Chapter 63: Then I Bid You All Sleep Here Forever

"This is already the eighth night. I can confirm there are no ambushes within a radius of several miles. Shall we make our move?"
The night was thick with mist, as dense and impenetrable as spun sugar. Upon a verdant hilltop, a man and a woman stood atop the trees, gazing into the distance. Suddenly, the woman turned to the man and asked.

The man raised his head, revealing a sallow, gaunt face. He glanced at the sky, as if pondering, then spoke in a deep voice, "Our faces are too conspicuous in this country. Our hiding places keep being discovered. I doubt we have much time left. Damn it! This is exactly why I never wanted to come here. Fine—the fog tonight is excellent. We can act. Send the signal, but if anything goes wrong, we withdraw immediately! That fellow wants to lure us out, so let's stir the hornet's nest for him."

"You Asians always have a way with words. Don't worry—a single master won't last a minute against us. If there are any traps, we'll be long gone," the woman laughed.

"Let’s hope so."

In the distance, in a place like a small valley.

This was the heart of the West Lake Scenic Area in Lincheng, where mountains stretched endlessly and night brought deep silence. Few had reason to wander these hills and freeze after a full meal.

Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept through, setting the mist in motion like a rolling white dragon. At that moment, Jiang An opened his eyes.

"I, Jiang, have waited long enough. The honored guests have finally shown themselves. Why not come out and meet?"

His clear voice echoed through the valley. The answer was a series of footsteps, coming nearer. Soon, two figures emerged from the fog.

A man and a woman.

The woman had golden hair and blue eyes, tall and imposing. Her features, far from delicate, bore a masculine cast, with high cheekbones. She wore black armor, a longsword strapped to her back, resembling a Western medieval female knight.

The man was of medium height and slender, with black curly hair and a sallow yet deep-set face. He wore loose yellow linen robes and walked barefoot, likely hailing from India in South Asia.

"You must be Jiang An. I am Chris, or you may call me 'Divinity Fifteen,' and this is Varanasi, also known as 'Divinity Thirteen.' We are ordered to take your head. Would you make it easier for us?" The female knight spoke in fluent local language.

Jiang An smiled lightly. "Not very convenient, actually. I would rather keep you both here, for eternal rest. Would you be willing?"

"I don't quite understand your idioms, but it's clear it's not a good meaning," Chris shook her head with a smile. "They say your people are hospitable. Since we've come out, shouldn't your companions do the same?"

"There's no need for probing. As you know, only I am here. But speaking of meeting, perhaps you still have friends who haven't appeared?"

"Our friend is rather shy; you may be disappointed," the female knight replied, her voice rough, her eyes already brimming with murderous intent. If their target truly was alone, well, no one could blame them.

"Before we begin, one last question. When your overlords issued the execution order, it was stated: 'Blood Moon' sends one, 'Serpent's Lair' sends one, and the overlord sends one. Both of you are from the overlord. Is someone unable to come for some reason?" Jiang An suddenly asked.

"Why are you so concerned? Are you afraid?"

"I simply dislike trouble. If all could come at once, it would spare me the effort of a second round of killing," Jiang An’s words ignited Chris’s anger, her smile vanished, and she answered coldly, "Jiang An, twenty-seven, martial arts master of this nation, strength at first or second tier. A genius, yes, but you murdered Divinity Eighteen. With the Divine King's order, your death is inevitable!"

Before she finished speaking, Chris drew her sword, a silver Western blade about one meter twenty in length. With the sword in hand, her aura soared, sharp and overwhelming. On closer inspection, the grass and trees around her bore fine wounds, widening as if torn by invisible sword energy.

Her companion, Divinity Thirteen, stepped back and vanished into the thick mist.

Jiang An remained unmoved, still seated on the ground. Suddenly, he slapped his left hand on the earth, rolling to the right and leaping into the air. At the same moment, a terrifying wind blade sliced through where he had sat, gouging a massive trench in the ground.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—sounds of air splitting echoed. Invisible wind blades flashed out from all sides of the fog, forming an impenetrable wall, intent on shredding Jiang An to pieces!

