Divine Guard Block

Long Haochen was somewhat surprised.

He had never expected them to encounter a demonic creature like a Di Ke Clan Stealth Stalker right at the border. After all, the Di Ke Clan already ranked among the intermediate troops in the demon army.

Moreover, with their knack for invisibility, speed, and powerful attacks, the Di Ke Clan had always been the bane of human mages.

Members of the Di Ke Clan had long, narrow faces and dark gray skin. Their arms were much longer than a human's, and their sharp, bladelike claws were their natural weapons.

"Divine Guard Block?" Long Haochen could not help blurting out when he saw Yue Shen's movements.

Although Yue Shen had not used a shield, Long Haochen knew the technique so thoroughly that he recognized Divine Guard Block at a glance.

But when he remembered the Inheritance Ring on Yue Shen's finger, Long Haochen suddenly felt that this was only natural.

After all, Brother Yue was an extraordinary genius from the Holy City. Wouldn't it be stranger if he didn't know Divine Guard Block?

Yue Shen's expression barely changed as he faced the vicious-looking Di Ke Clan Stealth Stalker. Although this stalker possessed Fourth Tier strength, he was still no match for Yue Shen.

Clang!

The two Knight Light Swords in Yue Shen's hands suddenly shone, becoming blades of light in the blink of an eye. They instantly shattered the two sharp blades in the Di Ke Clan Stealth Stalker's hands, severing both hands at the wrists as well.

Holy Sword was a Fifth Tier offensive skill for Retribution Knights. Besides greatly increasing attack power, it also doubled damage against all creatures of the dark attribute.

Yue Shen followed up with a kick, sending the demon assassin flying several meters away.

"Finish him off, Haochen," Yue Shen said. "You killed him. It has nothing to do with me."

"Huh? Oh."

Long Haochen snapped back to his senses, raised his longsword, and drove it straight into the Di Ke Clan Stealth Stalker's chest, ending his life for good.

"Hiss... Is that even allowed?"

The Inspector lurking nearby rubbed his chin. After considering it for a moment, he said helplessly, "Forget it. The rules don't actually say that this doesn't count."

After they dealt with the Di Ke Clan Stealth Stalker, everyone in the team gathered around Yue Shen to discuss their next move.

"Yue Shen, thank you so much for just now," Lin Jialu said, still shaken. "My thoughts are a bit of a mess right now, so I should hand command over to you. We've all seen your strength. Everyone would accept you as our leader."

"All right." This time, Yue Shen did not decline and took command outright.

For some reason, he had a vague feeling that what happened next would slip out of his control.

Taking the parchment map from Lin Jialu, Yue Shen beckoned the others over.

"Di Ke Clan Stealth Stalkers are considered intermediate troops in the demon army. Under normal circumstances, there's no way one would appear in the border region," Yue Shen analyzed. "And we were well hidden here, yet we were still attacked."

"That means our position has been exposed. We need to relocate immediately," Yue Shen said.

"Do we really need to be that cautious?" Chen Si asked quietly. "Even if our position has been exposed, surely the demons wouldn't send that many troops just to deal with us?"

"Besides, we're almost done with our assessment quotas," Chen Si, the younger brother, could not help adding. "There should be Fifth Tier demons among the reinforcements coming this time. Wouldn't that give you a chance to complete your assessment too?"

Yue Shen had naturally considered the suggestions from the brothers, Chen Si and Chen Chen.

But he also had to account for the others. What if too many Fifth Tier demons showed up?

He and Long Haochen could each handle one Fifth Tier demon.

That much he knew. However, with Long Haochen's current strength, he could not kill a Fifth Tier demon alone. He would still need the others' help.

Although Yue Shen could kill one Fifth Tier demon as quickly as possible, he would not be able to deal with the others at the same time. If Long Haochen and the others had to face two Fifth Tier demons, Yue Shen was certain they would not be able to hold them off.

The best outcome would be to ask the Inspector for help and lose their eligibility to compete. As for the worst...

"No." Yue Shen shook his head and said in a tone that brooked no argument, "We're withdrawing right now. You still have time to complete your assessments. Once you're done, go straight to the Holy City to report in. I have my own way of completing mine."

"No!" the others shouted in unison.

"We're a team. I would never abandon a companion," Long Haochen said solemnly. "Besides, you've helped me so many times. How could I call myself a Guardian Knight if I ran away like this?"

"You saved my life." Though Lin Jialu's face was still pale, she gripped her staff tightly. "I can help. I won't hold you back again."

"I feel the same as my little brother." Li Xin smiled. "Besides, my Rose is a Fifth Tier magical beast. I can make a big difference."

"We brothers might be the weakest members of the team, but we're not leaving either." Chen Si and Chen Chen laughed heartily. "Could we still call ourselves men if we fled before a fight?"

Hearing their words, Yue Shen could not help feeling touched.

In the end, however, reason prevailed. He had never wanted his arrival to bring harm to these people, and now he wanted that even less.

"Let's first..."

"Enemies!"

Before Yue Shen could finish, Lin Jialu, who had been surveying their surroundings with the Eagle Eye Technique, suddenly cried out and interrupted him.

"How many? What tier?" Yue Shen asked.

"Three Fifth Tier..." Lin Jialu's expression looked grim. "They seem to be two Verdant Twin-Blade Demons from the Zelin Clan and one Skeleton Mammoth (alternate setting)."

Everyone's expression changed when they heard Lin Jialu's words.

Although the Zelin Clan's twin-blade demons were the most common troops in the demon army, with strength only equivalent to second-tier junior warriors, any one member of Yue Shen's group could easily kill dozens of them.

But adding the word "verdant," as Lin Jialu had just done, changed things completely.

Ordinary Zelin Race Dual-Blade Demons had black bodies entirely encased in shells. They had only external spiritual power, not internal spiritual power, and were melee demons who relied wholly on external spiritual power in combat.

When the black shell covering a Zelin Race Dual-Blade Demon turned verdant, it meant he had undergone an evolution, transforming directly from the most ordinary cannon fodder into a king of the Zelin Clan.

Verdant Twin-Blade Demons were true Fifth Tier powerhouses. Their close-combat abilities were extremely formidable. Without superior equipment and an advantageous attribute matchup, humans of the same tier generally had no way to contend with them.

"Seem to be?" Yue Shen could not help asking. "What do you mean?"

"Because the verdant shell on one of them seems to be showing signs of turning gold," Lin Jialu said, visibly unsettled. "And that Skeleton Mammoth is his mount."

"A Gold-Patterned Twin-Blade Demon?" Long Haochen could not help crying out.