C8 Assassination

In the evening, the bathhouse at the Yang family estate in Oakenbreak was ablaze with light. Yang Rui sat cross-legged in the bathing barrel, deeply immersed in the practice of the Ninefold Body Forging. Over ten elite guards stood in silent vigilance around the perimeter of the bathhouse.

Stealthily, Wang Xu, clad in a night suit, approached the well-guarded bathhouse. A glint of ferocity flashed in his eyes as he channeled his internal energy, transforming into a streak of black lightning that darted straight for the bathhouse.

"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"

The guards, alert to Wang Xu's presence, raised the alarm. Brandishing their weapons, they charged toward Wang Xu with cries of warning.

"Court death, will you?"

As the Yang family guards closed in, Wang Xu's eyes blazed with malice. He let out a thunderous roar, his internal energy swirling within him. His long blade arced through the air, unleashing fierce arcs of light that sliced mercilessly towards the guards.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sharp reports of metal meeting flesh rang out as the foremost guards were cleaved in two by the relentless blade light, their blood spraying in a grim tableau as they fell.

"Striking from a distance—a first-rate warrior!"

Draped in a white cloak, Yang Rui emerged from the bathhouse just in time to witness Wang Xu's deadly dance with the blade. His face paled as he cried out in shock.

"Yang Rui, your time to die has come!"

Upon hearing Yang Rui's cry, Wang Xu instantly turned his wrath from the guards to Yang Rui. With a roar of rage, he channeled his internal energy and swung his long blade, sending a vicious blade light hurtling towards Yang Rui.

"Tyrant's Halberd Technique!"

Confronted by the lethal assault, Yang Rui's expression hardened. He roared back, the power within him surging forth as he brandished the Celestial Pike, striking at the oncoming blade light.

Bang!

The sound of metal clashing echoed as Yang Rui's Celestial Pike shattered the blade light.

"Such terrifying strength! You must have mastered a supreme grade Body Tempering skill to possess such formidable power!"

Witnessing his own blade light shattered by Yang Rui's swift maneuvers with the Celestial Pike, Wang Xu was not enraged but rather delighted. With a light cry, he channeled the internal energy within his body, brandishing his long blade and unleashing a series of razor-sharp sword beams toward Yang Rui.

Confronted with the relentless onslaught of blade light, Yang Rui's face registered alarm. He quickly swung the Celestial Pike, meeting the fierce blade light head-on, shattering each attack into fragments.

Crack!

Amidst a sharp crackling sound, Yang Rui's Celestial Pike finally gave in under the relentless assault, snapped by a particularly vicious blade light. Yang Rui himself was struck by the relentless attacks, sent flying backward through the air.

"Protect the young master!"

In that critical moment, Yang Ann, accompanied by over ten elite guards, swiftly arrived near the bathhouse. Summoning the inner energy within him, he brandished his stainless steel blade and executed the Blazing Cut, launching the first strike at Wang Xu.

Zhao Kun and Zhou Qin, leading another group of over ten elite guards, let out a thunderous roar. Brandishing their weapons, they charged in the wake of Yang Ann, descending upon Wang Xu with full force.

"Get out of my way!"

Confronted with Yang Ann's charge, a glint of cold fury flashed in Wang Xu's eyes. He bellowed and swung his long blade to clash against Yang Ann's advance. Their blades met in a spectacular collision, sparking a dazzling display of fire. A monstrous force burst forth, propelling Yang Ann backward to crash heavily onto the ground, coughing up a mouthful of crimson blood.

"You're all going to die!"

Having grievously wounded Yang Ann with a single blow, Wang Xu unleashed a roar of fury. His inner energy surged as he swung his keen blade, sending out a barrage of exceedingly sharp blade beams that sliced through the air toward Zhao Kun, Zhou Qin, and the rest of the Yang family's elite guards.

Zhao Kun, Zhou Qin, and the other elite guards, mere ninth-level fighters and not even full-fledged warriors, were utterly unable to resist the ferocity of Wang Xu's blade light. They were quickly overpowered, heavily wounded by the relentless attacks, collapsing helplessly to the ground amidst agonized cries.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

As Wang Xu prepared to deliver the finishing blows to Zhao Kun, Zhou Qin, and the others, the sudden sound of slicing air pierced the silence. A flurry of throwing darts, whistling through the air, targeted Wang Xu's vital points with deadly precision.

Yang Rui had achieved the seventh cycle of Body Tempering, boasting a physical strength of 6,400 kilograms, surpassing even that of Wang Xu. Moreover, Yang Rui had dedicated time to perfecting his dart mastery, which not only endowed his darts with terrifying power but also with exceptional accuracy and devastating lethality.

Despite being a first-rate warrior, Wang Xu dared not allow a dart to strike him, for it would penetrate his defenses and inflict serious injury. Consequently, when confronted with the dart assault, Wang Xu swiftly abandoned any thoughts of a counterattack. He brandished his long sword, creating a barrier before him to deflect the dart onslaught and shield himself from harm.

In no time, Yang Rui had depleted his supply of more than ten darts. Frustrated, he grasped the severed Celestial Pike, wielding it like a staff as he lunged toward Wang Xu.

With his formidable physical strength, Yang Rui knew that getting close to Wang Xu was his only chance to gain the upper hand. Without the advantage of his ranged dart attacks, he would be left vulnerable, taking hits until his inevitable defeat—a scenario Yang Rui was determined to avoid.

Wang Xu, perceiving Yang Rui's charge, instantly recognized his intent. A glint of icy disdain flickered in his eyes, and a smirk curled his lips. He swung his razor-sharp sword, unleashing a barrage of lethal sword light aimed to slice Yang Rui to ribbons.

Yang Rui's face tensed as he faced the onslaught of piercing sword light. Clenching his teeth, he swung the remaining half of the Celestial Pike, shattering the sword light and inching ever closer to Wang Xu.

Yet, the sword light's overwhelming force soon proved too much; the half-pike in Yang Rui's hands was swiftly cleaved, leaving him with nothing but a foot-long stick.

"Yang Rui, your time has come!" Wang Xu taunted, his cold laughter echoing as he brandished his sword. The deadly sword light cascaded down upon Yang Rui, who was now within striking distance. Wang Xu was resolute, intent on delivering a fatal blow from a distance, denying Yang Rui any sliver of hope.

Watching the fierce blade light hurtling towards him, Yang Rui let out a resigned sigh and swiftly executed a nimble dodge to the side. He evaded the vicious attack, allowing the blade to strike the bathhouse behind him, leaving a sizable hole in its wake.

"Shattering Bolts, volley fire!"

In that moment, Yang Hai arrived with twenty guards, each armed with a Shattering Bolt, near the bathhouse. He pointed at Wang Xu and bellowed the command.

Instantly, a barrage of sharp bolts burst forth from the Shattering Bolts, forming a dense hail of arrows that surged towards Wang Xu, seemingly intent on turning him into a porcupine.