Chaotic Steps
Ji Min frowned at the utterly derogatory statement. Whilst he was well aware that he was no match for the assassin, that didn't mean he would fall so easily as well.
"Since you're so confident, then can you at least do me the favor of letting me know the person who ensured I don't live past the next minute?" Ji Min stalled for more time.
"Or are you scared that you might not be able to kill me within the next minute?" He pushed further.
"Are you trying to choke me to death with laughter?"
The assassin answered with a slight chuckle as he brandished his dagger, causing Ji Min to almost shit his pant at the instant change in the assassin's demeanor.
Swish!
The assassin suddenly vanished as Ji Min instantly threw out a small jade green bell into the air.
Ring!
The bell vibrated a little before releasing a bell-shaped energy dome that protected Ji Min within.
Clang!
The energy barrier managed to form just in time to block the assassin's first attack.
"Sheet! He's fast!"
Ji Min muttered in horror as he watched the shadow of the assassin flash from one side of the barrier to the other, striking specific spots that made the bell-shaped treasure ring nonstop.
Then after enduring an entire minute of nonstop core formation stage attacks, cracks began to appear on the bell-shaped barrier.
'The barrier can't hold on long enough.' Ji Min thought solemnly, as he watched the energy of the barrier dim at a steady pace whilst the cracks continued to spread out in every direction.
"Hehe, I want to see just how long this treasure of yours can last!" The assassin angrily chuckled.
His dagger seemed to be a Mid Mortal Grade weapon, whilst Ji Min's treasure seemed to be a Peak Mortal Grade defensive artifact, but the gap between both treasures was bridged and even slightly surpassed by the assassin's core formation cultivation.
Ji Min then began to feel the Qi in the atmosphere start to roil and become restless, as he heard the assassin bellow.
"Earth Severing Slash!"
Before Ji Min could even register the name of the technique, the attack was already within range.
He didn't even see the masked figure or his dagger; the only thing that he could manage to catch a glimpse of was the glint of the dagger which seemed to appear after the strike itself.
"Chaotic Steps!"
Ji Min used one of the movement techniques his late mother was very renowned for during her glory days; and whilst he had yet to attain Understanding Mastery of the technique; his Peak Knowledge mastery wasn't something to scoff at either.
This 'Chaotic Steps' was an erratic movement technique that had no pattern whatsoever and made it extremely hard for one's opponent to predict one's next move or even plan their next move.
Not even the user could predict where their next step would land because they simply move along with their emotions rather than their brains.
But despite catching the masked figure off-guard with his brain-stunning movement art, the elite assassin was still able to maneuver his attack to slash him in the arm.
Spurt!
Blood began to seep out of Ji Min's arm as he tried his best to ignore the peppery and tingling sensation that was spreading across his entire arm.
He knew that if he wasn't at the 2 Star Commander Stage, then his entire arm would've been completely severed off; thus, he neither winced like a weakling nor whined like a spoiled weakling.
Then the moment he turned around to look at the assassin, Ji Min gawked in shock, as the masked figure was nowhere to be found; and in the next instant, he heard a flat sentence float into his ears.
"Kid, playtime's over." Ji Min felt gasped for air as the assassin's thick and muscular hand clamped his neck like a vice.
He then felt all the weight of his body hinging on his neck as the masked figure lifted him off the ground.
Bang!
The masked figure then slammed him into the ground causing Ji Min to feel like all the oxygen within his body had vanished; some of his bones shattered, whilst the rest of them clattered and creaked all over.
He spat out a mouthful of blood as his bleeding arm suddenly began to stream with blood; apparently, the intense slamming had torn up his wound even further.
The assassin lifted him the second time and was about to give him another dense slamming when he suddenly looked into the distance and sighed.
"That old coot arrived earlier than I thought." He muttered to himself before looking down at Ji Min who was grinning back at him with his bloodied teeth.
Tissh!
The assassin heard the sound of something burning igniting; and just as he looked beneath himself, he saw a dynamite whose wick was just about to burn out.
"Go to hell!" He bellowed furiously as he tossed Ji Min into the air.
Ji Min tumbled mid-air and couldn't refocus his vision, but then he heard the masked figure's angry bellow.
"Trunk Breaker Fist!"
Kaboom!
Two sounds erupted simultaneously, with the first drowning the second; but in reality, the second actually dealt more damage than the first.
Ji Min who was on the receiving end of such a magnificent technique confirmed the ruptured internal organs on impact.
He threw up back-to-back mouthfuls of blood, before landing with a massive thud, causing his intestines to knot themselves.
Though he was still alive, Ji Min could have sworn that he saw his mother's face flash past his eyes three times as his consciousness threatened to abandon him.
He was suffering so much pain that he wished he had been beheaded instead.
The assassin, on the other hand, had suffered grievous injuries from the dynamite that exploded at point-blank range.
He glared at Ji Min with a venomous gaze whilst pulling out his dagger once again, looking to finish him off.
But just as he approached Ji Min, two extremely deep voices raged over from the distance.
"You dare!" They said in unison as the assassin frowned.
"Fork! I totally forgot about these two." He cursed as he looked ahead and behind.
"Sheet, they're approaching really fast!" He added, as he glanced at Ji Min and grinned evilly.