Assassination

"Zhao Sheng." Yaoguang leaped in through the window. His combat suit was concealed beneath his clothes, but the Shenying Sword was already gripped tightly in his hand. "I've been looking for you for a long time." "You?" Zhao Sheng looked at Yaoguang. "No one is backing you?" "And what's backing you? The Rebirth Society? Chixing? Or... a race known as demons?" Yaoguang asked. When he mentioned the Rebirth Society and Chixing, Zhao Sheng's expression did not change at all. Only when he mentioned demons did a faint flicker of surprise flash across Zhao Sheng's eyes. "What is your background? A disciple of the Artifact Sect? A Descender? A rogue cultivator?" Zhao Sheng asked, a touch of curiosity creeping into his voice. "No answer?" Yaoguang said, "Forget it. I'll see for myself." "What a coincidence." Zhao Sheng gave a light chuckle. "I was thinking the exact same thing." Even though Yaoguang's sudden appearance was somewhat unexpected... The outcome would not change. The next instant, Zhao Sheng's body began to swell... At the same time, Yaoguang's figure erupted with sudden force. He charged forward. The moment his foot slammed into the floor, he seemed to transform into a saber-toothed beast—a feline's agility fused seamlessly with the ferocity of a prehistoric predator. Swift, explosive power coursed through his body, making him surge like a tiger unleashed from its cage. As he pounced, the edge of the Shenying Sword hummed softly. The blade's unique geometry instantly sliced through the surface tension of the air across the few meters separating them, moving so fast that a ring of white ripples rippled outward from its tip. In this instant, his physical essence, qi, and spirit soared to an unprecedented peak, even stirring the spirit intent he had only recently begun cultivating. This spirit intent merged with the murderous aura born of slaughtering more than a dozen demons and staining his hands with dozens of lives, solidifying into something practically tangible! If an ordinary mortal were standing before him, even without any physical attack, this terrifying murderous aura imbued with spirit intent would be enough to jolt their nerves violently, triggering a frantic surge of adrenaline that would overload the heart, ultimately rupturing myocardial fibers and killing them from internal cardiac bleeding. A lion uses all its strength even when hunting a rabbit! Facing a leader capable of commanding numerous demons like Zhao Sheng, Yaoguang did not underestimate him in the slightest. His opening move was an ultimate combat technique that bordered on exceeding his current cultivation realm—Formless · Four Spirits! Essence, qi, spirit, and self. "A mere firefly dares compete with the bright moon!" Even though Zhao Sheng's transformation had only just begun, the moment he acted, the blood and vitality throughout his body erupted like a volcano boiling to its utmost limit. The sheer power of blood and vitality, pushed to the absolute capacity this physical body could endure, surged forth continuously. It caused his swelling frame to expand even faster, while a faint crimson sheen seeped onto the surface of his skin. This was the sign of power pushed to the absolute extreme. With exquisitely refined skill, he compressed and forged this terrifying power into a devastating punch. Lunging forward, he met Yaoguang's thrusting blade head-on, neither dodging nor yielding, striking out directly. The phantoms cast by the Shenying Sword did not distract him in the slightest. This absolute mastery over power, this exquisite execution of combat techniques, and this razor-sharp reading of the battlefield surpassed ordinary human martial artists many times over. If converted into realm progress... It was definitely above ninety percent! Consequently, even though Zhao Sheng had not yet completed his transformation to possess the physique of a Martial Saint, the sheer momentum of this single punch was actually superior to that of newly ascended Martial Saints. More importantly, the spirit intent carried within his fist surpassed Yaoguang's. Before the punch could land, the spirit intent infused within the fist and the sword collided first. At this moment, Zong Yan—who had just arrived outside the Xie Family Manor—as well as the Blade Absolute Xie Yusheng and others inside who had caught wind of the commotion, clearly sensed two terrifying auras radiating from the main building. One was like demonic wings blotting out the sky, a horrifying menace sweeping over like a vast expanse of dark storm clouds, saturating dozens of meters of empty air above the main building. The other was like a supreme ray of sword light, bearing peerless sharpness that tore through the gloom, piercing straight toward the heavens. The instant the two collided, even figures as strong as Zong Yan and Xie Yusheng could not help but be shaken to the core. Deep within their mental worlds, the clash unfolded like an impending apocalypse. Even though this fight had nothing to do with them, a cold shiver ran down their spines, and their bodies involuntarily entered a stress response. It felt as though an unearthly demon god had locked its gaze onto them. Their thoughts froze, turning blank, and they even forgot to breathe. As for the ordinary people in the manor, incapable of perceiving the clash on a deeper level, they simply felt an inexplicable chill wash over them, followed by an unspeakable weakness that made them want nothing more than to drop to the floor and fall asleep on the spot. Spirit-startling! This was the spirit-startling effect inflicted on surrounding lifeforms when two spirit intents collided. A century ago, people would have called it losing one's soul. Not only ordinary mortals, but Martial Artists and even Martial Masters were affected. The only difference lay in the intensity. Just as everyone's minds froze into a blank daze, Yaoguang and Zhao Sheng's strikes collided within the main building. *Rumble!* A muffled thunderclap seemed to detonate inside the villa! *Crack-crash!