The Return of the God Level Assassin

"Is it really okay for us to bomb the forest like this?" she asked.

"Isn't it fine?" Wang Bin said, shrugging his shoulders. "If it wasn't allowed, the game would have told us right from the start."

Recalling how the game only warned them against using teleportation scrolls, Zhou Meimei nodded. That meant everything else was fair game. The rules were clear like that.

She glanced back down again. The section of the forest, with its winding path leading to the shrine, was already engulfed in flames. In a few more seconds, the shrine itself could be destroyed. But Liu Jun had mentioned that the clue for the next checkpoint only appeared when they reached Yunyue's first checkpoint, so the game probably wouldn't allow any checkpoints to be destroyed.

Zhou Meimei didn't worry too much about that; she just hoped this would be enough to slow down the few members of team Yunyue who might be following them.

"Don't worry about useless things and just think of how we can solve the clue for the third checkpoint," Wang Bin added.

Zhou Meimei narrowed her eyes at the other. "How about you start giving orders after you've solved a clue on your own?"

Sensing an argument brewing, He Zhi Long almost growled. In his xie long form, his voice was much louder than usual—a deep, booming sound that could easily be heard for miles. If any members of team Yunyue were lurking below, they would definitely catch his voice. His stealth item might hide his massive form, but it couldn't silence his roar.

So, on the off chance that some of Team Yunyue were down there, he knew he had to keep quiet.

What if those team Yunyue members had survived the bomb attack and heard his voice? It could help them track their team's location. So, to prevent Wang Bin and Zhou Meimei from bickering any further, he decided to send a message through the team channel.

[Stop. Just analyze the clue.]

That finally shut the two up. He Zhi Long sighed inwardly. If he didn't know that leaving these two with Su Yu would cause a huge headache, he would have much preferred Liu Jun to be in his group instead. But since someone had to 'babysit' the pair—and Su Yu too—he and Liu Jun had to split up and take on the role of 'babysitter.'

His only consolation was knowing that Liu Jun was likely having a worse time than he was, stuck with that guy Su Yu.

He Zhi Long gave the forest one last glance before flying away.

-----

Bai Ze and Luo Jin landed hard, their fall anything but graceful. No, it wasn't just a fall—they had been violently thrown. They hit the ground in a part of the forest that had somehow escaped the flames.

The sudden explosion caught them both off guard. If it hadn't been for Rowan's quick reaction—grabbing them by the scruff of their necks and hurling them as hard as he could—they might not have made it. Bai Ze was still in his lion beast form at the time, only realizing what was happening mid-air and quickly shifting back to his humanoid form. That's how he and Luo Jin ended up here.

Bai Ze looked around. Aside from the flame, he also didn't see Rowan.

[Rowan! Where are you?]

"I'm here. No need to shout," a voice called down from above.

Bai Ze looked up to see Rowan descending, his wings unfurling gracefully as he landed.

"I think that thing up ahead is the shrine."

Luo Jin's voice drew Bai Ze and Rowan's attention. They both turned to where Luo Jin was looking and saw a small, stone structure nestled among the trees. It was worn and covered in moss, with a single, narrow path leading up to it. The shrine seemed almost hidden by the thick branches and leaves surrounding it, its faded carvings just visible in the dim light.

They all looked at each other and then ran ahead. Sure enough, the moment they arrived in front of the shrine, the clue for team Mozu's third checkpoint appeared in front of them.

[Descend into the deep where sunlight does not dare, and trace the path of the hidden stream. Find the cave where shadows dwell, beyond the twisting narrow way. In the chamber where a gentle light seeps through the cracks above, lighting the lone stone in the heart of the dark—there, your answer rests.]

----------

Luo Yan read Bai Ze's message on the team channel; they had found the clue for team Mozu's third checkpoint. He quickly typed a response, letting them know they would assist in analyzing the clue.

Currently, their group was on their way to the Frostspire Mountain. Why there, you asked? The clue they found suggested a location high up in a mountain, likely one that was perpetually covered in snow and ice. There were not many places like that in Arcadia. But the most popular and well-known was the Frostspire Mountain.

By now, they had realized that the game consistently led them to well-known locations in Arcadia. Even the dungeon they had just explored was located in a part of the sea near a popular resort.

It was now clear that Moonlight Media was using the quarterfinals as a way to advertise the game to foreign viewers of the Arcadia Cup, showcasing the game's stunning and diverse landscapes.

Luo Yan had to admit, it was a clever marketing strategy.

Soon, Frostspire Mountain came into view. Dusk sped up, flying straight toward it like a bullet.