C10 Assassination

"How preposterous!"

Chu Lang was seething with rage within the Jade Washing Palace. Earlier that day in the royal court, Chu Feng had managed to make a fool of him. The insinuation that Chu Feng had discarded Xiahou Jiao was like saying he was picking up someone's sloppy seconds.

"I never expected the Duke to actually seek Chu Feng's opinion. I was under the impression that the Duke had long forgotten that waste of space," Lady Shuyu remarked calmly beside Chu Lang.

"There's something off about this guy. He used to be so timid and ineffectual, but now, his every word is designed to embarrass," Chu Lang mused, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully.

"Hehe, don't bother with him. For someone who only opened their All-Seeing Eye at sixteen, his only way to show off in front of the Duke is through his sharp tongue. Now that the Duke has consented to your marriage with Xiahou Jiao, once we ally with the Xiahou family, no one will be able to save him," Lady Shuyu said with a confident smirk.

"I hope you're right. Still, I can't shake the feeling that something's amiss. I'll pay a visit to his palace tonight to do some snooping. If the opportunity arises to injure him, all the better," Chu Lang proposed after a moment's thought.

Despite knowing full well that Chu Feng was considered worthless, Chu Lang couldn't shake his unease and felt compelled to test the waters himself.

"That sounds prudent," Lady Shuyu agreed, nodding slowly in response to Chu Lang's plan.

In the dead of night, while Su Yun and the others in Nimbus Palace were sound asleep, Chu Feng was still diligently practicing in his room.

Chu Feng's cultivation had reached the fifth level of the Initial Transcendent Stage, just a hair's breadth away from ascending to the Mystic Ascension Stage and standing shoulder to shoulder with Prince Chu Lang.

To break through the Initial Transcendent Stage and ascend to the Mystic Ascension Stage, all he needed was a Mystic Ascension Stage Barrier Breaking Pill.

The Barrier Breaking Pill was a special pill used by warriors to overcome bottlenecks in their cultivation. Typically, a warrior would consume a Barrier Breaking Pill corresponding to the realm they aspired to reach.

However, should a warrior at the Initial Transcendent Stage rashly attempt to consume a Barrier Breaking Pill of the Eternal Green Stage, they would be met with nothing but their own catastrophic demise.

Warriors typically wait until their cultivation has stabilized before consuming a Barrier Breaking Pill to advance to the next level. Chu Feng could have easily purchased a Mystic Ascension Stage Barrier Breaking Pill from the black market and become a Mystic Ascension expert. However, he reconsidered and abandoned that plan.

If Chu Feng were to break through the Initial Transcendent Stage to the Mystic Ascension Stage, it would undoubtedly cause a sensation. It's been just three months since Chu Feng opened the All-Seeing Eye, and in that short time, he's reached the fifth level of the Initial Transcendent Stage. His progress is astonishingly rapid.

Consider that Chu Xiao, the royal family's top prodigy, took nearly eight months to reach the same level from the All-Seeing Eye! Chu Feng's three-month rise to a fifth level Mystic Ascension warrior is simply unheard of.

To avoid drawing undue attention, Chu Feng has decided to delay becoming a Mystic Ascension realm warrior until the time is right. Besides, his current cultivation base is four to five times that of an average warrior, providing him with ample self-defense capabilities. Chu Feng is confident that no Mystic Ascension realm warrior could harm him unless faced with an Eternal Green expert.

During his training, Chu Feng's concentration was broken by a swift shadow passing by the window. His eyes snapped open, gleaming with intensity. Earlier that day, Chu Feng had given Chu Lang a memorable slap in the face at the Virtue Hall. Leaving the hall, Chu Feng sensed something amiss in Chu Lang's gaze.

Knowing Chu Lang well, Chu Feng was certain he wouldn't let such a humiliation slide. True to form, Chu Lang was bound to retaliate that very night. And sure enough, the anticipated confrontation arrived.

