Ye Xi let out a long breath and retracted her Qi Blade.
While the ‘Profound Transformation into Weapon’ technique was convenient, Ye Xi found herself disliking it. Its power was entirely dependent on the quantity, quality, and control one exerted over their Qi.
In terms of Qi quality and control, Ye Xi was undeniably world-class. However, her Qi quantity was merely average.
Compared to those with extraordinary innate talents or individuals who had specifically trained in this aspect, she still fell short.
To rely on ‘Profound Transformation’ as a primary attack method, one first needed an ample supply and recovery rate of Qi. Weapons forged through this technique demanded a continuous flow of Qi to sustain them.
Alas, a Qi Blade of the intensity she had just used could only be maintained for half an hour at most. While more than sufficient for dealing with mere cannon fodder, facing a top-tier expert with it would be nothing short of suicidal.
After all, her true expertise lay in ‘External Cultivation,’ which encompassed enemy tracking, stealth, and instant kills. The ‘Profound Transformation’ technique was simply too slow, leaving her vulnerable.
Under Ye Xi’s perception, the entire third floor was devoid of living souls. The once pristine walls and floors were now stained with crimson blood, presenting a scene ripped straight from hell.
Observing this horrifying tableau, Ye Xi, standing untouched by a single drop of blood as if in a pure land, curved her lips into an alluring smile. It was like a rose watered with blood—gorgeous, yet emanating the chilling scent of death.
Ye Xi finally understood the source of her long-standing dissonance. Despite her strength surpassing that cult assassin, she had been ambushed, chased like a stray dog.
Seven years of tranquil living had dulled her senses. No matter how much she trained, she couldn’t recover her former killer’s heart. Her thoughts had become sluggish, her actions hesitant, and her strikes cautious.
This was her true self!
“This must be the first assassination mission I’ve taken in this world, wouldn’t you say? Heh, let me truly enjoy myself.”
Ye Xi glanced upstairs. The fourth floor held a few formidable ‘minions,’ who had likely already sensed the anomaly.
They knew something was amiss yet didn’t descend to investigate. It seemed they were quite cautious.
****
At the entrance to the fourth floor, several mercenaries nervously stared at the staircase. They had just detected a fleeting, bone-chilling killing intent. When they tried to sense with their Qi again, they found no trace of life on the third floor.
This was the most terrifying realization. The third floor was utterly lifeless. Who was this formidable being who had slaughtered everyone on the third floor, and where were they now?
They hurriedly dispatched someone to report to their leader upstairs, while the others positioned themselves at various potential entrances.
After a tense wait at the stairwell, the mercenary guarding it found complete silence below, as if nothing had happened.
He frowned and asked, “I have no anomalies here. How about you all?”
Silence. Utter silence.
The mercenary’s question was like a stone sinking into the sea, met with no response whatsoever.
Cold sweat beaded on his face. Realizing something was gravely wrong, he dared not turn his head, instead sweeping the entire floor with his Qi. Only then did he discover that, at some unknown point, their floor, like the third, had become devoid of life.
It seemed he was the only living soul on the fourth floor, including his companions.
The mercenary swallowed hard, then spun around abruptly. The bloody scene before him made him dizzy.
All his comrades lay fallen, blood slowly seeping from their bodies. The individual pools connected and merged, forming a truly hellish tableau.
His entire body trembled, fear spreading from his heart. So many people had died without him sensing a thing—this terrifying, supernatural phenomenon exceeded his psychological endurance.
Moreover, the enemy who created such a horrific sight had yet to appear. He could no longer bear the oppressive feeling and bellowed, “Who is it?! Come out now!”
The fourth floor remained deathly silent; no one responded to the mercenary.
The mercenary now felt that living was a torment. The suffocating atmosphere relentlessly crushed his will.
Finally, he began to lose his mind, frantically trying to flee downstairs.
The moment he dropped his guard completely, a flash of silver streaked past him from behind. Then, he too followed in the footsteps of the others, ending his psychological torment.
“Only one more floor left.”
Ye Xi cast a cold glance at the last enemy on this floor, then vanished once more.
****
On the fifth floor, a burly man sat before an opulent sandalwood door. He was the mercenary leader, and behind that door were the employer and their remaining subordinates.
The mercenary leader was drenched in sweat. His strength far surpassed that of his men, but this offered no comfort in their current predicament. The stronger one was, the more keenly they understood the enemy’s terror.
He now secretly regretted taking this job. He had initially believed it was merely about suppressing a group of rioters, but it was clear now that a grim reaper had arrived.
First the third floor, then the fourth—everyone downstairs had been annihilated.
Yet, he couldn’t move. The opponent’s Qi had locked onto every single one of them. The enemy’s mastery of ‘External Cultivation’ far exceeded his own; he couldn’t break free from Ye Xi’s Qi lock, and every movement was tightly controlled.
