Could another wave of assassins have arrived? That didn't seem likely; in fact, Shen Han was almost hoping for killers. Rumor had it that killer organizations have an unusually high proportion of Dark Element Special Abilities. If another A-Rank—or higher—Dark Element assassin showed up, Shen Han was confident he could push his own Dark Element to S-Rank. Unfortunately, he'd already used both of this month's Copy chances.
'You're still alive—looks like Ghost Hand failed,' a gloomy voice suddenly sounded behind him. It belonged to a gaunt, bloodless young man wrapped from head to toe in a gray-black robe.
The moment he saw the man, unease welled up inside him; the newcomer's Aura was far stronger than Ghost Hand's. This wouldn't be easy. 'Sniff—'
Name: Ying Qi
Mental Energy: Ninth-Rank Martial Master
Special Ability Rank: Dark Element – A-Rank, Space Element – B-Rank
Skills: Dark Element – Netherworld Ghost Slash (Major Achievement), Nightshade Dark Breath (Major Achievement); Space Element – Instant Shift (Entry Level)
Shen Han froze when he read the data. What was going on? How could a ninth-Rank Martial Master wield two Elements—was he born dual-element? Seemed the world had more cheaters than just himself. And the man actually possessed the Heaven-Defying Space Element. Shen Han had always heard that Space and Time Elements stood Supreme above all others; their powers were simply too broken. Yet they were also the hardest to Cultivate—almost no one Awakened them, and suitable Martial Skills, Cultivation Techniques, and resources were practically mythical.
To encounter the near-legendary Space Element on an assassin—he had to obtain it, no matter what. It was far more valuable than another Dark Element assassin. With Space Element he'd never again fear being cornered; learn a space-creating skill and he wouldn't need to lug a Storage Pouch everywhere, glowing like a beacon in every Secret Realm.
He'd already used Copy twice this month: once to Copy Zhu Wenhan's S-Rank Fire Element, once for another killer's Dark Element. He rarely used Copy anyway, yet at crunch time it was spent—utterly frustrating.
'No way—I have to get that Space Element. Who knows when I'll meet another Space user? I can't exactly tell the assassin, "I'm not ready yet—could you come back next month to kill me?"' Shen Han was determined to keep the Space Element.
That left only the Replace skill, but that posed two problems: which of his current abilities would he trade, and if the killer noticed and escaped it would expose his secret. Once word got out that he could swap someone else's Special Ability, powers far deadlier than Assassin Hall would come hunting. To secure Space Element, only one path remained: silence this killer forever.
In an instant Shen Han weighed it all. Today would be a fight to the death.
'Are you from the killer organization? Why target me?' Shen Han still wanted to know who was pulling the strings.
'Our Assassin Hall only takes money to rid people of problems. Whoever bought your head is known only to the higher-ups; we're just following orders,' Ying Qi replied, clearly used to such questions. 'Ready to die?'
'That depends on whether you've got the skill to keep me here.'
'Thunder Rending Sky!' Clapping his hands together, Shen Han condensed several purple-black bolts into a thick pillar of lightning that blasted straight at Ying Qi. He had no intention of probing the assassin's strength; he couldn't be sure his Sniff would pinpoint Ying Qi's Instant Shift, and he dared not let the fight drag on—his Mental Energy was inferior, so a prolonged battle would only shrink his odds. With the enemy's unpredictable Space Teleportation, the longer the fight, the worse for him.
Ying Qi had no wish to delay either. A ghost saber wreathed in eerie black Qi appeared in his hand. With a cold laugh he slashed out 'Netherworld Ghost Slash'. The blade-light, thick with Dark Element, slammed into the lightning pillar. Saber Qi and thunder collided with an earsplitting metallic shriek; the lightning scattered and the remaining blade Aura, still terrifying, carved toward Shen Han, slicing every plant in its path.
Shen Han dared not hesitate; Lightning Teleport carried him a dozen meters aside, barely evading the strike. His heart sank—this was only Ying Qi's first blow and it already forced him onto the back foot. A head-on fight was out of the question.
'Not bad speed, but that level won't cut it,' Ying Qi sneered, not even deigning to look straight at him. His ghost saber swept again in a fiercer 'Netherworld Ghost Slash'. The Saber Qi raged, Dark Element condensing into a black crescent that bore down.
Shen Han dared not meet it head-on; again he countered with Thunder Rending Sky. As before, the clash left him leaping backward nearly a hundred meters to escape the remnant force. The blow left his chest tight—this passive evasion would only sink him deeper, yet he had no better plan.
Suddenly a lethal presence loomed behind him. Without needing Sniff, Shen Han knew Ying Qi had Instant Shifted to cut off his retreat and slashed yet again! His pupils shrank; with no time to think, he dove toward a large tree, hoping the trunk would shield him.
Thud— the sound of steel in flesh. The Ghost Slash pierced Shen Han's left arm, the wound so deep bone showed; blood quickly soaked his sleeve. Clenching his teeth, he kept dodging through the woods, calm killing intent glinting in his eyes as he hunted for a chance to counter.
'Stop struggling; you're no match for me. But don't worry—I won't kill you, only take you to meet the client,' Ying Qi said tonelessly, the words weighing on Shen Han's mind. 'I already held back. Run again and I won't be so polite.'
Seeing Shen Han still dodging stubbornly, Ying Qi flicked an impatient glance and unleashed Nightshade Dark Breath; Dark Element power quickly blanketed the entire grove.
'You've got no chance left. After Nightshade Dark Breath you can't use a single skill.'
'Oh, really?' Watching Ying Qi approach step by step, Shen Han, panting, seemed to relax in resignation.
'Netherworld Pierce.' Two silent Netherworld Pierces shot toward Ying Qi.
'Hm? How do you know a Dark Element skill? Aren't you a dual Lightning–Ice Element user?' Ying Qi was stunned. Shen Han was only a seventh-Rank Martial Master—how could he wield two Elements? Was he, like himself, born dual-element? The intel said Shen Han's other Element was Ice—where had Dark come from?
Shen Han only gave a cold smile. Inside, though, he noted: Ying Qi actually knew about his Ice Element—proof the Tang Family was involved, confirming his suspicion. But right now the top priority was keeping Ying Qi here. Without certainty he dared not risk swapping for the Space Element.