Chapter 33: The Asura Sect

According to the intelligence reported by Qin Long, the people discussing matters with He Jiang were staying at the Delight Inn, so Wu Tian took advantage of the late hour to investigate. Before setting out, Wu Tian had made use of an auxiliary skill—Disguise Technique. Yet this Disguise Technique exasperated him; much like Alchemy, each use increased his proficiency by one, and there was always a chance of failure.

It was precisely this chance of failure that drove Wu Tian to frustration. A failed attempt was one thing, but the system had the habit of disguising him in the most bizarre of fashions on failure. Buck teeth, a flat nose, dead fish eyes—even a woman’s face; Wu Tian had endured hundreds of failures before he finally managed to disguise himself with a halfway normal appearance.

Wu Tian touched his stubbled face, shook his head, and muttered, “Intelligence work is truly no simple thing. Even a mere disguise takes hundreds of tries. I hope tonight’s effort is worth it.”

At that moment, several burly men came around the corner, and Wu Tian immediately crouched down.

“Boss, I’ve already sent the information back to headquarters. After tonight, we can leave this place,” one of them whispered to the man leading the way.

“It’s best not to discuss such matters out here. Walls have ears,” the leader replied in a low, stern voice.

In the faint moonlight, Wu Tian saw the man’s appearance: his entire body was thick with muscle, his head shaved bald, and a large broadsword rested on his shoulder.

“Damn, I’ve finally found him. This must be the man Qin Long mentioned,” Wu Tian’s spirits soared, for the man looked exactly as Qin Long had described.

The others said nothing. They walked down a corridor and entered a room, carefully scanning the surroundings before closing the door. Their caution was evident.

Wu Tian silently leapt onto the rooftop, squatting low as he peered in through a narrow gap.

“Boss, that guy’s offer is far too low—only a hundred thousand taels of silver. This mission is really beneath headquarters’ dignity,” the man who’d spoken earlier complained once inside.

“A low price means a low-ranking assassin is dispatched. It’s a trivial task; we need not concern ourselves with it. Such matters are for our superiors,” the bald man shrugged.

“That’s true, boss. We’re just the contacts,” another nodded.

“A worthless disciple from the Sect of Celestial Heaven—honestly, I think there’s no need for headquarters to send anyone. We could handle it ourselves.”

The bald man shook his head. “Remember our role: we’re only the contacts. Only those sent from above can act—they’re the professionals.”

Hearing them mention a worthless disciple from the Sect of Celestial Heaven, Wu Tian’s heart skipped a beat. “Could they mean me? I’m the only one in the Sect of Celestial Heaven called a worthless disciple.”

At that moment, the bald man’s brow furrowed. Suddenly, he looked up sharply at Wu Tian and roared, “Who’s up there? Come down, now!”

With a crash, the bald man leapt, plunging his massive blade through the roof. Wu Tian dropped down from above.

“Heh, you still managed to find me,” Wu Tian chuckled, scratching his head.

No sooner had he landed than the four men in the room surrounded him, ready to strike.

“Who are you, daring to eavesdrop on us? You must have a death wish!” the bald man sneered, brandishing his blade.

“My name wouldn’t mean anything to you. On the contrary, I’m quite interested in you. Why not tell me who you are?” Wu Tian replied with an easy smile.

“Since you want to know, I’ll tell you! But once you do, you won’t leave here alive. Are you sure you want to find out?” the bald man said coldly, disdain flickering in his eyes.

“Of course I want to know,” Wu Tian replied, unflinching.

“Very well, listen closely—we are the contacts of the Asura Gate. Now, you may die.”

Wu Tian’s heart skipped a beat.

The Asura Gate, renowned as the fiercest assassin organization in the Mad Martial Empire, was a den of formidable experts. Countless masters, from commoners to nobility, had fallen to their blades. Their strength was terrifying, and no one knew the identity of their master or how many assassins they commanded. All that was certain was: once the Asura Gate marked you, it was a fight to the death.

“The deathless Asura Gate—so that’s how it is. It seems I’m in trouble tonight,” Wu Tian mused, smiling.

“Since you know, prepare to die!” The bald man raised his broadsword to strike.

“Wait!” Wu Tian raised his right hand. “Before you kill me, could I at least ask what you were discussing? At least let me die knowing why.”

“No comment,” the bald man sneered.

“If you won’t say, I’ll just guess! The ‘worthless disciple’ you mentioned must be Wu Tian of the Sect of Celestial Heaven, and the one who posted the assassination bounty—it must be He Jiang from the same sect.”

The bald man’s expression shifted slightly, and seeing this, Wu Tian knew he’d guessed right.

“Who exactly are you?” The bald man’s face darkened. He could not let this man leave alive.

“Me? I’m known in the martial world as the All-Knowing Oracle,” Wu Tian replied, feigning arrogance.

“Sometimes, knowing too much is a dangerous thing. Kill him!” The bald man’s eyes glinted coldly as he charged at Wu Tian, the other three attacking in unison.

“One eighth-level Warrior, three seventh-level Warriors—seems tonight will be a good stretch for my muscles,” Wu Tian murmured, his eyes narrowing.

With a thunderous crash, Wu Tian leapt high as the bald man’s blade cut into the wall, sending a violent arc of energy through it.

In midair, Wu Tian’s Black Dragon Blade appeared in his right hand.

“Black Dragon Blade Technique, First Form—Winds Rise and Clouds Gather!” Without hesitation, Wu Tian unleashed his blade technique.

In an instant, a storm of blade energy surged forth, twisting into a roaring dragon that swallowed the men whole.

With an explosive roar, the entire room collapsed. All but the bald man fell.

A clear chime rang out.

“Congratulations, player Wu Tian, for slaying three eighth-level Warriors. You gain 10,000 experience points and 10,000 taels of silver.”

The bald man, covered in wounds, looked on in dismay. To fell three seventh-level Warriors in a single stroke—just how powerful was this man? At the very least, he must be at the Martial Spirit realm.

“You dare defy the Asura Gate? You must have a death wish!” gasped the bald man.

“That’s right! I have no desire to live. It’s not just the Asura Gate—even if the heavens themselves wanted to kill me, I’d dare defy them!” Wu Tian declared, his voice wild and domineering.

“Then you’re courting death!” The bald man’s eyes blazed red. Gripping his blade with both hands, he charged Wu Tian.

Wu Tian smiled faintly, and his figure vanished in an instant.

“Instant Kill!” came his calm voice. Wu Tian appeared behind the bald man, whose eyes widened in shock as he froze in place.

A clear chime sounded.

“Congratulations, player Wu Tian, for slaying the eighth-level Warrior boss. Instant Kill value +1, 20,000 experience points, 10,000 taels of silver, Earth-grade refining material ‘Blacksteel Essence,’ and the ‘Asura Token’ have been obtained.”

“Congratulations, player Wu Tian, for receiving a system bonus reward: the title ‘Asura Bane.’”