The Single Character Consecutive Slash was a technique singlehandedly created by Wang Chong.

The ideology behind its creation, the meridians required for the technique, the flow of energy... Wang Chong had every single detail behind the technique in his grasp. Thus, Wang Chong was capable of mastering it much faster than any other skills.

Leaning against the tree, Wang Chong drove the Origin Energy within his body and started to open up a new pathway for the flow of energy in his body.

The opening up of new ‘pathways’ wasn’t easy, but Wang Chong was experienced in this aspect. Others might have to experiment for hundreds or even up to a thousand times before they could get the correct location, but Wang Chong, having absolute knowledge of this technique, would be able to accomplish it easily.

Most likely, it would only take him two to three times!

This was the benefit of creating one’s own skills!

Even so, creating a technique was far more difficult than one could have imagined, perhaps even outweighing its benefits.

Weng!

A light buzz vaguely sounded from Wang Chong’s body, and soon, he entered a state of imperturbability.

“Young master has become a martial arts fanatic. If old master were to see it, he would definitely be unable to believe his eyes.”

Meng Long was taken aback by Wang Chong’s dedication, but he eventually shook it off with a smile and walked a distance away to keep a lookout for enemies.

Slowly, the mountain peak reverted back to its usual calmness.

After an unknown period of time, Wang Chong’s body jolted. He was almost done opening up the pathway for Single Character Consecutive Slash, and just as he was about to give it the final push, he suddenly heard a slight rustling sound.

“Someone is here!”

Opening his eyes, Wang Chong glanced downward the mountain. The footsteps slowly grew louder. The other party didn’t seem to be hiding his presence at all.

Then, from between the lush trees, Wang Chong heard a familiar voice.

“Indeed, it is Shen Hai!”

Wang Chong smiled.

Shen Hai had gone down alone, but he didn’t return alone. He brought several guards from the Wang Clan, as well as a few powerfully built workers along. They were carrying tools with them, and it seemed that they were here to conduct the primary construction of Wang Chong’s ‘training base’.

“Hehehe, young master, I’m done with the matter regarding the mountain range. Now, this entire region belongs to us. On top of that, I have brought a few people over. We can build a few houses in this region...”

In a good mood, Shen Hai shouted to Wang Chong and the others as he climbed up the slope.

“Haha, you’ve worked hard.”

Wang Chong smiled. On top of the tools, Wang Chong saw that they had brought fire-making equipment and rations over.

“Hm?”

As Shen Hai approached Wang Chong, he suddenly realized that something was different about the other party.

“Young master, you seem a little different from before?”

“Indeed!”

Wang Chong chuckled. When Shen Hai had descended from the mountain, Wang Chong was still at Origin Energy Tier 6. Given that he had advanced a realm, it was natural that he would feel different. On top of that, his physique had changed visibly as well. Just as he was about to tell Shen Hai about it, Wang Chong’s face suddenly warped. A strong sense of danger was nudging on his heart.

“Be careful! ——”

Wang Chong’s warning shot through the air as though a sudden bolt of lightning. Lifting his head, he suddenly glanced at the forest to the right of Shen Hai.

At the same time, Shen Hai and Meng Long also noticed that something was amiss. Turning their heads over, their faces changed.

“It’s that female assassin!”

“Young master, be careful! ——”

The both of them were astonished. No one could have expected that she would follow them all the way up here. Remorseful, Shen Hai’s complexion turned extremely awful.

No matter how slow he was, given how deeply hidden this location was, it was clear that the female assassin had followed him here.

Yet, for the past few days, he didn’t notice a single trace at all.

“Protect gongzi!”

Shen Hai, Meng Long, and the other guards of the Wang Clan bellowed. Without a second thought, they charged furiously toward the forest.

“Scram, none of you are a match for her!”

Wang Chong yelled anxiously.

If Arloja and Ablonodan were here, they might still be able to stop her. However, without a doubt, it was impossible for these guards to ward off the Eastern Islands female assassin on their own.

“Hmph, at least you have some self-awareness!”

A light and refreshing harrumph echoed. It shouldn’t have been anything much, but to Wang Chong’s ears, it sounded like the voice of the death god. Sou! The leaves shook, and a black shadow shot out from the lush greenery from the right side of the forest. Her movements were swift and light as though her phantom. Furthermore, her steps were erratic, making it completely impossible to predict her movements at all.

Wang Chong wasn’t wrong when he said that this terrain was advantageous to her. Executing Spectre Steps here had made her movements much harder to read than on flat ground.

Peng peng peng!

With a flash of the shadow, the three guards that Shen Hai brought over were sent flying. One-to-one, none of them were a match for her.

Sou!

With a slight sway of her body, that Eastern Islands assassin easily avoided Shen Hai and Meng Long’s assault and charged straight at Wang Chong.

From the start of the battle to this moment, not even a single breath had passed. Wang Chong’s hair stood at ends, and a strong feeling of death loomed over his heart.

Weng!

Without any hesitation, Wang Chong immediately executed the Single Character Consecutive Slash. However, instead of directing it toward the Eastern Islands female assassin, he used the movement and momentum of the technique to flee.

Having crossed blows with her, Wang Chong knew that this Eastern Islands female assassin was a True Martial Realm expert. Even if they were to put their strength together to challenge her, they would only end in defeat.

