In a dilapidated wooden building, a certain room.
Ye Cangtian gently placed Xuan Liu down, casually tore off the cloth strips, and bandaged Xuan Liu’s wound simply.
However, none of this earned Xuan Liu any goodwill, because the cloth strips were torn from her own clothes, nearly exposing her.
In her eyes, Ye Cangtian was a completely ungentlemanly, despicable, shameless, and lewd scoundrel!
“Alright, now you can fulfill your promise.”
Ye Cangtian paid no mind to Xuan Liu’s expression. After bandaging her, he extended his large hand.
“You just wait!”
Xuan Liu said through gritted teeth.
She didn't want to owe this scoundrel a favor. She took out the bag and poured the crystals onto the ground.
Then, in front of him, she began to divide them, one piece by one, to prove she wasn't reneging.
As luck would have it, the total number of crystals was odd, leaving one last spirit stone. She didn't know how to divide it; she couldn't possibly smash it and split it in half, could she?
The next moment, she glanced at Ye Cangtian and said, “Xuan Qi, you just robbed so many…”
Before she could finish, Xuan Liu’s eyes widened because the other party unhesitatingly pocketed the last crystal.
“Ahem, consider this crystal my remuneration for the bandaging. Now you can take off your mask.”
Ye Cangtian said with a slight cough.
He felt a little bad about treating a woman like this.
But there was no alternative. The other party was from the Dark Association, an enemy after all, so he couldn't let things develop unchecked.
Of course, he had also considered directly eliminating Xuan Liu.
However, after two encounters, he felt that Xuan Liu wasn't a truly wicked person, which was why he hadn't taken action.
“Hmph!”
Xuan Liu gritted her teeth in anger but couldn't say anything. After all, the other party had already bandaged her.
Besides, she had already handed over half the crystals; what was the point of holding onto this last piece?
With a cold snort, she directly removed her mask.
As the mask fell, Ye Cangtian was stunned.
Before him appeared an exquisite and cold, beautiful face. However, this face was filled with anger, and in the next second, she put the mask back on.
So it was her!
Ye Cangtian finally understood why her figure seemed so familiar.
It was Cui Yan, the lover kept by Zhou Quan in the Capital's Misty Garden!
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Ye Cangtian chuckled maliciously in his heart. Now that he knew her true identity, perhaps he could use this for something in the future…
“I’ve kept my word. Are you daring enough to show me your true face now?”
Xuan Liu said through gritted teeth.
She felt a little unwilling after her identity was revealed.
Upon hearing this, Ye Cangtian slowly shook his head and said, “According to the Dark Association’s rules, no one is allowed to inquire about the identities of others!”
You!
With those words, Xuan Liu was instantly rendered speechless, so angry that her body trembled.
Since he knew this rule, what was his behavior just now?
And speaking of which, why hadn’t she thought of this just now?
That way, she wouldn't have had to reveal her appearance.
“Alright, let’s not waste any more time. I should send you back.”
Seeing Xuan Liu’s eyes spitting fire, Ye Cangtian smiled slightly. He didn’t want to stare at each other here, as it was too time-consuming.
…
Within the Sword Manor, the sounds of battle never ceased.
Although the number of stone figures was constantly decreasing, the battles were not only between humans and stone figures, but also among the various factions.
The Heart of the Ruins was right before them, and everyone understood that other factions would inevitably fight for it.
To seize the Heart of the Ruins, they could only rely on their own abilities, employing tactics like diverting disaster and laying ambushes.
There was only one objective: to reduce the strength of the other factions.
Finally, through continuous killing, the stone figures within the city were completely cleared, and the major factions also suffered heavy losses.
Originally, there were over a thousand people who came to the Sword Manor, but by the time they reached this place, there were less than two hundred.
Now, the various factions emerged from different areas of the Sword Manor, slowly moving towards the final great sword.
Their eyes were bloodshot with the killing, and they viewed all other factions with hatred, having experienced all sorts of schemes and assassinations…
Originally, the great sword stood like a sky-piercing pillar, reaching straight into the clouds.
But upon closer inspection, it was realized that it was merely the light emitted by the great sword.
