The assassin's first blow had missed. With a snarl, he raised his right hand high, wrenching the dagger free. A streak of blood, laced with faint violet-black mist, splattered through the air.
Before he could strike again, a golden barrier flared to life around Xu Tianran, throwing the attacker back. The next instant, the surrounding protectors and guards had already unleashed their own abilities, spirit rings flashing as they closed in from all sides.
Only then did they clearly see their assailant—a man with the power of an eight-ring Spirit Douluo, no more. But the strange stealth technique he used had caught even a Titled Douluo off guard.
The assassin's expression twisted. He knew it was over. This was never how the plan was meant to go. He should have waited—waited for the ambush forces hidden nearby to draw away the protectors before making his move.
But he hadn't expected Xu Tianran to separate himself from his escorts because of the little girl. When the chance appeared, he simply couldn't resist.
And because of that single hesitation under Zhongli Wu's pressure—and the girl's desperate intervention—his flawless assassination had failed at the final moment.
"Boom—!"
A thunderous explosion tore through the air.
"Not good—an ambush!"
The sound was unmistakable: the detonation of a Level 9 soul tool. Two of the imperial protectors instantly leapt in front of Xu Tianran, raising layered defensive shields while the others charged toward the source of the blast.
"Your Highness," one of them shouted, "we must retreat immediately!"
Xu Tianran's eyes blazed red, his voice trembling with fury. "My protectors—outdone by a child picked up from the roadside!"
His words struck like knives. The two guards grimaced but could not refute him. If not for Ju Zi's sacrifice, the prince would have been dead already.
"Your Highness, what are your orders?"
"Return to Radiant City!" Xu Tianran barked. "Ju Zi gave her life for me—I will save her, no matter what it takes!"
The guards exchanged glances, their eyes flicking toward the unconscious girl in Xu Tianran's arms. Her face was pale, a faint black miasma spreading from the wound at her chest. The dagger had been coated in a virulent poison. Even with her heart protected, she could not survive for long.
Still, no one dared argue. They bowed and fell into formation, ignoring the others who had flown off to pursue the fleeing assassin, and sped northward toward the capital.
From behind, Lin Xiao had witnessed everything. He was the weakest among them, and no one expected him to intervene. Yet in the instant before Ju Zi had thrown herself into the attack, he had seen something in her eyes—
Not fear. Not hesitation. Not regret.
Peace.
As though in that single moment, she had found release. Whether her sacrifice ended her weary, wandering life, or won her the Crown Prince's lasting trust—it was, for her, a perfect ending either way.
When the group turned north, Lin Xiao cast one last glance at the assassin struggling below, his eyes flashing with cold red light. Then he followed after the others.
The flight soul tools carried them swiftly through the clouds. Behind them, the noise of battle faded until it was little more than a whisper on the wind. It seemed they had escaped the ambush.
Lin Xiao, struggling to keep pace, felt Zhongli Wu's hand grip his shoulder and pull him along. It was only thanks to that help that he could remain within range of the others.
But as the air rushed past his ears, a chill crept down his spine. Something was wrong.
He remembered this assassination—vaguely, from his memories of another life. Xu Tianran was supposed to have been gravely injured, his legs destroyed, leaving him crippled for life and dependent on soul tools to move.
Yet now… he was unscathed.
Unless the crippling injury had not come from this attack. Or worse—
Lin Xiao's body went rigid. Every hair on his neck stood on end. He wasn't the only one who sensed it—he felt Zhongli Wu's aura shift beside him, sharp and heavy.
"Your Highness, beware—!"
One of the protectors shouted. His martial spirit flared to life, casting a golden shield that wrapped around both him and Xu Tianran.
A silent shadow sliced through the air. The barrier held for only a heartbeat before splitting apart like glass.
The man who had raised it froze in midair—then his body separated cleanly into two halves, blood spraying as his torso fell away from his legs.
The delay, brief as it was, saved Xu Tianran for an instant. The jets of his flight device flared violently, propelling him upward in a burst of blinding light.
But the reprieve lasted only seconds.
A scream ripped through the sky. Xu Tianran's body jerked violently. Two dark shapes plummeted from the heavens, shrinking into distant dots before vanishing.
When the guards reached him, horror filled their faces. The lower half of Xu Tianran's body was gone, shredded into a mess of bone and blood. His entrails spilled from the wound as crimson rain fell through the clouds.
"Your Highness!"
They rushed to him, channeling soul power into his wounds to slow the bleeding.
All of it had happened in the span of heartbeats. Finally, Zhongli Wu moved. A surge of energy rippled outward, revealing another figure hovering not far away.
A Titled Douluo.
Nine spirit rings burned around the man's body, their light searing, as though his very soul was on fire.
Zhongli Wu's eyes darkened. He could see it instantly—the assassin was burning his life, his power, his very essence, for one final strike. He had come here to die. Even if he hadn't been discovered, he would not have lasted long.
"Take care of yourselves," Zhongli Wu said coldly. Then he vanished, lunging toward the dying Douluo like a shadow of death.
Lin Xiao took in the scene, then turned away. The assassins' target was the Crown Prince, and those who could attack him were no common killers. If he stayed, he would likely die to the battle's aftershocks alone.
He understood now. The first ambush—the stealth assassin—had only been a diversion. A feint to draw away the prince's guards. The real killing blow came from this final, suicidal Titled Douluo.
As the thought settled in his mind, something dropped through the air before him.
Lin Xiao caught sight of a small, limp figure falling from above—Ju Zi.
Moments later, Xu Tianran's voice faded into silence behind him. The prince had lost consciousness, his life ebbing away as the blood continued to rain.
(End of Chapter)