After defeating Li Qing’s team, Lin Chen and Shi Meng’s points leapt to the forefront of the rankings.

  A giant stone stele at the center of the Misty Forest displayed real?time standingsthey currently ranked third, with 1,200 points. Top spot was Zhao Hu’s “Tiger Fiend Team,” leading far ahead with 2,800 points. Second place: Liu Ruyan’s “Azure Luan Team,” 1,500 points.

  Shi Meng stared at the stele, grinning: “Third’s not badsmash a few more rounds and we’re sure to make the top thirty?two.”

  But Lin Chen frowned.

  Zhao Hu’s points were far too highclearly he had hunted a massive number of demon beasts, perhaps even snatched tokens from multiple teams. But that didn’t fit Zhao Hu’s character; after the first match’s humiliating defeat, he should have come for revenge immediately.

  Why hadn’t he moved?

  Unless he was laying a bigger trap.

  “Elder Brother Shi, let’s change routes.” Lin Chen pointed westward on the map, “The spiritual power fluctuations here are abnormallikely a high?tier demon beast lair.”

  “Listenin’ to ya!”

  The two headed deeper west.

  Along the way the fog thickened; ancient trees grew even taller, branches twisted like ghost claws. Huge paw prints began appearing on the groundthree inches deep, with foul?smelling mucus.

  “Iron?back Bear.” Lin Chen identified, “Condensation Stage Level 8 demon beastthick hide, immense strength. Slow speed, low intelligence.”

  Shi Meng rubbed his hands: “Bear gall’s valuablelet’s do it!”

  A deep growl sounded ahead.

  Lin Chen signaled concealment; the two hid behind bushes and looked.

  Thirty zhang away, a bear nearly two zhang tall was tearing apart a demon beast carcass. Its back was covered in iron?grey bone armor; tusks like swords; each chew splattered flesh and blood.

  “Tough opponent.” Shi Meng assessed, “My hammer can’t crack that armor.”

  “I have a plan.”

  Lin Chen observed the terrain. The Iron?back Bear’s lair sat in a recess in the cliff wall; both sides were steep slopes; behind ita deep ravine. If they could lure it to fall into the ravine, they could avoid a bitter fight.

  “Elder Brother Shi, circle left and make noisedraw it after you. I’ll set a trap here.”

  “Done!”

  Shi Meng moved stealthily.

  Lin Chen took out ten low?grade source spirit crystal cores; using stellar power, he carved a simple illusion array at the cliff edge. Once activated, the edge would appear as “safe flat ground.”

  Just after finishing the arrayroars came from Shi Meng’s direction.

  “Hey! Big dumb bearchase me!”

  The Iron?back Bear was enraged; it abandoned its meal and charged at Shi Meng. Shi Meng turned and ran, leading the bear straight toward the trap.

  Ten zhang from the trap.

  Five zhang.

  Three zhang

  The bear stepped into the illusion array’s range; in its eyes, the cliff edge transformed into level grassland. Without slowing, it rushed forward.

  Crash!

  The bear’s front foot met empty air; its massive body plummeted into the deep ravine. A mournful bear cry faded from near to farfinally swallowed by the ravine’s roaring depths.

  “Nice!” Shi Meng ran back, “Junior Brother Linthat formation’s awesome!”

  Lin Chen smiled, about to speak, when his Stellar Eye suddenly sensed something odd.

  Seven auras were rapidly approaching.

  Andthey carried killing intent.

  “Take cover!”

  The two leaped into thick brush.

  Seven black?clad figures emerged from the mist, landing at the cliff edge. Leader: none other than Zhao Hu; behind himsix men, auras sharp, lowest at Condensation Stage Level 7.

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  “Weirdhow’d the Iron?back Bear fall?” A tall, thin disciple peered down.

  Zhao Hu snorted: “Who cares how it died? That bastard Lin Chen’s gotta be nearbysearch!”

  The six dispersed to search.

  Lin Chen and Shi Meng held their breath.

  The nearest disciple had reached the bush they hid inone look down and they’d be discovered.

  A hair?trigger moment.

  Lin Chen’s fingertip glowed faintly with stellar radiance, ready to erupt.

  But just thena sharp whistle sounded from afar.

  A signal arrow soared skyward, exploding into a blood?colored tiger?head pattern.

  Zhao Hu’s face changed: “Poison Elder succeeded? Retreat!”

  The seven rapidly withdrew, vanishing into the mist.

  Shi Meng exhaled: “Scared me they mentioned Poison Elder?”

  Lin Chen’s gaze turned grave.

  Poison ElderNetherworld Palace assassin. Zhao Hu indeed conspired with the demonic path.

  “Elder Brother Shi, let’s follow and see.”

  The two tailed Zhao Hu’s team, maintaining a hundred?zhang distance.

  Ahead the fog gradually thinned, revealing a clearing in the forest. Three corpses lay on the groundall wearing Azure Cloud Sect attire, a black dot between their eyebrows, death expressions twisted.

  Poison Elder stood beside the corpses.

  He was hunched like a shrimp, draped in tattered black robes, a bronze ghost mask covering his face. Withered fingers were just withdrawing from one corpse’s chesttips stained with pitch?black blood.

  “Keke Condensation Stage Level 7’s essence bloodtastes fine.”

  Voice hoarse as sandpaper grinding stone.

  Zhao Hu led his men forward; seeing the corpses, he frowned: “Poison Elderwe agreed to keep them alive.”

  “Keep alive?” Poison Elder turned; from the mask’s eye?holes, two points of green light flickered, “Zhao boywhen I kill, you don’t get to give orders.”

