6: Chapter 6 The Three Fiends' Hunt
[Evaluation: ???]
[Detected candidate potential far exceeding conventional database thresholds...]
[Matching a higher-sequence assessment plan for you...]
[Plan matching successful.]
[Special Assessment Mode... Activated!]
Inside the virtual combat simulation cabin, before Lin Yuan could process those two glaring question marks, the world before his eyes suddenly distorted and collapsed.
Broken city walls, piles of beast corpses, a dim yellow sky... everything turned into the most primitive data streams and was instantly pulled away.
A second later, the reconstruction was complete.
Beneath his feet was no longer a solid city wall, but a cracked, desolate Gobi desert.
The air was filled with the scorching scent of rocks baked by the fierce sun.
In the jagged shadows, three distinct yet equally fierce and violent auras locked onto the center of the Gobi from three directions.
They locked onto Lin Yuan.
To the east, a silver-gray stream of light flickered among the strange rocks, moving too fast for the naked eye to catch. It was a demonic beast about the size of a house cat, covered in streamlined silver-gray fur, leaving faint afterimages in the air as it moved.
Phantom Shadow Demon Sable!
To the west, heavy footsteps caused the ground to tremble slightly. A giant beast nearly two meters tall at the shoulder stepped out of the shadows, its body covered in thick, rock-like bone plates, with a single horn on its nose emitting a faint earthy-yellow glow.
Black Armored Rhinoceros!
To the south, a wave of scorching heat rushed toward him. A giant beast larger than a tiger appeared; dark golden flame patterns flowed slowly across its crimson fur, and with every breath, visible sparks sputtered from its nose and mouth.
Explosive Flame Tiger!
[Special Assessment Subject: The Three Fiends' Hunt]
[Mission Requirement: Survive or kill all three Tier 2 Elite ferocious beasts under their coordinated attack.]
[Friendly Reminder: Pain synchronization for this assessment will be increased to thirty percent. Wishing you... a happy hunt.]
The system's notification tone, for the first time, carried a hint of playfulness.
Tier 2 Elite!
Extreme speed, absolute defense, and violent damage output.
Combined, these three ferocious beasts were enough to drive any Strength Realm martial artist to complete despair.
But Lin Yuan smiled.
Instead of feeling any fear, his long-dormant blood began to race.
An emotion called "excitement" surfaced from his very bones.
"Beast Siege" was just a tedious cleanup job; he hadn't even used a single shred of the guixu black lotus's true power.
But now, it was different.
These three powerful enemies, far beyond his current realm, were the perfect whetstones to truly test the limits of the Flame of Guixu!
"Interesting."
Lin Yuan whispered, taking the initiative to break the stalemate.
From the start, his goal was incredibly clear.
The fastest one!
Instead of retreating, he lunged forward, proactively meeting that elusive silver-gray afterimage.
He raised his right hand, and a wisp of flame, so pale it was nearly transparent, condensed at his fingertips.
Swish!
The Flame of Guixu shot out silently, heading straight for the Phantom Shadow Demon Sable's predicted next landing spot.
However, the moment the flame was about to touch it, the Phantom Shadow Demon Sable's figure made a right-angle jump, shifting several meters in mid-air and easily dodging the lethal blow.
A flash of silver light!
A sharp whistling sound exploded in Lin Yuan's ear.
The demon sable launched a counterattack the instant it dodged, its cold, glinting claws aiming straight for his throat!
Lin Yuan sidestepped.
The sharp wind from the claws brushed past his cheek, bringing a sting of burning pain.
This was the first time his attack had missed since obtaining the guixu black lotus.
And the first time he was forced into a defensive dodge.
Lin Yuan flicked another Flame of Guixu with a backhand.
Missed again!
The Phantom Shadow Demon Sable was too fast, performing incredible high-speed leaps within the narrow space.
Lin Yuan's dynamic vision couldn't even fully lock onto its physical body.
Several more pale flames flew out, sealing off different angles.
The result was still a miss.
For the first time, that ever-victorious flame didn't even get a chance to touch its opponent.
Instead, during this chase and dodge, the Phantom Shadow Demon Sable's attacks became more frequent and more cunning.
Claw marks left gashes on Lin Yuan's clothes; the sense of being completely suppressed by speed grew stronger and stronger.
However, Lin Yuan's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
The problem wasn't with the Flame of Guixu.
The characteristic of the Flame of Guixu was devouring and feedback; it had no inherent speed.
The problem was "me."
It was my reaction speed that couldn't keep up with its leaping frequency.
It was my mental power that couldn't precisely lock onto a high-speed target.
It was my strength that wasn't enough to project the Flame of Guixu as an area-of-effect attack!
The ability was invincible.
But the user's level was too low!
In that instant, Lin Yuan's thoughts became clearer than ever, and his combat instincts were fully triggered.
If I can't catch it, then I won't chase it.
Lin Yuan stopped fruitlessly chasing the silver afterimage. He paused, suddenly changed direction, and proactively retreated into the cluster of jagged, strange rocks.
Seeing Lin Yuan "fleeing," the distant Explosive Flame Tiger let out a disdainful low growl.
The Black Armored Rhinoceros remained silent, merely stepping forward and slowly closing in on the stone forest, blocking the exit on the other side.
And the fastest, the Phantom Shadow Demon Sable, let out a sharp hiss and turned into a silver shadow, chasing him inside.
In its view, hiding in such a complex and narrow environment would only shrink the human's dodging space, making him easier to hunt.
However, it didn't notice.
The moment he retreated into the stone forest, Lin Yuan's entire attention had shifted from the beast to the surrounding environment.
The height of this rock was a perfect cover.
The width of that crack was just enough to limit its turns.
The sand and gravel in this area would affect its stability during high-speed running.
He was no longer fleeing, but consciously guiding the silver shadow behind him through this complex Gobi stone forest.
He was observing.
Observing the slight pause before each of its leaps.
Observing whether it preferred to strike with its claws from the left or the right.
Observing the shortest path it subconsciously chose while pursuing.
A crazy and bold tactic quickly took shape in his mind.
During a gap after sidestepping a claw, Lin Yuan deliberately showed a flaw, his body stumbling briefly as if he "couldn't dodge in time."
An opportunity!
A cruel excitement flashed in the Phantom Shadow Demon Sable's emerald beast pupils. Its silver-gray fur suddenly stood on end, and its speed increased by another level in an instant, turning into a straight silver line aimed right for the back of Lin Yuan's heart!
It took the bait.
Lin Yuan's peripheral vision caught the rapidly approaching silver line.
He could even feel the wind from the opponent's claws stinging the skin on the back of his neck.
But he didn't look back, nor did he make any further attempt to dodge.
Just a split second before the Phantom Shadow Demon Sable's claws could touch his body.
Several wisps of nearly imperceptible flame, so pale they were almost transparent, silently ignited along the path he had pre-set in front of him.
That was the death trap he had quietly laid out while moving!