Chapitre 104: Impressive Speed

The dense forest passed like a blurred landscape before their eyes; the grass underfoot vanished with a single leap, and the massive mountain stones were left far behind. The farther they traveled, the more desolate the land became, and the surroundings grew bleaker, stripped of all obstacles!

It was no longer clear how far they had traveled. Under Jun's leadership, five human-like figures surged forward like four straight lines through the snowstorm. Shen, on the other hand, lay on Vera's back, growing increasingly astonished as time passed.

Trevor was truly incredible! Carrying someone on his back, he had run for at least several kilometers! Moreover, his speed hadn't slowed down in the slightest, and his breathing remained smooth and relaxed, as if he were running effortlessly. His pace wasn't actually any slower than the two assassins competing against each other; from the looks of it, he still had plenty of energy left, and if he wanted to unleash his true skill, he could easily catch up to the two ahead!

He lay on his back, eyes wide open, as the trees and mountains became mere shadows passing by. This kind of speed seemed inhuman to him; everything felt strange—there was no sensation of movement, as if he were sitting quietly at home. If not for the worry in his heart about his leader, he might have fallen asleep.

Observing the twins' level, they had definitely reached the peak of human capability—an extremely profound and terrifying level! Compared to the generals he drank with every night, they could only be stronger, not weaker! It was truly a mystery how the people around him had reached such a level of strength when he almost never saw them train.

Shen still didn't realize that he had underestimated the assassins of the Asura tribe. The twins alone weren't a match for Jun, but together, they could be said to have few rivals on the battlefield. But if that were hard to believe, these twins were here following Jun's orders to protect him.

Soon, a large diagonal valley appeared before Jun. Without hesitation, he jumped into the valley.

Chen immediately followed, his figure falling like a snowflake. When he landed, Jun was already standing in front of him, his eyes burning coldly as he observed him.

"Very impressive speed!"

"Good skills; from what I can see, you haven't disappointed me!"

Both spoke at the same time. As they praised each other, there was a hint of unwillingness in the other's tone. Both assassins knew in their hearts that this speed contest had ended in a draw!

Jun, who had the advantage of moving first, hadn't managed to leave Chen behind; Chen's fierce pursuit hadn't been able to catch up with Jun either! As for their techniques, they were on the same level!

The twins arrived like a puff of smoke, landing several dozen meters away from the two. As they were known, the twins weren't inferior to those two assassins who wanted to demonstrate their grand skills. It was only because they didn't want to interfere with this display of prowess that they hadn't shown their abilities to the fullest.

Jun had already made his stance clear on this matter! The first match would be a contest of speed and skill; at the same time, he was hinting to the twins that he didn't want anyone's interference!

Jun's eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and he smiled slightly. A cold-blooded, cruel smile, unlike anything seen before, hung on his handsome face. "Chen, show me your hand-to-hand combat skills!"

Chen returned the gaze calmly. "I was just about to say the same!"

Neither made the first move as they stood facing each other. But suddenly, as if they moved at the same time, Chen charged forward, his battle-hardened fists suddenly stirring the snowflakes before him, his momentum seemingly unstoppable!

Jun also surged forward to meet him with great speed. The two were like a pair of incoming trains, colliding head-on!

At the last moment, before the two made contact, their figures suddenly flickered strangely. Jun disappeared first, and at the same time, Chen also vanished. This fierce battlefield suddenly became empty!

But in the middle of the field, the sounds of violent punches and kicks echoed. The snow on the ground flew up without reason. The sounds of blows were practically numbered in the hundreds per second. Yet, the bodies of the two didn't appear at all. They were moving through the air, formless and traceless. However, the winds approaching the arena instantly scattered, and even the snowflakes were displaced from their original descent!

There was a clear circle where the snow gathered since Jun began his fight with Chen.

Bang!

With a loud sound, two shadows—one black, one white—appeared simultaneously. At almost the same speed, they disappeared again! And in the process of retreating, they were still furiously attacking each other!

Each blow was aimed at their opponent's vital points. If any of the hits landed in their intended spots, the opponent would at the very least be knocked out—if not killed!

