Outside the onyx lake, w.a.n.g Yufeng, Song Qiuyu, and Difa Jingming stared at the one battered leaf in Li Luo’s hand.
They were not idiots. From the moment Li Luo revealed the damaged leaf, they knew what he was up to.
Sowing the seeds of discord, forcing them to give up one of their members.
No matter how they used this leaf, one person would be left behind. Surely that person would be resentful.
Perhaps someone would step up to magnanimously offer themselves as the sacrifice, but still…
What Li Luo was offering was a poisonous leaf.
He made no attempt to hide it. They could choose not to take the leaf, if they could resist the temptation to cultivate in the onyx lake.
As long as all three could resist the temptation, then Li Luo’s plan would be ruined.
As if all three could resist the temptation.
“h.e.l.lo? Do y’all want it or not? If not, I’m leaving.” Li Luo yawned.
He acted like he was about to put it in his pocket.
Song Qiuyu darted forward and s.n.a.t.c.hed the leaf, thrusting a small bottle into his hands. It was half a bottle of Royal Sap.
Li Luo turned and left immediately, uncaring as to how they would use the leaf.
Song Qiuyu watched him go. “You two use the leaf. I’ll wait for next time.”
“Qiuyu, you don’t…” w.a.n.g Yufeng protested. “If we divide the leaf, we should use the fairest method: let the strongest take it, so it can do the most good.”
Song Qiuyu cursed inwardly. As expected, the silent Difa Jingming’s face froze for a brief moment, although he recovered quickly.
“Indeed, that’s fair. Qiuyu, you and the leader go ahead to the onyx lake. I’ll wait for next time.”
“Don’t worry, Jingming,” w.a.n.g Yufeng said apologetically. “We won’t let you down. We still have time in the Umbra Cave. We’ll find a way to make it up to you.”
Difa Jingming waved it off easily.
Song Qiuyu opened her mouth and then closed it again. Difa Jingming had been a friend for many years, and their families were close as well. He was one of her best friends at the Astral Sage College. Her reason screamed out at her to speak up on his behalf.
But that would wound the pride of w.a.n.g Yufeng.
Doing that went against her personality too.
Stuck in her dilemma, she remained silent, although she knew that her silence would disappoint Difa Jingming and strain their relations.h.i.+p.
What could she do?
Neither she nor w.a.n.g Yufeng could pa.s.s up the temptation of the leaf. Neither was willing to wait for the next wave, when the effects would be lessened.
They knew that Li Luo had sold them a poisoned leaf, and they had accepted it gladly.
She had underestimated how sly Li Luo could be. He had used no violence, no intimidation in the form of Jiang Qing’e. He had offered a trade, pure and simple. There was nothing to fault him for.
One simple leaf, and their entire squad was sunk. She might well have lost a relations.h.i.+p that she had spent years cultivating.
A heavy price.
Even Song Qiuyu was regretting her earlier decisions now. Why did she have to cross a guy like Li Luo?
He might not be as strong as Jiang Qing’e, but his methods were even more cutting than anything she brought to the table.
As for Song Qiuyu’s regrets, Li Luo couldn’t care less. He had grown two stages here at the onyx lake, and made a tidy profit. A respectable haul.
Li Luo went back to his group. “Sorry we took up so much time here,” he said apologetically to Tian Tian and Qiu Bai.
They had spent most of the day here doing nothing. In that time, Duze Honglian and Ye Qiuding had been surging ahead, pressing their advantage—they had already cleared a level two purification tower.
Tian Tian’s laugh tinkled out. “Sharpening the axe does not delay the chopping of wood. You guys are much stronger now. You’ll be of help even when we deal with the level two purification towers.”
They owed their leader enough that they were obliged to be gracious till the very end. It didn’t really matter if Duze Honglian won once.
Under the banner of their supreme leader, they would have plenty of chances to stomp them again in the future.
Jiang Qing’e pulled out the map and examined it. True enough, two of the level two purification towers were already lit. One of them had Duze Honglian’s name on it.
“Don’t worry. It doesn’t mean we stand no chance to catch up,” she said calmly.
Just then, a bloodcurdling howl sounded from the valley beyond, a howl powerful enough to make the trees tremble with its sound waves.
It was met with a mad crackle of energy that leaped up from the lake in response.
A frightened hush fell on the students.
They nervously looked out towards the deep jungle. That was the forbidden zone, where nothing lurked save one…
The Heavenly Dipper General stage spirit beast, that was stronger than all others!
But why would it be roused today? What had happened?
Even Qiu Bai and Tian Tian were looking concerned now. They could see a blazing trail of black smoke and dust in the distance, and something incredibly powerful was stampeding through the forest.
From the thickness of the smoke plume, many trees had to be falling. The thing was huge… and it was headed straight for them?
There were frightened mutterings from the other students as well.
“There’s no need to fear,” Jiang Qing’e called loudly. “It’s said that the princ.i.p.al himself set the runes around the forbidden zone. The spirit beast cannot come out.”
This was new information to many of the students, but given Jiang Qing’e’s reputation, they simply trusted her.
The students remained, but nervously, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
Li Luo frowned. Somehow, there was a familiarity to this approaching presence.
And then it hit him.
It was the same as the threatening presence he had sensed in the depths of the onyx lake.
It had to be the General spirit beast in the forbidden zone!
Was it coming for him?
Because he had stolen the onyx leaves? Li Luo paled. Surely not. Those leaves weren’t that important, especially to a General Stage spirit beast.
He could vaguely sense greed. And hunger.
A desire to swallow him, specifically him, whole.
If it wasn’t because of the onyx leaves, why else would it be here?
In the depths of the onyx lake, Li Luo had demonstrated uncommon power…
His eyes widened in realization. The dual resonances.
The mark of a Duke expert. It was said that the General Stage spirit beast was on the verge of the breakthrough to Duke itself. Perhaps it wanted his powers, wanted to eat him to grow stronger?
Truly b.e.s.t.i.a.l instincts. Li Luo swallowed hard. Somehow, once he thought of this, he was convinced.
If it were true, he was in great danger.
He prayed that Qing’e’s information on the princ.i.p.al’s runes was correct. If they had disappeared over time, then he would be target number one today.
He felt his legs go weak with fear.
Rumble!
The churning, black smoke was drawing ever closer, and now even the mountains trembled with the charging thing. Many students were already fleeing for their lives.
Li Luo was contemplating fleeing, when suddenly a mysterious stream of light fell from the sky.
It formed a large, ancient rune symbol.
The seal!
The symbol flashed in the air, and suddenly the presence was halted in its tracks.
Within the rising black smoke, the same bloodcurdling roar sounded again, this time held long and loud in frustration. The mountains themselves shook in fear.