The three assassins surrounded me in a standard combat formation. I remained calm as I stared at each of them. My hands were behind my back, and my foot shifted slightly. A small circle of fire surrounded me, acting as both a protective and territorial measure.
The one in front was the first to speak.
"You'd better not resist. We'll avoid killing you, but we still have to inflict some serious damage and ruin your face. However, accidents do happen."
He spoke in a threatening, hostile tone, and wind energy coated his dagger.
"Oh? So the marquis's daughter has grown bold to this extent? Or perhaps one of the princes? Maybe the count's revenge?"
I asked with curiosity. None of those forces would dare to kill me under normal circumstances. Even this attempt was quite risky, which suggested it was likely the act of a reckless young noble. The prince and the count's son were unlikely culprits, making the girl the most probable answer.
As I controlled the flames, they flared up around me.
"It's Yana, isn't it? Were you hired?"
But there was no response. Instead, the assassin behind me dashed forward, his body enveloped in water energy. His entire form was heavily coated in it.
His dagger moved in a singular motion, and an image of something resembling a swordfish appeared behind him as the water around him sharpened.
I raised my fingers, and flames surged upward, blocking my enemies' vision.
The approaching assassin, arrogant in his confidence, saw his attack penetrate the flames and accelerated, ready to kill me. His dagger was aimed directly at my head. I smiled softly.
My body, infused with light energy, dodged effortlessly, taking my enemy by surprise.
A powerful sense of danger seemed to trigger his instincts, and he tried to retreat, but it was already too late.
My finger shone like a star and moved at high speed. In an instant, it pierced his neck, killing him on the spot.
I had used one of my sword techniques in a condensed form, applied as a finger strike.
'Cosmic Sword: Falling Star.'
As his body collapsed, I kicked it toward the weakest assassin behind me while my left hand controlled the flames, sending a wave of fire toward the enemy in front. He defended himself with a wind barrier, which gradually diverted and weakened the flames.
But it was enough.
The enemy behind me was momentarily distracted by his comrade being thrown at him.
I appeared beside him, using light energy to enhance my physical abilities. My hand struck forward in a sharp punch, infused with light.
Unlike the first assassin, who had no chance to react, this one managed to block my attack, though his arm was injured in the process. More importantly, his movement played right into my plan.
Snapping my fingers, light burst out, disrupting the enemy's perception.
Before he could react, Umbra emerged from my shadow. Its sharp claws pierced his heart, eliminating him instantly before retreating seamlessly into my shadow.
Neither the Qi Condensation Realm ninth-stage enemy nor the hidden opponent sensed what had happened.
Another enemy down.
I stretched my body slightly and turned to face the "last" one.
"Do you still want to fight?"
This time, my sword appeared in my right hand. The person in front of me glared fiercely.
"You hid your cultivation level."
Now that my Qi Condensation Realm ninth-stage base was evident, the enemy realized the danger he was in. He was facing an opponent of equal strength.
He sprinted forward at high speed, empowered by the wind, his dagger moving with extreme sharpness. My body became enveloped in light energy, and I used the fundamental style of my sword art.
The enemy wielded a wind-based martial technique, giving him a speed advantage. I could only keep up because my understanding of the light element surpassed his grasp of wind. Light also provided certain speed benefits compared to wind. Moreover, even though our cultivation bases were the same, my quality of Qi and physical prowess were superior.
We exchanged several blows in mere seconds, with neither gaining the upper hand. Frustrated, the enemy made his first decisive move.
His left hand formed a small tornado and lunged toward me. Sensing the danger, my left hand gathered fire and light energy to counter his attack.
Jumping back, he glared at me.
"I definitely… don't remember you having fire abilities. The contractor didn't even give us proper intel..."
Hearing his words, I smirked and increased my Qi output.
He was startled by my sudden speed boost and swiftly swung his dagger. A tornado spun around him in a defensive formation.
My sword shone with intense starlight and light energy. With a cutting motion, a cross-like constellation appeared in front of him. The superior technique quickly shattered his wind defense, leaving a deep gash in his body.
I seized the opportunity, transferring all my light energy to restrain him while my sword advanced toward his head.
But in the middle of my attack—
I leaped and spun in the air like a constellation.
A dark energy strike hit me, launching me backward.
I stumbled but landed steadily. The attack had been an arrow made of dark energy.
"The final enemy," I muttered as I saw him appear, carrying a beautiful bow.
A sharp pain throbbed in my shoulder.
An opponent with an entire cultivation realm advantage was still a difficult fight. Worse, he wielded the rare darkness element.
"You seem far stronger than reported, making me lose my men and even detecting my presence. Tsk."
I couldn't see him clearly beyond his bow, the immense pressure he exuded, and the dark energy enveloping his body.
"I could explain, but let's finish this."
The wounded enemy, struggling to contain his blood loss and taking pills to recover, sensed overwhelming danger—just as the archer did. Unfortunately, he couldn't save his ally.
Icicles materialized in the air and shot toward his body.
The sudden threat forced him to defend himself, especially as sharp light arrows followed from the opposite side. A barrier of dark energy absorbed and nullified the incoming attacks.
"Arrghhh!" His ally's scream reached him.
A dark fox emerged, severing his head with a single claw strike infused with dense shadow and darkness energy.
The archer glared at me with immense bloodlust and pressure, though I could sense his wariness beneath it.
He looked between me and the two foxes standing at my side—one bluish-white like ice and the other dark as shadows.
"A beast tamer… with two creatures at the peak of the eighth realm… and worse, with rare, evolved water and darkness elements."
"You seem like a serious threat I need to eliminate."
His voice was emotionless as he swiftly raised his bow. A barrage of dark arrows rained down on me, each one resembling the head of a black serpent, almost lifelike.
I remained calm and didn't move.
Instead, my companions acted.
One created walls of ice and snow, while the other summoned shadows and darkness, slashing rapidly with its claws to protect me.
Their combined defenses overpowered my enemy's attack.
Frustrated, he shifted his gaze between my pets and me, never losing track of my position.
However, when he searched for me again—
He saw me walking lightly toward the wall.
Confusion flickered in his eyes, but soon enough, he would understand.