Chapter 80: Fierce Battle with the Assassin

“Arrogant words. Do you really think you bunch of wet-behind-the-ears brats can kill the ten of us? You’re barely at the Five Elements stage, and you think you can slay experts of the ** stage like us?” The lead assassin, his face concealed, sneered at Chen Yiyan, his tone dripping with disdain, as if their victory was already assured.

“My realm may not be as high as yours, but tonight, you must die.” Chen Yiyan’s four wings unfurled behind him. He had grown accustomed to a life of being hunted, and these assassins before him were nothing out of the ordinary. He barely spared them a second thought.

“Big talk. Still, I rather like your spirit. What a pity—you’ll be nothing but a ghost beneath our blades by the end of tonight.” The black-clad man facing Chen Yiyan leveled his sword with a cold, detached expression. He had seen many arrogant men in his time, but rarely had one boasted as brazenly as Chen Yiyan.

“Who sent you? Are you here for revenge, or do you kill simply for the sake of killing?” At that moment, a door to another room was gently pushed open and Yan Chen stepped out, calm and composed. The group had long since prepared themselves for battle; they were ready to strike at any moment.

“Are you from the Illusory God Hall?” Ye Zihan also emerged, his gaze cold. He knew the ambitions of the Illusory God Hall: to dominate the Illusory God Continent, to hunt down its prodigies before they could ever pose a threat. Only then could they truly rest easy.

“Kill them! No need to waste words.” The leader wasted no time, lunging toward Ye Zihan with his sword, which had only moments before been pointed at Chen Yiyan. Now, it thirsted for Ye Zihan’s blood, his patience with Ye Zihan’s questions worn thin.

In truth, Ye Zihan had no idea who these black-clad men truly were. Chen Yiyan had too many enemies; Ye Zihan had assumed that these killers were after Chen Yiyan. Still, he felt nothing but loathing for the Illusory God Hall, so he had asked his question offhandedly. But it was clear these assassins had no intention of answering.

The black-clad leader had brought nine assassins with him, their highest cultivation at the ** stage, the lowest at the Five Elements stage. Ten such killers sent together was no small matter—an extravagance far beyond the reach of ordinary factions.

“You must die!” Chen Yiyan swung his axe with ferocious momentum, charging into the fray like a god of slaughter. He understood well that tonight it was kill or be killed; their enemies would not relent until their objective was met.

Ten formidable assassins sent to kill them spoke volumes about the power of their enemy; this was no small sect’s handiwork. More troubling still, Chen Yiyan found their auras unfamiliar—he had never crossed paths with such men before. He could not pinpoint which of his many enemies had sent them.

Generally, Chen Yiyan made a habit of remembering the techniques and energy of those he fought or killed. That way, he could always trace his pursuers back to their source and exact vengeance if he survived. In his world, to avoid being hunted, one had to become the hunter.

The clash of weapons rang out as Yan Chen and Ye Zihan joined the fray. The assassins held a clear advantage in numbers and strength, forcing Yan Chen and his allies onto the defensive. Were it not for the cramped quarters of the inn, preventing the assassins from fully leveraging their numbers, Ye Zihan and the others would have been in even graver danger.

Suddenly, a deafening crash sounded as the black-clad man dueling Ye Zihan smashed through the inn’s rooftop. He and Ye Zihan soared skyward, their battle raging above like two great birds locked in mortal combat.

---

“You can withstand my full-strength attack with just the initial stage of the Five Elements realm? Who are you? What sect do you belong to? Why does your aura feel so familiar to mine?” The more the black-clad man fought Ye Zihan, the more shocked he became. He had gravely underestimated his foe. Though Ye Zihan was only at the Five Elements stage, his fierce momentum meant he would not easily lose to a **-stage expert.

“Face my sword!” the assassin roared, stabbing horizontally at Ye Zihan. Waves of scorching heat rolled off his fiery sword techniques—he was a master of fire, and he intended to incinerate the youth before him, for that was his mission tonight.

