CHAPTER 514: CHAPTER 514. MISSED OPPORTUNITY

Witnessing Sima Fang’s movement art, he was reminded of Wu Di’s description of his opponent’s movement art. Sima Fang and Wu Di’s opponent must be using the same movement art.

"What is your movement art called?" Amon asked Sima Fang. He never stopped moving. His ceremonial dagger also never stopped assaulting Sima Fang while he moved.

Sima Fang didn’t show the intention of fighting him. She relied on her movement art to maintain a distance while shadowing Amon.

"This art is called Riding The Leaf," Sima Fang answered. "I am glad you are willing to speak. I thought you were going to play your cool boy routine."

"Stop dodging and come closer then," Amon said.

Sima Fang laughed. "You know I can’t do that. I am not going to insult your intelligence by pretending that you don’t know what I’m doing. You know I’m just keeping you in my sight until someone who can deal with you arrives."

"Deal with me? Are you not confident about your ability?" Amon asked. He purposefully added a mocking tone to his voice. "I remember you as a proud woman who vie for the first rank with me. I suppose striving outside the academy taught you the harsh realities of life. That’s fine. A second-rate person should know her place."

"Hehe. Such childish taunt doesn’t work on me," Sima Fang chuckled. "However, I must say. I’m very surprised by the speed of your cultivation. I didn’t expect you to be an Intermediate Mystic Stage already."

"I can say the same about you," Amon returned.

"Maybe, but I noticed it’s not only you. The others who always follow you since the Royal Academy also have the same cultivation level. How do you achieve that?"

"Come closer, and I will tell you," Amon said.

"Very funny. If you don’t want to tell me, it doesn’t matter. I’ll just... You are not just running randomly, are you?"

"You only notice that now?" Amon mocked.

"... What is that in your hand?" Sima Fang asked. She was referring to the metal cube Amon was holding.

"This is my favorite paperweight. I always bring it with me for a good luck charm," Amon answered.

"I never pegged you for a jester. Don’t. It doesn’t suit you."

"I never jest," Amon said. "Tell me, why did you try to sabotage our attempt to eradicate the rebels?"

"... I have no idea what you are talking about," Sima Fang said.

"Really? Are you going to deny you recruited Gao Tien and the others?"

"I don’t know who Gao Tien is," Sima Fang refused to admit.

"I understand why Princess Huang Er wished to prevent us from joining the trial, but I’m surprised she was willing to take the risk by letting the rebellion survive. She placed the kingdom and herself at risk. You must be one hell of a persuader to convince her to pull that stunt."

"My friend, Amon. I truly have no idea what you are saying," Sima Fang said.

"Very well. If you aren’t willing to admit it, then it’s time to end this!" Amon threw half of the limited flying knives he stored in his belt.

He didn’t just run and speak while Sima Fang shadowed him, but he also paid attention to her movement patterns. Her speed always picked up when a fast attack was upon her. It was as if she could adjust her speed as needed.

After watching her for a while, he understood her movement art could also be considered a defensive art. There was some sort of an invisible layer surrounding her. When an assault came, the energy from the assault clashed first with the invisible energy around her. While that happened, the invisible energy produced an opposing force that pushed her away from the incoming assault, thus allowing her to perfectly dodge the assault.

Considering this point, Amon delivered attacks that came from all directions simultaneously.

"I’m sorry, but this is not enough to trouble me," Sima Fang laughed. She waved her feather fan, and consecutive waves of water were discharged from her fan. The waves of water washed over the incoming flying knives, knocking them out of their paths.

"Is it so?" Amon asked.

His flying knives were just diversions, something to distract her from the real assault. She sensed it then. While her sense was focused on the incoming flying knives, four larger flying knives circled and came at her back. They were too close already. Her movement art took effect. Because the flying knives came from her back, her movement art pushed her forward in Amon’s direction to avoid the knives.

