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Just as the assassin was under increasing pressure and his swordplay showed a slight repetition and impatience, a flash of inspiration struck Shan Wanjing.

A ghostly movement that blends into the shadows... a sword strike that leaves behind layers of afterimages, bewitching the mind... a strange technique that can create eerie vortex force fields and erode the opponent's true energy... and this ruthless and vicious sword path, born specifically for assassination...

A name that struck fear into the hearts of all in the martial arts world suddenly popped into her mind! Combined with the characteristics of his martial arts skills, the identity of this person was already obvious!
Dan Wanjing deflected a strange sword thrust aimed at her ribs, using the momentum to retreat half a step. Her short sword pointed diagonally at the ground, her gaze like lightning, locking onto the shadowy figure that was again trying to conceal itself. She coldly shouted:
"So it was you... 'Shadow Assassin' Yang Xuyan!"

The shadowy assassin froze abruptly. Though he didn't admit it, his reaction undoubtedly confirmed Shan Wanjing's guess. His eyes, visible beyond the black cloth, flashed with undisguised shock and disbelief!

In that fleeting moment when his mind went blank, Shan Wanjing keenly seized upon this momentary opening. Just as she was about to unleash her inner energy and launch an even more ferocious attack, she caught a glimpse of a figure that had silently appeared at the corner of the stairs.

He stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a simple blue robe, his expression calm and indifferent, as if he had just gotten up early and gone downstairs and happened to see an interesting scene.

In an instant, the instinctive tension and caution that Shan Wanjing felt when facing a powerful enemy vanished, replaced by an unparalleled sense of security and peace. It was as if, as long as this figure was there, even if the sky were to fall, her master would be there to hold it up. The surging true energy around her circulated more smoothly and freely, her eyes became clearer and sharper, and a powerful confidence arose spontaneously.

Yi Huawei did not make a move immediately, nor did he even glance at Yang Xuyan, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy. Instead, he focused his gaze on Shan Wanjing and nodded slightly: "Jing'er, this person's movement and swordsmanship are quite unique. He is a good whetstone. There is no need to rush. Focus on understanding the subtleties of power circulation and the transformation of techniques. I will be here to support you."

The voice clearly reached the ears of the two people in the arena. Yi Huawei's words completely disregarded the infamous Shadow Assassin, as if he were merely a tool to practice on for his apprentice. This composure and magnanimity, treating all the masters in the world as nothing, shocked and enraged Yang Xuyan. A sense of humiliation mixed with a deeper chill rose from the bottom of his heart. He abruptly turned his head, staring intently at Yi Huawei at the top of the stairs, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, yet he also instinctively felt an unfathomable fear.

Shan Wanjing, however, perked up and replied loudly, "Yes, Master!"

With such strong support by her side, Shan Wanjing felt no more hindrance in her heart. Her mind was clear and bright, like a mirror, reflecting every change in the battle.

She was no longer content with passively responding to every move, but instead began to actively integrate the insights she had gained from the previous night's meditation, the practical experience she had had this morning, and the subtle sword principles her master had taught her, into the short sword in her hand.

"Om-!"

The Northern Darkness True Qi surged forth, and the fine steel short sword in Shan Wanjing's hand emitted a clear and melodious hum. The sword's brilliance shone brightly, as clear and bright as a flowing autumn lake.

With a slight flick of the wrist, the sword's momentum suddenly arises!
In the first three sword strikes, Shan Wanjing still used the foundation of the Dongming School's swordsmanship, but her application of power was already different. Her sword moves were expansive and powerful, like the Yangtze River, flowing endlessly. Each strike carried a tremendous force, crashing head-on into Yang Xuyan's unpredictable and ever-changing sword shadows. This wasn't brute force, but rather a simplification of complexity, based on the all-encompassing and profound nature of the Beiming True Qi, using sheer power to overwhelm the opponent!
"Qiang! Qiang! Qiang!"

The sounds of metal clashing rang out one after another, sparks flying everywhere. Yang Xuyan felt a violent tremor in his arm. The power emanating from his opponent's sword was incredibly strong. Each collision made his blood surge. The exquisite feints and subsequent variations in his Phantom Sword Technique were abruptly interrupted and crushed by this pure power! He had no choice but to push his Illusionary Demon Body Technique to its limit, dodging and weaving like a wisp of black smoke through the gaps in the fierce sword strikes, constantly facing peril.

The look of shock in Yang Xuyan's eyes deepened. This girl's internal strength cultivation was simply unbelievable!
However, Shan Wanjing's swordplay immediately changed. She seemed to realize that relentlessly attacking was too taxing and made it difficult to truly touch the essence of her opponent's slippery, eel-like movements. Her sword abruptly subsided, transforming from a surging river into a mountain stream, and then from a stream into a gentle drizzle and breeze.

Dan Wanjing's footwork became light and rhythmic, subtly conforming to some strange tempo. She always managed to step precisely at the gaps in Yang Xuyan's energy transitions, or at the imperceptible points of movement during the Illusionary Demon Body Technique. The short sword in her hand no longer sought head-on collisions, but transformed into delicate and dense streams of light, as fine as silk threads, penetrating every nook and cranny.

