Chapter Twenty-One: The Elimination of Wei Jie

Although the assassins concealed their presence exceptionally well, Lu Xingchen possessed the System. Above the heads of the three peddlers at the city gate, he saw an "18" and two "15"s. The enemy was indeed formidable.

"Prepare for battle!" Lu Xingchen gave a low command, and the five of them drew their weapons in unison.

The three peddlers dropped their wares, pulled longswords from their storage rings, and charged toward the group.

Lu Xingchen said in a deep voice, "Leave the eight-star Martial Master to me; you handle the two five-star ones. We don't need to win; we just need to hold out for a quarter of an hour."

"Dazhuang, be careful!" Lin Wanqing had absolute faith in Lu Xingchen, but his opponent was simply too powerful—a gap of four minor realms!

Lu Xingchen gripped his Shadow Sword and spoke coldly, "Lingxiao Sect, Lu Xingchen!"

Wei Jie sneered, "Dark God, Wei Jie! Kid, was it you who killed my brothers?"

"Self-defense, nothing more."

"Well said! Today, I shall use your head as a sacrifice for my brothers!" With that, Wei Jie swung his blade down at Lu Xingchen.

Lu Xingchen met the strike with his sword. The impact sent him stumbling back a dozen steps, his wrist numbing from the force.

"Oh? You are the strongest four-star Martial Master I have ever encountered. You live up to your reputation as an elite of the Lingxiao Sect."

Lu Xingchen chuckled lightly. "Likewise. An eight-star Martial Master is truly as terrifying as they say."

That first clash was merely to test the opponent's strength. In the ensuing fight, Lu Xingchen began to utilize the power of the Shadow Sword directly. Wei Jie’s every attack was evaded by Lu Xingchen’s shadow-based movements, yet Wei Jie could not afford to ignore him. Thanks to the "Berserk" talent, Lu Xingchen’s counterattacks were now threatening enough to harm him. For a time, Wei Jie couldn't even touch the hem of Lu Xingchen’s garment, yet he suffered blow after blow.

Wei Jie felt utterly humiliated. As an eight-star Martial Master, he was being toyed with like a monkey! "Lu Xingchen, is running all you can do? Do you dare to face me head-on?"

Lu Xingchen sneered, "I care nothing for fairness. As long as I win, that is enough. Wei Jie, your time is running out!"

Wei Jie’s heart sank. They had been locked in combat for ten minutes; the reinforcements from the Cloud Hidden Kingdom would arrive soon. He could not delay any longer.

Although the boy's attacks were causing him damage, they were not fatal. At this point, he had no choice but to tank the hits and kill Li Yan first! Thinking this, he gritted his teeth and lunged toward Li Yan, leaving his back exposed to Lu Xingchen. He channeled his Battle Qi to protect his body, bracing to endure the damage.

Lu Xingchen instantly understood his intent. If he let the assassin succeed, Uncle Li Yan would be in grave danger. He had only one chance! Lu Xingchen boosted his "Jade Shatter" skill to level 30, consuming half his Battle Qi to triple the damage of his next strike. He then unleashed his "Shadow Sword Art," delivering his most powerful blow, thrusting the sword into Wei Jie’s back.

With a sickening *squelch*, the Shadow Sword pierced through Wei Jie’s body. Wei Jie’s vitality faded rapidly, his right arm, holding the blade, went limp, and he failed to strike Li Yan. Lu Xingchen yanked the sword out. In an instant, blood sprayed, staining Lu Xingchen’s clothes.

"How... how could you be this strong?" Wei Jie fell to the ground, filled with terror and resentment.

[Congratulations to the host for killing an eight-star Martial Master. Gained 80 Experience Points and 80 Exchange Points!]

The other two assassins were stunned to see their leader dead, looking at Lu Xingchen as if he were a demon. The three warriors were already beaten; had it not been for Lin Wanqing’s timely intervention, they might have suffered casualties. Lin Wanqing herself had sustained several wounds, and the battle had been grueling. Yet, at this moment, Wei Jie was dead. He was an eight-star Martial Master!

"Retreat!" Both assassins lost their will to fight and turned to flee.

Lin Wanqing didn't pursue, instead hurrying toward Lu Xingchen. "Dazhuang, are you alright?"

Lu Xingchen chuckled, "I'm fine. Don't worry, this is just the assassin's blood."

Lin Wanqing looked at Wei Jie’s corpse and stared at Lu Xingchen, her tone filled with disbelief. "How is this possible? Dazhuang, he was an eight-star Martial Master! And you actually killed him!"

Lu Xingchen smiled lightly. "I have my own trump cards. I feigned weakness at the start, leading him to underestimate my attack power, which allowed me to land a killing blow. If he had been on his guard, I wouldn't have stood a chance."

"Even so, that is incredible. Dazhuang, you were amazing!"

Five minutes later, the reinforcements from the Cloud Hidden Kingdom finally arrived. Seeing the corpse on the ground, they were shocked. An eight-star Martial Master—even they couldn't have defeated him! The disciples of the Lingxiao Sect were truly formidable.

The group rested at the City Lord’s mansion for an hour. Lu Xingchen cleaned up, changed his clothes, and they set off for the Royal Capital. Half a day later, the six of them reached the capital of the Cloud Hidden Kingdom.

King Su Xinghe met them in person. In the council hall, he shed all royal pretension and was exceptionally friendly toward the Lingxiao disciples. He knew that among these young people might be future powerhouses capable of fending off entire nations, and he could not afford to neglect them.

"Many thanks to you young friends for escorting Li Yan back. He has told me everything that happened on the road. To possess such combat prowess at such a young age—truly worthy of being elite disciples of the Lingxiao Sect."

Lu Xingchen smiled, "We didn't work for free. Uncle Li Yan promised a generous reward; I wonder if he can deliver?"

Su Xinghe was taken aback, then laughed. "Of course! I grant you all the right to enter the royal treasury and choose one treasure to take with you. What you manage to find will depend on your own discernment."

"In that case, let us head to the treasury now!"

"Please, follow me!"

Su Xinghe led the five to the gates of the treasury and opened them. "I give you one hour to select your treasures. You may only take one item each. Make haste!"

Lu Xingchen didn't waste time and stepped inside. The Cloud Hidden Kingdom was merely a low-tier nation, similar in strength to the Great Yan Kingdom, so there were few high-quality items. After half an hour, he had toured the entire treasury. Two items caught his eye—both martial techniques of the Profound Tier, low grade.

The first: "Shatter-Gold Finger," which condenses Battle Qi at the fingertips to pierce through gold and stone.

The second: "Azure Cloud Wings," which manifests wings of Battle Qi to allow for brief flight.

Lu Xingchen had previously realized that, aside from the "Shadow Sword Art," he lacked effective offensive techniques. The "Shatter-Gold Finger" would significantly boost his combat power. However, the "Azure Cloud Wings" were also a rare prize. Although the flight was brief, used correctly, it could turn the tide of a battle.

Which one should he choose?