On the desolate island.
Jiang Ning surfaced from the water, clutching the blood lotus in his hand as he climbed onto the reef. Almost immediately, he sensed an intense gaze fixed upon him.
The next moment.
He looked up.
On the cliff face several dozen meters away, a burly man with a thick beard and a rugged appearance came into view.
The man's eyes burned like torches, locked onto Jiang Ning, and his face was filled with wild excitement.
Upon recognizing the man's face, Jiang Ning was slightly taken aback.
"Tian Buyi! That's Tian Buyi from the wanted list!"
"Capturing him would earn me a hundred taels of gold, enough to make me rich overnight."
At this thought, Jiang Ning felt a surge of temptation.
On the other side.
Tian Buyi looked at Jiang Ning, his mood suddenly elated.
In his eyes, Jiang Ning was already a trapped turtle.
On this isolated island surrounded by water, there was no way Jiang Ning could escape his grasp.
Heaven had no path, and the earth no door.
At most, Jiang Ning could dive into the water.
But diving into the water was something Tian Buyi never feared.
His nickname was "River Dragon."
He earned this title because of his exceptional swimming skills.
Meanwhile.
As Jiang Ning pondered his next move.
Tian Buyi stood on the cliff, exuding an air of complete control.
"Are you Jiang Ning?" he asked slowly.
Hearing Tian Buyi's voice from the cliff, Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed sharply.
"How does he know me?"
Then.
Jiang Ning stood on the reef and looked up slightly.
"Why do you know who I am?"
Tian Buyi grinned. "Because someone sent me to kill you!"
As soon as he finished speaking.
Tian Buyi bent his knees slightly and then leaped into the air, descending from the cliff several meters high.
Sensing the intense killing intent emanating from Tian Buyi, Jiang Ning quickly made a decision.
The next moment.
He turned and jumped.
Splash
The sound of water echoed as he plunged into the sea.
On the other side.
Boom
Tian Buyi landed on a rock. The force of his descent from such a height caused the rock beneath his feet to crack.
"Into the water?"
"That's my domain!"
Tian Buyi laughed heartily, then leaped again, covering several meters in an instant.
In just a few jumps, he reached the spot where Jiang Ning had entered the water.
Only two breaths had passed since Jiang Ning had dived in.
Then.
Splash
With the sound of water, Tian Buyi also plunged into the sea.
Meanwhile.
Jiang Ning was underwater.
"Someone wants to kill me?"
"Who could it be? Who sent Tian Buyi to kill me?"
Jiang Ning muttered to himself, his eyes flickering slightly.
He quickly concluded.
"It must be the Cao family!"
"Who else but the Cao family would send a notorious bandit like Tian Buyi to kill me?"
"Tian Buyi is a martial artist of the eighth rank. Only a powerful family like the Cao family could hire someone of his caliber."
At this thought, Jiang Ning sighed inwardly.
"As I suspected! Cao Bin's visit was just a ruse to lull me into a false sense of security!"
"It was also likely an attempt to distance the Cao family from any connection to me."
"With Cao Bin's visit, even if I were to die unexpectedly, the Cao family could claim they had nothing to do with it, washing their hands clean."
"This way, they could also give Shen Congyun an explanation."
"Moreover, if Tian Buyi kills me, who would suspect the Cao family's involvement?"
"Perhaps I'd just be seen as collateral damage."
At that moment.
Seeing movement ahead, Jiang Ning's mind cleared, and all distractions vanished.
Bring it on!
In the water, who is the hunter and who is the prey remains to be seen.
After entering the water, Tian Buyi quickly spotted Jiang Ning's figure.
With just one glance, he felt confident.
"Only two breaths underwater, and he's already this far ahead. Not bad! No wonder he ended up on this deserted island."
"But he's still no match for me!"
The next moment.
Tian Buyi moved.
His body darted through the water like a dragon, rapidly closing the distance to Jiang Ning.
"He's fast!" Jiang Ning thought, glancing back at Tian Buyi's approaching figure. "As expected of the River Dragon. A nickname like that isn't given for nothing."
Then.
Jiang Ning dove deeper, increasing his speed.
Seeing Jiang Ning's sudden burst of speed, Tian Buyi's eyes gleamed.
"This kid's swimming skills are impressive. He's got potential!"
"Too bad he ran into me, the River Dragon."
Tian Buyi quickly followed, diving deeper.
