Having defeated eight candidates for the Yanhuang List, the entire Battle Arena erupted in cheers. In Lin Yun, these scions of wealthy families saw the hope of breaking into the Yanhuang List.

The atmosphere in the Battle Arena was incredibly fervent, but Lin Yun remained unfazed by the flattery and cheers. He knew the next two matches would be the most dangerous.

They had all been paid by the Fifth Prince, and they would undoubtedly come at him with lethal intent from the very start.

In the previous fight, although Lin Yun had caught the large blade with his bare hands, such a deep wound wouldn’t heal so quickly. Injured as he was, Lin Yun’s upcoming battles would only grow more difficult.

After just ten short breaths, Lin Yun’s next opponent stepped onto the Martial Arts Arena. To Lin Yun’s astonishment, his opponent was a woman.

She was quite attractive. Though not a peerless beauty, she could definitely be considered a beautiful woman. It was just that the aura she emanated made Lin Yun knit his brows.

A thick aura of blood radiated from the woman. It was hard to imagine a young woman could possess such a dense bloody aura. This aura was proof that a great many people had died by her hand.

"Butterfly Blood Sword, Ning Shuang..." As the woman took the stage, many of the scions exclaimed in amazement. From their tone, it was clear that Ning Shuang must have a fearsome reputation in the Yanhuang Country.

The reason many scions of wealthy families feared Ning Shuang was entirely because of something she did three years ago.

Ning Shuang had once been a resident of the Capital City, and at that time, the Ning Family was considered a family of respectable size there. However, because they offended one of the great Noble Families of the Capital City, their entire clan was expelled.

However, that wasn’t the end of it. They thought they were merely being exiled from the Capital City, but who could have guessed it was all a ploy by that great family? They didn’t dare to commit a large-scale massacre within the Capital City’s walls, but...

On the very first night after the Ning Family was driven out of the Capital City, the guards of that great Noble Family suddenly appeared and slaughtered every last one of them, not even sparing a single handmaiden.

The only survivor was Ning Shuang, who was just nineteen at the time.

Having escaped with her life, Ning Shuang somehow learned a set of Swordsmanship and a Cultivation Technique. Two years later, she returned to the Capital City and stood guard at its gates. Any member of that Noble Family who dared to emerge—with the exception of those at the Primordial Ocean Realm—was killed on sight.

A massive Noble Family, ambushed and cut down at their own gates by a young woman. And yet, even the family’s Primordial Ocean Realm expert was powerless against Ning Shuang.

Her strength was no match for theirs, but Ning Shuang’s speed was so extreme that even Primordial Ocean Realm experts couldn’t catch her.

It was this very incident that brought Ning Shuang back to the attention of the scions of the Capital City’s great families. Before long, she challenged for a spot on the Yanhuang List. Though she failed, she became known as one of the three strongest candidates.

"They say only the dead are found at the feet of Ning Shuang’s sword. No one who has ever crossed blades with her has lived to tell the tale."

Hearing the discussions around her, Chen Xin watched the arena stage nervously. She, too, had heard of Ning Shuang. The woman was a monster who killed without batting an eye.

Ignoring the chatter from the young masters of the Noble Families in the stands, Lin Yun looked at Ning Shuang calmly. "You walk the Path of Assassination. Do you know where it ends?"

Hearing this, Ning Shuang’s expression flickered. For the first time, she truly looked at Lin Yun. Her voice was ice-cold as she replied, "In the world of Martial Artists, only strength matters. Whether you cultivate the Path of Assassination or the Path of Light, in the end, it all comes down to strength."

After she spoke, Ning Shuang paused. A subtle change flickered in her eyes as she looked at Lin Yun, and she continued, "I have to kill you in this match. I can’t refuse the reward the Fifth Prince has offered."

She was completely frank. Hearing her words, Lin Yun wasn’t angered in the slightest. On the contrary, he found himself liking her straightforward personality.

"Then let’s settle this with our skills," he said faintly. The moment the words left his mouth, the Butterfly Sword at Ning Shuang’s waist flew from its sheath. In a flash of cold light, its tip was already thrusting toward Lin Yun.

’So fast...’ Feeling a lethal threat, Lin Yun tapped his toes and shot backward. Ning Shuang was far more powerful than his last opponent.

’I can’t believe the gap between the so-called three strongest candidates for the Yanhuang List is this huge.’

"You’re both considered among the strongest candidates for the Yanhuang List, but that last guy probably couldn’t have taken three strikes from you," Lin Yun said to Ning Shuang after his initial surprise.

Hearing this, Ning Shuang didn’t deny it. Instead, she replied matter-of-factly, "That’s right. There are only two ’strongest’ candidates for the Yanhuang List. The last guy was just thrown in to round out the number. After all, ’the top three’ sounds better than ’the top two.’"

It was rare for Ning Shuang to say so much.

"Interesting. I didn’t realize the strongest candidates for the Yanhuang List were this formidable. Now I’m really looking forward to crossing swords with the ten great geniuses on the List itself."

"Assuming you’re not hiding your true strength, even the one ranked tenth on the Yanhuang List could kill you with ease," Ning Shuang retorted bluntly.

"We’ll see about that when the time comes." A roguish grin spread across his face, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he looked at Ning Shuang. ’I have an idea,’ Lin Yun thought. ’If I can pull this off, she could become a huge asset to me in the future.’

"You want to kill me. How about we make a wager?" His roguish smile deepened as he posed the question to Ning Shuang.

For some reason, Ning Shuang didn’t dislike Lin Yun. She wasn’t opposed to his bet, so she asked, "What are the stakes?"

"Simple. If you kill me, I’ll have no regrets. But if I win, you must follow me for the rest of your life and be the sharp sword in my hand," Lin Yun stated calmly.

Hearing this, Ning Shuang didn’t answer right away. She contemplated for a moment, then a resolute look entered her eyes. "I agree."

’Right now, I’m just a walking corpse. No family, no friends, living each day in a world of blood. I have nothing left to live for. If Lin Yun can truly defeat me... so be it.’

"But you must agree to one condition," she said. It was the only lingering attachment she had, a wish she had to see fulfilled.

"You want me to help you get revenge?"

"That’s right."

"Done." Lin Yun had already anticipated this. He agreed without a second thought.

With Ning Shuang’s agreement, Lin Yun was inwardly ecstatic. They exchanged no more words. Ning Shuang’s figure simply vanished from where she stood.

As expected of someone who specialized in the Path of Assassination. Lin Yun was truly impressed by her Stealth Techniques. Honestly, Ning Shuang’s Cultivation wasn’t that high—only the Qi Sea Realm Eighth Layer—but her stealth was so profound that even a Primordial Ocean Realm expert would struggle to detect her.

’Furthermore, her speed is incredible, almost matching my own. If she were to learn an Earth Level Body Technique Martial Skill, she would definitely be faster than me.’

It was as if Lin Yun were the only one left on the Martial Arts Arena. Sensing the faint ripples in the air around him, a corner of his mouth curled upward. He muttered to himself, "Excellent Stealth Techniques. But they’re not good enough."

(Please add to your collection, leave a recommendation, and send a tip!)