After a brief rain came brilliant sunshine. Not long after the deep of night had passed, the sunlight already shone gloriously, gilding every corner of the Shi Family Fortress, making the previous night’s panic and chaos, and the recent shock and fear seem like a dream.
Lin Yue, filled with grief and vigilance, glanced at Meng Qi and said, “Good, good, good! Young Master Su, this old beggar admires heroes like you the most. The Shi Family Fortress is also my responsibility; I will risk my life to ensure their safe passage to Huamei Villa!”
He looked around and ordered, “Dear nephew, dear niece, create a big commotion, let radiant light soar into the sky, alerting all martial cultivators within the vicinity to the changes at the Shi Family Fortress and spreading the news to attract powerful experts to investigate, making the assassins from the Benevolent Mansion hesitate, perhaps even abandon their mission altogether!”
His final half-sentence was meant to comfort Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang. If the Benevolent Mansion assassins were so easily deterred by the mere possibility of failure, they wouldn’t have earned the fearsome reputation of silencing even crying children!
But still, this would make them cautious, possibly leading to mistakes in their assassination attempt, perhaps becoming the key to everyone’s survival.
Meng Qi silently watched Lin Yue give his orders without interrupting. Even an old hand at the martial world, despite personality flaws that might cloud judgment and reasoning, could not be underestimated in experience.
Soon, a thunderous explosion rang out, rolling clouds and flames rising into the sky, radiant light piercing heavenward, eclipsing the sunlight itself.
Shi Xiaoxiu looked at the partially collapsed buildings, biting back her pain as she turned back and said, “Done.”
This was the home where she was born and raised, yet now she had nearly destroyed a third of it herself—how could she not feel heartbroken?
The other members of the fortress had already been evacuated by Shi Xiaodang to nearby buildings. Given the Benevolent Mansion’s style, as long as they hadn’t revealed any secrets, the assassins wouldn’t bother with a full massacre. To them, the fewer unnecessary actions, the better. Even retrieving items from the target depended on the mission’s requirements, let alone meaningless killing.
Meng Qi inhaled deeply and said calmly, “Then let’s depart.”
He leapt into the air first, followed by the Elder Master who carried the Shi siblings, with Lin Yue bringing up the rear. The three streaks of light tore through the sky, heading straight for Huamei Villa.
There would definitely be assassination attempts along the way! Meng Qi had no doubt about this. The Benevolent Mansion wouldn’t have failed three times yet still allow them to escape and reach Huamei Villa unimpeded—it was simply not their style!
High in the sky, the sunlight was blinding, the gales fierce and bitterly cold. Clouds surrounded them like an ocean, white as snow, beautiful as a paradise. Meng Qi fully activated his Eight-Nine Profound Art, his heart calm and undisturbed, sensing for any danger. His mind focused entirely on the Heaven’s Scar in his right hand, using it to fully visualize the nearly invisible presence of the Yuanqi Ocean, preventing the assassin from killing others first to provoke him and erode his confidence.
In a duel between experts, emotions and mindset were crucial factors. Especially since Meng Qi was a level below the blue-tier assassin, he had to be extra cautious, or it would be a matter of life and death.
The wind howled. Meng Qi’s heart slowed to its utmost relaxed state, expanding and contracting rhythmically. His spirit seemed to merge with the Yuanqi Ocean, covering the entire area, perceiving every minute detail.
Thump, thump, thump! The intense heartbeat echoed into Meng Qi’s consciousness—it came from Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang. Even the external expert at the top level found it hard to suppress his nervousness.
To them, a blue-tier assassin was a terrifying existence capable of annihilating the entire Shi Family Fortress, a renowned killer among the elite, even capable of threatening and killing a Grandmaster. Their father (the fortress master) had been killed in a single move, and even Lin Yue, an expert of similar strength, might suffer the same fate.
Though “Wild Blade” Su Meng was famous, he was not yet world-renowned. He had only crossed the first heavenly threshold over a year ago. Even with four tribulations endured, he was likely at most at the fifth heavenly level. There was no news of him becoming a Grandmaster yet. His strength might be formidable, but he was still at a major disadvantage in cultivation level. Could he block the blue-tier assassin’s attacks once, twice, three times? Especially if the assassin grew more determined and desperate?
