Su Han's Wolf Tooth Dagger whistled through the air, clashing violently against a heavy shield.
The blade was inches away from the guard's chest when the team leader made a desperate move.
The leader had hurled his own shield with incredible force to protect his subordinate.
The impact of metal hitting metal was so powerful that the guard was sent flying back several feet.
Gush! A fountain of blood sprayed from the guard's mouth as he collapsed, though his breath was still ragged.
Su Han gritted his teeth, cursing silently as rage flared in his eyes.
"Shit! This leader is becoming a real pain."
He locked his blood-red gaze onto the team leader, a seasoned Level 8 Body Refining warrior.
Su Han knew he didn't have a single second to waste.
Using his 'Shadow Steps', he flickered like a ghost and lunged toward the leader.
The leader's eyes were filled with a storm of fury as he watched two of his best men already lying dead.
He tried to roar a battle cry as he swung his weapon, but no sound came out.
Terror washed over his face as he realized he had been struck mute by some unseen force.
Su Han capitalized on the man's confusion, pulling off a brilliant feint.
Instead of clashing head-on, he spun around the leader and targeted the last standing guard with lightning speed.
Thud! Su Han's fist slammed into the guard's stomach like a sledgehammer.
Even though the guard tried to dodge, the blow was so heavy that he staggered back, gasping for air.
Slash! Before the man could even reach for his dagger, Su Han's blade had already slit his throat.
With a single strike, another Level 7 warrior was finished.
To Su Han's current strength, these ordinary soldiers were nothing more than dry straw.
Ding! "Host has killed a Level 7 Body Refining warrior."
"Reward: 100 Experience Points (EXP) and 500 Silver Coins!"
The system's notifications were ringing in his head, but Su Han's mood soured slightly.
"Dammit, this stingy system! As I get stronger, it keeps cutting the rewards in half."
He remembered getting 200 points for the same level before, but he didn't let the thought slow him down.
He immediately turned toward the wounded guard who was struggling to get back on his feet.
As that guard watched Su Han carving through his comrades, his legs began to shake uncontrollably.
He had never seen such a demonic sight or such a cold-blooded predator in his entire life.
He wanted to beg for mercy, but the silencing powder had left him utterly helpless.
The team leader was also frantic, mumbling soundlessly behind him, but the atmosphere remained eerily quiet.
Su Han showed no mercy, and the guard's eyes remained frozen open as his life faded away.
Now, only the team leader remained, and he suddenly made a desperate, dangerous move.
Su Han spun around to block the incoming strike, but because he was forced to pivot, his position was weak.
He was pushed back several steps, his boots scraping against the ground.
He narrowed his eyes, knowing this leader was a full level above him.
But Su Han had the 'Invincible Supreme Dragon Bloodline' pulsing through his veins.
"Two and a half minutes gone... I only have two minutes left!"
He calculated that if the next patrol arrived and saw this bloodbath, they would be on high alert.
Huff! With his Shadow Steps active, he lunged forward again and unleashed the first strike of 'Nine Times Slash'.
Clang! Their weapons collided, but this time it was the leader whose feet skidded back across the dirt.
Before the leader could recover, Su Han hammered him with the second 'Nine Times Slash'.
The leader's eyes bulged, and his hands began to tremble violently from the sheer force.
Clutch! The third strike was so overwhelming that the leader's weapon was knocked clean out of his hand.
He tumbled backward, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth as his spirit broke.
Before he could even think of standing, Su Han's fourth strike tore through the arms he had raised in defense.
He wanted to scream in agony, to howl in pain, but his voice was locked in his throat.
Su Han rained down a flurry of strikes, ending the leader's pride once and for all.
The leader's eyes went dull as he slumped down beside his men.
Ding!
"Host has killed a Level 8 Body Refining leader."
"Reward: 200 Experience Points and Silver Coins!"
Su Han's mind wasn't on the rewards anymore; he was focused on the mission.
He needed to slip inside the mansion immediately—Chu Yao's life was on the line.
Su Han knew that if the second team arrived and saw the corpses, they would be on high alert instantly.
They would scream for help, and the silencing powder he had scattered would be useless against those far away.
The entire mansion would swarm him, and he would be trapped like a rat in a cage.
He scanned the area, his mind racing until an idea struck.
He grabbed the bodies one by one, dragging them into the thick, tall grass to hide them from view.
It wasn't a perfect fix, but it would buy him enough time to lure the next team into the 10-minute silencing zone.
He worked frantically in the remaining minutes, kicking dirt over the bloodstains and smoothing the grass.
He needed them to come close—close enough to lose their voices before they realized the horror beneath their feet.
As the clock ticked down, he slipped back into the shadows of the same tree, vanishing into the brush.
