Gu Ye moved.
In one fluid motion, he stepped aside, gripped the assassin's wrist, and twisted. With a flash of inner force, he sent the man flying downward, slamming him into the ground like a meteor.
Dust and debris exploded.
The guardians, encouraged, pushed forward. The one with twin sabers moved like a storm, locking down two assassins at once. Sparks flew, spirit energy clashed, and every strike shook the air.
But the assassins weren't weak.
"Use the Black Formation," one of them barked.
Six of the masked attackers suddenly formed a circle midair. Dark symbols glowed beneath their feet, forming a hexagram of black light. Energy pulsed, drawing spirit power from the surroundings.
A black vortex appeared at the center, sucking in light and qi.
The lead guardian's eyes widened.
"A forbidden array!"
Gu Ye's voice echoed sharply.
"Fall back!"
But it was too late — the vortex exploded outward in a dome of darkness, crashing into the guardians.
Two were knocked out of the sky. Blood sprayed. The other five barely managed to resist, but their movements slowed.
One of the assassins moved in to finish the downed guardian.
Gu Ye's eyes sharpened.
He vanished.
In less than a blink, he reappeared in front of the assassin and struck with a palm glowing faint blue.
Boom!
The assassin flew back like a broken kite, coughing blood. Gu Ye landed beside the injured guardian and caught him.
"You're not dying today," he said quietly.
From the sky, another masked man spoke.
"This isn't over. Reinforcements will come. You can't protect them all."
Gu Ye looked up.
"Then I'll kill every single one of you until no reinforcements remain."
The assassin smirked beneath his mask — but before he could reply, Gu Ye raised his hand.
A faint black mark glowed on his wrist.
"You forced me to use this," he muttered.
The mark cracked open.
Suddenly, a surge of strange energy flooded the sky. The heavens trembled faintly. The assassins' expressions changed instantly.
"What is that power…?"
"A soul imprint… from another world?"
Gu Ye's voice was soft — but it shook the air.
"Let's end this."
A sudden coldness swept across the sky.
Gu Ye—Gao Tian's second body—raised his hand. The strange black mark on his wrist pulsed violently, and with a breath of ancient incantation, he whispered:
"Demonic Authority: Demon Summoning."
The air cracked.
A massive black circle with ancient demonic runes spread beneath him, and the sky darkened as if swallowed by a storm. Thunder rumbled above, but no lightning came.
The masked assassins froze.
From the circle rose an enormous, red-skinned demon, over thirty feet tall. Its twisted horns curved like scimitars, glowing faintly with blood-colored veins. Sharp claws scraped at the air, and its single, vertical golden eye opened, radiating deathly power.
Its cultivation — Nascent Soul Realm – Ninth Layer.
The assassins immediately understood.
This… was no illusion.
The demon roared — the sound shook buildings in Wai City. Civilians far below cried out and fled. Even the guardians looked up, stunned and overwhelmed.
The demon opened its mouth, flames dancing between its fangs, and its voice echoed like the tolling of a cursed bell:
"Who dares summon me… to slay?"
Gu Ye, floating above, pointed silently at the assassins.
The demon turned. In that instant, the seven masked attackers unleashed everything they had — their blades surged with light, defensive techniques layered over their bodies, forbidden talismans burned with a desperate glow.
But it wasn't enough.
With a swipe of its claw, the demon shredded through two assassins in a single breath — their defenses crumbled like paper. The sky ignited as flames rained from the demon's mouth, chasing the fleeing assassins like hunting beasts.
One assassin tried to teleport away with a forbidden escape seal.
The demon raised a finger and crushed space itself.
He vanished in black fire.
Another assassin screamed, releasing a Nascent Soul self-detonation to kill the demon.
The explosion shook the sky — but when the smoke cleared, the demon still stood, its skin cracked but not broken. It walked forward with slow, crushing steps.
One by one, the assassins fell. Their screams were silenced in the night wind, their bodies scattered like ash. None survived.
And then, the demon turned back to Gu Ye.
"Your wish… is fulfilled. Sleep now, mortal. The price has been paid."
It raised its clawed hand toward the mark on Gu Ye's wrist — and with a pulse of red light, the demon's body crumbled into smoke and vanished back into the summoning circle, which faded like a dying eclipse.
The sky cleared.
