Chapter 20

Tang Yan was immersed in the cultivation method of 'Phantom Spirit Truth,' marveling at the profundity of this martial technique. This was only a part of the entire martial technique, the very first part, which recorded the cultivation method of the初级 martial technique 'Phantom Step.'

The so-called 'Phantom Step' is, as the name suggests, a technique that endows martial artists with a light and swift gait and rapid speed. In combat, this elusive and sudden movement can both confuse the enemy and increase the success rate of ambushes. When perfected, it can even produce astonishing effects akin to instantaneous teleportation.

In Tang Yan's view, the 'Phantom Step' and the 'Extinction Eye' were simply a perfect match! When used together, their power would multiply, and the effect of ambushing the enemy would be no less potent than that of talisman cards.

However, there was one point... the 'Phantom Step' required a very refined control and application of spiritual energy. The more skilled and meticulous one was, the lighter and more agile the 'Phantom Step' would be. It was more suitable for girls and less so for men. For a novice like Tang Yan, it was as difficult as climbing to the heavens.

Hmm? Tang Yan, who was quietly contemplating, was suddenly startled by a strong energy fluctuation.

The waterfall cascading down was like a thousand galloping horses. Being in it, one could neither see the outside nor hear any sounds, but the changes in the energy of heaven and earth could be clearly sensed.

The more he felt, the more surprised he became. This situation was too abnormal. Tang Yan's body slightly leaned forward, approaching the edge of the waterfall's flow, and gazed out.

In the next second, his expression changed, and he quickly sat back inside the waterfall.

Is it them? How did they find this place? Tang Yan's gaze flickered uncertainly. After a moment of hesitation, he leaned forward again, cautiously peering out through the water line.

Fine rain enveloped the valley, sparsely falling from the sky. Over twenty people were sitting cross-legged in the grass, as if meditating or adjusting themselves, but they were clearly interfering with the fluctuations of the energy of heaven and earth.

Near the cave in the valley, there were a dozen students from Juxiang Academy, seemingly unconscious. The distance was too far, and the environment was too dim for Tang Yan to see who they were.

Calm down!! Calm down!!

Tang Yan did not dare to act rashly, sitting quietly in the waterfall, on high alert yet cautious. Rescue? Escape? He feared that even a slight movement would result in being captured without a doubt.

What should I do?

All the white-robed figures were immersed in their own consciousness, observing the dense forest through the white mist, carefully filtering all suspicious areas. The further the mist extended, the thinner it became, significantly reducing the clarity of their perception.

The vast range began to increase their sensory burden, forcing them to be even more careful and cautious.

Hmm?

Two white-robed figures near the lake frowned slightly, opened their eyes one after another, and stared at the surging waterfall. They could vaguely sense life energy inside, but the water flow was too powerful, and the droplets they condensed could not penetrate it.

With a mental command, the 'rain curtain' covering the waterfall area suddenly expanded, becoming denser. Numerous water droplets, as if alive, penetrated the waterfall and spread toward the area where Tang Yan was.

Not good!! Tang Yan was constantly paying attention to the outside. When the two figures' gazes turned toward him, he felt a sense of unease. Without hesitation, he quickly sat back to the innermost part of the waterfall and used the impact of the waterfall to quickly dive to the bottom of the lake.

Someone?! The two white-robed figures became alert, clearly sensing a life form avoiding the water and rushing to the lake bottom.

"Due east, target detected!!" Zhou Linglu suddenly spoke, forcibly drawing the attention of some white-robed figures to the due east, where the mist became denser.

"Due east, five kilometers north, target detected! Six kilometers west, target detected." Uncle Hua slowly opened his eyes, his brows slightly furrowed.

The target Zhou Linglu detected was the fleeing Ailinda, Tang Ying, and Du Yang.

The targets Uncle Hua detected were two special groups. The closest were Tang Qiong and a muscular man, both at the Second Rank Martial Ancestor level! The farthest were two middle-aged women, one at the Third Rank Martial Ancestor level and the other at the Second Rank Martial Ancestor level.

The Water Curtain Sky could not only detect targets but also sense the strength of the enemy, provided they were not stronger than himself.

"Everyone, stop!" Uncle Hua first dispersed the Water Curtain Sky, and Zhou Linglu and the others stood up one after another. Due to the great consumption, everyone's faces were pale, and their breaths were disordered.

Uncle Hua reorganized his cloak: "According to Tang Qiong's current trajectory, it is highly likely that she will intersect with Ailinda's hiding place. They are currently about five kilometers apart. If we act quickly, we might intercept the target before Tang Qiong."

