Chapter 2326: We Meet Again

Windswept Nine Prefectures

To Riyan’s surprise, after Ning Gu took out the exotic treasure, he didn’t activate it immediately. Instead, his expression changed, and he asked, “Fellow Daoist, if I use this exotic treasure to help you kill another enemy, will you let us go?”

Riyan was taken aback by the question.

What was happening?

At such a critical moment, having decided to use the exotic treasure, he should have been decisive. How could one achieve great things by being so wishy-washy?

However, Riyan was more than happy if the exotic treasure wasn’t used against him.

*Does this guy have a grudge against someone?* he wondered.

“Who do you want to kill?” Riyan asked.

Ning Gu didn’t answer directly but looked toward the area where Lu Ye and the insectoid female cultivator were locked in fierce combat.

Riyan raised an eyebrow.

By this point in the contest among the Children of the Star Abyss, any other hidden cultivators who hadn’t dared to show themselves were no longer a threat. Thus, Riyan’s true opponents were only the Fusion Dao cultivators currently on the field.

He wasn’t sure if Ning Gu wanted to kill Lu Ye or the insectoid female cultivator, but either way, it would benefit him.

As for letting Ning Gu go…

In this vast territory, even if he were allowed to leave, how long could he hide? Especially with both Ning Gu and Junior Sister Shuang currently severely wounded.

Riyan genuinely hadn’t anticipated such a favorable turn of events. To be honest, while he wasn’t afraid of any exotic treasures, it was always better to avoid unnecessary trouble.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. “How about you kill someone else?”

He actually preferred Ning Gu to use the exotic treasure against Su Yan.

Ning Gu slowly but firmly shook his head.

He only wanted to kill Lu Ye!

In this contest, he had been the first to choose a companion under the gaze of fifty thousand Fusion Dao cultivators. With two peak Fusion Dao cultivators allied, he had been absolutely confident in claiming victory. However, an unexpected turn of events had derailed his plans, making all his efforts futile.

He was consumed by hatred! Therefore, even if he suffered, Lu Ye had to share in his misfortune.

Seeing Ning Gu’s resolve, Riyan knew he couldn’t force the issue. This was acceptable; although Su Yan posed a considerable threat, if Lu Ye died, she would be fighting alone. Even with her excellent escape techniques, her Dao power reserves were finite. As long as he and Wuyue secured the Dao Pool, they would be invincible!

“Alright,” Riyan said straightforwardly. “I swear by the Will of the Star Abyss that if you do this, I will let you go this time. Next time we meet, we will decide life and death!” He made the offer himself, knowing Ning Gu would eventually propose it.

“That’s good!” Ning Gu nodded in satisfaction, harboring no suspicions. Since Riyan had invoked the Will of the Star Abyss, it was unthinkable that he would be deceived.

Junior Sister Shuang remained silent throughout, though her expression hinted at frustration.

From their brief encounter, she had clearly seen the disparity between her and Ning Gu’s combined strength and that of their opponents. If they continued fighting like this, their chances of survival were slim.

By paying the price of an exotic treasure to preserve their lives, they might still have opportunities later.

In short, survival came first. With this mindset, she naturally didn’t object to Ning Gu’s decision.

With the agreement secretly made, Ning Gu wasted no time and immediately channeled his Dao power.

The exotic treasure in his hand was a square, seal-like artifact that didn’t appear large but was covered in intricate patterns. As Dao power was channeled into it, the artifact suddenly vibrated and then vanished.

Immediately afterward, where Lu Ye and the insectoid female cultivator were fiercely battling, a colossal seal appeared out of thin air, descending upon both of them with the force of a collapsing mountain. Lu Ye’s battle with his opponent had been evenly matched; he might have been slightly disadvantaged, but it wasn’t significant. The main reason for his restraint was that he needed to maintain a plausible performance for his plan to unfold, so he couldn’t rush many things.

He had never imagined that Ning Gu would target him.

Such a turn of events was truly preposterous and impossible to guard against.

By the time he sensed the impending danger, it was already too late.

The insectoid female cultivator, who was fighting him, also blanched, having never anticipated such an unprovoked disaster.

She immediately sensed the source of the attack and couldn’t comprehend why Ning Gu, who was elsewhere, would target them. Shouldn’t he be engaging the Solar race member?

What agreement had those two reached?

With no time for further thought, she immediately tried to flee. However, as the great seal descended, the surrounding space seemed to solidify, and no matter how hard she struggled, her movements were agonizingly slow, like a turtle crawling.

Lu Ye also attempted to escape, but he fared no better than the insectoid female cultivator.

“Senior Brother Lu!” From a distance, Su Yan, who was tirelessly evading the pursuit of the Blood Race Fusion Dao cultivator, suddenly saw what was happening and couldn’t help but cry out in alarm.

Lu Ye roared furiously, looking up to see the colossal seal obscuring his vision, pressing down with an unstoppable force. He desperately swung his blade upwards to strike!

But it was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

His long blade shattered into dust.

Under the horrifying pressure, his entire body exploded into a mist of blood, leaving no trace of his corpse. Only a Star Abyss Coin remained on the spot!

