The Shadow's Sting and Silent Protection

After Ji Juechen provided a limited amount of combat data, Xiao Hongchen seemed possessed, spending every day in Mingde Hall's laboratory, muttering to himself over complicated blueprints and Energy Cores. Huo Yuhao was often dragged in for Spirit Detection accuracy tests as well. Only Ji Juechen and Jing Ziyan returned to their seemingly leisurely routine.

"I'm saying, Woodenhead, you lit that lunatic up and then ran off yourself. Isn't that a bit heartless?" In the woodland behind the mountain, Jing Ziyan watched Ji Juechen practice his swordsmanship while lazily complaining. "The way he looks at me now is like he's looking at a set of energy parameters waiting to be analyzed."

Ji Juechen swung his sword, severing a wisp of probing purple mist. His movement did not pause in the slightest. "Trouble of his own making."

"Yes, yes, you're the one most afraid of trouble in the whole world." Jing Ziyan curled her lips. "But trouble seems to like finding you."

The moment her words fell, Ji Juechen's movements paused slightly. Not because of what Jing Ziyan had said, but because an alarm suddenly sounded in his mind.

[Warning! High-intensity malicious lock detected! Source: three o'clock direction, distance one hundred and fifty meters, shadow layer.]

[Number of targets: 3. Energy attributes: concealment, ambush, soul corrosion. Threat Level: High!]

[Analysis: Target behavior patterns partially match residual data from the Evil Soul Masters of Qingshi Gorge. Determined to be a retaliatory or silencing attack.]

[Tactical Deduction initiated... Optimal Solution: immediately evade toward the rear left while warning Jing Ziyan...]

Almost at the exact instant the system alarm sounded, Ji Juechen moved! But rather than evading as the system had deduced, he suddenly lunged toward the front right—the position slightly ahead of Jing Ziyan!

Clang!

The pitch-black Iron Sword precisely blocked a black dagger that appeared out of nowhere at the critical moment! Black mist that made one's soul tremble coiled around the dagger. It collided with the Iron Sword, producing a shrill scraping sound.

A figure completely merged with the shadows was forced to reveal itself after its killing strike was blocked, its eyes filled with astonishment.

"Enemy attack!" Ji Juechen shouted lowly. Power surged through his wrist, and Sword Light burst forth, forcing the shadow assassin half a step back.

Jing Ziyan reacted swiftly. The instant Ji Juechen moved, she was already on guard. Purple mist exploded around her, like living purple pythons, instantly shrouding a wide area. It not only blocked vision but also began eroding every concealment soul skill within its range.

"There's another one in the tree! To the left!" Jing Ziyan said urgently. Her purple mist was extremely sensitive to Life Aura and Soul Power Fluctuations.

He did not need her warning. With the aid of [Weakness Insight], Ji Juechen had already locked onto the positions of the other two assassins. But they were professional killers. When their first strike missed, they immediately changed tactics. The assassin forced back blurred again, while the other two attacked simultaneously from the left and right. Their angles were vicious, targeting the gaps in Ji Juechen's Soul Power Circulation and the weak points in Jing Ziyan's purple mist coverage!

Their coordination was seamless, and their strength far surpassed those Evil Soul Masters from Qingshi Gorge. They were at least Soul King level and were skilled in combined attack techniques!

[Tactical Deduction updated... Against three concealed Soul Kings skilled in combined attacks, chance of victory: 67.3%. Probability of Jing Ziyan being injured: 41.8%. Optimal Solution: delay and call for reinforcements.]

Ji Juechen's gaze turned cold. Delay? Call for reinforcements? In his dictionary, there was only one way to deal with "trouble"!

He ignored the system's suggestion regarding the "Optimal Solution." The Iron Sword swung, no longer limited to blocking. His sword momentum suddenly became incomparably fierce. He actually used offense as defense, forcefully sweeping waves of Sword Light that tore through the air toward all three assassins at once! He completely abandoned his own defense, exposing his unguarded back as though certain someone would protect it.

"You madman!" Jing Ziyan cursed, but her movements were not the least bit slow. The thick purple haze instantly contracted, concentrating around Ji Juechen's exposed back and other vulnerable spots to form a flowing purple shield. At the same time, it split into countless smoke locks that coiled around the assassins' ankles, disrupting their footing.

Amid that lightning-fast clash, a figure slipped silently into the edge of the battlefield like a wisp of smoke. It was Nana!

