Treading Snow Without a Trace = Walking on Snow? Patrolling the City, Yuwen Wudi with Ice

Chapter 67 Treading Snow Without a Trace = Walking on Snow? Patrolling the City, Yuwen Wudi with Ice Profound Strength

"snort!"

Su Yang sneered inwardly, but remained outwardly calm. The person spying on him was wearing a dark blue military officer's uniform made of high-quality material, clearly not an ordinary soldier.

"Training is suspended for today."

He stood firmly on the platform, and only spoke again after the roar subsided.

The soldiers below the stage were taken aback.

"Sun Wang, Wang Tiezhu," Su Yang called out.

"exist!"

"Take the brothers back to the camp and check their armor. An hour later, the captains of each squad will come to my tent for a meeting. I need to know the exact situation of every single person in our Vanguard Battalion."

"yes!"

Sun Wang and Wang Tiezhu perked up and loudly accepted the order.

The battalion commander was determined to expose Liu Biao's deep-seated, unresolved issues, personally removing them and leaving them completely clean!

"Was that someone spying on us just now, Huang Zhenggang's men? Or—were they sent by Fang Zetao to observe us?"

Su Yang returned to his tent and pondered to himself.

The tent was simply furnished with a table, a chair, a couch, and a brand-new armor frame standing in the corner.

He sat down behind the desk and sensed the three streams of energy within his body. They went their own way, without interfering with each other, yet they were subtly forming a more stable and larger internal circulation.

"The stronger the coldness of the 'Bright Moon Heart Sutra,' the faster my proficiency will increase. Absorbing coldness by the well is not a long-term solution. Could I find a piece of cold jade to wear with me, or perhaps increase my proficiency by the edge of a cold pool?"

"Also, we must get our hands on the second volume of the Xuan Shui True Skill, which gathers morning dew, as soon as possible. In addition, we must find a way to get ginseng as soon as possible, and we must not stop taking the Nourishing Life and Strengthening Essence Soup. In chaotic times, strength is the key to survival."

Su Yang sensed the wonders of the Qi Sea Dantian, Shenque Dantian, and Tanzhong Dantian, and secretly made plans.

"By the way, my Grasshopper and Flowing Cloud Step techniques are both maxed out; they can be fused now!"

Su Yang's heart skipped a beat. He quickly checked the panel and saw that [Grasshopper] and [Flowing Cloud Step] were already perfected. He immediately confirmed with his mind: "Merge!"

[You have consumed 50 Simplified Points to fuse the Perfected Lightness Skill "Flying on Grass" and the Perfected Footwork "Flowing Cloud Step". Fusing...]

.】

【Fusion is successful! 】

[You have acquired the Lightness Skill - Treading Snow Without a Trace! You may use 50 Simplification Points to simplify this skill. Yes/No?]

Su Yang clicked to merge, and after a short while, the panel in his mind started flashing.

At the same time, a powerful flow of information appeared in Su Yang's mind, which was about the cultivation method of "Treading Snow Without Leaving a Trace" and the method of circulating internal energy!

"simplify!"

Su Yang immediately realized this.

[You consumed 50 simplification points to simplify "Treading Snow Without a Trace" — Simplifying — Simplifying to... "Treading Snow Without a Trace" =

Walking in the snow!

The moment the panel notification popped up, Su Yang's pupils contracted slightly.

Treading on snow?

It's only the beginning of winter, and there's no sign of snow yet.

It will take at least another month before it snows.

Have Wang Jian transport some back from the north?

Just as Su Yang put away the control panel and was trying to contact Wang Jian of the Canal Gang, Sun Wang's voice suddenly came from outside the tent: "Commander, the City Defense Command has sent a personal guard, saying he has an urgent warrant and requests an audience with you!"

"The city defense guards?"

Su Yang paused, then replied in a deep voice, "Let him in."

As soon as he finished speaking, the tent flap was lifted, and a lean, sharp-eyed guard strode in, knelt on one knee, and held up a sealed warrant with both hands, saying, "Your subordinate is Li Zhong, a guard under the Deputy Commander of the City Defense Command!"

"By urgent orders from Deputy Commander Ma, Commander Su is ordered to immediately lead the elite Ruifeng Battalion to Cuiyu Manor south of the city to capture the Jianghuai Army spy who has infiltrated! The spy is currently gathering intelligence on the city's defenses; time is of the essence! This is the order; please verify it, Commander Su!"

Su Yang took the order, his gaze quickly scanning the seal of the city defense command and Ma Qun's signature. After confirming that everything was correct, he immediately clasped his hands and said in a deep voice, "This subordinate obeys! The military situation is urgent; let's muster the troops and set off immediately!"