Sima Fang didn’t let herself fall into the enemy’s ploy just like that. Her body swayed to the side, attempting to flee, but her escape path was blocked by a series of vines. She looked around her and learned that ten such vines surrounded her.

The vines were Amon’s Corporeal Shifting Branches. After the Alpha Flying Knives utilized Sima Fang’s art to push her into his zone, he imprisoned her by using the ten long vines that came out of his body.

When the vines almost got her, Sima Fang’s spun. Her feather fan made a spinning motion. This time, it didn’t discharge water. Instead, tiny metal blades revolve around her fan. The fan, enhanced by the metal blades, cut all the vines that were about to grab her.

At the same time, fire burst out of her mouth. The intensity of the flame stopped Amon from approaching. While Amon was halted, Sima Fang’s movement art carried her away.

"Do you think you are the only one who bothers to learn arcane arts you don’t have affinity in?" Sima Fang asked.

Learning an arcane art one didn’t have an affinity with was not impossible. It was simply harder, more time-consuming, and the result was less powerful. Unless one had high comprehension in learning arts, one would only be wasting time.

Sima Fang was, however, like Amon. She had a comprehensive mind for the task, at least for low-tiered arts. Hence, she learned different elemental arts so she could cope with various situations.

Amon didn’t respond to her words. He burst out of the flames at high speed, which took Sima Fang aback. Not only did Amon tank through his flame breath, but he was also faster.

Sima Fang noticed the difference in Amon’s appearance. He was larger, and scales covered his skin.

Amon already knew his attempt to capture Sima Fang had failed when his vines were cut, so he stopped saving his strength. Inside Sima Fang’s flames, he performed the body-strengthening meridian points technique and used the Great Virulent Serpent.

His power and speed increased greatly. With such a sudden upgrade, Sima Fang wasn’t given the time to cope. She was watching Amon with wide eyes when he suddenly arrived before her.

"Goodbye," Amon uttered. His hand, which had turned into a black claw, aimed for Sima Fang’s head. She was an enigma, and he preferred to take her out of the picture when he had the opportunity.

Unfortunately, fate dictated otherwise. Amon sensed danger at the same time he sensed a powerful assault coming for him. He was forced to withdraw his attack. A sharp crescent light rushed past between him and Sima Fang. If he refused to retreat, the crescent light would cut his arm, and he would still fail to kill Sima Fang.

While the crescent light stopped Amon’s assault, a vine grabbed Sima Fang and pulled her back. She landed beside an armored woman wielding a glaive.

Amon knew the armored woman. He met her during the emissary visit from Oredolia. She was Hua Ling.

Amon didn’t stay around. The moment he spotted Hua Ling, he bolted. He only went on the offense because he saw an opportunity. Now that the chance was gone, he wasn’t going to stay around and entertain the two.

"Stop him!" Sima Fang exclaimed. "I suspect he knows the solution to this stage. Do not let him reach his destination and take the metal box in his hand. It must be the key to this stage!"

Hua Ling didn’t waste time questioning Sima Fang’s instructions. She charged forward and pursued Amon.

Amon could sense Hua Ling approaching slowly. Hua Ling was an Intermediate Spirit Stage. It would be difficult to lose her without going all out, but he didn’t want to show all his cards without being certain he could kill the opponent. He controlled his Alpha flying knives that flew behind him to harass Hua Ling and slow her down.

’How can an Intermediate Mystic Stage cultivator be that fast?’ Hua Ling thought. She was chasing as fast as she could. She had even used her movement art. Though she was gaining on Amon, it was not fast enough. She didn’t know while Amon was under the effects of the body-strengthening meridian points technique and Great Virulent Serpent, his power and speed were close to a Beginning Spirit Stage cultivator.

There were also the four flying knives. They hovered around her, bugging her like a bunch of flies. She could destroy these knives, but it required her to perform strong moves. That would slow her down. Hence, she only swatted them whenever they came near.