The Madman's Fall

After Zheng Jie admitted defeat, Lucius looked at Wang Chuan, who stood in the arena completely unscathed. The last shred of reason in his eyes was swallowed by hatred. He clenched the short dagger hidden in his sleeve, unaware that the blade had cut his fingertips until Zheng Jie came over dejectedly to demand the remaining payment. Only then did he snap back to his senses. With a dark expression, he tossed over the money pouch and staggered away into the crowd.

Over the following day, Wang Chuan constantly felt a pair of eyes watching him from behind. Whether he was on his way to the training grounds in the morning or returning to his dormitory late at night, that faint yet persistent malice followed him like a shadow. Though he never encountered Lucius directly, he could vaguely tell from that sinister aura that Lucius was behind it. Wang Chuan did not raise the alarm. Instead, he repeatedly worked through the circulation method of the Grand Void Transformation Art in his mind, while keeping his martial soul ready to be drawn at any moment. Even when sleeping, he clutched the antidote pills in his Soul Tool in his palm. Wang Chuan had considered informing the education committee directly, but then Lucius would certainly never show himself. He would also lose the committee's trust, and his master was not around. The only person he could trust was himself.

That evening, Wang Chuan deliberately avoided the bustling main road and headed toward the bamboo forest behind the academy. He knew that if Lucius truly intended to strike, he would never choose a crowded place. This secluded bamboo forest was precisely the "hunting ground" Lucius had been waiting for. Sure enough, the moment Wang Chuan stepped deep into the forest, a fierce gust came from overhead—Lucius had actually hidden among the bamboo branches. Wrapped in dense Soul Power, he dove straight down, smashing a shallow pit into the ground. As dirt flew everywhere, several poison needles gleaming with a ghostly light shot from his sleeve, aiming directly at Wang Chuan's face.

Wang Chuan instinctively rolled to the side. The poison needles grazed the corner of his clothes and embedded themselves in a nearby bamboo stalk, their tails still trembling faintly. Before he could fully steady himself, Lucius crawled out of the pit. His left arm was wrapped in thick bandages, and he held a strangely shaped short blade coated in dark green poison. Its pungent stench made even the surrounding air seem viscous. What made Wang Chuan's heart sink further was the sight of two black-clad Spirit Masters standing behind Lucius. Their auras were gloomy, their Soul Power fluctuations both above level thirty, and their cuffs bore the distinctive Shadow Pattern of Black Market assassins. Clearly, to kill him, Lucius had not only staked himself on it but emptied his family fortune to hire professional killers.

"Wang Chuan! Let's see how you escape this time!" Lucius's voice was as hoarse as a broken gong. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Wang Chuan. "I have nothing left now! My title, my family, my arm... you destroyed them all! Even if I have to drag you down to hell with me today, I'll make you pay!" He suddenly waved his hand. "Kill him! Whoever cuts off his head first gets double the commission!"

Before his words had faded, the black-clad assassin on the left moved first. His martial soul was Poison Fang. His hands instantly transformed into sharp, foot-long poisonous claws, and his yellow soul ring lit up as his First Soul Skill, Poison Claw Tear, activated. He darted toward Wang Chuan like a ghost, dark green venom dripping from his fingertips. The moment it touched the fallen leaves on the ground, they corroded into black ash. The assassin on the right condensed a black short blade. Empowered by his martial soul, Dark Blade, his entire body merged directly into the surrounding shadows and vanished into the bamboo forest, leaving only a faint killing intent locked onto Wang Chuan.

Wang Chuan did not dare let his guard down. Soul Power surged beneath his feet, and all color within a thirty-meter radius instantly faded as the Void Domain unfolded. The Poison Fang assassin, who had just lunged into the domain, immediately faltered. His Soul Power circulation became sluggish, and even his speed dropped by nearly thirty percent. Alarmed, he had no time to react before Wang Chuan sidestepped his poisonous claws. The instant Wang Chuan's long blade left its sheath, a black flash of sword light slashed straight for his wrist. Wang Chuan did not wish to take lives lightly, but he would never leave his opponent another chance to launch a sneak attack.

Clang! As the blade light collided with the poisonous claws, sparks flew. The Poison Fang assassin felt his wrist go numb, and the web between his thumb and forefinger nearly split from the impact. He had not expected a level-nineteen Battle Spirit Master to possess strength capable of matching his own. Just as he tried to adjust his assault, Wang Chuan's figure suddenly turned translucent. The moment the Grand Void Transformation Art activated, the poisonous claws passed straight through his body and struck nothing. Wang Chuan had already moved behind him, bringing the flat of his blade down heavily on his back. Under the shock of Soul Power, the Poison Fang assassin spat out a mouthful of blood and staggered forward.

What terrified him even more was that the Soul Power within his body was rapidly draining away—the Void Domain did not merely weaken attributes; it could slowly devour Soul Power as well! He had just tried to retreat and widen the distance when Wang Chuan's blade light tangled around him relentlessly. Every block depleted his Soul Power faster, while blade winds opened several shallow cuts across his arms. They were not fatal, yet they would not heal, making him increasingly agitated.

