Ye Liuyun had no choice. He couldn't form a team by himself, and Sero definitely wouldn't allow him to participate alone.
Just as he was feeling troubled, four new mbers arrived at the training base.
Although all of them were masked in black, Ye Liuyun imdiately recognized one of them—it was Serena, the girl he had saved before.
After entering, the four of them sat together. Serena didn't seem to recognize Ye Liuyun. She glanced briefly in his direction, then quickly looked away.
Ye Liuyun thought about greeting her. He still rembered those blue and red Alora Crystals. But seeing that Serena ignored him, he didn't feel comfortable going up to her.
"It was just a trade, after all. If I want information from her again, I'll have to wait until she needs Vital Waters once more." Ye Liuyun thought to himself.
In a place like this, where assassins gathered, friendships were aningless. At any mont, one could be assigned a mission to eliminate the very person sitting beside them.
"Don't worry, Serena. We'll find another qualified teammate soon!" said a man beside her, trying to speak kindly.
Serena didn't respond. The other two mbers didn't seem interested in talking to that man either. They turned and started chatting on their own.
"I recently got my hands on a defensive artifact. Here, take it. Didn't yours get ruined?" the man said as he pulled out a glowing orb and handed it to Serena.
"Thanks!"
Serena didn't hesitate. She took it and refined it on the spot. Then, without a word, she stored it in her Interspatial Ring.
anwhile, Ye Liuyun finished his Pure Brew and stood up. He exchanged a quick goodbye with the other two, then returned to his quarters to cultivate.
The mont he left, Serena stood up and walked over to the pair. "Excuse , was there any group training today?"
"Yeah, six teams were out training." one of them replied.
"Then why weren't you participating? Short on people?" she asked again.
"Heh... We're too weak. Nobody wanted us!" the other replied with an awkward chuckle.
Serena didn't seem fazed. "Will there be more group training tomorrow?"
"Probably. There are still quite a few without permanent teams." one of them answered.
In Stygian, the goal of group training was to eventually form fixed assassination squads capable of carrying out high-level missions.
Once a team was stabilized, they would be deployed for real operations to test their synergy in battle.
If any mbers were lost during missions, the team would return to recruit replacents.
"I see. Thanks!" Serena said politely and returned to her seat.
"We really ca at the perfect ti. Now we can pick the strongest one for our team!" the man beside her said eagerly.
However, Serena seed lost in thought. She ignored him completely. After sitting for a while and sipping so Pure Brew, they all eventually returned to their quarters for cultivation.
The next morning, everyone gathered once again to form new groups. This grouping also allowed mbers to get to know each other better.
After a full night of reflection, Ye Liuyun had co up with a plan. He decided to stir up so attention by showcasing his strength. Otherwise, unless the numbers aligned perfectly, he'd always be the one left out.
He had already picked his target—a mber nad Madshark. Madshark was tall, physically strong, and capable of holding off multiple opponents on his own. He could distract enemies and protect his team, making him a highly sought-after teammate.
However, before Ye Liuyun could make a move, soone unexpected approached. Just as everyone stood still at the start of the grouping, Serena walked straight up to him.
"Want to team up with ?" Serena asked Ye Liuyun.
"You recognized ?" Ye Liuyun responded with a question of his own.
"Of course I did. How could I forget soone who saved my life? Besides, didn't you recognize right away too?" Serena smiled
"I just hope you're not picking out of pity!" Ye Liuyun said.
"I don't risk my life just to pity soone." Serena replied calmly.
Ye Liuyun gave a subtle smile and nodded. "Alright. But don't even think about asking for that item again."
Serena laughed. "Deal. I'll keep it a secret."
Right then, the man who had been trying to get Serena's attention earlier walked over. He looked annoyed and said, "Serena, why are you teaming up with such a weakling?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Liuyun's eyes narrowed. "Watch your words."
Seeing this, Serena's voice turned cold. "And what does my choice have to do with you?"
The man shot Ye Liuyun a condescending glance. "He hasn't even reached Stage One. That's pathetic."
Before either of them could reply, Madshark stepped in. He was clearly dissatisfied, "So, anyone below the tier is trash now? Were you born at Stage One? Every team is ford voluntarily. If you want to cooperate, fine. If not, then step aside. You've got no right to look down on others."
"There's no need to put others down like that. Having a low cultivation level is only temporary." Faucon chid in from the side.
He was sowhat familiar with Ye Liuyun. Even though Ye Liuyun's cultivation was weak, Faucon thought he was a decent person. So, he spoke up in his defense.
"I'm part of Serena's group too. If she's picking soone, I have every right to give my opinion!" the man retorted, clearly annoyed.
But he knew he was in the wrong. Instead of continuing to target Ye Liuyun, he quickly changed the subject.
"We used to be in the sa group, but not anymore!" Serena replied coldly.
"What's that supposed to an, Serena?" the man's expression shifted instantly. Ye Liuyun's Golden Phantom Eyes caught every change in his face.
"It ans we're not a good fit in the sa team." Serena said plainly.
"Explain. Why exactly aren't we a good fit?" the man pressed, clearly unwilling to let it go.
Before Serena could answer, another forr teammate spoke up. "So people are just too selfish. Honestly, we all felt this team needed to break up anyway."
Another mber didn't hold back. "If it weren't for your selfishness, Mr. Ma wouldn't have died! And now you have the nerve to ask why? Don't you know?"
Everyone around imdiately caught on. The man's actions had led to a teammate's death. No matter how strong he was, nobody wanted to team up with soone like that.
"Hah, no surprise there! Just hearing you speak, I already knew what kind of person you are!" Madshark added with a mocking laugh.
"You all..." The man's face turned dark as he scanned his forr teammates. His eyes finally landed on Madshark.
But Madshark stood his ground. "Arctis, if you've got a problem, co at . The others might be afraid of you, but I'm not!"
Arctis hesitated for a mont, then backed down. He sneered and muttered, "Not worth it. Trading blows with a brute like you would only stain my sword."
"Heh!" Ye Liuyun let out a short, amused breath.
He could clearly read the look on Arctis' face. With a faint shake of his head, Ye Liuyun sighed inwardly: "Typical. Just another coward who bullies the weak, bows to the strong, and shifts with the wind."
Arctis caught the scoff and imdiately zeroed in on Ye Liuyun.
His pride was already bruised, and now this? So low-ranked nobody daring to laugh at him? That was the last straw and he was ready to lash out.
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