A cold spike of terror shot through the five assassins. What they had just witnessed was impossible. With a single, almost lazy grab, Jiang Dao had not only crushed their third brother's throat but had also turned his steel saber into a spray of metal confetti.
This wasn't a man. This was a monster.
"Physical reinforcement," the leader snarled, his voice tight with a mix of fury and dread. "His body is like forged iron. Forget technique—attack together and bring him down now!"
The spell of shock broke. With guttural roars, the remaining four men exploded into motion, their killing intent flaring like a physical aura as they threw themselves at Jiang Dao.
Jiang Dao met their charge with the cold indifference of a predator. He moved like a storm, the sheer force of his advance creating a pressure wave that stung their faces.
BOOM!
His fist met the tip of an oncoming spear. The weapon didn't just break; it disintegrated. The force traveled up the shaft, blowing it into splinters before his knuckles, heavy as stone, crashed into the wielder's chest. The man's ribs imploded as he was launched backward, his clothes shredding from the impact. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Without pausing, Jiang Dao swept his arm in a wide arc. His palm, broad and heavy, sliced through the air like he was swatting flies. Each impact was a sickening crunch of bone and sinew.
CRACK! CRACK!
Two more assassins went down. Their weapons shattered against his skin, useless. One had his skull caved in, the other his entire torso collapsed. Blood misted the air as their bodies were tossed aside like broken dolls.
The last assassin, seeing his comrades annihilated, made a desperate move. He flung a cloud of poisoned needles at Jiang Dao. But he was aiming at an afterimage. Jiang Dao had already moved, reappearing right in front of him.
An iron grip closed around the man's throat. There was a casual twist, a wet snap, and the man's head was torn clean from his shoulders. Blood erupted from the neck like a geyser as the headless body, driven by its last vestiges of momentum, stumbled a few more steps before collapsing in a heap.
The final two men froze. Their bravado, their training, their very will to fight—it all evaporated. They weren't looking at a martial artist. They were looking at a demon cloaked in human flesh.
"Ghost… he's a ghost!"
"Oh god, help me!"
They dropped their weapons and turned to run, their minds screaming with a primal need to escape.
But in a single, powerful leap, Jiang Dao's massive frame vaulted over them, landing with a solid thud that cut off their escape. He stood like an iron tower, his expression an unreadable mask of calm.
"So," he said, his voice dangerously low. "Who was it that wanted to borrow money?"
The two men completely fell apart. They collapsed to their knees, trembling uncontrollably as the stench of fear and urine filled the air. They began slamming their foreheads against the stone courtyard, the thuds echoing in the sudden silence.
"Mercy! We beg you, have mercy!"
"We were blind! We didn't know who we were dealing with! Please, spare our lives!"
They wailed, their pleas devolving into incoherent sobs as they cracked the flagstones with the force of their desperate kowtows, blood mixing with their tears.
A flicker of disgust crossed Jiang Dao's face. With two fluid, almost dismissive motions, the saber at his waist flashed out. Two heads rolled across the stones, and two more fountains of blood painted the courtyard red.
The silence that followed was absolute. Everyone watching was stunned, their hearts pounding. The Eldest Young Master's power was growing at a terrifying rate. This wasn't just strength; it was something bordering on the divine.
"Master Pang, are you alright?" Jiang Dao asked, his tone shifting completely as he turned to the injured guard.
"I'm fine," Pang Lin grunted, his face pale and slick with sweat. "Just a few cracked ribs. Nothing I can't handle."
"Father," Jiang Dao said, turning to Jiang Dalong. "Get the injured seen to."
"Right away, right away!" his father replied, quickly ordering men to tend to the wounded and clear the gruesome remains. He had no intention of asking who the assassins were. As far as he was concerned, they were common bandits, and killing them was a service, not a crime. Even the authorities wouldn't be able to argue.
"Dao'er, I have news!" his father said suddenly, his expression lighting up. "About what you asked me to look into."
"You found a place for me to train?" Jiang Dao's eyes sharpened.
"I did. Our family's network paid off. It turns out you have a distant cousin in Qian Yuan City. He's connected to a group called the Fierce Flame Gang. They're a massive organization, nearly ten thousand strong, and they specialize in teaching martial arts. Their leaders are said to be absolute masters," Jiang Dalong explained. "I'll write a letter of introduction. Your cousin can get you in."
"The Fierce Flame Gang," Jiang Dao mused. "Good. Thank you, Father."
"Don't thank me," his father smiled. "But you need to be careful. Qian Yuan City isn't like this place. It's the biggest hub in the entire southern region, a crossroads of commerce and chaos. It's a viper's nest of factions and schemers. We've never been able to get a foothold there because it's just too volatile."
"I understand," Jiang Dao nodded. "I'll be ready to leave in two days."
"I'll have the letter ready," his father confirmed. "Oh, and about Biyu. The doctor said the yin energy in her system has left her too weak to travel. You should take a different maid."
"No need, Father," Jiang Dao said, shaking his head. "At my level, I don't need an attendant."
"But for your daily needs—"
"I'm going there to train, not to be comfortable. All I need is some silver."
"Well… if you're sure. I'll make the arrangements."
Jiang Dao retreated to the solitude of his room, his mind sinking back into the esoteric arts. He focused on the two disciplines he'd mastered: the Crazy Demon Cudgel Technique and the Blood Shadow Soul Chasing Saber. In his mind's eye, the two styles swirled, their principles clashing and then slowly, violently, merging into one.
Two days vanished in the blink of an eye.
When he finally opened his eyes, he was exhausted, but a satisfied smile touched his lips. He had done it.
The new, hybrid technique retained the core principles of [Swiftness] and [Malevolence] from the cudgel form, but it had also birthed something entirely new. A final, ultimate technique appeared in his mind: God of Slaughter's Single Strike.
The name said it all. It was an all-or-nothing gambit, a single, tide-turning blow that would unleash unimaginable power but would also drain him of more than half his strength. It was a move to be used only when failure was not an option. Miss, or fail to kill, and he would be left defenseless.
He focused inward, calling up the panel that quantified his existence. The names of the two martial arts blurred and faded, replaced by a single, powerful new entry.
Crazy Demon Blood Soul Saber [Modifiable]
Modify, he thought, pouring his will into the command.
The world seemed to fast-forward. Ten years of practice. Twenty. Thirty. The flood of information stopped abruptly. Decades of insight, experience, and muscle memory from mastering this new art poured into his mind, becoming an innate part of him.
Only thirty years? He wondered with a slight frown. It seems the more powerful the technique, the harder it is to push its limits. It made a certain kind of sense. The power he now held felt immense, almost limitless.
He took stock of his new reality.
Name: Jiang Dao
Strength: 3.8
Speed: 3.1
Spirit: 1.4
Martial Arts:
Crazy Demon Blood Soul Saber [Unmodifiable]
Eagle Claw Iron Cloth Shirt [Unmodifiable]
Longevity Formula [Unmodifiable]
Poison Sand Palm [Unmodifiable]
Just as he'd suspected, his Spirit had increased by another 0.1. Each fusion strengthened his mind, honing his focus, sharpening his senses, and quickening his reflexes. It was the edge that allowed him to perceive and react to threats before they even fully formed.
He stood up, feeling the new power humming in his veins.
"It's time for Qian Yuan City."