Chapter 26: Bloodshed in the Dead of Night

The horror struck without the slightest warning, an instinctive alarm triggered by his own body and bloodline sensing a mortal crisis.

A ghostly figure had appeared behind him, unnoticed.

Under the cover of night, a streak of black light surged toward Su Xin’s heart with relentless killing intent.

"An assassin!" A flash of terror crossed Su Xin’s eyes.

It was too fast! Incredibly fast! There had been no omen; until the moment the figure appeared, not a sound had been made—not even the sound of breathing. Su Xin had just finished his sword practice and his body was completely relaxed. The timing of the strike was perfect.

The assassin’s strength was equally terrifying. In such a situation, even Su Xin could not fully evade the black light. His only fortune was that his breakthrough to the Sea-Transformation Realm, combined with his unique bloodline, had granted him a sensory perception of danger far beyond that of an ordinary person, providing that split-second instinctive warning.

At the brink of death, Su Xin twisted his body with every ounce of his strength. Just as the black light was about to pierce his skin, he managed to shift his body slightly.

*Squelch!*

The cold black light tore through Su Xin’s side, causing his flesh to burst open and blood to spray. A metallic taste flooded his throat.

*Whoosh!*

Ignoring the agonizing pain, he immediately retreated.

"He didn't die?"

Under the moonlight, a bewitching face behind a veil lifted, her cold eyes flashing with astonishment. Given her strength and the perfection of her timing, even a peak Sea-Transformation expert—unless they were one of the top-tier individuals capable of conquering the Dragon-Seeking Tower—should not have survived. Yet, this young master of the Su family, with a mere budding Sea-Transformation cultivation, had not died on the spot.

"You must still die!"

A shocking killing intent erupted from the bewitching figure. She burst forward with terrifying speed, catching up before Su Xin could even steady himself.

*Swish! Swish! Swish!*

The cold black light flared again, striking at Su Xin’s throat with lethal velocity. Facing her head-on, Su Xin realized the "black light" was actually a cold, pitch-black dagger.

"Mountain and Sea Volume!"

Su Xin shouted, his long sword dancing as he wove together layers of artistic conception, resembling a turbulent, boundless ocean.

*Clang! Clang! Clang!*

A series of clashes rang out, and Su Xin successfully parried the black light.

"He blocked it? I must leave!"

The bewitching figure turned without hesitation. As an assassin—a terrifyingly powerful one at that—she knew that once her assassination attempt was exposed and failed to kill the target, the best opportunity was lost. She had only continued the pursuit because she saw Su Xin was only at the early stage of the Sea-Transformation Realm and already heavily wounded, believing she could still finish the job. Seeing him deflect her strikes so easily, she wasted no time.

If the strike fails, flee immediately!

However...

"Do you think you can escape?"

A sharp shout erupted from Su Xin’s lips.

*Hum—*

A hazy sword light abruptly ignited. Dreamy and illusory, yet chillingly real, it drifted through the void.

The second form of the North Sky Sword Arts, Shadow Illusion: Shadow-Play!

"Oh no!"

The fleeing assassin’s expression shifted violently. She lashed out with her dagger, attempting to block the strike, but the hazy sword shadow was impossible to track.

*Shat!*

The sword light swept past, and a tiny wound appeared on the assassin’s neck. Her body collapsed in unwilling defeat.

The three volumes of the North Sky Sword Arts were distinct: the Thunder-Fire Volume focused on frontal assault, the Mountain and Sea Volume on defense, and the Shadow Illusion Volume on speed—a true assassin’s technique. It consisted of five forms; the first, Dark Light, left the world with nothing but a single streak of brilliance. The second, Shadow-Play, created hazy, untraceable shadows. Su Xin had only just mastered this technique after his breakthrough.

One strike, and a throat was sealed!

*Thump!*

After slaying the assassin, Su Xin collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. Blood continued to spill from his chest, where a horrific, deep wound had shredded his flesh. If not for that last-second shift that caused the dagger to graze him rather than pierce his heart, he would surely have died.

"That was close," Su Xin thought, a lingering chill running down his spine. "I almost died."

*Whoosh!*

A figure rushed from the night sky and landed in the courtyard—it was Su Xin’s father, Su Baichen. As the strongest member of the Su family, he had sensed the commotion the moment the assassin struck and arrived as quickly as he could.

"This is..." Su Baichen looked at the corpse and his son’s wretched state, immediately understanding the situation. "Quick, take this pill."

