Chapter Ninety: Another Encounter with the Assassin

That was certain. Lin Lei’s son. He would dearly like to see what they dared do. In the Beast Domain, Lin Lei was also a man few dared to cross lightly. If anyone dared harm his son, he would never let it rest. He would fight them to the bitter end.

A power so driven mad was a truly terrifying thing on the Divine Illusion Continent. So although the assassins had come to kill Ye Zihan and the others, Lin Lei believed they would not dare lay a hand on his son.

If his son were killed in the struggle for Nameless Hill, Lin Lei would have nothing to say. But if some faction dared use despicable methods to assassinate his son, then Lin Lei would strike back, and without the slightest reservation.

“Very well. I’ll take my leave first. Though no one would dare do anything to our young city lord, I should still make some preparations. Better safe than sorry.” The old man was evidently on good terms with Lin Dong, which was why he cared for him so much.

Lin Lei nodded. “Yes. Go make your preparations.”

After speaking, Lin Lei went off to attend to official business. There were still many matters in Black Tortoise City that needed his handling, and he no longer had time to waste.

The old man nodded as well and soon departed. Each went their separate way to see to their own affairs.

As soon as Ye Zihan and the others stepped out of the Black Tortoise City lord’s manor, they were recognized by the cultivators outside. Those people immediately surrounded them, clearly intending to question them, but Chen Yiyan’s fierce and terrifying countenance frightened them off. Especially when Chen Yiyan brought out his battle axe, those cultivators looked as though they had seen the devil himself and fled in panic.

Very quickly, Ye Zihan and the others left Black Tortoise City in the Black Tortoise Marsh, then hurried toward the forest that stretched out like a range of one hundred thousand mountains. Countless spirit beasts roared in the woods, and in every valley there were small villages pitched with tents and makeshift dwellings. Most of the people in those villages came from hunter families, so they lived by the old saying: what you earn from the mountains, you spend on the mountains; what you earn from the water, you spend on the water.

From Yan Chen’s account of Nameless Hill, Ye Zihan had gained a little understanding of it as well. He had originally thought Nameless Hill would be some barren, deserted place, but who would have imagined that it was actually remarkably bustling. Most important of all, no cultivator at Nameless Hill was permitted to fly. That was the rule there. Anyone who broke it would be dealt with.

And those cultivators were no ordinary experts. Their clans had guarded Nameless Hill for generations. It could be said that those families were the protectors of Nameless Hill. But if the Nameless Hill they guarded ever gained a new master, then these experts would follow that new master instead. That was why all the great powers placed so much importance on Nameless Hill.

If any faction in the Beast Domain obtained control of Nameless Hill, they would be able to look down upon all the others. So no major force in the Beast Domain would ever allow such a thing to happen, for it would shatter the delicate balance of power there.

Ye Zihan, Chen Yiyan, and the other two flew rapidly through the air above the forest. Along the way, they saw countless cultivators rushing toward Nameless Hill, and these were not beast-domain cultivators, but cultivators from the mortal world. It seemed the coming struggle for Nameless Hill had already stirred many powers on the Divine Illusion Continent into action.

“Did you see that? Right now, countless factions on the Divine Illusion Continent are marching toward Nameless Hill. Naturally, a force like ours from Black Tortoise Marsh would have to go as well, but this year we will not take part in the contest for Nameless Hill. Even if we did, it would be very hard for us to succeed.” Lin Dong knew the history of Nameless Hill very well. Their Black Tortoise Marsh had succeeded before, but in the end it had still been thwarted by other Beast Domain powers, and they had even suffered losses among their elite disciples.

The family that had passed down Black Tortoise Marsh for so many years was also immense. Though he was Lin Lei’s son, Lin Dong still had many family relatives. However, among his peers in Black Tortoise Marsh, Lin Dong was certainly a genius youth, for his strength was indeed extraordinary. In the eyes of those of his generation, he was a lofty and unattainable presence.

If Lin Dong were not the young city lord of Black Tortoise City in Black Tortoise Marsh, he might already have had the chance to venture forth onto the Divine Illusion Continent. But precisely because his status was special, Lin Lei had never dared let him take such risks.

But now things were different. The century-old contest for Nameless Hill was about to begin, and Black Tortoise Marsh would surely not go empty-handed. Now that Ye Zihan and Chen Yiyan were protecting Lin Dong, Lin Lei felt much more at ease.

Only experts at the Seven Star level or above could kill Ye Zihan and Chen Yiyan, but such experts rarely made a move. Unless truly forced into a corner, experts at the Seven Star or Eight Trigram levels would not act lightly.

Even experts at the Five-Element level were already putting immense pressure on Ye Zihan and the others, but to kill them was impossible. Last night, they had tried the same thing at a small inn in Black Tortoise City, and the result had been a failed retreat.