* Fragile glass and porcelain shattered instantly in the concussive blast, spraying shards in every direction. Even though both men were currently only Grandmasters who had yet to break past human limits, the destructive force unleashed by their full-power clash far exceeded anyone's imagination. Inside the main building. The instant Zhao Sheng's fist—already morphing into a demonic arm—collided with the blade of the Shenying Sword, a furious gale of raw energy burst forth, slashing out in every direction. Desks, chairs, lamps, and sofas within several meters were relentlessly sliced by the sprayed energy, sending splinters flying. Rippling shockwaves carrying tremendous force made the curtains snap wildly. The study, measuring more than thirty square meters, looked as if it had been ravaged by a hurricane. Countless books, ornaments, antiques, paintings, and calligraphy scrolls were pulverized into dust by the high-frequency vibrations. At a single glance, the room was left in utter shambles. Yet neither combatant paid any attention to the collateral damage. The moment they made contact, Zhao Sheng realized that Yaoguang's swordsmanship was not inferior to his own combat arts in the slightest. In fact, the boy's internal power circulation was even superior. In that split second, Zhao Sheng realized the youth might hail from a similar origin. Any lingering condescension vanished from his heart! Or rather... He had never truly looked down on Yaoguang; his earlier arrogance had merely been a tactic to deceive his opponent. Now, seeing that his full-power strike had failed to gain the slightest advantage, he made a split-second decision and took a sharp breath. The fiery blood and vitality inside him were instantly diverted, surging furiously toward his fully demonized arm. These forces vibrated at high speed, and combined with the arm's demonic resilience, he forcefully seized the thrusting blade of the Shenying Sword bare-handed! The Shenying Sword! A divine weapon! Yet Zhao Sheng clamped down on it firmly. Even as he gripped the Shenying Sword, Zhao Sheng swung his other arm violently, channeling the twisting power of his waist to shift from palm to fist, driving it straight toward Yaoguang's temple with brutal force. Before the fist arrived, its momentum crashed forward! The air compressed by his punch produced a deafening roar that battered Yaoguang's eardrums. "Die!" Accompanied by Zhao Sheng's low roar, the acoustic shockwave and the booming fist merged into a resonant frequency, drilling into Yaoguang's skull like a sharp needle. Against such a technique... Anyone else would have succumbed to instantaneous dizziness and weakness, missing their critical window to retaliate. Unfortunately... He had crossed paths with Yaoguang. A combat technique like this, designed to exploit marrow-cleansing power to its absolute limit for a Grandmaster or Martial Saint... "Flaunting trivial tricks before a master." The next instant, a spark seemed to detonate within Yaoguang's body. This explosive force squeezed out every drop of latent potential, transforming into an inexhaustible torrent that flooded every corner of his limbs and bones. This sudden surge instantly altered Yaoguang's internal frequency. It also dispersed the destructive force created by the resonance between the fist, the sound, and his eardrums in a single stroke. Star Ignition! This was the life-and-death secret technique derived from Yaoguang reaching the perfection of the third-stage Grandmaster realm. Yet he clearly did not unleash it merely to break Zhao Sheng's technique. As this explosive power exceeding physical limits—and even the limits of a Grandmaster—erupted, the Shenying Sword gripped tightly in his hands let out a sharp hum. Under this rapid vibration, an equally resonant force of immense penetrative power surged through Zhao Sheng's arm and slammed directly into his internal organs. Formless · Five Elements! A true case of turning the opponent's technique against him. The violent churning within his internal organs disrupted the operation of Zhao Sheng's entire bodily system. Not only could the hand gripping the Shenying Sword no longer hold the divine blade, but the fatal punch meant to crush Yaoguang slowed by half a beat. *Not good!* Zhao Sheng instantly realized the peril and threw himself backward in a desperate retreat! However... It was too late! In a life-and-death battle between combatants of the same realm and tier, any mistake could decide the outcome. *Buzz! Buzz!* A dragon-like thrust! Wrenching free from Zhao Sheng's grip, the Shenying Sword struck like a nimble dragon, driving straight in to pierce through Zhao Sheng's heart. Almost simultaneously, Yaoguang pressed forward with his full body weight, slipping into close quarters and turning sideways to slam heavily into Zhao Sheng's shoulder, shattering the momentum of the incoming fist aimed at his temple. Furthermore, the impact of the shoulder strike merged with Zhao Sheng's own backward momentum, causing his body to spin and fly backward uncontrollably. As Zhao Sheng spun and flew, the Shenying Sword embedded in his chest tore open a massive, gaping wound under the combined pull of the collision and his own frantic retreat. Even though Yaoguang's thrust had not pierced all the way through his back, the combination of Zhao Sheng's backward rush and Yaoguang's shoulder strike—which forced his body to spin leftward—caused the sword to inflict secondary tearing damage that was far more devastating than a clean impalement. *Squelch!* Crimson blood sprayed through the air as Zhao Sheng spun three hundred and sixty degrees through his backward flight. "You laid a trap to lure me in, yet dared face me without transforming? Who gave you the courage?!" Without giving Zhao Sheng a chance to stabilize himself after spinning in midair, the power beneath Yaoguang's feet erupted once more. With a slight bend and snap of his knees, he shot forward like an artillery shell, slamming ruthlessly toward the retreating Zhao Sheng. Before this demon leader could mount a counterattack, the sword blade pierced his body once again. Carried forward by Yaoguang's follow-up charge, Zhao Sheng was slammed violently against the wall! *Bang!* The wall fractured instantly into a web of cracks! Yet Zhao Sheng's body did not slide down. He was pinned firmly to the wall, his partially demonized body held in place by Yaoguang, who gripped the sword with both hands. The two stood face to face, separated by less than three centimeters. Yaoguang stared coldly at this demon leader, whose earlier confidence had vanished, replaced entirely by indignant rage... He spoke each word with chilling clarity. "Just like that subordinate of yours... you are arrogant to the core!"