The young man, seeing the assassin approaching in haste, had already devised an escape plan beforehand. His backward fall, though appearing clumsy, concentrated all his internal power into his chest. As his vital energy surged, both his outer robe and undergarments billowed outward, creating two subtle layers of protection. The most marvelous part was that when the assassin’s heavy kick landed squarely on his chest, the outer robe rippled and absorbed much of the force. Then, the undergarment swelled again, dissipating another layer of energy.
Consequently, Jun Xie’s physical body actually received less than a third of the force; by the time the foot struck him, it was the mere dregs of the original power. Even so, a sword strike combined with two kicks was no small ordeal for the current Jun Xie—it was intensely uncomfortable. However, even as his viscera vibrated, Jun Xie activated the Zaohua Xuangong (Creation Profound Art), converting the shock into a spurt of blood. Though the spectacle of him coughing up blood was alarming, he was essentially unharmed.
That sword strike had been enveloped by the Kaitian Zaohua Gong (Heaven-Opening Creation Art); given the profound nature of this technique, it amounted to little more than a superficial cut. It was the pair of kicks that truly left him vexed.
Had these assassins chosen to retreat after Jun Xie left, foregoing an attack on Princess Lingmeng or choosing not to target Jun Xie at all, the young master would have walked away without a second thought. Princess Lingmeng was, at best, a fleeting fancy in Jun Moxie’s dreams, certainly not in Jun Xie’s. Thus, the latter felt absolutely no concern; the chivalry of saving a beauty or cherishing the delicate required power—a commodity the great Young Master Jun was currently acutely lacking!
But these assassins had marked him for death as well, which ignited a raging inferno within this wicked sovereign! Setting aside any potential future entanglements, for this instance alone, Jun Xie would not let them go!
Anyone who harms me or intends to harm me has always been met with preemptive striking! Since you seek to kill me, very well; I cannot kill you now, but I can certainly sabotage your plan for this evening! I will engage in a mutually detrimental venture just this once!
Thus, Jun Xie remained when he should have departed. Seeing Princess Lingmeng in peril, Jun Xie utilized his fully integrated meridians to mimic the aura of a Tianxuan expert, channeling it into a flying knife and releasing it with a spinning trajectory!
Just as the two leaders of the assassins were about to thrust their swords to deliver the fatal blow to Princess Lingmeng, they suddenly sensed something amiss. A dazzling blue light flashed before their eyes, so intense it almost forced them to close them, yet possessing an almost unbearable, mesmerizing brilliance!
Deep blue!
A tiny throwing knife, it seemed, materialized abruptly from the void, hovering between their longswords and Princess Lingmeng’s delicate form!
This small knife appeared to have drawn down all the azure of the sky, a blue imbued with color that stirred a primal resonance deep within the soul of everyone who witnessed it!
This streak of azure, against the backdrop of the gray-black night, was breathtakingly vivid and glorious!
This is...
A Tianxuan expert!
The two masked figures in black cried out, their eyes flashing with extreme terror. Ignoring Princess Lingmeng entirely, they snatched back their swords with desperate haste and leaped backward in disarray, regarding the throwing knife as if it were a venomous serpent!
That was a level of power they simply could not resist!
Indeed, facing Princess Lingmeng, a master of the Yinxuan realm, the two could act as adults teasing a child. But against a peak-level Tianxuan master, a Jinxuan expert, even if not quite an ant, was barely an infant!
It was rumored that the entire Tianxiang Kingdom possessed barely a handful of Tianxuan experts; how could one appear at this critical juncture?!
Although the throwing knife was imbued with that intoxicating, refreshing cyan light, it seemed to carry absolutely no force, dropping down limply to lodge itself between the two assassins and Princess Lingmeng. Its thin blade, light as a willow leaf, swayed gently. The cyan luminescence lingered, refusing to fade until moments later, when it gradually reverted to the innate clarity of the knife itself!
The crowd froze as if struck by lightning, dozens of pairs of eyes fixed upon the small knife on the ground, all filled with horror!
That tiny knife had become an insurmountable chasm!
The knife was saturated with that divine, azure color, and the light persisted even after it had stopped moving! Looking at this, it was clear the intervening Tianxuan expert had reached the pinnacle of the realm! Perhaps only a mere half-step away from the higher echelon of Supreme Xuan!
Furthermore, the knife had flown out without a whisper of sound. Although it seemed devoid of force, the kinetic energy within the blade was controlled with absolute precision. This indicated that the Tianxuan expert’s move was purely for deterrence, without any intent to injure. Yet, the more casual the display, the more it revealed an effortless composure, showing utter disregard for the nine assassins present. It was evident they possessed absolute certainty—should the assassins persist in threatening Princess Lingmeng, all nine would be annihilated in an instant! Describing the act of killing these nine men as easy for a Tianxuan master would be an understatement!
Everyone present was an experienced, high-level Xuan practitioner; who could fail to recognize the intent of the hidden master?
The moment the two black-clad leaders moved to strike Princess Lingmeng, from beneath the eaves of a dark building across the street, a figure clad in blue opened their eyes, and a watery blue radiance flashed across their body, preparing to emerge. But upon seeing the throwing knife appear, the figure suddenly stiffened; the movement of flying out halted abruptly, their eyes also filled with shock.
This blue-clad person’s eyes held a faint, light blue tint—the hallmark of a beginner Tianxuan stage expert. While still a peak-level sovereign over the masses, they were clearly several degrees inferior to the 'Tianxuan expert' who threw the knife.
The eyes behind the nine assassins’ masks were clouded with terror, their movements hesitant and indecisive. Though they were killers, they valued their lives. If there was a chance to fight, they would strive to take it, but faced with a guaranteed death with no possibility of success, anyone would choose retreat!
In stark contrast, Princess Lingmeng's guards were overcome with elation and relief! With such a near-legendary figure protecting the Princess, Her Highness was as unshakeable as a mountain, completely safe! If the Princess had truly been assassinated, even if they survived the attackers, they would face severe repercussions from the Royal Family, potentially bringing disaster upon their wives and children.
Princess Lingmeng opened her eyes to witness this scene. Looking at the small throwing knife on the ground before her, a look of gratitude crossed her face. Had this knife not appeared miraculously, she would surely have perished by now!
“Which esteemed senior remains here? If you have any instructions, please reveal yourself.” The foremost black-masked assassin straightened his posture, cupped his hands toward the sky, and spoke with practiced deference—a tactic designed to probe. He pretended ignorance of the hidden figure’s objective, using this as a test. After all, if this assassination failed, their return would likely bring no reward. Holding onto a sliver of hope, they had to try something!
If they confirmed that the hidden Tianxuan expert was absolutely committed to protecting Princess Lingmeng, they knew there would be no hope of completing their mission, even if they all perished here! At that point, retreat would be the only option!
Yet, even as a princess of the nation, the favorite daughter of the Tianxiang Sovereign, she hardly seemed worthy of having a peak Tianxuan master as a bodyguard. Such a guardian would be fit company even for the Sovereign of Tianxiang himself!
The long street remained silent, devoid of any sound.
The mysterious Tianxuan expert disdained to acknowledge the pronouncements of this mere Golden-rank Xuan practitioner.