If Lin Lei had not observed that Ye Zihan and Chen Yiyan were extraordinarily strong, he would never have treated them so generously, for Lin Lei was also a man who respected only the strong. As for young prodigies like Ye Zihan and the others, they might not yet compare to his own cultivation, but Lin Lei believed that given time, they would certainly reach his present level, and might even surpass him.

“Wait. Brother Ye Zihan, do you feel as if there is danger ahead?” At that moment, Lin Dong suddenly exclaimed, for he seemed to have discovered powerful enemies lying in ambush ahead, and their strength was not ordinary. At the very least, they were experts of the Five-Element realm. Most importantly, these experts showed no restraint at all, abruptly releasing all the killing intent in their bodies. It was an utterly blatant display of force.

“Hmph. They’re nothing but the losers from last night. I, Chen Yiyan, would like to see what they can do to us this time.” Chen Yiyan had long since detected their auras, and they were even very familiar auras, so he concluded that these experts were indeed aimed at their party.

“That’s right. It really is those assassins. But how did they learn our route? That puzzles me.” Ye Zihan muttered in confusion. It seemed the other side was determined to kill them all, but even so, he had no reason to fear them.

Yan Chen probed for a moment, then shook his head. “It seems you are far more skilled than I am. You detected their ambush from such a distance, while I’ve only just sensed the faintest trace of their aura, and even that is vague.”

Lin Dong said nothing unnecessary. Instead, he swiftly drew the Night-tier treasured sword at his side. He was already fully prepared for battle. Even if the other side were not targeting him, Lin Dong had already made up his mind to throw himself into this fight.

“The young city lord of Black Tortoise City, we have no interest in you, so please stay where you are and do not move. Otherwise, we will not be polite.” At that moment, an elderly voice drifted out from the forest, and then a black figure shot forth from the trees like a giant eagle, looking down upon Ye Zihan and the others from above.

Lin Dong had not expected them to truly recognize his identity. He immediately understood that they must be experts from some faction on the Divine Illusion Continent. However, he knew nothing of their cultivation methods, so he could not tell who they were. Still, he felt no fear toward those assassins.

“What if I refuse to listen to your warning?” Lin Dong had long anticipated that such a day might come. He simply had not expected it to arrive so soon, and so abruptly. This left him somewhat caught off guard, though there was also a strange exhilaration in his heart.

“If you refuse our warning, then there is no need for us to show any face to your Black Tortoise Marsh. Today, we must leave Chen Yiyan and Ye Zihan with their lives. If you choose to stand with them, then that is your decision.” The assassins had already lost patience. So long as they could kill Ye Zihan, the dual-system Five-Element expert, they did not care if they offended Black Tortoise Marsh.

“Good. How arrogant. This is the first time I’ve ever been threatened. And now you want to order me to leave? Dream on. Unless you get out of here, we will not let this rest.” The fear that had existed in Lin Dong’s heart was instantly roused into fury, for his anger had been fully provoked. And since the other side clearly had no intention of sparing Ye Zihan and Chen Yiyan, he could never abandon these friends.

Though Lin Lei had told Lin Dong to protect himself first, he truly could not do it now. He was not that sort of person. Since Ye Zihan and Chen Yiyan were his friends, and his friends were in danger, he should throw himself into the fire and the flood without hesitation. So Lin Dong had also resolved to give it everything he had.

When Ye Zihan heard Lin Dong, whom he had only just met, say such things, he was deeply moved. “Thank you for your support, Brother Lin Dong. But if they kill the rest of us, then you should leave this place. That way we won’t feel so guilty, because you would have been dragged into this without reason.” Ye Zihan did not resent Lin Dong at all. Even if he left now, it would still be understandable.

Lin Dong shook his head. “Brother Ye Zihan, there’s no need to say any more. It has been a long time since I last slaughtered my way through anything. Today is just right for me to test my blade. How could I, Lin Dong, possibly miss such an interesting affair?” His excitement was now fully aroused, and the timidness he had felt at the beginning had vanished without a trace. At this moment, Lin Dong intended to fight side by side with Ye Zihan and the others, and to kill these assassins in this desolate wilderness.

“How did you learn our whereabouts? We thought we had kept it very secret, and it wasn’t even part of the original plan.” Chen Yiyan looked toward those black-clad men in confusion and asked. The other side had actually dispatched nearly twenty men to intercept them, so it seemed they were really giving this everything they had.

The black-clad man glanced at Chen Yiyan, then burst into laughter. “Ha! Did you not know that this is the point where Nameless Hill is closest to Black Tortoise Marsh? If you wanted to go to Nameless Hill, you would never take a long detour. You little brats are far too arrogant, so of course you would choose this shortcut through the wild mountains and empty ridges.” The black-clad man’s target was precisely Ye Zihan and Chen Yiyan, because they were the greatest threat to their future.

Chen Yiyan nodded. So they had already anticipated that their group would be going to Nameless Hill. Yet yesterday, he truly had not intended to go there. It was only after being persuaded by the lord of Black Tortoise City that they had begun to waver and finally decided to make the trip.