The arena had descended into chaos.
Broken stone. Flickering qi. Disciples retreating to the edges in fear.
At the center—
Jiang Chen, Zhou Yan, and Chen Yu stood back-to-back.
And before them…
The final assassin.
He no longer hid his presence.
A dark, suffocating aura spread from his body like creeping shadows. His cloak fluttered slightly, revealing faint markings—strange, jagged symbols that seemed to pulse with a life of their own.
Zhou Yan's expression hardened.
"…This isn't an ordinary assassin."
Chen Yu spat to the side.
"Yeah. I can feel it. This one's on a different level."
Jiang Chen's system flared violently:
[Elite Assassin Identified]
[Threat Level: CRITICAL]
[Unknown Energy Signature Detected]
[Combat Recommendation: Full Power + Coordination Required]
The assassin tilted his head slightly.
"You three… are anomalies."
His voice was distorted, as though layered with multiple echoes.
"Targets of elimination."
And then—
He vanished.
"Left!" Zhou Yan snapped.
Too late.
The assassin reappeared mid-strike—his blade slicing toward Chen Yu's neck.
CLANG!
Chen Yu barely blocked in time, his arms trembling from the impact.
"Damn—he's fast!"
Jiang Chen moved instantly.
Golden Shadow Step!
He appeared behind the assassin, palm glowing with condensed golden qi.
Primordial Strike!
But—
The assassin twisted unnaturally, dodging mid-air.
Zhou Yan's eyes sharpened.
"He's not reacting…"
"…he's predicting."
The assassin countered.
A single slash—
Jiang Chen blocked, but the force pushed him back several steps, cracks forming beneath his feet.
Silence.
Heavy.
Oppressive.
Then Jiang Chen smiled.
"Good."
Chen Yu blinked.
"…You're enjoying this?!"
Jiang Chen's golden aura flared brighter.
"Finally… something worth adapting to."
The system pulsed:
[Adaptive State Activated]
[Combat Processing Speed Increased]
[Primordial Strike Evolution Progress: 38%]
Zhou Yan exhaled slowly.
"…Then stop holding back."
Jiang Chen nodded once.
"Together."
For the first time—
They moved as one.
Chen Yu charged head-on, fists crashing down like falling mountains.
Zhou Yan circled, precise and silent, targeting joints and movement flow.
Jiang Chen—
Waited.
Watched.
Calculated.
The assassin reacted instantly, dodging Chen Yu's brute force while countering Zhou Yan's precise strikes.
Perfect.
Efficient.
Deadly.
But—
Not enough.
Because this time—
They adapted too.
Chen Yu roared, slamming his fist into the ground.
BOOM!
The arena shook violently, disrupting the assassin's footing for a split second.
Zhou Yan moved instantly.
A precise strike aimed at the assassin's shoulder—
The assassin twisted to avoid it—
And that's when—
Jiang Chen appeared.
Phoenix Shadow Step!
Right in front of him.
Their eyes met.
For a brief moment—
Time slowed.
Jiang Chen saw it.
The rhythm.
The prediction pattern.
The slight delay between movement and execution.
Found you.
Golden qi compressed violently into his palm.
Denser than ever before.
Sharper.
More refined.
The system exploded:
[Evolution Threshold Reached]
[Primordial Strike Variant Unlocking…]
Jiang Chen spoke softly:
"Primordial Strike…"
"…Phase Shift."
BOOOOOOM!!!
The strike didn't just hit.
It shifted.
Passing through the assassin's guard—
Ignoring his defensive motion—
Landing directly on his core.
The assassin's body froze.
Then—
He was launched across the arena, crashing violently into the far boundary.
Silence.
Absolute.
Then—
The crowd erupted.
[Elite Threat Neutralized]
[Primordial Points +200]
[New Technique Unlocked: Primordial Strike — Phase Shift]
[Team Combat Efficiency Recorded]
Chen Yu dropped to the ground, breathing heavily.
"…That… was insane."
Zhou Yan remained standing, but his gaze was fixed on Jiang Chen.
"You broke through mid-fight."
Jiang Chen exhaled slowly, golden aura stabilizing.
"Had to."
But then—
The system pulsed again.
Not with victory.
With warning.
[Unknown Mark Detected on Eliminated Target]
[Tracking Signature Activated]
Zhou Yan's expression darkened.
"…We're not done."
High above—
The cloaked figures were gone.
But in their place—
Luo Tian stood alone.
Watching.
His faint smile returned.
"Phase Shift…" he murmured.
"…interesting."
Lin Xue's eyes narrowed nearby.
"That technique… it bypassed defense entirely."
Chen Yu stood up, cracking his neck.
"So what now? More assassins?"
Jiang Chen looked toward the horizon of the arena.
Toward the deeper layers of the Inner Clan.
"No," he said quietly.
"Now… they know we won't fall easily."
Jiang Chen clenched his fist.
Golden qi flickered.
"This ranking battle…"
"…just turned into something much bigger."