She no longer attacked Yang Xuyan's vital points, but instead sought out the transitions between his sword moves, the points of leverage when he shifted his body, and the weakest points of fluctuation in the Black Hand Demon's energy field to stab.

Yang Xuyan felt extremely awkward! His Phantom Sword Technique was known for its unpredictable and ever-changing nature, a mix of illusion and reality that made it impossible to defend against. But Shan Wanjing's sword at this moment was like the most patient hunter, completely ignoring the dazzling illusions and always precisely targeting the crucial points where he had to defend or change his move. Often, just as he had created seven or eight illusions and his sword move was only halfway through, Shan Wanjing's sword tip, as if it had been predicted and carrying a chilling aura, would already be waiting in his path, forcing him to force a change of move. The flow of his internal energy became suffocated and uncomfortable, as if every punch had hit empty air, and he also had to be wary of the opponent's earth-shattering, powerful attack that could appear at any moment.

This feeling was ten times more unbearable than the fierce, head-on attack he had just experienced! It was as if he were trapped in an invisible net, and the more he struggled, the tighter the net bound him.

Dan Wanjing, however, found herself increasingly adept at the fight, her heart filled with joy. She clearly felt her control over the suddenly surging, immense true energy within her body becoming remarkably refined at an astonishing rate. Every application of force, every shift in angle, became more and more effortless. The sword principles of "using simplicity to control complexity" and "predicting the opportune moment," taught by her master, were being integrated into her instincts at an unprecedented speed under the pressure of fighting to the death against such a master.

She even began to intentionally slow down the pace, no longer in a hurry to win, but deliberately guiding the battle.

Dan Wanjing deliberately exposed a few insignificant flaws to lure Yang Xuyan into unleashing more exquisite killing moves from the Phantom Sword Technique; sometimes she would slightly reduce the force on the sword, forcing Yang Xuyan to increase the output of the Black Hand Demon Art to maintain the force field, thereby better understanding how that strange force field operated.

After a few moves, Shan Wanjing's eyes were as bright as stars, fixed on Yang Xuyan's every subtle movement: the slight shrug of his shoulders, the rotation of his wrists, the direction of his toes, even the rhythm of his breathing... All these details were magnified infinitely under her highly concentrated senses, becoming the basis for her to predict his next move.

Yang Xuyan's initial shock had turned into terror! He felt that all his secrets and trump cards had been laid bare before her. Even more terrifying, he clearly sensed that this young girl was growing, adapting, and learning at an alarming pace! She was using his most treasured skills as the perfect whetstone!
The humiliation of becoming someone else's stepping stone and the profound sense of crisis drove him almost mad. He knew he couldn't go on like this!

"Too deceiving!"

Yang Xuyan let out a low, suppressed roar, a fierce and resolute glint flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, and the black energy around him suddenly collapsed inward, as if all the light was about to be absorbed into his body. The distorted force field vanished instantly. However, this was not exhaustion, but the calm before the storm, a sign of gathering all his strength for a final, desperate struggle! Shan Wanjing's spiritual senses went wild, immediately sensing a drastic change in his opponent's aura. An extremely dangerous and destructive aura was frantically gathering from his body!

But instead of retreating, she advanced, her mind completely calm. She knew that this was the perfect moment, the moment her master had spoken of, to "experience the subtleties of the flow of power and the transformation of intent," and also the last chance to force her opponent to reveal all their essence!
She instantly channeled her Northern Darkness True Qi throughout her meridians, holding her short sword horizontally before her, its tip trembling slightly, as she focused intently. The air in the entire hall seemed to freeze, leaving only the terrifying energy compressing between the two of them, poised to explode!
Yang Xuyan was filled with shock and anger, yet he had no choice but to be on high alert. He knew he was in an extremely dangerous situation. Not only was the young girl's skill uncanny and her swordsmanship exquisite, far exceeding his expectations, but even more terrifying was the unfathomable figure in blue robes. The man in blue robes simply stood there, yet he seemed to blend seamlessly with his surroundings, impenetrable, exerting immense pressure on him like a mountain, making it almost impossible for him to breathe.

The instinct for survival overwhelmed everything! He had to break through at all costs!
"Three Thousand Shadows!"

Yang Xuyan suddenly let out a low roar, like the howl of a trapped beast. Black energy surged around him, and he pushed his Illusionary Demon Movement Technique to its limit. His whole body seemed to transform into a blurry and distorted black smoke. In an instant, three or four afterimages of him appeared in the hall at the same time. Each one was lifelike, holding a sword of shadow, and attacked from different directions—sweeping his lower body from the left, thrusting straight at his heart from the right, using illusions to confuse from the front, and a real killing move silently striking Shan Wanjing's Yuzhen acupoint at the back of her head from behind!
This was his trump card, a technique he had always up his sleeve. Combined with the chaotic force field created by his Black Hand Demonic Art, it was a masterful blend of illusion and reality, utterly cunning. Countless masters had met their demise at this deadly move. At the same time, a sliver of his attention was also diverted to lock onto Yi Huawei at the stairwell, guarding against any possible attack.

