"Hey Fatty Ho, are you going to give us a job or not!?" a Foundation Establishment Realm Assassin glowered at an ostentatious man sweating bullets. "If not, then be on your way. We have actual customers to attend to."
"N-No, it's not that I don't want your help," Fatty Ho replied in a frantic manner. "It's just that… that this job involves my wife… I came over in the heat of the moment, not properly thinking things through. Bu-But if I really do hire you for the job, won't I be the first suspect…? I could lose everything if I were convicted…"
"Your wife??" The Assassin attending to him was slightly taken aback. "What did she do for you to feel it necessary to come to us? Was she unfaithful or something??"
"Yes," replied Fatty Ho, completely serious. "With 46 different men. Some at the same time in the same bed."
"...." "...." "...."
A few other Assassins overheard the discussion between one of their colleagues and Fatty Ho. They sympathized.
"You can have a 20% discount on the house," said the first Assassin. "Just hurry up and decide now if you want to hire us. We don't got all day."
Even now, Fatty Ho was hesitant. He loved his wife and treated her like a queen.
And yet, even after he's done everything he could for her, she went and did something like… that…
Steeling his balls and his resolve, Fatty Ho looked up, saying, "Yes! Kill that bit—"
Suddenly!
BOOOM!
A giant |Fireball Javelin| pierced through the roof of the Cathedral's basement. It both interrupted many ongoing business deals and fried several Assassins in the Qi Condensation Realm.
"Who dares!?"
The remaining Assassins looked through the wide, gaping hole that was now connected to the world above. That was when their expressions drastically changed, for they saw charred corpses spiked to walls and others diced up into countless pieces.
"T-This is…" Absolute horror crept up the faces of the Assassins. "They're all dead!"
"Yes," replied a hooded figure who had somehow appeared behind them all. "And you'll be next."
"H-Hurry up and slaughter this bastard!!" A Peak Foundation Establishment Realm Assassin was the first to snap out of it. "We can't let him descend any further, else he'll disturb the High Executives!"
HAAA!
The Assassins instantly reacted to the orders of the strongest among them. And without holding back, they attacked the mysterious hooded figure from all directions.
"He has some sort of Fire barrier protecting him!" shouted the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm Assassin. "Find a weak point!"
"A barrier?" Xue Ren repeated while looking down at his |Fireball Shroud|, which was producing a slight heatwave effect. "No, this isn't a barrier."
SHA!
"However, this is."
He enlarged the |Fireball Shield| that he kept shrunk on his clothing at all times.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
"What!?"
The attacks of half the Bloodring Assassins bounced right off a large fiery shield. They were rebounded, with the weaker among them crashing into walls and furniture.
As for the other half that weren't affected by the |Fireball Shield|, they were still in the process of attacking. It was too late to shift the |Fireball Shield| over, so Xue Ren kept it where it was while he used a single hand to conjure |Fireball Javelin|.
"Die."
"Ahhh!!"
Just as he commanded, one of the Bloodring Assassins perished. The Assassin was run through by a giant fire javelin, his body ripped apart in the process.
"H-How—..."
|Fireball Javelin|
Another fire javelin. Another death.
"Do-Don't let him get any more of those off!" The strongest among the Assassins charged ahead at full speed, dodging a |Fireball Javelin| that was thrown his way.
'He missed! This is my chance— Huh…!?'
|Fireball Javelin| X4
As Xue Ren's cultivation improved, so too did his reaction speed. In the span of a quarter of a second, he could easily get off dozens of Skill casts.
The strongest present Assassin was simultaneously struck by four |Fireball Javelins|, and though he by some miracle avoided instant death, all his limbs were now missing. Moreover, half his body was burnt beyond recognition.
"The vitality of a Cultivator is strong," Xue Ren said apathetically, with his harrowing steps ringing out in the singed ears of the limbless Assassin. "However, my Spiritual Energy Reserves are stronger."
"N-Noooo!!!!"
|Fireball Sniper|
POP!
The complexions of the surviving Bloodring Assassins rapidly lost all color. Fleeing was their only chance of living through this.
However, if they did that and this mysterious hooded man died, they'd be next. The Guild would hunt them to the ends of the earth…
Fortunately, the sudden appearance of ten overwhelmingly powerful auras from deep within the Cathedral's Underground Area saved them.
"Courting Death!!!"
OOOM!