The air in the abandoned training ground grew heavy with Scarlet Mark's arrival, his scorching killing intent seemingly trying to evaporate Rin and Ye Xue. However, Rin was not consumed by this despair. The sharp pain in his chest and Ye Xue's tightly held hand reminded him that he had to survive, to uncover the truth, and to protect the one beside him.
"Ye Xue, trust me!" Rin roared softly. Just before Scarlet Mark's attack landed, he violently pushed Ye Xue away, simultaneously clutching the "Shadow Terminal Fragment" tightly in his palm.
Scarlet Mark's attack swept over them like a firestorm. Rin dodged at the last second, but the scorching air current still threw him flying, slamming him hard against the dilapidated ruins behind him. The wound on his chest tore open again, bleeding profusely.
"Hmph, a dying struggle!" Scarlet Mark sneered, preparing to press his advantage.
However, at that very moment, a distorted red figure suddenly shot out from the ruins, emitting a piercing shriek, and lunged towards Scarlet Mark!
This was a trap Rin and Ye Xue had set—the "False Flame Master" mental projection that had been mentally disturbed by Roz!
It turned out that during his struggle with Roz, Rin, though wounded, had also seized the opportunity to use the "Shadow Terminal Fragment's" power to capture and distort a part of Roz's mental projection, causing it to backfire on Roz himself. And when Scarlet Mark appeared and instantly shattered Roz's defenses with his powerful mental suppression, Rin ignited this secretly laid chess piece.
Roz's mental projection attacked Scarlet Mark like a madman. Although it couldn't cause substantial damage, it effectively interfered with Scarlet Mark's judgment and actions.
"Despicable tactics!" Scarlet Mark roared in fury. He hadn't expected Rin to use such a retaliatory trick. He was forced to divert power to suppress Roz's mental projection, buying Rin a brief moment of respite.
"Now!" Rin suppressed the intense pain, executed a swift roll, and rushed towards Ye Xue, who was not far away.
Ye Xue had completely awakened from Roz's mental interference, her eyes glinting with a cold and resolute light. She understood Rin's intention, and the moment Roz's mental projection fell into chaos, she had already quietly begun to move.
Taking advantage of the brief window while Scarlet Mark was entangled with the mental projection, they didn't hesitate, sprinting towards the secret passage deep within the abandoned training ground. This passage was an emergency escape route Rin had prepared for the "Shadow Team" in his past life, known only to a very select few.
However, the organization's reaction speed was beyond imagination. As they rushed to the end of the passage, preparing to exit through a hidden underground opening, a powerful resistance suddenly came from ahead!
"Don't even think about escaping!" a hoarse yet familiar voice rang out.
At the exit of the passage, a figure dressed in an academy instructor's uniform stood imposingly—it was the Scar-Faced Instructor! His face no longer held its usual gentleness; instead, it wore a cold and cruel smile, and in his hand, he gripped a jet-black energy gun.
Rin's heart plummeted. The Scar-Faced Instructor… he was indeed part of the organization! And the aura he was emitting now far surpassed that of an ordinary instructor; he clearly possessed the power of a high-ranking organization official!
"You…!" Rin roared in fury, realizing he had been completely deceived by the Scar-Faced Instructor's disguise.
The Scar-Faced Instructor said nothing further, aimed the energy gun at Rin and Ye Xue, and pulled the trigger without hesitation!
"Sizzle—!"
A blinding beam of energy, carrying power capable of penetrating anything, shot straight towards them!
"Watch out!" Rin instantly shielded Ye Xue behind him, preparing to take the hit squarely.
However, in that split second, Ye Xue's body suddenly erupted with a powerful force. She pushed Rin away, her small frame shielding Rin!
"Ye Xue!" Rin's heart instantly stopped.
The energy beam, with terrifying impact, struck Ye Xue directly in the spine!
"Ugh!" Ye Xue let out a pained grunt, her body trembling violently for a moment, then, like a kite with a snapped string, she collapsed forward limply.
In her eyes, the last lingering emotion was a gentle reluctance for Rin.
"Ye Xue!" Rin let out a heart-wrenching roar. He lunged forward, embracing Ye Xue's limp body. Her spine had been hit; the intense pain caused her to instantly lose consciousness, and her body became cold and stiff.
"Heh heh, 'Cold Moon's' loyalty is indeed well-deserved," the Scar-Faced Instructor chuckled coldly, a mocking glint in his eyes.
Rin's gaze swept over Ye Xue's pale face, feeling her fading life force. An uncontrollable rage and despair surged within him. He abruptly lifted his head, his dark eyes filled with an overwhelming killing intent capable of incinerating everything!
"You…!" Rin gritted his teeth, each word seemingly forced from deep within his throat.
"Don't waste time, 'Blade of Demise.' It's time for you to make a choice," the Scar-Faced Instructor looked at him coldly. "Either put her down and let us retrieve you obediently. Or… both of you will die here!"
Rin's gaze flickered between the Scar-Faced Instructor and the unconscious Ye Xue in his arms. He knew that in his current injured state, carrying a paralyzed Ye Xue, it was impossible to fight both the Scar-Faced Instructor and the approaching Scarlet Mark simultaneously.
He had to make a choice.
A painful struggle flashed in Rin's eyes, but ultimately, that struggle was replaced by absolute resolve.
"I won't abandon her," Rin's voice was cold and firm, carrying an undeniable conviction.
He gritted his teeth fiercely, lifted Ye Xue's limp body, and with all his might, like a wounded beast, smashed into the sealed exit!
"Boom—!"
The power he erupted with exceeded the Scar-Faced Instructor's imagination. With a loud crash, the sealed metal exit was forcibly torn open by Rin, creating a rift!
Rin didn't hesitate for a moment. Carrying Ye Xue in his arms, he rushed out of the academy's underground passage without looking back, disappearing into the dark night.
The Scar-Faced Instructor's face instantly darkened. He hadn't expected Rin to unleash such power, forcefully breaking through the blockade at the last moment.
"Pursue them! They must not escape this city!" the Scar-Faced Instructor roared in fury.
The academy's alarms still echoed, but Rin and Ye Xue's figures had completely merged into the vast night. They had left the academy's giant cage, but they had also formally embarked on their path of escape.
Ahead lay unknown dangers, behind them, endless pursuit. But in Rin's arms was Ye Xue, whom he swore to protect with his life. This time, he would not let her endure everything alone.
The escape had just begun. And Rin, in his flight, would continuously uncover the organization's true nature and seek the real answers.