C18 The Doctrine of Hunter Awakened, and He Offended His Superiors!!
Upon learning that Bai Le was leaving the next day, Zhuo Yunhang and his family went out of their way to reserve a restaurant to celebrate his departure. It was an offer Bai Le couldn't refuse. That evening, he joined the Zhuo family in the restaurant's private dining room.
"Our little Bai has made it big! The top scholar with the highest score ever recorded in history!" they exclaimed.
"You have no idea how much respect I command at work now because of him!"
Over the years, Bai Le had become an integral part of the Zhuo family. Zhuo Qiang, the lean middle-aged man, was visibly moved, drinking several glasses of wine in quick succession. As Zhuo Yunhang's father and a busy official at the Enforcement Directorate, he had taken time off specifically for this occasion to honor Bai Le.
"Uncle, this toast is for you," Bai Le said with a smile, lifting his glass.
"Xiao Bai, I should be the one toasting to you!" Zhuo Qiang stood up as well.
"In this dog-eat-dog world, I never know when my job might cost me my life. Yunhang and his mother will need your support in the future!" Zhuo Qiang toasted first, his words casting a somber mood over the table. Zhuo's mother quietly dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.
The lawlessness was rampant, and as a member of the Enforcement Directorate, Zhuo Qiang had sustained numerous injuries over the years, narrowly escaping death on multiple occasions.
"Uncle, you're overthinking it," Bai Le reassured him. "It's true that it's a world where the strong prey on the weak, but ultimately, good will prevail over evil. I believe the unorthodox will be defeated, and you'll be safe."
The Zhuo family couldn't afford to lose Zhuo Qiang. Besides him, Yunhang and his mother lacked the talent for Awakening. In these times, life was incredibly tough for those without such talents, making even job hunting a daunting task. Once Bai Le achieved his own success, he was determined to help his uncle advance to the rudimental level, ensuring greater safety.
"Dad, Bai Le's right, evil will never triumph over good! And I'll always take pride in you," Zhuo Yunhang chimed in, raising his glass to join his father and Bai Le in a drink.
"Excellent! The fight against the unorthodox will depend on the younger generation like you," Zhuo Qiang said, nodding in approval. Just as he was about to pour another round of drinks, his D-class 'Detection' talent as an Awakened alerted him to danger.
"Watch out!" In an instinctive move, Zhuo Qiang lunged at Bai Le. The next instant, chaos erupted as a barrage of gunfire filled the air, accompanied by screams and the sound of frantic footsteps. Bai Le, feeling a warmth in his right palm, sensed the murderous intent and acted even quicker than Zhuo Qiang, throwing himself toward Zhuo Yunhang and his mother. All four hit the ground, narrowly escaping the gunfire.
The evil path! Who else but its adherents could commit such a deranged assassination attempt?
"Little White! Get Yunhang and your aunt out of here!" Zhuo Qiang drew his pistol and yelled to Bai Le. Clearly, the evil path's assassins were targeting Bai Le, continuing their 'tradition' of eliminating young prodigies.
"No, Uncle, you go!" Bai Le's anger was ablaze. "Today... I'll show no mercy!"
He couldn't believe the unorthodox had the audacity to come after him, and the worst part was that they had nearly harmed Zhuo Yunhang's family.
He was asking for it!
With a swift motion.
Bai Le's feet danced with wind and fire, propelling him out of the private room like a cheetah, drawing the enemy's fire away from Zhuo Yunhang's family.
"Hehehe, it's Bai Le!"
"The top scholar of the killing clan!"
Upon seeing Bai Le burst forth, the three seemingly ordinary individuals discarded their assault rifles and, with sinister chuckles, drew curved blades from their belts.
But before they could act.
Bai Le was upon them!
Empowered by the might of two dragons and two elephants, he delivered a crushing blow to the face of one assassin.
Bang!
The punch was brutally forceful; the man had no time to react and was floored, blood erupting from his mouth like a geyser.
"Kill him!"
The remaining two assassins shrieked in alarm.
Their black scimitars, wielded with cunning angles and unbelievable speed, sliced towards Bai Le.
He narrowly evaded the deadly edges.
In mid-air, he executed a wide somersault, steadying himself with one hand upon landing.
Such speed in their blades!
"Truly the human scholar! Such terrifying strength!"
"To kill this man would be an act of immeasurable merit!"
The assassin floored by Bai Le's punch clambered up, his scream piercing the air.
Thick blood smeared his chin.
With a grotesque, lizard-like tongue, he licked the blood away!
His face split open, revealing a blood-stained veil beneath—nothing human remained.
No, these heretics could no longer be called 'human'!
They were pure monsters!
"They're not dead?"
Bai Le was taken aback.
In the next instant.
The three assassins advanced in a '品' formation, their coordination impeccable.
Their speed...
Surpassed even Wang Doukun when he had tripled his offensive momentum!
Their aura was like the mist of a frigid winter, chilling to the bone and eerily unpredictable!
So they were three at the rudimental stage!
The dark path had indeed sent formidable foes, dispatching three rudimental cultivators to eliminate him, a mere tyro!
"Neither man nor ghost!"
"Die!"
Bai Le, armed with his ace up the sleeve, showed no fear, his intent to kill laid bare.
A tempest swirled around him, flames igniting at his feet, as he lunged once more at the trio of assassins!
He knew he was no match for them in a direct clash.
Thus, he opted for a desperate, all-or-nothing combat style.
Bolstered by immense power,
He became a human missile.
Enveloped by the force of two dragons and two elephants, he leveraged his formidable strength and speed to preemptively strike!
Like a bear hugging a tree, he charged, slamming the wounded heretic assassin through a wall.
The assassin let out a muffled groan.
The overwhelming force crushed his chest, leaving him gasping for air as if hammered by an iron mallet.
