Chapter Twenty-Five: The Shadowy Art of Earthfiend Assassination

The gaunt, monkey-faced man clutched his chest as his wallet fell to the ground. In that instant, his face turned deathly pale. Staring after Wang Fan, who was already turning to leave, he cried out in a voice filled with despair, “What have you taken from me?”

As those words left his lips, he felt that something of utmost importance had been wrenched from his body, forcibly snatched away.

“Your constitution.”

Wang Fan’s reply was calm, almost indifferent, yet to the pale, terrified man, it was incomprehensible. He gripped his chest, unable to believe what he had just heard. His constitution had been stolen.

If the essence of the Night Constitution was gone, could he still cultivate the Earth-Slayer Technique?

The thought that his path of cultivation had been severed filled him with dread. His expression twisted from terror to malice as he stared at Wang Fan’s retreating figure. His pallid face grew hideous with rage. In his heart, he began to plot his revenge—he would one day reclaim what was his.

In the darkness, the man’s face appeared demonic. He gazed at his shattered hand, feeling the weakness seeping through his body. Hatred for Wang Fan only grew stronger. Just as he resolved to one day take his revenge, the distant figure turned around. Through the infinite night, Wang Fan met his hateful gaze.

Seeing more than just hatred in those eyes, Wang Fan strode back into the gloom, his voice cold and distant: “So, you intend to seek revenge? I am no saint—I won’t spare anyone who comes after me.”

Those words startled the gaunt man. He looked up, his vicious expression turning to terror when he saw the hat-wearing figure return. He leapt back, pressing himself against the wall. In that instant, Wang Fan struck—a lethal attack.

Deadly Strike—Earthshade Assassination Technique.

Within Wang Fan, the boundless essence surged and roiled like an ocean tide, flooding into his limbs and bones, finally gathering at his fingertips. His nails hardened, and his fingers, now as nimble as serpents, flashed toward the man’s throat.

This was the killing technique of the Earth-Slayer Manual.

Seeing Wang Fan’s move, the man’s fear deepened. As the original master of the Earth-Slayer Manual, he was all too familiar with its assassins’ arts. He knew just how deadly this technique was, how swiftly it could end a life.

A sense of impending doom enveloped him, every hair on his body standing on end. In desperation, he rallied his own essence, channeling it into his fingers to unleash the same Earthshade Assassination Technique.

Fingers stretched like writhing snakes, the two sets of hands collided in an instant.

At the point of impact, Wang Fan’s technique instantly overpowered his opponent’s. The sound of bones snapping rang out, harsh and sharp in the still night. With the enemy’s fingers crushed, Wang Fan’s own slipped like a dragon past the man’s throat, drawing a crimson line.

As blood welled up, Wang Fan withdrew his hand, flicking the blood from his fingers before turning away.

The gaunt man slumped against the wall, clutching his throat. He could not speak; his windpipe had been severed. He gasped for air, but none reached his lungs.

The chill of death descended. As his strength ebbed, regret washed over him. If only he had not flaunted his special constitution and newly acquired Earth-grade technique. If only he had focused on his cultivation instead of causing trouble, his fate might have been different. His Night Constitution would not have been stolen, and he would not have died by Wang Fan’s hand.

He collapsed to the ground, growing cold as a corpse. Wang Fan, meanwhile, turned once more toward the botanical garden—he needed to cultivate.

On the way, Wang Fan slowly calmed his turbulent emotions.

He had prepared himself for slaughter on the Emperor’s Path of White Bone, ready to forge his own destiny through bloodshed. Yet, having taken a life for the first time in the real world, unease still stirred within him.

Only after a long walk did he finally quell the turmoil in his heart.

With his emotions settled, Wang Fan considered what he would do when the body was discovered the next day. After a moment’s thought, he let the matter go. Z City was so chaotic now—another corpse was nothing unusual.

In recent days, Wang Fan had read much news about Z City. Deaths were hardly rare; incidents of cultivators killing others had become almost commonplace.

That night, Wang Fan slipped silently into the botanical garden. He noticed that security had been increased—more guards now stood at the entrance like silent sentinels.

Wang Fan shook his head slightly.

Increasing security would keep out ordinary people, but it was useless against someone like him.

With that thought, he invoked the Earthshade Assassination Technique. His essence flowed, transforming him into a shadowy assassin. Like a gecko, he scaled the wall and slipped inside without a sound.

Though Wang Fan could not cultivate the Wheel Sea Chapter of the Earth-Slayer Manual, the assassination techniques of the Killer God Dynasty were still within his grasp.

The Earthshade Assassination Technique was designed for infiltration and silent killing. That was why he could now enter the garden without the faintest disturbance.

Previously, his covert entries had always caused some commotion, but now, there was none at all. It was all thanks to the assassin’s art of the Killer God Dynasty.

Once inside, Wang Fan saw that all the withered plants he had drained the night before had been replaced with fresh greenery. He touched his nose, amused at the dedication of the garden’s staff. For every stalk he consumed, they planted another.

He was quietly impressed.

Surprise faded, and Wang Fan made his way to the lushest part of the garden. There, he sat down to cultivate. This time, he intended to fully absorb the essence of the Night Constitution and use it to strengthen his own body. In addition, he would train his physical form using the assassin’s tempering methods found in the Earthshade Assassination Technique.