Poison Shadow was an assassin best suited for mid-range combat, always striving to avoid close encounters. However, this didn't mean he lacked experience in close combat. Reaching into his pockets, he pulled out knives, one in each hand, and blocked Han Xiao's raw horizontal sword strike.

The momentum behind the sword was overwhelming, forcing Poison Shadow to skid backward, leaving two long lines where his legs had scraped away the green grass.

“Nice! Let’s see how long you can last!” Han Xiao burst into wild laughter as he swung his sword at intricate angles, trying to press his opponent into an impossible situation.

The sound of metallic clanking and white sparks ignited each time his sword met Poison Shadow's knives. With every exchange, Poison Shadow was forced backward, his hands becoming numb from the impact. Despite this, he held onto his knives.

Poison Shadow realized that blocking each attack wore him down, so he chose to evade using a skillful maneuvering technique. Each step backward uprooted herbs and dirt until he finally landed on bamboo and jumped.

Han Xiao's eyes widened at the sight of the molten lava hurtling toward him. Reacting quickly, he leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the searing liquid. The lava splashed onto the ground, incinerating everything it touched and leaving a smoking, charred patch where Han Xiao had stood moments before.

"You think that's going to stop me?" Han Xiao taunted, a smirk playing on his lips. He dashed forward, his sword gleaming in the moonlight, aiming to close the distance between him and Dirty Blade.

Dirty Blade didn’t back down. With his lava-infused sword, he met Han Xiao's attack head-on. Their weapons clashed, the impact sending sparks flying. The heat from Dirty Blade's sword was intense, but Han Xiao's determination burned even hotter.

Meanwhile, Poison Shadow took advantage of the distraction, maneuvering to flank Han Xiao. With his knives at the ready, he aimed for Han Xiao's blind spots, hoping to land a decisive blow.

Han Xiao was aware of the dual threat. He parried Dirty Blade's molten strikes while keeping a keen sense of Poison Shadow's movements. He knew he had to act fast. With a thought, he muttered, “Night-crawler Bat’s Ancestral Bloodline, activate!”

[Berserker Bloodlust Bloodline Skill Level 1 Activated!]

As it was night, Han Xiao felt his abilities multiply, the strong lust for blood igniting within him. He took out some blood pills and popped them into his mouth.

Utilizing his enhanced agility, Han Xiao performed a feint, making it appear as though he was fully focused on Dirty Blade. At the last moment, he spun on his heel, narrowly avoiding a knife strike from Poison Shadow, and delivered a powerful kick to his midsection, sending him crashing into a bamboo tree.

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Dirty Blade took this opportunity to press the attack, slashing at Han Xiao with renewed vigor. Han Xiao met each strike with his own, the clang of metal ringing out in the night.

“You’ve got some skills,” Dirty Blade admitted through gritted teeth, “but it won’t be enough.”

“We’ll see about that,” Han Xiao retorted. He channeled his energy, his sword glowing with a faint blue light. With a powerful swing, he unleashed a shock wave that collided with Dirty Blade’s molten attack, neutralizing the immediate threat.

Poison Shadow, recovering from the kick, snarled in frustration. “This ends now!” He launched himself at Han Xiao, knives flashing. But Han Xiao was ready. Using the momentum from his previous attack, he spun and delivered a precise strike to Poison Shadow's wrist, disarming him.

Dirty Blade, seeing his partner disarmed, hesitated for just a moment. It was all Han Xiao needed. He advanced on Dirty Blade, his movements a blur. In a final, decisive clash, Han Xiao's sword struck true. Just as he was about to deliver a fatal blow, Poison Shadow weaved a series of hand seals and pressed his hand upon the ground.

“Poison Escape Technique, activate!” Poison Shadow shouted.

A cloud of noxious gas erupted from the ground, obscuring Han Xiao's vision. He swung his sword through the mist, feeling resistance as he severed Dirty Blade’s arm at the shoulder, the one holding the molten sword. The blade clattered to the ground, hissing as it cooled.

When the gas cleared, both assassins were gone, having escaped the fatal strikes. Han Xiao scanned the area, his heightened senses picking up no trace of them.

Han Xiao walked back towards Han Xue, who had been watching the entire encounter from a distance.

“Well,” she said, her voice a mix of amusement and relief, “that was quite the show. I got three of them.”

“Well done,” Han Xiao replied, nodding appreciatively.

“Shall we leave?”

“Nah, we have a bigger fish to fry!” Han Xiao shifted his gaze toward the distance and called out, “Are you just going to keep watching the show? If so, leave. The show is already over.”

Han Xue followed his gaze and asked, “Who is it? I don’t see anything.”

“Oh, about that,” Han Xiao said as he walked forward, picking up three darts from the ground. With a war cry, he tossed them one at a time. The darts flew towards a small branch near the top of a tall bamboo, which swayed slightly in the gusts of wind. Before the first dart hit, the branch snapped, revealing a human silhouette masked by the darkness of the night.

The figure leaped to the next bamboo like a monkey, dodging the first dart. However, the second and third darts hit their mark, forcing the figure to land with a crisp laugh. As he emerged from the shadows, his appearance became clear: a lean man dressed in dark, form-fitting robes that blended seamlessly with the night. His face was partially obscured by a black mask, revealing only sharp, calculating eyes that gleamed with mischief. His hair, tied back in a loose ponytail, was as dark as his attire, and he moved with an unsettling, fluid grace.

“Kekeke, Seventh Prince of Han, you’re the opposite of everything gathered about you. You’re the first person below the Houtian Level to spot my camouflaging martial art.” The figure took out a diary and pen, scribbling notes. “One question: what technique did you just use to magnify all of your abilities to defeat the two assassins? Is it a high-level martial art? Ah, forget it. I’ll find out next time.”

“Aren’t you going to fight me? Why aren’t you coming at me?” asked Han Xiao, his all-seeing eyes detecting no turbulence in the qi that precedes a fight.

“No-no-no, I have no intention of fighting you. My role is just to record the details of your battle here. Plus, the other three assassins have been dealt with nicely by Princess Xue. So, I think my job is done here. We’ll meet again. Until then,” the man put away the notebook and pen, weaved a series of hand seals, and his figure distorted with the gust of wind. “See ya!”

With that, he vanished into the night, leaving Han Xiao and Han Xue alone in the bamboo grove.

“Hmpf! This time even a Houtian Level martial expert was sent here to study me. Interesting! Next time, I’ll deal with those pests first,” Han Xiao grumbled.

Han Xue approached him, a mix of concern and curiosity in her eyes. “They’re going all out to understand your abilities. Why are they so interested in you?”

A big wild smile appeared on Han Xiao's face as he replied, “Later, for now, let’s leave this place. The academy scouts must have sensed the earlier fight. They are approaching. Let’s go.”

With that, the two swiftly departed from the grove, leaving behind the remnants of the battle and the encroaching scouts.