"My lord, some of the Demacia mages who have defected have reached the border of the Nockmirch Plains."
About five days after the Demacia mage rebellion, Noxus spies had already sent back the latest news.
General Kelrak, stationed at Nockmirch Plains, also received the latest orders from the Immortal Bastion.
"Understood. Ignore them. Take in the mages who are willing to join the army, and give the rest some food before sending them back."
"Yes, sir."
As the scout withdrew, Kelrak rubbed his temples and asked the guard beside him,
"Has the messenger sent by the Commander arrived yet?"
"A reply was expected yesterday, but there's still no news today."
"Are you looking for me, Kelrak?"
A figure appeared silently in the corner of the room, its voice somewhat cold.
The newcomer was completely shrouded in a hood, with only a few strands of bright red hair, as dazzling as blood, peeking out from the hood's gaps, silently, as if they had always been there.
Kelrak withdrew his right hand from the knife. He recognized the newcomer; at least she had once been in a superior-subordinate relationship with her father.
"I never expected it would be you who would carry out this plan. Our Noxus pride, the most beautiful Poison Blade!" Kelrak said with a smile, looking at Katarina like an elder.
Katarina du Cao, the assassin from a noble Noxus family, is also the eldest daughter of the legendary general du Cao.
In her early years, Katarina proved her strength time and again with her swift assassinations, earning her the reputation of "Beautiful Poison Blade" among the Noxus upper echelons of the army.
"Of course it's me. Who else in this country is qualified to accept such an honorable mission besides me?" Katarina snorted coldly, then walked to the opposite side of Kelrak and sat down opposite him without any politeness.
"How is it going? What's the situation with those mages' unrest? Is it really as you reported, that they're preparing to invade the capital of those Demacia?"
"Of course, this is top-secret information. Even if you don't trust me, you should trust the Commander's decision." Kelrak shrugged.
"If these reports weren't true, you wouldn't have been sent here. I wouldn't risk my life."
"Alright, prepare some food for me. After a short rest, I'll head into Demacia. You guys cause some trouble at the border to attract their attention."
After saying this coldly, Katarina went to sleep in her chair.
She had been traveling for days without a break, and she has always been known for her efficiency, with everything she did serving the mission.
"Understood, don't worry."
Xu Xiao traveled alone towards the Noxus mountains.
The soil beneath his feet rippled like waves, propelling him forward at a pace no slower than riding a horse.
Because of its location in the defensive zone between Demacia and Noxus, Demacia dragon riders frequently patrol the skies, so Xu Xiao had to give up flying.
At present, he does not have the strength to fight against an entire military force by himself, so he can only try to leave in a low-key manner.
Choosing the path through the mountains, although there may be occasional obstacles such as monsters, the risk of exposure is very small, and most people who are confident in their own strength will choose this path.
Xu Xiao followed the map, estimating that it would take another day to reach the border between the two countries.
Suddenly, Xu Xiao sensed someone spying on him and reacted instantly.
The magical runes on his body flashed, wind elements transformed into sharp blades that shot out, while soil spread up from the soles of his feet, instantly forming a defense.
"Such keen perception!!"
Deep in the jungle, Katarina's pupils contracted instantly from beneath her hood, and she swiftly dodged.
The very next second after she left, several invisible wind blades flew by, slicing the spot where she had just been standing into a shower of wood chips. A large tree, as thick as several people could hug, was instantly torn to shreds into a sky full of wood chips.
Under the cover of sawdust, Katarina darted to another tree trunk, marveling at the ferocious destructive power:
"Such powerful offensive magic! Even a hasty, casual strike possesses such destructive power!!"
"Where did this archmage come from?"
"Oh no, did he interpret my spying as hostility?"
As a seasoned assassin, Katarina possesses a murderous intent towards all high-value targets. Whenever she sees someone unique, powerful, or in a high position, she habitually hides in the shadows, contemplating how to plunge a dagger into their throat.
This time, it was just an instinctive assumption based on seeing Xu Xiao, a powerful mage traveling alone in the mountains, and I never expected to be met with such a fierce counterattack.
Before she could finish her thought, Xu Xiao's attacks came one after another.
Several invisible wind blades Speed, accompanied by a few scorching fireballs, making everything in the jungle impossible to hide from.
Having already witnessed the destructive Magic Power, Katarina dared not take it head-on. She dodged and casually threw a dagger into the distance.
The next instant, her figure appeared nearby as the dagger hit the ground. Clearly, this was not a movement achievable through mere Taijutsu, but rather magic.
"Hmm, spatial magic? I wonder which side you're on?"
"But since you've been secretly spying on me, let me test your mettle!"
Xu Xiao didn't want to make too much of a commotion, but his keen senses detected someone spying on him, and he also sensed a fleeting killing intent from that person.
An assassin or spatial mage who harbors murderous intent towards him is someone Xu Xiao absolutely cannot let go.
Otherwise, dealing with him later on the journey would require Xu Xiao to waste too much of his energy.
Try this!
The magical runes on Xu Xiao's body gradually lit up, and apart from his limbs which were covered by his clothes, even his neck was completely covered by a dark blue Arcane Energy.
Then, the soil beneath his feet surged like flowing water, eventually coalescing into a 360° mud ball around him.
A layer of dark blue Arcane Energy shone from within, and then the mud ball was imbued with the properties of fire, making it look like a burning sun.
That's it!!
Katarina had already noticed the powerful magical fluctuations, and her whole being reacted as if she had spotted a field mouse, her brain giving her the command to run away quickly.
'I'll die! If I get hit, I'll definitely die!'
A strong instinct compelled Katarina to disregard everything else, quickly using Shunpo and throwing a dagger imbued with spatial magic to dodge.
Immediately afterwards, the sun behind them exploded with a deafening roar, and countless fireballs carrying powerful Arcane Energy swept around.
"Run? You think you can outrun the light?"
"A 360° Arcane Fusion Missiles with no blind spots, let's see how you dodge it!"
Xu Xiao didn't care who the newcomer was; he believed that anyone who showed him murderous intent would be killed, even if they were a god.