Another superhuman stared in disbelief as the silver flames he had unleashed turned into a sea of fire on his opponent's back. Even so, the opponent seemed to feel no pain whatsoever. After swiftly killing the lieutenant, he drew his light blade, which had grown to half a meter in length, and with a whoosh, drew a beautiful arc of cold light, grazing his throat as he turned around.
The other superhuman finally realized what was happening and instinctively took a step back, but it was too late. The cold glint of the blade seemed to have only grazed his throat. But he immediately clutched his throat tightly with both hands, his features contorting in pain.
Gu Xiaorou looked at him calmly. The silver flames behind her vest were still burning stubbornly, but her mental energy field surged out immediately and quickly extinguished the silver flames.
The superhuman opened his mouth wide, managing to utter a few hoarse words: "You were hit by my Silver Flame, how can you be alright?" His hands were still clutching his throat, blood flowing down his palms. Although the light blade had only grazed his skin, its incredibly sharp, cold light had already severed his throat.
"To guard against your ability to control temperature, I wore two fire-resistant vests," Gu Xiaorou explained with a shrug. "These things are very uncomfortable to wear, but they can prevent high temperatures. Firefighters often use them. Don't think I have some kind of precognitive ability; it's just a coincidence."
The superhuman's expression was strange, and he made strange hoarse sounds as if he wanted to say something, but he was already unsteady on his feet. His eyes rolled back, and he fell to the ground with a thud, twitched twice, and then stopped moving.
From the sudden stop to kill the first superhuman, and then using his positional advantage to take down the other two, the entire operation took less than two minutes. The lieutenant's satisfied smile hadn't even faded before the clean and efficient battle was over.
His three subordinates, all fairly capable privates, were instantly killed by Gu Xiaorou. The stark contrast between the near-victory and utter defeat created a disorienting effect on the lieutenant, as if everything before him was a dream, causing him to momentarily lose focus. This prevented him from immediately joining the fight. In fact, Gu Xiaorou's ability to kill three superhumans was largely due to chance and coincidence, with opportunity and luck far outweighing any actual skill involved.
But the fact remained: the lieutenant had to admit that all his men were gone. He also realized another almost impossible truth: it was this very truth that led him and his men to make a fatal misjudgment, resulting in their utter failure due to utter underestimation of the enemy. Had they been more cautious, things would never have turned out so badly.
Chapter 84 The Lieutenant's Doubts
"When did your injury heal?" the lieutenant couldn't help but ask the question that had been nagging at him. He firmly believed that his superior, that terrifying guy, wouldn't lie to him. Moreover, having witnessed the power of the miniature barrier, the lieutenant couldn't believe that Gu Xiaorou's injury would suddenly recover. Yet, the girl before him, every movement of hers was full of power, showing no signs of injury whatsoever. How could this be?
The lieutenant didn't want to go back in a daze, not only losing manpower but also unable to explain why Gu Xiaorou had suddenly recovered. Otherwise, his superior would tear him to pieces.
Gu Xiaorou slowly removed the black veil covering her face, revealing an ordinary face. Then her figure rapidly changed; her originally slender and thin body quickly grew taller and stronger, and her facial features and hair also underwent subtle changes. In a short while, she transformed from a girl into a boy.
The young man was none other than Ling Yun.
This was the sixth day that Gu Xiaorou had used the Holy Healing Technique. For some reason, the two of them had been living peacefully for almost a week. Not only had the Heavenly Eye Society come knocking on their door by tracking the shockwaves of the miniature barrier, but they hadn't even seen a single stranger in the Tiantongyuan Garden residential area. Although Gu Xiaorou found it very strange, she was also secretly relieved and took advantage of the fact that no one was around to accelerate the effects of the Holy Healing Technique.
Once her powers return to normal, she won't be as constrained as she is now. And if she easily hides away, even the Sky Eye Society will have a hard time finding her.
As the miniature barrier is disintegrated by Holy Healing, it releases extremely strong shockwaves, much like a powerful creature making a final, desperate attempt before death. The intensity of these shockwaves increases towards the end of the disintegration process. Consequently, the signal becomes clearer to those pursuing it.
