"Are you alright, Yan Yan?"
Luo Yan smiled. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I wasn't able to reply on the team channel."
"No, that's fine. I'm just glad that you're alright," Shen Ji Yun said, visibly relieved.
Luo Yan raised a brow and teased. "Why, is Brother Ji Yun worried that I won't be able to defeat that snake guy?"
"That's not it. I'm just worried that the guy might have tried something strange," Shen Ji Yun said, his voice tinged with concern. "He didn't... do anything weird, did he?"
Luo Yan understood Shen Ji Yun's worry, especially since they were a couple. That guy, Zephyr, had given off some seriously strange vibes yesterday. As his boyfriend, it was only natural for Shen Ji Yun to react this way.
"He didn't. He's just a battle maniac," he assured the other. "Honestly, the fight might've dragged on even longer if it weren't for that sudden tremor. What was that all about, by the way?"
"It's the bomb Draeken threw after I defeated him."
Luo Yan nodded. So, the vice-captain of team Mozu was also here. "Do you think another member of team Mozu is lurking around here?"
"I doubt it. No captain with good judgment would waste extra manpower just to interfere with the enemy when the main objective is to secure the clue and reach the next checkpoint."
Luo Yan agreed with Shen Ji Yun's point. Speaking of clue and checkpoint. "I think we should quickly go and follow Sister Yuqi."
Shen Ji Yun nodded, and the two of them quickly rushed out of the cave path. As they did, Su Yuqi shared the clue for the fourth checkpoint on their team channel.
[To reach the heart of the inferno's core, seek the blazing pit where foes guard the door. A dark dragon's mark reveals the way, and beyond it, flames and shadows sway.]
Luo Yan narrowed his eyes, studying the clue. It felt oddly familiar, yet something about it seemed unfamiliar at the same time.
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Bai Ze and Luo Jin, riding on Rowan's back, were now heading toward their headquarters. Bai Ze felt relieved to finally have a clear destination after wandering aimlessly while searching for team Mozu's third checkpoint. It was a relief to finally know where they were going.
"Do you have any ideas for the ambush?" Bai Ze asked, glancing at Luo Jin.
"Something that won't wreck our headquarters," Luo Jin replied. "If we can use anything from the warehouse, that would be ideal."
As Luo Jin spoke, an idea suddenly sparked in Bai Ze's mind.
"Listen, I have an idea."
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He Zhi Long growled. Even when not in his xie long form, that growl still almost instantly shook the surroundings. He no longer cared if those members of team Yunyue, who might be following them, heard him or not. He was just that angry and frustrated.
It wasn't just because they still hadn't found the clue for the fourth checkpoint. What really pushed him over the edge was the sequence of events: first, Liu Jun was suddenly eliminated, and right after that, the announcement came that team Yunyue had found their clue. Then, not long after, Su Yu was eliminated as well. How could he not be frustrated?
"Captain, let's calm down, okay?" Wang Bin said. "It's not like we already lost."
"Hey, doofus, if you have nothing good to say, just shut up," Zhou Meimei said.
"What, I didn't say anything wrong."
"Enough, both of you," He Zhi Long snapped, unable to hold back any longer. He took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. Losing his temper wouldn't help the situation. "Just focus and find the clue," he said, his voice more controlled.
The two nodded and diligently resumed their search for the next checkpoint's clue.