Chapter 35: Magical Beasts—Nature's Finest Cosmetic Surgeons
"Retreat! Retreat!" Among the remaining nine black-robed assassins, two who were still unharmed immediately tried to flee as the situation went south.
"Stop!" the black-robed captain roared in fury. The attacker hadn't even revealed himself—where did they think they were going?
Bang! Bang!
The only response to his shout was the flash of two bursts of flame—followed by two panicked screams.
There was no denying it—at close range under twenty meters, magic core firearms were ruthlessly effective. Hidden in the darkness, Jiang Lin stood beside a tree, calmly watching the two black-robed assassins, likely six- or seven-star Dou Zhe, twitching violently on the ground.
Jiang Lin's spiritual sense had a terrifying trait. Under normal circumstances, its range was just ten meters. But if someone held malicious intent, even from a hundred meters away, the moment they looked at him, he would feel it. Within a hundred meters, even a glance would allow Jiang Lin to sense the enemy's exact location. So, while it seemed that using a magic core weapon gave away his position, in reality, it was the enemies who revealed themselves first.
And this sensory range would only grow stronger as Jiang Lin's cultivation advanced.
After storing his depleted magic core firearm, Jiang Lin silently observed the assassins' positions from the darkness.
He had unknowingly cornered them with his innate twenty-meter "domain"—perfectly sealing off the black-robed attackers hidden along the cliff. They'd stationed a lookout down below as well, but Jiang Lin had already silently dealt with that scout using his stealth and night-vision-like awareness.
Though there appeared to be seven enemies left, only four were still battle-capable. The others had suffered internal disruptions in their Dou Qi due to the magic core blasts.
The captain of the group, a three-star Dou Shi named Li Yan, quickly analyzed the situation. Only he and another one-star Dou Shi remained at full strength—the rest were seven- or eight-star Dou Zhe. If they jumped off the cliff, only the Dou Shi could survive the fall unscathed. If Fu Bo—the other Dou Shi—blocked them below and the mystery man caught up from behind, they'd be forced into one-on-one fights and none would escape.
Resolving himself, Li Yan shouted to the others, "He's only using long-range attacks! That means he's trying to scare us into making a move. With Fu Bo still on the road, he's counting on dividing us up! We move together—seven against one. There's no way he can handle us all!"
His reasoning wasn't wrong. Jiang Lin had attacked only three times—first throwing five magic core grenades, which blinded two and injured a third. Then, while they panicked, he shot one with his magic core firearm. When two more tried to flee, he quickly shot them down again. After that, he stopped attacking and didn't close in.
Logically, they concluded that their opponent was bluffing—someone relying entirely on superior weaponry and afraid of close combat.
Convinced, the remaining six (excluding the blinded one) all nodded in agreement.
"On my mark! The two of us Dou Shi will take the front with Dou Qi armor! The rest of you flank from the sides—don't even think about running. If we fall, his bizarre ranged attacks will pick you off anyway!" Li Yan, hiding behind a large tree, surged his Dou Qi into a protective sheath and charged toward where he'd last heard that strange metallic grinding sound.
Behind him, five others immediately followed—including the blinded assassin, relying purely on hearing.
But wait—five?
Li Yan quickly realized—he was missing his fellow Dou Shi!
"Zhao Si, you bastard!" he cursed internally, but had no time to reflect. Mid-run, he rolled to dodge a magic core grenade, then again as another came hurling at him. These thrown explosives were a threat to Dou Zhe, but to a Dou Shi like him, they weren't fatal.
"Damn it… Jiang Lin really must've inherited some mysterious blacksmith legacy. But who is this mystery man from Wan Yao Zhai? Is he a mercenary too? Someone secretly protecting Jiang Lin?" Still, his analysis had been sound—this man clearly feared melee combat. He must be a Dou Zhe or a newly advanced Dou Shi. As for Zhao Si… just wait till he got back...
Boom! Boom!
A flash of flame erupted behind him. Li Yan's steps faltered as the light revealed the figure standing before him.
A tall, imposing figure—so massive it made Li Yan's scalp tingle even through the cloak. Under the black hood and metal mask, a pair of calm, indifferent eyes stared coldly at him. The black-armored warrior stood like an immovable mountain in the shadows.
Behind him, the five other attackers began convulsing on the ground. As soon as they activated their Dou Qi, their bodies experienced severe backlash—those magic core grenades had carried disruptive energy meant to interfere with Dou Qi flow.
Now, only Li Yan—dressed in black robes and masked—remained standing before the armored warrior.
"You faker!" Li Yan roared, igniting flames around his fist as he lunged at Jiang Lin.
Jiang Lin's eyes flickered. His own fist ignited with fire as he countered with a fiery punch.
Bang!
The two flame punches collided, producing a wave of heat and light. Li Yan's eyes widened in disbelief as he was directly knocked back by the black-armored warrior, who had only slightly shifted his stance.
"Impossible!" he bellowed, charging again.
This time, Jiang Lin's legs lit up with fire—he spun and unleashed a stunning flame whip kick, sending Li Yan flying through the air. His Dou Qi armor flickered and dimmed as he tumbled to the ground. Li Yan barely managed to brace himself and glared at Jiang Lin with a complicated expression before suddenly charging forward with a thunderous step.
Explosive Step!
Jiang Lin crouched low, pulled back his flaming fist, and launched it like a cannon.
Explosive Flame Fist!
The fire engulfed Li Yan mid-charge!
Swish!
Jiang Lin suddenly tilted his head. Sparks flew as a white streak nicked the edge of his faceplate. Li Yan was thrown like a ragdoll, crashing into the ground. His blade flew out of his hand, embedding itself into a tree.
Jiang Lin silently stepped forward and retrieved the blade—a black single-edged dagger, Intermediate Yellow Rank, with no [Young Lin] mark.
He walked over to the fallen Li Yan. The man coughed and smiled bitterly. "Cough… Qingshan Town is too small for you… That man's tied to Mu She… Be careful."
Thunk!
Without a word, the black-armored warrior drew his greatsword. Dou Qi surged along its edge. A flash of golden light—and Li Yan's life ended instantly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the distance, the last echoes of the magic core weapon rang out.
Amid the fading sounds, the black-armored warrior silently finished off the twitching enemies, erased the traces of his weapons, and turned to leave.
As for the bodies?
Magical beasts—nature's finest cosmetic surgeons.
(END CHAPTER)
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