The true great sword was within the light pillar, suspended in mid-air above the ground, more than three feet long. It seemed as if a dragon shadow danced on its blade, indicating it was an unparalleled divine weapon.
Countless powerful individuals’ eyes revealed greedy gazes!
Hungry wolves! Absolutely wolves who hadn’t eaten in a lifetime!
Scanning the surviving members of each faction, Ye Cangtian couldn't help but sigh. Those greedy expressions were truly astounding.
Although he also coveted the Heart of the Ruins, he understood that seizing it with his current strength still carried considerable risk.
“Zi Long, the Heart of the Ruins is right before us. How do you think it should be distributed!”
Just then, Haesar of the Guangming Hall asked Zi Long from a distance, his voice showing no regard for the other surviving factions.
“Haesar, why don't you speak first!”
Zi Long kicked the ball back.
Among the remaining factions, only the hidden group in the dark and the Guangming Hall could attract attention. The other forces had suffered heavy losses and had no Earth-level powerhouses, making them not worth mentioning.
He believed that the other party held the same opinion, and since they had spoken up, they must have already devised a plan.
“It’s simple. You and I join forces, clear out all the other factions, and then fight each other for it. What do you say?” Haesar said without reservation.
With those words, all the factions on the scene erupted.
If it were before, the Guangming Hall and the Dark Association joining forces, they might not have been afraid, as they held a clear numerical advantage. Many ants can still bite an elephant to death!
But now it was different. They had paid a terrible price for the battles along the way.
Even combined, they numbered no more than a hundred people, and their condition was not very good, nor did they have any high-level experts. Wouldn’t that make them like lambs to the slaughter?
For a moment, everyone cast angry glances at the Guangming Hall.
They never expected the Guangming Hall, which always claimed to be righteous, to propose such a dirty scheme, which was eye-opening!
“Heh heh, Haesar, do you think we will cooperate with you?”
Before Zi Long could speak, Qing Dao stepped forward first. He had already been betrayed by the other party once, so how could he trust them lightly?
Beside him, Lan Yue slowly said, “Haesar, let’s settle this by our own means!”
Clearly, this was a refusal, but Lan Yue had another idea. Killing the remaining soldiers and scattered troops of so many factions together was not difficult, but nothing is airtight.
If this news were to reach the outside world, wouldn't the Dark Association be attacked by everyone?
Even if they were to join forces with the Guangming Hall again, they might not be able to resist, right?
What’s more, the Guangming Hall, known for breaking their promises, were true villains. Who knew if they would stab themselves in the back?
After Lan Yue finished speaking, Zi Long also spoke, “Haesar, it’s not that we don’t have the strength to seize the Heart of the Ruins. I think dealing with the Guangming Hall first is a better idea!”
A cold smile appeared on Zi Long’s face. The Guangming Hall had already troubled the Dark Association before. Now, taking advantage of the Guangming Hall’s weakness to eliminate them first was also a good choice.
Heh heh, if a real fight breaks out, that would be even better.
Behind the three Earth-level powerhouses, Ye Cangtian’s face showed a smile.
If the Dark Association and the Guangming Hall fought each other to the death, the ultimate beneficiary would be the Huaxia Hidden Group.
On the other side.
Haesar, who also saw the attitude of the Dark Association, immediately had a gloomy expression.
He pondered for a moment and slowly said, “Zi Long, you must know that the Dark Association’s opponents are not only the Guangming Hall, but also the Huaxia Hidden Group. Our conflict will make them the happiest!”
“That’s true. Those shameless people from the Hidden Group are still hiding in the dark. I wonder what they’re plotting!”
“How about this, we attack together and force them out!”
Zi Long smiled slightly, his smile filled with ruthlessness, and his gaze flickered towards the Huaxia Dragon Group in another area.
“Good!”
Haesar also showed a smile. The Hidden Group had never shown themselves, so their scale, strength, and numbers were all unknown.
If he wasn’t confident, he truly wouldn't dare to fight for the Heart of the Ruins with all his might.
“Wait, sir! Should we call out that old bastard Humphrey before we make a move?”
Just as Zi Long and Haesar were walking towards the Dragon Group together, Ye Cangtian suddenly spoke.