Volume Two: The Many Faces of Youth—False Yet True Chapter One Hundred and Ten: The Thirteen-Second Airborne Final Strike

Dai Hua’an possessed a tactical philosophy entirely his own. In his eyes, everything on the battlefield was a chess piece: soldiers, warriors, and even himself. Whoever they were, they could be sacrificed if it served a tactical goal—including his own life.

This was the embodiment of the saying, "Mercy does not command troops."

Thus, although he had originally ordered Feng Wuming to protect him, he had decisively dispatched him to provide support the moment the front line was breached, leaving himself in a vulnerable position. But now, it was too late. On his interface, the Blue team's flag had disappeared; it seemed the Red team’s victory conditions were already half-met.

He had lost contact with all his guards, including the sniper. The dedicated channel had vanished, which meant only one thing: they were completely wiped out. Even the sniper, who was supposed to be hiding in the shadows to deliver a lethal blow to any assassin, had been dealt with.

Judging by the victory conditions, they were the ones at a disadvantage. It was then that he suddenly recalled what Feng Wuming had told him that morning:

"I cast a hex for you this morning. The result was the sixty-fourth hexagram, 'Before Completion.' 'Before Completion, success. A little fox, almost across, wets its tail. There is no advantage.' Things begin like a boat traveling with the current, but then one suddenly encounters adversity. You will face a trial today."

Beginning like a boat traveling with the current, only to suddenly encounter adversity—it seemed logical. The situation currently appeared favorable, and his plans seemed to be progressing steadily. But from the moment the flag in the rear was snatched and the defense force annihilated, the Red team had taken a solid step toward victory, while he had been constantly facing the threat of a potential assassin. Now, this was his adversity.

***

Huo Ye had exhausted a considerable amount of his supernatural energy. Although he was searching for Dai Hua’an with great urgency, he could no longer afford to use his abilities recklessly. He had grasped a slight glimmer of the technique of skin respiration and attempted to utilize it, but as it turned out, having only grasped the mere basics was like trying to put out a burning cart of firewood with a single cup of water.

The top priority now was to locate Dai Hua’an. The map was a symmetrical rectangle bounded by the towers of both sides. The towers were empty, and there was nowhere else to hide; every other area had been reduced to a battlefield. As the commander, Dai Hua’an would not be hiding far away. There was only one possibility: he was hidden somewhere on the battlefield, actively participating in the fight.

Huo Ye’s guess was correct. Dai Hua’an was indeed in the thick of the battle, though he constantly had to divide his attention to issue commands. He was not leading a well-trained army; discipline, coordination, and synergy were nonexistent, so his commands had to be meticulous down to the smallest detail.

To be safe, Feng Wuming had returned to Dai Hua’an’s vicinity, but he was no longer guarding him side-by-side as before; he was also fighting with all his might. He had not yet deployed the talisman he had used against Huo Ye earlier, as that was his trump card. However, his skill with the horsetail whisk was no empty reputation. With a flick of his wrist, the silver threads danced wildly, creating a silver whirlwind on the battlefield. Large numbers of enemy troops were swept to the ground in an instant, after which the Blue team would surge forward to mop them up.

Meanwhile, at the rear of the Red team, the Blue team was slowly compressing their living space. Soon, those on the flanks realized they were being forced back-to-back with their comrades in the front. They realized then that they had been maneuvered into a "closing the gate to beat the dog" scenario; the situation was already perilous.

Huo Ye had arrived at the battlefield, but he did not act rashly. He knew from the channel that his side’s leader had not yet fallen and the Red flag still stood, meaning the scales of victory were tipped in their favor.

Huo Ye activated his acoustic positioning. As the battlefield was gradually squeezed, the entire area fell within his sensory range. While confirming identities required checking facial features, there was one guy who stood out like a landmark, slaughtering everyone in his path. Was Dai Hua’an hard to find? Feng Wuming would surely be by his side.

So, Dai Hua’an, where are you? I’ve come to take your life!

...

Ah, found you!

At that moment, Shangguan Yudie sensed Huo Ye’s joy. She appeared beside him, casting an inquisitive gaze.

Huo Ye tossed her a stolen raccoon mask and said, "Put it on. Let’s go have some fun."

***

And so, from some unknown point, the battlefield erupted in chaos. Some presence began silently erasing the Blue team’s main combatants. Often, a shadow would flicker past, and then a Blue soldier would dissolve into data. Those who tried to identify the assailant saw that the people around them were wearing masks—they should have been Blue team members, after all.

The participants were baffled, but the spectators saw it clearly: Night Rain Cold Crow and Ice Dancer.