At that moment, a black shadow suddenly shot out from behind Wang Chuan! It was the Dark Blade assassin. The short blade in his hand tore through the air as it stabbed straight at Wang Chuan's heart from behind. The hidden force on the blade even ripped apart the surrounding air. Alarm bells rang in Wang Chuan's mind. He could sense the killing intent behind him, but Poison Fang had him tightly entangled, leaving him unable to evade completely. At the critical moment, Wang Chuan abruptly turned and pushed the Grand Void Transformation Art to its limit. His body instantly became almost completely transparent.

Dark Blade's short blade nearly grazed Wang Chuan's ribs. Though it did not pierce him directly, the hidden force on the blade still struck his waist. A sharp pain flared up, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. Their attacks carried a hint of spatial attributes! Lucius watched from the side with bloodshot eyes and burst into mad laughter. "Hahaha! Wang Chuan! You can't dodge forever! Today is the day you die!" He suddenly pulled a black porcelain bottle from his robes and smashed it against the ground. Heart Corroding Poison Mist instantly spread out. Wherever the dark green fog passed, the bamboo withered at a visible rate, and even the air turned acrid.

"It's a forbidden substance! Are you insane?!" The Poison Fang assassin's expression changed drastically. He hurriedly covered his mouth and nose as he retreated. This poisonous mist could not only numb Soul Power but also corrode the flesh. Even he did not dare touch it carelessly. Wang Chuan felt his entire body go weak after inhaling a mouthful of the fog, and circulating his Soul Power became increasingly difficult. He knew he could not drag this out any longer. He had to end it quickly!

Gritting his teeth, he poured every last bit of Soul Power in his body into the long blade. The yellow soul ring beneath his feet suddenly lit up as his First Soul Skill, River Severance: No Return, activated once more! This time, he condensed the Power of Void to its utmost limit. A nearly transparent blade light shot out like lightning, striking directly at the Dark Blade assassin. The assassin tried to retreat into the shadows, only to discover that the Void Domain had already sealed the surrounding space. The shadows were completely shattered, leaving him no choice but to hurriedly raise his blade to block.

Riiip! The blade light effortlessly severed the black short blade and swept across Dark Blade's neck. Blood gushed out. His eyes were filled with disbelief as his body collapsed limply to the ground. After twitching a few times, he stopped breathing. Having dealt with Dark Blade, Wang Chuan turned toward Poison Fang. The assassin had already been scared out of his wits and turned to flee, only for Wang Chuan's thrown scabbard to strike his knee and send him stumbling to his knees.

Wang Chuan strode forward and held his long blade against the man's throat. "How much did Lucius pay you? Where is the Black Market contact point?" he asked coldly. He knew that if Lucius only had these two assassins behind him, he would not dare be so arrogant. There might be other contingencies hidden away. He had to learn more in order to eliminate the danger completely.

"O-one thousand Gold Soul Coins! The contact point is in a ruined temple south of the city!" The Poison Fang Spirit Master trembled all over, his voice shaking. "Mercy, sir! I was only doing this for money. I didn't know the person he wanted dead was you... I'll never do it again!"

Before Wang Chuan could speak, Lucius suddenly charged over like a madman. His poisoned blade stabbed toward Wang Chuan's back. "I'll kill you! You monster!" He had completely lost his mind. He no longer cared about the poisonous mist, focused only on perishing together with Wang Chuan.

Hearing the movement behind him, Wang Chuan did not turn around. He merely flicked his wrist, drawing the long blade past Poison Fang's neck before it transformed into a streak of light that slashed toward Lucius. Lucius's eyes were full of madness. Rather than dodging, he accelerated forward, intending to use his body to embrace Wang Chuan. Thud! The long blade pierced Lucius's heart with perfect precision, and the Power of Void instantly devoured his Soul Power. His body froze in place. The madness in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by confusion and unwillingness. His lips moved, but in the end, he only coughed up a mouthful of blood before collapsing weakly.

The poisonous mist gradually dispersed. Wang Chuan sheathed his long blade and staggered against a bamboo stalk, gasping for breath. The wound at his waist still throbbed faintly, and the Soul Power in his body was nearly exhausted. Every step of that battle had skirted the edge of life and death. Had he not sensed Lucius's malice beforehand, he might truly have fallen here. He glanced at Poison Fang, sprawled on the ground, then at Lucius's corpse. Taking five hundred Gold Soul Coins from his robes, he tossed them over. "Take the money and get out of Heaven Dou City. Never come back."

Poison Fang scrambled up, grabbed the money pouch, and kowtowed to Wang Chuan before vanishing into the depths of the bamboo forest. Wang Chuan then used Nothingness to erase Lucius's corpse and the surrounding poisonous mist. He did not want this matter to become public, nor did he want anyone to know that he had dealings with Black Market assassins, lest it endanger his parents.

Watching the corpse gradually vanish, Wang Chuan felt no joy, only a trace of heaviness. He had never intended to kill them all, but Lucius's relentless pressure had ultimately driven him onto this path. Moonlight filtered through the bamboo leaves and fell over him. Wang Chuan tightened his grip on the long blade in his hand, his gaze growing firmer. From this day forward, he would become stronger—not only to protect himself, but to safeguard the things he did not want to lose, so that no one could ever force him into such a desperate situation again.

Once his Soul Power had recovered to ten percent, Wang Chuan cleaned up the traces and finally turned to leave the bamboo forest. The night grew deeper, and his figure disappeared down the woodland path, leaving only a gentle breeze to scatter the last remnants of smoke and dust.