However, Yi Huawei remained standing with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent, and even his eyes did not change in the slightest, as if he had not seen this deadly situation that could kill even a top-notch martial arts master instantly.

Dan Wanjing felt a sudden increase in pressure around her, the distorted force field almost tearing apart her protective true energy. Illusions blurred before her eyes, and deadly killing intent attacked from all directions. But under immense pressure, her spirit became unprecedentedly focused. The spiritual perception of the "Longevity Technique" and her initial grasp of the "Sword Heart Clarity" state played a crucial role at this moment!

Instead of panicking and trying to figure out which one was the real body, Shan Wanjing suddenly closed her eyes and used her spiritual sense to perceive the subtle changes in the surrounding airflow, killing intent, and force field!

"Break through illusion!"

Just a moment before the unparalleled sword tip was about to touch the back of her head, Shan Wanjing moved! As if she had anticipated all of this, her body tilted slightly at an incredible angle, like a willow catkin in the wind, and the sword that Yang Xuyan had gathered all his strength and was determined to strike grazed her temple by the slightest difference!

The sharp sword energy severed a few strands of her hair that were flying up.

At the same moment she turned to the side, the short sword in Shan Wanjing's hand burst forth with an unprecedentedly dazzling light! Without turning around, she thrust out with her backhand. This sword strike contained her understanding of the concept of the "Nine Swords of Dugu" sword-breaking style, and was also infused with the boundless and unparalleled true energy of the Northern Darkness. It was aimed with perfect precision at the Shenmen acupoint on Yang Xuyan's wrist, the point where his true energy would inevitably circulate due to his all-out attack!

Latecomer achieves first! Simplicity controls complexity!

"puff!"

A soft sound was followed by a muffled groan from Yang Xuyan that he couldn't suppress!

He felt a sharp, piercing pain in his wrist, and his entire arm instantly went numb and powerless. The true energy he had gathered suddenly dissipated, and he could no longer hold onto the Shadow Sword, which clattered to the ground. Even more terrifying, a cold, vast, and strange true energy with a terrifyingly corrosive property forcefully broke into his meridians, sweeping upwards like a destructive force, instantly sealing off half of his acupoints!

The force field of the Black Hand Demonic Art suddenly disappeared, and the phantoms in the sky burst like bubbles.

Yang Xuyan's eyes were filled with horror, despair, and resentment. His body staggered forward uncontrollably and fell heavily to the ground. He struggled for a few moments but couldn't even sever his own heart meridian. The foreign true energy that had invaded his body was incredibly domineering and had already taken control of his core dantian. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he completely lost consciousness.

From the moment Yang Xuyan launched his desperate attack to the moment he was countered by Shan Wanjing and fell unconscious, the whole process took only a blink of an eye.

Only then did the two early-rising merchants in the corner of the lobby seem to awaken from a nightmare, letting out a suppressed gasp. Their faces were deathly pale, and they huddled together, trembling, wishing they could crawl under the table. The shop assistant was already paralyzed with fear behind the counter, his hands tightly covering his mouth, afraid to utter a sound. The old shopkeeper, however, was more experienced. Although his face was also pale and his beard trembled slightly, he could still barely stand, supporting himself on the abacus. His gaze towards Shan Wanjing and Yi Huawei was filled with awe.

Yi Huawei nodded slightly, a hint of approval on his face. He walked slowly down the stairs to the center of the hall, his gaze sweeping over the mess. He took out a ten-tael snowflake silver ingot from his sleeve, flicked it lightly with his finger, and the ingot landed steadily and silently on the counter, stopping right in front of the old shopkeeper.

"Shopkeeper, you've been frightened. Consider this compensation for the shop's losses. Also, prepare two light breakfasts and send them to room number three in the 'Heaven' section."

The old shopkeeper stared at the ingot of silver—enough to buy all the furniture in his lobby and still have some left over—for a moment, then hurriedly nodded and bowed, "Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir! I'll take care of it right away, right away!"

Yi Huawei said no more, turned his gaze to Shan Wanjing, nodded slightly to her, and then turned and walked upstairs unhurriedly.

Shan Wanjing understood, calmed the surging internal energy within her body, walked to the unconscious Yang Xuyan's side, bent down and struck with lightning speed, pressing thirteen major acupoints on his body, completely sealing off all his mobility and the possibility of suicide. Then, as if carrying a piece of unimportant luggage, she easily lifted Yang Xuyan up with one hand, following closely behind Yi Huawei, and walked upstairs.

The wooden planks of the stairs creaked slightly, and the figures of the master and apprentice quickly disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

The morning sunlight streamed through the windows into the lobby, and dust motes floated slowly in the beams of light, as if everything had returned to tranquility. (End of Chapter)