'Just as the mission described. This kid must be Chu Qingyun.'
A slender man in black hid about thirty meters from the mine's entrance, watching the situation inside from the corner of his eye.
Strangely, not a single trace of Qi emanated from his body.
This man was, of course, an assassin from the Assassin Alliance.
Zhao Zhimo had posted a mission in the Assassin Alliance: a bounty of five thousand Lower Grade Primordial Stones for the assassination of the Level 3 Martial Artist, Chu Qingyun.
The bounty for an ordinary Level 3 Martial Artist was typically just over five hundred Lower Grade Primordial Stones, so when this bounty appeared, it was quickly accepted.
The sky turned completely dark. Chu Qingyun leaned against the rock wall, closed his eyes, and rested quietly.
Chu Qingyun had personally experienced the chaos of the Yuan Stone Ore Vein; he had even killed people here before.
Because of this, he slept lightly, his vigilance never wavering.
"Stealth."
In the dead of night, the assassin whispered a single word. His body was then cloaked in a layer of black, his figure blurring as if melting into the boundless darkness.
The assassin cautiously approached the cave, making not a single sound.
However, just after entering the cave, he suddenly felt his foot step on something.
In that instant, Chu Qingyun's eyes snapped open.
"Who's there!"
He sprang to his feet and drew his longsword in a flash.
Before resting, he had activated his Three-star Vine Martial Soul, coiling and hiding the three vines at the cave's entrance.
They were set up to wake him the moment anyone stepped on them.
'Cunning brat!'
The assassin cursed inwardly, leaping backward to flee the cave.
Chu Qingyun, longsword in hand, gave chase.
By the light of the moon, which flickered in and out of view behind the clouds, Chu Qingyun saw him.
The man was slender and clad entirely in black.
Even his face was covered by a black cloth, revealing only a pair of cold, glittering eyes.
"Three-Star Vine!"
Not daring to be careless, Chu Qingyun unleashed the Three-Star Vine.
After advancing to a Level 4 Martial Artist, the length of his Three-Star Vine had reached a terrifying twenty meters.
Three dark green vines, like specters, whipped and coiled through the night.
"The Three-star Vine Martial Soul. It's you, alright."
"Now die!"
The man in black shouted coldly. With a shake of his arm, a black dagger slid from his sleeve, and he lunged at Chu Qingyun.
The black dagger reflected no light at all.
Under the cover of darkness, it was like a hidden viper, striking silently toward Chu Qingyun.
"Don't even think about it."
Chu Qingyun controlled two of the vines, sending them twisting toward the black figure in a pincer attack.
"Break!"
The man in black grunted, slashing his dagger at the vines.
However, the blow felt like striking rubber. A massive force rebounded, nearly jarring the dagger from his grip.
"Such tenacious vines!"
The man in black said in surprise.
But he showed no sign of panic, as if he was completely confident he had Chu Qingyun cornered.
As Chu Qingyun's Realm had advanced, the power of the Three-Star Vine's Tough Soul Techniques had gradually begun to show.
Although the assassin's dagger was sharp, it was ultimately just an ordinary iron weapon and couldn't sever his vines.
After dodging the two vines, the man in black pressed his attack again.
This time, when he was about ten meters away from Chu Qingyun, he suddenly let out a cold laugh.
And then, he vanished!
'What's happening!'
Chu Qingyun was horrified. It was as if his vision had blurred for a moment, and the man in black had simply vanished into thin air!
Two breaths later, a chill suddenly ran down Chu Qingyun's spine. Without a second thought, he instinctively dove forward.
Behind him, a black dagger appeared, grazing past his skin.
If he had dodged a second later, he would have been severely wounded.
"Oh? Your Spiritual Sense is quite sharp."
"But it's useless!"
After reappearing, the man in black grunted in surprise and then vanished once more.
'He's coming again!'
Cold sweat drenched Chu Qingyun's entire body.
'Could it be Instant Teleportation!?'
'Calm down, stay calm…'
Chu Qingyun forced himself to calm down, trying to sense his surroundings carefully while thinking of a countermeasure.
'Here he comes!'
This time, the man in black attacked from the right. Chu Qingyun sidestepped again, dodging to his left.
SHRED!
A sharp surge of Power shredded the clothes on his right side to pieces.
Another near miss!
"Hmph, let's see how long you can keep dodging. I can, after all, appear right next to you in an instant."
The man in black snorted and disappeared into the night again.
Just then, the clouds parted, and the moon emerged, its cold light illuminating the land.
Aided by this moonlight, Chu Qingyun seemed to catch a glimpse of a black shadow flashing in the corner of his eye.
A flash of insight struck Chu Qingyun's mind, and he understood.
'This guy isn't using Instant Teleportation at all. He's just using the power of his Martial Soul to hide in the darkness.'
"You sneaky bastard, go to hell!"
Chu Qingyun roared. The three vines of his Three-Star Vine, each forming a circle, began to whip around him wildly and erratically.
Chu Qingyun was now using the vines like tentacles. As long as one of them touched the man in black, he would immediately know his location!
Amidst the impenetrable and unpredictable flurry of vines, the man in black was soon struck.
'He's right there!'
"Autumn Leaves!"
Having found the assassin's position, Chu Qingyun didn't hesitate, sweeping his sword out.
This one strike contained the full might of his Swordsmanship. Its vast momentum swept toward the hidden assassin like an autumn wind sweeping away fallen leaves.
In the night, a black figure flickered into view, frozen in place, completely still.
A moment later, blood gushed from the figure's chest.
With a single sword strike, the black figure had been unable to resist and was slain outright!
"H-How could this be..."
The man in black murmured before collapsing to the ground, dead.
He couldn't understand why, as a fellow Level 4 Martial Artist, his Primordial Power defenses couldn't even block a single one of Chu Qingyun's strikes.
After the man in black died, Chu Qingyun collapsed, slumping to the ground.
The fight hadn't been long, but it had taken a tremendous toll on his heart and mind.
The assassin's ghostly, elusive movements had put him under immense pressure!
This battle had made him truly feel the presence of death.
The slightest misstep, and the outcome would likely have been completely reversed!
'This guy was definitely a professional assassin!'
Chu Qingyun gritted his teeth, thinking to himself.
Neither his ghostly stealth technique nor his perfectly concealed Qi were abilities an ordinary Martial Artist would possess.
Furthermore, his clothes and weapon were clearly prepared specifically for stealth assassinations!
'Someone wants me dead!'
Several figures flashed through Chu Qingyun's mind in an instant.
'Zhao Zhimo, Zhao Yishui, or Chu Qian?'
He thought for a while but came to no conclusion. Chu Qingyun shook his head, setting the matter aside for now.
After using the power of his Devouring Martial Soul, he saw a black mass emerge from the assassin's corpse.
The thing seemed to have no definite shape, but he could vaguely make out what looked like a human-shaped shadow.