I walk sideways in the game world

Ren Xiaoyao turned around suddenly, only to see a flash of cold light and a dagger thrust straight into his chest. In the nick of time, he dodged the fatal blow by leaning sideways, but a deep cut to the bone remained on his left arm.

Blood instantly stained his clothes red, and the sharp pain made Ren Xiaoyao gasp. He endured the pain and swung his palm to strike the assassin.

The assassin had obviously not expected Ren Xiaoyao to be able to launch such a swift counterattack despite being seriously injured, and he could only retreat in haste. In the dim moonlight, Ren Xiaoyao could clearly see the assassin's appearance. It was an extremely unfamiliar face, without any expression, only a pair of cold eyes, as if it were a lifeless puppet.

Seeing that his attack failed, the assassin did not want to fight any longer and turned around to escape.

"Want to leave?!" Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath and used his Qinggong to catch up. However, due to excessive blood loss, his steps were unsteady and his vision was black.

The assassin turned and turned, and soon disappeared into the night. Ren Xiaoyao's eyes went dark, his body swayed, and finally he fainted on the side of the road due to exhaustion.

After an unknown amount of time, Ren Xiaoyao woke up in a daze and found himself lying on the bed. He struggled to get up, but felt sore and weak all over.

"Brother Xiaoyao, you finally woke up!" Xia Lin's voice was filled with tears. Only then did Ren Xiaoyao realize that Xia Lin was guarding the bedside with red eyes, obviously she had been crying.

"What's wrong with me?" Ren Xiaoyao's voice was hoarse and weak.

Xia Lin choked up and said, "You were beaten and unconscious for a day and a night. I found traces of a fight in your room, so I followed the blood trail all the way here..."

Ren Xiaoyao then remembered what happened last night. He forced himself to sit up and asked, "Who hurt me? Do you have any clues?"

Charlene shook her head. "When I found you, you only had a letter with you."

Ren Xiaoyao took the letter and saw a few large characters written in a flamboyant style:

"Tomorrow on the summit of Mount Hua, the fight will not stop until one dies!"

"Brother Xiaoyao, you should have a good rest. I'll go get a doctor..."

"No need." Ren Xiaoyao grabbed Xia Lin's hand, a cold glint in his eyes. "Since the other party wants my life, they won't give up easily. The finals are coming soon, I can't just lie here."

He took a deep breath, his eyes determined, "I want to see who is behind this!"

As soon as Ren Xiaoyao finished speaking, there was a gentle knock on the door. Xia Lin stood up and opened the door, only to see a middle-aged man in a green robe standing outside. He had a kind face and an extraordinary demeanor.

"Master Ouyang?" Xia Lin recognized him and quickly stepped aside to greet him. "Why are you here?"

Sect Leader Ouyang walked into the room, his eyes landing on the pale Ren Xiaoyao. He asked with concern, "My dear nephew Xiaoyao, I heard you were attacked by someone. How are your injuries?"

Ren Xiaoyao struggled to stand and salute, but Sect Master Ouyang held him back. "Nephew, there's no need for formalities. Just focus on healing." He then pulled out an exquisite jade bottle from his bosom and handed it to Xia Lin. "This contains our sect's secret healing elixir. Give it to my nephew Xiaoyao. I believe he'll be well again soon."

Xia Lin took the jade bottle and said gratefully, "Thank you, Sect Leader Ouyang."

Sect Leader Ouyang waved his hand and after a moment's silence, he said, "My dear nephew Xiaoyao, your assassination attempt is of grave importance. I have already sent people to investigate, and I believe there will be results soon. Rest and recuperate, and don't worry. I will definitely give you an explanation on this matter."

Ren Xiaoyao nodded, but his heart was filled with doubt. Master Ouyang was a highly respected figure in the martial arts world, so why would he suddenly be so concerned about him? Did he know something?

After seeing off Sect Leader Ouyang, Xia Lin followed his instructions and gave Ren Xiaoyao the healing elixir. Sure enough, the elixir worked wonders. Soon after taking it, Ren Xiaoyao felt the pain in his wounds ease a lot, and his strength gradually recovered.

Over the next few days, Ren Xiaoyao gradually recovered from his injuries under Xia Lin's meticulous care. However, his doubts only grew deeper. Who had attacked him? Why had he sought his own death? And why did Sect Leader Ouyang show such concern for him? All of this, like a lingering mystery, enveloped his mind.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what are you thinking about?" Xia Lin asked with concern when she saw Ren Xiaoyao frowning and looking worried.

Ren Xiaoyao shook his head and forced a smile: "Nothing, just thinking about something."

Late at night, Ren Xiaoyao lay in bed, unable to fall asleep. He tossed and turned, his mind replaying the night of the assassination, the assassin's cold eyes, and the letter filled with murderous intent...

Suddenly, a dark shadow flashed by outside the window. Ren Xiaoyao was startled and sat up suddenly. He got out of bed, walked to the window, and gently pushed it open.

Under the moonlight, a man in black stood in the middle of the courtyard, his back to Ren Xiaoyao, motionless.

"Who are you?" Ren Xiaoyao asked in a deep voice, "Why did you attack me?"

