The courtyard was a ruin.
Tiles cracked open like broken eggshells.Pine branches lay scattered across the ground.Blood splatters dotted the stone—all of it from the assassins, none from Lian Hong.
But the silence afterward felt heavier than the fight.
Zhou Shan crouched on the ground hugging his knees, shaking violently.
"Bro… I have a serious question…Is this the part where we move to another sect?Or maybe fake our death?Or both?"
Lian Hong didn't answer.
He stared at the spot where Gu Xiang had stood moments earlier.
The words echoed in his mind like a blade sliding across ice.
"The masked killer has accepted the commission.""Four days.""Prepare your grave."
His pulse didn't quicken.His breathing didn't falter.
But a faint heaviness settled in his chest.
This wasn't like Chi Yao.Or Mu Yanting.Or even the assassins just now.
This one was different.
Even the system chimed in an uncharacteristically restrained tone:
[Unknown threat detected][Difficulty: Extreme][Recommended action: increase power by minimum 14% within four days]
Zhou Shan clung to Lian Hong's sleeve.
"Bro… this is the first time the system is telling you to hurry up. Even the AI is scared!"
Lian Hong exhaled slowly, calming his mind.
He needed information.
He needed preparation.
He needed clarity.
1. Checking the Fallen Assassins
Before leaving, Lian Hong walked to the spot where the assassins had collapsed.
But all three—
were gone.
No blood trails.No footprints.No signs of exit.
Zhou Shan whispered:
"…bro… are they ghosts?"
"No."
Lian Hong knelt and examined the cracked stone.
A faint lingering qi signature remained.
Teleportation talisman.High grade.
Something only an inner sect faction would afford.
He stood.
"They're alive."
Zhou Shan screamed.
"WHY—!? WHY WOULD YOU TELL ME THAT—!? LET ME LIVE IN PEACEFUL IGNORANCE—!!!"
2. The Sect Reacts
Before dawn, rumors spread like wildfire across the entire outer sect:
"Three corpses? No—missing bodies!""Someone attacked Lian Hong last night!""Did you hear? It was Gu Xiang's people!""What? The instructor himself!? How is that allowed?"
"They say Lian Hong injured all three assassins!""No way—three trained killers?""He defeated Rank 1 and survived an assassination!?"
"Who in the world is Lian Hong really?"
Fear mixed with awe.
Admiration mixed with jealousy.
More people began to avoid him than gather around him.
Because geniuses attract attention.
But monsters attract danger.
3. The Headmaster Notices
Far above the outer sect, in a secluded pavilion, Elder Yu Qing sat in silent contemplation as a jade slip glowed in her hand.
She listened to the report.
Her expression darkened.
"Gu Xiang again…"
A younger female elder asked:
"Should we intervene?"
Yu Qing closed her eyes.
"No."
She placed the jade slip aside.
"This is not yet the time."
Her voice lowered into something older, deeper.
"If the boy survives…he will have earned everything himself.And such a person…is worth protecting later."
4. Mu Yanting's Reflection
On the main training peak, Mu Yanting stood alone, shirtless, breath steady.
He bandaged his ribs slowly.
The bruise from Lian Hong's strike had turned a deep violet.
He touched it and smiled faintly.
"So he really awakened."
He gazed toward the outer sect, eyes like a predator evaluating prey and rival both.
"Three assassins in one night…Gu Xiang is losing patience."
He tightened the bandage with a sigh.
"Lian Hong…don't die before our next duel."
5. Xu Jian's Calculations
In a bamboo forest, Xu Jian practiced calligraphy calmly.
Each stroke sharp.Balanced.Precise.
But his eyes were cold.
"Gu Xiang is accelerating his plans…"
He finished a character—
[杀]
Kill.
He studied it.
Not with excitement—with resignation.
"Lian Hong rising so fast… disrupts too many arrangements."
He dipped his brush again.
"Three days until our fight."
He drew another character—
[变]
Change.
"Will you still be alive?"
6. Su Qingyue's Concern
At the lakeside pavilion, Su Qingyue stood by the railing, wind brushing her hair.
She held a jade transmission slip.
It pulsed.
She listened.
Her eyebrows tightened delicately.
"…three assassins?"
She closed her fist.
"Gu Xiang… you go too far."
Her gaze drifted across the calm water.
"If Lian Hong doesn't die…he will become stronger than you can imagine."
A soft blush touched her cheeks as she whispered:
"…I hope he doesn't die."
7. Back at the Courtyard – Aftermath
Lian Hong finally sat beneath the pine tree again.
Pain lingered in his ribs.Bloodline energy still pulsed irregularly.His breathing was tight.
Zhou Shan sat opposite him, eyes red, face swollen, voice trembling.
"Bro… please… PLEASE tell me you're not fighting this masked killer."
Lian Hong opened his eyes.
"I am."
Zhou Shan screeched:
"NOOO—!!! WHY—!? WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS—!? BRO WE CAN JUST DROP OUT OF THE SECT, OPEN A SPIRITUAL BARBECUE SHOP—ANYTHING BUT THIS—!!!"
Lian Hong stood.
"I need to grow."
Zhou Shan fell to the ground and pretended to die.
8. System Update – New Function Unlocked
Just as the sun rose over the courtyard wall—
the system chimed.
[Host survived lethal ambush → Special Mode Unlocked]
[Mode: Crisis Growth Acceleration](Temporary, 4 days)
Effects:– Training efficiency +200%– Bloodline recovery speed +150%– Comprehension acceleration +80%– Movement technique refinement speed +120%– Night recovery boosted– Damage threshold increased
Zhou Shan stared.
"…bro… you're cheating…"
Lian Hong finally exhaled.
"Four days."
His eyes sharpened.
His blood hummed.
"The real battle begins now."
9. The masked killer… hears the news.
Far away, in an isolated mountain cave filled with talismans and hanging bones—
A man in a blank mask carved a line into a slab of stone.
A name.
Lian Hong
He ran his thumb across the carved characters.
Then murmured:
"…four days."
He stood.
And the cave filled with a killing intent so refined it felt sterile.
"I will come."