Chapter 23

In the center of the island, by the lakeside, the calm water surface reflected a shimmering beauty under the sunlight. A few birds chirped on the branches by the shore, and through the clear water, one could even see the colorful schools of fish below.

If it weren't for a clown-dressed figure standing under a tree, anyone would have considered this place the ideal spot for a vacation.

Unfortunately, the intense killing aura emanating from him instantly frightened all the surrounding animals, causing them to flee in a hurry.

"Hehe, you finally came."

Xizuo ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes flashing with unbridled excitement and agitation.

"Sorry, I kept you waiting."

Alan stretched his limbs and cracked his fingers.

Clearly, finding Xizuo on this island, which was filled with primitive natural beauty, posed no difficulty for him.

Whether it was tracking human-like creatures or using Rupus' nose, which was even more sensitive than a dog's, it was easy to lock onto the target.

Moreover, Xizuo made no effort to hide his presence.

Not only did he not hide, but he also continuously released a killing aura, as if he were afraid that others wouldn't find him.

At this moment, Alan was no longer in a playful mood but was completely serious, his previously calm aura suddenly surging like a flood.

"No problem! I said you're worth the wait. Besides, it's fine if your pet joins in. If I'm not mistaken, you two are one, right?"

As he spoke, Xizuo cast his gaze toward Rupus, who was already on high alert.

Clearly, he had figured out how his trap was seen through last time.

"If it's necessary, I will. Can we start now?" Alan asked with a smile.

He wasn't nervous that Rupus' subtle movements had been noticed by the opponent.

To be precise, what could knowing it do?

Would Xizuo abandon him and directly attack Rupus?

If that were the case, he would soon realize how foolish it was to attack a Beast King Hunter's pet.

Not to mention that a pet could be revived through skills, and just the combination of "Coercion" and "Wild Fury" would be enough to give him a hard time.

Coupled with Rupus' unique Nen ability—Shadow Wolf Pack—the battle could be over in five seconds.

"Of course! The game begins!"

As the last word left his lips, Xizuo immediately launched his attack.

This time, he didn't recklessly charge forward but moved quickly while rapidly throwing an endless stream of cards, seemingly planning some tactic.

For these harassing and vision-obscuring attacks, Alan didn't reveal his abilities but borrowed shadow energy from Rupus, turning all the cards into something like withered leaves.

However, in a place out of Xizuo's sight, his other hand was quietly injecting transformation-type Nen into the air, then using "Conceal" to hide his aura, and finally using manipulation-type abilities to send this air around Xizuo's body, allowing it to enter his body through breathing, attaching to the delicate and sensitive lungs, trachea, and throat.

Meanwhile, Xizuo was doing something similar.

Since he knew Rupus could observe his Nen through "Concentrate" and pass the information to Alan in some unknown way, he decisively shifted the focus of his deception from humans to the Shadow Wolf King.

Thin Illusion!

A substance created by Nen that can mimic anything light and thin, like skin, tattoos, or altered text and images on paper.

Most importantly, this ability cannot be seen through "Concentrate" because it is materialized, not just aura.

Using the visual obstruction and angle cover provided by the card attacks, Xizuo successfully created a perfect replica of himself in a place where neither Rupus nor Alan noticed.

Unlike ordinary dummies, this one was covered with a skin made from "Thin Illusion," and inside was filled with rubber-like "Love that Stretches Freely," with its feet connected to the original body through sticky "Love that Stretches Freely" for manipulation.

Thus, a lifelike puppet was completed.

However, since "Love that Stretches Freely" disappears once it leaves the body, Xizuo knew he had only one chance and had to risk being severely injured to hide his aura and create a perfect ambush.

But he didn't realize that while focusing on deceiving his opponent, he had already inhaled a large amount of air containing transformation-type Nen.

This air, at the owner's command, could instantly turn into -192°C liquid.

In a split second, it could destroy the delicate respiratory system, causing the person to suffocate and die in excruciating pain.

"If I'm not mistaken, the black-purple Nen ball in your hand can't leave your body too far, right? That's why you only use it as a defensive measure, not an offensive one." Xizuo suddenly spoke with confidence, pointing out the weakness in Alan's Nen ability.

Of course, this was just his guess.

The real purpose was to draw the opponent's attention to prepare for the next step of the deception plan.

"Oh? Are you sure?"

A peculiar, extremely sinister and evil-looking bone bow appeared in Alan's hand.

The next second...

He shaped the shadow Nen ball into an arrow, drew the bow, and shot it.

Whoosh!

The black-purple energy arrow hit the tree trunk, just a step away from Xizuo.

Bang!

Sssssss—

A huge hole was directly punched through the middle of the tree trunk, which was as thick as two people could encircle.

But that wasn't the most terrifying part!

The most terrifying part was that the shadow energy was rapidly eroding the entire tree around the hole.

In no time, the tree quickly withered and died, then revived in a grotesquely distorted state, presenting a scene that defied description.

Feeling the unusual aura, Xizuo became excited, his lips curling into a beautiful arc: "Hey! Hey! Hey! This isn't something ordinary transformation or emission-type abilities can do. What did you add to your Nen?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Alan replied with deep meaning.

Without a doubt, he had completed all his preparations and now held the key to victory firmly in his hands.

Next, he would enjoy Xizuo's performance and, when the opponent thought he had won, directly detonate the remote "bomb" hidden in his body.

Sometimes, Alan was truly sadistic, preparing to give hope and then personally extinguish it, savoring the opponent's reaction as they fell into the depths of despair after a dramatic rise and fall.

PS: New book, seeking collections and recommendations. Thank you very much.