Chapter 474 - 471: Tracking

Chapter 474: Chapter 471: Tracking

"I passed the eighth gate but failed at the ninth."

Fang Han said, holding nothing back.

After he spoke, a brief silence fell over the forest.

Only the soft rustle of their footsteps on the decaying leaves and the occasional chirp of a distant bird could be heard.

Yun Muyao’s steps faltered for a moment.

She glanced sideways at Fang Han, a flicker of disbelief in her cool, clear eyes.

"The eighth gate?"

Her voice was still cool, but it held a hint of a tremor now.

"Yes."

Fang Han nodded, his expression calm.

Yun Muyao fell silent.

She gazed at Fang Han’s tranquil face, her cool, clear eyes glinting.

’The eighth gate.’

She had given her all just to pass the third gate, only to fail at the fourth and be ejected from the Ancient Ruins by a golden barrier.

And yet, Fang Han had passed the eighth.

The fourth gate had five Early Third Grade puppets.

Following the pattern—one more puppet and an increase of one Minor Realm in strength with each gate—she calculated:

The fifth gate: six at the Middle Stage of Third Grade.

The sixth gate: seven at the Late Stage of Third Grade.

The seventh gate: eight at the Early Stage of Second Grade.

The eighth gate: nine at the Middle Stage of Second Grade.

Nine Metal Puppets at the Middle Stage of Second Grade, all coordinating perfectly. They were tireless, felt no pain, and their bodies were indestructible.

A lineup like that would be troublesome even for a First Grade Martial Artist.

And Fang Han had passed it.

Yun Muyao tore her gaze away and looked toward the distant, sun-drenched forest. After a long silence, she murmured:

"He actually passed the eighth gate..."

She trailed off, but the complex emotions in her voice were plain to see.

"The eighth gate?"

Luo Yuntian also faltered in his steps.

He stared at Fang Han’s back, his composed face showing a flicker of unconcealable shock.

He had passed the fourth gate, but at the fifth, facing six puppets at the Middle Stage of Third Grade, he had been ejected from the Ancient Ruins in under thirty moves.

He had thought that while the gap between him and Fang Han was wide, it wasn’t yet impossible to close.

But now he understood. The gap was far, far wider than he had ever imagined.

Four gates separated the fourth from the eighth, and each one was a chasm nearly impossible to cross.

"He actually got past the passage guarded by nine puppets at the Middle Stage of Second Grade?!"

Kuang Tu, his giant blade resting on his shoulder, stood stunned for a long moment before breaking into a wide grin.

The folding fan in Chen Wuhen’s hand stilled, the astonishment on his handsome face laid bare.

He shot a glance at Fang Han before looking away again, unable to conceal his inner turmoil.

Su Yuwei lowered her gaze, her expression calm, but her fingers on the hilt of her sword tightened just a fraction.

Mo Chen remained expressionless, but his gaze lingered on Fang Han for longer than usual.

Liu Ruyan and Wang Miao exchanged a look, both seeing the same shock in the other’s eyes.

The two of them were the weakest in the group, and they hadn’t even managed to pass the first gate in the Ancient Ruins.

And Fang Han had made it past the eighth.

The gap was so vast, the phrase "a world of difference" couldn’t begin to cover it.

"He passed the eighth gate?"

Chen Wanjun walked at the head of the group. When Fang Han spoke those three words, "the eighth gate," his steps also faltered, almost imperceptibly.

A flicker of unconcealable surprise crossed his eyes, which shone like morning stars.

He knew Fang Han’s Talent was astonishing and had expected him to perform well in the Ancient Ruins.

But he never imagined that Fang Han would actually clear the eighth gate.

The prodigies from every prefecture had explored these Ancient Ruins many times, yet the best record ever set was merely clearing the fourth gate.

And Fang Han had just doubled that record.

’Considering how generous the rewards from the Ancient Ruins are, the reward for the eighth gate must be...’

Chen Wanjun didn’t let his thoughts stray further.

He didn’t ask, and no one else did either.

An unspoken agreement passed between them. They all avoided the topic and continued on in silence.

But every so often, their gazes would land on Fang Han, full of an indescribable mix of emotions.

’What exactly is this ring?’

Fang Han reached into his tunic, his fingers brushing against the simple, jet-black ring.

As the reward for clearing the eighth gate, the ring had to be exceptionally valuable.

’But what exactly does this ring do?’

He was about to infuse it with his Inner Qi to investigate when—his expression suddenly changed.

"Vice Hall Master Chen."

Fang Han’s voice suddenly rang out, carrying an unprecedented gravity.

"What is it?"

Chen Wanjun stopped and turned, his eyes fixed on Fang Han’s face as he asked.

"Several miles away, more than a dozen people are closing in on us, fast."

Fang Han said grimly.

His gains had been immense, so he was naturally on high alert. Ever since leaving the Ancient Ruins, he had been sparing no Inner Qi to keep his ’Thousand-Mile Soul Lock’ technique active, sensing his surroundings.

And just now, he had sensed more than a dozen auras several miles away, heading straight for them.

"More than a dozen people?"

Chen Wanjun’s brows furrowed even tighter.

"Are there any particularly powerful auras among them?"

Fang Han said with a grave expression.

"Among the dozen or so people, two have exceptionally powerful auras. They are very likely First Grade Martial Artists."

At these words, the faces of Luo Yuntian and the others fell.

First Grade Martial Artists.

The pinnacle of the Upper Three Grades. Beings they stood absolutely no chance against.

And now, two First Grade Martial Artists were heading right for them.

"Two First Grade..."

Kuang Tu’s grip on his giant blade tightened, a muscle twitching on his rugged face.

