Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 82 Ambush in the Dense Forest: The Black Snake Assassin

The forest in Black Wind Ridge becomes denser the further you go in.

The tree canopy overhead was like a giant net, scattering sunlight in dappled patterns. Only scattered patches of light dappled the ground, swaying in the wind and dazzling the eyes. The air was thick with the smell of decaying leaves, damp and stifling, making one's chest tighten. Occasionally, a deep, rumbling roar of a ferocious beast would drift from afar, low and guttural, as if rolling underground, its direction indiscernible.

The four of them had been walking for almost an hour.

The mountain path grew narrower and narrower, from two people walking side by side to only one person at a time. The bushes on both sides grew wildly, their branches reaching out to snag clothes with a rustling sound. Su Ling'er walked in the middle and was snagged twice. She muttered something under her breath, hugged her backpack to her chest, and squeezed forward sideways.

Leng Feng walked at the front. His gait was different from the others; each step was light, the ball of his foot landing first, then his heel, making almost no sound. He would stop every few steps, listen carefully, and then continue. Lin Chen noticed that he hadn't said much since entering the woods, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings like a scanning machine.

Suddenly, Leng Feng raised his right hand, his five fingers spread open.

Everyone stopped immediately. Su Ling'er almost bumped into Lin Chen's back, abruptly halting her steps. Chu Fan closed his notebook, stuffed it into his pocket, and his other hand reached for the array plate in the side pocket of his backpack.

Leng Feng squatted down. He felt around on the ground, brushed aside a fallen leaf that had been trampled over, revealing a shallow imprint underneath. He pressed his finger against the imprint, comparing its depth, and then brought it close to his nose to smell it. When he stood up, his brows were furrowed, and the scar appeared even deeper.

"Someone came here." His voice was very low, so low that only a few people around him could hear it. "About half an hour ago, no fewer than ten people. The footprints were very light, indicating that they were specially trained."

"Could they be going into the mountains on a mission?" Su Ling'er asked softly.

"No," Leng Feng shook his head. "When doing a mission, you don't walk this fast or in such a synchronized manner. It's a team, an organized group."

Chu Fan had already taken out a map and laid it out on a relatively flat rock next to him. His finger moved quickly across the map, finally stopping at an area marked with contour lines.

"This is Valley Three." He drew a line on the paper with his fingernail. "There are cliffs on both sides, and only this narrow path in the middle, less than three meters wide at its narrowest point. This is the best spot if someone wants to set up an ambush."

Lin Chen glanced at the map, then looked up ahead. The road continued to stretch forward, the trees on both sides growing denser and the light dimmer. In the distance, the outlines of two mountains could be vaguely seen, drawing closer and closer like two doors slowly closing.

"Qin Hao's men," Lin Chen said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

Su Ling'er's face paled, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on the strap of the medicine box. The medicine bottles inside clinked together, making a soft tinkling sound. Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but she swallowed it back.

"Everyone be careful." Lin Chen took the Star Sword from his back and held it in his hand. The scabbard was black, without any patterns, very simple. He used his thumb to pry open the guard, revealing a section of the blade, its silver light flashing briefly in the dim forest. "Spread out, keep your distance, and communicate constantly."

The four rearranged their formation. Leng Feng remained in front, but his pace slowed, each step taken with great care. Lin Chen and Su Ling'er walked in the middle, maintaining a five-step distance. Chu Fan brought up the rear, but after a few steps, feeling uneasy, he pulled a formation flag from his backpack and held it in his hand.

The bushes on both sides grew denser, their branches intertwining and narrowing the path into a crevice. A thick layer of fallen leaves lay beneath my feet, soft and yielding; I wondered what lay beneath. A faint, fishy smell began to fill the air, an unreadable odor—whether from rotting animal carcasses or something else entirely.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the path suddenly narrowed. The hillsides on both sides squeezed inward, and looking up, all you could see was a thin strip of sky, gray like a crack. The fallen leaves on the ground decreased, revealing the gravel and yellow soil beneath, which crunched underfoot.

Leng Feng stopped again. He tilted his head, his ear pointing towards the hillside to the left, and stood motionless for three seconds.

"careful--"

Before he could finish speaking, a sharp whooshing sound suddenly came from the bushes on his left.

"Whoosh whoosh-"

Countless black needles shot out from the trees on both sides, densely packed, like a torrential rain. Each needle gleamed with an eerie blue light, as if it had been poisoned. The sound of the needles slicing through the air was sharp and thin, making one's eardrums ache.

Lin Chen reacted the fastest. He grabbed Su Ling'er by the back of her collar and pulled her behind him. Caught off guard, Su Ling'er staggered a couple of steps, the medicine box dangling in front of her chest, almost slipping from her grasp.

"Star Shield!"

Lin Chen thrust out his left palm, and the Star Martial Core in his dantian trembled violently. Silver star power surged from his palm, instantly creating a semi-transparent light screen in front of them. The light screen was as thin as a film of water, but extremely resilient. Poison needles struck it, producing a crisp, clanging sound, like raindrops hitting a tin roof. The moment the needle tip touched the light screen, it exploded, scattering into a cloud of blue powder that fell to the ground, corroding fallen leaves and soil, creating small black pits and emitting pungent white smoke.

Su Ling'er hid behind Lin Chen, peeking half her head out from behind his shoulder. She gasped when she saw the poisoned needles fall to the ground. She glanced down at her arm, thankful she had reacted too slowly—if Lin Chen hadn't pulled her back, she would have at least a dozen needles stuck in her arm by now.

There was no light barrier on Leng Feng's side. He moved the instant the sound of air being cut rang out, rolling to the ground to dodge the first wave of poison needles. At the same time, he drew his battle sword from his back, the blade spinning rapidly in front of him, creating a silvery-white light barrier. Most of the poison needles were deflected by the blade; a few grazed his clothes, cutting a few gashes in his camouflage uniform, but none broke his skin.

Chu Fan was the furthest away. Upon hearing the sound, he took three steps back, landing behind a large tree. The tree trunk blocked some of the poisoned needles, and he then flicked the array flag in his hand. The flag unfurled, emitting a pale golden light that deflected the few needles that had slipped through. His movements were fluid and graceful, as if he had rehearsed them many times.

The rain of poison needles lasted for about four or five seconds before stopping.