The two moved through the crowd like fish in water. Their strikes were fierce and precise; they never attacked unless it was a fatal blow, and once they did, they eliminated an extremely troublesome opponent. Because of their presence, the pressure on the Red team began to ease, and they closed in on Dai Hua’an.

"Steady! We still have the major advantage. Wipe them all out, and we still win!" Dai Hua’an tried to boost morale over the channel, but he knew full well who actually held the advantage.

Suddenly, he felt a disturbance—danger was closing in. But... it was too late.

From the crowd, a figure wearing a black mask with golden wings lunged out. He chuckled and said, "Finally found you! You hiding little cat!"

Dai Hua’an was wearing a cat mask—a double meaning.

"Quick, protect me!" Dai Hua’an shouted in a panic. He could not die; if he did, they would be completely defeated!

But it was too late.

Huo Ye lowered his stance without hesitation and unleashed a flying kick, striking Dai Hua’an squarely in the chin, launching him high into the air. Dai Hua’an managed to protect his head with his supernatural energy, sparing himself from a blow that could have shattered rock, but he remained dazed and reeling.

Huo Ye’s assault was only beginning. With a flick of his wrist, a Dragon-Nailing Cable coiled around Dai Hua’an’s waist, and Huo Ye leaped high into the air, pursuing him.

Feng Wuming saw this and tried to intervene, but a sword flashed like a fleeting glimpse of a startled swan.

"Dancing Amidst the Flowers."

Feng Wuming instinctively dodged, only to find someone blocking his path: a woman wearing a raccoon mask, wielding the iconic weapon, "Ice Blade Morning Dew."

"Don’t you dare interfere!" Shangguan Yudie’s expression was hidden behind the mask, but one could easily imagine her brows furrowed in icy resolve.

Feng Wuming knew that if Shangguan Yudie, who had been lurking in the shadows all this time, had finally appeared, it meant the person attacking was worth her risking her life to hold him back, allowing the other to kill Dai Hua’an.

Huo Ye delivered a knee strike to Dai Hua’an’s lower back in mid-air, sending him flying even higher. He wanted to ensure the slaughter took place in the air, where no one could provide support.

Dai Hua’an knew he was in trouble, but he used every ounce of his strength to activate his defensive ability: "Rising Wind and Flowing Clouds." His wind-attribute power manifested as a cloud of mist surrounding his body, making it impossible to distinguish his head from his feet. But Huo Ye had his own methods.

"Carving Dragons and Painting Phoenixes."

Countless Dragon-Nailing Cables flew from Huo Ye’s sleeves with a sharp, piercing whistle, aiming straight for Dai Hua’an’s vital points. The focus of this move was not the cables themselves, but the arrowheads. Ultimately, the most lethal aspect of the Dragon-Nailing Cable was the dart that could pierce through the sturdiest of barriers.

***

In an instant, the arrowheads moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye, leaving countless deep gashes on Dai Hua’an’s body. They pierced, cut, and sliced, like the dexterous hands of an artist carving his own unique masterpiece.

"Old Dai!" Feng Wuming shouted. Ignoring Shangguan Yudie’s obstruction, he rushed to save Dai Hua’an, casting an Air-Burst Talisman at her.

To his surprise, Shangguan Yudie did not dodge to make way. She took the impact of the Air-Burst Talisman with her fragile physical body, then continued to stand her ground with her sword.

Huo Ye’s muscle density was incredibly high, and even with such dense protection, he would have suffered internal organ damage from that blast. How could Shangguan Yudie be unscathed?

She had broken countless bones. The agonizing pain was real—it would not be diminished just because this was virtual reality. She swallowed the blood rising in her throat and said with unwavering resolve, "I said, don't interfere!"

"You! You’re ruthless! You’re just as vicious as your president!" Feng Wuming gritted his teeth, but he said no more.

"Dragon Head Dance."
"Falling Blossoms."
"Chasing the Deer to the Skies."

Each move connected seamlessly, leaving no room to breathe. Huo Ye emptied his remaining supernatural energy, finally shattering Dai Hua’an’s last-ditch resistance.

The final move: "Conclusion! Head-Severing Wave."

The surging Dragon-Nailing Cables, like the countless silk threads of the "Thousand-Silk Tribulation," tightly enveloped Dai Hua’an. He knew in that instant that it was over—Night Rain Cold Crow was going to end his life right here in the air!

The razor-sharp cables cut and then closed in a blink. A spray of blood bloomed in the air, the brilliant scarlet resembling a delicate, vibrant spider lily.

Huo Ye landed lightly and stretched his body in a relaxed manner.

That day, Night Rain Cold Crow stunned everyone. He moved through the chaotic army as if it were empty space, launched a surprise attack on the enemy leader, and executed a mid-air decapitation in just thirteen seconds.

A thirteen-second mid-air execution; he became famous in a single battle.