Chapter 372: Caught in the Scheme?

Chapter 372 -315: Caught in the Scheme?

When Elder Hong saw Jiang Xu and was asked about his area of expertise, he immediately perked up.

He was also very interested in the Magic Jiang Xu had used to inexplicably disappear just a moment ago.

However, Elder Hong felt that asking about it would be like prying into someone’s secrets, so he had been too reserved to bring it up.

But now that Jiang Xu had brought it up first, Elder Hong felt there was no reason to hold back from discussing it.

“To be honest, I haven’t quite figured it out yet, but…”

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xu immediately felt relieved.

But when he heard the word ‘but,’ his heart leaped into his throat again.

“But what?” Jiang Xu pressed.

Elder Hong shook his head.

“I’m afraid you haven’t perfected this Magic of yours yet. Thinking back on it now, it has quite a few flaws.”

“I didn’t catch all the details the first time I saw it. If you were to use it again, I’m fairly certain I could figure out the principles behind your Escape Technique.”

Holy crap!

Jiang Xu was stunned, his mind reeling as if struck by a sudden clap of thunder.

He had always held a high opinion of himself, especially when it came to his Shadow Escape. He was confident that he had few rivals in the arts of Stealth and Escape.

But Elder Hong’s casual words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head, snapping him back to reality. He realized there was still a considerable gap between him and a true master of Escape Techniques.

He now felt he was still a long way from becoming an Escape General.

‘He said he only needed to see it twice to understand the principles of my Shadow Escape.’

‘Isn’t that a bit of an exaggeration?’

‘Just how many secret techniques does this Elder Hong have up his sleeve?’ Jiang Xu wondered in disbelief.

In his experience, seeing through a profound Escape Technique like Shadow Escape usually required the aid of a special Magical Artifact or Magic.

The last time Jiang Xu had faced Shadow Escape, he had only been able to detect the user by employing the Spiritual Eye Technique.

Yet Elder Hong was certain that with just his naked eye and experience, he could grasp its essence in only two viewings.

Jiang Xu began to wonder if Elder Hong had mastered some unknown Pupil Technique, or if he possessed a sensory acuity that surpassed ordinary people, allowing him to perceive subtle differences others could not.

But what impressed him more was the alternative: if Elder Hong could achieve this through experience and intuition alone, it must mean he had extensive exposure to and a profound understanding of all manner of Escape Techniques.

This Realm, where understanding one technique unlocks the understanding of all, was something countless Cultivators dreamed of but could never hope to achieve.

‘This Elder Hong… he’s truly a remarkable character,’ Jiang Xu thought, a newfound respect for the man welling up inside him.

In fact, Jiang Xu was also developing in this very direction.

If he could bring all the Escape Techniques he had gotten from Sun Long to the Mastery level through Cultivation, Jiang Xu felt he wouldn’t be too far from that Realm himself.

He would only need to see someone perform an Escape Technique to understand its principles—how it was done and what produced the effect.

But that was also because his Shadow Escape was only at the Skilled Stage. If it reached the Mastery Level, Jiang Xu was sure that Elder Hong wouldn’t be able to perceive anything at all.

Jiang Xu thought for a moment. ‘I can’t be the only one revealing my secrets; I should ask about his, too,’ he decided, then spoke up:

“Elder Hong, as an Escape General, what kind of Escape Technique do you specialize in?”

Elder Hong smiled.

“If you ask any Immortal Cultivator in the Youxian Sea that question, nine out of ten will tell you it’s Water Escape.”

“We’re born here and we grow up here. It would be illogical not to have Mastery of Water Escape. After all, when you live in the sea, if you don’t cultivate Water Escape, what else is there to cultivate?”

“Of course, if you’re asking me personally, I’m no exception.”

“The Water Escape Technique is my signature skill, but you should know that it isn’t just one thing. It’s divided into different types with different uses and different areas of focus.”

“Some excel at speed, others focus on Stealth, and some can even lay complex Illusion Arrays in the water, leaving any pursuer completely lost and bewildered.”

“You… you’re not expecting me to go into that much detail, are you?”

Jiang Xu shook his head, slightly embarrassed, and replied in a lighthearted, teasing tone:

“Of course not. I just want to understand the partners I’ll be fighting alongside, to avoid any issues when we move together. It would be a farce if we tried to retreat in an emergency only to have our Escape Techniques interfere with each other.”

“Don’t worry. If it’s the Escape Technique you just used, there definitely won’t be any conflict.”

Knowing his technique wouldn’t clash with Elder Hong’s, Jiang Xu’s worries eased slightly. He then changed the subject, turning his gaze to Xiong Anling with a look of concern and curiosity.

“Nephew Xiong, where are you headed? Do you need a hand?”

“To find someone,” Xiong Anling replied, his expression grave, his tone concise and firm.

“Who are you looking for? Reinforcements?” Jiang Xu caught the urgency in Xiong Anling’s voice and couldn’t help but press him.

He glanced around, mentally tallying their numbers. With just the four of them, facing a powerful enemy was suicide. Seeking reinforcements was the only logical move.

‘But who would Xiong Anling go looking for?’

‘Xiao Jin Island was teeming with experts, so anyone Xiong Anling would seek out for help must be extraordinary.’

‘Would it be some reclusive powerhouse, or the backing of a secret faction?’

‘That’s right, right now it’s just the True General, the Escape General, and the Fire General here.’

‘The Eight Generals can’t function with five members missing.’

‘In other words, of the five missing generals, they still needed at least one of the two Upper Eight Generals for this to work.’