Jun was using a rather diverse martial art that employed any part of his body; halfway through, his palm transformed into a claw that mercilessly tore toward Chen's throat. Chen raised his right shoulder, blocking the attack toward his throat. His left hand shot out at lightning speed, aiming to strike Jun's temple. Jun, however, tilted his head, and his leg kicked three times silently. His targets were nerve points that would incapacitate his opponent! If any of them landed, Chen would instantly lose his life!

At the same time, Jun's first palm struck Chen's elbow; after that, three muffled sounds echoed, and the two jumped into the air and landed firmly on the ground!

It turned out that Jun's three kicks had simply deflected Chen's three sneaky strikes!

Chen couldn't help but sigh in admiration. He had vast experience as an assassin for nearly a hundred years. After each job, he would always think deeply about how to improve his techniques and style. Yet he still couldn't gain any advantage over this young assassin, who was no more than twenty years old!

But the battle wasn't over. In fact, it had just begun!

Jun had barely steadied his stance when his body swayed, transforming into a gust of wind. Chen snorted coldly; this time, he didn't use any movement techniques. Instead, he began to spin rapidly on the spot as if he were dancing. His hands and legs were like a whirlwind, covering his body so swiftly that they appeared as numerous layers of snow, shielding him and counterattacking with all his strength.

A turbulent wind swirled around Chen, enveloping him in a small tornado. Numerous currents of presence, like assassins, shot out from the tornado, launching attacks in all directions, including above and below!

The tornado drew in all the snow from the area, pulling it into a thick white pillar, like a snow dragon, that soared through the nine heavens!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

A series of loud impacts could be heard, followed by the sounds of powerful explosions!

Finally, a muffled grunt!

The snow pillar suddenly disintegrated, and Jun's figure appeared. Chen, standing in front of him, staggered back three steps, his shirt torn. A clear fist imprint slowly appeared on his chest, and two deafening sounds echoed behind him. Two palm-shaped pieces of fabric fell from his robe. Chen growled coldly, inhaled deeply, and suddenly let out a roar: "You'll suffer as well!"

His body shot up and suddenly vanished into the air.

This time, it was Jun's turn to take the defensive! Jun did the same as Chen earlier; he didn't use his movement technique to disappear and instead began moving rapidly. His legs constantly shifted positions at extreme speed, and his body suddenly leaped from the ground. As he rushed forward, he soared to a height of ten meters, but upon landing, a powerful airwave spread across the area, pushing Chen back.

Finally, sliding across the ground, Chen approached as he recovered from the daze. At the same time, Chen reappeared in his original spot, his eyes revealing a trace of disappointment.

Two barely audible sounds could be heard. A palm imprint had appeared on Jun's left shoulder, but a kick had struck Chen's abdomen, sending him flying.

"I lost the close-quarters combat." Chen seemed somewhat downcast. But he still lifted his head. Although disappointment could be seen on his face, there was no regret in his eyes. His eyes still burned with battle intent, yet they were as cold and calm as ice!

"You hesitated in the end, but it was a narrow victory." Jun's face also looked somewhat grim.

In the end, both sides had exchanged three palm strikes each. But Chen had been hit in the chest and back—both fatal spots! While Jun had been struck in the shoulder and calves! At a glance, Jun had undoubtedly taken the advantage, and his victory was clear!

In a real life-and-death fight, Chen would have surely died, but Jun would have also been severely injured and out of action for a while! Although being out of action was better than being dead, it still wasn't a complete victory. That's why when Jun said it was a "narrow victory," it was truly a sincere feeling!

Of course, if this had been a real life-and-death battle, Jun could have easily secured victory by using his Black Moon Art. But this fight was for the title of "King of Assassins." Therefore, Jun wanted to rely on his own skills and convincingly defeat Chen.

"Sword!"

Chen raised his hand, and a sword appeared in his grip without showing where it came from. The blade's edge seemed to flow with sharpness, indicating it could cut through anything.

"The victory or defeat will be decided with this battle! The winner lives, and the loser dies!" Chen said coldly, as a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.

