The sun had barely broken through the mist above the Black Forest when the ground trembled.
Beasts fled in panic. Trees bent as if bowing to something unseen.
Lin Feng stood atop a ridge, his robe fluttering softly in the morning wind. The aftermath of the dragon blood still surged within him — pure, violent, divine. His body was a storm contained in human form.
Fatty sat nearby, gnawing on a roasted leg of spirit beast. "Boss, ever since you absorbed that dragon blood, your aura has been scaring even the birds away," he said with a grin.
Lin Feng smirked faintly. "If birds fear me, assassins will too."
But even as he spoke, his eyes flickered toward the horizon. The forest was unnaturally still — too still. The silence was heavy, suffocating.
Sun Mei, who had been meditating nearby, opened her eyes. "Someone's watching us," she whispered.
Lin Feng nodded slowly. "Three of them. Concealed in the shadows ahead. Their killing intent is faint, but precise."
Fatty frowned and tossed aside his food. "Who dares target us here? Even beasts run from this place."
"The Assassination Hall," Lin Feng said flatly. "They never miss their targets."
The name alone was enough to make Fatty's expression pale.
"The Assassination Hall? Those lunatics who kill geniuses for bounty tokens?"
"Yes," Lin Feng replied. "After I killed Qin Xiao, someone must've put a price on my head. They won't stop until either I die — or they do."
A faint rustle swept through the trees.
The first strike came silently — a black arrow that tore through the air faster than sound. Lin Feng tilted his head slightly. The arrow grazed his cheek and embedded itself in a boulder behind him, detonating with a thunderous boom.
"Move!" Lin Feng barked.
In the blink of an eye, three figures appeared, dressed in black robes with crimson masks etched with strange runes. Their presence was like death itself — no emotion, no hesitation, only purpose.
"Target confirmed," the leader said coldly. "Lin Feng of the Eastern Continent. Bounty: two hundred thousand spirit stones. Alive or dead — preferably dead."
Fatty clenched his fists. "Two hundred thousand?! Boss, you're worth more than an entire sect treasury!"
"Good," Lin Feng said, drawing his sword. "That means killing them will be worth the effort."
The assassins moved as one — silent, fluid, deadly. One appeared above Lin Feng, dagger coated in dark qi; another flashed behind Sun Mei; the third vanished completely into shadow.
But Lin Feng's perception was beyond mortal. His dragon blood resonated, allowing him to sense even the tremor of killing intent.
He pivoted, parrying the dagger with a metallic ring, then countered with a thrust that split the air. Sparks flew as the assassin was forced back several steps, shock flashing in his cold eyes.
"His reaction speed… it's monstrous."
The second assassin lunged toward Sun Mei, blades crossing like fangs.
"Sun Mei, duck!" Lin Feng commanded.
She dropped instantly as a wave of sword energy flew past her, cleaving the assassin's mask cleanly in half. The man screamed as his body split and dissolved into ashes.
The third assassin — still hidden — finally struck. His shadow extended beneath Lin Feng's feet like living ink, and from it emerged a dozen spectral blades aimed straight for Lin Feng's heart.
"Shadow Dao?" Lin Feng muttered, eyes flashing. "Interesting."
The blades converged —
But Lin Feng's dragon mark ignited, releasing an aura so immense that the entire forest trembled.
"Nine-Headed Dragon Domain!"
A translucent dragon coiled around him, its heads roaring in unison. The shadow blades shattered the instant they touched its scales. The hidden assassin was yanked out of the void, coughing blood.
Lin Feng's sword gleamed once.
"Die."
The assassin's body burst into fragments of light.
The last remaining assassin stared in horror. His composure cracked for the first time. "You… you monster!"
Lin Feng stepped forward, aura pressing down like a mountain. "Go back and tell your Hall: next time, send someone stronger."
Before the assassin could move, Lin Feng raised his palm — and fire erupted. The man screamed once before disintegrating into cinders.
Silence returned to the forest.
Fatty let out a long breath. "Boss… I think you just declared war on the entire Assassination Hall."
Lin Feng sheathed his sword. "They declared it first."
He turned to Sun Mei and Fatty, his expression softening. "This world isn't kind to the weak. You both have potential, but staying with me will only put you in greater danger."
Sun Mei's eyes widened. "You mean… we're parting ways?"
"For now," Lin Feng said quietly. "You must temper yourselves — fight, bleed, grow. Strength earned through your own will never betray you."
Fatty clenched his fists. "Boss, we can fight too! We're not afraid of assassins."
Lin Feng smiled faintly. "I know. That's why I'm giving you these."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out two talismans — each glowing faintly, etched with golden runes that pulsed like heartbeats.
He handed one to Sun Mei and the other to Fatty.
"These are Dragon Seal Talismans," Lin Feng said. "I refined them using the leftover energy of the True Dragon's blood. They're bound to my soul. If you crush them in danger, they'll release a fragment of my qi to protect you — once."
Fatty held his talisman reverently. "Boss, this must've taken days to create…"
"Only a night," Lin Feng said. "But it cost a bit of my life force. Don't waste it."
Sun Mei stared at the glowing talisman, her heart heavy. "Where will you go?"
Lin Feng looked toward the horizon, where clouds gathered like mountains. "The opening of the inner black forest ruins will open soon. I must enter it and obtain the golden core pill"
Fatty stepped forward, eyes glinting. "When we meet again, I'll be strong enough to fight beside you."
Lin Feng smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'll be waiting inside the ruins"
The three stood together for a moment — the wind whispering through the trees, carrying the scent of battle and destiny. Then, without another word, they turned different ways.
Sun Mei vanished into the forest's eastern trails, her aura flickering like the rising sun.
Fatty took the northern path, his laughter echoing faintly before fading into silence.
Lin Feng stood alone beneath the crimson sky.
He closed his eyes briefly, feeling the faint pulse of the dragon blood within his veins.
"The Assassination Hall… and whoever's pulling their strings," he murmured. "I'll find you soon enough."
A gust of wind swept past him, scattering the ashes of his fallen enemies.
When he opened his eyes again, they glowed faintly gold — the gaze of a predator at the top of the food chain.
He stepped forward, each movement silent and deliberate. His aura faded completely, merging into the world.
Above him, the clouds darkened — as though the heavens themselves sensed that something terrible was about to rise.
And far away, in a shadowed hall lined with skulls, an old man in a black robe opened his eyes.
"So," he whispered, his voice cold as the grave. "Lin Feng survived. Kill orders stand. Double the bounty — five hundred thousand spirit stones. Bring me his head."
The candlelight flickered. The hunt had just begun.