The Journey of Immortal Cultivation-Chapter 769 - 427: The Unprovoked Attack
Elder He greatly enjoyed such tranquility, so he almost immediately realized something was different as soon as he stepped through his front door.
For instance, he had set up a Barrier around his residence and utilized the courtyards and water pavilions inside and out of his estate to establish two Array formations. These measures were not merely to deter gentlemen but also to guard against villains. But now, it seemed all had been breached.
Elder He’s complexion darkened as he entered his home like a crane flying in. He glided over the corridors, passed through the courtyard, and flashed into his own room. Pressing a spot by the corner of the bed, a wall quietly split open.
Behind the wall was another small chamber, no more than a few yards in area. Standing outside, he could take in everything inside at a glance.
Even with mental preparation, the corner of his eyes involuntarily twitched because this small room was not empty. There was a bed, a few stools, a desk and a chair. With Elder He’s taste, the quality of these items was indeed not bad. Unfortunately, what was missing was a person, a person who had lived here for no less than two months!
This person was now very important to him. With Elder He’s cultivation, his heart turned cold upon encountering such an unexpected change, and he couldn’t help but be momentarily stunned.
He was usually a person of meticulous attention to detail, and this was where he rested. Logically, any abnormality here should not escape his eyes. Unfortunately, his heart was in turmoil at the moment, so he failed to notice a small cup on the bedroom desk, containing a dark liquid. While he stood facing away from the desk in a daze, the black liquid in the cup suddenly started to move, slipping over the rim in a "gliding" motion, slithering onto the desktop like a spirit snake before winding down the table’s edge, hiding in the shadows beneath.
Elder He remained motionless, neither turning around nor taking a step.
The pool of black liquid seemed to retract slightly, then, aiming at Elder He’s neck, suddenly sprang forward! If someone had seen this movement, they would have been reminded of the moment before a venomous snake strikes: coiled and holding back, on the verge of unleashing its attack!
Though boneless, this leap was both fast and light, not stirring a sound of air, reminiscent of the nimbleness of a flea. What was even more eerie was the pool of liquid, halfway through its pounce, rapidly shaped into form; first a large head, followed by a torso, limbs, and most importantly, it shaped a sharp and pointed Longsword in its hand.
This turned out to be a small, no more than three feet tall dwarf, with a disproportionately large head and tiny body. The creature was entirely black, and most peculiar of all was its face—it lacked a nose, mouth, and eyes—absolutely nothing, smooth as a blank slate, sending a chill down the spine of anyone who saw it.
For Humans, a face no matter how ugly, fierce, or sleazy is still frightening, but it at least has features, and with time one may grow accustomed to it. However, this figure formed by the black liquid has a face would only appear in the most horrifying of nightmares.
The pitch-black sword in its hand was as slender as a child’s toy, definitely no longer than a foot. Yet, held by such a master, it was brimming with malice and deceit, conjuring the phrase: "the sting of a wasp, the teeth within a green snake’s mouth." What terrible consequences would befall when this object pierced the skin?
This faceless being certainly knew; it had completed countless missions using this tactic. Thanks to its innate abilities, almost no one could detect the presence of the black liquid with their Divine Sense before the strike; by the time it moved, many victims were too late to react before they were sent to the Netherworld.
For his current target, it had exerted its utmost effort.
Elder He suddenly turned his head.
A Human head can at most turn ninety degrees to either side. However, when Elder He turned his head, it was a full one hundred and eighty degrees, his head directly facing the attacker and staring steadily at it without blinking.
Although the sight was frightful, the neck bones of birds have a flexibility far beyond that of Humans.
He had lived for many years and knew that to deal with such an assassination, closing one’s eyes would mean the end. Thus, as the sword sharp as a Poison Needle stabbed towards him, there was no change in his demeanor as he quickly raised his hand—
With a crisp "clang," the faceless being’s Poison Needle was lightly parried by the Yan Ling Saber that Elder He inexplicably held in his hand. This outward deflecting seemed effortless, as if the Immortal Crane had softly lifted its wings, easily dissolving the sharp onslaught into nothing. The Yan Ling Saber had a slightly curved blade, a dark hue, showing none of the metallic gloss. It was Elder He’s Life-bound Magical Artifact, forged from the beak of his True Body.
