Song Si-Woo sat at home, diligently practicing his chest techniques. It had been several years since he reached a bottleneck in his cultivation. His talent, though considerable, was insufficient to break through this barrier. He was currently stuck at the Half-Step Life and Death Realm, and only mid-tier human treasures could help him surpass this limit.
As he was lost in his thoughts, a man with a ponytail entered. He wore martial robes that resembled a kimono. Upon approaching Song Si-Woo, the man bowed slightly and said, "Sir, we found the person you've been searching for."
Song Si-Woo raised an eyebrow. "Oh? It only took you a year?" he asked, his voice tinged with amusement.
The man replied, "Sir, this individual is extremely elusive. There isn't much intelligence on him, only fake information suggesting he's from a small family called the Li Family, and that he's only nine years old."
Song Si-Woo smiled, rising from his seat. "No matter. I can simply kill him and be done with it. Now, tell me, where is this mysterious man?"
The man in the kimono responded, "He's in the martial hall, with his so-called sister, in the core disciple dormitory on the middle of the mountain."
Song Si-Woo's smile grew wider. "Then let's leave immediately. Prepare the death squad. We need to eliminate him quickly."
"Yes, sir," the man said, turning to leave.
Elsewhere in the venue, the man in the kimono, having changed into a different outfit, walked confidently. Upon reaching a certain spot, he muttered, "In the darkest day, in the darkest night, no life shall live to see the sun of tomorrow. Death Squad!"
Five figures appeared out of the shadows, their auras concealed, standing silently in front of him. Each of them exuded a terrifying presence.
"Boss, what's the mission now?" asked a bold, scrawny man.
"The master is going to kill someone in the martial hall," the man in the kimono said, his tone serious. "That person is at the Profound Peak, the same level as us."
The girl in black, wearing a black musk mask, tilted her head. "Boss, if he's at the same level as us, why send the entire squad? Why not just send two people to handle him?"
The man in the kimono replied calmly, "This person was able to kill both the Prime Sword and East Sword, two figures we couldn't defeat in a direct confrontation."
"We suspect he's at the Half-Step Life and Death Realm or perhaps a Perfect Profound like the Prime Sword," he added.
"Then let's not keep the master waiting," another member said.
The man in the kimono nodded. "Agreed. Let's move."
With a swift movement, the five assassins disappeared into the shadows, ready to carry out their mission.
Meanwhile, Li Hao was observing his sister, Li An, as she tried to break through to the Profound Peak Realm. Thanks to the Inlitenment, she had already bypassed the Unrestrained Realm and reached the Profound Proficiency Peak Realm, but she still needed one more breakthrough to achieve the Profound Peak Realm.
Li Hao watched her closely. "Mm... It seems you need a boost in your technique this time. But luck is on your side."
"I've gained Inlitenment and managed to elevate the Heavenly Blossom Sword Technique to transcend the divine level. Would you like to learn it?" Li Hao asked with a gentle smile.
"Yes, I want to learn," Li An responded, stopping what she was doing. She sat in a lotus position, ready to listen.
Li Hao began explaining the flaws in the Heavenly Blossom Sword Art, correcting them one by one. As he spoke, Li An absorbed his words, her understanding deepening. Within seconds, she was able to push her sword art to the Transcendent level.
As she felt the surge of spiritual power, her breakthrough into the Profound Peak Realm was complete.
Li Hao, sitting across from her, couldn't help but smile a little. With a Profound Peak Master now to protect their parents, he felt more at ease.
However, as he looked at his sister, something caught his attention. His senses sharpened. Li Hao could feel the presence of several beings hidden in the darkness, watching them. They were martial artists at the Profound Peak Realm, and among them was someone at the Half-Step Life and Death Realm.
Li Hao's smile faded as he stood up and retrieved a sword from his storage ring. He plunged it into the ground, his voice steady. "Li An, this is the Ascension Heavenly Sword. I'm giving it to you to protect our parents, even if I'm not around."
Li An looked at the sword, her eyes widening. "Little brother, isn't this the sword you used to kill the Prime Sword? If it can cut through his body, it must be extremely powerful. Why don't you keep it?"
Li Hao smiled, shaking his head. "I'm a Transcendent Master, equal to a Neutral Realm power. What use would a sword of such low quality be to me now? Take it, and use it wisely. Don't lose it until you reach the Life and Death Realm."
Li Hao paused, his expression turning serious. "Right now, there are five martial assassins at the Profound Peak, and one at the Perfect Profound. I'll deal with the leader and four of them. You must take on the last one yourself."
With that, Li Hao stepped forward, vanishing into the darkness.
Li An stood alone for a moment, gripping the sword tightly.
Li Hao appeared right in front of one of the Profound Peak assassins. The man, hiding behind a tree and watching Li Hao from the shadows, felt a strange shift in the air. Before he could react, Li Hao vanished, only to reappear directly in front of him.
