Chapter 2330 - 2328: Watching Tigers Fight on the Mountain

On the Baiyu Platform, the battle between the four Dao Pools has already been decided.

Most of the powerful cultivators who were here earlier have now perished, and the only ones left on the Baiyu Platform, aside from Qi who remains motionless, are Solar Flames and Moonless.

These two are currently enjoying their victory rewards in the Dao Pools.

After the fierce battle just now, their Dao force has been greatly depleted, so recovery is necessary.

"Brother Solar Flames." Moonless spoke as she refined a Dao Fish, "Shall we wait for them here?"

Solar Flames was doing the same thing, shaking his head slowly upon hearing this: "No, once we've regained enough strength, we'll take the initiative."

He understood that merely waiting here wouldn't draw the enemies in.

On the surface, they are the strongest, and those enemies wouldn't dare come looking for them.

Currently, there are only a few he considers as competitors: a sludge star beast, a member of the Blood Race, and that female archer.

If his guess was correct, the Blood Race member who pursued the female archer earlier would choose to pair with her.

After all, both of their companions have been slain; regardless of prior conflicts, they must ally for survival.

First, find them and eliminate them! Then seek out that sludge star beast. Solve these three, and the general situation can be determined. Even if there are others in hiding, they won't be of concern to him.

While he spoke, Solar Flames suddenly looked ahead; a ripple appeared in the Void at that spot, followed by the emergence of a familiar figure.

Solar Flames raised an eyebrow with an amused expression.

He wondered why the female archer suddenly came back, pondering his chances to capture her if he acted now.

Yet the thought passed in a flash, and he abandoned it, for this female archer's Escape Technique was truly troublesome. In all his cultivation, he'd never seen such an uncanny Escape Technique at least he couldn't detect any flaws, so capturing her seemed impossible unless her Dao force was exhausted.

"Fellow Daoist, do you have any matters?" Solar Flames spoke, still reasonably polite.

Su Yan looked at him and spoke slowly, "Just to let you two know, that jellyfish star beast isn't actually dead!"

"Hmm?" Solar Flames was surprised.

Instinctively he thought she was lying, because in the battle before, he specially glanced when the jellyfish star beast died; it was slain by this female archer's companion.

Yet now she's here telling him that the jellyfish star beast isn't dead?

"Was it a doppelganger that died?" Solar Flames understood.

The female archer had no need to deceive him, since such things can easily be verified without much cost.

"It's unlike a doppelganger!" Su Yan shook her head, "As for specifics, I'm not sure, but it definitely isn't dead. Whether you believe it or not, Fellow Daoist, is up to you!"

After saying this, ripples surrounded her once more.

"Wait!" Solar Flames raised his hand.

But Su Yan was already prepared to end the exchange; she had come specifically to inform Solar Flames, naturally following Lu Ye's instructions.

Utilizing the death of the Talent Tree Avatar, he barely managed to retreat from the conflict, aiming to have Solar Flames face those two star beasts.

Solar Flames, unaware of the jellyfish star beast's true condition, could only have Su Yan run and notify him.

Believing Solar Flames would know what to do.

The ripples dissipated, and Su Yan's figure vanished.

Solar Flames stood in the Dao Pool, his brow furrowed.

The situation was getting interesting; honestly, he hadn't really paid much attention to those two star beasts before, despite their decent strength and strange methods. But ultimately they were star beasts, lacking spiritual intelligence.

Yet now, if that jellyfish star beast could feign death to escape, its spiritual intelligence wasn't ordinary, because previously, he didn't spot any flaw at all.

If Su Yan hadn't come to inform him of this, he'd be completely unaware!

He certainly knew Su Yan's intentions: it was a redirection of trouble into another's path. Given the current situation, anyone could see the formidable power of the Solar Flames combination, and no one wanted to be targeted by him.

Originally, Solar Flames planned to first find Su Yan and the Blood Race, eliminate them, and then seek out that sludge star beast. The latter was alone and easier to deal with.

But now it seemed plans needed slight adjustments; if the jellyfish star beast truly possessed such high spiritual intelligence, it couldn't be underestimated.

"Brother Solar Flames!"

A startled cry suddenly reached Solar Flames' ears, it was the warning from Moonless.

Simultaneously, Solar Flames' instincts screamed danger, swiftly activating his Dao force to protect himself.

Above his head, a shadow had quietly drifted over; this shadow was perfectly integrated with the surrounding space, showing no trace of existence.

Even Su Yan, who had just been conversing with Solar Flames, didn't perceive anything.

Yet, Moonless alone noticed something amiss.

As she uttered those words, a gentle light burst forth around her, and it was under this light that the shadow revealed its trace.

From its outline, the shadow undoubtedly matched the appearance of the sludge star beast that had fled from here!

