6

Xiao Lin's Mark

As the crimson sun dipped below the horizon, Xiao Lin stood amidst the carnage he had wrought, his breath heavy with the weight of vengeance. He drew his sword and carved a single phrase into the ground: "Revenge is inevitable." The words etched in blood and fury served as a testament to his purpose.

Afterwards, he shed his bloodstained clothing and stepped into the cool embrace of the river, allowing the water to wash away the remnants of his violence. Each stroke of the current against his skin felt like a baptism, cleansing him not only of blood but of the emotional burden that accompanied his actions. Once clean, he bandaged his wounds, feeling a peculiar speed in their healing—an advantage bestowed upon him by his newfound strength.

Zhao Lu's Shock

Meanwhile, back at the assassin sect, Zhao Lu returned with the buckets of water, his mind occupied with thoughts of revenge. As he entered, the scene that greeted him shattered his expectations. The once-bustling sect was now a grotesque tableau of death, blood splattered across the floors, and the lifeless bodies of his comrades strewn about.

Heart pounding, Zhao walked among the corpses, dread tightening its grip around his throat. When he reached the main hall, he gasped, tears flooding his eyes as he beheld the slain elders and the sect leader.

"Father, mother, the killer has finally been avenged," he wept, his voice thick with grief. "They were slaughtered. We got our justice."

After crying for what felt like an eternity, a troubling thought intruded upon his sorrow. Who is the person responsible for this?

Suddenly, a memory surfaced: the young man he had encountered just before leaving the sect for water. Could it be him? Zhao Lu chuckled bitterly at the irony. I warned him about the dangers of the sect—he seemed too young to wield such power. Why didn't he kill me?

Confusion enveloped Zhao as he pondered Xiao Lin's motives, resolving to seek answers if their paths ever crossed again.

Xiao Lin's Next Moves

Emerging from the river with a sense of purpose, Xiao Lin donned fresh clothes, incinerating the remnants of his previous attire. His wounds, though still tender, began to heal at an extraordinary rate. He knew he had to eradicate every trace of the assassin sect to prevent any future retaliation.

With newfound clarity, he set his sights on the branch families of the sect, determined to cleanse the roots of their malevolence. After half an hour of relentless searching, he arrived at the nearest branch family's compound.

Xiao Lin stood before the gate, an ominous smile dancing on his lips as he dispatched the guards with ruthless efficiency. The courtyard beyond was alive with the unsuspecting chatter of the branch family, their ignorance a stark contrast to his lethal intent.

The Su Family's Fate

Inside, Su Li, the leader of the branch, and his daughter, Su Wan, were sequestered in a hidden chamber, anxiously awaiting news.

"Who possesses the strength to challenge us?" Su Li demanded, pacing the floor.

"Father, will we also perish?" Su Wan's voice trembled with fear.

"Fear not; I've sent a messenger to the sect. Reinforcements will come," Su Li assured her, though doubt lingered in his eyes.

Suddenly, the door splintered open, and a severed head rolled to their feet.

"Sorry, he got caught," Xiao Lin's voice cut through the silence, cold and mocking. "As for the reinforcements you anticipated, they will not arrive. I've killed them all."

Panic seized the Su family as they stared in disbelief.

"Why are you doing this?" Su Li stammered.

"You are not innocent, but your family is merely a reflection of the sins of the main sect," Xiao Lin replied, his tone devoid of empathy.

"Please, spare us! I'll do anything! I can even be your wife!" Su Wan cried out desperately.

Xiao Lin's expression darkened, his smile evaporating. Without a moment's hesitation, he swung his sword, and Su Wan's head thudded to the floor, blood pooling around her lifeless body.

"You share authority with the main family; you must also share their sins," he stated coldly, as Su Li's wife, consumed by rage and despair, lunged at him with a small knife.

In a swift motion, Xiao Lin disarmed her, sending her crashing to the ground, her scream echoing in the silence.

"Why?" she wailed, trembling with grief.

"You can ask that in hell," Xiao Lin replied, delivering the final blow.

With the Su family extinguished, the grim silence enveloped the room.

