Translator: CinderTL
"Come out!" Liu Yue commanded, his sword pointing ahead.
Jianlan shot forward, unleashing layers of cascading sword energy ripples.
The sword's ringing cry echoed through the night sky as a familiar blue-skinned figure materialized from the darkness.
The third eye on its forehead snapped open, unleashing a powerful mental shockwave that sent ground snow swirling toward Jianlan.
The two opposing forces collided with a buzzing sound, visible ripples of invisible energy expanding outward in concentric circles.
Boom!
A muffled explosion followed, sending both Liu Yue and the Blue-skinned Assassin staggering back several meters.
Seeing the assassin reappear, Feng Qi's heart sank.
This was the fourth time.
Moreover, the assassin's strength had clearly increased, its brief exchange with Liu Yue showing it was no longer at a disadvantage.
At that moment, the Blue-skinned Assassin suddenly turned its gaze toward him. As the third eye on its forehead blinked, an invisible shockwave surged forth.
Fortunately, Liu Yue had anticipated this. Jianlan, his sword, split into seven blades in mid-air, forming a sword formation that intercepted the mental shockwave.
"Brother Qi, get out of here!"
Hearing this, he nodded immediately, knowing that staying would only hinder Liu Yue.
At this stage, his Demonic Dragon Rune modification was insufficient to contend with such an enemy.
If he possessed his innate abilities, he might have stood a chance, but in the Sacrifice Line, he was clearly outmatched.
With this realization, he sprinted toward Residence No. 001, where Mu Qing was.
But just a few steps in, a chilling sense of danger washed over him.
The demon dragon's gift of crisis perception compelled him to dodge instinctively.
Another Blue-skinned Assassin materialized in the spot he had just vacated, its invisible mental shockwave churning up the snow and sending it hurtling toward the hot spring lake.
Witnessing this, Liu Yue abandoned his entanglement with the first assassin and charged toward him.
The seven Jianlan blades fused into one, carving an eerie arc through the air and leaving a luminous trail of sword energy in its wake. With a sudden upward slash, it hurled the second Blue-skinned Assassin into the air.
The unexpected strike severed one of its arms.
Sharp sword energy pierced its body, causing it to emit a piercing, agonized scream.
Feng Qi didn't hesitate. Seizing the opportunity, he sprinted toward Mu Qing's residence once more.
Just then, a sharp blue dagger materialized from the side, stabbing toward his chest at an impossibly precise angle.
In this life-or-death moment, Liu Yue, who was some distance away, once again urged Jianlan to close the distance.
Clang!
The crisp metallic clang of Jianlan blocking the dagger's thrust echoed through the air.
Though all enemy attacks had been parried, facing three opponents alone left Feng Qi in a precarious situation.
The blue-skinned assassin before him flickered and vanished, reappearing behind him in an instant.
Simultaneously, Assassin No. 1 launched an attack on Liu Yue from afar, attempting to create an opening for his companion.
Faced with simultaneous assaults from both sides, Liu Yue remained calm. He split Jianlan into two blades, each controlled to strike in a different direction.
At that moment, a deafening explosion erupted from Mu Qing's residential area.
The building's main doors flew open, and a figure materialized before him with near-invisible speed, arriving even faster than Liu Yue's Jianlan. In a flash, she seized the blue dagger he had carved.
Feng Qi let out a long sigh of relief as he saw Mu Qing, still wearing her rabbit pajamas.
With Mu Qing's arrival, the danger had passed.
The blue-skinned assassin whose dagger had been seized hissed and struggled to break free, but its strength was utterly insignificant against Mu Qing's.
Nearby, Blue-skinned Assassin No. 2 blinked and unleashed a mental shockwave to aid its companion.
The violent mental shockwave struck Mu Qing, yet she didn't even flinch.
Crack! Mu Qing crushed the dagger in Assassin No. 3's hand before delivering a devastating punch to its chest.
The concentrated force exploded outward, instantly obliterating the blue-skinned assassin into a cloud of pulverized remains.
In the next instant, Mu Qing reappeared before Blue-skinned Assassin No. 2, delivering another punch.
Boom!
The ground trembled violently as the assassin's body shattered into fragments, meeting the same fate as its companion.
Finally, Mu Qing arrived at Liu Yue's side.
Witnessing the brutal death of his comrade, Blue-skinned Assassin No. 1 let out a piercing shriek, his eyes betraying terror. Yet he still resolutely unleashed a mental shockwave at Mu Qing.
The force struck Mu Qing, but was immediately absorbed by the jade-colored mist that shimmered around her body.
With another punch, Blue-skinned Assassin No. 1 instantly exploded.
The fragments of flesh and blood dissolved under the continued onslaught of power, vanishing completely.
Liu Yue's eyes widened as he witnessed Mu Qing's terrifying strength.
He realized she had grown even stronger than before.
The assassin who had given him so much trouble hadn't even lasted a single exchange against her.
This overwhelming disparity made Liu Yue unconsciously tighten his grip on Jianlan.
"Feng Qi, are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Feng Qi said as he walked up to Mu Qing.
Hearing this, Mu Qing let out a long sigh of relief.
"These Domain-Transcending Creatures are getting bolder, daring to infiltrate Dawn Manor for assassinations."
Feng Qi froze, startled by her words.
Clearly, Mu Qing had mistaken the Blue-skinned Assassins for Domain-Transcending Creatures.
Such incidents were common in frontline supply areas.
Domain-Transcending Creatures capable of leaving the Domain Field often targeted supply areas as their primary targets for destruction.
This was why supply areas were constantly patrolled and guarded.
After hesitating for a moment, he decided against telling Mu Qing the truth.
Originally, he had planned to seek Mu Qing's protection in the days ahead, hoping she would safeguard him.
But during his time with the Dawn Battle Group, he had come to understand Mu Qing's significance to the entire group. Binding her to his side would be unfair to the other members.
It would also hinder the Dawn Battle Group's future development and trajectory.
Therefore, he chose to remain silent.
After bidding farewell, he and Liu Yue returned to Residence No. 002.
Sitting on the living room sofa, he began pondering a question.
The previous three Blue-skinned Assassins had attacked one after another, but this time, three had come simultaneously. This clearly contradicted his earlier assumptions.
The only consistent pattern was that the Blue-skinned Assassins' strength had once again increased significantly.
Their origins remained a mystery.
He could only hope that the Scarlet Research Institute's continued investigations would allow his other self to uncover crucial clues.
Next, he began pondering a new problem:
How could he further enhance his strength to ensure his own survival?
Currently, being within the Dawn Battle Group and under Liu Yue's protection, his safety was relatively secure even without Mu Qing by his side.
But the enemies would only grow stronger, and there might come a time when even Liu Yue would be powerless to help.
As for Mu Qing, who spent most of her time traveling between supply lines, she could only occasionally return and couldn't possibly watch over him constantly.
While deep in thought, he suddenly remembered the Spiritual Immortality technique Lin Ran had sent him earlier that day.
Cultivating this ultimate mental attack technique wouldn't be affected by physical transformations and could grant him a massive boost in mental energy in a short period.
As for the potential drawbacks... exchanging physical vitality and lifespan for power wasn't entirely unacceptable.
With this realization, he decided to begin practicing the technique immediately.
(End of the Chapter)
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