"Direct Strike to the Heart"
In the silent night sky enveloped by silver light, a crisp and clear shout suddenly erupted.
An agile figure darted back and forth among the swaying sandbags, effortlessly dodging left and right, unaffected by their movement.
In the next instant, the figure stopped between two swaying sandbags, misstepped with the left foot and fiercely kicked out with the right, leaving a blurred afterimage that powerfully struck the sandbag.
With a muffled "thump," the sandbag was sent flying back at an even greater speed, crashing into the opposite one.
"Puff" - At the moment of impact, the burlap of the sandbag split open like a spider web and burst apart, spilling sand all over the ground.
As the sandbag ruptured, two more approached from the left and right. The figure leapt into the air.
"Sweeping Thousands of Troops"
Spinning rapidly in the air, legs outstretched, leaving trails of afterimages, the figure's "thump," "thump" kicks made the struck sandbags explode. The sand within scattered everywhere, yet it did not obstruct the view of the figure in the center of the area.
Just before touching the ground, a single hand struck the earth, propelling the body in a sudden forward flight, bypassing the swaying sandbags above.
"General's Chariot"
Tapping the ground lightly with the left foot, the right leg shot upward in a powerful arc, the body inverted with the left hand supporting, legs spiraling. The surrounding swaying sandbags were all blasted apart by the tremendous force of the kicks.
Looking at the scattered sand, Ye Han in the center of the area gave a slight smile. His movement techniques had become more refined, and his legwork showed accomplishment. His current strength should be close to that of a third-tier swordsman in the middle phase on the continent. Against a mage, as long as he could seize the right moment, he should be able to fight even a late third-tier mage. With absolute speed, a mage would have no room to exercise their powers.
Ye Han gazed at the crescent moon in the sky, calculating the time he had been practicing. It had been almost 10 months, and he had finally achieved something, about to stand firm in this world, no longer to be bullied. In two more months, it would be his Rite, when many would want to kill him, to eliminate the shame of the Helian family, and for the words he had spoken that day.
"No, I need to strengthen my power. The coordination between my body and consciousness is nearly perfect now. That's right, in the memories of Infernal Prison, there are short sword techniques used by assassins that require this coordination and not internal power. What's needed is speed. It's perfect for me to practice. After using leg techniques to get close to the enemy, a quick draw of the sword would be unexpected to anyone."
Ye Han returned to his room, sitting down to sift through the memories of Infernal Prison until he found an assassin's sword technique called "Hidden Sword Scripture." It emphasized rapid sword strikes and retraction, silent in its draw, windless in its sheath, and clean and tidy in its kills.
"I will go out and buy a short sword tomorrow. There are two more months left." After refining his body with the yin energy of the moon for nearly a year, he had reached the saturation point of his body and could now withstand the sun for a period.
Walking on the bustling streets, amidst the noise of carriages and the clamor of vendors, people jostled shoulder to shoulder. Many businessmen came here to trade magic cores, making the city of Kelth, on the western edge of the Fenshui Empire, more prosperous.
Magical beasts were another group on the Qingming continent, apart from humans and dragons. Beasts above the third level produced magic cores, which were their energy crystals filled with pure natural energy. This energy was coveted by every sword and magic practitioner, allowing direct absorption into the body, transforming and merging with one's energy, rapidly improving one's cultivation.
The Helian family's city was near the Transverse Mountain Range, where magical beasts were densest, attracting countless swordsmen and mages to hunt them for profit.
Magic cores not only rapidly enhanced one's cultivation but also could be inlaid in weapons and armor. Regardless of whether it was a weapon or armor, the enhancement would significantly increase its destructive and defensive power, improving one's combat ability and chances of survival. Therefore, magic cores were highly sought after on the continent.
Under such circumstances, magic cores were always in short supply, while lower-level cores were commonly seen. High-level cores were snapped up by great families or powerful experts at high prices as soon as they appeared in shops or auctions.
The high cost of magic cores meant many people took
up the profession of hunting magical beasts for their cores. These individuals were known as mercenaries on the continent, working solo or in teams. Over time, a guild formed, the Mercenaries' Guild.
Initially, the guild only posted tasks for magic cores, but it later evolved to accept any mission on the continent. Mercenaries no longer earned coins solely by hunting magical beasts.
However, hunting magical beasts remained a favorite task of the guild and the mercenaries. Obtaining a magic core was not simple. The strength and ferocity of magical beasts, along with their unique talents, often made them stronger than humans of the same stage, resulting in countless deaths each year.
As such, the price of magic cores remained high and in great demand on the continent.
Ye Han meandered aimlessly down the streets, and the people who saw him pointed and whispered.
The shame of the Helian family was no secret, and white hair was the mark of the Helian family's disgrace. Ye Han ignored the pointing fingers. Suddenly, he noticed a shop emitting blue smoke. Curious, he approached and saw an old storefront with a signboard that bore the faded letters "Keli Weapon Shop."
Ye Han stepped into the weapon shop and saw a few people haggling with the shopkeeper. No one came to greet him, so he walked over to the weapon rack to browse. After looking around, he felt a sense of disappointment; there were no weapons that caught his eye.
Behind the counter, an apparently near-sighted shopkeeper noticed Ye Han's look of disappointment and hurried over.
"May I ask, young master, which one caught your eye?"
"There are many weapons here, but none that I want."
"Oh? What kind of weapon does the young master seek?"
"A short sword, one foot long and two fingers wide, sharpened on both edges."
"Ah, that kind? Yes, we have that."
"Then why didn't I see it?"
"That kind of weapon is rarely used now. Only assassins typically use them, so it's hard to sell. We usually keep it stored away."
"Alright, bring it out for me to see."
After Ye Han spoke, the old shopkeeper walked to the back door and returned shortly with a two-foot-long brocade box. He gave Ye Han a look and a faint smile, placed the box on the table, gently opened it, and stepped back. "Please look."
Ye Han approached the table, gently lifted the short sword wrapped in black cloth from the brocade box, unwrapped the cloth, and saw an ancient-looking scabbard. Yet, the sword felt as light as a feather in his hand. He drew the sword lightly; it was thin as paper and emitted a sharp aura that made Ye Han's soul tremble slightly.
"Good, may I ask how much for this short sword?" The sword was light and hard, thoroughly black, exactly what Ye Han was looking for.
"Heh, this was the weapon of slaughter used by the King of Assassins, Theodore, twenty years ago. It followed him throughout his life and killed countless people." The old shopkeeper looked at the short sword in Ye Han's hand, seeming lost in thought, which gave Ye Han an indescribable feeling.
Watching the shopkeeper's reaction, Ye Han began to scrutinize the old man more closely. At first glance, he seemed no different from a regular old man, but when he mentioned the King of Assassins, Theodore, a spark flashed in his eyes, though it didn't escape Ye Han's notice. Looking at his hands, although wrinkled, they didn't seem to match his apparent age.
"Could he be..." Ye Han frowned deeply, and the old man, noticing Ye Han's action, instantly reverted to his earlier appearance, feigning frailty and withdrawing his hands into his sleeves. But in that moment of retraction, Ye Han saw something significant and became even more certain of his thoughts.
"Hehe, I've become talkative in my old age, please forgive me," the old shopkeeper said with a bow.
"Not at all, how much for this sword?" Ye Han asked respectfully.
"Why does the young master wish to purchase this sword?" The shopkeeper was no longer disguising his intent, though he didn't make it explicit. However, he looked at Ye Han with a hint of admiration.
"To kill, for self-defense," Ye Han stated firmly.