The Return of the God Level Assassin

[There will be five checkpoints. At each checkpoint, you will find a clue leading you to the next, ultimately guiding you to your final destination.

Your first checkpoint clue:

<In the forest without light, follow the path where sunlight fades, into the realm where shadows wade. Seek the grove where giants stand tall, near the ancient oak with twisted sprawl.>

Your opponent team's checkpoint clue:

<Navigate the endless dunes of the scorching desert, seek the life-giving pool hidden within the heart of the sands, surrounded by lush greenery amidst the golden expanse, where the air is still and the water is pure, shimmering under the desert sun.>

Good luck!]

Luo Yan read the clue and fell into deep thought. He glanced at the timer flashing above them: 58:46. More than a minute of the one-hour limit had already passed. Spending too much time analyzing the clue would be costly. They needed to think quickly, not only to figure out the next destination, but also to ensure they had enough time to get there.

He glanced at the clue given to Team Mozu. Having their opponent's clue might seem advantageous, but in reality, it was a cleverly disguised trap. It lured the team into chasing the opposing team, diverting their focus. Instead of concentrating solely on their own clues, they would now waste their limited time trying to decipher the opposing team's clues as well.

But Luo Yan knew they couldn't completely ignore the other team. Based on Zephyr's attitude yesterday, team Mozu would surely try to intercept them. If they stayed passive, they would be ambushed without even realizing it.

So, the answer was to just quickly solve both clues.

It seemed that Shen Ji Yun had the same thought, as Luo Yan heard him say:

"We need to solve the clues for both teams. That way, we can stay ahead and avoid any ambushes from team Mozu."

"I agree," Luo Yan added. "Thankfully, the first clue for our team is pretty easy."

"You already solve it?" Bai Ze asked.

"It's the Forest of Darkness, idiot," Su Yuqi said, rolling her eyes.

Seeing that his cousin was about to start bickering again with Su Yuqi, Luo Yan quickly interjected, "Sister Yuqi is right. It's the Forest of Darkness. It's the only forest in Arcadia that fits the description 'forest without light.' The next part likely tells us where in the Forest of Darkness we'll find the clue for the next checkpoint."

"Since Solara Desert is the only desert in Arcadia, Team Mozu's clue definitely refers to it. The next part of the clue likely points to an oasis," Shen Ji Yun added.

"There's a couple of oases in that desert though," Luo Jin said, voicing his concern.

"Let's discuss this while we fly to our destination," Shen Ji Yun said. "First, let's decide who will go after team Mozu."

Bai Ze raised his hand. "Rowan and I will go."

Rowan looked like he wanted to ask why he had to go, but kept his mouth shut. He's probably thinking of being eliminated yesterday. The embarrassment of that prevented him from complaining.

"I'll go too," Luo Jin said unexpectedly. When the others looked at him in surprise, his face reddened. "What? Someone with range skills should go with them. Unless you want the dragon to just burn everything?"

"That's actually not a bad idea," Bai Ze said, as if really considering that.

Su Yuqi patted Luo Jin's shoulder, as if sympathizing with him for having to accompany Bai Ze.

"Okay, then let's go," Shen Ji Yun said, steering the conversation back on track. "Make sure your communication channels are open so we can all stay updated."

With that, the two dragons quickly transformed into their original forms. Shen Ji Yun reminded Bai Ze to activate the stealth item on Rowan so team Mozu wouldn't see them approaching. Then he jumped onto Dusk's back, where Luo Yan, Su Yuqi, and Eclipse were already waiting.

Once everyone was in place, the two dragons took off, heading in different directions. Rowan flew swiftly towards the Solara Desert, while Dusk soared towards the Forest of Darkness. Both of their stealth item activated.

While moving towards their destination, Luo Yan kept reading the clue given for the first checkpoint.

[In the forest without light, follow the path where sunlight fades, into the realm where shadows wade. Seek the grove where giants stand tall, near the ancient oak with twisted sprawl.]

"Yan Yan, have you thought of something?" Shen Ji Yun asked, noticing Luo Yan deep in thought.

"Yes, I thought of something. I'm just not sure if it's correct," Luo Yan said.

"It doesn't matter if it's correct or not," Shen Ji Yun said. "What's important is that we share our ideas to slowly figure things out."

Luo Yan smiled at that. "Then, I'll start. 'Follow the path where sunlight fades' might indicate moving deeper into the darker parts of the forest. Then 'into the realm where shadows play' probably reinforces the idea of entering a heavily shaded, dark area. 'Seek the grove where towering giants stand' might be directing us to look for a clearing with exceptionally tall trees.

And lastly, 'near the ancient oak with twisted sprawl' is probably the exact landmark in the clearing where we can find the clue."

Eclipse clapped. "Master, that's great! You really are a genius!"

"I don't think I have anything to add to that," Su Yuqi said, giving a thumbs up.

"I agree," Shen Ji Yun said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Let's follow what Yan Yan suggested."

"If I'm wrong, don't blame me, okay?" Luo Yan said in a joking tone.

"There's no way Master could be wrong," Eclipse said like some loyal fan.

Luo Yan chuckled and ruffled the other's hair.

And with that, team Yunyue now had the direction of where they should go first.