I closed my eyes and spread my Qi wide and thin, like mist.
It quickly radiated outward from my body.
From the tiny insects crawling at my feet, to the birds resting their wings on branches above—
The world seen with eyes shut was always fascinating.
My Qi spread upward like a rolling fog, even reaching the towering treetops.
And there, crouched like a squirrel upon the branches, was a shadowy figure.
Found you.
I opened my eyes and deliberately muttered aloud.
“Huh? Where is he?”
Feigning confusion, I clumsily looked around as I walked deeper into the woods.
“I swear the voice ca from around here…”
As I strolled, I drew in Qi, circulating it through my body, gradually warming myself up.
“No… maybe it was over this way…”
Pretending not to know a thing, I ambled forward—then suddenly focused Qi at the tips of my feet and leapt.
In an instant, I shot upward, bounding off the tree trunk, hurtling like lightning toward where he hid.
“You bastard!”
But only a slender branch swayed gently in the air.
“Urk!”
I dangled from the branch like a fool.
Rustle, rustle! Leaves shivered, and a mocking voice echoed through the forest.
“Oh ho? This one’s not bad at all.”
Still gripping the branch, I spread my senses once more.
“What the—!”
Just a mont ago, he was here. Yet now, his presence flared far away.
It was as if he had teleported.
The voice chuckled.
“Your perception is sharper than that fellow Collin’s. This might actually be fun.”
Then, above , I heard a dangerous crack.
Crrrk…
“Huh?”
The branch I clung to groaned, then snapped with a sharp crack.
At once, vertigo seized .
“Waaah!”
Thud! Crack! Snap!
I crashed through branch after branch until—
Boom!
“Oww…”
Rubbing my bruised backside, I winced as mocking laughter rang out through the woods.
“Hahahahaha…”
“Shut up!” I shouted.
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!
The echoes mocked back.
“What a fool you look. An amusing guest indeed.”
“This is your final warning. Co down now and surrender.”
“Is your backside all right? Looks swollen from here.”
“Worry about your own ass. When I catch you, I’ll carve my na into it with my sword.”
“Hahahaha…”
His laughter spread through the trees.
“I look forward to it.”
I dusted myself off, got up, and unfastened the sword from my waist, setting aside every burden.
Then I bounced lightly on my feet, murmuring as if the real fight had only just begun.
“Phew. All right, let’s do this properly.”
Tsk tsk… pathetic wretch.
The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue, but I ignored him, spreading my senses again to pinpoint the thief.
This ti, too, I strolled idly, pretending to be unaware—before springing up faster than before, lunging straight at him.
“You bastard!”
Again ca only the sound of leaves brushing. The thief had vanished without a trace.
As his title, Shadowless Phantom Thief, suggested—not even his shadow could be caught.
But giving up wasn’t in my nature.
I chased him relentlessly.
“You little—!”
“Hahahaha…”
“This ti, for sure—!”
“Hahahaha…”
“You son of a—!”
“Hahahaha…”
This was insane.
The Shadowless Phantom Thief was the embodint of elusiveness.
One mont, he was right before . The next, nothing remained but a trembling branch, his presence suddenly shifted to so faraway perch.
It was as though I were battling a ghost.
“Hahahaha…”
His eerie laughter seeped into the already gloomy forest, making it all the more chilling.
Only then did I understand the rcenaries’ mocking laughter, and Collin’s words that this mission had nothing to do with strength.
It truly wasn’t about power. His speed was absurd—fast enough to erase even his shadow.
Sensing him was one thing. Catching him was another entirely.
“Already thinking of giving up?” he taunted.
My teeth ground together.
“Give up? Did you just say give up?”
Who was I?
I was Ashuban—the stubborn bastard who had survived all this ti with nothing but grit.
“You think I’d give up? Never. Not in this lifeti!”
He laughed.
“Then let’s play a little longer.”
“Fine. Here cos the hunter.”
Once again, I lunged after him.
“Haaah… hahh…”
Before I knew it, the sun was high in the sky.
And yet, nothing had changed.
“Hahahaha…”
That mocking laughter still reverberated among the trees.
Though my movents had grown far quicker than when I began, I still hadn’t laid eyes on his shadow.
Was this even possible?
How could he move so fast?
It was like I was chasing a flying squirrel on steroids, one that used Mana to cheat gravity.
The Heavenly Demon spoke.
Tsk tsk… At this rate, you’ll never catch him. I can’t stand watching this anymore.
Wiping sweat from my brow, I asked, “Then what should I do?”
He explained, as if bestowing a favor.
You must learn Qinggong—Floating Steps.
“Qinggong?”
Simply put, it’s a way of running swiftly using Qi.
“But I’ve been using Qi this whole ti.”
Qinggong is just like Heavenly Moon Art—a martial technique of its own. Until now, you’ve only been recklessly unleashing Sword Qi. Qinggong is a higher form of discipline, a different thodology altogether.
“I see.”
I understood what he ant.
The difference between Sword Qi and Heavenly Moon Art.
At your current level, you could chase that thief until death and never catch so much as his shadow. He’s no ordinary man. He understands the principles of Qinggong.
I flinched in surprise.
“What? You an he’s learned martial arts too?”
Not quite. Didn’t you tell this world uses sothing called Mana?
“That’s right.”
That thief is applying the principles of Qinggong through Mana. He lightens his body and dashes across the treetops.