“Sea Dragon Emerges!” Ye Zihan shouted, sweeping the Red Lotus Dagger through the air. Roiling waves of watery energy surged, coalescing into a dagger that shot toward the assassin in a deluge to meet his attack.

The two forces collided with a thunderous explosion, nearly leveling the inn below. Their unrestrained power left the place in ruins, sending the bystanders fleeing for their lives.

“You’re a dual-element cultivator?” The assassin was stunned as Ye Zihan casually unleashed a water technique. Only now did he realize he had misjudged his adversary—a cardinal sin for any assassin, one that often led to failure.

“There’s no need for you to know any more. All you need to understand is that tonight, you will die.” Ye Zihan’s voice was ice cold. Lifting his Red Lotus Dagger once more, he prepared for a fight with no retreat. The assassins would not stop until they had fulfilled their mission.

“Haha, I like your spirit. You and Chen Yiyan are so alike. Unfortunately, after tonight, the Illusory God Continent will no longer remember your names.” The assassin’s tone was equally cold as he leapt into action, sword flashing. This was a battle to the death; there would be no turning back.

“Come, then!” Ye Zihan answered, unleashing a torrent of fire-element sword energy. He had thrown caution to the wind. The enemy was too arrogant, thinking to destroy him and his friends. Ye Zihan would not let that happen.

A blaze of illusory sword energy swept toward his opponent. Ye Zihan cared nothing for the enemy’s numbers or their superior strength; he cared only for his dignity, and would never beg for mercy.

“A true talent. If only you belonged to our organization—so young, and already so accomplished. A rare prodigy, indeed.” The assassin sighed at the sight of Ye Zihan’s surging fire energy, but wasted no more words, pressing his attack relentlessly. Their fates tonight were sealed; neither side would withdraw.

“Don’t feign pity. I, Ye Zihan, will never stand with the likes of you. On the contrary, I will kill you tonight. You might as well give me your names, so I can grant you a proper burial.” Ye Zihan’s arrogance blazed brighter than ever in the heat of battle, fueling his fighting spirit.

“Fine! Let’s see what you’ve got!” the assassin snapped, sword raised. He had no choice but to see this mission through to the end.

---

A rolling thunderclap split the air above the inn as Ye Zihan and the **-stage expert clashed once more, their blows ringing out like the end of the world.

“Here I come! Brat, take this!” At that moment, Mo You, who had been waiting for the perfect opportunity, finally made his move. With a flash, he resumed his true form—a body ten feet long—and hurled a massive fist toward the black-clad man.

With a resounding crash, the assassin was too slow to dodge. Mo You, a creature of monstrous speed and power, struck him square in the chest. Blood spurted from the assassin’s mouth as he reeled from the blow.

“Haha! Well done, my friend!” Ye Zihan laughed aloud as the injured assassin retreated from the battlefield. Mo You’s surprise attack had turned the tide, boosting Ye Zihan’s odds of victory.

“You so-called righteous ones—what’s so honorable about attacking a man from behind? If you have any guts, fight us face-to-face!” the black-clad man shouted furiously from a safe distance, livid at Ye Zihan’s underhanded tactics.

“Haha! And you call yourselves honorable, skulking in the shadows? Isn’t this exactly what you do? We’re just giving you a taste of your own medicine. You’re dead men walking—no mercy!” Ye Zihan retorted, mocking the man before him, certain he was the leader of this group.

“Fine then! But you’re still too green to kill us. Still, I admire your courage.” The assassin wiped the blood from his lips and raised his sword once more, his earlier arrogance replaced by grim resolve.

“Very well, let me test your mettle!” Mo You resumed his true form, his patience spent. If the situation weren’t so dire, he’d never bother with these assassins, but they had disturbed his rest.

“A Thousand-Phantom Blood Dragon? What are you doing here? And what is your relationship to this boy?” The assassin paled at the sight of Mo You. Tonight’s mission had already gone awry in so many ways, and now a Thousand-Phantom Blood Dragon stood before him—an enemy few would dare provoke.