The fan in Chen Wuhen’s hand came to a complete stop, the gravity on his handsome face impossible to hide.

Su Yuwei lowered her gaze, her face paling slightly.

Mo Chen remained expressionless, but his right hand was already resting on his sword hilt.

Liu Ruyan and Wang Miao exchanged a look, both seeing the gravity in the other’s eyes.

A solemn glint appeared in Yun Muyao’s cool, clear eyes.

Luo Yuntian took a deep breath, his gaze falling on Chen Wanjun, waiting for the Vice Hall Master’s decision.

"Two First Grade Martial Artists..."

A grave look slowly solidified in Chen Wanjun’s eyes, which shone like morning stars.

He was a First Grade Martial Artist, and not a weak one at that.

If only one First Grade Martial Artist were coming, he was confident he could handle them.

But two First Grade Martial Artists was an entirely different matter. He wasn’t sure he could stand against them.

"Vice Hall Master Chen, what do we do now?"

Fang Han asked. His voice remained steady, but the gravity in it was unmistakable.

Chen Wanjun didn’t answer right away. After a moment, his voice came out low and resolute:

"They must have a Martial Artist skilled in Tracking among them, otherwise they wouldn’t be heading for us so accurately."

He paused, then continued:

"Trying to hide to evade their Tracking is impossible. And if we run, the two First Grade Martial Artists will surely catch us."

The hearts of the group sank in unison.

"Then what do we do?"

Kuang Tu couldn’t help but ask.

Chen Wanjun’s gaze swept over the group, finally landing on Fang Han.

"The only plan now is to take advantage of the fact that they don’t know they’ve been discovered, and launch a surprise attack to severely injure one of the First Grade Martial Artists."

His voice wasn’t loud, but it held an air of unshakeable resolve.

"You all continue ahead. Keep your pace steady and don’t give anything away. I will hide my aura, set up an ambush along the path, and wait for an opportunity."

With the decision made, Chen Wanjun’s gaze swept across their faces as he said,

He kept his voice extremely low, but every word was crystal clear.

"Yes."

Luo Yuntian and the others looked grim as they nodded in assent.

"Vice Hall Master Chen."

Fang Han suddenly spoke up.

Chen Wanjun turned his head to look at Fang Han.

"I wish to join the ambush and lend my strength."

Fang Han met Chen Wanjun’s gaze, his voice steady.

It wasn’t that he was trying to be a hero; he just knew how critical the situation was and wanted to increase their odds of success in any way he could.

Chen Wanjun’s brows furrowed slightly, and he shook his head.

"You may have a Secret Technique for Concealing Breath, but the Spiritual Perception of a First Grade Martial Artist is beyond what you can imagine. The slightest slip-up will get you discovered. Not only would the ambush fail, but you’d also put yourself in extreme danger."

He paused, his tone softening a little.

"I know you want to help, but this is something I can handle alone."

"I have cultivated a Top Grade Breath Concealment Secret Technique to the Perfection Realm. It should be enough to evade the perception of a First Grade Martial Artist."

Fang Han said with a serious expression.

As he spoke, he focused his will.

He fully activated the Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill.

In an instant, the aura around him vanished as if wiped away by an invisible hand.

The vibrant life force of a Martial Artist at the Middle Stage of Third Grade, the energy fluctuations from his circulating Inner Qi—it all receded and fell silent, like an ebbing tide.

His skin temperature blended with his surroundings, his heartbeat slowed to a long, drawn-out rhythm, and the sound of his breathing became nearly imperceptible.

He stood right there, yet he seemed like a lifeless stone, a piece of decaying wood, a mote of dust floating on the breeze.

Though he was right before their eyes, one’s mind would instinctively ignore his presence.

Chen Wanjun’s gaze fell upon Fang Han, and a look of astonishment slowly bloomed in his star-bright eyes.

He was a First Grade Martial Artist, his Spiritual Perception far sharper than an ordinary person’s.

Yet now, with Fang Han standing right before him, his senses could barely detect any trace of an aura.

It was faint, indistinct, as if he were nothing more than a phantom.

If not for seeing him with his own eyes, he might have truly believed the spot was empty based on his perception alone.

This level of concealment was no inferior to his own, despite him being a First Grade Martial Artist.

After a moment of silence, he gave a slight nod.

"Alright."

He withdrew his gaze, a new note of solemnity in his voice.

"You will join me in the ambush."

"Yes."

Fang Han replied with a cupped-fist salute.

Luo Yuntian and the others felt a sense of awe at the sight.

Without another word, they simply offered a cupped-fist salute to Chen Wanjun and Fang Han before turning to continue on their way.

They deliberately kept their pace steady, neither fast nor slow, as if nothing at all had happened.

Eight figures moved through the dense forest, gradually disappearing into the distance.

Once Luo Yuntian’s group was a good distance away, Chen Wanjun withdrew his gaze and scanned the area.

"Find a place to hide."

His figure blurred as he shot toward a rocky outcrop beside the path, a spot that was slightly elevated and offered a clear line of sight.

Fang Han followed closely behind.

The two landed on the outcrop and each found a concealed spot to hide.

Chen Wanjun stood behind a protruding boulder, his deep cyan Elder Robe blending in almost perfectly with the surrounding rocks.

Fang Han, meanwhile, took cover behind a dense thicket of bushes several yards away, his green robes completely hidden by the shadows of the leaves.

The Returning Ruins Hidden Essence Skill remained at full power, suppressing his aura to the absolute minimum.

Chen Wanjun also activated his own technique for concealing his aura, and the heavy pressure unique to a First Grade Martial Artist swiftly receded.

The mountain forest returned to silence.

Only the rustle of wind through the leaves, the babble of a distant stream, and the occasional bird’s cry broke the silence.