"If that's the case, you will undoubtedly lose!" Jun smiled and stretched out his palm. With a soft metallic sound, a sharp, clear, and resonant light rang out! An unparalleled sword, as red as boiling lava, abruptly appeared in his hand.

This was a sword made to silently kill thousands of enemies on the same battlefield! And right now, the aura it emanated was a natural suppression of his killer instinct!

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Chapitre 105: The Battle Decision

The moment Jun's sword was unsheathed, Chen suddenly felt as if the sword that had accompanied him his entire life had slipped out of his control.

Chen's eyes widened in surprise. He almost believed that his sword was no longer in his hand! However, the slight weight in his grip clearly told him he was still holding it!

What… What was happening?

A warrior's sword was their most loyal and reliable partner! It was also their trademark as a warrior who protected their life with their own hands! Chen cherished it as his life, like any other warrior, and every time he held it, there was an intricate feeling of connection with its power. It was as if he was the sword! When he thought of killing someone, he could even feel the sword's thirst for blood! At times, the sword would resonate with his very spirit!

It was a true fusion of man and sword as one, both spiritually inseparable from the other.

But at this moment, that astonishing and complex feeling suddenly vanished, disappeared without a trace!

How could this be possible? How could it be like this?

Chen could feel his palms sweating profusely!

At that moment, Chen had completely lost his confidence in this fight, utterly and entirely!

"Do you still want to fight? You've already lost! However, you didn't lose to me, but to my sword! More precisely, your spirit has already submitted to me!"

Jun hadn't anticipated such a situation! Ever since Jun had mastered the full aggression of his internal energy, very few people could hold their sword in front of his presence.

As Jun's mastery of his power advanced, so did the arrogance of his spirit!

In such a critical moment, just when he wanted to have a fair fight with Chen, a fully equal match where he could battle to his heart's content, that guy lost right before the fight even started! Who would have thought that the moment their swords were drawn, such an enormous disparity would form?

This was a complete and overwhelming advantage!

The sword governs all weapons in this world, and the one who wields it decides whom to kill or spare! With a sharp sword in hand, who would dare not submit to the other's will?

Although Chen hadn't yet lost and still had a strong fighting spirit, the weight of the sword in his hand had already lost its will to fight, fully submitting to Jun's spirit.

Under the enormous pressure of his spirit, there was basically no way to fight against it once a moment of hesitation arose. Chen was completely suppressed from the moment Jun revealed his power! In an instant, all his killing intent vanished, along with his entire fighting spirit!

At this point, the incredible sword in Chen's hand wasn't even comparable to an ordinary iron blade!

How was this fight supposed to continue?

Jun was also stunned, unsure whether to laugh or cry. The situation was extremely strange, like two rabbits fighting each other. One rabbit had run away.

Wasn't this just bullying an elder?

Chen tried to rekindle his fighting spirit, even concentrating desperately to urge his sword to regain its former state, but his efforts were in vain, as his spirit had been completely rattled!

Chen gripped the sword's hilt so tightly that numerous green veins popped up across his skin. He stood coldly, but he knew he had already been defeated! Moreover, he had lost in the most humiliating way possible, to the point of it being completely ridiculous and bewildering!

Against this kind of terrifying assassin, one who would never appear on a real battlefield, let alone losing control of his sword in this manner, even the slightest mistake would guarantee his defeat beyond any doubt.

In a battle between top assassins, losing meant dying, and the certainty of defeat directly equated to guaranteed death!

"Your sword is indeed a fine weapon!" Jun smiled casually and said, "Over the years, you've killed an uncountable number of people and swept through the warring states without rival. Your sword has also been born with a spirit, nourished by the blood of countless people! It has formed a connection with your heart, mind, and even your blood. At this point, it could already be called a magical weapon. However, it is bound to you, and because you hesitated, your sword faltered."

Chen frowned, and a trace of doubt crossed his eyes as he responded coldly, "Oh?"

