In the Diablo World, assassins are among the most feared characters. They appear and disappear without a trace, possessing unfathomable stealth and assassination skills. Even every part of their body can instantly transform into a terrifying weapon, ready to deliver a fatal blow at any moment. They are also adept at using various weapons. While Barbarian are also known as melee combat experts, Barbarian skills and fighting style are more aggressive and focused on sheer force, while assassins excel in agile close-quarters combat, like venomous snakes lurking in the shadows, making them impossible to guard against.
The masked man in black who broke into the back mountain was a rare expert, but he was still caught off guard by Sun Fei's series of close-quarters combat techniques.
" Tiger Strike--!"
With a loud shout, Sun Fei suddenly activated the [ Tiger Strike ] assassin skill.
The True Qi within his body flowed with a strange rhythm and speed, and an astonishing scene unfolded: two roaring tiger illusions vividly materialized on Sun Fei's fists, emitting deafening tiger roars. His fists, like lightning, struck the masked man in black in successive waves, each strike seemingly accumulating power, each subsequent punch doubling the strength of the previous one. By the tenth punch, the tiger heads manifested on Sun Fei's fists had become even more complete, even enveloping Sun Fei's arms within them, the power contained within seemingly breaking through to the Peak Four-Star Class. With a single punch, he shattered the air.
Faced with such a strange and fierce attack, the masked man in black dared not take it head-on and could only Dodge awkwardly amidst the tiger's roar.
" Dragon Talon Claw--!"
Another loud shout rang out, and the [ Dragon Talon ] assassin skill was activated.
This was a series of kicks. Sun Fei's feet, enveloped in True Qi, resembled dragon claws, tearing through the air with a speed and trajectory almost imperceptible to the naked eye. His legs were like two gleaming, sharp giant axes, moving with unstoppable, rapid succession. The masked man in black was caught off guard by this sudden change of attack and was instantly struck in the upper arm by Sun Fei's counterattack. He groaned, his arms deformed, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and he was sent flying backward as if struck by a severe blow.
Sun Fei into the air, giving chase, and arrived faster than expected, unleashing a flurry of leg strikes that instantly brought him close.
If he were to be struck again, the man in black would surely cough up blood and collapse on the spot.
However, at this critical moment, the masked man in black suddenly uttered a low shout, followed by a flash of purple light that disappeared in an instant. The injuries to his arms were instantly healed, and the longsword in his hand moved with a strange and unpredictable speed, leaving trails of purple in the air like a cluster of blooming, bewitching violets, blocking Sun Fei's fierce One-Hit Kill kick.
boom--!!
The enchanting violet and Sun Fei's 'great axe' clashed, unleashing terrifying air waves. The overflowing airflow snapped the surrounding trees, shattered countless boulders, and sent dust billowing into the night sky. Even Petr Čech and the others who were watching from a distance were pushed back by the gust of wind.
Sun Fei flew backwards.
The mysterious man in black suffered another minor injury, but he used the momentum to sprint towards the outer perimeter. His movements were as fast as lightning. A Bronze Saint- level soldier on the outer perimeter tried to stop him with his sword, but was directly knocked away by the man's palm. In a few flashes, he disappeared into the vast night.
"Trying to escape? Fists of Fire—!"
Sun Fei's internal True Qi suddenly accelerated, and the [ Fists of Fire ] assassin skill was activated. With a 'whoosh', an incredible crimson flame burst into flames on his fists. These crimson flames were particularly conspicuous in the dark night, radiating astonishing energy fluctuations. With a shake of his fists, the Fists of Fire flew out of his hands, like shooting stars in the dark night, cutting through the darkness and disappearing into the distance.
A few seconds later, a muffled groan was heard, a flash of fire appeared in the distance, and then it all disappeared in an instant. Then all was quiet, as if nothing had happened.
Sun Fei on a nearby boulder, looking surprised and thoughtful.
"I didn't expect him to escape... He actually managed to extinguish the assassin's 'Flame of Fists of Fire,' but he really has some skill!" Slightly surprised, Sun Fei didn't give chase. He circled around and arrived in front of the soldier who had just been slapped away by the mysterious masked man in black. He switched to [ Paladin Mode ], pressed a button, Paladin's power ' Aura ' circulated. A ball of pale golden light flickered, and the [Prayer] skill was activated, quickly healing the soldier's injuries.
"Greetings, Your Majesty!"
Čech and the others could hardly hide their shock and quickly came over to pay their respects. They had not participated in the previous battle at the top of the East Mountain, and this was the first time they had witnessed His King's abilities up close. They were all stunned by his unpredictable movements and his miraculous close-combat techniques such as "Fist Tiger" and "Dragon Kick," and were deeply impressed.
