Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 158 157、Autumn Leaf Knife (Added for Penguin Golden League)

”Am I now the hunted deer,” Cao Wei mused wryly to himself.

What surprised him even more was that not even his extraordinarily powerful sense of hearing could detect Qing Chenʼs footsteps.

This made it impossible for him to locate his opponent, unable to even find the target for a desperate final stand.

Panting, Cao Wei suddenly didnʼt want to run anymore.

He shouted into the woods, ”Since you dare not come out, I wonʼt run either. Letʼs just endure this standoff.”

Saying this, he nonchalantly sat down, adjusting his breathing on the spot.

Cao Wei was gambling, betting that his opponent wouldnʼt dare let him, a C-Class Expert, recover his strength and heal his injuries in peace!

He silently let his arms hang by his sides, gently digging into the soil, ready to launch a desperate counterattack if the young man emerged to kill him then.

But as soon as Cao Wei had sat down, a sharp weapon suddenly whizzed through the trees.

He abruptly threw himself back, and as the sharp weapon spun and whistled through the air, it barely grazed the tip of his nose and embedded itself in the ground behind him.

Turning to look behind him, there was a blade-like leaf stuck three inches into the ground.

He was shocked within, the Autumn Leaf Knife!

This leaf-as-blade ability seemed novel to Qing Chen, but in the Inner World, who didnʼt know about it.

But the problem was, only a B-Class Knight had the initial strength to use the Autumn Leaf Knife. How could this freshly minted knight already be using it?!

Could it be that the knight now hunting him was no longer that young man but rather a well-known knight?

Chen Jiazhang, Wang Xiaojiu, Uncle Li Dong?!

No, if it were really those three, why would they even waste time with him!

Cao Wei suddenly realized, this was a monster who could unleash the Autumn Leaf Knife right after becoming a knight!

Before he could understand this, another Autumn Leaf Knife pierced the air towards him, and he hurriedly rolled to the side.

If he had not dodged in time, he might have been disemboweled.

Cao Wei gritted his teeth and stood up to continue running towards the woods; the opponent had the ability to kill from a distance, preventing him from staying in one place to recover.

The opponent was proving more troublesome than he had imagined!

Countdown 33:00:00.

The silent hunt in the woods continued, seemingly unnoticed and uncared for by anyone outside this place.

With the silence, the sense of oppression grew stronger, an almost tangible threat constantly looming behind Cao Wei.

But this hunter, more patient than Cao Wei had anticipated.

No matter how he coughed up blood, no matter how he showed weakness, the opponent seemed to have no intention of coming out to battle him.

The young man merely concealed himself silently in the darkness of the Taboo Land, like the most seasoned lone wolf, waiting for the prey to exhaust itself.

Countdown 30:00:00.

Cao Wei had been running from morning until evening.

But no matter how he ran, he couldnʼt escape the Taboo Land.

His internal injuries were worsening; even for a C-Class Expert, it was becoming unbearable.

Initially, Cao Wei thought that as time passed, both he and his opponent would tire.

After long durations of cardiovascular strain, the efficiency of blood oxygen supply would start to decrease, brain function would decline, hands and feet would begin to sweat, and judgment would no longer be so precise.

Temper would gradually become irritable, no longer patient.

But for some reason, the oppressive feeling was growing stronger with time!

In Cao Weiʼs perception, during nearly ten hours of this chase, the steps of his pursuer had never once faltered, and he had not been able to seize any opportunity.

The opponent was like a cold, mighty, emotionless machine, its body merely an extension of a formidable will.

In his mind, Cao Wei kept asking, is this what qualifies one to become a Knight?

Without a doubt, the young manʼs raw strength was not as great as his, but he was definitely the most patient opponent Cao Wei had ever encountered in his life.

Unseen enemies, endless roads, the feeling of despair and suffocation.

Whenever Cao Wei thought of resting, the fierce Autumn Leaf Knife would arrive on schedule, urging him to continue fleeing.

Countdown 25:00:00.

Suddenly, Cao Wei was tripped by a tree branch and fell to the ground.

But this time he had no intention of getting up, just gasping for air as he lay on his back and then spoke to the dark woods, ”Donʼt you get tired? I know your target is actually Qing Huai, so why come after me instead of going for him first?”

No one answered.

But Cao Wei didnʼt mind, he just continued, ”When I was young, I really wanted to be a Knight, but I wasnʼt as lucky as you. Later I joined the army, and with military achievements, I got the Genetic Potion, thinking even if I couldnʼt follow the path of a Knight, it didnʼt matter, I could still become a Transcendent. But today I realized, I am still far too lacking.”

During his speech, the Autumn Leaf Knife once again whistled through the air.

”Found you!” Cao Wei suddenly sprang up from the ground.

Between thunderous roars, he unleashed all his remaining potential in a burst of fury!

Like a dying tiger, he charged into a dark part of the woods!

Cao Wei laying on the ground earlier was not about admitting defeat, but to get his ears closer to the ground, to better judge Qing Chenʼs position!

He knew, once the opponent used the Autumn Leaf Knife again, he would immediately change positions to avoid being found following the knifeʼs trajectory.

Then there would be footsteps!

Having joined the army for over a decade, Cao Weiʼs rise through the ranks wasnʼt just due to luck and force, but also brains, courage, and persistence.

He struggled through the Federation Army camps, demoted and made to serve the rich familiesʼ sons like a dog, but he climbed up gritting his teeth, and a person like that would definitely not wait passively for death!

In an instant, Cao Wei had pounced into the dark woods, and after more than ten hours, he finally saw that young man again, including the Fire Rune on his cheek.

They were so close to each other, yet there was not the slightest fluctuation in the young manʼs eyes.

It was as if it wasnʼt he who found his opponent, but the opponent waiting for him in this Taboo Land.

Only, Cao Wei found it strange, the way the young man looked at him was odd, like a butcher eyeing a bull about to be slaughtered.

In the darkness, the Federation soldier furiously swept his right-hand dagger in front of him, his arm and dagger slicing through the scattered leaves, fiercely slashing towards Qing Chenʼs chest and abdomen.

But Cao Wei realized that just as his muscles had tensed up, the young man in front already seemed to presciently know his movements.

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After a chase that lasted more than ten hours, the masterʼs strength was also dragged down to its lowest point by his injuries, he only felt a void in his hand, his seemingly deadly strike missed.

What followed was the young manʼs counterattack, his dagger brushing past Cao Weiʼs own, leaving a deep gash in his arm.

Cao Weiʼs legs bent like a bow as he burst forward once more, swinging his arms, but his dagger just couldnʼt touch the young man.

The opponent seemed to always predict his attack based on how he tensed up beforehand.

Then counterattacked.

After just over ten seconds, Cao Wei had over a dozen new wounds, yet he hadnʼt even touched the hem of Qing Chenʼs clothes!

Cao Wei knew he had become slower and weaker, but that wasnʼt why he was being overpowered.

He was being overpowered because of the young manʼs ability to judge.

Cao Wei felt that the otherʼs reaction speed wasnʼt faster than his own, but he could judge his next move based on the changes in his clothes, the bulging muscles, the shift in his eyes, and how he powered his waist and legs.

He didnʼt know how the young man did it, only that he was very close to death.

Very close.

…

Chapter Ten!

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