After quickly packing some things and tidying up his appearance, Shen Xiang set off alone towards the Wang City. With his strength, he believed that as long as he didn't encounter anyone above the eighth level of the Mortal Martial Realm, he wouldn't be in much danger. After all, there weren't many such experts in the entire South Martial Kingdom, so Shen Tianhu was quite assured about his safety.
Wang City was quite far from Wo Hu City, requiring at least five to six days of travel. However, there would be little danger along the way, unless he recklessly wandered into the deep mountains and forests where demonic beasts often roamed.
"Kid, don't rush to enter those martial arts sects; the competition is extremely fierce. Without absolute strength, you'll only be humiliated inside!" Bai Youyou said coldly.
"Got it, Youyou sister!" Shen Xiang felt a warmth in his heart; it was rare for the icy beauty Bai Youyou to offer him advice.
At this moment, Shen Xiang had already left Wo Hu City and entered the wilderness. It was his first time away from Wo Hu City, and he felt a rush of excitement, but he remained vigilant.
As dusk fell and the sky darkened, Shen Xiang arrived at the edge of a forest, walking along a muddy path when he suddenly sensed movement behind him.
"Damn it, something's following me, and it's not just one!" Shen Xiang cursed inwardly while heightening his guard, channeling his true energy into his limbs, ready to attack or evade at any moment.
"Don't panic, just let them show themselves. If you can't handle them, run. With your Vermilion Bird Fire Wings, escaping should be easy," Su Meiyao communicated with him.
Shen Xiang replied with his divine sense, "I'm not panicking; I'm just annoyed that they've been trailing me for so long. Did they follow me all the way from Wo Hu City?"
"How useless! You let them follow you for so long!" Bai Youyou derided, which only added to Shen Xiang's annoyance.
Turning around, Shen Xiang coldly shouted, "How long are you going to follow me? Show yourselves!"
No sooner had he shouted than five figures clad in black and wearing masks appeared around him. He had previously helped a member of the Xue family deal with these black-clad assassins, but he didn't expect to encounter them himself.
The five black-clad figures revealed only their eyes, which looked calm and experienced. As soon as they appeared, without a word, they drew out black blades from their storage bags, channeling true energy into them and leaping towards Shen Xiang simultaneously.
The five assassins attacked decisively, quick and fierce, but at that instant, Shen Xiang's eyes flared with flames. His body heated up as the Vermilion Bird true energy surged into his arms, and a long fiery whip manifested in his right hand. With a swift flick of the whip, he lashed out at the five approaching assassins, igniting their clothes in an instant.
The five assassins had no choice but to abandon their attack, retreating to avoid the flames that were consuming their garments. This fire was more powerful than any they had encountered before.
Shen Xiang wore a cold smile as he struck one assassin on the head with the fiery whip. Upon impact, an explosion occurred, erupting in a flash of fire, reducing the assassin's head to ashes.
The Vermilion Bird true fire was no ordinary flame; it was a force condensed from practicing divine skills, possessing immense power.
With another swing of the fiery whip, Shen Xiang struck down three more assassins in the blink of an eye. In the face of his whip, the assassins were as fragile as tofu; they were easily cut down.
Only those with a sufficiently strong divine sense could condense true energy into such a formidable weapon!
"Do you have a way to make this guy talk?" Shen Xiang asked as he captured one of the black-clad assassins, but the assassin refused to say anything.
Bai Youyou coldly chuckled and replied, "You've asked the right person. Follow my method: press your hand on his head, condense your divine sense, and then divide it into six parts, directing it into six different points on his head."
Shen Xiang immediately complied, finding it straightforward, and soon saw results as the assassin's eyes grew vacant, devoid of life and resistance.
"Now, ask him again," Bai Youyou instructed.
Impressed by her mysterious skills, Shen Xiang asked the black-clad assassin, "Who sent you to kill me?"
"Seventh Elder of the Yao Family!" the assassin responded in a mechanical voice.
Shen Xiang's eyes narrowed, a hint of malice flashing through them. He didn't expect it to be the Medicine Family behind this. He continued to inquire, "Where is he now?"
"On the way to Wang City," the assassin replied.
Shen Xiang grabbed the assassin by his collar and asked, "Are you assassins targeting members of those noble families?"
The assassin answered, "Yes."
Shen Xiang's expression grew serious, shocked by the revelation that the Medicine Family was responsible for this.
"Why is the Yao Family targeting the noble families attending the banquet?" Shen Xiang asked.
"I don't know!" the assassin replied.
After a few more unproductive questions, Shen Xiang killed the assassin and set the bodies ablaze.
By the time night fell completely, the sky was filled with stars. Suddenly, a flash of red light streaked across the sky, resembling a shooting star, but shooting stars don't fly horizontally.
It was Shen Xiang, who had unleashed his Vermilion Bird Fire Wings, flying through the night to pursue the Seventh Elder of the Yao Family—the elder he had previously injured!
Releasing his true energy to form wings was not only highly taxing on his divine sense but also on his true energy. However, as he was practicing the Five Elements True Energy, the fire-based Vermilion Bird true energy he used now was still abundant within him.
It's worth noting that very few martial skills could transform true energy into wings. Such techniques were incredibly refined since true energy was released from the back, requiring precise control with divine sense. The wings acted like a bird's, leaving no room for error; otherwise, falling could be extremely dangerous. For martial artists, such techniques were regarded as treasures. Shen Xiang learned that even those martial arts sects rarely possessed them.
Thus, he needed to be especially careful while performing this technique, but he couldn't afford to think about that now. If others could send assassins after him, he could just as easily hunt down his enemies!