The two of them, one chasing, one fleeing, moved farther from the island and deeper into the water.
As they left the shallow waters, the light grew dimmer.
Tian Buyi, now only a few meters behind Jiang Ning, began to look fierce. He cursed inwardly.
"Damn it! Keep running, and when I catch you, I'll skin you alive!"
He chased for a while longer but found it difficult to close the gap.
Then he clutched his chest.
He had suffered internal injuries earlier, and now, after holding his breath for so long, his chest began to ache.
His expression turned grim.
The thought he had suppressed earlier resurfaced.
"Damn it! Is this kid toying with me?"
"When I speed up, he speeds up. When I slow down, he slows down. He's always just out of reach."
"But how?"
"How can this kid hold his breath longer than me?"
"And how is his swimming better than mine?"
Meanwhile.
Jiang Ning noticed Tian Buyi had stopped behind him, so he stopped as well.
Looking back, he saw Tian Buyi staring at him with wide eyes.
Their gazes met underwater.
"This kid is toying with me!"
At that moment, seeing Jiang Ning stop and turn to look at him, Tian Buyi was certain of it.
He cursed inwardly.
"Damn it! I've run into a monster! How can a kid like this outswim me?"
"No! My chest is starting to hurt, and I'm running out of breath. I need to surface soon!"
"As for this kid, I'll have to let him go for now."
"I'll find his home later and finish him off in the dark!"
The next moment.
Tian Buyi moved, rapidly ascending toward the surface.
"Trying to leave?" Jiang Ning sneered.
He had been leading Tian Buyi on this chase, waiting for this exact moment when Tian Buyi's lungs were starved for air when he would try to surface.
This was Jiang Ning's best chance to strike.
Tian Buyi was a wanted man. Capturing him would earn Jiang Ning a hundred taels of gold.
The reward was tempting.
Moreover, Jiang Ning's recent improvements in strength gave him the confidence to try.
Especially since they were in the water.
With his swimming skills and ability to breathe underwater, even if he couldn't defeat Tian Buyi, he was confident he could escape unscathed.
But to increase his chances, Jiang Ning had deliberately lured Tian Buyi into the deep waters far from the island.
Here, even if Tian Buyi tried to surface, it would take him several breaths to reach the top.
Those few breaths were all Jiang Ning needed.
Then.
Jiang Ning moved, his speed suddenly doubling.
This can't be!
Seeing Jiang Ning closing in like an arrow, Tian Buyi's eyes widened, and a sense of dread washed over him.
"Is this kid trying to keep me here?" Tian Buyi thought.
At the same time.
Jiang Ning's speed had doubled compared to before.
The distance of less than five meters between them was covered in less than a breath as Jiang Ning appeared above Tian Buyi.
"Bold!" Tian Buyi thought, seeing Jiang Ning blocking his path to the surface. His right hand gripped his long sword tightly, veins bulging.
His face twisted in rage.
He had dominated Dongling County for over a decade, earning his reputation years ago.
Countless lives had been lost at his hands.
But today, a mere kid he had considered his prey was now turning the tables on him.
This was a first for him.
Especially since Jiang Ning had been nothing more than a trapped turtle in his eyes.
Being outmaneuvered by his prey filled him with humiliation.
Meanwhile.
Jiang Ning looked down at Tian Buyi from above.
"Today, I'll test how much I've improved."
"And I'll see just how strong an eighth-rank martial artist is."
With that, Jiang Ning released the limits on his body.
Thud
His heart pounded violently, like a drum struck with force, sending a tremor through his chest.
Then.
Thud
Thud
Thud
Each beat grew faster and more intense.
In an instant.
His heart was pounding like a war drum.
Blood surged through his body, filling him with immense power.
His skin turned slightly red, his pupils dilated, and his body entered a state of heightened excitement.
In this state, all his negative emotions fear, and tension vanished.
He gripped the sword in his right hand, energy flowing through his arm.
"Four layers of overlay strength, releasing my body's limits."
"Let's see if an eighth-rank martial artist can withstand this strike."
Jiang Ning thought as he looked down at Tian Buyi.
That's right!
He hadn't used his ultimate move.
The explosive power of five layers of overlay strength.
He had only used four layers.
Because five layers were too risky.
And three layers might not be enough against a formidable opponent like Tian Buyi.
So he chose to unleash four layers.
He had tested three layers before and knew his body could handle four.
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