Chu Feng retrieved the black clothes he had prepared in advance. Once dressed, he sat cross-legged on his bed, poised and ready. A sudden "swoosh" from outside alerted him. A black shadow lunged at Chu Feng, who swiftly dodged to the left. The sound of an object piercing wood followed, and a black Darksteel dart materialized behind him.

"Crash!"

Following the sound of the door being forced open, Chu Feng's door burst open, and a man clad in black charged in from outside.

The moment the man in black entered, he caught sight of Chu Feng sitting on the bed and paused, taken aback.

What was happening here?

Who was this mysterious man in black?

"Where is Chu Feng?"

The man in black asked in a deep voice, directing his question to Chu Feng, who remained seated on the bed.

"Who are you?"

Chu Feng queried from the bed, his voice raspy.

"It doesn't matter who I am. The important question is, where is Chu Feng?"

Chu Lang pressed, his eyes narrowing as he spoke.

He was puzzled by the presence of this stranger in Chu Feng's room. Could it be that one of the other princes had already dispatched Chu Feng?

"You wish to know where Chu Feng is?"

Chu Feng eyed the green longsword in the man's hand and asked slowly, squinting.

He recognized the green longsword; it was the gift Chu Batian had given him when he had activated the All-Seeing Eye.

It was a top-grade weapon of the Eternal Green realm!

Chu Feng's suspicions were confirmed; Chu Lang was indeed looking for him.

"If you're a friend, then tell me quickly where Chu Feng is. If you're an enemy, don't provoke me!"

Chu Lang warned, his eyes still narrowed, as he addressed Chu Feng.

"Finding out where Chu Feng is is quite simple. Just kneel and bow your head a few times."

Chu Feng's hoarse voice carried slowly through the room.

"You're seeking death!"

Realizing from Chu Feng's voice that the man in black was certainly not an ally, and likely one of Chu Feng's own, Chu Lang let out a furious bellow. He channeled all the Shadow Power of the third level Mystic Ascension Stage into the Dawnbreaker, which began to hum with energy. Without another word, Chu Lang, wielding the Dawnbreaker, charged at Chu Feng with incredible speed.

As the Dawnbreaker neared, Chu Feng could already sense its lethal sharpness.

Indeed, it was an exceptional sword!

Chu Feng let out a mighty yell, his fist already coiled with Shadow Power, and struck out towards the oncoming Dawnbreaker.

"Haha."

Chu Lang couldn't help but sneer when he saw that the man in black in front of him was unarmed and didn't even flinch from the sharp edge of the Dawnbreaker. Instead, the man seemed intent on countering with his own Shadow Power.

How strong could the Shadow Power from a warrior's fist possibly be?

Just when Chu Lang was confident of his victory, a massive force surged through the Dawnbreaker in his hand.

It was overpowering, fierce, and unstoppable!

"Boom!"

The Shadow Power slammed into his chest, and Chu Lang was violently thrown against the window and out.

"If you're looking for death, feel free to come back."

Before Chu Lang could pick himself up, a raspy voice reached him.

"I... I... I won't dare anymore."

Hearing the voice and still reeling from the tremendous force, Chu Lang quickly blurted out.

Being sent flying with just one punch, Chu Feng was undoubtedly a formidable expert, possibly at the Eternal Green Realm or even higher.

Chu Lang thought to himself.

"Scram!"

Chu Feng looked down at Chu Lang on the ground and spoke icily.

Though Chu Feng was tempted to take a photo of Chu Lang's sorry state, doing so was out of the question within Nimbus Palace.

Besides, Chu Feng's intention had been merely to gauge his own strength.

He had anticipated some difficulty in facing Chu Lang, but to his surprise, he had sent him flying with a mere punch.

On reflection, it made sense; Chu Lang had been coddled from a young age, his cultivation likely bolstered by pills, which explained his lackluster strength.

"The Ralens Tournament is coming, Xiahou Jiao, Chu Lang. Are you prepared for the surprise?"

Chu Feng's eyes narrowed as he spoke in a deep tone.