The moon hung high, casting a pale glow over the quiet streets. Dark figures moved like ghosts, surrounding the small inn where Wu Chen and Li Wei stayed.
Inside, Wu Chen remained seated, sipping his tea as if the encroaching danger was nothing more than a passing breeze.
Li Wei gripped his fists tightly. "Teacher… should we escape now?"
Wu Chen gave him a calm glance. "Escape?" He chuckled lightly. "They're the ones who should be worrying about that."
Li Wei's heart pounded. His master wasn't worried at all. Was he truly this confident?
Suddenly
CRASH!
The inn's doors burst open, and over a dozen black-robed figures rushed in. Their leader, a middle-aged man with a scarred face, sneered.
"Kid, you've got guts walking around so openly. Unfortunately, it ends tonight."
Li Wei tensed, stepping closer to Wu Chen. But his teacher? He merely placed his teacup down without a hint of panic.
The scar-faced man's smile faltered. Something felt wrong.
Wu Chen looked up, his expression unreadable. "You talk too much."
WHOOSH!
Before anyone could react, Wu Chen casually waved his hand.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted—not a technique, not an aura release, just a simple movement.
Yet the closest five attackers were sent flying, crashing into walls like ragdolls.
Silence.
The remaining assailants froze in horror.
The scar-faced man's face turned pale. "Y-You—!"
Wu Chen stood up slowly.
"I'll give you one chance." His voice was indifferent. "Leave."
The attackers hesitated. This boy had barely moved, yet five of their strongest had been instantly defeated.
One disciple panicked and turned to flee—
CRACK!
Wu Chen flicked a finger. A pebble from the ground shot forward like a bullet, striking the fleeing man's knee. He collapsed with a scream.
Wu Chen's calm voice filled the room.
"I said you had one chance. You just wasted it."
Then the True Fear Begins
The attackers felt a cold chill run down their spines. This wasn't an ordinary youth.
The scar-faced leader clenched his teeth. "We are from the Heavenly Blade Sect! If you kill us, you'll be making an enemy of—"
BOOM!
Wu Chen kicked the table forward, and before the leader could react, the wooden slab slammed into his chest, sending him flying into the street.
The remaining disciples panicked and scrambled backward.
Wu Chen walked forward at a casual pace, his presence sending waves of invisible pressure despite his aura being completely hidden.
"If you don't value your lives, keep talking," he said.
That was all it took.
The survivors dropped their weapons and fled in terror, dragging their unconscious comrades as they disappeared into the night.
Li Wei stared in shock. "Teacher… you barely did anything, and they ran like rabbits!"
Wu Chen sighed. "Sometimes, a lesson is best taught with fear rather than death."
Li Wei nodded in admiration. His teacher wasn't just strong—he was calculating.
However, Wu Chen's eyes remained sharp.
"This is only the beginning," he murmured. "The real trouble starts now."
Wu Chen knows, they won't just stop but may even come prepared
....Heavenly Blade Sect
At the sect's headquarters, Lin Yufeng waited impatiently. But when his men finally returned, injured, shaken, and speechless, his face darkened.
"You're telling me… he didn't even use a technique?"
The scar-faced man, still clutching his ribs, nodded weakly.
The air inside the Heavenly Blade Sect's grand hall was tense with fury.
Lin Yufeng clenched his fists, his eyes filled with hatred. "That brat made a joke out of our men… This cannot go unanswered!"
The injured disciples knelt before him, their heads lowered in shame.
An elder sitting nearby tapped his cane against the floor. "We miscalculated. That boy is no ordinary rogue cultivator. We need someone who can crush him outright."
A deep chuckle echoed through the room.
"You need a hunter," a voice said.
Everyone turned as a tall, thin man with sharp eyes stepped forward. He wore a long, dark robe, and his cold gaze made even the strongest disciples shiver.
This was Wei Tian, a senior Mortal 3 Master and an assassin specializing in eliminating rising geniuses.
Lin Yufeng's anger turned into a smirk. "Perfect."
Wei Tian's lips curled into a predatory grin. "Where is he now?"
Lin Yufeng handed him a piece of paper. "He's still in the city."
Wei Tian glanced at the report once, then turned to leave. "By sunrise, he'll be dead."
Inside his inn room, Wu Chen sat in meditation, his eyes closed, relaxed .
Li Wei lay on his bed, still thinking about what had happened earlier. "Teacher… do you think they'll send someone stronger?"
Wu Chen smiled faintly. "They don't have a choice."
Li Wei gulped. "Then shouldn't we—"
TAP.
Wu Chen's eyes snapped open.
A presence had just entered the building.
Li Wei saw his expression change and tensed. "Teacher…?"
Wu Chen slowly stood up. "We have a visitor."
Outside the inn, Wei Tian moved like a shadow, his footsteps completely silent.
Inside, Wu Chen calmly picked up a teacup and poured himself a drink.
Wei Tian stepped into the room without making a sound, but just as he reached for his dagger—
CLINK.
Wu Chen gently placed his teacup down, the soft sound breaking the silence like a thunderclap.
Wei Tian froze. He had been noticed?!
Wu Chen's voice was calm. "Since you're already here, why not sit down?"
Wei Tian's cold eyes narrowed. "You noticed me?"
Wu Chen chuckled, completely unfazed. "Noticing you wasn't the hard part. I was just wondering how long you'd hesitate before making your move."
Wei Tian's expression darkened. This boy is dangerous.
But he didn't respond. Instead—
WHOOSH!
Wei Tian vanished, reappearing behind Wu Chen in an instant.
SHNK!
His dagger shot forward, aiming straight for Wu Chen's heart!
THUD.
The sound of impact filled the room.
But…
The dagger had stopped mid-air.
Wei Tian's eyes widened in shock. Wu Chen had caught the blade between two fingers—with no effort at all.
Wu Chen sighed. "So predictable."
With a flick of his fingers—
CRACK!
The dagger snapped in half.
Wei Tian staggered backward, his mind reeling.
"Impossible!"
Before he could react further—
BOOM!
Wu Chen casually flicked his wrist, and a powerful force slammed into Wei Tian's chest, sending him crashing through the wooden wall and out into the alley.
Wei Tian struggled to stand, blood dripping from his mouth. He was a Mortal 3 Master! How was this possible?!
Wu Chen stepped out of the broken inn wall, dusting off his sleeves. "Is that all?"
Wei Tian gritted his teeth and forced himself to move, disappearing into the shadows.
Wu Chen watched him flee, his expression indifferent.
Li Wei ran to his side, still stunned. "Teacher, why didn't you kill him?"
Wu Chen chuckled. "Because now, they'll truly be afraid."