Jiang An snorted coldly. His fist swept like a tiger, scattering all the wind blades. The next instant, a cold gleam descended. Glancing up, he saw the female knight leaping high above him, spinning like a gyroscope. Her sword unleashed a milky-white crescent of sword energy, slashing down with tremendous force and speed.

Western battle aura?

Jiang An discerned the difference—the female knight’s energy was unlike the local masters' inner force. Here, internal energy was first for nurturing life, then for combat, making it thick and balanced, able to heal wounds, evaporate dampness, and so on. Western battle aura, by contrast, was singular and extreme, focused on sharpness and tearing, often deadlier than inner force.

But so what!

Jiang An’s aura condensed, preparing to counter her battle aura, when suddenly—a shadow exploded from beneath his feet, darting behind him like a black python. It instantly wrapped around his limbs, binding him tight. It was Varanasi, the Indian Divinity Thirteen! His hands and feet had grown long, locking Jiang An's body with a strength more flexible and solid than steel.

Ancient Indian yoga techniques!

But it was not over!

Whoosh!
Ripples appeared in the air, and a black dagger materialized, stabbing fiercely at Jiang An’s throat. A faint blue glow shimmered on the blade—clearly laced with lethal poison.

The killing trap was set! Battle aura, ancient yoga, and a stealthy assassin, all striking from different angles to kill in a single blow.

Ha! How interesting!

Jiang An suddenly laughed, his gaze shifting. He pushed his magic to the limit, and with a thunderous surge, flames erupted from his entire body, deep red and so hot they warped the air. With a thought, the fire swelled, engulfing him completely. The flames coalesced, and with a dragon's roar, a fire dragon shot from his head, soaring skyward, maw open to bite at the female knight.

But the first to suffer was Divinity Thirteen!

He had relied on his advanced yoga, confident his lock could not be broken. Yet Jiang An became a man of fire, and even steel would melt under such heat. In an instant, Divinity Thirteen was scorched black, his skin turned to charcoal. With a scream, he released his grip and fell.

Almost simultaneously, two more screams erupted. The fire dragon, imbued with Jiang An’s Dragonfist intent, shattered the female knight’s battle aura, striking her hard. Her golden hair turned to ash in an instant, and she was sent flying. The other scream came as Jiang An punched, shaking the air, and sent the dagger and the stealthy assassin flying as well.

The entire exchange happened in a flash—a single move defeated all three!

Jiang An landed gently. The burned Divinity Thirteen had vanished. The mist had been largely dispelled by the fire dragon’s heat. Dozens of meters away, the female knight knelt, broken sword supporting her, coughing up black blood that stained the earth.

"To think you are a master of powerful sorcery. Clearly, our intelligence was gravely mistaken!" The female knight, now hairless and scorched, looked like a charred egg as she spoke with difficulty. "But that last strike must have depleted your magic. We’ve fought your people for years, and some judgments never fail."

Indeed, as she said, the power of magic depended on the amount of energy poured into it. Jiang An’s blazing fire had drained him almost entirely.

"Oh, and what of it?" Jiang An replied without evasion.

"It means we still have a chance! Did you think we had no trump cards? Kill!" The female knight threw herself forward, fearless, broken sword in hand, battle aura pouring forth. She unleashed a sword beam, severing countless trees.

Boom!

Nearby, the ground erupted. Divinity Thirteen leaped out, his muscles seemingly gone, only a layer of skin clinging to his bones. He charged like a skeleton—fragile and light in appearance, but each step shook the earth like a giant tank.

Whoosh!

Above Jiang An, the wind roared. Amidst the fierce aura, a handsome stranger stood suspended in midair. Before him, a colossal wind blade had formed, tinged pale blue. Even before its release, its power was terrifying.

Wait—a fourth person! The owner of the black dagger was not the one conjuring the wind blade. That meant they were four, not three!

No time to think—the second wave of attacks surged, fiercer than the first.