Perhaps Wild Blade could protect himself without trouble, but protecting them would be extremely difficult, and might even lead to his own tragic demise!
As these thoughts swirled, Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang felt a growing sense of sorrow. Just having lost their father, now facing life-threatening danger with no means of resistance, how could they not feel disheartened, grief-stricken, and hopeless?
Thump, thump, thump!
Heart pounding like a war drum, the Heaven’s Scar in Meng Qi’s right hand suddenly trembled, inexplicably rising and slashing toward Shi Xiaoxiu’s back, crackling with electric arcs, almost like an illusion.
The assassin had arrived! Meng Qi trusted himself, trusted the blade in his hand. Without hesitation, his internal true yuan and the power of heaven and earth surged into the blade, layering and exploding, causing it to accelerate sharply.
Clang!
The blade collided mid-air with a mysteriously appearing sword tip. The forces completely canceled each other out, strangely without generating even a ripple. A figure emerged from the brilliant sunlight.
The figure suddenly blurred. Meng Qi had been prepared. His left hand now held a crimson jade-like sword, which he abruptly thrust backward.
A chilling killing intent had barely surfaced when the stream of fire split into two, then into four, then into eight, becoming hundreds and thousands of sword beams, forming a net that enveloped the enemy from all directions.
At that moment, the previously blurred figure abruptly solidified, and the chilling killing intent seemed like thin snow rapidly melting under the sunlight!
Bad!
As soon as the thought arose in Meng Qi’s mind, the figure ahead spun rapidly, transforming into a spiraling “wind dragon,” condensed into a thin line, instantly diverting the Heaven’s Scar and rushing toward Meng Qi’s forehead. In the blink of an eye, the distance vanished. Meng Qi felt a sharp pain in his forehead, as if his soul were being sliced.
At this moment, there was no time to bring back his blade or sword for defense!
The assassin’s eyes were indifferent, showing no joy, no excitement, no hatred. Meng Qi’s image reflected in his pupils bore no ripple, as if he were performing a skillful yet numbing task.
Suddenly, a white, jade-like hand blocked in front of Meng Qi’s forehead.
Puh!
A pale golden light shimmered, and the slender sword paused slightly before piercing inward. The clash of forces ignited the hidden sword energy within.
Bang! At the critical moment, Meng Qi’s newly grown palm was mangled and bloody, but it firmly grasped the tip of the sword!
He had no time to draw the Jade-Cutting Blade or the Mystic Turtle Sword, nor to execute any techniques or activate the Kunlun Daoist Robe. All he could do was raise his left hand to block the attack directly, relying on his monstrously formidable physical strength to withstand it momentarily.
His left hand tightly gripped the tip of the sword, blood flowing and splattering faintly. Before it could even leave his body, the vitality had already drained away. Yet, Meng Qi’s eyes widened fiercely, the pain transforming into flames that ignited his fighting spirit. The Jade-Cutting Blade in his right hand seemed to pause for a moment, poised to unleash a world-shaking strike. Flowing Fire and Heaven’s Wound circled back, one after the other—an ambush from all sides.
The assassin’s gaze remained utterly calm. With a flick of his sword tip, a strange, eel-like force rippled out, allowing the blade to withdraw from Meng Qi’s grasp in an eerie, inexplicable manner. Then, both the sword and the assassin himself faded into nothingness, vanishing midair. Meng Qi’s attack only managed to tear through the air, leaving the void trembling in its wake.
Miss the first strike, retreat again from afar!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye—so swiftly that Ling Yue only reacted after Meng Qi blocked the assassin’s longsword with his left palm. By then, the flurry of descending staff strikes had already missed their mark.
“You’re so fast!” Ling Yue gritted his teeth and said.
Meng Qi felt the same way. If the Blue-ranked assassin had lingered even slightly and gotten entangled by his swords and Ling Yue’s frenzied staff, he would have been able to free his hands, take out the divine weapon’s core material, and give him a taste of his own medicine!
Shi Xiaoxiu’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat. She felt that the previous fierce blade attack had been perilously close, and she herself had narrowly escaped danger. The Blue-tier assassin from the Unkindness Tower was truly terrifying beyond measure.
