Chapter Seven: The Assassin Strikes

The assassins of the Bloodsworn Alliance were legion. The five members of Flame Dragon, together with the siblings Ye Die'er and Ye Xiang, broke through the encirclement and, under cover of night, fled far from the scene of carnage.

Leng Tian's gaze was calm and unwavering as he stared at the ten pure silver throwing knives, each infused with true energy and flickering with a blade aura an inch long, speeding towards him. The knives carried the force of thunder, aiming for his vital points, but his white robes billowed as a layer of golden aura, an inch thick, emerged to shield his entire body.

The silver knives struck the golden aura in succession; the aura merely flickered, and the true energy at the tips dissipated silently. The knives themselves shattered upon impact, repelled by the force of the protective aura.

"Ascended to Profound!" the man in black exclaimed in shock.

Mad Dragon swung his greatsword, sending waves of sword energy slashing out. His towering frame moved like a rampaging bear, the sword carving wide arcs with fearsome momentum. Already, three assassins at the peak of Qi Gathering had fallen beneath his blade.

Ye Xiang fought with simple, swift movements; he too was a mid-ranked Heaven-tier warrior. Facing the assassins trained in professional killing techniques, he held his own. Though surrounded by more than a dozen foes whose attacks were insidious and vicious, none could gain an advantage over him in the brief struggle.

"Ah..." Mad Dragon roared, unleashing "Sweeping Eight Directions"—his greatsword flashed, sending eight streams of sword energy slashing around him. Seizing the moment as several assassins dodged, he stamped the ground and crashed sideways into one of them.

"Bang..." The assassin, unable to evade, was struck solidly by Mad Dragon's massive body. Mad Dragon himself, also a mid-ranked Heaven-tier warrior, had trained in a formidable body-refining technique called 'Charging Bull Force.' Having mastered it to perfection, his defenses were as tough as iron and steel. With that full-force collision, he sent the assassin flying over three yards, blood spraying in midair.

"Hmph... So what if you've reached Profound? Today, Deathbringer will test you!" The black-clad assassin revealed his name, then launched himself at Leng Tian, swift as lightning.

Leng Tian remained unmoving, having already connected his mind to the dragon Max, instructing it to ensure the safe withdrawal of Flame Dragon's group.

Deathbringer did not use his throwing knives again; instead, he attacked with his fists, adorned with purple-red gauntlets that gleamed with a strange light, aiming a thunderous blow at Leng Tian's chest.

Leng Tian's eyes were tranquil, betraying no ripple of emotion. He stood his ground, accepting Deathbringer's ferocious punch.

"Bang!" The golden protective aura was dented by nearly half an inch under Deathbringer's fist. Leng Tian's eyes flashed; his body trembled slightly, and the force rebounded, sending Deathbringer's fist recoiling backward.

Deathbringer's eyes blazed with fierce light; he twisted his waist and scraped his foot, dissipating the shock from his arm. He spun, landing several quick punches on Leng Tian, but all were deflected by the rebounding aura.

Meanwhile, casualties had begun to mount among the Mad Dragon Mercenary Corps and the Ye family’s blue-clad guards. The mercenaries themselves had suffered only minor injuries, but the Ye family guards had lost more than a dozen men.

In a flat area under the night sky, the three Flame Dragon brothers were locked in fierce combat with a dozen Bloodsworn assassins. Flame Dragon wielded a steel rod like a tiger descending from the mountain, smashing three assassins aside. Xiao Han and Zhixuan likewise dispatched their opponents with ease.

During this period, under Leng Tian's guidance, their martial skills had advanced significantly, especially in combat. Leng Tian had imparted many simple yet effective techniques, allowing them to defeat their enemies so effortlessly.

"Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" "Swoosh!" More figures pursued from behind. "Let's move—deal with them elsewhere!" Flame Dragon called to Xiao Han and Zhixuan.

Deathbringer had lost count of how many punches he had thrown, yet he could not breach Leng Tian's defenses. Realizing the futility, he ceased to entangle himself with Leng Tian. With a cold laugh, he burst toward Ye Xiang, who was still fighting, swift as the wind, his hands flickering with silver light—throwing knives reappeared.

A trace of admiration flickered in Leng Tian's eyes. In the next moment, his form vanished from sight.

Ye Xiang had just repelled a black-clad assassin when he sensed deadly intent behind him. He spun around to see several silver-white streaks rushing at him. Terror seized his heart—he wanted to dodge, but it was already too late. "It's over! Looks like I'll die here today!"

In his moment of despair, a white figure flashed before him. The blade gleamed, and a curtain of sword light unfolded, instantly intercepting the silver streaks and shattering them all.

Deathbringer's pupils contracted. He thought, "It seems today's mission will be difficult to complete. Yet, considering the consequences, I can’t afford to give up!"

"I refuse to believe you can protect him!"

"Thank you!" Ye Xiang steadied his emotions and thanked Leng Tian.

Leng Tian did not speak, only gazed quietly at Deathbringer.

Deathbringer moved swiftly, his silhouette in the night drifting like a phantom, circling Leng Tian and Ye Xiang. His speed was so great that he appeared as overlapping shadows, dazzling the eyes.

Leng Tian gripped Bloodstain in his hand, feeling a tinge of helplessness. He could have captured Deathbringer long ago, but refrained, sensing the situation was not so simple.

It was obvious—this was merely a probe. Of all the assassins present, only Deathbringer was a Heaven-tier warrior; the rest were all at Qi Gathering. How could such a group be tasked with assassination?

If this were truly the case, then the leadership of this assassin organization must be utterly incompetent. Among the convoy, besides their six brothers, there were three other Heaven-tier warriors: Mad Dragon, Ye Xiang, and an elderly coachman.

These three Heaven-tier warriors, even at their worst, could easily repel the dozens of assassins. Though the elderly warrior had not fought, instead hiding with the other coachmen in the distance, Leng Tian had sensed his intent to act when Ye Xiang's life was threatened. Yet, after Leng Tian resolved the crisis, the old man concealed his aura once more.

Deathbringer finally acted. Hundreds of silver flashes appeared around Leng Tian and Ye Xiang. With a thunderous shout, Deathbringer unleashed hundreds of silver knives like rain upon the two.

The knives sliced through the air, weaving a dense net of energy trails. "Excellent!" Leng Tian praised, spinning swiftly around Ye Xiang.

Ye Xiang was astonished. He hadn’t expected such terrifying skill from this assassin named Deathbringer. How vast must his true energy be to control hundreds of flying knives?

Leng Tian whirled around Ye Xiang like a spiral, Bloodstain slashing in a storm—‘Spiral Burst Slash!’

Martial Peak, Chapter Seven: The Assassins Strike—end of update.