Hearing the loud laughter behind him, Donald turned around and looked at Kranos with a puzzled expression. Realizing he had let his emotions slip, Kranos quickly coughed and returned to his usual calm demeanor.
With a few steady strides, the two of them reached the training ground. As Kranos had predicted, the day's activities progressed much like the previous day. After Kranos completed the first set of sword techniques, Donald smiled and praised him. Seeing Kranos' tired expression, he instructed him to rest for thirty minutes.
However, instead of resting, Kranos leaned in and whispered something into Donald's ear. After speaking softly, he sat down to recover, then resumed training as if nothing had happened. Donald's expression remained unchanged, as though what Kranos had said was insignificant—but if one looked closely into his eyes, they would see a terrifying glint that could destroy heaven and earth.
…
Time flew by, and before long, Kranos had mastered all the lower-advanced sword techniques. Donald then began teaching him the upper-advanced techniques—the fifth stage of swordsmanship. This was only possible because Kranos had stepped into the first stage of the Time Condensation Realm.
Stepping into the realm caused the physical prowess of his body to be drastically improved to a large extent. And yes, he still retained his cultivation realm even after his rebirth, he could now perform three sword moves of the lower advanced sword technique without exhausting himself. Of course, he didn't reveal this fact, stopping at just two.
He was supposed to have just started learning sword arts, if he displayed all his sword techniques, suspicions would easily arise. He didn't want questions to be asked about him. Kranos loved being cautious in everything.
After learning the fifth-stage techniques, Kranos looked up and noticed that it was already around the same time as before, when his teacher had called off his training for the day.
"Kranos, that's all for today. I'll be going on a journey for the next month, so you must do your best to improve. When I return, I'll test you. If you impress me, I'll give you a gift," Donald said sincerely.
Kranos nodded in reply. "Don't worry, Teacher. Just be prepared to be shocked."
"Haha! I love your confidence, boy!" Donald laughed heartily, finding Kranos amusing. He believed it would be enough if Kranos could fully master the fourth stage of the Knight's Breathing and sword techniques. He didn't expect much from his student.
With those parting words, Donald vanished, leaving Kranos alone. Just like before, Kranos pretended to ponder for a while. Then, he sat down cross-legged and began advancing to the second stage of the Time Condensation Realm.
As he entered deep cultivation, a black shadow slowly crept up behind him. A slender sword appeared in its hand. It didn't attack right away but remained motionless—like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Kranos silently counted the seconds. He remembered precisely how long it had taken him to reach the first stage during his last attempt. After meditating for that exact duration, he deliberately acted exhausted. He stood up and stretched, feigning fatigue.
He then began walking slowly. The shadow followed behind. After a brief pause, it muttered inwardly, "Now!" and launched itself forward with lightning speed.
The moment the figure moved, Kranos felt that familiar sensation of before as clear as day, he couldn't help but say the same words as before, hoping to glean an answer from the assassin, "Who… who are you?"
"Me?" The figure answered with a chuckle, "I am just someone assigned to kill you." As soon as he finished speaking, in an instant, he was already standing in front of Kranos. Just as the blade was about to pierce Kranos' skin, an old cough resounded through the air.
"You want to kill this old man's student? I'm afraid you're quite ignorant."
Donald appeared, a gust of wind lifting the hem of his white robes. The long sword that was always beside him, which Kranos had never seen him draw out, was now in his hand as he muttered in a low voice, "Fifth Form."
Kranos couldn't help but be shocked. At that moment, his teacher looked like an unsheathed divine sword. It felt as if he could cut through mountains and rivers with a single stroke.
So this is how strong Teacher truly is?
Sensing danger, the assassin tried to pull back his strike—but it was too late. Besides, Why… why can't I move?! The assassin screamed inwardly. It only took a moment for the assassin to realize what had happened.
Old Man Don! It is Old Man Don. When did he arrive? How did he know I would attempt to assassinate the boy? When did he find out? The assassin was extremely shocked, he couldn't believe it.
Wait, could it be that moment? Suddenly, the assassin remembered the moment when Kranos had whispered something to Donald. He hadn't paid much attention to it back then, but now, thinking carefully... this boy knew—he definitely knew everything that happened, but how? Also, what's that smirk at the corner of his lips? Just what sort of terrifying monster have I encountered?
Eric… Oh, Eric, it seems you have finally met your match. That was the last thought the assassin had before a flash of sword light severed his head.
With the crisis over, Kranos let out a deep sigh of relief. "Thank you for your help, Teacher," he said gratefully.
He had devised three possible plans.
The first was to skip training and report the matter to his parents. While it had its advantages, the disadvantages far outweighed them. There was no guarantee the assassin would follow him home. If not, Kranos would still have a killer lurking in the shadows, and he wouldn't know when or how death would strike again. And there was no certainty he could Rebirth a second time.
His second plan involved detonating the orb of time, which he had just condensed, but again, the risks were too high. Doing so would erase his current cultivation realm, forcing him to start over. And it was still unknown if it would kill the assassin, he didn't want to take the risk.
That left only the third plan—informing his teacher. Among the options, this was the only one where the benefits outweighed the drawbacks. Although the mastermind would remain in hiding, it would only be a matter of time before they were caught.
Kranos could still recall the words of his teacher. After he told him that someone would assassinate him tonight, his teacher just told him to continue with his day; he would take care of everything.
Donald didn't answer Kranos' thanks immediately, instead, he gave the boy a deep, thoughtful look. For the first time, Donald truly felt that the boy was truly mysterious. Watching the boy's white hair flutter in the night breeze, he couldn't help but feel curious.
But he knew that everyone had their secrets. There was no need to pry into the secrets of the boy. He nodded to Kranos and vanished. He had to inform Kranos' parents that someone had attempted to assassinate their son. Of course, before leaving, he left a clone with the boy—just in case.
Right, just in case.