"The 'Stealth' Skill, the Shadow Cloak, the Crimson Dagger... they're all Divine Artifact-level items!"
Yi Tianyun was completely stunned when he learned their effects. It was more than worth using the Luck Aura; he had hit the absolute jackpot!
Stealth Skill Effect: Completely conceals your form, increases speed by two tiers, and enhances damage by two tiers!
Shadow Cloak Effect: Grants immunity to all attacks for five seconds!
Crimson Dagger Effect: Bloodthirsty Attack, restores stamina, inflicts a poison effect, and guarantees a one-hit kill on a vital strike!
Unfortunately, these weapons couldn't be upgraded. The skill couldn't be upgraded either; their effects were fixed.
However, he also noticed something else: none of the weapons he obtained from killing monsters could be upgraded. Still, their quality wasn't bad, and he could use them for a long time.
'Overall, it all comes down to their grade,' he thought. 'At the very least, these three items are perfect assassination tools. They'll definitely be useful for a long time to come.'
The Shadow Cloak was the most astonishing of the three. Immunity to all attacks for five seconds—what did that mean? It was a life-saving Protective Talisman.
No matter how strong the opponent's attack, he could be immune for five seconds! The description didn't specify a limit, but he was sure it had to be high.
'I've really struck it rich. It seems my luck was pretty good this time! So, you really do have to kill monsters to get Madness Value. The higher their cultivation, the more Madness Value you get. At this rate, saving up a thousand Madness Value won't be difficult at all.'
Yi Tianyun was very satisfied with the Treasures he had obtained. Before, when his own cultivation was lower, he felt the Madness Value he gained was too little. But now, just by killing one assassin, he had earned so much. It would be enough to last him for quite some time.
Immediately after his excitement faded, his gaze turned icy. 'Hiring an assassin to kill me... it was either someone from Celestial Phoenix Tower or that Master Kong!'
He thought for a moment, then rummaged through what was left of the slain assassin. There was nothing but a pile of debris. After being turned into an ice sculpture, the assassin's entire body had been shattered by his punch.
He had killed a Snow Wolf with a single punch before, but his strength was much greater now. Under the effects of Madness Mode, he had obliterated the assassin with one blow.
Still, amidst the fallen scraps of clothing, he managed to find a Storage Ring. He rummaged through its contents and found that it didn't hold much—just some Elixir Pills. However, he did discover two low-grade Spiritual Artifacts.
There were no markings on the Spiritual Artifacts, but judging by their quality, they were likely forged by Kong Shengfeng.
'First, I'll go to Celestial Phoenix Tower and investigate. I'll see who was really behind this!'
Yi Tianyun activated his Stealth Skill and instantly vanished into the darkness, silent and without a trace.
He then leaped down from the window without making a sound. Just as he was about to head for Celestial Phoenix Tower, he heard a familiar voice from a dark corner.
"What the hell are they doing up there, making such a racket? Aren't they afraid of being exposed? Is this really an assassin from the Shadow Alliance? How could they be so sloppy!"
The speaker was none other than Kong Shengfeng!
'So it was him after all. It couldn't have been anyone else!'
Yi Tianyun's gaze turned cold, and the Crimson Dagger appeared in his hand. Normally, it would emanate a reddish glow in the dark of night, but under his Stealth, it emitted no light at all.
"Ding! Do you wish to accept the quest 'Kill your enemy, Kong Shengfeng'? Quest rewards: 10,000 Experience Value, 300 Forging Skill Level, 300 Gold, 300 Madness Value."
"Accept!"
Yi Tianyun immediately accepted the quest. He locked his icy gaze on Kong Shengfeng as information flooded his mind.
Name: Kong Shengfeng
Cultivation: Spirit Refining Stage, Second Layer
Skills: Unknown
Overall Strength: Unknown
None of that information mattered to him. All he needed to know was that Kong Shengfeng's cultivation was only at the second layer of the Spirit Refining Stage. That was enough!
In the next moment, he silently appeared behind Kong Shengfeng and viciously plunged the dagger into his back. Kong Shengfeng was still looking around, completely unaware that Yi Tianyun was right behind him.
Madness Mode activated. Luck Aura activated.
SHLICK!
The dagger slid into Kong Shengfeng's back as easily as if it were sinking into tofu, piercing straight through his heart.
Kong Shengfeng felt a sudden chill in his chest. He looked down and, even in the pitch-black night, he could see the red dagger protruding from his torso. He instantly felt his blood being rapidly drained away as a terrifying poison spread throughout his body.
"You think you can assassinate me? You're not even close."
Yi Tianyun's cold voice echoed in his ear. How could he not recognize that familiar voice? His blood ran cold, and his limbs went numb. He tried to open his mouth to shout, but found he couldn't make a sound.
With his last sliver of consciousness, the face that filled his vision was Yi Tianyun's familiar one. In the very next second, he lost consciousness completely. With the Crimson Dagger lodged in him, especially since it had pierced his heart, survival was impossible.
"Ding! Congratulations to Player 'Yi Tianyun' for killing Kong Shengfeng. You have obtained 6,000 Experience Value, 200 Madness Value, and one Forging Divine Hammer."
"Ding! Congratulations on completing the kill quest. You have been rewarded with 10,000 Experience Value, 500 Madness Value, 300 Forging Skill Level, and 300 Gold!"
The loot drop was somewhat limited. Nothing was particularly amazing, but there was one item that looked pretty good.
'A Forging Divine Hammer?'
Yi Tianyun inspected it in his inventory, and its effects immediately appeared: Increases Forging success rate. Has a certain chance to improve the quality of a forged item, depending on the user's Luck Level.
This Forging Divine Hammer wasn't a weapon, nor was it an actual hammer. It was a miniature hammer that could be equipped as an accessory.
'This really is a good item. It increases the Forging success rate, which is exactly what I need right now! And it even has a chance to improve an item's quality. This is fantastic!'
Yi Tianyun licked his lips. The dropped items were good, but it was far less than what he got from the assassin. It wasn't that Kong Shengfeng had nothing valuable, but rather that the luck of the drop wasn't high, so no better items appeared.
He then looked down at Kong Shengfeng, whose eyes were wide open in a death stare. He took out a vial and poured it out. It dripped onto Kong Shengfeng's body, accompanied by a "TSSS" sound, and the corpse completely dissolved into a pool of blood, leaving no trace behind.
This was something he had looted from the assassin—a Divine Artifact for destroying corpses and eliminating evidence, a must-have for any assassin. Now, used on them, they vanished without a trace.
'Leaving people like this alive truly does lead to endless trouble!' Yi Tianyun's gaze was frigid. 'It's a good thing he was only targeting me. If he had sent an assassin after An Ling and the others, the outcome might have been very different.'
In the future, he would be even more cautious. The moment a threat emerged, he would eliminate it completely!