The mercenary leader had no doubt that if he dared to go downstairs to check the situation, by the time he returned, everyone on the fifth floor would also be dead.
However, inaction seemed to be a slow death anyway, making little difference.
He lit a cigarette for himself. It wasn’t laced with any intoxicating herbs, merely a means to alleviate his current nervous tension.
As an experienced mercenary, he naturally understood the severe consequences of excessive stress.
But just as he struck a match and a spark flickered, the tiny flame vanished in an instant.
The mercenary leader’s eyes narrowed. He roared, covering his entire body with Qi.
Then, he was sent flying, smashing through the expensive door behind him and crashing heavily onto the luxurious office floor where the employer was located.
For a moment, everyone’s attention was drawn to the mercenary leader.
Before the mercenary leader could regain his composure, he yelled in a hoarse voice, “Don’t look at me! Be on guard!”
Alas, his warning came too late.
The people in the room had no time to react. A silver blur flashed continuously, and one by one, the occupants fell to the ground like cut chives.
The mercenary leader clutched his neck, where a Qi Blade had opened a gash. By the time he shakily stood up, eight seconds had already passed.
There was no one left standing around him.
And he still hadn’t even seen his assailant.
The mercenary leader suddenly remembered his mission and turned to the employer’s position. The bald employer was no longer in his office chair.
However, the blood flowing from under his desk already declared his fate.
The mercenary leader slammed a Qi punch, shattering the desk. The bald employer indeed lay in a pool of blood.
His body was still hunched, hands over his head, with a look of terror on his face. He likely died without ever knowing how.
But the mercenary leader still couldn’t find any trace of the enemy. He could only shout, “Expert! I was merely hired; I have no other connection to this old man. Now that he’s dead, there’s no need to exterminate everyone, is there?”
No one responded. The empty room truly seemed to contain only him as a living soul.
The mercenary leader’s heart sank. He shuffled forward, and it seemed no one was stopping him from leaving.
However, the mercenary leader did not relax his guard. His nerves were stretched to their limit. Suddenly, a slight movement came from behind him. He instantly spun around, roaring as he unleashed a furious punch towards the sound’s origin. Countless Qi punch waves erupted, creating a tremendous din that even those on the first and second floors heard.
“Hoo, hoo, hoo.”
The mercenary leader seemed to have expended all his strength. As the stirred dust slowly settled, a massive hole appeared in the office floor, extending through to the fourth floor below.
But the grand attack had missed its mark; there was no trace of the enemy’s blood.
“Ugh!”
As the mercenary leader gasped for breath, a sharp blade pierced his heart.
He trembled, looking down at the blood-stained blade that had emerged from his chest. He tried to speak, but only a gush of blood escaped his mouth before his head finally slumped forward.
“Confirmed death. All mission targets eliminated.”
The mercenary leader’s body fell straight down, revealing Ye Xi behind him. It was then that Ye Xi finally spoke, though there was no one left alive to hear her.
Her black and white maid uniform remained impeccably clean, as if the people lying dead on the floor had not been killed by her at all.
Ye Xi gazed calmly at the scene, showing not a hint of emotion at the numerous lives lost.
She was an assassin; this was her method of combat—striking unseen, killing without a trace.
Had she been infected by Adair, that fool? Just a few days ago, she had seriously considered direct confrontation.
Even protection should be done in her own specialized way. There was no need for a head-on battle; she only needed to assassinate the enemy before they could harm him.
Besides, his skin was so thick; even if he got stabbed a couple of times, as long as it wasn’t a vital spot, he wouldn’t die immediately. She could just kill the enemy before he died.
Ye Xi readjusted her protective strategy for Adair. Meanwhile, Adair was still sound asleep in the dragon carriage, completely unaware.
****
Ye Xi searched the room for flammable materials and began pouring them throughout the rooms on the third to fifth floors.
When she reached the third floor, Ye Xi could hear people shouting from below, asking what was happening.
Ye Xi ignored them and had no intention of informing them of the impending events.
Having finished arranging most of the accelerants, Ye Xi tossed a lit match into the rooms on the third, fourth, and fifth floors, then left the building without a backward glance.
Blazing flames began to devour the opulent building. The people on the lower two floors finally awoke from their drunken stupor. The merciless fire and thick smoke ignited their will to survive, and they frantically scrambled out of the rooms.
Some, or perhaps the ‘smoke addicts,’ desperately tried to douse the flames to save their paradise, but it was all in vain. Ultimately, this ‘paradise’ could no longer withstand the scorching inferno and collapsed with a thunderous roar.
The ruthless blaze did not spare it thereafter. It would continue to burn, reducing it to ashes, to the dust of history.