Chapter 444: Charm Spirit Assassin

In the dead of night, a black shadow was galloping across the vast plains. Only after the firelight of the merchant caravan's camp was no longer visible did the black shadow stop, leaning against a large rock to catch his breath.

Although that inexplicable Mental Power had not returned after sweeping over his body, the ominous premonition in his heart at that moment told him that if he did not run quickly, he would be finished. In his years as an assassin, this peculiar talent of his had saved him more times than he could count. After this ominous premonition appeared, he made a prompt decision to abandon his mission and chose to retreat.

"Something's wrong!" The black shadow's expression suddenly turned ugly; the ominous premonition in his heart had not disappeared, but instead grew even stronger.

Suddenly, the black shadow discovered a bizarre thing: the faint shadow cast by the rock he was leaning against under the moonlight seemed to be just a little bit taller...

A black sharp blade appeared in the black shadow's hand. Although he still appeared to be panting heavily, in reality, all the strength in his body had been raised to the limit, like a taut string.

Suddenly, the black shadow's figure sprang up violently, and the dagger in his hand stabbed toward the top of the rock. In this instant, the speed the black shadow erupted with had already surpassed the limit of the Ninth Rank, even leaving behind an afterimage in place. The speed of this strike was so fast that it could even catch some Sanctuary Powerhouses off guard. Most terrifying of all, this lightning-fast attack did not make a single sound.

"Clang—" A spark splashed in the night. The black shadow's pupils could not help but shrink. A man was squatting on the rock, and at this moment, this man was extending a finger, pressing it against his dagger. And at this time, the afterimage he had left behind only just began to slowly dissipate.

A stormy sea surged in the black shadow's heart. One must know that his dagger was a murderous weapon he had polished for many years, capable of piercing even Sanctuary Battle Qi Armor. Yet now, this man had blocked his dagger with a single finger, and without even activating Battle Qi. Could it be that this person was a metallic dragon transformed into human form?

"Eh, it's actually a Charm Spirit. Didn't the Charm Spirit Clan seclude themselves from the world? How could one come out to be an assassin?" Lingyun looked at the figure in front of him, his tone filled with some confusion.

The person who appeared before Lingyun was a youth of about fifteen or sixteen years old, but the youth's skin color was a peculiar light purple, and there were inexplicable magic patterns on his skin. A pair of red eyes flickered with bloodthirsty light, which were exactly the characteristics of the Charm Spirit Clan.

The Charm Spirit Clan was initially a member of the Demon Race army, their superb assassination techniques making people turn pale at the mention of them. Powerful Charm Spirits could even assassinate Sanctuary Powerhouses while at the Ninth Rank and retreat unscathed. However, later on, the Charm Spirit Clan withdrew from the Demon World army for some reason and lived in seclusion on the Continent. Lingyun had even helped them find that place of seclusion back then, and he had also set up a concealment Array for them to prevent them from being found by outsiders. The patriarch of the Charm Spirit Clan had once told Lingyun that if no accidents occurred, the Charm Spirit Clan would not appear on this Continent as assassins again.

"Could it be that some accident has befallen the Charm Spirit Clan?" Lingyun's brows could not help but furrow.

Hearing Lingyun mention the two words "Charm Spirit," the youth's pupils shrank, and the bloodthirsty light shot out as if it were tangible. His identity had always been his greatest secret, and also the thing that must not be known by others. Yet this man before him had seen through his reality at a single glance.

"This person cannot be left alive, otherwise it will bring a fatal crisis to the tribe!" A dark glint flashed in the youth's eyes, and his figure instantly transformed into countless afterimages, killing toward Lingyun.

In an instant, countless shadows appeared around Lingyun, each shadow holding a dagger in its hand, stabbing toward the lethal points all over Lingyun's body.

Looking at the countless afterimages around his body, Lingyun was unhurried, holding up his right index finger. No matter from which Phantom the dagger stabbed out with such tricky trajectories, Lingyun's finger could always block in front of the dagger a step ahead. The daggers slashed against his index finger, splashing sparks, but they were never able to break through the defense of Lingyun's finger.

In just a few breaths' time, countless sparks were drifting around Lingyun, looking quite beautiful, but every one of these flickering sparks was a blocked, life-taking attack.

"Clang—" The final humming sound rang out, the afterimages surrounding Lingyun vanished in unison, and the Charm Spirit Assassin appeared three zhang away from Lingyun.

The Charm Spirit Assassin stared fixedly at Lingyun, panting heavily without stop, sweat continuously overflowing from his body, soaking the tight-fitting clothes on him. This sweat was not only left behind from the excessive consumption after using the move just now, but more of it was cold sweat that broke out when facing the invisible pressure from Lingyun.

"Phantom Kill, End Dagger. I suppose you are not an ordinary person within the Charm Spirit Clan." Lingyun looked the Charm Spirit Assassin up and down and spoke slowly.

The Charm Spirit Assassin did not speak, only slowly raising the dagger in his hand, and the aura on his body began to expand abnormally.

Seeing this scene, Lingyun's brows furrowed slightly, his body flashed, and he instantly appeared in front of the Charm Spirit Assassin. The Charm Spirit Assassin's expression changed, and his figure immediately retreated, but Lingyun's speed was faster than his, instantly tapping him several times on his body.

The Charm Spirit Assassin's body stiffened, unable to move anymore, and then he fell backward following his momentum. Lingyun reached out and pulled the falling Charm Spirit Assassin back up. At the same time, the abnormally rising fluctuation on the Charm Spirit Assassin's body gradually dissipated.

"You, who exactly are you?" The Charm Spirit Assassin stared fixedly at Lingyun, his tone somewhat hoarse.

Just now, he had used a secret technique that burns one's own Battle Qi and life. Once this kind of secret technique is activated, it is irreversible, and it will only stop after a person's life is completely burned away. But this person before him had actually stopped the eruption of his secret technique; this was truly unbelievable to him.

"Who I am is not important; what is important is, as the Saint Son of the Charm Spirit Clan, why have you come out to be an assassin?" Lingyun's gaze landed on the magic patterns on the man's body as he asked slowly. "Could it be that it is truly as I said, that some accident has befallen the Charm Spirit Clan?"

"You, how could you know my identity?" The gaze with which Xuanying looked at Lingyun already held a trace of horror.

"For now, answer my question first! As for my identity, even if I told you now, you wouldn't believe it." Lingyun glanced at Xuanying indifferently, then suddenly furrowed his brows. "This aura is?"

Lingyun tapped his finger on Xuanying's body, and wisps of black aura appeared in his hand.

"You, you actually..." Xuanying looked at the wisps of black aura in Lingyun's hand, a trace of joy flashing in his eyes.

When he discovered that he could move, he immediately knelt on the ground: "Xuanying implores the Sir to save our clan!"