"Inviting" Young Friend Xiao Han Back as a Guest

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Three figures emerged from their hiding place almost simultaneously, the muffled thuds upon landing demonstrating their solid cultivation.

There were five people in total, all dressed in matching dark gray outfits, with menacing metal masks on their faces, revealing only pairs of cold, emotionless eyes.

The aura emanating from them was at least at the Fifth Level of the Martial Master Realm, and the burly man in the lead, who wielded a thick-backed broadsword, exuded an astonishing pressure that reached the Martial Master Realm Eighth Level Peak!

The five worked together seamlessly, clearly indicating they were well-trained assassins or suicide squad members.

"Your reaction time is quick; I underestimated you, Xiao Han."

A hoarse voice, like a blunt instrument scraping against metal, suddenly rang out in the silent, secluded place.

Xiao Han paused.

A series of dull thuds echoed as the planes landed.

Five figures approached from different corners, their dark gray outfits almost blending into the dim light.

Their faces were covered by menacing metal masks, obscuring their expressions; only their undisguised murderous intent emanated from them with each approaching footstep.

The leader was exceptionally burly, carrying a thick-backed broadsword that gleamed coldly. With each step he took, the ground trembled slightly.

Martial Master Realm Eighth Level Peak.

The other four were at least at the Fifth Level of the Martial Master Realm.

These people came for him.

Xiao Han's heart sank.

It was no coincidence that the other party addressed him by his first name.

This was an ambush, an ambush specifically targeting him.

News of the expedition to the secret realm has been leaked.

"Looks like some people still won't give up." He let out a soft snort, tinged with mockery and barely suppressed anger.

Those guys in the academy have some nerve, daring to make a move during a training mission.

If recruitment fails, must they resort to deadly force?

"My master has come to invite young friend Xiao Han to come back as a guest." A deep laugh came from behind the mask of the burly man, and the word "invite" in his words was emphasized.

"Will you walk by yourself, or will our brothers break your limbs and drag you back?"

"Visiting as guests?" A cold glint appeared on Xiao Han's lips. "Is this a trap? Are you lackeys of the Su Family, or the Wang Family and Li Families?"

The aura behind the mask suddenly turned violent.

"Kid, you're asking for it! Take him down!"

In an instant, a murderous aura erupted!

Four assassins at the high-level Martial Master Realm attacked simultaneously from four directions.

The flashing blades and the shadows of swords, interspersed with the piercing force of fists, created a dense and continuous attack, clearly a combined strike technique practiced countless times.

"With just you guys?" Xiao Han pressed forward instead of retreating, a long-lost feeling of heat surging from the depths of his body.

Since the Academy Grand Competition, he had indeed missed the feeling of being surrounded by several strong opponents.

"Boom--!"

The shockwave emanated from him and swept violently in all directions!

Two beams of light, one blue and one black, both distinct yet intertwined, shot up from behind him.

A blue lotus, seemingly rooted in chaos, with enormous leaves that appear to support the heavens.

A king, clad in a robe woven from stars and wielding a scepter formed from nothingness, surveys the world below.

Twin SSS+ Martial Souls!

The sheer power was so overwhelming that it distorted the air itself, causing the five ambushers to catch their breath and instantly suppress their previous arrogance.

The burly man at the head of the group also began to breathe more heavily beneath his metal mask.

"Good lad, you've got some skills! No wonder the master specifically asked for you!" His voice trembled slightly, but it was quickly replaced by a deeper ruthlessness.

"No matter how powerful your Martial Soul is, the hurdle of cultivation level isn't easy to overcome! Let's all attack together and cripple him!"

Xiao Han did not retreat.

The two completely different powers, "The Creation-Heaven-Penetrating Art" and "The Shadow Void Scripture," surged within his body, reaching their peak.

With the "A Step to the Ends of the Earth" footwork unfolding, he transformed into an elusive shadow, dodging and weaving between deadly attacks.

Each movement perfectly avoided the sharpest point, without the slightest error.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound.

Xiao Han flicked his finger, and a condensed Green Lotus Sword Qi tore through the air, striking the spine of a sword-wielding assassin precisely.

A tremendous force surged forth, and the assassin's longsword flew out of his hand and spun around.

Before the other party could react, Xiao Han swayed slightly and disappeared into the thick shadow cast by a huge crystal, vanishing without a trace.

"Spatial power! And it can even merge with shadows!" The voice behind the mask of the burly man at the head of the group was filled with surprise. He realized that the intelligence was wrong, and this kid's methods were far more troublesome than expected.

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Han's figure solidified behind another assassin wielding two axes.

Silently.

Annihilation Divine Fist!

A simple, unadorned punch, yet it contained a destructive aura capable of shattering mountains and splitting valleys, and also carried the unique penetrating properties of the "Shadow Void Scripture".

The assassin felt a chill run down his spine, his soul trembling, and he hurriedly turned to defend himself.

It's too late.

Xiao Han's fist pierced through his protective spiritual energy and slammed solidly into his chest.

"Puff--!"

The assassin, Sixth Level of the Martial Master Realm, had his ribs shattered inch by inch. He was thrown backward, the blood spurting from his mouth staining the air red, before crashing heavily onto a dark purple crystal and falling silent.

His internal organs and meridians had been completely shattered by that violent and insidious fist force.

One punch!

One punch was all it took!

The remaining three, along with the burly man at the Martial Master Realm Eighth Level Peak, all had their muscles twitch uncontrollably beneath their masks.

"You son of a bitch! Combined attack formation, kill him!" The burly man at the head of the group was furious. His aura not only did not diminish but increased. The thick-backed broadsword in his hand hummed, and a layer of eerie blood-red light appeared on the blade.

He's going all out, even resorting to some secret technique to unleash his potential.

The other two assassins were also seasoned veterans. They immediately changed positions, their auras linked, and a force far exceeding the combined power of the three of them pressed down on Xiao Han.

Xiao Han remained unfazed.

The Chaos Green Lotus behind him swayed gently, its verdant petals scattering specks of fluorescent light that merged into his body, rapidly replenishing his depleted spiritual energy.

At the same time, the illusory figure of the Eternal Night Monarch suddenly opened its tightly closed eyes a crack.

An invisible wave quietly spread out.

The other two assassins, who were about to surround them, froze, as if something had choked their thoughts.

Great opportunity!

"The Green Lotus Sword Song -- Lotus in Motion Nine Heavens!"

Xiao Han formed a sword shape with his fingers and made a sweeping motion forward.

In an instant, nine cyan sword energies appeared out of thin air, each one solid and incomparably sharp, carrying a pure aura that cleansed all things.

Nine blue lotuses bloomed in the air, drawing nine beautiful yet deadly arcs, attacking the three people separately.

Wherever the sword energy pointed, it revealed an opening; the angle was so tricky, and the speed so fast, it was beyond comprehension.

The burly man at the head roared in fury, his blood-red broadsword dancing like a halo of light, its blade blazing as he attempted to block all incoming sword energy.

However, his prized Blood Fiend Blade Qi melted away as quickly as ice and snow under the blazing sun when it encountered the Green Lotus Sword Qi.

Restraint!

Absolute restraint!

"Pfft! Pfft!"

Two soft sounds of flesh being pierced.

The burly man managed to block most of the sword energy thanks to his formidable cultivation, but two sword energies still tore through his protective spiritual power, leaving two deep, bone-revealing wounds on his arms and ribs.

The cyan purifying power clung to it, like a maggot clinging to a bone, frantically devouring his life force, causing excruciating pain.