23: The mantis stalks the cicada, while the shadow demon lurks behind.

The masked Martial Artist lay paralyzed on the ground, several ribs in his chest broken, his very breath tinged with blood foam.

He watched as Qin Lang approached step by step, his eyes filled with terror.

"Don't kill me!"

"I'll tell you everything!"

In order to survive, he confessed everything he knew.

He was an independent assassin who took jobs on the "Dark Web" and knew nothing about the true identity of his employer.

"This is the payment, five thousand units of high-purity biological energy, it's all yours!"

He tremblingly handed over a black energy card.

Five thousand units.

This number made Qin Lang pause for a moment.

This sum of money was enough to instantly elevate an ordinary family into the wealthy class.

Who exactly was willing to pay such a steep price to buy his life?

He first ruled out Ma Kui and Bai Qianqian.

Those two clowns didn't have the financial resources, nor the guts.

Feng Rui?

Turning love into hate, that was possible.

But in Qin Lang's mind, another, more blurred and colder figure flashed by.

Three years ago, the enemy who had stolen all his parents' inheritance with just a forged IOU.

Could it be him?

Just as he was deep in thought!

"Meow—!"

The little kitten that had been resting quietly in his arms suddenly bristled without warning, letting out a sharp warning cry!

A sense of fatal crisis, like a cold venomous snake, instantly coiled around Qin Lang's spine!

His eyelids twitched wildly; his body's instinct was faster than his brain's thought!

Subconsciously, he ducked his head violently!

"Whoosh—!"

A battle blade shimmering with eerie light grazed his scalp, carrying a piercing shriek that tore through the air as it narrowly missed him!

A few strands of black hair drifted down.

Not far away, a figure writhing like a shadow was rapidly coalescing into shape.

It was a humanoid creature, pitch black all over, with blurred features, as if composed of pure shadows.

In its hand, it gripped the battle blade that had just nearly taken Qin Lang's life.

A true Shadow Demon Clan member!

Facing two consecutive fatal assassinations completely ignited Qin Lang's fury.

"You're courting death!"

He let out a low growl from his throat, grabbed the battle blade confiscated from the masked Martial Artist with a backhand grip, and instead of retreating, he charged head-on at the coalescing Shadow Demon Clan member!

"Clang!"

Blades collided, sparks flying everywhere!

The Shadow Demon Clan member felt a terrifying, overwhelming force surge from the blade, numbing its arm and forcing it to stagger back several steps uncontrollably!

How could this be?!

A storm of shock surged through the Shadow Demon Clan member's mind!

Didn't the intelligence report say the target was just a college freshman who had only unlocked the first Gene Lock and had nothing but brute strength?

But this man before it!

The Primal Energy within him was so vigorous and his strength so terrifying that it far exceeded the scope of the first tier!

Especially the strange footwork he was using!

Qin Lang's figure was like a ghost, giving the Shadow Demon Clan member no chance to breathe at all.

The battle blade in his hand swung wide and fierce, every strike heavy and powerful, carrying the momentum to split stone, forcing the Shadow Demon Clan member to parry and block in a pathetic state!

Instantly, it fell into a disadvantage!

The Shadow Demon Clan member began to consider retreating.

It feinted with a strike and suddenly withdrew, attempting to create distance.

But how could Qin Lang give it such an opportunity?

"Want to leave?"

"Too late!"

The Primal Energy within Qin Lang erupted crazily without reservation, disregarding any consumption!

"Myriad Shadow Traces — Myriad Shadow Clones!"

Swish! Swish! Swish!

His figure suddenly became blurred, and lifelike afterimages, like reflections in a mirror or the moon on water, instantly filled the entire battlefield!

The Shadow Demon Clan member's pupils constricted!

It couldn't distinguish which was real and which was fake!

In desperation, it could only rely on instinct and slashed fiercely at the phantom closest to it!

The blade passed through the phantom without any resistance.

It missed!

"Over here."

