Li Jia Yi understood immediately and withdrew his domain, making a swift escape.
On the other side, Bai Ye had done all he could. Whether Li Jia Yi and Hamir could escape was no longer his concern. Transforming into a bolt of electricity, Bai Ye vanished.
About fifteen minutes later, Bai Ye reappeared on the rooftop of a hotel.
He went downstairs to the entrance of a presidential suite.
Presidential suites were for the wealthy and influential, rarely occupied. Electronic locks were no challenge for Bai Ye; a surge of electricity from his fingertips automatically opened the door.
Bai Ye entered, closed the door, and sank into the sofa.
Now, he could only wait.
The plan should have succeeded in theory, but its actual success remained unknown.
It depended partly on whether Li Jia Yi and Hamir could escape, and also on whether Situ Chi Cheng had other means of tracking them beyond the Sky Eye Wave Sense tactical vehicle, which had been destroyed.
Aside from Situ Chi Cheng's situation, Bai Ye was waiting for...
Li Jia Yi!
"I've kept my promise," Bai Ye murmured. "I hope you will too!"
As he thought this, Bai Ye casually tossed out two beast-taming orbs, assigning Necturna and Gengar to guard him. He then closed his eyes and drifted into a semi-conscious sleep.
The consecutive battles had indeed been exhausting. Situ Chi Cheng and his companions were formidable opponents.
When Bai Ye awoke, it was already past midnight. He rubbed his eyes, turned on the television, and opened the refrigerator for food.
As expected of a presidential suite, the refrigerator was well-stocked. Bai Ye grabbed a packet of ready-to-eat ham and a bottle of beer, returning to the sofa.
On the television screen, despite the late hour, the news was lively, primarily reporting on the destruction and casualties caused by the recent events.
Furthermore, the three highest governing bodies of Hunters—the Hunter Alliance, the Hunter Committee, and the Hunter Supervisory Board—had simultaneously announced that Hunters would pursue the criminals with full force.
However, Bai Ye felt such pronouncements were mere rhetoric.
Situ Chi Cheng had pursued Hamir all night, but where were the Hunters?
When Bai Ye, Li Jia Yi, and Hamir had first engaged Situ Chi Cheng, the battle had been fierce, reducing several riverside shops to ruins. Had the Hunters appeared then?
The combat prowess displayed far exceeded what Hunters could handle.
Even their greatest reliance, technological weaponry, was outmatched by the advanced weapons wielded by the two Iron-Blooded Warriors.
The Hunters dared not interfere.
Bai Ye watched the news not for the Hunters' boasts, but to see if there were any follow-up reports.
The good news was that there weren't, which meant Li Jia Yi and Hamir had likely escaped successfully.
Moreover, after more than ten hours, there had been no new action from Situ Chi Cheng's side, indicating that besides the Sky Eye Wave Sense tactical vehicle, Situ Chi Cheng likely had no other means to locate them.
The problem, then, was Li Jia Yi.
Bai Ye moved to the window, opening a small gap. He gazed out at the night.
Suddenly, a flash of lightning illuminated the dark sky.
About five minutes later, Bai Ye's den-den mushi rang.
Li Jia Yi's gritted-teeth voice came through: "What do you want?"
Bai Ye replied, "I've always believed a person should have integrity. Only by fulfilling their promises can they be considered a person."
Li Jia Yi countered, "The matter isn't over yet. There's still more than a day until the wish mission ends."
Bai Ye stated, "The Sky Eye Wave Sense tactical vehicle is destroyed, and more than ten hours have passed with no action from Situ Chi Cheng. This means they are largely incapacitated. However, do you believe I can lead them to you?"
"Just say what you need to say," Li Jia Yi sighed. "Why cause trouble for everyone? What do you think the World Battlefield is?"
Bai Ye responded, "A damn broken place."
"I didn't ask for your opinion," Li Jia Yi said helplessly. "Let's put it this way: everyone believes the World Battlefield was created by some unknown deity, and there are many rumors about it. You must have heard them."
"Yes!" Bai Ye replied. "The most widespread one is that the deities were bored and created it for entertainment."
"Heh heh..." Li Jia Yi chuckled humorlessly, clearly disagreeing. He continued, "Are the God Disciples people who work for the deities?"
Bai Ye asked, "Aren't they? You said so yourself earlier."
"I did," Li Jia Yi admitted. "But this raises a question: if the World Battlefield was built by deities, would they need God Disciples to do their bidding? Everything within the World Battlefield belongs to the deities. Can't they obtain anything they want? In fact, everything we possess was bestowed by the deities, wasn't it?"
Bai Ye frowned. "So, you're implying the World Battlefield wasn't built by deities?"
"You can ponder that," Li Jia Yi said. "However, building on my previous question, if deities truly require people to act for them in the World Battlefield, are they the sole controllers of everything, or merely participants?"
Bai Ye followed up, "Then, is there a third question: why don't the deities intervene themselves?"
"Wow, that's a good question," Li Jia Yi laughed. "Why would they need God Disciples?"
Bai Ye retorted, "Are you playing a nested doll game with me? These kinds of deductive questions are difficult to answer, and one question leads to another."
"Perhaps," Li Jia Yi shrugged. "In fact, I think I've revealed enough. Can you honestly say these two questions haven't given you any enlightenment?"
Bai Ye pressed, "You promised to tell me what you knew."
Li Jia Yi replied, "I said I would tell you, not how much I would tell you."
Bai Ye sneered, "Are you playing word games with me?"
"Think whatever you like. Even if you threaten me with lightning, it's useless. I've said what I can. It's either this or we part ways. Do you think the God Disciples won't come after you? Time is so tight now. If we expose ourselves further, they might not have time to bother with me and Hamir."
Bai Ye warned, "A reminder, the wish mission isn't over yet. Do you know who my target is?"
"Alright, alright," Li Jia Yi sighed. "Given that you're being hunted by God Disciples, and with your strength, you'll eventually stumble upon these matters, I'll give you one more small hint."
Bai Ye inquired, "Yes?"
Li Jia Yi suggested, "Penglai, Fanghu, Yingzhou. Any of these three places will do. If you have the chance, go take a look yourself. I believe after you've seen them, you'll understand many things."
...