Gao Wu: Oh no! Young Master Zhen is a cultivator!

A martial artist at the Innate Realm is equivalent to a Qi Refining cultivator; in terms of pure martial prowess, the two should be roughly equal.

However, Lin Ran not only possesses martial arts skills, but also the Five Elements techniques.

Having once defeated a fifth-tier golden toad, defeating a martial artist at the Innate Realm would not be difficult for him.

The most critical issue right now is that he cannot reveal the Five Elements Techniques in front of Lin Haozhe unless he wants to eliminate Lin Haozhe.

Although his adopted brother was somewhat annoying, Lin Ran had not yet developed any murderous intent towards him.

So he chose a direction and ran towards the edge of the city.

He maintained a speed just slightly faster than the man in black, ensuring he neither lost him nor overtook him.

Two figures walked one after the other across the street, past abandoned construction sites, across dried-up drainage ditches, and finally stopped in the middle of an abandoned factory.

The rusted steel frame cast crisscrossing shadows in the morning light, while shards of glass on the ground reflected dappled light.

The area was overgrown with weeds, and the nearest residential area was two kilometers away. Within a radius of several hundred meters, the only sounds were the wind and the occasional bird calls from afar.

The man in black landed in the center of the factory, looked around, and a disdainful smile curled his lips: "Why aren't you running anymore?"

Lin Ran turned around, stretched his neck, and his expression was completely different from when he was on the street.

"There's no one to bother you here, so I can send you on your way."

"Arrogant!" the man in black roared, drawing a long knife from behind his back.

The innate true energy flowed into the blade, and the blade emitted a low buzzing sound.

He took a step forward, and his long sword, enveloped in a blinding white light, slashed down diagonally.

The blade moved with incredible speed, tearing through the air and creating a sharp whistling sound.

Lin Ran dodged to the side, the blade grazing his school uniform, the blade's energy carving a half-inch deep groove in the ground, sending cement fragments flying.

He spread his right hand, and with a flick of his wrist, he condensed a fist-sized orange-red fireball in his palm, then hurled it at the man in black's face.

The man in black swung his knife to block the fireball, which exploded upon impact with the blade, scattering flames everywhere.

The longsword vibrated and hummed. The man in black took half a step back, and the innate true energy on the blade was burned, creating ripples.

His pupils contracted slightly, and before he could change his move, Lin Ran had already appeared on his left.

The right leg, enveloped in a pale golden protective aura, swept across and struck the black-clad man's waist.

Bang!

The man in black was sent flying, crashing into a mottled cement pillar, sending rubble and gravel scattering everywhere.

"You actually kept your strength hidden!" The man in black broke free from the steel pillar, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

The gloomy smile on his face finally disappeared, replaced by disbelief.

"It's too late to know now." Lin Ran made a hand seal, and three fireballs flew out in a triangular shape, sealing off all the black-clad man's escape routes.

The man in black roared, his long sword flashing in front of him like a curtain of blades, his innate true energy condensing into a semi-transparent barrier on the blade.

Bang!Bang!Bang!

Fireballs crashed into the blade barrier one after another, scattering flames everywhere.

The blade curtain trembled violently, and the man in black was forced back three steps, leaving several deep craters in the ground.

After the third fireball exploded, the blade barrier finally gave way and shattered.

The backlash from the energy caused the man in black to have his hand split open, and blood flowed down the hilt of his knife.

Lin Ran gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He slapped the ground with his left hand, activating the Rock Ridge Technique. Three half-meter-long stone spikes burst from the ground beneath the black-clad man's feet, aiming straight for his calves and knees.

The man in black leaped into the air, the stone spikes barely grazing the soles of his feet.

He flipped in mid-air, holding the knife high above his head with both hands, and used the momentum of his fall to chop it down on Lin Ran's head.

This strike was powerful and heavy; even before the blade arrived, the energy from the blade had already cut a crack in the cement on the ground.

Lin Ran flicked his right hand upwards, and the Golden Light Spell condensed into a palm-sized light shield above his head.

when!

The longsword struck the light shield, the sound of metal clashing against stone was deafening.

The light shield remained motionless, but the longsword was bounced high into the air.

