CHAPTER 38: FOUR AGAINST ONE

Princess Yue Lianhua stumbled to a halt, her back against a cliff face.

She drew her sword with a trembling hand. Ice-attribute spiritual energy flickered weakly around the blade—her element, trying to manifest despite her weakened state.

"Nowhere left to run, Princess," the leader said. His voice was cold and professional. This was just a job to him.

"If it weren’t for that traitor’s poison, none of you would stand a chance against me!" the princess spat out. Her voice was defiant despite her obvious weakness.

So she’d been poisoned. That explained her pale complexion and labored breathing. Someone she trusted had betrayed her, weakening her before the assassins struck.

The four Dark Blade Sect members didn’t immediately attack. They exchanged glances, clearly being cautious.

"Even poisoned, she’s still a royal princess," one of the early Golden Core assassins said quietly. "She’ll have protection treasures. Talismans. Maybe even a guardian artifact."

"We need to be careful," another agreed. "If she activates a distress talisman, royal guards could arrive within minutes."

The mid Golden Core assassin nodded. "The poison should finish her soon anyway. We just need to stall and prevent her from escaping or calling for help."

The leader spoke next, his tone calculating. "Orders were to make it look like an accident. We can’t leave obvious assassination wounds. It needs to appear that she was killed by demonic beasts or a natural disaster."

Their conversation revealed this was part of a larger conspiracy. Someone with significant power wanted the princess dead and had hired the Dark Blade Sect as their weapon.

The "traitor" who had poisoned her was likely someone close to her, possibly within her own sect.

Princess Yue Lianhua’s eyes darted around, searching for any escape route. But the assassins had positioned themselves perfectly.

The cliff was at her back, the river to one side, and the four enemies blocked all other directions.

Her hand moved toward her robe, reaching for something hidden inside—probably a protection treasure or distress talisman.

The leader noticed immediately. "Stop her!"

All four assassins moved simultaneously. Spiritual energy flared around them. Weapons appeared in their hands—swords, daggers, a spear.

The princess’s hand closed around whatever treasure she’d been reaching for, but would she be fast enough to activate it?

Hidden in the foliage above, Xian Tiandi’s eyes narrowed. The perfect moment was approaching. He needed to time this exactly right.

Golden light flashed briefly in his pupils as he prepared to act.

’Now.’

He began moving from his hiding spot, descending the mountainside in complete silence.

The assassins were focused entirely on the princess. None of them noticed the additional presence approaching.

Princess Yue Lianhua pulled out a jade talisman, pouring her remaining spiritual energy into it desperately. The talisman began to glow—

The leader’s sword flashed forward, aiming to shatter the talisman before it could activate.

*Clang!*

The sword strike was deflected by something invisible—a barrier that shimmered into existence around the princess for just a moment.

Ine of her protection treasures had activated automatically, sensing the deadly threat.

But the barrier was weak. The princess’s spiritual energy was too depleted to power it properly. The barrier flickered and cracked under the impact.

The other three assassins attacked simultaneously, their weapons striking from different angles.

They were coordinating perfectly, each strike timed to prevent the princess from activating her talisman.

*Crack!*

The barrier shattered. The princess gasped as the feedback damaged her already weakened state further. She stumbled backward, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth.

The talisman slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground.

The late Golden Core leader kicked it away before she could retrieve it. "Foolish. Did you really think we wouldn’t account for your treasures?"

Princess Yue Lianhua’s sword came up in a desperate guard position, but her hands were shaking.

The poison was spreading. Her vision was blurring. She was at her limit.

The four assassins closed in for the kill.

Then, without warning, a voice spoke from behind them.

"Four against one? And she’s poisoned? How cowardly."

All four assassins spun around, weapons raised, spiritual energy flaring defensively.

Xian Tiandi stood there calmly, having emerged from the forest without making a sound. His expression was neutral, but his golden eyes gleamed with cold calculation.

The late Golden Core leader’s eyes narrowed behind his mask. "Who are you? This doesn’t concern you. Leave now if you value your life."

"I’m just a passing traveler," Xian Tiandi replied evenly. "But I can’t ignore such a dishonorable scene."

One of the early Golden Core assassins scoffed. "You’re just Qi Condensation Realm. Leave before you get hurt, boy."

Xian Tiandi didn’t move. "Qi Condensation? Yes. But that doesn’t mean I can’t interfere."

The princess, still backed against the cliff, stared at this newcomer with confusion and a flicker of desperate hope.

Who was this young man?

Why would he risk his life for her?

Besides, isn’t he too...weak?

The leader assassin’s patience ran out. "Kill him. Quickly. Then finish the princess. We’ve wasted enough time."

Two of the assassins—both early Golden Core—turned toward Xian Tiandi and attacked immediately.

One thrust a sword forward, the blade glowing with dark spiritual energy. The other circled around, preparing to attack from the flank with twin daggers.

They moved fast, clearly intending to end this quickly. A mere Qi Condensation cultivator shouldn’t last more than a single exchange.

Xian Tiandi’s response was equally fast.

He sidestepped the sword thrust with the Phantom Moon Steps technique, his figure blurring into afterimages. The sword passed through empty air.

The dagger-wielder attacked from behind, both blades aiming for vital points.

*Swish! Swish!*

Xian Tiandi spun, his hand moving in a complex pattern. Chaos Qi erupted from his palm in a defensive burst that deflected both daggers off course.

Then he counterattacked.

His fist shot forward, enhanced by both Martial Force and Chaos Qi. The combination created power far beyond what a normal Qi Condensation cultivator could produce.

Xian Tiandi had perfected his techniques in the past time. He knew exactly how critically attack Golden Core Realm Cultivators.

*Boom!*

The punch hit the sword-wielder’s hastily raised guard. The man’s defensive technique shattered.