The man in black slowly turned around, the moonlight shining on his face, revealing an expressionless mask.

"You don't need to know who I am," the man in black said in a hoarse voice, like a messenger from hell. "You just need to remember not to interfere in the affairs of the martial arts world anymore, otherwise..."

The man in black didn't say anything else, but the threat in his tone was self-evident. He looked at Ren Xiaoyao deeply, then turned around, took a few steps, and disappeared into the night.

Ren Xiaoyao stood by the window, looking in the direction where the man in black disappeared, and slowly clenched his fists...

Ren Xiaoyao stood by the window, the night wind ruffling his clothes, but the rage within him was hard to quell. The black-clad man's warning sounded more like a provocation to him. He wasn't one to give in easily, especially when faced with a threat.

"Brother Xiaoyao, what happened?" Xia Lin heard the noise, walked over wearing her coat, and asked worriedly.

Ren Xiaoyao turned around, pulled Xia Lin to his side, and whispered, "It's okay, it was just a nightmare." He didn't want to make Xia Lin worry, and he didn't want to involve her in this unknown danger.

"Are you really okay?" Xia Lin obviously didn't believe it. She could see the serious look on Ren Xiaoyao's face.

"Really? Believe me." Ren Xiaoyao patted Xia Lin's shoulder gently and said firmly, "I promise you, I will participate in the finals safely."

Xia Lin wanted to say something else, but seeing Ren Xiaoyao's determined eyes, she finally chose to believe him, nodded, and retreated back to the room.

Ren Xiaoyao walked to the window again, looking at the dark night sky, his eyes becoming extremely sharp. He decided not to wait passively anymore, he would take the initiative to uncover the true face of the mysterious man.

The next morning, Ren Xiaoyao found Sect Leader Ouyang, told him about the reappearance of the man in black last night, and expressed his thoughts.

"Master Ouyang, I have decided to openly challenge that mysterious man in the finals." Ren Xiaoyao said firmly, "I believe he will show up."

After hearing what Ren Xiaoyao said, Sect Leader Ouyang frowned and said after a moment's silence, "My dear nephew Xiaoyao, I understand your feelings, but this matter is of great importance. You must think twice before acting!"

"Master Ouyang, I've made up my mind," Ren Xiaoyao said firmly. "Rather than sit and wait for death, we should take the initiative. I believe that good will prevail over evil. As long as we unite as one, we will surely defeat all our enemies."

Sect Leader Ouyang looked at Ren Xiaoyao's determined eyes and knew he had made up his mind, so he stopped trying to dissuade him. He sighed heavily and said, "Alright, since you've made up your mind, I won't stop you. But you must remember, safety comes first, and you must not act rashly."

"Master Ouyang, don't worry. I know what I'm doing." Ren Xiaoyao nodded, his eyes gleaming with confidence.

On the day of the finals, the venue of the martial arts conference was packed with people. Martial artists from various schools and sects gathered together to witness the final outcome of this martial arts event.

Ren Xiaoyao, dressed in white and bearing a longsword, slowly walked onto the stage amidst the crowd's anticipation. His gaze swept across the arena, finally resting on a corner, his lips curled up slightly in a sneer.

"He's coming..." Ren Xiaoyao said in his heart, and his fingers holding the hilt of the sword exerted a little force. A powerful aura emanated from him, sweeping across the entire venue.

At the same time, in the corner of the arena, a figure draped in a black cloak slowly stood up and walked towards the ring. Each step seemed to weigh on everyone's hearts, bringing immense pressure...

The finals horn blew, and the previously bustling venue suddenly fell silent. Everyone's attention was focused on the white figure on the stage. Ren Xiaoyao stood proudly, like a sword unsheathed, its edge exposed. He glanced around, a confident smile on his face, and finally locked his gaze on the man in black who slowly approached from the corner of the arena.

"You finally show up." Ren Xiaoyao's voice was low and powerful, with an unquestionable majesty.

The man in black said nothing, but slowly lifted his cloak, revealing a face that shocked everyone. It was a young and handsome face, with sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and a high nose bridge. However, there was a sinister coldness in his eyes, which formed a sharp contrast with his handsome appearance.

"It's you!" Sect Master Ouyang exclaimed in shock, obviously recognizing the identity of the man in black.

"Do you know him?" Xia Lin, who was sitting next to Master Ouyang, asked in a low voice, her tone full of confusion and uneasiness.

Sect Leader Ouyang had a serious expression on his face, but he did not answer Xia Lin's question. He just stared at the man in black, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

The man in black ignored everyone's reaction and walked straight to the center of the arena, standing opposite Ren Xiaoyao. He slowly drew out his long sword, the blade as black as ink, emitting bursts of cold air.

"Ren Xiaoyao, let's put an end to the grudge between you and me today!" The man in black said in an ice-cold tone, as if coming from the Netherworld, making people shudder.

"That's exactly what I want!" Ren Xiaoyao let out a long roar and drew out the long sword from his waist. The sword made a clear sound, as if responding to its master's will to fight.

For a moment, two powerful forces collided on the ring, stirring up an invisible gust of wind, making everyone's clothes rustle... The decisive battle was about to begin.