The stars returned.
But Gu Ye swayed.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. His energy spiraled out of control. The summoning had pushed his body beyond its limit.
Second body send last massage to Gao Tian before going to unconscious.
"Gao Tian i used high level technique to kill Assassin's and my body's spritual energy is over i don't know how many day I'll be unconscious but don't worry about clan and me."
He looked once at the surviving guardians, nodded faintly, and collapsed midair.
"Gu Ye!"
The guardians rushed forward. One caught him before he hit the ground.
Far below, people of Wai City emerged from hiding, confused and terrified. Rumors would spread. Whispers of a demon summoned in the skies of the Gao Clan's residence.
And Gu Ye, Gao Tian's second body, lay unconscious in guest room.
Meanwhile, in Sen City — Night
Gao Tian and Shu Yu were walking toward the Roasted Inn, the soft night air brushing against their faces.
Shu Yu absentmindedly patted the ruler dog in her arms, her thoughts deep. Leaving the Top 3, only 20 participants pass the first round. The next round will be in two days.
Gao Tian glanced over at her and said, "Well, you got second. I didn't know you were that good at alchemy."
Shu Yu responded with a shrug, "I also didn't think you were that good at alchemy."
Just as Gao Tian was about to reply, he suddenly stopped walking, his face growing serious.
What is happening with my second body?
Shu Yu noticed the change and asked, "What happened? Why did you stop?"
Gao Tian didn't respond immediately. His eyes were distant, the connection with his second body pulling his attention away.
Is something happening there?
Suddenly, a message arrived from his second body:
"Gao Tian, I used a high-level technique to kill the Assassins. My body's spiritual energy is drained, and I don't know how many days I'll be unconscious. Don't worry about the clan or me."
Gao Tian stood still for a moment, absorbing the message in silence.
Shu Yu, noticing his sudden change, asked again, more insistently, "What happened?"
Gao Tian turned to face her, his expression serious. "I want you to tell me about the Assassins who are hunting you down."
Shu Yu's face became more serious, and her hand unconsciously tightened around the ruler dog. "Why do you know about that? Didn't I tell you that they want me dead?"
Gao Tian's gaze softened, but his voice remained firm. "I know it's somehow connected, but you're still hiding something from me. I don't want you to tell me everything. I just need to know who they are. The Assassins—are they somehow tied to your past?"
Shu Yu's expression shifted for a brief moment. Her eyes closed, and she took a deep breath.
She nodded slowly and started walking towards the inn. "First, let's go inside the room. I'll explain there."
I have no choice. I have to tell him a little bit.
With that, the two of them entered the Roasted Inn, walking into the quiet room where Shu Yu sat on the bed, ruler dog still peacefully sleeping beside her. Gao Tian took a seat in front of her, his expression focused and patient.
Shu Yu stared down at the dog in her arms before looking up at Gao Tian with a distant, expressionless face. She began speaking softly, as if weighing each word carefully.
"See, the Assassins who've been attacking me are called the Shadow Envoys. Their power level is defined by their number on the mask. The highest rank is 0, and the lowest is 16. I was one of the Shadow Envoys, but I left when I realized what they were doing is wrong. My friends died protecting me, and after that, I ran. They've been trying to capture me, or worse, since."
Gao Tian remained silent, absorbing every word. The weight of her past was now hanging between them, but he felt a deep understanding. She had been running, fleeing from the shadows that had defined her life.
Shu Yu's eyes met his, but she didn't speak further. She had said what she needed to say.
Gao Tian sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath. "The Shadow Envoys. Sounds like a dangerous group. And they want you back."
She nodded, her gaze distant. "Yes, and they will keep coming for me until I'm either dead or back with them."
Gao Tian's voice was calm but filled with resolve. "Then I'll make sure that doesn't happen. As long as I'm here, they won't touch you."
Gao Tian Thought looking out of window.
I have to draw them toward me somehow. If another ambush happens, I won't be able to shield everyone. Each Envoy is stronger than the last… and I can already feel the next one's aura tightening like a noose.
Damn it. I need a plan—fast.
The room fell silent for a moment, the only sound the soft breathing of the ruler dog resting peacefully in Shu Yu's arms.
She finally spoke, her voice quiet but steady. "Thank you, Gao Tian for understanding."