However, Ling Yun has perfectly replicated the data of the miniature barrier, allowing him to confuse the shockwave's emission signal and draw the source of the wave to himself. If an enemy comes looking for him, Ling Yun can quickly leave Gu Xiaorou and distract them. Furthermore, possessing shapeshifting abilities, he can impersonate Gu Xiaorou to deceive enemies while remaining immune to mental field scans.
The peaceful days did not allow Ling Yun to lower his guard. Unless Gu Xiaorou's injuries had fully healed, he could not relax his vigilance even on the last day. As the saying goes, "a storm is brewing," and Ling Yun had a vague intuition that a powerful figure from the Heavenly Eye Society might be coming. He wouldn't have an easy time.
The panoramic view monitors everything inside and outside the Tiantongyuan residential area 24 hours a day. Through diligent practice and increasingly skilled techniques, Lingyun's scanning range has become more precise and extensive. Moreover, Lingyun discovered that the panoramic view has other functions and is not simply an external camera. Everything in the panoramic view is clearly visible; Lingyun can even observe the internal structure of non-transparent materials and transmit the faintest sound into his consciousness.
These features didn't exist when he first acquired the panoramic view, so clearly, this extraordinary ability still has much to offer and many exciting aspects to explore. Because the psychic field can perceive all changes in energy, no superhuman's invisibility or concealment can escape the panoramic view's scan.
Finally, on the night of the sixth day, Ling Yun spotted several rapidly moving figures in the panoramic view, quickly approaching the Tiantongyuan Garden residential area. Ordinary people couldn't move at that speed. They were clearly superhumans. And aside from the Tianyan Society, it was unlikely that any other superhumans would come to visit.
Because Gu Xiaorou was at a critical stage of healing and had shut down her five senses, Ling Yun did not disturb her. Instead, he quietly left the apartment, deliberately slowing down to let the several superhumans who were tracking him catch up. His shapeshifting ability and the disguised shockwave emitter easily fooled them.
Through Gu Xiaorou's detailed introduction, Ling Yun gained a better understanding of the Sky Eye Association.
The members of the Sky Eye Society wear uniform black clothing, and their status and strength are determined by rank insignia on their shoulders. The lowest-ranking privates with supernatural abilities do not have ranks. Second lieutenants have a bronze Sky Eye insignia embroidered on their shoulders, first lieutenants have two, and captains have three.
A major's Heavenly Eye insignia is silver, and there are one to three insignia. A general's Heavenly Eye insignia is black, the same color as the real Heavenly Eye, and so on. The highest rank in the Heavenly Eye Society is general. Back then, Gu Xiaorou's mother was a major general in the Heavenly Eye Society, a high-ranking figure. The Heavenly Eye Society has only one general, who is the highest-ranking executive and manager in the society.
However, the general was not the ultimate power holder of the Sky Eye Society. Gu Xiaorou was not very clear about this. She only knew that the true founder of the Sky Eye Society was someone else, but he was very mysterious and directed everything behind the scenes.
Seeing the lieutenant's astonished face, Ling Yun sighed inwardly. Although he had unexpectedly killed several privates, they were only the lowest-ranking members of the Heavenly Eye Society. Moreover, he had taken advantage of the shapeshifting technique and paralyzing them first, and the timing was perfect. Otherwise, if he had actually fought the three privates head-on, even if he could have defeated them, it would not have been as easy as it had been. Besides, there was a lieutenant whose strength far surpassed that of a private watching him intently from the side.
The lieutenant's abilities didn't seem as strong as Ling Yun's, at least in Ling Yun's opinion, but the difference couldn't be that significant. If even the most ordinary lieutenant possessed such power, then what kind of awe-inspiring strength must the higher-ranking officers, such as colonels and generals, possess? Not to mention the true mastermind behind the Sky Eye Society—what kind of being was that?
Ling Yun finally realized his own weakness. Since the fifth stage of the simulation, his supernatural ability had made tremendous and substantial progress. Although the young man wasn't vain, he was somewhat complacent, believing he could occupy a place among the world's strong. But today he realized that he was still just a frog in a well, far, far away from being a true powerhouse.
Having embarked on the path of a superhuman and encountered such a powerful opponent as the Sky Eye Society, Ling Yun didn't know whether he had made the right or wrong choice. He only knew that he was acting according to his own heart's desire, and if he didn't want to, then no one could force him.
