The assassin's blade gleamed coldly as he closed in.The killing intent was suffocating—sharp enough to cut the very air around them.
Lian Hong felt his body screaming.Ribs cracked.Blood dripping.Vision blurring at the edges.
But his qi—
his qi surged like an awakened beast.
Fire.Pressure.Expansion.
He was breaking through.
Right in the middle of a lethal strike.
Impossible.Insane.Suicidal.
And yet—he was doing it.
The Moment Before Impact
The assassin's blade plunged downward, aimed straight for Lian Hong's heart.
The killing blow.
Unavoidable.
Unblockable.
Inevitable.
"What arrogance," the assassin hissed."You think you can advance in front of me?!"
His blade descended—
And at that precise moment—
Lian Hong's world shifted.
A thunderous pulse echoed through his meridians as his cultivation surged past a threshold.
[Ding!Breakthrough Achieved — Qi Gathering: Third Layer]
[Attributes increased.Qi circulation expanded.Meridian stability reinforced.]
A burst of crimson qi erupted around him.
The assassin's eyes widened.
"What…?!"
The blade still came—but Lian Hong moved.
Faster.Sharper.Stronger.
He twisted his body inches away from the lethal strike.
Instead of piercing his heart—the blade grazed his shoulder.
But the wound was nothing now.
Not compared to what he gained.
Lian Hong's aura erupted like a blooming flame—rawviolentalive.
He met the assassin's eyes.
"You're too slow."
Counterattack
Lian Hong stepped forward.
His foot landed.
The stone beneath shattered.
He appeared in front of the assassin in a blink.
The assassin barely saw him move.
"What—?!"
Lian Hong's fist struck like a falling star.
BOOM!!
The impact blasted the assassin off his feet, slamming him into a courtyard pillar.Wood splintered.Dust exploded.
But Lian Hong wasn't done.
He appeared again—right in front of the assassin's falling body.
He grabbed the man's collar and slammed him to the ground—
CRACK!
A crater formed beneath the assassin.
His breath choked.
His mask cracked.
Lian Hong's eyes glowed with intensity.
"You came to cripple me."He lifted his fist again."Now feel what it means to face someone who refuses to be crippled."
The assassin coughed blood.
"You—You weren't supposed to grow this quickly…"
Lian Hong didn't respond.
He didn't need to.
He struck again.
BOOM!
The assassin's ribs shattered.
BOOM!
His right arm twisted unnaturally.
BOOM!!
His blade flew across the courtyard.
The assassin rolled away, gasping, scrambling desperately—
"I—I yield—!"
Lian Hong walked toward him, qi burning like a crimson flame.
"You were going to kill me even if I begged."
The assassin's face twisted in terror.
"I—I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
Lian Hong stopped moving.
The assassin sucked in a breath, trembling.
"It wasn't Wei Changbai… not only him…The one who wants you dead—is someone higher."
Lian Hong's eyes narrowed.
"Name."
The assassin hesitated.
Then—
A faint sound pierced the air.
A whisper of wind.
This time, Lian Hong moved instantly—but even he couldn't save the assassin.
A needle embedded into the man's throat.
His eyes went wide.
He convulsed once.
Then collapsed.
Dead.
Silence fell.
Lian Hong lowered his hand slowly.
Someone else had intervened.
Someone stronger.
Someone watching from even deeper in the darkness.
He turned his head.
The air behind the bamboo grove trembled slightly—as if something withdrew just beyond sight.
Lian Hong spoke quietly.
"Another assassin."
The system chimed.
[Warning:Presence Confirmed —Enemy Rank: Qi Gathering (Peak).]
[Identity: UnknownIntent: UnknownObservation Level: High]
Lian Hong exhaled.
The threat faded, but it had not disappeared.
No—it had simply retreated.
Someone is watching me.Evaluating me.Waiting for the right moment.
Not Wei Changbai.
Someone higher.
More dangerous.
Lian Hong looked toward the direction of the inner sect.
So dark.So tall.So full of hidden eyes.
He tightened his fist.
"Come whenever you like."
His voice was calm, steady, cold.
"But if you come for me—you better kill me in one strike."
The night wind carried his words away.
Somewhere in the shadows, something moved.
And withdrew.