Chapter 1230: YUNYUE VS CELESTIALS (XIV)

SHEN JI YUN stood in the middle of crumbling rocks and falling stalactites. His legs wobbled for a second, but he quickly steadied himself. When he looked up, he saw Michael sprawled on the ground—his body already breaking apart into light particles.

Even in defeat, Michael wore a satisfied grin. "Guess you really are the better swordsman," he said, his voice fading along with the last of the light particles.

Shen Ji Yun drew a long breath and downed several potions in quick succession. The gash on his left shoulder began stitching itself closed, his HP bar increasing. If he'd been even a second slower, that fight would've ended with him turning to light instead.

He had to acknowledge it though, Michael was a competent player. The fight had been evenly matched. Under different circumstances, without the weight of a championship, a rematch would be... acceptable.

But that didn't matter right now. The only thing that did was getting to Luo Yan's position—fast.

He sent a message to their team channel.

YUN: [Yan Yan, I'm heading to your location now.]

***

[Michael has been eliminated!]

Qiu Ming stopped dead, his entire body locking up as the notification flashed before his eyes. His mind hadn't even fully registered the words yet when his legs were already moving on their own.

Maybe it was because he knew, deep down, just how dangerous this situation was. He was the only one left on their team. If he wasn't the target, this match would have long been over, with team Celestials declared the winners. Given how things stood, that outcome seemed more likely by the second—especially since at least two members of the other team were still active.

So, his first instinct was to flee. He couldn't just stay there and wait for Noctis to pop out from some damned shadow. Not when he had no idea when YUN might suddenly appear and attack him.

Running and hiding was his best move right now—maybe his only move. While he was at it, he could try to set up some kind of trap. Take out one of them if he planned it right. Maybe even both if luck was on his side.

Shit.

If he actually pulled this off and won the match for their team, the others better worship him for a damn month.

***

Luo Yan read Shen Ji Yun's message and his first reaction was—he took down Li Xu Min? Not that he ever doubted Shen Ji Yun could do it, but if Li Xu Min was eliminated and the match was still going, there was only one explanation left: Azrael had to be the target. But at this point, it didn't really matter since he's the only one left in team Celestials.

He looked up sharply toward Azrael's position just in time to see the other turn and run the opposite direction. He muttered a curse under his breath and moved quickly through the shadows after Azrael. The other must have seen the notification about Li Xu Min's elimination.

He sent a message to Shen Ji Yun on the team channel.

Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, go in the direction I'm running to. Azrael is currently going in that direction. You might be able to intercept him.]

YUN: [Got it.]

Luo Yan kept chasing Azrael, but when the other darted through a narrow gap in the rocks, an explosion suddenly rocked the passage—sealing it completely with debris. Forcing Luo Yan to a stop.

[Shadow Walk] only worked if he could visualize his path clearly. With the way now blocked by collapsed rubble—no visibility, no clear route—shifting through shadows here was impossible.

He couldn't tell if Azrael had planned this or if it was just coincidence, but one thing was clear—he needed to update Shen Ji Yun immediately.

Luo Yan opened the team channel and sent message:

Noctis: [Brother Ji Yun, there's a problem on my side. The path ahead is completely blocked. Don't change your course, though. Just keep moving forward as planned. But if you encounter Azrael along the way, stay alert. That guy is cunning like a fox.]

He hadn't expected Azrael to be this clever. But the guy clearly was. Remembering how he looked in real life, Azrael seemed to be the youngest of team Celestials' main members. Honestly, Luo Yan had thought Uriel would be the main threat. With how sneaky that guy was, he figured Uriel was the one they needed to watch out for the most. Maybe Song Liuli's presence had been a weakness for him. Their team separating them probably helped too. What surprised Luo Yan was that Azrael ended up being the last one standing in team Celestials. That said everything about his skills—and more importantly, his brains.

YUN: [I'll be careful. Maybe you should stay there and let me handle it.]

Luo Yan understood exactly why Shen Ji Yun would say that. With just the two of them left on their team, it was obvious now that he had to be the target. If Azrael took him out here, Team Celestials would win. And that would be one hell of a shame after everything they'd fought through in this match.

But staying put had its own risks. Sure, it might keep him safe for now, but with Azrael's skills, getting ambushed while waiting was just as likely. The smarter move? Make sure he had his eyes on the enemy.

Noctis: [I get what you're saying, Brother Ji Yun. But sitting still might be just as risky. I'll keep moving and stay alert. Send me a heads-up if you spot Azrael.]

Luo Yan jumped out from the shadow and then looked at the map. If he destroyed the debris and went the same way Azrael did, there might be traps waiting for him. So it was better to go in another direction. But which one?

***

Shen Ji Yun read Luo Yan's message and didn't try to persuade him further. He understood Luo Yan's reasoning. Even if part of him wanted to protest, he decided to drop it. He was here now anyway. The only thing that mattered was making sure Luo Yan stayed safe.

As he kept running, he finally spotted Azrael. The other skidded to a halt, eyes widening—then spun on his heel and bolted. Shen Ji Yun gave chase without hesitation.

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