The Return of the God Level Assassin

JUST in time, a message from Su Yuqi flashed on the team's channel:

[I found the clue.]

Shen Ji Yun responded instantly:

[Don't read it yet. Find Dusk and Eclipse, then get out of the cave. Fly a few kilometers away before checking it. Yan Yan and I will catch up with you soon.]

Su Yuqi didn't ask why he gave such an instruction, but she still gave a thumbs up, showing that she would do as instructed. Seeing that, Shen Ji Yun contacted Dusk telepathically right after.

[Dusk, go find Eclipse. If he's heading toward the cave entance where Yan Yan went, stop him. Then, ask if he can still reach Yan Yan.]

Dusk replied almost instantly: [Found him.]

The dragon sent another message to the team channel, but before Shen Ji Yun could read it, Luo Yan, who had been lying in front of him, suddenly sat up. He appeared disoriented at first, but when his eyes met Shen Ji Yun's, they widened in surprise, as if he had just remembered something important.

"Team... team Mozu! A member of them, the one who looks like a snake. What's his name again? Ah Zephyr! He just attacked me!"

Shen Ji Yun quickly glanced at the message Dusk had sent to the team channel. Without a word, he stood up and turned away, concealing his expression. His eyes scanned the cave before he spoke. "Where is he?"

Luo Yan stood up as well. "He's probably deeper inside the cave. The clue is likely there. We need to move fast before he has a chance to destroy it."

"That will certainly be a problem." Shen Ji Yun turned to the other. "But why didn't he eliminate you?"

"I pretended to escape but quickly hid myself with my Invisibility Cloak," Luo Yan explained, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "But that guy threw something that sent me flying a few meters. I don't think he knew I was hiding—he was probably just being thorough."

"I see." Shen Ji Yun nodded, looking like he accepted the explanation. "Then let's go. We should hurry before Zephyr destroyed the clue. Even if we're not sure it's on this path, we have to assume it is, just in case."

"I agree. Then let's go."

They moved simultaneously. Luo Yan stepped forward just as Shen Ji Yun suddenly turned toward him. In one swift motion, Shen Ji Yun's sword pierced through Luo Yan's chest. It happened so fast, the strike seemed almost unreal.

Luo Yan glanced down at the sword lodged in his chest, then slowly raised his gaze, eyes wide in disbelief. "W-why?"

To answer that, Shen Ji Yun activated a skill, releasing a surge of purple lightning through the sword still buried deep in Luo Yan's chest.

The purple lightning surged through the blade, spreading quickly across Luo Yan's body. His muscles tensed instantly, his limbs jerking from the force. The electricity crackled across his skin, leaving faint scorch marks as the energy pulsed through him, causing his body to convulse uncontrollably.

Shen Ji Yun pulled back his sword. "Because you're a fake."

Immediately after, 'Luo Yan's' face began to distort, flickering like a glitching screen. In seconds, his true face emerged from beneath the illusion.

"What gave me away?" Draeken, the vice-captain of team Mozu asked.

"Everything."

The moment the other opened his eyes, Shen Ji Yun knew instantly he wasn't Luo Yan. It wasn't the difference in their expression or movement. It was the simple fact that he felt no instinct to protect him, no concern at seeing him appear weak and vulnerable. Which was impossible to happen if the other was truly Luo Yan.

The day he felt nothing at the sight of Luo Yan would be the day he no longer existed in this world.

Liu Jun glanced down at his body as it began to dissolve into light particles. He couldn't quite grasp how he'd been discovered so quickly. He knew he would be exposed eventually, but he had hoped to strike YUN first before the other realized he was a fake.

Well, this was not entirely Liu Jun's fault. How could he have taken into account that his ruse wouldn't work on Shen Ji Yun because he was so madly in love with the person Liu Jun was impersonating?

Since it had already happened, there's no crying over spilt milk. Liu Jun calmly sent a message to his team, admitting that his plan to ambush team Yunyue had failed. Then, in the final moment before he completely vanished, he hurled a bomb at YUN.

As the bomb hurtled toward him, Shen Ji Yun's eyes narrowed. In a fluid motion, he gripped his sword tighter, activating a defensive skill. A shimmering barrier of energy formed around the blade as he swung it with precision, slicing through the bomb mid-air.

The force of his attack not only split the bomb in half but also triggered a secondary skill, sending a shockwave that dispersed the explosion in all directions, neutralizing the blast before it could cause any damage. The air crackled briefly, then fell silent, leaving Shen Ji Yun standing unharmed.

And at that moment, a message appeared in front of every member of team Mozu.

[Draeken has been eliminated!]

Since none of team Yunyue had seen that, the announcement would hardly affect them. And even if they did see it, they wouldn't care. Especially Shen Ji Yun.

He thought back to what Dusk had said to him.

'[Eclipse said that his master is currently fighting a snake.]'

This 'snake' seemed to be Zephyr. So, Draeken didn't lie about that part.

Shen Ji Yun recalled the way Zephyr had looked at Luo Yan the day before. The mere thought of it made his fist clench in anger.

He contacted Dusk once again. [Ask Eclipse where Yan Yan is right now.]

After that, he sent another message to the team channel.

[Su Yuqi, go ahead and read the clue.]

Just after he sent that, a notification appeared in front of him.

[Team Yunyue has found the clue for the fourth checkpoint!]