I raised my eyes to the trees anew, seeing them in a different light.
From my perspective, his movents are crude. But even so… they’re impressive enough.
Not bad, he said. Coming from the Heavenly Demon, that was glowing praise.
If he truly figured it out on his own, he’d be considered a prodigy, even in the martial world. It makes sense he’s earned a grandiose title.
…So he was a Qinggong genius.
And I finally understood what the Heavenly Demon ant.
“So, to deal with Qinggong, I need Qinggong. Just as Aura must be t with Aura?”
Exactly. To fight soone using Qinggong, you must also learn Qinggong. Otherwise, you’re only wasting your ti.
At that mont, the Shadowless Phantom Thief called out in a booming voice.
“What are you mumbling about down there? Have you given up? Is that it?”
I clenched my fist and roared back,
“Shut your mouth! I’m just debating what else I should carve into your fat ass besides my na!”
“Hah! You really are amusing.”
“Sit tight and clean that ass of yours. I’ll be kicking it soon enough.”
“I’ve been waiting! Since earlier! How much longer do you an to keep waiting?”
“Just shut up already!”
I ignored him and turned my focus back to the Heavenly Demon.
“So, Master. How do I learn Qinggong?”
He began explaining swiftly.
Listen well. The essence of Qinggong lies in lightening your body. That’s why it’s also called Light Body Technique.
“Lighten my body? What, you want to chop off an arm or sothing?”
Stop babbling nonsense. You must beco like the wind itself.
“…That sounds even more nonsensical.”
I couldn’t make sense of it. How could one simply adjust the weight of their body at will?
The Heavenly Demon seed ready to explain further, but then he only clicked his tongue.
It’ll be faster to show you than to waste a hundred explanations.
His voice grew solemn.
The Qinggong I shall impart to you is called Floating Steps.
“Floating Steps?”
Floating Steps—飄行飛.
Whirlwind. Movent. Flight.
In short, it ant flying like a swirling gale.
The principle is similar to before. I’ll guide you along the ridian paths where your Qi must flow. All you need to do is follow.
“Got it, Master.”
But unlike seated cultivation, this is a Light Body Technique. You must move your body while practicing. Leap lightly as you circulate Qi.
I began bouncing on the spot.
“Like this?”
Yes. Now—here we go.
From my dantian, the Heavenly Demon plucked a wisp of Qi as if lifting a pebble, then flicked it away.
The pebble of Qi darted through my ridians like the rush of wind.
I bounced and leapt, chasing it doggedly within my body.
It was incredibly difficult to move my body and focus inward at the sa ti.
“Hahaha! What’s this? Have you finally gone mad?”
The thief’s mocking voice brushed past, but I shut out my hearing, sinking deeper into myself.
Thump, thump, thump.
The path the Heavenly Demon carved was light and unimpeded, like the course of the wind.
It was light, free, swift, supple—and at tis, violent.
Breeze. Whirlwind. Gust. Storm.
Following his guidance, I circulated Qi and instinctively began grasping the essence of wind.
Thump, thump, thump.
The Small Heavenly Circuit completed far faster than when I had learned Heavenly Moon Art.
The mont it ended, I felt as though my whole body were wrapped in wind.
Rember this path where the wind passes through.
Still bouncing, I let my Qi keep racing through the ridians of that first circuit.
The more it ran, the lighter I beca.
It felt as though wind, not blood, was flowing in my veins.
The sound of my footsteps on the ground grew fainter.
Thump, thump, thump.
I kept leaping, following the wind’s path with my Qi.
Whooosh—
A keening sound brushed past my ear.
It was the eerie moan of wind, like the wail of a ghost in a storm, sending chills down my spine.
Thump, thump, thump.
Enshrouded by wind, I spread my senses, pinpointing the thief’s position.
I traced the path toward him in my mind, then sprang forth.
Thump… fwip!
I streaked through the forest.
My body felt feather-light.
The ghostly wail of the wind still hissed in my ears.
Racing through the woods, I suddenly kicked off the ground and soared upward.
Tap, tap, tap!
Just as I had envisioned, I bounded across the treetops, closing in on the thief.
A grin spread across my face.
“Found you.”
This ti, I didn’t see a swaying branch.
I saw him.
The Shadowless Phantom Thief flitted like a squirrel across the branches, several trees between us.
But in the speed of his retreat, I caught the clear scent of panic.
I landed on the branch he had just left and gave chase.
The branch bent beneath , but it didn’t snap. Instead, it recoiled with springy force, lending greater speed.
“Hahaha! Stop right there! I’ll kick your ass into next week!”
In the eerie forest, two squirrels darted from branch to branch.
He was the fleeing squirrel.
I was the pursuing squirrel—the one laughing wildly.
“Hahaha! Here cos the hunter! Run, run! If I catch you, your ass is mine! Waaaaaah!”
With every stride, Floating Steps fit more naturally to , like a well-worn garnt.
Which ant only one thing—
I was getting faster.
Now only a single tree separated from the Shadowless Phantom Thief.
“Do you hear it? The wailing wind! The ghost that howls for you! The ghost that will shred your ass to ribbons, hahaha!”
“Urk!”
He faltered, misstepping.
And I would never miss such an opening.
The mont he lost balance, tipping forward, I hurled myself at him—body first.
Thud!
“Gah!”
“Got you.”
(End of Chapter)
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