The deeper Lou Han and Lin Xiaolu ventured i
into the secret realm, the quieter the surroundings became.
The towering ancient trees gradually blocked out most of the artificial sunlight overhead, leaving only scattered beams piercing through the dense canopy. Thick vines wrapped around trunks that had stood for countless centuries, while the air carried a richness of Spiritual Qi unlike anything found in the outside world.
Every few hundred meters, traces of battle could be found.
Broken branches.
Fresh blood.
The corpse of a Rank-1 yao beast.
Shattered magical artifacts.
The secret realm had only been open for a day, yet cultivators had already begun competing over every opportunity they encountered.
Neither Lou Han nor Lin Xiaolu lowered their guard.
Obtaining the twelve Rank-2 Mulberry Fruits had undoubtedly been a tremendous harvest, but it also meant they had become attractive targets if anyone had witnessed the battle.
Fortunately, everything appeared peaceful.
At least...
On the surface.
---
Several hundred meters behind them, a figure dressed entirely in black robes silently moved from shadow to shadow.
Even while traveling, not the slightest ripple of Spiritual Qi escaped his body.
The cloak covering him was no ordinary treasure.
It had been specially refined for concealment.
Whether aura...
Breath...
Or spiritual fluctuations...
Everything remained hidden beneath the artifact.
His gaze never left Lou Han's back.
A trace of dissatisfaction flashed through his eyes.
"What a waste..."
His voice was barely audible.
"I actually accepted a mission to kill a mere martial artist."
As a Foundation Establishment cultivator, he found the assignment insulting.
A Xuan Gang martial artist.
That was all Lou Han was.
Among lower-level cultivators, martial artists possessed frightening combat strength.
Their physiques were monstrous.
Their close-combat abilities bordered on terrifying.
Many Qi Refining and even Foundation Establishment cultivators feared fighting them head-on.
But that was only because their cultivation remained low.
Once one's horizons broadened...
Once one stepped into higher realms...
The martial path gradually revealed its limits.
Astral Gang.
That was its end.
Equivalent only to the Purple Palace Realm.
After that...
Nothing.
No Golden Core.
No Nascent Soul.
No path toward true longevity.
No possibility of pursuing immortality.
To higher-level immortal cultivators, such a cultivation system was fundamentally incomplete.
A road with a visible ending.
A dead end.
Naturally, those standing higher rarely respected it.
Why admire a path incapable of reaching immortality?
In their eyes, martial artists merely exhausted their futures in exchange for overwhelming strength at lower realms.
Useful.
Powerful.
Yet ultimately...
Inferior.
The assassin sneered beneath his mask.
"If not for the reward..."
"I wouldn't even dirty my dagger."
His footsteps never produced a sound.
His breathing merged completely with the forest.
Patiently...
Silently...
He followed.
Waiting.
For the perfect opportunity.
---
Ahead, Lou Han continued walking casually.
Occasionally he spoke with Lin Xiaolu.
Occasionally he observed the surrounding terrain.
Nothing appeared unusual.
Yet beneath his relaxed appearance, every sense remained stretched to its limit.
Several hours earlier...
Just after obtaining the Mulberry Fruits...
He had sensed it.
A gaze.
Brief.
Cold.
Filled with unmistakable killing intent.
Only for an instant.
Then it disappeared.
Ordinary cultivators probably would have dismissed it as imagination.
Lou Han didn't.
Years of tempering his body had sharpened more than muscles.
Martial artists constantly fought at close range.
Their awareness of danger often became instinctive.
Even without the famous sixth sense possessed by Xuan Gang experts...
His instincts had already warned him.
Someone...
Was watching.
He hadn't informed Lin Xiaolu verbally.
Instead, while pretending to examine the harvested fruits, he had subtly made several hand signals.
Signals the two had practiced during previous missions.
Someone following.
Remain calm.
Play along.
Lin Xiaolu understood immediately.
From that point onward...
The two deliberately acted naturally.
Neither accelerated.
Neither searched behind them.
Neither revealed the slightest suspicion.
If someone wished to hunt them...
Then they would simply become prey.
Until the hunter drew close enough.
---
Not long afterward...
A river appeared before them.
Crystal-clear water flowed gently over smooth stones.
Lou Han smiled.
"I'm thirsty."
Without waiting for a reply, he walked toward the riverbank.
Then slowly crouched.
His spear leaned against a nearby rock.
One hand reached toward the water.
His posture became completely exposed.
Back open.
Neck lowered.
The perfect assassination opportunity.
---
The assassin's eyes lit up.
Chance!
Without hesitation, Spiritual Qi exploded inside his dantian.
A Rank-2 dagger instantly appeared within his hand.
His movement technique erupted.
His body vanished.
Like a black phantom.
The distance between them disappeared almost instantly.
Five meters.
Three.
One.
The dagger silently sliced toward Lou Han's neck.
The attack was clean.
Fast.
Merciless.
Even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators would struggle to react in time.
The assassin's lips curled upward.
Finished.
---
Clang!
The expected sound of flesh being severed never came.
Instead...
A deafening metallic collision echoed throughout the riverside.