The second team approached, their footsteps heavy and rhythmic.
Though they were supposed to be alert, the sheer boredom of daily duty made them blind to the subtle shifts in the dirt.
Even their leader was lost in his own thoughts, failing to notice the faint copper scent of blood in the air.
One guard, sharper than the rest, squinted at the ground, but by then it was too late.
As they stepped into the zone, the silencing powder took hold of their lungs.
The leader noticed something off and raised his hand to halt the group, his mouth opening to bark an order.
No sound came out.
The guards froze, their eyes bulging as they realized their voices were gone.
They unsheathed their weapons, spotting the smeared blood and the disturbed earth.
They knew something was horribly wrong, but before they could even form a defensive circle, Su Han struck.
Swoosh!
Using his 'Shadow Steps', Su Han appeared like a nightmare behind the slowest guard.
The leader tried to intervene, his blade flashing in the moonlight, but Su Han was too fast.
The Wolf Tooth Dagger buried itself deep into the guard's heart with a sickening squelch.
Squelch!
The man died instantly, his body sagging as the system chimed with a notification.
But Su Han was no longer safe; the remaining four guards gnashed their teeth and lunged at him simultaneously.
He was caught in a deadly pincer movement, forced to use every ounce of his Shadow Steps to dodge the flurry of blades.
Clang!
Su Han parried the leader's dagger with his own, the force of the blow rattling his bones.
As he pivoted to avoid a second attacker, a third guard's blade found its mark, slicing deep into his shoulder.
Rip! Blood soaked his shirt instantly, the searing pain making him hiss through his teeth.
He refused to make a sound, dancing between the four killers, but he was struggling to find an opening.
He was being chipped away, receiving small cuts and bruises as he fought a losing battle of stamina.
"Should I use the Invincible Supreme Dragon's Wrath?" he wondered, his heart hammering against his ribs.
No. That was his trump card, usable only once an hour.
If he wasted it here, he would be defenseless against the three Level 9 warriors waiting inside.
But time was running out. In three minutes, the powder would wear off, and their screams would alert the entire world.
Su Han's eyes narrowed as he reached into the System Store, and suddenly, a new weapon appeared in his left hand.
It was the Red Blade he had looted from Liu Ba—a Low-Level High-Grade masterpiece.
A cruel, jagged smile spread across his face as he gripped both weapons.
"Let's see how you handle two blades," he muttered inwardly.
He ignored the incoming strikes, focusing all his killing intent on one guard.
He unleashed 'Nine Times Slash' with his Wolf Tooth Dagger, forcing the leader to step in and block.
But that was exactly what Su Han wanted.
Slash!
His left hand moved like a blur, the Red Blade whistling through the air.
It caught the guard clean across the throat, killing him before he could even register the second weapon.
But the victory came at a price—another guard buried a dagger into Su Han's back.
Thud!
The blade bit deep. Su Han's eyes flew wide as he tried to scream in agony, but the silence held.
He ignored the warmth of blood flowing down his spine and locked onto the next target.
The leader's eyes were bloodshot with rage, wondering where this monster had come from and if his other men were even alive.
Su Han didn't give him time to think. He swung the Wolf Tooth Dagger at another guard's neck.
The man ducked, thinking he was safe, but the Red Blade followed up with a brutal arc.
Crack! The blade tore through the guard's chest, shredding his heart into pieces.
In that same moment, the leader's blade slashed across Su Han's back again, leaving a long, deep gash.
The pain was so intense that tears pricked Su Han's eyes, but his expression remained demonic.
He spun around, ignoring his failing strength, and launched a frantic, mad-dog attack on the final guard.
Both blades moved in a chaotic symphony of steel.
The guard, paralyzed by terror, tried to flee, but Su Han chased him down, stabbing him repeatedly in the back until he collapsed.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
Finally, the leader managed to drive his blade deep into Su Han's shoulder from behind.
Su Han gritted his teeth so hard they nearly shattered.
He dropped his Wolf Tooth Dagger and grabbed the leader's blade with his bare hand, blood leaking through his fingers.
He yanked the blade further into himself just to pull the leader closer, then swung the Red Blade with his other hand.
The leader barely managed to dodge, and Su Han staggered back, gasping for air.
His back was a map of blood, his breath coming in ragged hitches.
He stood there, wounded and bleeding, his cold, murderous gaze locked onto the leader.
This man had stabbed him three times, and Su Han promised himself he would kill him like a dog.
The two stood in the eerie silence, eyes clashing like lightning.
Su Han was broken and bloodied—could he still take down the last man standing?
"What do you think of this move by Su Han? Drop a comment below—I'd love to hear your theories!"