Xiongba, a man brimming with self-importance, firmly believed he was destined to rule as king, a fate foretold by the Clay Buddha's prophecy.
In his mind, he had already cast himself as the world's central figure. Why else would he boldly challenge the Sword Saint in front of everyone, aiming to boost his reputation across the martial world?
Tonight, he resolved to test Alex's martial arts prowess. But nothing could have prepared him for the encounter with a mysterious old man. Even more shocking, his strike landed squarely on the stranger, yet the old man stood unharmed.
Could such a master truly exist? How had Xiongba never heard whispers of him before?
"Who is this old man? What ties him to Alex? Is there some hidden scheme behind Alex joining the World Alliance?"
Stunned by Di Shitian's incredible skill, Xiongba's thoughts spiraled. Conveniently, he overlooked the fact that he had strong-armed Alex into the World Alliance himself.
"Hehehe, you've struck me three times. Now, how about you face my palm strike?" Di Shitian teased, a playful grin spreading across his face. To him, Xiongba was little more than a plaything.
Though Di Shitian kept his true power hidden from Alex, he saw no harm in toying with an assassin.
Retreat!
After hitting his opponent three times with no effect, Xiongba's confidence shattered. Fight Di Shitian? He wouldn't dare. With a swift leap, he turned to flee.
But escaping Di Shitian was no simple task. The old man merely lifted a hand, and instantly, Xiongba felt an overwhelming force pulling him back, his body drawn toward Di Shitian against his will.
The sheer might of a thousand years of cultivation drained the color from Xiongba's face.
"What's happening?" A graceful figure stepped forward, her voice calm yet curious. It was Luo Xian.
She had been resting in Duanlang's room, not far from Alex's, where Di Shitian was staying. As Alex's disciple, Duanlang's quarters were close by, so the commotion naturally caught her attention.
A true expert can read the outcome in a single move.
Though Di Shitian hadn't yet unleashed his full power, the effortless skill of seizing objects mid-air left Xiongba reeling. He knew he was outmatched.
Then he spotted Luo Xian, a young woman, and assumed she must be connected to the old man. His eyes narrowed. Drawing a deep breath, he lunged toward her.
His plan? Take her hostage.
"Courting death!" Luo Xian's gaze sharpened as she saw Xiongba, cloaked in dark night clothes, charging at her. With a flick of her delicate, jade-like finger, she pointed straight at him.
"Hmph, foolish girl, daring to challenge me…" Xiongba sneered inwardly, noting her youth.
If he couldn't defeat the strange old man, surely a young woman posed no threat?
The thought had barely formed when Xiongba felt the massive energy in his palm pierced clean through. At the same instant, a ferocious surge of power blasted into his arm, crushing everything in its path.
Beyond the searing pain, terror gripped him as he realized his arm bone had shattered.
Storm God Kick!
No longer caring about concealing his identity, Xiongba unleashed the Storm God Kick, darting away at lightning speed.
In the same motion, he swung his Cloud-Dispelling Palm, smashing a rockery in the courtyard to pieces.
The deafening crash alerted the disciples of the Divine Martial Hall, who swiftly surrounded the area.
"Huh? Is that Xiongba?" Di Shitian muttered, caught off guard as he watched the figure escape with the Storm God Kick and shatter the rockery to create a distraction.
An ordinary assassin wouldn't make such a racket on purpose. And that Storm God Kick? It confirmed Xiongba's identity beyond doubt.
"Master, our skills are exposed. Should we hunt him down and silence him?" Luo Xian asked, her tone steady as she identified the fleeing man.
"No need," Di Shitian replied with a casual wave. "Xiongba came skulking in night clothes. He won't want anyone knowing he was here, so he'll keep our abilities quiet."
As he spoke, a sly smile crept onto his face. "I never imagined Xiongba would sneak in to attack Alex under the cover of night. Their bond must be shaky at best. This could get entertaining—looks like a good show's brewing."
"Mr. Xu, Miss Luo, are you both unharmed?" Several disciples from the Divine Martial Hall rushed over. Seeing Di Shitian and Luo Xian safe, they sighed in relief but still checked on them.
"An assassin struck just moments ago. Luckily, my skills held up, and your quick arrival scared him off," Xu Fu said, brushing it off with a wave of his hand.
Meanwhile, at the back mountain, Alex and Duanlang were deep in swordsmanship practice when a disciple from the Divine Martial Hall arrived. He reported an assassin had infiltrated the hall.
Alex blinked in surprise. An assassin in the Divine Martial Hall? Targeting Di Shitian and Luo Xian, no less?
Silently, he offered a moment of pity for the poor fool.
Still, he hurried to the scene. Not out of worry for Di Shitian or Luo Xian's safety—hardly—but when he saw the splintered rockery in the courtyard, his expression darkened.
Skills like that meant the assassin was no ordinary fighter.
And tonight, on a whim, he'd given up his room. Could the attacker have been after him instead?
On the surface, Alex kept his cool, offering words of comfort to Di Shitian and the others while subtly probing for details about the assassin.
"I know nothing of martial arts. If Xian'er hadn't shown up so fast, I'd be a goner by now," Di Shitian said, his performance flawless as he feigned ignorance of combat.
"Mr. Alex, the assassin's skills were top-notch. Without the Divine Martial Hall disciples arriving in time, I'd have been in real trouble," Luo Xian added, her face a mask of fright.
Her words made Alex's lips twitch faintly. He thought to himself, I don't know who this assassin was, but if those disciples hadn't shown up, maybe he'd be the one dead instead.
Regardless, the fact that the intruder held his own, even briefly, against Di Shitian and Luo Xian spoke volumes. Few in the world boasted such skill.
Mulling over who might want him dead, Alex soon had a suspect. His gaze flicked subtly toward the World's Peak Tower.
At the World's Peak Tower, Xiongba slipped back into his room, still clad in his night clothes, his face pale with lingering dread.
"How can this be? That odd old man's power is unreal, and even a young girl outclasses me in martial arts? Who are these people?"
Xiongba had been brimming with confidence, even certain he could best the Sword Saint. But tonight's ordeal shook him to his core.
There's always someone stronger out there. Had his martial arts fallen so far from invincible?
Indeed, this night's events left Xiongba questioning everything he thought he knew about his life.