The lieutenant stared in disbelief as the girl suddenly transformed into a strange boy. He finally swallowed hard, took a step back, and said, "Transformation! You're not Gu Xiaorou, who are you?"
Ling Yun remained silent, neither admitting nor denying. In truth, his transformation was far removed from true transformation magic. Theoretically speaking, true transformation magic could completely change one form into another, not only in appearance but also in internal structure. The transformation process could be repeatedly reversed.
However, true shapeshifting is an extremely complex and advanced supernatural art, which Ling Yun is not yet capable of mastering. He merely analyzed Gu Xiaorou's physical data through the copying supernatural art and then simulated her by deforming her muscles and bones. In essence, it is still Ling Yun, only the simulation is more realistic. In fact, there are still many differences in the subtle details, and it cannot be sustained, otherwise it would consume a lot of energy, which Ling Yun himself also finds very inconvenient.
The lieutenant had only seen Gu Xiaorou's photo, not in person, so he couldn't tell the difference.
However, shapeshifting is a very high-level supernatural art. If it can be used to intimidate opponents, Ling Yun wouldn't be foolish enough to give up this opportunity.
Several nearly transparent silver threads suddenly appeared in the air, almost invisible, and slowly wrapped around the lieutenant's neck from behind.
Telekinetic cutting!
Chapter 85 The End
The lieutenant had long harbored the idea of escaping. A shapeshifter was someone he couldn't afford to mess with. Not only was he incapable, but even his superior would be doomed. And even if he escaped, he could just explain it away: the other party knew shapeshifting, and a single sentence would silence his superior.
Damn it, when did Gu Xiaorou find such a powerful backer? The lieutenant thought bitterly. He thought this was an easy victory, and that he could even get a promotion after retrieving the Sky Eye. But in the end, it was all for nothing. If he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have desperately asked his superiors for this mission. In the end, the cooked duck flew away, and he lost several capable subordinates.
Ling Yun's usual calm demeanor and seemingly unassuming mental aura appeared to the lieutenant as the mark of an unfathomable master. He nervously retreated step by step, trying to figure out how to escape, but he failed to notice the silent, telekinetic silver threads behind him.
A cold smile appeared on Ling Yun's face.
It wasn't until a slight pain shot through the back of his neck that the lieutenant seemed to suddenly become alert. The instantly palpable aura of death caused the lieutenant to roar instinctively, unleashing a burst of silver mental energy that violently deflected the telekinetic cutting lines. The immense force even caused capillaries throughout his body to rupture, instantly turning the lieutenant into a blood-soaked figure.
But all the superficial wounds paled in comparison to the hair-thin cut on the back of his neck. There wasn't even any blood flowing from the wound, only a barely visible line of blood, but that line of blood almost severed his cervical vertebrae. By a hair's breadth, the lieutenant's head would have been severed.
Ling Yun was taken aback. This lieutenant was indeed quite capable. If he were a private, he would probably have been killed long ago in the ambush. The fact that the lieutenant could even deflect the telekinetic cutting line broadened Ling Yun's horizons and also made him realize the shortcomings of telekinetic cutting: its power is weak, and if it encounters the powerful mental field of a master, it cannot even get close.
But how could he give the lieutenant a chance to escape? With a flash of cold light, a blade of light flew out of his hand and slashed straight at the lieutenant.
The lieutenant swiftly dodged the attack of the light blades. Another flash of cold light, and two more blades hurtled towards his neck and abdomen. Several faint, silvery strands of mental energy reappeared in the air, then mysteriously vanished, poised to launch a sneak attack on the lieutenant at any moment.
The lieutenant was terrified; he was already filled with fear and dared not face Ling Yun directly. Faced with Ling Yun's fierce attacks, he could only keep dodging. Although he wanted to leap away and escape, Ling Yun seemed to know his intentions, his palms slashing in the air like knives, one after another, forcing the lieutenant to defend himself, unable to leave.
The omnipresent telekinetic cutting was a major headache for the lieutenant. The only way to break it was to use a powerful shockwave of his mental field to deflect the silver threads, but every time he used that shockwave, his still-healing wounds would splatter blood again.