The shadows of Mist Forest danced under the dim light filtering through the thick canopy, silent as death.
Lin Xuan crouched behind a moss-covered rock, his breathing calm, his eyes sharp. The air around him pulsed faintly with residual spiritual energy—a formation lay hidden, woven with strands of poison mist and sensory confusion.
It was time.
From the distance, footsteps padded across the forest floor, light and calculated.
Then came a whisper of murderous intent.
A figure clad in dark robes stepped silently into the clearing. His presence was chilling—cold as steel in moonlight. Black Talon, the Zhi Clan's secret assassin. Known for leaving no trace, no witnesses. 6th Layer of Qi Transformation. A cultivator built for death.
Black Talon paused, scanning the surroundings. "You've chosen the worst place to hide, boy."
The moment he stepped past the first marker, a needle trap shot forth, glowing green. The projectile pierced his left shoulder, drawing blood.
He grunted, then smirked. "Poison? Cute."
But a moment later, his brow furrowed. The poison was already working—slowing his meridian flow, fogging his senses.
From the shadows, Lin Xuan stepped forward. His presence was no longer that of a Qi Gathering cultivator—it radiated with a refined, honed intensity. 1st Layer of Qi Transformation, but with a body tempered by Severed Unity's refining techniques, his strength could rival someone three layers above.
"You're not the only one who hunts in silence," Lin Xuan said coldly.
Black Talon's smirk vanished. "So, you really are alive. Zhi Clan wanted to make sure. And now I see why... Liu Ren's heir wasn't just talk."
His words made Lin Xuan's eyes narrow. "You're here for the Scriptures."
"Of course. That old monster Liu Ren disappeared, but everyone knew he was hiding something monstrous. His daughter fled, and now you… you have it, don't you?"
Lin Xuan's gaze sharpened. So, they don't even understand what they're chasing.
"You don't even know what it is," Lin Xuan said flatly.
"We don't need to. If someone like Liu Ren guarded it with his life—it's enough."
Without warning, Black Talon lunged, his shadow twisting unnaturally—his assassination art activating mid-strike. A blade of darkness shot toward Lin Xuan's ribs.
Lin Xuan responded with brutal precision—fist meeting shadow, his movement guided by the Severed Unity's combat flow, absorbing the force and redirecting it with bone-breaking momentum. Black Talon stumbled back, coughing blood.
Their battle tore through the clearing—trees snapped, earth split. Lin Xuan fought not only with spirit power, but with refined physical mastery, his body a weapon honed by pain and fire.
Black Talon tried to vanish into the mist again—only to be caught by another formation. Binding light flared, locking his movement.
Lin Xuan struck.
A flurry of punches followed by a single, palm-driven strike to the chest knocked the breath from the assassin. Black Talon collapsed, bleeding and weakened. He tried to rise—failed.
"You… think killing me will end this?" he rasped.
"Then tell me. Who else is after it?" Lin Xuan asked.
Black Talon chuckled through the pain. "Zhi Clan? No. We're just the dogs barking first. One of the Four Great Clans—they're watching too. But even they don't know what the art truly is. Only that Liu Ren died protecting it. That made them curious. Greedy."
He coughed, spitting blood. From inside his tattered robe, he revealed a black token etched with a phoenix wrapped in chains.
"This is the symbol of the one who truly sent me."
Lin Xuan took the token silently, eyes dark.
"The boy with the mark…" Black Talon whispered, repeating the words Lin Xuan had once heard from Luo Shuang. "You'll either… save the clan… or end it."
Then, his breath stopped.
Lin Xuan stood still. The forest was quiet again, but the storm was only beginning.
He looked at the token, then toward the direction of the Zhi Clan.
They would not be the last.
---