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Chapter 46 - Whispers in the Blood

The wind howled through the ruined courtyard, carrying with it the metallic scent of blood. Quinn stood at the center, his black coat whipping around him like the shadow of a predator. His breathing was steady, but the heat in his veins was anything but calm. The blood energy inside him churned wildly, answering the call of his rage.

From the shadows around the broken pillars, enemies emerged—an elite squad of shadow assassins, their eyes gleaming red with corrupted qi. They moved like liquid darkness, blades glinting faintly under the moonlight.

"You've been a thorn in our Master's side for too long, Quinn," one hissed, his voice low and venomous.

Quinn tilted his head slightly, smirking. "Funny. I was thinking the same about all of you."

The first assassin lunged, his blade coated in poison qi. Quinn shifted, his form blurring as he activated Shadow Step. He vanished from sight, reappearing behind his attacker in an instant. His dagger, infused with Blood Qi, pierced through the man's spine with a sickening crunch. The assassin's body convulsed before collapsing into dust as the blood energy consumed him.

Two more rushed him at once. Their strikes came from opposite angles—deadly precise. Quinn's hand flared with crimson light as he unleashed Blood Ripple, sending a wave of destructive energy outward. The shockwave tore through their defenses, knocking them back and staining the ground with sizzling blood.

But the squad wasn't done. Four more surrounded him, forming a qi barrier to trap him inside. The air within the circle shimmered, thickening with killing intent. One of them began chanting, weaving a spell of Soul Binding, aiming to immobilize Quinn.

His lips curved upward into a cold smile. "You think you can cage me?"

Darkness exploded from his body—Void Shroud—the shadows bending unnaturally as his figure seemed to melt into them. In the blink of an eye, he was gone from their sight, only for a whisper to brush against their ears.

"Too slow."

One assassin's throat opened before he could react, his blood spilling like a crimson ribbon into Quinn's waiting hand. He absorbed it, his qi surging to an even higher peak. The others hesitated—just for a heartbeat—and that was all Quinn needed.

He dashed forward, his twin blades spinning with a deadly rhythm. Blood Fang Technique slashed through the first, and Shadow Pierce impaled the second. The ground beneath them cracked from the sheer force of his strikes, dust and debris swirling into the air.

The last two assassins exchanged a glance before retreating, but Quinn wasn't about to let them escape. He channeled all his qi into one final strike—Blood Shadow Sever—a crescent of black-red energy that flew across the courtyard. It sliced through both assassins mid-stride, their bodies collapsing before they even realized they were dead.

The battlefield fell silent except for the drip of blood on stone. Quinn exhaled slowly, feeling the rush of energy settle into his core. But as he turned to leave, a sudden pulse of oppressive qi descended from above.

A tall figure landed, clad in blood-red armor, eyes like burning coals.

"Quinn," the man said, voice deep and resonant. "The Master has taken interest in you. I am here to test your worth."

Quinn's fingers tightened on his blades, his shadow stretching unnaturally as his blood qi roared back to life.

"Good," he said, his smirk returning. "I was hoping for something more challenging."

The courtyard trembled as the two powers collided, the night about to be split open by their battle.

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