In an instant, Li Hao pressed his hand to the man's chest, and the man felt a strange force twisting his internal organs, flipping them upside down. His bones followed, cracking and shifting unnaturally. Blood spurted from his mouth, and he collapsed, dead before he even had a chance to comprehend his death.
Li Hao moved swiftly to the next assassin, who was lying in ambush atop a tree. With a single motion, Li Hao slapped the girl's head. Her neck snapped, her bones shattering into fragments. Her brain was crushed under the force of the impact, and she died instantly.
In a blur of motion, Li Hao eliminated the last two assassins, leaving only the leader.
He appeared directly in front of the man in the kimono. The assassin, sensing the shift in air, turned around to flee. But before he could take a single step, he collided with Li Hao's foot, falling onto his chest.
The next moment, Li Hao's foot pressed down hard on his spine. A crushing force, equivalent to two million tons, slammed down on the man's back, causing his body to crumple under the pressure.
Li Hao stood over him, his expression cold and unyielding.
Li Hao stood still, his expression calm, as he observed Song Si-Woo, who had broken down under the weight of his power. His spine shattered with a sickening crack, and his organs, crushed by the sheer force of Li Hao's step, could not withstand the impact. Song Si-Woo gasped for air, blood bubbling from his mouth, but there was no escape.
Li Hao's gaze shifted eastward. His sharp eyes locked onto a figure in the distance—an old man, standing still and watching him with a calculating expression. A smile crept across Li Hao's lips, his composure unwavering.
Song Si-Woo, on the other hand, was trembling, his face pale with fear. "This… this isn't possible," he muttered under his breath. "The strength this man is showing… it's beyond anything I've encountered. He's at least at the Life and Death Realm—or higher!"
Without another word, he spun on his heel and fled, pushing his body to its limits. His speed, reaching 150 meters per hour, was nothing short of extraordinary. Yet, Li Hao's top speed of 661 meters per hour closed the distance between them in an instant.
In just two minutes and forty-three seconds, Li Hao had crossed a distance of 6.75 miles. He moved so quickly that Song Si-Woo had no time to react before Li Hao's hand came to rest on his back, halting his escape effortlessly.
"You're the only one who got this far," Li Hao said, his voice calm yet filled with authority. "That means you're the leader. So, who sent you?"
Song Si-Woo's eyes widened in panic. "W-what? You—how—?" He stammered, but his fear quickly turned to desperation. "I'm from the Song Family! A descendant of the Song Family of Sejong Province! If you spare me, I can offer you treasure, women—anything you desire!"
Li Hao's gaze hardened, his expression unflinching. "You think your Song Family can intimidate me?" He chuckled softly. "Even if you have a Void Realm expert, what does that mean to me? I'll be in the Void Realm myself in a few years."
Song Si-Woo's face twisted in surprise, but he quickly recovered, thinking fast. "Wait, wait! I—I have more to offer! Think about it, you can't just kill me—"
Before he could finish, Li Hao's smile faded into a cold expression. With a swift motion, he placed his palm on Song Si-Woo's chest, the force of his palm sending a ripple through the air.
"Yin Yang Flipping Heaven Seal—Second Form: Mountain Flipping Seal."
In an instant, Song Si-Woo felt his entire body twist and collapse, his bones breaking and his organs bursting as the force condensed within him. His body shattered as if it were nothing more than fragile glass. The power of Li Hao's technique was absolute, and there was no room for mercy. Song Si-Woo's life ended in an explosion of blood and shattered bones.
Li Hao stood over him for a moment, his expression unreadable. He had dealt with the problem swiftly and decisively. There was no regret.
With a single step, Li Hao vanished from the spot and reappeared at the edge of the martial hall, where Li An was. She stood alone, holding the Ascension Heavenly Sword, her eyes scanning the surroundings with caution.
Li Hao smiled as he approached. "I've taken care of the assassins. They're all dead," he said, his tone casual but laced with satisfaction. "And I managed to gather some intel on their leader."
"Who were they working for?" Li An asked, her voice steady but with a hint of curiosity.
"The Song Family," Li Hao replied, a trace of disdain in his voice. "Their ancestor, a half-step into the Life and Death Realm. He thought he could take me down… but now I know just how weak they are."
Li An's eyes widened slightly, but she said nothing, her gaze softening with concern. "Little brother, now that you've reached the level of an entry Nature Realm power, what are you planning to do next?"
Li Hao's smile deepened, and he looked eastward, a glint of determination in his eyes. "I'm heading to the Grand Martial World," he said. "You stay here, protect our parents. You can leave once you reach the Nature Realm or when… well, when our parents grow old."
"Take care, little brother," Li An said, her voice a mix of affection and resolve. "Fate will decide if we meet again."
Li Hao's form blurred, and with a single step, he shot into the sky, his figure fading into the distance.