"Okay." Sun Fei nodded. " Petr, tell me everything that happened before in detail. Did you notice anything?"
"Yes, Your Majesty. This masked man in black is very strong. He stealthily infiltrated the fourth demonic trap, only to accidentally trigger a chain of fire traps and reveal himself. By the time my brothers and I arrived, he was almost free from the traps. Thanks to our familiarity with the trap layout and our numerical advantage, we only managed to hold him off for two or three minutes. If it weren't for Your Majesty's timely arrival, he would probably have already broken into the forbidden area in the back mountain."
Sun Fei nodded, instantly switching to [ Assassin Mode ]. His hands formed strange hand seals, readjusting the distribution and arrangement of the traps on the back mountain. Then he turned and walked towards the Underground Grotto Labyrinth City, asking, "Based on your intuition, is tonight's intruder the same person who invaded the back mountain before the last celebration?"
Čech pondered for a moment as he walked, then replied confidently, "Your Majesty, we've fought both of them. Judging from their strength and Dou Qi attributes, they should be the same person. However, his strength seems considerably greater than when he last appeared. Moreover, there's something puzzling: this intruder doesn't seem to have any malicious intent. He appears to be searching for something, which is why he hasn't attacked. Otherwise..."
"Otherwise, you would probably have suffered heavy casualties by now!" Sun Fei stroked his chin and frowned, saying, "I've noticed that too. He's very measured in his attacks and never hurts anyone. So, I only taught him a lesson earlier and didn't really intend to kill him. I've already rearranged the magic traps in the forbidden area. You just need to be careful and not let him infiltrate the Underground Grotto Labyrinth City."
The fact that the mysterious masked man in black meant no harm reassured Sun Fei somewhat.
Although the exchange was brief, Sun Fei had already gleaned a considerable amount of information. This mysterious figure's origins were shrouded in mystery; his aura and fluctuations were somewhat similar to the divine arts of the Holy Church, yet distinctly different. This difference wasn't deliberately created, a point Sun Fei didn't doubt, so he didn't suspect the divine master Mazzola and the others. Besides, those two were currently focused on befriending the [ God's Favored One ], and they wouldn't dare offend Sun Fei. However, the cluster of vibrant violet flowers formed by the mysterious black-clad figure's sword energy was unforgettable for Sun Fei. This might be a clue that could lead to further investigation, as powerful individuals wielding purple flames were extremely rare on the Azeroth Continent ... This matter needed to be investigated slowly. Since Čech was certain that the intruders who appeared before and after were the same person, it meant that this person had been lingering in Chambord City for a considerable time, so it wasn't entirely without a way to trace them.
Sun Fei's mind raced, and he soon arrived at the Underground Grotto Labyrinth City.
The Underground Grotto Labyrinth City, after countless soldiers and craftsmen worked day and night, has undergone a complete transformation compared to the previous gloomy, cold, and terrifying [ Iron Prison Dungeon ]. Entering from the stone fortress in the small stone square, which was piled with the corpses of the Nine Kingdoms Allied Army soldiers who died in battle during the day, and after passing through more than thirty heavily guarded and indestructible iron gates, Sun Fei finally arrived at the deepest part of the huge mountain belly space.
This place has been completely transformed.
The cold, former prison cells used to hold death row inmates have been renovated and excavated. The rusty, bloodstained, and cold iron bars have been removed and replaced with simple wooden and bamboo doors and windows. The placement of braziers and other light sources has been carefully designed and redistributed, resulting in brighter, more reasonable, and warmer lighting. The grotto no longer feels like a cold prison cell, but rather a warm and safe home.
The rooms, varying in size and clearly serving different purposes, are scattered throughout the four walls of the mountainside. They are densely packed like a honeycomb, embedded in the towering stone walls on both sides, which are over 400 meters high. The originally narrow stone steps have been widened and railings have been installed along the edges for added safety.
Besides the stone steps, eight enormous iron chains hung down from the dome, each connecting to a massive iron-hooped wooden cage capable of carrying about ten people. By rotating four enormous gear wheels placed at the four corners of the space beneath the mountain, the chains could be pulled to raise and lower the cages. This was a simple 'elevator' designed by Sun Fei with painstaking effort, and with the optimization and improvements of the dark-skinned blacksmith Charsi and [ Rock ] Samuel, along with other blacksmiths from Chambord City, it was finally fully realized. Using these four 'elevators,' the journey that originally took at least an hour to traverse via the steps was reduced to a mere four or five minutes, saving a significant amount of time.