Black Rose arrived, still clad in a form-fitting black leather suit, her figure curvaceous and flawless.
Within her, starlight surged, and special runes intertwined on her skin, emitting an arcane power that made her blend perfectly with the night.
Black Rose's stealth was unparalleled. Utilizing the cover of darkness, she bypassed numerous guards and ascended to the peak of Giant Mountain.
As an accomplished assassin, she understood the principle of striking the head of the snake first.
The ghost army was endless, impossible to defeat in sheer numbers. A direct confrontation would be unsustainable for the Xuan Ling Realm, offering no chance of victory.
The best way to turn the tide of the battle was singular…
To eliminate the leader of the ghost race!
She had obtained reliable information that the ghost realm's army was controlled by the four great titans of the ghost race. If these four could be assassinated, the current crisis might be resolved.
She approached silently and overheard the conversation of the four titans, which surprised her.
It turned out there was internal strife within the ghost realm. The four titans were actually plotting against their female supreme, a piece of information of immense significance.
If she could seize the female supreme's heart, the crisis caused by the ghost race could be completely resolved.
She observed the four great titans, her gaze finally settling on the vampire.
Fortune favors the bold; she decided to attempt a grand endeavor.
Black Rose pushed her stealth to its absolute limit, suppressing all her aura, and moved towards the vampire.
That ball of ghost fire suddenly flickered, clearly sensing something.
But it chose to remain silent.
The ghost realm had four great titans, which was too many. If one or two were to perish, it would be perfect.
Ideally, the other three would die, leaving only itself. Then, it could reign supreme and unify the ghost realm.
"Who?"
The vampire finally sensed the approaching killing intent, but it was too late.
Black Rose struck, a killing blow.
Her sapphire dagger was as fast as lightning, incomparably sharp, directly severing the vampire's neck. Dark red blood gushed out like a fountain.
Immediately after, she severed the vampire's left thumb, snatching the spatial ring from it.
Having succeeded, Black Rose did not linger for a moment. Her figure became a blur as she fled down the mountain.
The Golden Skeleton's eyes were cold. He unleashed a punch, the wind whistling as it swept towards Black Rose's back.
Ghostly energy surged, and a black lightning bolt shot out, also striking at Black Rose.
Sensing the imminent danger of death, Black Rose let out a delicate cry. Instantly, a colossal phantom of a rose appeared behind her.
The black rose petals were dotted with starlight, runes flashing, and the power of the starry sky permeated the air.
Black Rose's body was enveloped in a brilliant silver halo, her speed and defense receiving a qualitative upgrade.
Her body flashed like stars, narrowly evading the attacks of the Golden Skeleton and the Phantom, and she rapidly escaped down the mountain.
Ghost experts along the way attempted to intercept her, but none succeeded. Black Rose wielded her twin daggers, their azure glow, as if from hell, easily eliminating all obstacles.
Her growth had been rapid during this period, especially her mastery of the starry sky's power.
"That was reckless. She's a top assassin who controls the power of the starry sky."
The Golden Skeleton was about to pursue when the vampire stopped him.
"This prey is mine."
The horrific wound on the vampire's neck was healing rapidly, quickly returning to normal.
He possessed immense regenerative abilities, and due to his racial traits, even a severed throat was considered a minor injury, not fatal.
Black Rose had never dealt with a vampire before and was unaware that their true weakness was not the neck, but the heart. She had missed a golden opportunity.
"To be ambushed by an ant, how useless."
The Ghost Fire made no attempt to hide its contempt, its tone arrogant.
"Hmph!"
The vampire dared not speak out in anger, mainly because he had lowered his guard. Otherwise, the opponent would never have succeeded so easily.
Who could have imagined that among the four most powerful titans of the ghost realm gathered together, someone would dare to attempt assassination? One could only call her ignorant or fearless.
"To dare wound my noble body, I will transform her into the most lowly blood slave, a female dog that only grovels at my feet."
The vampire was enraged and revealed his true form, transforming into a giant bat and pursuing Black Rose.
"This old vampire, the older he gets, the more useless he becomes."
The Phantom watched the vampire disappear, finally daring to voice its disdain.
It wasn't as brave as the Ghost Fire, only daring to gossip behind its back.
The Golden Skeleton offered a fair assessment: "This human assassin is extraordinary, with extremely high talent. Her mastery of the starry sky's power is superb. If her cultivation level were higher, she could pose a fatal threat to each of us."
Although he generally looked down on the weak human race, Black Rose's prowess had earned his admiration.
"Gahahaha, it's just her misfortune to be born in the wrong era. Soon, the entire Xuan Ling Realm will fall into our hands. Whether they are prodigies or heroes, those who are sensible will obediently become pigs and dogs, and those who are not will only serve as our food."
The Phantom laughed triumphantly.
Now, the Xuan Ling Realm could no longer produce another White Emperor, and thus, nothing could stop their invasion.
"I believe we should cut the grass and eliminate the roots, resolving the hidden danger completely."
The Ghost Fire incited the Phantom, wanting it to destroy the female supreme's heart, turning her into a rootless duckweed, so they could be sure of eliminating her.
The female supreme was ultimately a ticking time bomb. Without resolving her, the Ghost Fire would never be at peace.
"Put away your wicked thoughts. Once the heart is destroyed, the female supreme will surely fight us to the death. You might have the means to survive her dying struggle, but we are highly likely to be dragged down with her."
The Phantom saw through it clearly, discerning the Ghost Fire's intentions.
This wisp of fire harbored the most wicked thoughts and had to be guarded against.
It had even sensed the assassin's arrival beforehand but had not issued a warning, its intentions being sinister.
The Ghost Fire said indifferently, "You worry too much. Once the heart is destroyed, the female supreme's strength will inevitably decrease greatly, and her spiritual body will not be able to maintain itself for much longer. As long as we hide for a period, we can outlast her."
However, the other two would not believe this and did not accept the suggestion.
"The stubborn resistance in the Southern Territory has been scattered by us, and the entire Eastern Territory is now under our control. Next, we can sweep through the entire Xuan Ling Realm. So, how should we divide this immense cake?"
The Golden Skeleton intended to take advantage of the vampire's absence to conspire with the Phantom and the Ghost Fire, pre-emptively designating the ownership of the rich lands and leaving the desolate places for the vampire.
Although these were allies, their unity was superficial, and each harbored ulterior motives, all wanting to gain more benefits.
They exchanged smiles, revealing sinister expressions, and began to divide the Xuan Ling Realm's territory in advance.
In the darkness of night, a giant bat chased a constantly leaping starlight.
The pitiful old vampire did not know he had been schemed against by his three good allies. He relentlessly pursued Black Rose.
Black Rose was in perilous situations, relying on her agile footwork to escape rapidly.
She could not fathom how the vampire, whose throat had been severed, was still so energetic, and a sense of panic began to creep into her heart.
Simultaneously, due to the vast difference in strength between them, she was repeatedly close to being caught by the vampire. Had he not intended to capture her alive, she would likely have perished already.
However, as time passed and her spiritual energy was heavily depleted, Black Rose's situation grew increasingly dire.