C21 Ink Profound Arts

However, these two had gravely underestimated Jie Mu's formidable nature.

Despite having lost his sanity, Jie Mu retained his primal instincts.

Instinctively, he perceived a threat from the two individuals before him, as they were the only ones among all present who could withstand the onslaught of his oppressive aura.

The pair gazed at Jie Mu, oblivious to the danger they were in.

Suddenly, an overwhelming pressure bore down upon them, accompanied by a pungent scent of blood.

They found themselves immobilized as if mired in quicksand, their bodies unable to move under the immense weight. Their considerable inner strength proved inadequate against the force.

With a single step, Jie Mu shattered the ground beneath him.

In a flash, he was upon them, seizing their throats. With relentless momentum, he slammed them to the ground and viciously twisted them in opposite directions.

Yet, these two were seasoned Innate Realm masters. Even in dire straits, they managed an immediate response.

Joining forces, they each landed a punch on Jie Mu.

But the blows that could typically smash through steel left no mark on Jie Mu.

With his lethal twist, Jie Mu claimed their lives.

Two more waves of blood and deathly aura entwined around him.

Jie Mu now resembled a demon roaming the earth, his body drenched in blood, with the aura of death swirling around him.

A chilling wind could be felt in his vicinity, and with each kill, his power continued to surge.

Two figures lay in ambush within the woods, each donning a purple mask—one marked with a nine, the other with thirteen.

No.9, witnessing the increasingly horrific sight of Jie Mu, involuntarily shuddered and turned to No.13 in astonishment.

"Hey, Thirteen, how did you manage to take him down that day? This guy has reached the pinnacle of the early Enlightenment period, and his strength is still climbing."

"He's incredibly fast, and his physique is so resilient. If I were to go down now for a one-on-one, it would be quite a struggle to subdue him. Have you become that formidable?"

No.13 shook his head, his voice icy, "When I confronted him, he was merely at the peak of the Innate Realm, not even close to reaching the Enlightenment Realm."

"Moreover, the Blood Fiend aura on him wasn't as intense as it is now. Plus, my cultivation technique innately counters his, which is why our teacher picked me to join you on this mission."

No.9 glanced down at the still-raging Jie Mu and sighed, "Why hasn't the old man shown up yet? I really don't want to go down there and tangle with that lunatic."

"Seriously, is there not one normal person among our academy's brothers? Especially the latest junior brother—he's completely off his rocker."

No.13 shook his head once more, "Senior Brother, Jie Mu isn't our junior brother. The youngest is the junior sister sprawled out on the ground over there, even though she's been out cold for a while now."

Upon hearing this, No.9 noticed the unconscious Yu Wen and sighed with relief, "It's a good thing she's out. Otherwise, that maniac might have injured her."

"Hey, hold on, the real action is about to start."

No sooner had he spoken than an overwhelming pressure surged from a distance. The sheer magnitude of it made it clear who was coming without needing to look.

Jie Mu continued his rampage, decimating the black-clad men in the forest.

These men stood like statues, too terrified to move or flee, resigned to their fate. But this was simply a matter of how quickly Jie Mu could kill.

He had to pause after each kill to absorb the Blood Fiend Qi; otherwise, they would have all been dead by now.

At that moment, a dark figure descended, bringing with it a formidable aura and pressure.

The world seemed to pause, the Blood Fiend Qi and the aura of death in the air thinning under this new force.

The rank-and-file members of the Qilin Society were coming to their senses, yet they were still clueless about what had transpired.

Lee Huiye's voice boomed, "All members of the Sixth Hall, fall back to the river crossing. I'll handle things here."

With that, he boosted his internal energy, his presence swelling, further dispersing the malignant aura.

Sensing an unprecedented threat, Jie Mu ignored the scattering crowd, balled his fists, and prepared to confront him.

Soon, everyone had scattered, and somehow, Yu Wen had been whisked away amidst the chaos.

Jie Mu, however, had lost all reason and was beyond caring.

Lee Huiye unleashed his formidable aura, his body shrouded in darkness as ink, his eyes shining with a piercing light. With his hands outstretched, he was poised to strike.

"Kid, you've kept yourself well hidden. Among the warriors of the Enlightenment realm who roam freely in the academy, there's no one like you. Are you a rising star from the academy or from East Prosperity?"

"But what good does your strength do if you just hide away?"

No sooner had he spoken than Lee Huiye executed the Ink Profound Steps, closing the distance to Jie Mu in an instant. With ease, his hands found their way to Jie Mu's chest.

With a fierce palm strike, he sent Jie Mu flying backward.

Staggering, Jie Mu grappled with the pain in his chest, emitting beast-like roars as he fixed Lee Huiye with a savage glare.

"Ha, you're quite resilient. It's intriguing. Your hide would make fine material for inner armor. Yes, that would be excellent."

Lee Huiye's words were tinged with a cruel amusement as he once again channeled the power of the Ink Profound Hand.

The Ink Profound Arts, a legacy of the Lee family, were said to grant profound and limitless Dao techniques when mastered.

It was among the elite cultivation methods in the world.

Yet, this art was notoriously difficult to master, accessible only to those of the Lee family bloodline.