She had originally been ordered by Jing Hongchen to secretly observe Ji Juechen, this "unstable factor," and his small circle. Yet she had unexpectedly run straight into an assassination attempt. Her gaze swept across the battlefield, analyzing the situation with system-like precision:

· Ji Juechen: Violent attacks, pure sword intent, but had completely abandoned defense. It was practically fighting with his life on the line.

· Jing Ziyan: Excellent control and timely support, but against the fierce assault of three Soul Kings, her purple mist domain was already on the verge of collapse.

· Assassins: Well-trained, with clear objectives and immense killing intent toward Ji Juechen.

"Trouble..." Nana muttered. Jing Hongchen's order had been to "observe," not "intervene." But in the current situation, if she did not act, Ji Juechen might be able to take down one or two with that terrifying offensive power, but Jing Ziyan would definitely be severely injured, perhaps even...

She did not have time to think any further. The instant one assassin used his companion's feint to break through the purple mist blockade and thrust his dagger beneath Ji Juechen's ribs, Nana moved!

She was even faster than the assassins! Her figure was ghostlike, moving later yet arriving first. The two short blades in her hands shot out like venomous snakes, precisely catching that killing strike. At the same time, she twisted at the waist, her long legs cutting through the air with a sharp whistle as they kicked toward another assassin attempting to ambush Jing Ziyan!

Her arrival instantly shattered the balance!

The pressure on Ji Juechen eased. Sword Light surged, and he finally seized the chance to stab his sword through the shoulder of the lead assassin, who had been slightly distracted by Nana's appearance! Jing Ziyan's purple mist also surged in response, tightly binding the wounded assassin.

Seeing that the situation had turned against them, the other two assassins did not linger in battle. Their figures shot backward, melting into the shadows again and fleeing into the distance in an instant without hesitation.

The battle began abruptly and ended just as abruptly.

The woodland was a mess, with only a faint smell of blood and lingering purple mist remaining.

Ji Juechen sheathed his sword and looked at Nana, who had appeared so suddenly. His gaze was as sharp as a blade.

Jing Ziyan took a breath and patted her ample chest, still shaken. "That scared me to death... Hey, Woodenhead, what huge trouble did you stir up this time?" Then she looked at Nana, her eyes filled with scrutiny and curiosity. "Thanks, little sister. You're really skilled. Which class are you from? How come I've never seen you before?"

Nana did not answer Jing Ziyan's question. She merely looked calmly at Ji Juechen, as if delivering a report. "Three official assassins from Shadow Flow, skilled at silencing targets. A very dangerous organization has set its sights on you."

Ji Juechen met her gaze, fell silent for a moment, then asked, "Why did you intervene?"

Nana's reply remained concise, yet it carried a subtle emotion at odds with her cold exterior. "Your 'trouble' has already implicated an unrelated person." She meant Jing Ziyan. "And your fighting style... is very wasteful." She paused, then added, "Alive, you have more value for observation than dead."

Jing Ziyan rolled her eyes beside them. "So our lives aren't as important as your observation mission, huh?"

Nana did not deny it. She only looked at Ji Juechen. "Do you need me to report the details to the Hall Master?"

"Do as you please." Ji Juechen withdrew his gaze and began checking whether the Iron Sword had been damaged.

[Analysis: Target Nana. Identity: observer/potential collaborator. Combat evaluation: High, agility-specialized. Behavioral logic: mission first, but possesses weak empathy.]

[Recommendation: remain vigilant. Her combat power and intelligence-gathering ability may be utilized to a limited extent.]

Nana nodded. Her figure blurred once more, and just as she had come, she silently disappeared into the shadows of the woodland, as though she had never appeared at all.

"Tch, appearing and disappearing like a ghost." Jing Ziyan walked to Ji Juechen's side and bumped him with her shoulder. "Hey, it looks like your 'trouble magnet' constitution is confirmed now. You've even attracted a professional assassin organization. Should you keep me, your 'trouble cleanup specialist,' by your side whenever you go out from now on?"

Ji Juechen glanced at her and tucked his sword away.

"Keep up."

With that, he headed straight toward the academy. The crisis had temporarily passed, but shadows had already fallen. He knew this would never be the last time.

Jing Ziyan froze for a moment as she watched his back, then suddenly smiled and hurried after him.

"Hey, Woodenhead, just now... did you deliberately stand in front of me?"

"...Shut up."

The forest wind blew past, unable to disperse the killing intent in the air, nor the newly woven Thread of Destiny quietly linking them.