Seeing the fear in their eyes, Meng Qi suddenly declared in a clear voice, “Petty villains, nothing more. Even a sneak attack could only leave me lightly wounded—hardly worth mentioning!”
The words carried an overwhelming heroic spirit, causing Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang to tremble inwardly. They felt their fear recede like a tide. Indeed, the assassin who could kill a grandmaster had only lightly injured Young Master Su. According to the rules of the Unkind Tower, he had only one chance left. Now that Young Master Su had grown familiar with the assassin’s eerie methods, he might very well be able to fend off the next attack!
The words of volunteering to stay that had just welled up were swallowed back down once more.
Without another word, Meng Qi soared forward once more, his mind filled with caution.
Since I have taken on this matter, I absolutely cannot abandon them and flee alone. To act in such a way would go against my nature and would surely bring guilt, leading to flaws in my actions. If the assassins were to seize upon these flaws, it would mean certain death—far worse than the current predicament!
From the two encounters, it can be observed that the “domain” of this blue-tier assassin grandmaster—specifically his mastery and utilization of the principles of law—primarily manifests in concealing his presence and employing bizarre divisions and switches. This does not weaken his own combat effectiveness, making him appear slightly inferior to a normal seventh-level grandmaster. However, the level of threat he poses to oneself far exceeds that of such a grandmaster.
Facing a grandmaster of the Seventh Heaven, I could certainly hold my own before the end of my Dharma Manifestation. If the opponent was restrained or slightly weaker in technique, I might even emerge victorious. But against this blue-tier assassin, I was teetering on the edge of life and death—both encounters were extremely perilous.
His master-level domain perfectly complements his combat style and mastered techniques, making him a true killing machine. A single misstep, and you’ll find yourself regretting it for eternity.
The light of escape flashed by swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, over two hours had passed. Meng Qi and the others were now merely a hundred miles away from entering the vicinity of Huamei Villa—not the actual mountain gate, but the range where even a Dharmakaya cultivator could sense movements without deliberate effort.
Shi Xiaoxiu and Shi Xiaodang felt a mix of anxiety and relief in their hearts. Ling Yue grew even more vigilant, and Meng Qi was even more so, convinced that the Blue-ranked assassin would not give up easily.
He dragged it out until the very end, undoubtedly intending to let the tension and vigilance along the way drain his energy. By weakening his opponent while strengthening himself, he could strike at his peak condition.
As the thought just emerged, ripples stirred in Meng Qi’s heart lake, and the Heavenly Wound in his hand suddenly trembled slightly.
The assassin is coming!
Without a second thought, Meng Qi raised Tian Zhi Shang and swung it down with full force, unleashing the area-of-effect attack “Demon-Slaying Strike.” However, the condensed thunder was confined within a radius of several dozen zhang, ensuring it did not harm Shi Xiaodang and the others.
Boom!
Purple lightning and azure thunder exploded, boiling around Meng Qi with almost no distinction between strength and weakness.
No matter how well you can split and switch, it’s useless unless you get close!
At that very moment, Meng Qi felt the hairs on his back stand on end as a thunderous sense of danger exploded in his mind!
The shadow beside him suddenly came to life, and a long sword shot out, aiming straight for the Jade Pillow.
After the slight concealment in their previous two encounters, the Blue-ranked assassin suddenly changed his style, turning failure into a prelude to the story and focusing Meng Qi on division and switching.
This is an assassin, a true assassin!
The sword light was incredibly swift, piercing through the two newly grown arms of Meng Qi. The hair at the back of his head fell with a whooshing sound, and his mind’s lake seemed to be stirred by the sword’s intent, creating fierce ripples.
Pfft!
The sword light pierced Meng Qi’s back of the head, breaking through with pinpoint precision, slightly penetrating the pale golden defense as the surging energy ravaged his brain.
Shi Xiaoxiu had just come to her senses when she witnessed this scene, letting out a scream filled with grief and despair.
However, Meng Qi’s body suddenly expanded, towering between heaven and earth. The “Jade-Slashing Blade” lightly swung toward the assassin who had no time to retreat—not as an attack, but as an interrogation of the soul!
Beside the head that had been stabbed, there grew another head, providing a new refuge for the fleeing primordial spirit to inhabit at the critical moment!
“Got you!” Meng Qi’s voice boomed like thunder.
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