Lee Huiye, a prodigious talent of his generation within the Lee family, had managed to advance the Ink Profound Arts to the fifth level and had honed the accompanying supreme martial skill, the Ink Profound Hand, to the Cloud Hand realm.

Though he had not perfected his internal or martial arts, and despite dedicating his life to that end, he stood as one of the world's preeminent masters.

He was the Sixth Qilin Head of the Qilin Society, the renowned Ink Qilin!

Regrettably, present here was merely one of his avatars. With the Dragon Group reigning supreme, even an Almighty of his caliber could only operate through an incarnation outside.

Warriors who have transcended the Essence Opening Realm find themselves suppressed and unable to traverse the martial world freely.

Jie Mu absorbed the impact of a palm strike, yet appeared unscathed, charging forward once again.

In his grasp, the terrifying Blood Fiend Qi slowly morphed into a misty blade, seemingly intent on claiming his adversary's life.

Lee Huiye clapped his hands together, transforming the ink hue between them into silver, invoking the pinnacle of his transformative ability.

"Ink Silver Hand!"

With a sweep of his palm, numerous ink-black daggers materialized, hurtling towards Jie Mu.

In the woods, No.9, momentarily taken aback, attempted to rise but was firmly held down by No.13.

"Thirteen, let me go help! Jie Mu is no match for him," he pleaded.

Thirteen shook his head.

"Without the teacher's command, I can't let you intervene. Besides, even if he's at the peak of the Enlightenment Stage or at the Transformation Stage, we must not interfere."

Hearing this, No.9 clenched his fists in frustration but reluctantly settled back down.

Lee Huiye's "Ink Silver Hand" technique conjured countless Ink Blades that lacerated Jie Mu's flesh. These ethereal blades, forged from the world's energy, were among his most formidable attacks.

Blood spewed from Jie Mu's mouth as his body was riddled with Ink Blades, which ominously began to fuse with his flesh.

This was the raw power of the cosmos, capable of obliterating a man if it penetrated his body.

A cold smirk crossed Lee Huiye's lips. "Though I'm unsure of how you've attained Enlightenment Stage strength, without a martial skill from the Way of Heaven, you cannot fully harness your inner power."

"Thus, today, you shall be vanquished!"

With those words, Lee Huiye advanced in a single stride to stand before Jie Mu.

"Ink Silver Hand!"

He delivered a devastating palm strike, propelling Jie Mu through the air as the myriad blades burrowed into his body.

Meanwhile, far off in the Silent Sea laboratory, alarms blared amidst a flurry of red lights.

A woman's voice echoed through the room:

"Warning, warning, the receptor is severely damaged. Warning, warning, the receptor's integrity has reached 20%, the receptor is on the brink of collapse. Warning, warning!"

Listening to the announcement, Chenmu remained composed as he gazed at the screen and spoke with detachment, "Proceed."

No sooner had he spoken than Lee Huiye, who was poised to deliver the final blow to Jie Mu, was engulfed by an overwhelming killing intent from all around.

To his shock, he was the target!

Lee Huiye's heart raced as he braced himself, hands crossed over his chest, pondering, "Such intense killing intent? Could it be an assassin from the Blood Space Dark Tower? Impossible, the pact between the Dark Tower's master and our leader hasn't expired yet."

"These killers wouldn't dare break their word. But aside from the Blood Space Dark Tower, who else could possess such formidable killing intent?"

Just then, a man landed a short distance away.

His face, no longer hidden by a mask, was deathly pale yet strikingly handsome, as if he didn't belong to this world.

With his arrival, the forest's temperature plummeted. He lifted his hand, and a Cold Ice Lotus crystallized within his grasp.

He was about to embed the lotus into Jie Mu's body when a sharp sound cleaved through the air.

A deep red blur shot through the sky!

Thirteen had no choice but to counter, hurling the lotus to intercept the crimson streak.

But after the block, he discovered it was merely an ordinary leaf.

From the sky, a figure descended gracefully, surrounded by a whirl of bright red leaves that settled gently to the ground with her.

Upon landing, a surge of might, far surpassing Lee Huiye's, erupted.

The combined forces of their auras crushed the nearby underbrush, snapping twigs and branches in their wake.

Upon sighting the newcomer, even Thirteen's icy demeanor grew solemn. His mentor had never mentioned the arrival of another formidable member from the Qilin Society.

The young man, with his pale complexion, held an Iron Fan. Unfolding it slowly, the fan revealed a pattern of vibrant red mulberry leaves that shimmered with an understated elegance.

The Qilin Society, Fourth Qilin Head, Dongfang Yuesang!

Whether it was Thirteen or No.9, they immediately felt the pressure mount. They were already doubtful they could handle Lee Huiye at his full strength, even if they teamed up.

Now, an even more formidable figure had entered the fray. It was like adding insult to injury.

Upon her arrival, Lee Huiye greeted her with a respectful bow and inquired, "Fourth Hall Master, what brings you here?"

Dongfang Yuesang let out a cold snort, her voice crisp and melodious as she responded dismissively, "Blame it on Second Brother. He knew you'd stir up all sorts of chaos, so he sent me to Duross City."

"Otherwise, do you really think you could keep Zhang Loong in check? Hmph, how naive."