Chapter 13032: Being clever but being misled by cleverness

Upon hearing this, Ji Hu raised the corner of his mouth into a sinister smile, a smile that was a mixture of confidence and cunning.

He walked out of the crowd slowly, his steps were steady and powerful, and every step seemed to announce his arrival to Ling Xiao. His eyes were directly fixed on Ling Xiao, and there was recognition of Ling Xiao's strength in his eyes, as well as excitement and anticipation of defeating him.

"Boy, you are indeed a rare genius. Your strength and talent are amazing." Ji Hu's voice was low and magnetic, but there was a chill in his words that could not be ignored.

"But it's a pity that you are too flamboyant and have offended too many people. You also don't know how to keep a low profile. If you could be like those truly powerful people, knowing how to be patient and wait, perhaps today's outcome would be very different."

Upon hearing this, Ling Xiao curled up the corner of his mouth into a sneer, which was full of disdain and ridicule for Ji Hu's remarks.

"If I were you, I wouldn't waste my breath here saying such meaningless nonsense." His voice was cold and firm, and every word seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, full of provocation and contempt for Ji Hu.

Ji Hu didn't seem to care about Ling Xiao's provocation. Instead, he laughed loudly, and his laughter was full of pride and arrogance.

“Hahaha, do you think I’m talking nonsense? You’re totally wrong!” His laughter stopped abruptly, and his eyes instantly became sharp, “Take a good look around you, kid!”

As Ji Hu finished speaking, Ling Xiao's surroundings suddenly changed. On the originally empty ground, a dozen fox tripods of strange shapes suddenly appeared out of thin air.

These fox tripods are lifelike, as if they were transformed from real foxes. They have a groove on their backs, which is filled with blood-red liquid. The liquid is slowly evaporating, emitting thick red smoke that quickly spreads, enveloping the entire space in a strange atmosphere.

The appearance of these fox tripods shocked everyone present. They retreated one after another, fearing that they would be hurt by the strange smoke. Ling Xiao stood still, staring at these fox tripods with a sharp gaze, and was secretly on guard.

He knew very well that these fox tripods were no ordinary creatures, and the smoke they emitted might very likely contain some deadly toxins or traps.

"Poison?" Ling Xiao frowned, a trace of doubt and vigilance flashed in his eyes. He quickly looked around, the spreading red smoke was like an invisible net, tightly wrapping him in it, and the air was filled with a strange and dangerous smell.

Seeing this, Ji Hu raised a smug smile and slowly walked towards Ling Xiao, with a bit of boasting and confidence in his steps.

"Poison? Haha, you are wrong. This is far more terrible than poison. This is the red mist of illusion that I have spent countless efforts to research. Once you fall into it, your mind will be disturbed by the mist, and you will have irresistible hallucinations. In the end, you will completely lose your combat effectiveness and be at my mercy."

His words revealed an almost crazy obsession, as if this illusionary red mist was not only his weapon but also a work of art that he was proud of.

Ji Hu's eyes flashed with fanaticism. He enjoyed the feeling of being in control of everything, as if the whole world was trembling under his illusion.

"Why do you think I can occupy a place among the top ten masters of the Ji family, and even rank sixth? In terms of pure combat power, I may not be as good as Ji Jiao and others, but with this illusion red mist, I can make them all far behind. In the field of illusion, I am invincible."

Ji Hu's voice was low and powerful, and every word was like a heavy hammer hitting people's hearts.

Ling Xiao stood there motionless, without even speaking, as if he had completely fallen into an illusion and couldn't extricate himself.

"Master, look at Ling Xiao, he is nothing special." Ji Hu turned to look at Ji Tianyan, with a smile of victory on his face, "All those legends about him seem exaggerated now. Killing him is as easy as pie for me."

"Well! Ji Hu, just give it a try. I, Ji Tianyan, promise that I will do my best to monitor the mysterious man in black for you and make sure he doesn't interfere with our battle at the critical moment."

Ji Tianyan's voice was steady and firm, and his eyes revealed his trust and support for Ji Hu, but also his deep fear of the man in black.

"I obey!" Ji Hu bowed slightly, with a confident smile on his face. He knew the importance of this battle and the responsibility he shouldered. So, he walked quickly towards Ling Xiao, and every step he took seemed so resolute and courageous.

When Ji Hu came to Ling Xiao's side, he already had a sharp dagger in his hand, flashing with cold light, reflecting his uncertain face. He took a deep breath, ready to launch a fatal blow to Ling Xiao's throat.

However, just when he was about to take action, Ling Xiao's tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, as if he could see into people's hearts and look straight into the depths of their souls.

This unexpected change made Ji Hu's heart tremble, and the dagger in his hand trembled involuntarily. He never expected that Ling Xiao could stay awake in his illusion red fog, and he never expected that he would suddenly open his eyes at this critical moment.

But Ji Hu was a master of the Ji family after all. He quickly adjusted his mentality and prepared to attack again.

However, he was still a step too slow. Before he could react, a violent sword intent to slay the gods and a bloodthirsty knife intent swept over like a violent storm, instantly drilling into his mind.

These two completely different conceptions collided violently in his mind, causing him to fall into confusion and pain in an instant.

At this critical moment, Ling Xiao moved. He flashed and appeared in front of Ji Hu like a ghost, with the long sword in his hand flashing with a cold light. He slashed with the sword mercilessly, and the sword light was like a dragon, unstoppable.

With a slight "hiss" sound, Ji Hu's throat was cut with a shocking wound. Blood gushed out and dyed his clothes red.

Feeling the sudden pain, Ji Hu suddenly woke up from his daze. He subconsciously reached out to touch his throat, and the wetness and warmth from his fingertips made him feel an unprecedented fear and despair.

He widened his eyes, pointed at Ling Xiao, and wanted to say something, but only a hoarse "ho" sound came out of his throat. His mouth was already filled with blood, and he couldn't utter a complete word.

At this moment, Ji Hu finally realized that he had underestimated Ling Xiao. This seemingly young opponent actually possessed extraordinary strength and will. However, he was completely defeated in this battle.

"Haha, Ji Hu, Ji Hu, do you really think that your so-called illusion mist can do anything to me, Ling Xiao?" Ling Xiao raised a sarcastic smile, his eyes full of disdain for Ji Hu's ignorance and arrogance. (End of this chapter)