  Zhao Hu clenched his teeth: “What about Lin Chen? Found him?”

  “Soon.” Poison Elder licked the black blood from his fingertips, “The stellar aura on himin this mist, it’s like a lighthouse. Once I lay down the ‘Ten?thousand Poisons Heart?devouring Array,’ he won’t escape.”

  As he spoke, he took seven small black flags from his robe and began planting them on the ground.

  Lin Chen watched clearly from a distance.

  That array was viciousonce caught, poisonous fog would corrode bones and devour souls. He had to stop it.

  “Elder Brother Shi, circle east and set off an explosive disturbancedraw Zhao Hu’s men away. I’ll break the array flags.”

  “Too dangerous! That Poison Elder’s at least Spiritual Light Realm”

  “I have Stellar EyeI can avoid the poison fog.”

  Shi Meng hesitated a moment, then nodded heavily: “Be careful!”

  He quietly moved east.

  Lin Chen focused on Poison Elder setting the array.

  Seven array flags arranged in the Big Dipper pattern; Poison Elder was carving array lines. Each stroke made black poison seep from the ground.

  The moment had come.

  Lin Chen activated Star?water Steps full power; his figure became an afterimage streaking toward the array flags.

  Poison Elder seemed to sense itjerked his head up: “Courting death!”

  Withered claw swept; poison fog gushed.

  But Lin Chen had already predicted.

  Stellar Eye saw the fog’s weak spots; he sidestepped and slid past, simultaneously punching at the nearest array flag.

  Starfall Fist · Meteor Descent!

  Silver brilliance detonated; the array flag snapped.

  Array backlashPoison Elder groaned, staggering back.

  “Little brat!” He raged; the ghost mask’s green light blazed.

  But Lin Chen had already destroyed three array flags; the array’s power greatly diminished.

  An explosion boomed from the eastShi Meng succeeded.

  Zhao Hu’s men were drawn away.

  Poison Elder faced Lin Chen alone.

  “Stellar Body good.” Poison Elder sneered, “Kill youextract the Star Patternmy demonic arts can advance another step.”

  His black robes billowed; countless poison insects swarmed from his sleeves, swarming toward Lin Chen.

  Lin Chen shielded himself with stellar radiance; insects died on contact.

  But Poison Elder seized the chance to close inwithered claw stabbing straight for his heart.

  “Die!”

  Claw wind reeked, laden with potent poison.

  Lin Chen bent back at the limit, simultaneously raising a knee toward Poison Elder’s abdomen.

  Thud!

  Knee and claw collided; Lin Chen was flung back three zhang, chest in agony. Poison Elder also retreated two stepsclearly underestimating the Chaos Stellar Body’s strength.

  “Interesting.” Poison Elder’s eyes gleamed brighter green, “But the game ends.”

  He formed hand seals, chanting under his breath.

  The black blood on the ground boiled, transforming into seven poisonous pythons lunging forward.

  Lin Chen was about to dodgewhen Stellar Eye suddenly sensed movement from the side: Zhao Hu’s men were returning!

  Pincer attack.

  Dire straits again.

  But Lin Chen instead smiled.

  He’d been waiting for this moment.

  “Elder Brother Shi!” he shouted.

  “Coming!”

  Shi Meng charged from the west, great hammer smashing toward Zhao Hu’s team. Simultaneously, Lin Chen poured all stellar power into the ground beneath his feet.

  Chaos Star Vortexreverse spin!

  Nine?attribute source spirit qi erupted violently, colliding with the poisonous pythons.

  Kaboom!

  Explosive shockwaves sent Poison Elder tumbling; seven pythons disintegrated. Zhao Hu’s team was held up by Shi Mengunable to close the encirclement.

  Lin Chen seized the chance to retreat swiftly, reuniting with Shi Meng.

  “Go!”

  The two fled into the mist.

  Poison Elder steadied himself; one corner of his mask cracked, revealing half a decayed face. He glared in the direction Lin Chen disappeared, eyes filled with venomous hatred.

  “Run run for now. You can’t run forever.”

  Zhao Hu led his men in pursuit; seeing Poison Elder’s disheveled state, a chill gripped his heart.

  “Poison Elder, you”

  “Shut up!” Poison Elder roared, “That boy must die! For the third assessment matchI’ll personally act!”

  He flung his sleeve and left.

  Zhao Hu’s face turned ugly; finally he gritted his teeth and waved: “Retreat!”

  Lin Chen and Shi Meng ran ten li, confirming no pursuit, before stopping to catch their breath.

  “That Poison Elder too terrifying.” Shi Meng said fearfully, “Spiritual Light Realm pressureI nearly suffocated.”

  Lin Chen nodded.

  Poison Elder’s strength far surpassed trash like Zhang Kuanga true demonic path assassin. The third assessment match would be a bloody storm.

  “Elder Brother Shi, the third match is arena combat. Zhao Hu will definitely arrange Poison Elder against meyou”

  “I’m with ya!” Shi Meng cut him off, “Scared of balls! Worst casewe die together!”

  Lin Chen felt warmth in his heart.

  But something else concerned him more.

  Just now, when Poison Elder moved, his robe’s hem lifted for an instant. Lin Chen sawa bronze token hung at his waist.

  On the tokena half?moon, three stars.

  Exactly the same token worn by the black?clad man who chased him that night.

  Poison Elder was that night’s black?clad man.

  Alsoa direct participant in his father’s disappearance case.

  Lin Chen clenched his fist.

  The third assessment match wasn’t just an advancement battle.

  It was the beginning of revenge.