The great seal slowly dissipated. Perhaps because Lu Ye’s final desperate strike had weakened its power, or perhaps because she was slightly stronger than Lu Ye, the insectoid female cultivator hadn’t died. However, she was spitting up large mouthfuls of blood, and countless cracks marred her carapace, clearly indicating severe injuries.

Terrified, she immediately tried to flee. In her current poor condition, she naturally needed to escape first to heal her wounds.

However, a figure flashed before her, and a burly form already blocked her path!

It was Riyan.

How could he miss such a golden opportunity? To him, Su Yan was a formidable enemy, but so was this insectoid female cultivator, who was, after all, a peak Fusion Dao cultivator. If he missed this chance, he would have to expend more effort to kill her later.

Thanks to Ning Gu, this opportunity was practically handed to him.

“You…” The insectoid female cultivator was greatly alarmed. She knew Riyan’s power; even at her peak, let alone in her current weakened state, she had no certainty of victory against him.

Before she could finish speaking, Riyan’s attack enveloped her. The insectoid female cultivator struggled to resist, but she was no match.

On the other side, after personally witnessing Lu Ye being crushed by the power of his exotic treasure, Ning Gu’s face lit up with satisfaction. He quickly called out to Junior Sister Shuang, “Let’s go!”

He had fulfilled his promise, and now it was time to make their swift escape.

The two of them immediately sped away into the distance.

But just then, the sound of rising tides suddenly echoed in their ears. Both Ning Gu and Junior Sister Shuang’s expressions changed, and before they could react, their surroundings inexplicably transformed into a boundless ocean.

There was, of course, no ocean within this Star Abyss fragment.

“An illusion!” Junior Sister Shuang’s heart tightened. This illusion was too realistic, and they hadn’t even realized when they had fallen under its effect.

They immediately channeled their divine sense frantically, guarding their minds.

Amidst the rising tide, a crescent moon suddenly rose from the ocean, casting a cold, clear moonlight that shimmered like water.

Everything around them became incredibly viscous.

Ning Gu suddenly looked up to see a small, dainty figure playfully seated on the crescent moon suspended above the sea, gazing at them with an innocent, smiling face!

Wuyue!

Ning Gu’s face turned grim. “I have an agreement with that Solar race member! He swore an oath by the Will of the Star Abyss. How dare you attack now, completely disregarding his fate?”

Wuyue pulled down her lower eyelid and stuck out her tongue, making a playful face at him.

Ning Gu was beside himself with rage!

“Kill her!” Junior Sister Shuang exclaimed, knowing that they wouldn’t escape unless they dealt with the girl. As she spoke, she brandished her long sword, and her entire being dissolved into a myriad of sword lights, sweeping towards Wuyue.

However, Junior Sister Shuang soon realized something was wrong. Under the strange moonlight’s corrosive effect, her speed had become incredibly slow.

She was like an ordinary person trapped in a quagmire, struggling to move.

Not only her, but Ning Gu was also similarly affected, and his situation was even worse.

Junior Sister Shuang’s heart sank.

If they hadn’t been injured earlier, their combined strength might have allowed them to break through this illusion and escape. However, both were already severely wounded, and the illusion’s primary function was to restrict enemies, making it nearly impossible for them to exert their full power.

After a great struggle, they gradually managed to approach Wuyue, who remained seated on the crescent moon.

Wuyue showed no fear at all, remaining seated on the crescent moon with an unchanging smile.

Suddenly, ripples spread beside her, and Riyan’s burly figure appeared, still bearing some bloodstains.

In that short time, he had already dealt with the insectoid female cultivator!

Ning Gu and Junior Sister Shuang, who were still intent on attacking Wuyue, involuntarily halted.

Riyan beamed, in a very good mood. He looked at Ning Gu as if greeting an old friend he hadn’t seen in ages. “What a coincidence, we meet again!”

Ning Gu’s face darkened considerably. “You swore an oath by the Will of the Star Abyss! Aren’t you afraid of repercussions for acting like this?”

Riyan still smiled. “I kept my oath. I let you go *last time*!”

Ning Gu’s eyelids twitched wildly.

*Last time? That was ten breaths ago! You call that last time?*

But he knew full well that while Riyan was twisting the meaning, strictly speaking, he hadn’t actually violated his oath.

Therefore, there was no need to fear any repercussions.

“Alright, enough chatter,” Riyan said softly. “You two, please be on your way.”

Although he was fully confident he could find and kill Ning Gu and Junior Sister Shuang even if he let them go, it would ultimately create more trouble.

Why wait when he could deal with them directly now?

Once these two were dealt with, most of the formidable enemies he deemed significant would be eliminated. Only a Mud Star Beast, Su Yan, and a Blood Race member would remain.

The initially chaotic situation was steadily clarifying. Riyan was actually quite grateful to Ning Gu; had he not used his exotic treasure, Lu Ye and the insectoid female cultivator would not have been killed so easily.

It would have been quite troublesome for him and Wuyue to deal with them one by one.

To express his gratitude, Riyan decided to personally send Ning Gu on his way!

His figure flickered, and he swiftly appeared before Ning Gu and Junior Sister Shuang, unleashing a fierce punch.

Within the illusion, Ning Gu and Junior Sister Shuang were already sluggish and severely wounded. Even fighting two against one, how could they possibly be a match for Riyan? Death was their inevitable fate.