He knelt and hurriedly fed Su Xin a white medicinal pill. A strange, potent energy spread through Su Xin’s body, and his deathly pallor eased slightly. Su Baichen began to inspect the wound.

"Fortunately, it was just a clean pierce, and it missed the vital organs. Most importantly, there was no poison on the blade," Su Baichen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Poison?" Su Xin was startled. He had been run through; if the blade had been coated in toxins, his fate would have been sealed.

"Your injury is not life-threatening. Rest for a few days after taking the pill, and you will be fine." Su Baichen stood up and turned his gaze to the corpse, removing the veil to reveal the assassin’s face.

"A woman?" Su Xin’s eyes narrowed. She was bewitching and quite beautiful.

"It’s her!" Su Baichen recognized her immediately. "The number one assassin of Yongning County, 'Phantom Shadow'! It is said she has a strange temperament. Since leaving the Three-Kill Tower, she has lived on White Mountain Island and rarely dealt with the outside world. She hasn't made a move in years, yet here she is, attempting to assassinate you..."

Su Baichen was deeply shaken. Not only because Phantom Shadow had targeted his son, but because Su Xin had not only survived but had slain her on the spot. Phantom Shadow was a genuine peak Sea-Transformation expert who had killed dozens of others of her rank and was even rumored to have assassinated a Void-Breaking Realm expert. And Su Xin, having just entered the Sea-Transformation Realm, had killed her?

What kind of strength did that require?

"Could his awakened bloodline truly be Grade One?" Su Baichen wondered, squinting at his son. "Or is it something higher... a Divine Grade?" He dared not think of the legendary Supreme Grade, which had never been seen in the entire Eastern Wasteland.

Soon, the Great Elder, Su Boyong, and other powerful Sea-Transformation experts from the Su family arrived. Seeing the corpse and the sword wound, Su Boyong immediately understood that Su Xin had been the one to kill her.

"Great Elder, have the body disposed of immediately. Do not let anyone see the wound," Su Baichen ordered.

"Understood," Su Boyong replied.

"Xin’er, move to the Bishui Courtyard tomorrow morning," Su Baichen said.

"Bishui Courtyard?" Su Xin’s heart stirred. It was right next to his father’s own quarters. His father was clearly worried about further assassination attempts.

Half an hour later, the Su family’s high-ranking members gathered in the main hall.

"Patriarch, we cannot let this slide. We must fight back!" the hot-tempered Second Elder, Su Tietong, declared. The others agreed. Even without concrete evidence, everyone knew who had hired Phantom Shadow.

The Su family moved quickly. By the next morning, retaliation against the Pang family had begun. It involved economic strikes, interest disputes, and, most importantly, the slaughter of experts. The two families were the strongest in Yongning County; the Pang family held a slight edge in top-tier combat power, but the Su family had deeper roots. Their conflict unleashed a storm across the county.

Seven days passed.

In the Su family residence, the young disciples bowed respectfully to Su Tietong as he passed.

"Have you heard? Yesterday, in the battle south of the city, we were at a disadvantage until the Second Elder arrived. He not only turned the tide but personally executed a Pang family elder who was at the peak of the Sea-Transformation Realm!"

"That’s a peak Sea-Transformation expert! The Second Elder is a monster."

Su Xin, now fully recovered, approached the Second Elder. "Second Elder, I heard the family is fighting the Pangs. If I may, I would like to join the fray."

"You?" Su Tietong frowned and scolded him. "Foolish! Do you think the Pangs don't know why they are fighting? You are the target. They want you out there so they can kill you. Your duty is to cultivate. When you reach the late stage of Sea-Transformation, when you can face peak experts or even protect yourself against a Void-Breaking Realm fighter, then come see me."

Su Xin smiled bitterly. He knew the Second Elder was right, but he couldn't tell him he had already killed a peak expert.

"You are the hope of the Su family," Su Tietong added, patting his shoulder. "Only when we old bones are gone will it be your turn to fight for the family."

After the Second Elder left, Su Xin stood in contemplation. The core of the Pang family was their Void-Breaking Realm experts. Killing a few Sea-Transformation lackeys wouldn't shake their foundation.

"In that case, I will go there." Su Xin clenched his fist.

Dragon-Seeking Tower.

The two massive black towers stood tall. While the True Martial Pavilion was crowded with martial artists, the Dragon-Seeking Tower was rarely visited.

A young man dressed in black, wearing a bamboo hat and carrying a sword, arrived before the tower.

"I wish to enter the Dragon-Seeking Tower!"