Chapter 92: Into a Martial Arts Novel, Day 14

Chapter 92: Day 14 in a Wuxia Novel

After days of continuous travel, sleeping in the open and eating in the wind was needless to say.

One afternoon, the three of them found themselves on a desolate mountain path in the middle of nowhere, when an unexpected rainstorm struck.

Raindrops as big as beans came pelting down with a clatter, instantly shrouding the world in a white mist.

"Find some shelter!" Ling Fengyao yelled, taking the lead, his eyes scanning the area like lightning.

Yan Yu followed closely, struggling to figure out which way to go through the torrential rain.

Only An Yi remained unhurried, as if the rain deliberately avoided him, sliding off an inch from his body without getting a single thread of his clothes wet.

He raised his eyes slightly, his gaze cutting through the rain curtain toward the dense forest on one side of the path: "There seems to be a cave over there."

Ling Fengyao and Yan Yu looked in the direction he pointed and sure enough, they saw a dark, shadowy cave entrance faintly visible among the trees.

The three immediately spurred their horses toward it.

The entrance was small, but inside it was roomy and dry, enough to fit the three of them and their horses.

There were some dead branches and leaves inside. Ling Fengyao lit a fire with practiced ease, and the orange-red flames leaped up, dispelling the cold and darkness of the cave, and lighting up the slightly messy faces of the three—except for An Yi, of course.

Ling Fengyao took off his soaked outer robe and hung it by the fire to dry, wearing only his inner shirt, revealing his strong, toned arms. He poked at the fire, looking at An Yi, who sat calmly as if he'd just switched spots to watch the rain, and couldn't help but tsk:

"Ayi, your rain-dodging trick is really getting more refined. How about teaching me?" His tone was half-joking, half-serious.

An Yi glanced at him, the firelight dancing in his clear eyes, and smiled slightly: "A calm heart brings coolness, and the same goes for rain."

This was his special ability; he couldn't teach it.

Ling Fengyao: "..."

Great, more of that mystical talk.

Yan Yu also took off his wet outer coat and was carefully wiping his sword. Hearing the conversation, he couldn't help but look up at An Yi.

Under the firelight, An Yi's profile was as perfect as a jade carving, his expression serene and detached, as if the chaos of the world had nothing to do with him.

That natural strength and composure radiating from within made Yan Yu's heart skip a beat. He quickly lowered his head, continuing to wipe his sword to cover it up, but the tips of his ears turned red.

The rain grew heavier, showing no sign of stopping.

The sky gradually darkened, and looks like they'd be spending the night in this cave.

Ling Fengyao pulled out some dry rations and a water pouch from his pack, sharing them with the other two, and even magically produced a few pieces of dried meat: "Just make do with this for now. Out here in the middle of nowhere, there's no way to hunt anything."

An Yi somehow pulled out some pastries and roast duck, still warm to the touch.

Ling Fengyao: "..."

When the hell did he buy those?

Forget it, I'm used to it.

The three ate in silence, the rain pounding outside while the only sound inside was the crackling of the fire.

Suddenly, a faint, rustling sound came from deep within the cave.

"What's that sound?" Yan Yu immediately became alert, gripping his sword tightly.

Ling Fengyao also dropped his playful expression, listening intently, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes: "Sounds like... bugs or something? But not exactly."

An Yi set down his water pouch, his gaze fixed on the dark depths of the cave, frowning slightly: "It's ants."

As soon as he spoke, the rustling suddenly grew louder, and then a black mass surged out from the cave's depths.

It was a swarm of pitch-black, fingernail-sized venomous ants!

These ants, disturbed by the fire and the smell of people, were now madly rushing toward the three!

These creatures carried a deadly poison, favored by those who practiced poison arts, and ordinary people would die upon contact!

"Venomous ants! Get out of here!"

Ling Fengyao's face changed as he recognized the danger, grabbing An Yi to rush out.

We can kill them, but there are too many!

Not worth it, man!

Yan Yu's face also turned pale as he swung his sword, the blade flashing as it shredded the first wave of ants, but their numbers were overwhelming, surging forward endlessly.

As the ants grew more numerous, sweat broke out on Yan Yu's forehead. Had they stumbled into the nest of these venomous ants?

Those who practiced poison arts usually searched far and wide for such creatures but couldn't find ones this fine—why did they have to run into them?

Let's get out of here!

Ling Fengyao's palm wind roared as he struck out with his inner force, sending a batch of ants flying, ready to retreat to safety.

But An Yi broke free from Ling Fengyao's grip and quickly stashed a portion of the ants into his space.

These things aren't bad—their bodies aren't as tough as mutants, but their poison is top-notch.

He didn't even stand up, merely raising his right hand slowly, palm down, toward the surging black tide.

An invisible, bitingly cold force laced with his inner energy suddenly radiated outward from him!

The frenzied venomous ants, upon contact with that cold domain, instantly froze, as if frozen by an invisible frost, then shattered into fine black ice crystals that pattered to the ground.

Not only the ants, but even the fire beside them seemed suppressed by the cold, the flames shrinking and then snuffing out.

The cold domain expanded rapidly, and wherever it passed, the surging ant tide was erased as if by an invisible, icy giant hand, turning to powder in an instant.

In just two or three breaths, the hair-raising black tide vanished without a trace, leaving only fine black ice crystals on the ground and a sharply dropped temperature in the cave, where your breath turned to frost.

Everything happened too fast, too silently, making the power all the more unsettling.

Ling Fengyao was still frozen mid-reach for An Yi, and Yan Yu's sword was still held across his chest. Both stood rooted, staring in disbelief at the unbelievable scene before them.

What the hell kind of martial art was that?!

Can internal energy really achieve this level?

Were they just frogs at the bottom of a well?!

Could it be... could it be that An Yi has attained the "Land Immortal" realm described in the storybooks?

Isn't that something made up in the storybooks?

Ling Fengyao prided himself on having seen countless extraordinary martial arts and techniques, yet he had never witnessed such eerie and formidable power!

Soundless, freezing everything in its path—this was no longer ordinary martial arts; it was nearly... a divine power!

He abruptly turned to look at An Yi, his heart pounding, his almond-shaped eyes filled with disbelief and shock, as well as an unnoticed tremor—a flutter stirred by absolute power.

Yan Yu was even more shaken to his core, his hand, gripping the sword hilt, trembled slightly.

He had only thought of fleeing moments before, but An Yi... hadn't even left his spot; with a mere raise of his hand, he effortlessly wiped out that terrifying tide of ants.

This gap was like the difference between heaven and earth!

His eyes, as he gazed at An Yi, were filled with immense shock.

And... an indescribable, fervent admiration.

In the face of absolute power and composure, that young heart, enamored with strength, was irresistibly drawn to him.