Zhou Linglu said, "But Ailinda is seven kilometers away, farther than Tang Qiong. Additionally, the trajectories of the other two women, though not intersecting with Ailinda, might attract them if a battle breaks out."

"That's true, but Tang Qiong doesn't know where Ailinda is. She will search while advancing, and they might only possibly meet. We, however, will move in a straight line!"

"There's another issue: Ailinda doesn't seem to have Tang Yan with her." Zhou Linglu was very cautious.

"He might be hunting. He should return soon. Let's go; we can't waste any more time. We need to eliminate them first."

Zhou Linglu no longer hesitated: "Take these students and move out!"

The two white-robed men at the edge exchanged glances, looked at the surging waterfall again, and hesitated for a moment but ultimately did not raise the issue, quickly following the departing group.

"You rest well; I'll keep watch."

After a long escape, Ailinda found an abandoned cave at the foot of a mountain.

Tang Ying kept looking back, her face full of worry: "Teacher Ailinda, should we really not go back to look for him? Tang Yan told me to wait for him. He might just be lost, and he might already be back in the valley. It's dark now; he will be in great danger alone."

Ailinda sighed inwardly and said, "Do you think I don't want to look for him? We've already searched for half an hour and found nothing. That area is now full of enemies, and we must leave. If we go back now, we'll be walking into a trap."

"But..."

"Relax, Tang Yan is... so... cunning, he won't be in danger." Ailinda didn't want to abandon anyone, especially Tang Yan, who had saved her. But as a teacher, she had to prioritize the safety of the two students with her and couldn't sacrifice two for one.

This wasn't the time for emotional decisions; responsibility came first.

"We can leave a mark; otherwise, he might have a hard time getting out of the Illusion Forest." One characteristic of the Illusion Forest was that the terrain was mostly the same, and without a map, one could easily feel like they were going in circles, potentially getting lost and falling prey to the beasts.

"I wish we could find or help Tang Yan, but we are being pursued by enemies and must be cautious at all times." Ailinda indirectly refused. Leave a mark? Guide Tang Yan? Or guide the enemies?

Ailinda sighed inwardly. At this moment, her heart felt inexplicably troubled, a feeling that was strange and uncomfortable for her usually calm mind.

Tang Ying opened her mouth but didn't know what to say.

Du Yang leaned against the rock wall, looking at Tang Ying: "I have a question, but I'm not sure if I should ask."

"Hmm?"

"I have a feeling that Tang Yan is very different from the Tang Yan I knew before. Is he a trump card of your Tang family? Has he been pretending all along?"

"I don't know, really, I don't know." Tang Ying shook her head. Not only did Du Yang find it strange, but she herself found it unbelievable. But if he were a 'trump card,' it would be unlikely. If Tang Yan were truly hidden, he would have astonishing talent and the care of the old master, making him more than just a Second Rank Martial Master.

A Second Rank Martial Master, no matter how special, wouldn't be considered a 'trump card.'

Du Yang shrugged and didn't ask further. However, he felt that Tang Ying knew something but didn't want to say it in front of others.

Ailinda asked Du Yang, "Where did you get that white robe? And the Ice Seal talisman card?"

"I found them in the forest. While fleeing, I saw the Four-Winged Scaled Python go berserk. After waiting for about half an hour, when it calmed down, I went over to check. I thought I might find a treasure, but instead, I found two corpses. One was torn to pieces, and the other was in better condition, so I took the outfit."

"Only two corpses?"

"Maybe. I didn't dare to stay long. What about you? Did you see them too?"

Tang Ying said, "We escaped from inside. The Four-Winged Scaled Python seemed to be attracted by Tang Yan."

"Tang Yan? Attracted?" Du Yang was momentarily stunned.

"Tang Ying, I have a question, and I hope you will answer me seriously." Ailinda suddenly became serious, looking at Tang Ying sternly: "What did Tang Yan give me... those... things?"

She couldn't forget the pure energy that Tang Yan had pushed into her mouth, which required almost no effort to refine and easily became part of the spiritual energy in her meridians. This was unprecedented, even surpassing the efficacy of crystals or beast cores, almost颠覆ing her understanding.

Tang Ying remembered Tang Yan's reminder and pretended to be confused: "What things?"

"Do you really not know?" Ailinda stared intently at Tang Ying.

Tang Ying felt uneasy under her gaze but didn't give in, shaking her head to indicate that she knew nothing.

"It's fine. You rest quickly; I'll keep watch." Ailinda didn't press further, but at that moment, both she and Du Yang had the same feeling: the Tang family must have done something to Tang Yan. That little guy was not just a spoiled brat!