike the silent hunt in the deep sea, this claw attack was fierce and swift, cutting through the air.

Shi Xue Man's heart trembled, her hair standing on end again. She had no doubt that if the claw hit her throat, it would leave five bloody holes.

Fortunately, the other person's arm loosened, giving her a chance to block. Her delicate arm, like a willow swaying in the wind, extended gracefully without a hint of force, blocking her throat.

"Thud!"

The immense force made her wrist ache, and she desperately leaned back, but she still couldn't completely avoid it. Her throat tightened, her vision went black, and she nearly fainted. But she knew she had to hold on, no matter how difficult. She forced herself to resist, her only movable wrist blocking the other person's relentless attacks, ignoring the burning pain in her neck.

This blocking and parrying was one of her most practiced techniques. Although the other person's attacks were fierce, she held her ground.

Moreover, she soon discovered a possible weakness in the other person. The word "possible" was used because she was unsure.

The other person had not used internal energy so far. Was it because they were holding back, or was their internal energy weak? She was unsure.

Shi Xue Man's tenacity made Ai Hui's sense of danger even stronger. Almost instinctively, he launched a more intense and lethal attack.

The heart!

Any enemy's heart, when attacked, would lose the ability to resist.

But first, he needed to deal with the opponent's armor. This was not a big problem for him. Stripping armor and untying ropes were among his most skilled techniques in the wilderness. The armor of the barbarians was rough and thick, and the ropes were often impervious to blades. Only skill could untie the knots. Stripping armor from dead barbarians was a key part of his work.

His raised right hand, like a wisp of smoke, quickly and silently untied the knots of the armor. If someone had seen it, they would hardly have noticed his fingers' movements.

Like a slippery eel, his right hand, which had slipped into the armor, encountered another knot. Without thinking, he untied it, treating any protection as an obstacle.

The moment he touched the opponent's skin, a cold light flashed in his eyes, his killing intent fierce and tangible. His fingers, like claws, lunged towards the heart. But at the last moment, he remembered this was not the wilderness but a competition for a 50,000 yuan prize. Yes, he would first control the opponent's vital points; if they still resisted, he wouldn't be lenient, Ai Hui's killing intent was stern.

"Thud!"

He hit the target!

He could clearly feel the body in his arms suddenly stiffen.

Huh?

The darkness made Ai Hui's fingertips more sensitive than usual, and he was a bit puzzled.

The sensation... didn't seem... quite right...

***********************************************************

PS: Fang Fang, with an innocent face, asks everyone for recommendations.

Page flip AD starts

Page flip AD ends