Li Zhong was surprised by Su Yang's decisiveness, a hint of astonishment flashing in his eyes. He then breathed a sigh of relief and quickly stood up, saying, "Commander Su is very straightforward! Deputy Commander Ma specifically instructed that I am familiar with the roads south of the city and the exact location of Cuiyu Manor, and I will lead the way for Commander Su!"

Su Yang nodded, quickly straightened his armor, and strode out of the tent: "Sun Wang, muster one hundred elite soldiers, and we'll depart immediately!"

"yes!"

A loud reply came from outside the tent.

A moment later, a hundred elite soldiers in fine armor had lined up outside the camp. Su Yang mounted his horse, and Li Zhong rode beside him, leading the group to gallop towards Cuiyu Manor in the south of the city.

Before long, Cuiyu Villa came into view.

The villa's walls stand tall, constructed of bluish-gray bricks and stones. The gate is tightly closed, and although the four characters "Cuiyu Villa" on the lintel are somewhat mottled, they still exude an air of majesty.

The villa was surrounded by green trees, but there wasn't a single person in sight, making it unusually quiet, a stark contrast to the atmosphere described by Ma Qun as "a spy is hiding there."

"That's it!"

Li Zhong raised his hand and pointed directly at the manor, his voice suddenly rising: "Commander Su, let's quickly take men and secure the gate! Don't let the Jianghuai Army spies put up a last-ditch resistance inside! We must capture them alive to prevent them from harming themselves to destroy evidence!"

"Wait a minute."

Su Yang narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "These people's skills are unknown, and they have the advantage of terrain. A rash charge may result in casualties."

"Squeak!"

Before he could finish speaking, the heavy gate of the manor was suddenly pushed open.

The door was only slightly ajar, and a middle-aged man dressed in a blue cloth robe, who looked like a butler, slipped out and quickly closed the door most of the way back.

His expression remained calm as he cupped his hands in greeting to Su Yang and the others, saying, "Gentlemen, this is a private estate. The owner prefers tranquility and does not receive outside guests. Please leave immediately to avoid disturbing him."

Seeing that a manager had emerged instead of the vicious bandits he had imagined, Li Zhong rushed forward before Su Yang could speak and shouted angrily, "Private estate? I think it's a den of iniquity! Hand over any Jianghuai Army spies hiding inside immediately! Otherwise, I'll burn this damn estate to the ground!"

The language was vulgar and extremely insulting.

The steward frowned, a flash of anger crossing his eyes, but he remained composed: "Sir, you jest. There are only my master and a few servants in the manor; there are no spies. Please don't believe the rumors—"

"Bullshit!"

Li Zhong grew increasingly arrogant, his riding whip almost piercing the steward's face: "A mere watchdog dares to lie to me? Get out of here, or I'll chop you up too!"

Behind the heavy gate of Cuiyu Manor, a figure in a silver robe stood in the shadows.

His face was ashen, and the chill emanating from his body became even more solid as he deliberately restrained himself.

He originally intended to have the butler simply drive away these annoying military clerks to avoid delaying the important matter of tracking down the Longevity Formula, but this idiot not only kept pestering him but also hurled vulgar insults at him.

The steward had served him for many years and was extremely loyal. Now, this nobody was pointing at the manor and insulting him to his face. If he did nothing, he would not only lose face but also discourage his subordinates.

"snort!"

Yuwen Wudi sneered inwardly, his killing intent already set. He no longer concealed his aura and stepped out of the manor's threshold.

He did not deliberately display his aura, but the cold pressure emanating from his high-ranking family and long-standing position, as well as the chilling energy brought by the natural flow of the Ice Profound Force, spread out!

His gaze lingered briefly on Li Zhong's face, who was shouting the loudest, before he coldly said, "Noisy."

Before he finished speaking, Yuwen Wudi stepped forward, casually raised his right hand, and a ball of icy blue cold air condensed in his palm. It seemed slow but was actually as fast as lightning, and went straight for Li Zhong's heart.

This palm strike lacked earth-shattering power, yet it exuded a chilling decisiveness—it was precisely the Yuwen Clan's signature technique.

Ice Profound Force!

His goal was to finish the battle quickly, kill the noisy pawn, and then immediately retreat to other strongholds without lingering.

Su Yang's pupils contracted sharply. He could clearly feel the deadly chill in the palm wind—this silver-robed man was really going to kill him!

"We can't let him kill someone in public!"

The thought flashed through Su Yang's mind like lightning.

He didn't care whether Li Zhong lived or died, but if he allowed Li Zhong to be killed in front of him, the morale of the elite battalion he had just taken control of would immediately crumble!

In the military, prestige is sometimes more important than martial arts skills.

