Suddenly her instinct alarmed and she backed off narrowly escaping the sharp dagger but not before earning a cut on the left shoulder. Her momentary distraction gave her opponent a chance to sneak up on her.

"This's what I was telling if that guy wasn't nearby you wouldn't have been distracted and ultimate meet your demise in my hand."

The guy let out villainous laughter and grinned while retreating.

Shreya felt a strong poison coursing through her system, strange dizziness also dampened her superhuman reflex. She gritted her teeth and suppress the poison.

"You forced my hands. Now Suffer my wrath."

Shreya squeezed the words through her teeth, laden with hatred. And immediately, the air around her transformed.

"7th Discipline of Water school - Ice shedding blade."

Shreya cried while her ancient rusty sword got a mild bluish glint.

The black-hooded guy's eyes shrunk in fright, he knew anyone with martial techniques would either have unfathomable strength or a deep background.

A nobody like him could neither trifle with uncanny expert nor a princess.

'Don't lose your cool, calm down, analyze the situation.'

The hooded guy meditated it like a chant and flushed out the chaotic thoughts from his mind to regain tranquil heart.

*phew*

This woman is no expert, such blunders wouldn't come of experts, not even the worse ones. She definitely has to be some runaway princess, fallen for the mortal man lying over there.'

Soon a cold glint flashed past his cold, calculating eyes and his pupil thinned out like a viper.

'If I kill the couple, everything would be buried with them, with a bit of luck I could even put off the pursuit of her backer. And if everything goes as planned the ancient blade and the real Black rides seed would become mine.'

Driven by his greed, the man cunningly licked his lips while waiting for Shreya to make her move.

Shreya's breathing was ragged and uneven, clearly evidencing the deadly poison in her system.

Yet she somehow managed to gather enough stamina to propel her towards the villainous guy.

*clang*

Both their weapons clashed sending sonic waves, unlike the last bout it wasn't a mini firework instead shards of ices were flying all over the factory.

Whenever their blades met Shreya's Ice Shedding Blade would freeze the dagger a bit. While most of the ice fell off a bright sheen of white ice could be discerned over the blade.

The hooded guy was dropping bullets of sweat drenching the shirt. He could feel the chill transmitted from the blade, it was affecting his flexibility and dampening his dagger mastery.

A more pressing issue was his precious dagger seemed weakening, which he chalked down to the terrible sheen of ice.

Though he lusted for the ancient blade he was no expert swordsman, all along his plan was to sell the treasured sword for a fortune.

So losing his dagger in a plight to get an ancient sword's akin to wasting one's real arm to get a diamond arm.

Still, he couldn't back off, if his assumption is correct, then the babyface before him could very well lead to his demise if she escaped.

Gritting his teeth in frustration, he propelled forward.

On the other hand, lethargy and weariness were taking over Shreya. If she hadn't been poisoned, she could have easily overpowered the hooded guy with just her '7th Discipline of Water school - Ice shedding blade.'

*Ahem*

Both of them were alerted and looked sideways to only to find Hari standing a few meters away.

The hooded guy started to panic; he knew things were going down south for him; usually, an ordinary person couldn't as much as scratch him let alone hurt him.

But as things stand now Shreya could easily escape or even defeat him with a little help, an ordinary guy like him was more than enough to screw him.

"Hey you, I'll give you 3 mins to recover. Let have a fair fight."

Hari nonchalantly said while supporting Shreya.

The hooded guy near tripped over and fell, he never expected such a twist in the tale; but it seemed

the god wants him to have a windfall.

He solemnly nodded his head while further retreating and entirely focused on recovering his stamina as early as possible.

'I'll recover in a few minutes and let the poison do the work; then I'll give that clown a swift, painless death.'

He wasn't going to mess up such a god-sent opportunity.

The hooded guys' plan was as clear as day to Shreya; thus, she tried to pursue him, but Hari firmly held her and gave a meaningful look.

"You focus on the poison in your system, I'll take care of that douchebag."

Hari whispered into ears and forced to sit down; Shreya decided to follow his lead, she only needs 5 minutes to flush out the poison from her system.

Shreya believed that Hari could hold back that guy at least for 2 mins. Thus she wholeheartedly concentrated on the poison inside her body; it would have been a grave problem to others, but she for her it was just a matter of time.

Exactly 3 mins later….

*Thud*

Shreya forcefully opened her eyes; this was the sound she prayed, not hear. It meant Hari failed to even face a single hit head-on against the Hooded guy.

But Shreya was in for a surprise the hooded guy was lying like a gunny bag; with his eyes popping from their socket and streaks of blood leaked out from his mouth like a tiny blood brook. Disbelief and astonishment could be discerned in his eyes.

He wasn't the only one who was in for a surprise; Shreya too widened her eyes seeing the beast of a man who finished of her enemy with just a single barehanded chop over his neck. She was really beginning doubt her skills and even the cultivation after the stunt he pulled.

A few hours ago…

In their house after knocking him unconscious, the intruder gagged his hostage and put in a gunny bag before throwing the gunny bag into a car.

In the bag, Hari was patiently waiting; he never really lost his consciousness. Ever since his breakthrough, these common drugs were losing their effects on him.

''Karma's a boomerang' Just few days ago I kidnapped Gekas and now I'm riding the same cart.'

Hari mentally complained, though he was volunteered it doesn't equate to accepting without any grievance.

*screech*

The car came to a screeching halt.

'Ahh... Finally, this idiot stopped the car, we have travelled for more than an hour. This place is too quiet obviously this should be in a remote corner of the city.' Hari mentally cried.

"ARH – WOOOOO"

'Huh... That's definitely a wolf's howl. Where has this bastard bought me?' he cursed the guy while putting every ounce of his concentration into ears to get more clue but the hooded guy wasn't very keen on giving such opportunity.

While Hari was busy cursing him, he pulled Hari and checked if he was conscious. After a half-assed inspection, he put Hari over his shoulder and walked a few meters before carelessly throwing him down.