A complete domination of speed and power!
His mind raced to escape Bai Le's relentless pressure.
But in the next second, Bai Le, with fundamental combat prowess, maneuvered behind him.
With a surge of power from his waist, he hoisted the assassin up and over in a chest throw!
Crack!
The sound of a neck snapping echoed.
The unfortunate assassin's world went dark as his head hit the ground, his skull crushed into his chest cavity!
He never imagined he'd be so effortlessly slaughtered.
The other two assassins' scalps tingled with dread.
This man's speed...
He charged through the fray as if it were an empty field!
Enhanced by the second layer of the Wind Breaking and Flame Separating Technique and the Hannya Technique!
Even reaching the rudimental stage couldn't bridge the gap!
What stood out was Bai Le's ferocity. He didn't act like any high schooler.
His methods of killing were even more brutal than those of the dark path!
"Is this kid really just a tyro?"
"He must have a physical value of around 400!"
"Cut the chatter! The Enforcers are on their way!"
The remaining two assassins exchanged a glance.
They weren't fools; they knew better than to confront Bai Le, whose close-combat skills were formidable.
Instead, they flung their black sabers, aiming to hook him from a distance.
A common C-rank talent among the dark path assassins, the Life-Seeking Saber!
The curved blades seemed to have a mind of their own as they pursued Bai Le.
One might be manageable, but two simultaneously cut off his escape!
No matter how he tried to evade, he was always ensnared.
The oppressive force of their talents was far greater than that of Murong Lianjie and Wang Doukun, both experts at the rudimental level.
Engaged in a tough battle, Bai Le suppressed his rage, nimbly dodging and patiently countering the Life-Seeking Sabers while seeking his chance to strike back.
"Little White, watch out!"
Suddenly, Zhuo Qiang's voice rang out.
After escorting his wife and son from the restaurant, he had returned.
Gun in hand, he opened fire on the two assassins!
"The Enforcers are here!"
"Keep Bai Le busy! I'll finish him off!"
In the midst of their conversation,
One of the dark path assassins lunged at Bai Le.
The other directed the Life-Seeking Saber at Zhuo Qiang.
"Uncle!"
Bai Le was shocked to see the assassin targeting Zhuo Qiang.
He pushed the Wind Breaking and Flame Separating Technique and the Hannya Technique to their peak.
The Intent Blade in his right palm was ready to deploy.
It was time to draw the blade, time to save his uncle!
But then, the assassin whose neck he had broken with a chest throw was gripping Bai Le tightly!
"Get off!"
Bai Le stomped, shattering the assassin's arm.
The second assassin, still wielding the Life-Seeking Saber, advanced relentlessly.
There was no chance for Bai Le to rescue Tan Qiang!
Zhuo Qiang, seasoned in combat, kept his cool as the assassin bore down on him, firing his weapon.
The assassin, like a madman, didn't even flinch, taking a bullet and hurling the Life-Seeking Saber at Zhuo Qiang!
Zhuo Qiang, in a desperate move, narrowly dodged the blade.
But it seemed to knock him out, and the assassin closed in.
The assassin's pallid claw, like a steel hook, reached for the back of Zhuo Qiang's head!
"You dare!!!"
Bai Le's eyes split with fury at the sight.
If his uncle died, how could he ever face Yunhang and his aunt again?
In the nick of time, the Intent Blade was ready to strike!
At that moment, Bai Le's pupils contracted.
He entered a profound state of awareness.
In his vision, everything around him slowed to a crawl.
Dust from the scuffle hung suspended mid-air, and the scent of blood was fixed in place.
Both the assassin before him and the one about to slay Zhuo Qiang seemed frozen in time.
Was this... Time Stasis?
No time to ponder.
Bai Le clenched his left fist, disregarding the assassin before him.
In a flash, he was face-to-face with the one pursuing Zhuo Qiang.
One punch, two punches, three punches!
Each punch was infused with the might of the Aerodrake and Bai Le's seething rage!
Like a boxer pummeling a punching bag, he pulverized the assassin, who was paralyzed with fear, into a bloody pulp.
A mist of blood enveloped the second floor of the restaurant, transforming it into a veritable hell on earth.
In the next moment, time resumed its slow march forward.
The last killer standing turned his head to look at Bai Le, dumbfounded.
What in the world just happened?
He had helplessly watched Bai Le breeze past him and slaughter his comrade.
He was completely immobilized!
"Time Stasis..."
"S-class talent, the Doctrine of Hunter?!"
"A Twin-talented Awakened?!"
The killer's scream shattered the silence, his voice tinged with hysteria, as if he had lost his mind.
He was recalling the one feared most by those who tread the path of evil—King Yongye!
Talent Awakening (Doctrine of Hunter)
Bai Le, radiating a menacing aura, paused for a moment, then fixed his gaze on the killer like a predator eyeing its prey, his intent to kill chilling to the bone.
From the killer's perspective, Bai Le's figure seemed to merge with that of the man wielding the silver crossbow.
Frozen in terror, the killer lost all control.
The 'pitiful' assassin's final vision before death was the unrelenting force of Bai Le's iron fist!
Death!
Once the fight was over, Bai Le, gasping for air, surveyed the carnage around him. None of the three bodies lay whole.
It was his first genuine kill in this lifetime.
The psychological toll of taking a life was immense.
A craving for cigarettes from his past life surged within him.
Bai Le, having awakened the talent 'Doctrine of Hunter' and vanquished three rudimental practitioners of the Evil Dao, inhaled deeply.
This sensation...
He surveyed his surroundings with a conqueror's gaze, unmatched and supreme!
[Achievement Reward: Blood Crystal x1]
[Achievement Reward: Famous Saber Soul 'Offended the Superiors']
