Time froze.
The assassins halted mid-step, their eyes blank, their minds overwhelmed by shock.
The sword light hovered before them for a fleeting moment, then swept forward like a whisper on the wind.
There was no thunderous crash, no explosive burst of energy. The sword light simply cleaved through the heads of the two assassins at the back with chilling precision.
The air remained eerily still and cold.
Moments later, a breeze swept past, and then the heads of the two cultivators tumbled to the ground with a muted thud, leaving behind twitching, headless corpses.
The third assassin, standing in the middle, felt his blood turn cold. A wave of horror gripped his chest tightly.
"What? How?" he muttered in disbelief, his voice cracking as his thoughts spiraled in chaos.
His gaze darted around frantically, searching for another person. Perhaps there was someone who might have intervened.
But there was no one.
Slowly, he turned his head back toward the shackled prince. Xu Qingxian stood there, calm and unbothered, gently stroking the blade in his hand as though polishing a prized relic.
"Are you done?" Xu Qingxian asked, his lips curled in amusement and his voice smooth and unhurried.
It was clear now. Whoever orchestrated the attack tonight had intended absolute certainty in the assassination. Three Foundation Establishment cultivators had been sent to make sure Xu Qingxian perished.
What they hadn't counted on was that Xu Qingxian was not someone who could be judged by normal standards.
He was a cheater in the cultivation world.
"You…" the assassin stammered. His face turned as pale as ash beneath the mask, and cold sweat drenched his back.
"Young Master, we were just checking up on you!" His voice trembled, fear lacing every word.
His heart pounded in confusion. Hadn't it been announced that Xu Qingxian's cultivation was crippled? Then how could he possess such terrifying strength?
Was there a secret none of them knew? A deeper game being played behind the scenes?
"I know that," Xu Qingxian said, smiling as he gestured to a spot nearby. "Come. Sit down. Let's have a discussion."
The assassin's eyes flickered. Beneath the mask, his expression turned calculating.
He was measuring his chances. Could he escape? Could he launch a sneak attack?
Before he could decide, Xu Qingxian's voice cut through the silence with deadly clarity.
"Tell me. Which do you think is faster, my blade or your reaction time?"
The assassin's body stiffened. In his mind, he saw the image of the sword light again. It was majestic, deadly, and unstoppable.
If Xu Qingxian had intended to kill him earlier, he would already be dead. He knew that without doubt.
He sighed slowly, then walked forward and sat down across from Xu Qingxian.
Xu Qingxian nodded and got straight to the point.
"Who sent you to assassinate me?"
The assassin said nothing for a long moment, then finally replied, "I can't answer that."
Xu Qingxian's brows drew together. "Why?"
"There is a restriction on me. I can't speak the young master's name."
Xu Qingxian's gaze sharpened. This was the profound world, filled with strange and terrifying arts. Such a thing was indeed possible.
It was likely the person behind this had prepared in advance, either out of caution or pure foresight.
That did not mean there was no way to work around it. Xu Qingxian thought silently, a cold smile forming in his mind.
"Since you can't say it aloud, I will list the princes. You nod when I say the correct one."
He laid out his plan in a casual tone.
The assassin hesitated, then nodded slowly. What choice did he have? Refusal would only mean certain death. If he obeyed, perhaps he still had a slim chance to live.
He also kept his focus sharp, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Is it the First Prince?" Xu Qingxian asked, locking eyes with him. It was said that the eyes never lied, no matter how calm the face appeared.
The assassin shook his head.
"The Second Prince?" Xu Qingxian asked again. Another shake.
Xu Qingxian frowned slightly. "The Third Prince?"
This time, a faint hesitation flickered in the assassin's gaze. Xu Qingxian saw it. He caught it in that split second and smiled inwardly. He had found the culprit.
But the assassin quickly shook his head, clearly attempting to mislead him.
Xu Qingxian did not react. He merely continued, his voice calm and his emotions unreadable.
After a few more names, he suddenly asked, "My twin sister?"
The assassin stiffened. Then, after a long pause, he gave a single nod.
Xu Qingxian's face changed. His eyes widened, and a look of disbelief spread across his face.
The assassin took advantage of that moment.
"Seventh Prince," he whispered coldly, "pardon me for sending you to the afterlife. Next time, you shouldn't be so curious."
He lunged forward.
But just as he moved, a radiant burst of sword light appeared before his eyes.
It was dazzling and almost beautiful, like starlight given form. The same sword light he had seen earlier.
When had Xu Qingxian attacked? How did he move so fast?
The assassin could not even blink before his head was sliced cleanly from his shoulders, rolling across the stone floor.
As darkness swallowed him, his final thought echoed faintly in his soul.
What sort of monster is the Seventh Prince? Can anyone ever hope to stand against him?
Xu Qingxian calmly wiped the blade of his mortal-grade sword and smiled faintly.
"A fine sword indeed," he murmured. Then his gaze turned icy.
"The Third Prince, is it?" he said quietly. A dangerous glint passed through his eyes.
'Once I have grown just a little stronger, I will visit him for a cup of tea. Daring to kill me? Hmph.'
He set the sword aside, then leaned against the wall and picked up a flickering firestand.
With a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed the flames onto the corpses.
The bodies caught fire immediately and were consumed in an inferno.
As the fire roared, Xu Qingxian stood in silence. His expression revealed nothing.
Someone was trying to pit him against his sister. What did they hope to achieve? Did they truly believe he was still crippled?
Now that he had killed these three assassins, the truth would surely reach their ears.
'No, I must prepare for the worst,' Xu Qingxian thought.
The flames danced on his skin, casting shifting shadows across his face. Then, a line of golden words appeared in his vision.
[Congratulations on surviving the attack of three Foundation Establishment cultivators.]
[By surviving the crisis, you have received...]
"Oh wow…" Xu Qingxian breathed, his eyes lighting up as a smile bloomed on his lips.