"So this was your real reason for purchasing her!"
Finally, Xu Ruoyan understood why Ling Chen had suddenly taken action, bidding for a beautiful girl. If it was not for romantic considerations, it was certainly due to other considerations.
"Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" Xu Ruoyan glared at Ling Chen.
"I wanted to, but did I have the chance? Anyway, now is not the time to fuss about such trivial matters!"
Ling Chen was baffled by this woman’s thoughts. At this critical juncture of life and death, she surprisingly had the leisure to consider such meaningless matters.
"This is not a trivial matter!"
Instantly, the gloom on Xu Ruoyan’s face lifted. She whisked out the Treasure Sword from her waist. "Now we know where the assassin is, so what are we waiting for? We should attack now, or we will only become more passive!"
Having said that, without waiting for Ling Chen to comment further, she dashed up from her spot and rushed toward the rooftop where the target was located.
This impetuous woman! Ling Chen’s expression changed. Under such circumstances, where it was unclear who was friend or foe and they were still uncertain of the enemy’s strength, the best course of action should have been to wait for the enemy to expose a weakness. But now, with her reckless charge, their advantage was lost. Moreover, it was still uncertain if there was only one assassin.
"Brother Ling Chen, that woman is in danger! Another assassin has appeared forty meters to your left."
Ling Yin suddenly looked in another direction. There, surprisingly, was a pavilion. On top of it, a vague silhouette could be seen drawing a bow and aiming.
The figure wasn’t aiming at Ling Chen, but at Xu Ruoyan’s back.
Ling Chen stomped his foot hastily, and his entire body shot up. Almost at the same instant, a poison arrow shot from that direction.
With one sword stroke, he parried the poison arrow. Ling Chen landed behind Xu Ruoyan.
"You arrived just in time. There are two assassins; one for each of us."
Xu Ruoyan had also sensed the danger from behind. Seeing Ling Chen arrive, she once again dashed off, using her Light Skill, and flew towards the rooftop.
Ling Chen didn’t have time to stop Xu Ruoyan, who had already rushed forward. He could only quickly dart in the opposite direction. Given the circumstances, they had no choice but to confront the enemy head-on.
They’ve discovered my position, the man in black on the pavilion thought, a touch of astonishment in his eyes. He pulled out a few poison darts from his sleeve, his gaze locking onto the rapidly moving Ling Chen, and threw them one after another.
Already on guard against that direction, Ling Chen dodged the darts with a series of swift movements, then leaped onto the pavilion.
"Since you’ve delivered yourself to my doorstep, don’t blame me for being impolite."
Watching Ling Chen hurtle towards him, the man in black pulled a sharp Treasure Sword from his waist, the tiles clattering under his feet as he brazenly met the attack.
The two swords collided, bright sparks flying.
"White Dragon Passing the Gap!"
Ling Chen dared not hold back. This assassin dared to strike within the Divine Intent Sect; he must be determined to kill me and likely possesses formidable strength.
Therefore, his first attack was the Second Style of the Dragon Seeking Sword Technique, and he unleashed it with his full power.
The sword light, like a bolt of lightning, flashed through the Void, slashing at the black-robed assassin.
However, his attack was blocked again. Ling Chen’s expression darkened. The black-robed man’s reactions and strength far surpassed his own; even with the element of surprise, he couldn’t gain the slightest advantage.
The black-robed assassin’s reaction speed was astonishing. The moment after deflecting Ling Chen’s sword technique, he drew his sword and counterattacked, a sharp blade slashing towards Ling Chen’s head.
Another crisp metallic collision sounded. Ling Chen’s body was sent flying backward, falling off the pavilion and landing in a pile of hay.
A murderous glint flashed in the black-robed assassin’s eyes. He shot forward in a straight line, his sword slashing directly at the hay pile where Ling Chen had fallen.
A figure leaped high from the hay pile. The next moment, that pile of hay was completely blasted apart by the Black-robed Swordsman’s sword qi.
Ling Chen’s expression was incredibly solemn. This black-robed assassin before me has a cultivation of at least a Fourfold Realm martial artist, possibly even a Fifth Level Martial Artist!
In fact, although Ling Chen’s guess was slightly off, it was very close to the mark. This black-robed assassin was a peak Fourth Realm Martial artist and highly skilled in nighttime assassinations. To eliminate Ling Chen and ensure success, two assassins had been dispatched at once: one a peak Fourth Realm Martial Artist, and the other had even reached the Martial Artist Fivefold Realm.
Instantly, Ling Chen faced immense pressure.
A peak Fourth Realm Martial artist was already a formidable foe. To make matters worse, the sky had now completely darkened. For an assassin, this was a natural home ground, but for him, it was extremely disadvantageous.
Fortunately, this was where he lived, so Ling Chen was very familiar with the terrain. He made a swift decision and retreated into the small grove, hoping to use the landscape to evade the enemy’s spearhead.
The black-robed assassin, however, seemed in no hurry to kill Ling Chen. He also used the cover of night, slipped into the small grove, and vanished without a trace, as if he had evaporated.
This is bad. A sense of foreboding welled up in Ling Chen’s heart. This was undoubtedly his most dangerous moment. The assassin seemed to have merged with the night; the next time he appeared, it would likely be right beside him.
Raising his vigilance to the maximum, Ling Chen dared not make any rash moves. At a time , the faster one moved, the more dangerous it became.
"Brother Ling Chen, watch out! Five meters behind you!"
Ling Yin’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
Hearing this, Ling Chen’s expression changed abruptly. Without even looking, he unleashed all his accumulated power, violently swinging his sword behind him. A crescent-shaped sword qi shot out from the blade, leaving a golden afterimage in mid-air.
Caught off guard, the assassin was sent flying by the sword qi, suffering grievous injuries and coughing up a mouthful of blood.
"Damn little girl! Meddling brat! I’ll kill you first!"
Sent flying by the sword strike, the black-robed assassin’s gaze turned incomparably sinister. He had been on the verge of success, only to be exposed by Ling Yin. Furious from the humiliation, he decided to kill Ling Yin first before dealing with Ling Chen.
The moment his words fell, he abandoned Ling Chen and lunged towards Ling Yin at full speed, his murderous gaze swiftly locking onto her slender figure.
"Stop! Ling Yin, run!"
Ling Chen’s expression changed. Ling Yin only has the cultivation of an Eighth Layer Martial Artist; how could she possibly be a match for this black-robed assassin? If he catches her, she will undoubtedly die!