The blow widened the already gaping wound on the man in black's hand, causing blood to drip down the hilt of his knife.

"The Innate Realm is nothing special!"

Lin Ran clenched his five fingers, the light shield dissipated, and with a backhand, he hurled another fireball at the man in black's chest.

The man in black retreated hastily, the fireball grazing his ribs, burning a large, charred hole in his clothes and leaving a burn on his skin.

He glanced down at his wound, gritted his teeth, held the knife horizontally in front of his chest with his right hand, and ran two fingers of his left hand along the blade, frantically channeling his innate true energy into the blade.

The longsword emitted a low, buzzing sound, and the white light on its blade turned dark red, causing the air to ripple with distortion.

"You should feel honored that you forced me to use this move!" the man in black said, emphasizing each word.

Lin Ran raised an eyebrow: "You don't really think I brought you here just to watch you put on a show, do you?"

"Die!" A shockwave erupted beneath the man in black's feet, and he transformed into a black afterimage, his long sword piercing straight for Lin Ran's heart.

This attack was filled with all his true energy, and its speed was so fast that it even tore the air apart.

Lin Ran stomped his foot, and a golden light rose from the sole of his foot, instantly condensing into a semi-transparent golden bell around him.

when!

The long sword pierced the golden bell with a loud bang.

The shockwave from the impact spread in all directions, shattering broken glass on the ground into dust, and causing the rusted steel frame to hum.

The tip of the man in black's knife stopped half an inch from the surface of the clock, pressed against the golden light, unable to go any further.

"Shut up!" Lin Ran extended his right hand with a light bell, his five fingers gripping the black-clad man's wrist like iron clamps.

A look of horror flashed in the man's eyes. He tried to draw his knife and retreat, but it was too late.

"Now it's my turn to perform!"

As he spoke, Lin Ran twisted it forcefully.

Click!

With a crisp crack, the man in black's wrist snapped.

The long sword slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a clang.

The man in black let out a muffled groan, still trying to retaliate, but Lin Ran's left fist had already slammed into his chest.

Bang!

The man in black's clothes ripped open on the back, leaving a fist-sized hole, and he was sent flying backward, crashing into a pile of discarded oil drums in the corner of the factory.

Clang!

The oil drum collapsed with a crash, burying him underneath.

Lin Ran strode to the pile of oil drums, and with a wave of his right hand, several oil drums were blown aside.

The man in black lay face up amidst the shards of broken barrels, his mask long gone, revealing the face of a middle-aged man in his forties.

Blood and foam clung to the corner of his mouth, his right arm hung limply at his side, and his breathing was weak.

Lin Ran looked down at the man in black and asked, "Who sent you?"

The man in black raised his bloodshot eyes, stared at Lin Ran for a few seconds, and then suddenly grinned.

"Heh, I was careless. But now that you've revealed your strength, you're going to die sooner or later."

"I already know even if you don't say it." Lin Ran curled his lip. "The Sun family underestimates me too much. They only sent someone like you. How could you possibly kill me?"

The man in black's smile froze for a moment: "What Sun family? I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Looks like I was right." Lin Ran made a grasping motion with his right hand, and the long sword that had fallen to the ground flew into his palm. "Any last words?"

"Just wait, someone will avenge me!" A resolute glint flashed in the man's eyes, then blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, and his pupils rapidly dilated.

Lin Ran raised an eyebrow: "You're quite considerate, choosing to commit suicide to avoid getting my hands dirty."

He searched the man in black's corpse for a while, but ultimately found nothing: "So poor!"

After saying that, he made a fire control spell, and a fireball landed on the man in black, quickly engulfing the entire corpse.

He turned and left, and as he walked out of the abandoned factory, the morning light shone on his face, warm and bright.

I took two steps, and my phone vibrated in my pocket.

He took it out and glanced at the screen; it was Song Yishu.

I answered the phone casually, and a slightly trembling voice came through: "Xiao Ran, are you alright?"

"It's okay, I'm heading back now," Lin Ran said calmly.

Song Yishu breathed a sigh of relief and continued to press, "What about the assassin?"

"He's dead."