The world slowed.
Sound dulled. Movement fractured. Even the flow of qi in the air became visible—threads of energy bending under an unseen force.
At the center of it all, Jiang Chen moved.
Calm. Precise.
The **Origin Thread** coiled faintly around his fingers, unstable yet absolute. Every step he took felt heavier than the last, as though the world itself resisted his advance.
But he didn't stop.
Ahead of him, the assassin—the silent predator—stood frozen in that distorted moment. Not completely immobile, but slowed… restrained.
For the first time since the battle began—
He wasn't perfect.
Jiang Chen's eyes sharpened.
*This is the opening.*
He stepped in.
And struck.
---
*Tap.*
---
It wasn't loud.
It wasn't explosive.
But the moment the Origin Thread made contact—
Everything snapped back.
Time resumed.
Sound returned in a violent rush.
---
Crack.
The assassin's body jerked violently as if something deep within him had shattered. His expression—calm until now—finally changed.
Shock.
Real, undeniable shock.
He staggered back several steps, his movements no longer flawless.
"…What… did you… do?" his voice came out low, strained.
Jiang Chen didn't answer.
Because he couldn't.
Pain hit him first.
Not from the outside—
From within.
---
CRACK.
---
It felt like his meridians were tearing apart. His vision blurred as his body lost balance, and he nearly collapsed on the spot.
Lin Xue reacted instantly, catching him before he hit the ground.
"Jiang Chen!"
"I'm fine…" he forced out, though his voice was unsteady.
But it was a lie.
His body was on the verge of breaking.
Across from them, the assassin steadied himself.
For the first time—
He was breathing heavily.
His gaze locked onto Jiang Chen, no longer indifferent.
"…You damaged it," he said quietly.
Zhou Yan's eyes narrowed. "…'It'?"
The assassin didn't respond directly. Instead, he raised his hand slowly.
A faint distortion spread across his arm.
Then—
It cracked.
---
A thin fracture of something unseen spread through his limb, like glass splintering beneath the surface.
---
"…Incomplete," he muttered.
Jiang Chen forced himself upright, leaning slightly on Lin Xue for support. "…You're not fully human, are you?"
Silence.
Then—
"…Irrelevant."
The assassin lowered his hand, but his aura had changed.
Less stable.
More dangerous.
"…You've accelerated the process," he continued. "…That was not your intention."
Jiang Chen's gaze hardened. "…I don't care about your process."
"…You should."
The man stepped forward again—but slower this time.
More cautious.
For the first time—
He was adapting to Jiang Chen.
---
Chen Yu took a deep breath and stepped forward again despite his injuries. "Alright… now he looks beatable."
Han Wei grinned. "Yeah. Took long enough."
Zhou Yan raised a hand slightly. "…Don't rush. He's still dangerous."
Lin Xue's frost energy surged again, reinforcing their formation.
Jiang Chen steadied his breathing.
His body screamed at him to stop.
The system flashed repeatedly:
**[Origin Usage: Critical Overload]**
**[Body Integrity: 29%]**
**[Warning: Further Use May Result in Collapse]**
He ignored it.
---
The assassin moved again.
This time—
Not to attack directly.
But to test.
A quick strike toward Chen Yu.
Chen Yu blocked—but was pushed back instantly.
A follow-up toward Han Wei—
Dodged, barely.
Then—
A sudden shift toward Lin Xue.
Too fast.
Jiang Chen reacted instinctively, forcing his body to move.
"Careful!"
He intercepted again, golden qi clashing against the assassin's blade.
But this time—
He was slower.
---
Clang!
---
The impact sent Jiang Chen sliding back, his footing unsteady.
"…You're weakening," the assassin observed.
"…And you're still not dead," Jiang Chen replied coldly.
The man paused.
Then—
"…Correct."
---
Zhou Yan's voice cut in sharply. "Now!"
The team moved together again.
Chen Yu charged head-on, drawing attention. Han Wei followed with a delayed explosive strike. Lin Xue sealed escape paths with ice. Zhou Yan struck at precise intervals, disrupting rhythm.
This time—
The assassin couldn't maintain perfect control.
He blocked, countered—but not flawlessly.
Small gaps began to appear.
---
Jiang Chen saw it.
*That's enough.*
He didn't use the Origin Thread again.
He couldn't.
Instead—
He gathered what remained of his strength.
Golden qi surged weakly—but focused.
"Primordial Strike…"
His arm trembled.
"…Focused Convergence."
He stepped in—
And struck.
---
Boom!
---
The impact landed solidly, sending the assassin skidding back across the courtyard. The ground cracked beneath him as he slid to a stop.
Silence followed.
For a moment—
No one moved.
---
Then the assassin straightened slowly.
Still standing.
But—
Damaged.
---
"…Progress," he said quietly.
Then he looked at Jiang Chen one last time.
"…You will not survive the next encounter."
Before anyone could react—
His body began to dissolve.
Not violently.
Not abruptly.
But steadily.
Controlled.
---
"He's escaping!" Chen Yu shouted.
Jiang Chen didn't move.
"…Let him go."
The others hesitated.
But Zhou Yan nodded slightly. "…He's right. We can't stop him like this."
The last traces of the assassin vanished into nothingness.
---
The courtyard fell silent once more.
---
Chen Yu exhaled heavily. "…That guy was insane."
Han Wei cracked his neck. "…And he still left."
Zhou Yan turned to Jiang Chen. "…Barely."
Lin Xue tightened her grip on him. "…You pushed too far."
Jiang Chen didn't respond immediately.
His vision dimmed.
His body finally gave in.
---
He collapsed.
---
"Jiang Chen!" Lin Xue caught him again, lowering him carefully.
Zhou Yan stepped closer, his expression serious. "…We need to stabilize him. Now."
---
The system flickered faintly one last time:
**[Critical State Reached]**
**[Emergency Recovery Initiated]**
**[System Temporary Shutdown Imminent]**
---
Darkness closed in.
---
Far away—
The assassin reformed in a hidden location, kneeling briefly as the fracture in his arm slowly repaired itself.
"…Confirmed," he said calmly.
"…The target possesses Origin authority."
A pause.
Then a voice responded from the darkness:
"…Then the next phase begins."
---
Back in the Inner Clan—
Jiang Chen lay unconscious once more.
---
But this time—
The cost was far greater.
---
And the next battle—
---
Would not be one he could survive unprepared.