Chapter 51: The Dance of Shadows
Lin Yun's heartbeat slowed as he faced the black-robed assassins. There were five of them, all standing in a half-circle around the temple entrance. The one with the scarred arm—their leader—stepped forward, his voice carrying an edge of confidence.
"Give us the manual, and we might let you live."
Lin Yun didn't respond. Instead, he glanced at their movements, their posture, their breathing. **Qi Gathering Realm—mid-level.** These men were stronger than most he had faced so far, but nothing he couldn't handle.
Still, he had no intention of fighting them head-on.
A faint smirk played on his lips. "If you want it, come take it."
The scarred leader sneered. "Kill him."
The assassins moved as one, their blades gleaming in the moonlight as they lunged toward him.
---
Lin Yun didn't stay still. **Flowing Shadow Steps!**
His body flickered, vanishing like a phantom as the assassins' blades cut through empty air. He reappeared behind one of them, his palm glowing with Qi.
**Nine Heavens Breaking Palm!**
*Boom!*
The force sent the assassin crashing into a pillar, coughing blood.
The remaining four adjusted instantly, closing in again. Lin Yun gritted his teeth—**these men were skilled**. Their coordination and reaction speed weren't ordinary.
But he had something they didn't.
His fingers brushed against the ancient manual in his robes. The **Drifting Shadow Art** was incomplete, but the fragments of knowledge he had absorbed were enough.
He took a deep breath.
His Qi shifted, his presence **fading**, as if he had become one with the temple's shadows. The assassins hesitated, their eyes darting around.
"Where—?!"
Lin Yun **moved**.
His footwork flowed like mist, his figure blurring between the flickering candlelight. He weaved through the attackers, avoiding their strikes by mere inches. **To them, it was as if he had disappeared.**
Then, with surgical precision, he **countered.**
A dagger to the ribs.
A palm strike to the chest.
A sword slash severing tendons.
Within seconds, three more assassins collapsed, clutching their wounds.
Only the leader remained.
---
The scarred man scowled. Unlike his subordinates, he didn't panic. Instead, his Qi **exploded**, revealing his true cultivation—**Qi Gathering Realm, 9th level.**
Lin Yun's expression turned serious.
*He's nearly at Core Formation.*
The assassin unsheathed a curved saber, its blade emitting a faint, **killing aura.** "You're better than I expected. But this is as far as you go."
Lin Yun exhaled slowly. He had pushed his body to its limits dodging the last four assassins. Against a peak Qi Gathering Realm expert, he had **one shot.**
The scarred man dashed forward, his saber swinging in an arc. Lin Yun reacted instantly, his **Drifting Cloud Sword Art** clashing against the blow. The impact shook his arm, but he **twisted his stance**, redirecting the force instead of blocking it head-on.
Then—
**Thunderous Fist of the Heavens!**
Lin Yun's fist crackled with energy, slamming into the man's chest. But the assassin twisted mid-air, absorbing most of the damage. He landed with a smirk.
"Too slow."
His blade **descended.**
Lin Yun's instincts screamed. He had no time to block. Instead, he trusted his new technique.
**Drifting Shadow Art—First Step: Mirage Veil!**
His figure **blurred**, creating an afterimage as the saber passed **through it.**
The assassin's eyes widened. "What—?!"
Lin Yun reappeared **behind him.** His palm, imbued with Qi, struck the assassin's back.
**Qi Suppression Seal!**
The assassin froze as his Qi flow **disrupted.** His body staggered, and before he could recover—
**Nine Heavens Breaking Palm—Second Form!**
*BOOM!*
The impact sent the assassin crashing through the temple doors, rolling across the dirt. He coughed violently, trying to stand, but his **Qi was unstable**—his strength cut in half.
Lin Yun walked forward, his blade resting against the man's throat.
"Who sent you?"
The assassin glared at him, blood dripping from his lips. Then, without a word, he bit down on something—
*Poison!*
Lin Yun's eyes widened as the man's body **convulsed**, then went still.
Silence filled the temple ruins.
Lin Yun exhaled. He hadn't expected such an intense battle, and it had taken every trick he had to win.
But the fact that these assassins were **after the manual** meant someone else knew about it.
**And they wouldn't stop coming.**
He looked down at the scarred man's corpse. Before the poison had taken effect, the assassin had whispered something.
*"The first test… has begun."*
A chill ran down Lin Yun's spine.
**First test?**
Just who was behind this?