Sign-In and New Abilities

As he surveyed the aftermath, a voice echoed in his mind.

"System: Host, do you wish to sign in?"

"Sign in," Xiao Lin commanded, anticipation tingling in his veins.

"Host attained: Virtual Eye. This ability identifies enemies' locations by sensing their auras and displays their status."

Pain flared in his eyes as the power manifested, but he welcomed it, opening his eyes to see the status of the deceased Su family members. A map materialized in his mind, detailing their connections to other branch families.

To preserve his anonymity, he took a hidden passage out of the mansion, moving toward the next branch family while checking the status of any who crossed his path, ensuring no threats remained.

For an entire week, Xiao Lin systematically dismantled each branch of the assassin sect, leaving no roots to regrow. His campaign of vengeance did not go unnoticed; the commotion reverberated throughout the Meng nation, drawing the attention of the emperor, who demanded answers from the Xiao family. However, their investigation yielded no evidence of the shadowy figure responsible for the carnage.

Fear gripped the populace as the sect's disciples began to wander, desperate for reprisal. In the chaos, Xiao Lin set his sights on his next target: the Illusion Sect.

The Illusion Sect

The Illusion Sect, the weakest of the ten families, presented the perfect opportunity for Xiao Lin. They had no branch families to defend and relied on their seclusion. This made them vulnerable, and with his new abilities, infiltrating their ranks would be effortless.

After three arduous days, he finally arrived at the outer gates of the Illusion Sect.

Using his Virtual Eye, he traversed the entrance. Fifteen minutes into his infiltration, an unknown figure confronted him.

"You should leave this place; it's not meant for outsiders," the figure warned.

Xiao Lin smirked. "I came here intentionally."

"Then you must die," the figure retorted, initiating the sect's defensive illusion array.

Unfazed, Xiao Lin stood still, closing his eyes as silver needles shot toward him. With practiced precision, he deflected the onslaught, moving steadily forward. With a swift flick of his sword aura, he ended the intruder's life.

Chaos at the Illusion Sect

The alarm sounded throughout the Illusion Sect as every disciple armed with bows and arrows prepared for combat. Xiao Lin walked forward with determination, deflecting thousands of arrows with ease, his sword moving in a deadly dance of precision.

An hour later, he reached the massive gate of the sect, where the elders ordered a barrage of heavy weaponry to be deployed against him. But with a mere flick of his wrist, he split their projectiles in half, advancing unimpeded.

With the gate finally breached, Xiao Lin surged into the heart of the sect, his fury unleashed. An elder attempted to strike him with a mind skill, but the system's defenses thwarted the attack, injuring the elder instead.

Smiling at the opening, Xiao Lin vanished and reappeared within the elder's range, wielding his sword with lethal intent. The remaining disciples fled in terror, but Xiao Lin would not allow any to escape.

He unleashed his ultimate skill, "Revive to Kill," a devastating technique that eradicated all remaining threats in less than a minute.

New Abilities and Aftermath

Exhausted but victorious, Xiao Lin assessed the remains of the sect. "Sign in," he commanded, eager to claim his reward.

"Host attained: Illusion skill – 'Virtual is Real.' This skill creates illusions within a three-kilometer radius. High mental resistance is required to break its effects."

A grin spread across his face as he swung his katana, leaving behind the words: "Revenge is life."

A Confrontation at the Gates

As he approached the exit, Xiao Lin spotted a group of soldiers accompanied by members of the Xiao family, their faces etched with concern.

"What are they still doing here?" Xiao Qi, a young master of the Xiao family, demanded. "We came to deliver an imperial order, yet we are met with silence. Are they disrespecting the envoy?"

One of the soldiers suggested, "Young Master Xiao Qi, perhaps they have not yet realized our presence. A sound might alert them."

At that moment, Xiao Lin emerged from the shadows, his clothes soaked in blood and his wounds still fresh.

The soldiers and Xiao Qi recoiled, their weapons drawn.

"Who are you?" Xiao Qi demanded, eyeing Xiao Lin with suspicion. "Why do you exit the Illusion Sect with blood on your clothes and wounds upon your body?"