A voice, cold and devoid of any emotion, like the whisper of the Grim Reaper, suddenly rang out beside it!

The Shadow Demon Clan member felt a bone-chilling cold rise from its back!

It wanted to turn around, to block!

But it was already too late!

"Puchi!"

The sharp battle blade, carrying peerless power, instantly shattered its shadow defense and slashed fiercely into its body!

At the critical moment!

The Shadow Demon Clan member's slashed figure suddenly faded, attempting to forcibly activate its racial talent to turn into a shadow and escape into the darkness!

Just then!

"Meow!"

A small, cream-colored figure, like an arrow released from a bow, suddenly leaped from Qin Lang's shoulder!

The seemingly harmless little kitten opened its mouth, revealing two rows of sharp little fangs, and bit down hard on the Shadow Demon Clan member's leg, which was in the middle of fading!

"Hiss—!"

A piercing pain instantly spread throughout its entire body!

This sudden, stabbing pain actually forcibly interrupted its shadow-shifting ability!

The body that was fading solidified once again!

Now!

Qin Lang seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

His arm muscles bulged as he poured all his strength into the battle blade in his hand!

"Die!"

He swung the blade down!

"Pfft—"

Blood splattered.

The arrogant Shadow Demon Clan member was cleanly sliced in two right down the middle!

Not far away.

The Dark Web assassin, who was supposed to be the "mantis," stared at the bloody and shocking scene before him, completely dumbfounded.

His mind was blank.

Half a month ago, the intelligence he received stated that this student named Qin Lang was just a rookie who had only unlocked the first Gene Lock.

But now...

He could actually crush and kill a Shadow Demon Clan member known for its assassination skills head-on?!

This speed of transformation completely overturned his understanding.

Qin Lang shook the blood off the blade and slowly turned to walk toward the Dark Web assassin who hadn't taken the chance to escape.

The other man looked at him, forcing a smile that looked uglier than crying.

"Don't... don't waste your effort."

"In front of a monster like you, I can't escape at all."

In order to survive, he showed a great desire to live.

"I can help you!"

"I have my own channels on the Dark Web; I can help you extract information about the employer!"

"I swear! In the future, as long as there is any commission against you, I will notify you immediately!"

To show his sincerity, he even voluntarily revealed his identity.

"My name is Luo Fei, and I live in Building B, 701, of the Birch Residential Complex in the West District."

Qin Lang took out his personal terminal and turned off the signal jammer.

The moment the network was restored, he immediately began to verify the other man's information.

The result surprised him somewhat.

This man named Luo Fei actually had a quite good reputation among his neighbors and even anonymously supported several poor people who had become disabled due to failed evolution.

Luo Fei's face was full of bitterness and resignation.

"I became an assassin just to make money."

"After earning the money, I use it for charity, so... it can lighten the guilt in my heart a little."

Qin Lang fell silent.

He pondered for a moment, and finally, slowly sheathed the battle blade in his hand.

He wasn't being soft-hearted.

It was out of deeper strategic considerations.

Killing Luo Fei would be simple.

But keeping him meant planting an eye of his own in the invisible battlefield that was the Dark Web.

It would allow him to avoid falling into such a passive situation in the future.

Half an hour later.

The support personnel from the Gene Warrior Guild finally arrived late.

The team leader was a Captain Ning, who wore a silver badge on his shoulder.

He looked at the two brutally dismembered corpses at the scene, then at Luo Fei, who was beaten beyond recognition and had voluntarily confessed to being a Dark Web assassin.

Finally, his gaze landed on Qin Lang.

He didn't believe a single punctuation mark of Qin Lang's claim of "I was just acting in self-defense."

But he chose to "feign ignorance."

"Student Qin, sorry to have frightened you."

Captain Ning showed great respect and courtesy, with even a hint of fawning on his face.

"Leave the rest of the matters to our Guild to handle."

"I will dispatch a special vehicle right away to safely escort you back to the academy."