Chapter 490: Who Schemes Against Whom

Wu Manyue's movement technique was far slower than Jiang Fan's. It took her a while to catch up, panting heavily.

"Is this the place?" Wu Manyue looked around, a puzzled expression on her face. The area was empty, with no sign of strategic materials hidden anywhere.

Jiang Fan said, "I once read an ancient text stating that after the War of the Ancient Giants ended, the sages hid the remaining strategic materials near this location. Let's search together and see if we can find anything. Whoever finds it first gets to examine the Thunder Origin Token." As he spoke, Jiang Fan immediately began searching quickly for suspicious mechanisms.

Wu Manyue's spirits lifted. She had been coveting the cultivation method on the Thunder Origin Token. And who got to see it first, and who second? This wasn't just a matter of sequence. It was a question of whether the latter would even get a chance to see it! What if Jiang Fan saw it first and then refused to return it? She couldn't defeat him in a fight, and Jiang Fan's seniors were all nearby. She had to seize this opportunity! She quickly scanned her surroundings with hurried eyes.

Suddenly, she noticed a protruding brick in the wall. Compared to the other neatly laid bricks with no gaps—not even a knife blade could fit through—this protruding brick stood out conspicuously.

She was about to walk over to it, but then her eyes darted. *Wait.* "How could Jiang Fan have not noticed such an obvious protrusion, especially since he's been here for so long? Could it be that he sensed some danger? Did he deliberately pretend not to see it? Does he want me to trigger it for him?"

Thinking this, she sneered inwardly, "Does he think Wu Manyue is so easily fooled?" Her shrewd eyes glinted. She turned the tables on Jiang Fan, saying, "Oh, Junior Brother Jiang, there's a brick sticking out here in the wall. Could this be the mechanism you mentioned?"

She wanted to see how Jiang Fan would react. If he feigned surprise but hesitated to approach, it would confirm that the mechanism was dangerous. If he pretended to compete for it, he was likely luring her into activating it. Either way, she wouldn't fall for it.

Hearing this, Jiang Fan suddenly turned around. His gaze followed Wu Manyue's pointing finger, and a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. But he quickly concealed it. He said nonchalantly, "There's nothing special about it, is there? Just a protruding brick." Yet, his body was subtly moving toward the protruding brick.

This sneaky, fox-like movement made Wu Manyue pause. It was completely different from what she had expected. Could Jiang Fan genuinely not have noticed this protruding brick earlier? Had she overthought it? Her eyes shifted, and suppressing her impulse, she continued to probe, "Really? I somehow feel like it *is* the mechanism. Let me try!"

She extended her hand and reached for the brick. If Jiang Fan retreated at this point, it would be 100% confirmation that the mechanism was dangerous and he was setting a trap. If he still calmly came to snatch it, it would still mean he was acting.

*Boom—* Her vision suddenly darkened. Before she could react, the Five Magnetism Elemental Mountain struck her head-on. With a loud *thud*, Wu Manyue was sent flying. She cried out in shock and anger, "What are you doing?!"

Jiang Fan, smiling, retrieved his Five Magnetism Elemental Mountain and cupped his hands, saying, "My apologies, Senior Sister Wu. All's fair in war. I discovered this mechanism first." He immediately moved with lightning speed, pressing the brick.

Wu Manyue was stunned. She wished she could slap herself. "Wu Manyue, you outsmarted yourself! You were the one who found the mechanism first, but you just handed the opportunity to Jiang Fan!!"

The more she thought about it, the more enraged she became. She couldn't believe she had done something so foolish! Seeing Jiang Fan about to press the mechanism, and knowing she was sent flying dozens of feet away with no time to compete, she gritted her teeth.

She decisively pulled out a palm-sized jade figurine. A drop of her essence blood was on its forehead, and her name was inscribed on its chest. With a forceful throw, the jade figurine struck Jiang Fan. A miraculous scene unfolded. The jade figurine transformed into Wu Manyue out of thin air. Meanwhile, where Wu Manyue had been lying, a jade figurine now rested. Wu Manyue sneered, "My apologies, but *I* found this place first, Junior Brother!"

She channeled power into her palm. She struck the unsuspecting Jiang Fan, sending him flying. Then, she decisively pressed the brick mechanism!

However, something made her slightly pause. She hadn't used much force, yet Jiang Fan flew a considerable distance. Looking closely, he was actually using a movement technique, rapidly retreating far away from her and the mechanism.

Wu Manyue's heart sank. "I... I've been tricked?" She tried to pull her hand back, but it was too late.

She heard a *click*. Immediately, a terrifying, destructive green light, no less powerful than a Nascent Soul stage attack, erupted. It swept radially across an area of ten zhang (approx. 30 meters) around her. It appeared incredibly fast and disappeared just as quickly. It lasted less than a tenth of a breath. It was just a fleeting flash. But Wu Manyue, who had pressed the mechanism, had her body reduced to mere fragments, like paper money burnt to ash, scattering entirely as dust, blown away by the wind!

Jiang Fan, observing from a distance, was greatly astonished and broke out in a cold sweat. "A Nascent Soul strike? It's actually this dangerous?"

The Evil Spirit, understanding, said, "This mechanism wasn't designed to eliminate enemies. It was set up to prevent accidental activation by birds or beasts, which could expose the hidden space. If it were meant to kill enemies, given the sages' power, the mechanism's might would be far greater than this."

Though that was the case, for the humans of the Nine Sects Continent, it was an extremely dangerous mechanism. It was fortunate he had found someone to take the fall. Otherwise, no matter how many methods Jiang Fan possessed, he wouldn't have been able to block that last attack.

*Crack—* Suddenly, in the distance, the small jade figurine with a drop of blood on its forehead and Wu Manyue's name on its chest suddenly shattered. Amidst the fragments, Wu Manyue's form reappeared. Her face was pale, and she crouched on the ground, clutching her rapidly pounding chest and gasping for breath.

Jiang Fan wasn't particularly surprised. The fact that she had escaped pursuit from the Demon Race's High Priest showed she was far from ordinary. Her escaping this current peril was within his expectations. He clapped his hands, praising, "Senior Sister Wu's methods are impressive. This junior brother truly admires you."

Hearing these words, Wu Manyue abruptly lifted her head, drew her dagger, and charged at Jiang Fan without a word. She roared, "You utterly damned scoundrel! I knew you invited me here with ill intentions!!!" Another one of her life-saving magical treasures was gone! This was a substitute puppet, comparable to a spatial scroll!

Jiang Fan, with a half-smile, took out the Five Magnetism Elemental Mountain and said, "I don't understand what you mean, Senior Sister Wu. You struck me away to seize the mechanism yourself. How does that make *me* ill-intentioned?" Wu Manyue gritted her teeth, ignoring everything else as she lunged to attack. She couldn't explain the intricate details of the situation, but both she and Jiang Fan knew perfectly well whether he had set a trap!

Just as the two were about to clash, a buzzing sound vibrated! The city wall beneath their feet began to strangely warp. It rippled like the surface of a calm lake disturbed by a small boat. Immediately after, a dark, lusterless opening appeared within the distortion. Spatial energy emanated from its surroundings. It was clearly the entrance to that space!