Furthermore, he also wanted to test whether his perfected Breaking Army Tiger Soul Blade could cut through this palm strike that froze everything!

In a flash, Su Yang drew his hilt-shaped straight sword, drawing an arc as he aimed directly at Yuwen Wudi's wrist, a vital point!

This strike, aimed precisely at the opponent's weakest point, was ruthless and accurate. It was the essence of his "Breaking Army Tiger Soul Saber Technique," a move he had painstakingly perfected—the River-Severing Strike!

The blade moved with a powerful and swift force, carrying a fierce and bloody aura reminiscent of a battlefield.

"Um?!"

Yuwen Wudi's pupils contracted slightly.

The young officer's movements and timing of his strikes were far more sophisticated than his age suggested!

The blade struck at a tricky angle; even before it reached him, the sharp edge of the blade made his wrist twitch slightly. If he insisted on killing the noisy soldier first, his hand would likely be the first to be slashed.

For Yuwen Wudi, killing an ant is important, but being injured for it, which could affect his subsequent pursuit of the Longevity Formula, is absolutely not worth it.

He snorted coldly in his heart, and the palm strike he was about to strike Li Zhong suddenly changed in mid-air, turning from a strike into a flick. His five fingers were slightly bent, carrying an even stronger icy blue cold air, and he flicked it precisely at the flat surface of Su Yang's slashing blade!

"clang!"

A clear, yet chilling metallic hum resounded.

The blade vibrated violently. Su Yang felt a strange, icy, and solid energy, as if it were a living ice snake, rapidly invading his arm meridians through the blade!

"Such powerful icy energy!"

Su Yang felt a chill run down his spine; this was precisely the formidable method an internal martial arts master used to deal with weapons.

Just as he was about to unleash the power of his fully-developed Nourishing Life and Cultivating Essence Technique to resist, the bright moon-shaped Qi Sea within his Tanzhong acupoint seemed to have smelled an incomparably delicious gluttonous beast and suddenly began to spin wildly on its own!

That invading, incomparably pure, and bone-chillingly cold energy not only failed to freeze his meridians, but upon contact with the Bright Moon True Qi, it was swallowed up by the Bright Moon Qi Sea like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea!

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

【.

In that instant, Su Yang noticed the panel in his mind flashing continuously.

"this....

"

Su Yang was stunned at first, then a surge of joy welled up in his heart.

He didn't expect it.

This icy, chilling energy, which was transmitted through the weapon and became even more condensed, was actually absorbed by his Bright Moon Qi Sea and became part of his proficiency in the Bright Moon Heart Technique!

This was a pleasant surprise for him.

"what?"

Yuwen Wudi's flick was intended to use his powerful internal force to directly blast away or even shatter the opponent's weapon, and then use the penetrating ice-cold energy to severely injure his internal organs.

However, the expected scene of the other person's arm being frozen and their face turning pale did not occur.

On the contrary—a hint of surprise seemed to flash in the other person's eyes?

"No....

...impossible!"

Yuwen Wudi's pupils suddenly contracted, and a chill ran down his spine.

The Ice Profound Force, a family secret technique he had mastered, was extremely domineering and specifically designed to break through internal energy. Anyone struck by it would suffer from blocked meridians.

If the flow of qi and blood is sluggish, signs of failure will inevitably appear within three breaths.

But this young officer, after taking the blow, showed no pain in his eyes, but rather an expectation.

He must be at his last gasp, so he's just pretending to be calm!

Yuwen Wudi let out a cold snort.

Suddenly, his right palm rose, his five fingers slightly bent, and a ball of icy blue energy appeared in his palm, spinning rapidly and emitting a bone-chilling cold.

A frosty white pattern spread across the ground centered on his toes, and the air suddenly became dry and biting.

This strike.

He was now serious; his icy, profound energy could erode an opponent's internal energy circulation, freeze their meridians, and solidify them from the inside out.

To dismantle all defenses.

The palm print was launched silently, yet it was as fast as an ice-blue lightning bolt tearing through the air, directly attacking Su Yang's central palace!

Wherever it passed, the air emitted a faint popping sound due to the sudden change in temperature.

This palm strike was bone-chillingly cold, far surpassing the previous ones.

"laugh!"

Su Yang's eyes narrowed, and the blade of his ring-pommel straight sword slashed out, still the perfected Broken Army Tiger Soul Blade's River-Splitting Style 5.

O

The trajectory of this strike was smooth and precise, precisely cutting into the point where the icy blue palm print's power flowed.

"Hey!"

The moment the blade collided with the icy blue palm print, it did not produce a deafening roar, but instead emitted a strange, muffled sound, like solid ice being thrown into a deep pool.