"However, if you ignite the intention to fight, even if you're certain of your death, that kind of intense emotion will definitely stimulate your sword and awaken the connection between the two of you once more. This is also the only way to lift your sword right now and continue the battle! Because although you might not know it, that sword of yours is very clear about one thing. The moment it clashes with mine, it will break instantly!"

Jun smiled faintly and continued, "But if that were to happen, this battle would have lost its original meaning. If I fight you in that situation, the victory wouldn't be determined by skill, and if I were to lose, I'd be the laughingstock of the world. Even though you have the intention to take my life, I only want to determine a winner between the two of us. I said earlier that if the king of assassins were to die, this world would instantly become more boring. Those were my sincere feelings, and I plan to use them for more meaningful purposes than a fight witnessed only by the five of us."

Jun raised his head and looked at Chen without mockery in his gaze, saying, "Chen, why don't we end our confrontation here today? In fact, I'm the one most reluctant for this competition to end this way. In a person's life, it's rare to find a true man who can change the course of the world. I believe you can understand my words now."

Chen was silent for a moment, his lips pressed together. "You're right, if I had to force things and insist on continuing the fight, that would be simply arrogant, seeking death, something I've always guarded against. The original meaning of the fight would be lost, and I would also be sending my most precious partner to their death! But! I still want to take a look at your sword. I want to know exactly what kind of sword you have."

Chen's request was actually an exceptionally unreasonable one and could even be considered absurd. A sword that fits an assassin was simply equivalent to a second life for that assassin. How could it be something that others could see at will? The same was true for Chen's sword. How could it be drawn and shown to others so openly? Not to mention, this was the weapon Jun had cared for since leaving the Ausura tribe!

Honestly, Chen also knew that his request was quite absurd. In fact, even if Jun refused, it would be within his expectations. However, he still looked at Jun with determination because he wasn't convinced of his defeat.

Our strengths are roughly on the same level. Why should I be the one to lose due to the difference in spirit?

Chen, who had already formed a bond with his sword, which had accompanied him for more than eighty years, didn't covet Jun's weapon. However, his curiosity had reached an extreme level. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made such a presumptuous request!

To this request, Jun only made a low noise in acknowledgment as he raised the long sword in his hand slightly, brought it to his lips, and asked softly, "This guy isn't convinced of his defeat and wants a closer look... Can he see you?"

His voice was light and soft, as if he were coaxing a beautiful wife.

The sword in Jun's hands seemed to tremble, but this was impossible because it was just a sword. The one controlling it was its owner, and if Chen had lost, it was because he felt the fear of death.

Jun smiled and gestured for Chen to come closer: "You can take a look, but only with my hand."

At that moment, the twins and Shen had just approached.

When they got closer, the twins and Shen were stunned in disbelief, noticing the same extremely inexplicable scene at the same time.

Jun and Chen, who had been fighting fiercely just a moment ago, were now together, their heads nearly touching as they stared intently at the sword in Jun's hand, murmuring strange things!

Chen's face, in particular, was filled with a reverent expression!

"It's beautiful..."

This was a special sword—the dream weapon of any assassin! This was a fine sword, perfect as a companion to accompany a warrior for life!

But what surprised everyone the most was that Chen hadn't taken the slightest defensive stance before Jun. And the blade of the sword was pointing directly at him as it rested on Jun's palm. If Jun decided to launch a sudden attack, Chen wouldn't have the slightest chance to escape!

One single strike would be enough to cut him cleanly in two!

How could someone with so little awareness be the King of Assassins from before?

And there was Jun!

This guy was displaying his prized sword with an arrogant expression on his face. His body was equally open, without a hint of defense!

What was wrong with these two assassins? Had they gone mad? Or were they fooling each other? Had their brains been flooded with snow the moment they weren't looking?

After a long time, Chen reluctantly withdrew his gaze and took a few steps back.

That cold aura appeared once again around his body. He lifted his head, using his face to receive the falling snowflakes, hoping they could extinguish the fire in his heart. A long sigh escaped his mouth. "Such a special sword really exists in this world! How astonishing! It's truly an eye-opener for me!"

No matter how good the swords of others may be, this sword has already accompanied me for a long time! An assassin has no family, only their sword! This sword is their family!