Chapter 22: A Mosquito Possessing Such Astonishing Intelligence?

A flicker of trepidation crossed Yun Yi’s heart. Though he could not put it into words, his awe and vigilance toward the unknown power were written all over him. His disguise had completely failed in this moment, as if he had been stripped of his outer cloak and left naked and exposed to the enemy's gaze.

The senior disciple’s eyes, burning like torches, pierced through the mist of light. A flash of surprise first crossed his expression, which then transformed into a look of sudden realization.

"What? A mosquito? Though, by the looks of it, it seems to be a mosquito with cultivation." His tone held a hint of disbelief, but it was dominated by contempt and disdain for Yun Yi’s identity. In his eyes, a mosquito, no matter how clever, could never be his match.

Although Yun Yi could not argue back with words, his soul—retained from his time as a human—remained intact. He understood every word the senior disciple said and felt the man’s scorn. This contempt ignited a deep-seated stubbornness and defiance within him.

*Oh, a mosquito? Hmph, your assessment is accurate enough; I am indeed clever. And I assume you noticed the battle between the three of us just now? Come to think of it, you must have also set your sights on that precious Lingzhi mushroom!*

Yun Yi pondered to himself. Even without speech, his intentions were revealed through his subtle movements and the resolution in his gaze. Seeing that Yun Yi made no move, a cold, sinister glint flickered in the senior disciple’s eyes.

"Hmph, as I thought, you have designs on that Lingzhi too. But a mosquito, daring to compete with me? How utterly delusional!" His words were laced with mockery and disdain. Without further ado, he wielded his sword and charged toward the other party, who was currently locked in combat with the human cultivator Ye Chen. To him, this mosquito, while much larger than its kin, was still a trivial existence unworthy of notice before a powerful cultivator like himself.

With his physical eyes and spiritual sense working in tandem, the senior disciple hunted like a hawk, precisely locking onto every one of Ye Chen’s movements, preparing to crush him with a thunderous, decisive blow.

As for Yun Yi, in the senior’s eyes, he was merely an insignificant insect, so small he could be blown away by a gust of wind, posing no real threat whatsoever.

However, was Yun Yi the type to simply surrender? A burning desire for survival fueled him. Relying on his diminutive size, he darted nimbly through the dense forest, constantly dodging the senior disciple’s attacks. Each evasion was perfectly timed, as if he were dancing with the wind; for a time, the senior disciple’s strikes were unable to touch even a hair of his being.

Yun Yi’s relentless dodging not only caused the senior disciple’s attacks to miss repeatedly but also dealt a heavy blow to his patience and pride.

"Insolent beast! A mere mosquito demon, daring to toy with me!" the senior disciple roared, his tone filled with unquestionable majesty and rage. With that, he cast his long sword into the air. As spiritual energy surged, the blade multiplied into countless sword shadows, descending like a sky full of silver butterflies to overwhelm Yun Yi.

Though Yun Yi was small, he was exceptionally agile. Even as the sword shadows wove a web as dense as a spider’s, he slipped through them one by one, leaving only shimmering silver afterimages in the air.

Seeing this, the senior disciple’s anger grew even more intense. He had not expected this mosquito to possess such capability. In his fury, he aggravated an old injury, causing his sword control to falter, his posture to stoop slightly, and his aura to become unsteady.

Yun Yi keenly captured this lapse. Thinking it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, he flapped his wings and soared, his body turning into a streak of black lightning as he lunged straight at the senior disciple, aiming to strike while his opponent was vulnerable and deal a fatal blow.

Yet, Yun Yi had underestimated the senior disciple’s shamelessness and cunning. Just as Yun Yi was about to succeed, the senior disciple suddenly shifted his body, using the cover of the dense forest to skillfully evade the attack. At the same time, he swung his hand back, quietly releasing a hidden surge of spiritual energy aimed directly at Yun Yi’s vitals.

Yun Yi’s heart tightened as if gripped by an invisible hand. He narrowly dodged the sudden strike, cold sweat trickling down his back.

At that moment, he felt the breath of death brush against his skin. Realizing how close he had come to the end, his eyes turned fierce. He knew the real battle had only just begun, and there was no room for the slightest relaxation.

"Very well. You want my life? I will drain every drop of your blood and make you realize the price of provoking me!" Yun Yi’s voice was faint but carried an unshakable resolution. He vibrated his wings, thin as a cicada’s, adjusting his posture to prepare for a counterattack.

However, at this critical moment, the senior disciple moved again like a phantom, his speed astonishing. This time, the senior disciple had clearly lost all patience; every move was filled with destructive power, specifically targeting Yun Yi’s advantage of small size and agile movement.

The sword light wove into a tapestry, each ray seemingly capable of slicing through space, compressing Yun Yi’s survival room to the limit. Yun Yi had to use every ounce of his strength to dodge left and right, narrowly escaping lethal strikes each time, but his stamina and spiritual energy were rapidly depleting under such high-intensity evasion.

The wind in the forest seemed to have stagnated, leaving only the whistling sound of sword light cutting through the air and the faint hum of Yun Yi’s wings.

Yun Yi realized that this could not go on. He had to find a weakness in the senior disciple’s defense and deliver a fatal blow, or else he would face the fate of running out of energy and being captured.

Thus, Yun Yi began to observe the senior disciple’s attack patterns more meticulously. His tiny compound eyes flashed with an eerie light, as if piercing through all illusions.

He wove nimbly between the flashes of blades. Each evasion was perfectly timed, not only avoiding the attacks but also gradually deciphering the senior disciple’s patterns. Although the attacks were fierce, they began to reveal a predictable rhythm to Yun Yi.

Amidst the continuous barrage, the senior disciple also began to notice that this mosquito was extraordinary. He was shocked to discover that it not only possessed cultivation but also seemed to have intelligence and wisdom beyond the ordinary. The sophistication of its combat techniques even made this human expert feel a hint of threat.

"Impossible. How could a mosquito be this capable?" The senior disciple couldn't help but mutter to himself. He began to re-evaluate the mosquito before him, his gaze growing heavy with newfound caution.