“Li Zhuxin, are you just going to watch by the side? ——”

Feeling the piercing sword intent from the figure tailing closely behind him, Wang Chong roared loudly into the vast mountains.

As though responding to Wang Chong’s voice, a calm but deep voice sounded.

“Lady, you should stop now!”

Boom!

A powerful might suddenly burst forth at a distance several zhang behind Wang Chong. Boom! An earth-shattering explosion sounded and powerful winds ravaged through the forest, causing countless trees to bow down in fear. A sword stabbed onto the ground right before the feet of the Eastern Islands female assassin, and as though an invisible barrier of wind had formed, an immense might sent her flying more than a dozen zhang away.

(~10 meters| ~30 meters)

“Li Zhuxin! ——”

Shen Hai and Meng Long was shocked to see the figure who appeared as though a phantom behind Wang Chong. This person wasn’t anyone other than the middle-aged gray-robed man whom Wang Chong employed at the ‘Home of the Adventurers’ for five thousand gold taels.

Li Zhuxin’s employment price was ridiculously expensive, and on top of that, he had ludicrous conditions to go with it, such as being allowed to leave whenever he pleased.

After accepting the first sum of money, he immediately left.

This left Shen Hai and Meng Long, the two loyal guards of the Wang Clan, extremely dissatisfied. This was no longer employing an expert, this was more like bringing in an old ancestor home to raise.

Thus, they adamantly rejected to Wang Chong’s decision, but they weren’t able to win against their young master’s obstinacy.

The duo couldn’t have expected that Li Zhuxin would be hidden here after disappearing for so many days. This was especially so for Meng Long. He had been by Wang Chong’s side for the last few days, but during this period of time, he didn’t notice Li Zhuxin’s presence at all.

Boom!

Just as Shen Hai was busy thinking about the matter, another furious wind swept across the mountain forest, making it difficult for one to even open their eyes. The Eastern Islands female assassin had attempted to use Spectre Steps to maneuver around the complicated terrain of the mountain forest so as to get past Li Zhuxin and head straight for Wang Chong, but she was intercepted yet again by the other party.

A furious battle soon ignited between the duo.

Looking at Li Zhuxin, Shen Hai was astonished. The strength that Li Zhuxin was displaying at this moment far surpassed what he had shown them at the Home of the Adventurers.

“Young master has indeed found himself a powerful guard! To think that I thought he had left!”

Shen Hai uttered in shock.

At this moment, he realized how correct young master’s decision was. Five thousand gold taels was a huge sum of money, but it was nothing compared to their lives.

Young master’s eye for people was much more formidable than his!

“Scatter! All of you, get away!”

Suddenly, Shen Hai realized something and hurriedly asked the group to back off. Both Li Zhuxin and the female assassin were True Martial Realm experts, and their cultivation was far beyond theirs.

The wind that the force of their blows whipped up felt like knives on their faces.

A battle of this level wasn’t something these ordinary workers could withstand.

The crowd backed away in a fluster.

Shen Hai and Meng Long didn’t dare to get too near either. They hurriedly retreated with the other guards. A battle among True Martial Realm experts wasn’t something they could interfere in either.

“Young master, be careful! Hurry over here!”

As Shen Hai and Meng Long guided the guards and workers away, they bellowed for Wang Chong to come over as well.

“Un.”

Wang Chong answered, but he didn’t move at all. Given the Eastern Island female assassin’s level of strength, accompanied with her Spectre Steps and powerful assassination techniques, it didn’t matter to her whether she was facing an individual or a group.

She had already proven this at the very start of the battle.

Instead, Wang Chong focused his gaze on the battle between the two True Martial Realm experts. The powerful gust of wind blew up the tree leaves on the ground, and they fluttered in the surroundings.

Previously, in order to open up a ‘training ground in the forest, Wang Chong had the others dig up a layer of soil. The shock wave from their battle caused the layer of soil to fly around the place. Along with the dense branches and leaves in the air, even Wang Chong couldn’t clearly see the situation of the battle.

However, given his discernment ability and experience he had gained in his previous life, Wang Chong was still able to vaguely see a thing or two.

“There’s something weird about that woman! ...”

Wang Chong squinted his eyes. He couldn’t see the figure of the two, but he could sense a slight chaos in the aura of the Eastern Islands female assassin.

On top of that, she seemed slightly weaker than she was before.

“Could the weakness of the Spectre Steps be acting up already?”

Wang Chong thought.

The Spectre Steps was an incomplete cultivation technique. The higher one’s mastery in the technique, the greater the flaw of the technique grew. Eventually, one’s cultivation might even go berserk, resulting in an implosion.

Often, this was the method martial arts organizations used to control their subordinates.

However, given Wang Chong’s understanding of the Spectre Steps, there should be some time before the symptoms act up.

On top of that, the Eastern Islands female assassin seemed to be internally injured as well, just that the latter was trying to hold it in.

“This is truly weird. I don’t recall Arloja and the others injuring her.”

Wang Chong was perplexed.

“Lady, isn’t it already time to stop?”

Despite the strong wind, Li Zhuxin’s voice could still be clearly heard. In contrast to the Eastern Islands female assassin, Li Zhuxin’s figure was much easier to catch.

His aura felt as though a towering mountain, and regardless of what kind of methods the Eastern Islands female assassin used, he stood indomitable, preventing her from advancing even a single step toward Wang Chong.