"this......

The coldness on Yuwen Wudi's face suddenly froze, turning into disbelief and horror.

He felt that his icy energy, powerful enough to corrode metal and freeze meridians, vanished without a trace as soon as it touched the opponent's blade and flowed into the meridians of his arm!

now.

Within Su Yang's body, the bright moon-shaped Qi Sea in the Tanzhong acupoint had transformed into a high-speed rotating vortex, joyfully devouring the pure Qi energy, which also belonged to the cold nature, and transforming it into the proficiency level on the panel.

Each increase in proficiency strengthens the Qi Sea and brings more refinement and variation to the Bright Moon True Qi.

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

[...]

.】

The panels in my mind kept flashing.

Su Yang clearly sensed the growth and subtle transformation of his own true energy. His eyes grew brighter, and his gaze toward Yuwen Wudi was no longer filled with fear, but rather with fervor and anticipation.

"Again!"

Su Yang let out a low shout and took half a step forward, his sword flashing with a fighting spirit that was almost provocative.

"furious!"

Yuwen Wudi was filled with shock and anger, and the chill in his heart turned into complete horror.

He refused to believe in evil, and his figure flashed like a ghost, instantly striking out three more palms from three tricky angles!

Each palm strike was faster and colder than the last, the Ice Profound Force was pushed to its limit, intending to completely overwhelm the opponent's strange defense with an even more violent and concentrated cold wave.

Su Yang showed no fear, unleashing his Flowing Cloud Steps. The light in his hand shone like mercury spilling onto the ground, his movements incredibly precise, using the blade's surface...

They used their palms, or even their shoulders and arms, to "welcome" the three surging, icy torrents.

Each contact brought in a surge of powerful, cold energy, which was then greedily absorbed and transformed by Haoyue's Qi Sea.

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

[Moonlight Heart Technique Proficiency +1!]

After three strikes, Yuwen Wudi retreated gracefully, looking at Su Yang with an extremely ugly expression.

Su Yang, holding his knife, stood still, his body seemingly surrounded by an increasingly solid, moon-like, cool halo. His aura was long and profound, and his state was even more perfect and powerful than before he made his move!

"My Ice Profound Energy can't hurt him, and he's getting more and more energetic the more we fight? How... how can this be?!"

Yuwen Wudi's heart was filled with turbulent waves.

The Ice Profound Force that he relied on to be invincible and unstoppable was completely ineffective against this person, and instead became a source of nourishment for him.

This completely overturned his understanding of martial arts!

Yuwen Wudi stared intently at Su Yang, his shock still lingering. Forcing himself to maintain the arrogance and scrutiny befitting a powerful aristocratic figure, he asked, his voice dry and hoarse, each word deliberate: "To be able to withstand multiple blows from my palm—"

His aura surged—he was no nobody! Who exactly are you?

"Su Yang, Commander of the Jingling Sharp Vanguard Battalion."

"Su Yang————"

Yuwen Wudi gave Su Yang a deep look, his eyes filled with a complex mix of fear, surprise, frustration, and a hint of anger at being utterly offended.

Continuing the fight, regardless of victory or defeat, will completely expose our whereabouts and disrupt the family's grand plan.

This child's technique is strange and cannot be broken in a short time; the mission is of utmost importance.

"I'll remember you."

He looked at Su Yang one last time, as if trying to etch him into his very bones, and without further hesitation, he swiftly waved his left hand towards the shadows of the manor.

Several dark figures darted out in response, closely following behind. The group, like ghosts, disappeared completely into the darkness of the dense forest behind Cuiyu Manor in a few leaps.

The biting chill in the arena slowly dissipated as its owner left.

"Thump!"

Li Zhong collapsed to the ground, his body drenched in cold sweat, his lips trembling, staring at Su Yang's retreating figure with deep shock in his eyes.

"The battalion commander is mighty!!!"

"The Soviet camp is truly mighty!"

"6

'

A burst of intense roars erupted, and all the soldiers looked at Su Yang with fervor and unprecedented conviction.

They witnessed firsthand that their own commander not only dared to draw his sword to save people from such a terrifying master, but also used unbelievable methods to repeatedly deflect the opponent's killing moves, ultimately forcing the arrogant master to ask his name and retreat in resentment!

What incredible strength!

What courage!

The true power of the army lies not in harsh discipline, but in the ability to protect brothers and subdue powerful enemies in dire straits!

Su Yang stood before the crowd, listening to the deafening cheers behind him, feeling the surging Bright Moon True Qi within his body, and the clearly increasing proficiency on the panel. He gazed at the now quiet Emerald Rain Manor with a deep look in his eyes.

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