Before the dagger could even touch Lou Han's neck...
A spear shaft suddenly appeared.
The impact exploded with astonishing force.
The burst of Gangqi contained within the weapon erupted like a compressed volcano.
Boom!
The assassin felt an overwhelming force crash into his chest.
His ribs cracked instantly.
His entire body flew backward like a kite with its string cut.
Several trees shattered as he crashed through them.
"What?!"
His mind blanked.
How?
How had Lou Han reacted?
That attack had been impossible to detect!
---
Lou Han slowly stood.
The relaxed expression from moments ago had completely disappeared.
His eyes remained calm.
"So..."
"You finally attacked."
The assassin's pupils contracted violently.
"It was a trap..."
Only now did he understand.
Lou Han had never lowered his guard.
He had deliberately exposed an opening.
Waiting.
Waiting specifically for him.
---
Before the assassin could stabilize himself...
A sharp sword cry echoed through the forest.
Lin Xiaolu moved.
Her figure resembled drifting snow.
Elegant.
Yet deadly.
Sword Qi erupted.
The surrounding temperature plummeted instantly.
"Ice Piercing Slash!"
Dozens of icy sword rays merged into one.
The attack struck the assassin's defensive artifact before he could even form a proper defense.
Crack!
The barrier trembled violently.
Then shattered.
The remaining Sword Qi pierced into his shoulder.
Blood sprayed.
The tremendous force sent him crashing through several more trees.
The earth split beneath him.
Only after rolling dozens of meters did he finally stop.
---
The assassin forced himself upright.
His breathing became ragged.
His shoulder bled continuously.
His chest burned with pain.
His expression no longer contained confidence.
Only confusion.
How?
How had a Xuan Gang martial artist noticed him?
His concealment treasure should have hidden everything.
His aura.
His Spiritual Qi.
Even his killing intent had been suppressed until the very last moment.
It made no sense.
Unfortunately...
Lou Han had no intention of answering.
---
The assassin's eyes shifted rapidly.
Mission failed.
Continuing the battle would only increase the danger.
He immediately abandoned all thoughts of assassination.
Escape.
That became his only objective.
Spiritual Qi surged beneath his feet.
His concealment technique activated once more.
His body blurred.
Attempting to retreat into the forest shadows.
---
Unfortunately...
Martial artists excelled at one thing above all else.
Closing distance.
The instant the assassin chose to flee...
Lou Han moved.
Boom!
The ground beneath his feet exploded.
His figure shot forward with terrifying speed.
Compared to the elegant movement techniques of immortal cultivators...
Martial artists moved differently.
Directly.
Violently.
Every burst of Gangqi pushed the body beyond ordinary limits.
The assassin barely traveled several meters before Lou Han appeared directly in front of him.
"So fast!"
Panic filled his heart.
This...
This wasn't how immortal cultivators fought.
Foundation Establishment cultivators preferred distance.
Magical artifacts.
Flying swords.
Spells.
They killed enemies before allowing them to approach.
Martial artists were the exact opposite.
The closer they became...
The more terrifying they grew.
The assassin instinctively attempted to retreat again.
Too late.
Lou Han's spear thrust forward.
Not flashy.
Not complicated.
Simply...
Fast.
The surrounding Spiritual Qi gathered naturally around the spear tip under the influence of Gangqi.
The compressed energy glowed crimson from friction.
It resembled molten steel.
Piercing Strike!
The spear pierced directly through the assassin's chest.
Bang!
Foundation Establishment Spiritual Qi surged instinctively to protect his organs.
Yet the explosive Gangqi erupted inside his body.
His heart.
Lungs.
Meridians.
Everything shattered simultaneously.
The assassin stared blankly at the spear protruding from his chest.
"...Impossible..."
His vision darkened.
His body collapsed.
Life disappeared instantly.
---
Silence returned.
Only the sound of the flowing river remained.
Lou Han slowly withdrew his spear.
Fresh blood dripped from the blade.
Lin Xiaolu approached cautiously.
"Dead?"
Lou Han nodded.
"He won't be getting up again."
Neither celebrated.
Instead, they immediately searched the corpse.
Experienced cultivators never wasted resources.
The assassin's storage pouch yielded several hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, healing pills, concealment talismans, and the Rank-2 dagger used during the ambush.
Lin Xiaolu also removed the damaged defensive artifact.
"It can still be repaired."
Lou Han nodded before crouching beside the corpse.
He removed the man's mask.
An unfamiliar middle-aged face appeared.
Neither recognized him.
"No family token."
"No sect badge."
"No identifying marks."
Lin Xiaolu frowned.
"Professional."
Lou Han agreed.
"He came prepared."
After another careful search, they found only a single black token engraved with an unfamiliar symbol before it suddenly cracked on its own.
The runes upon it dimmed.
Then the token crumbled into dust.
The two exchanged glances.
Someone had prepared these assassins well.
They weren't rogue cultivators acting out of greed.
They had entered the secret realm with a purpose.
And that purpose...
Included hunting specific people.
Lou Han looked toward the distant Inner Region.
"It seems..."
"The secret realm is going to become much more dangerous than we expected."