After its companion "died in battle," it scattered into countless tufts, pursued by Lu Ye and Su Yan, yet now it had stealthily returned without anyone knowing.

It was evidently aware that it must not give Solar Flames and Moonless time to recover; both were already powerful enough, and with sufficient recovery time, they would pose even greater trouble.

Hence, if it wished to defeat its enemies, now was the most opportune moment, whether Su Yan arrived or not, it had to act!

Unexpectedly, Moonless's perception was so keen, her tracks had been uncovered!

The shadow suddenly split open, like a gaping maw in the Void, and with a single bite, it swallowed the burly Solar Flames.

Moonless was dumbstruck.

Such a powerful Solar Flames Brother... was swallowed just like that?

In an instant of shock, her entire aura transformed; originally it was gentle to the extreme, but now it became incredibly chilling.

The radiance emanating from her seemed to turn into invisible needle stings, scouring one tiny hole after another into the sludge star beast's form.

The battle erupted instantly!

Elsewhere, Su Yan hadn't gone far; perceiving the anomaly here, she revealed her figure again, turned back, and was momentarily surprised. She hadn't expected this sludge star beast would dare to take the initiative against Solar Flames and Moonless.

But she quickly understood that the sludge star beast's choice was correct because the longer the delay, the greater Solar Flames and Moonless's advantage would become; with four Dao Pools here and no one disputing them, recovering would be all too simple.

In this light, even without her luring, Lu Ye's plan to sit back and watch the tigers fight from the hilltop could be perfectly accomplished.

For the sludge star beast had always considered Solar Flames and Moonless its primary adversaries.

She slightly shifted her gaze to the center of Baiyu Platform.

In that place, a snow-white figure stood quietly, like a living corpse for over half a year, unmoving.

Qi!

Aside from her, Su Yan couldn't see anyone else, but she knew Lu Ye must have concealed himself beside Qi at this moment.

Lu Ye indeed had concealed himself beside Qi, taking advantage of the confusion during Moonless's outburst.

Neither Moonless nor the sludge star beast would ever think someone was secretly observing them here.

Lu Ye was nearly sticking to Qi, standing behind her.

He had faintly sensed earlier that although Qi seemingly represented the Will of the Star Abyss in overseeing this contest, she wouldn't interfere with anything, so as long as he didn't actively attack her, there would be no problem.

This position wasn't far from Moonless, and if not for Qi, Lu Ye would easily expose himself, but with Qi present, it was different.

She stood in front, and unless someone deliberately probed, they couldn't possibly discover his tracks.

He could even use Qi to disguise his gaze in observation.

During his inspection, Lu Ye raised an eyebrow—no doubt, to have been chosen as a companion by Solar Flames, Moonless's strength was also formidable, and her secret technique was peculiar, her whole being enveloped by moonlight-like radiance, washing everything away.

In the midst of battle, it seemed as if the sludge star beast had no chance to retaliate, only passively taking hits, yet Lu Ye saw through; this creature had no real harm, only appeared pitiful.

The fierce fight lasted but a few breaths, suddenly the sludge star beast halted all actions, then its body twisted and struggled as if suffering immense pain.

Upon seeing this, Moonless's expression brightened.

In the next instant, a large hand abruptly pierced from the sludge star beast's belly, this hand was a golden hue, as if composed of solid gold, along with it spread the manic aura of Solar Flames!

The golden light poured forth, Dao force disrupted; the sludge star beast appeared severely injured, its belly ruptured into a hole, and Solar Flames dashed out at once.

Though unharmed, he appeared somewhat disheveled; upon escaping, without pause, he dashed forward rapidly, as if impending danger was on his tail.

"Solar Flames Brother!" Moonless called out, knowing Solar Flames Brother couldn't possibly die so easily, she had been worried moments earlier.

"Run quickly!" Solar Flames shouted in alarm as he passed by Moonless, grabbing hold of her.

"Eh?" Moonless hadn't reacted before being dragged along like a kite.

Behind Qi, Lu Ye watched bewilderedly.

Solar Flames, in such a fluster, what's he doing? It appeared as though someone was after him, yet with his strength, what could he fear?

Soon he understood what Solar Flames feared.

For from the hole in the sludge star beast's belly, a sword dragon suddenly roared out, within it concealed a familiar figure to Lu Ye.

Lu Ye's eyes slightly narrowed.

The hole in the sludge star beast's belly seemed connected to another world, following the sword dragon, another figure suddenly emerged.

Then a second, third...

Seamless, endless.

In mere breaths, over twenty figures emerged from that hole.

These figures were undoubtedly Harmonization Practitioners participating in this contest!

But every one of them appeared dull, without the slightest spirit light in their eyes, with each wearing a small jellyfish-like cap on their head, its transparent tentacles penetrating throughout their body, reaching deep within.