A section of the illusionary array.
Ye Cangtian shivered slightly, still feeling a bit cold after expelling the chill from his body.
He scanned his surroundings, cursing inwardly.
This Heart of the Ruins had become cunning, exploiting everyone's greed and even having a backup plan. It was likely no one expected to be trapped in an array again.
*Hoo!*
He let out a heavy breath and moved forward without a clear direction.
Unlike the stone forest or stone formations, there were no towering rocks here. Instead, there were buildings from the Sword Manor.
However, after walking for a long time, Ye Cangtian's expression turned grim. He had explored more than half of the Sword Manor before, and while he didn't know it by heart, he at least had some impression of the layout.
Yet, based on his memory, he couldn't find the location of the Dragon Group members. He hadn't even seen a single person along the way.
How was this possible?
Judging by the light pillar and the Dragon Group's previous direction, they should have been no more than a hundred to two hundred meters away...
*BOOM!*
Just then, a rumbling sound came from not far away.
Finally, he had encountered someone.
Without a word, Ye Cangtian quickly went to investigate.
It was a man in black combat attire, who had just defeated a stone figure.
The man's eyes were like lightning, glaring menacingly at Ye Cangtian, clearly having discovered him.
Yuwen Chengji?
Damn it, what a coincidence! Enemies often cross paths.
Ye Cangtian muttered to himself. He had just snatched the Heart of the Ruins in front of him, causing the man to lose face. Meeting again now, could they easily make peace?
Theoretically, Ye Cangtian didn't want to fight Yuwen Chengji. After all, they were both from Huaxia. Causing internal strife here would only benefit other factions.
"Xuan Qi, we meet again!"
"Since no one else is around, let's have a fight!"
"Whoever loses will beg for mercy and hand over all the spirit stones on their person. What do you say?"
Yuwen Chengji spoke first.
Indeed, he was filled with resentment for being beaten to the prize earlier.
But now, he wanted to make a move not just to regain his own pride, but also because he coveted the opponent's spirit stones.
In his opinion, Xuan Qi must have acquired a significant number of spirit stones to have survived this long. These shouldn't fall into the hands of the Dark Association.
Grass! So he was after the spirit stones!
Ye Cangtian was very displeased. If it were anyone else, he would have fought without hesitation. Who would care about having more spirit stones?
But facing Yuwen Chengji, he reconsidered.
So, he slowly said, "Yuwen Chengji, the true Heart of the Ruins hasn't been found yet. If you and I fight now, it will benefit neither the Hidden Group nor the Dark Association!"
"The Heart of the Ruins should naturally be the concern of the Earth-rank experts."
"Wouldn't it be better for us to settle our differences?"
As he spoke, Yuwen Chengji had already charged towards Ye Cangtian, his dagger whistling through the air, flashing with cold light.
Damn it, he's forcing my hand! Does he really think I'm a pushover!
Seeing that Yuwen Chengji was giving him no quarter, Ye Cangtian's temper flared. His figure flickered, and he met the charge head-on.
*Clang, clang, clang...*
The daggers clashed in the air, sparks flying. Just like in Roman City, they both fought with all their might but couldn't overcome each other.
"Your fighting style, it's somewhat similar to someone I know!" Yuwen Chengji frowned as they fought.
After fighting for a considerable time, the opponent's combat style felt somewhat familiar.
He's figured it out?
Damn, I was being so careful...
Ye Cangtian was startled. This guy was indeed not simple, to be able to guess partially just from his fighting style.
Given that they were already on opposing sides, if this guy discovered his true identity, he would likely report it immediately, and his identity would be exposed.
The first ones to target him would be the three Earth-rank experts from the Dark Association.
"Are you trying to distract me with these words?"
"Yuwen Chengji, isn't that too insidious? Have the people of the Hidden Group lost all shame?"
Ye Cangtian quickly changed the subject.
Upon hearing this, Yuwen Chengji let out a cold snort and stopped talking.
He was a proud person who valued fair competition. If he couldn't convince the opponent wholeheartedly, what was the point of winning?
*Clap! Clap! Clap!*
Just then, a round of applause echoed.
The two figures locked in combat immediately stopped and looked to the side.
A slender, purple-clad figure appeared. It was Nancy, the purple-robed bishop of the Palace of Light.
A confident, yet slightly mocking smile graced her beautiful face, and her graceful posture was filled with elegance as she slowly approached.
"I could have let you two fight like dogs, and then reaped the rewards," she said.
"However, that would be somewhat despicable."
"You are both opponents that I find worthy, so I've decided to give you a chance for a fair contest!"
Nancy said with a smile as she walked closer.
From the moment they competed for that precious sword earlier, she had realized that Xuan Qi and Yuwen Chengji were formidable opponents.
She had been looking for an opportunity to test her strength against them, and unexpectedly, the chance arrived so quickly.
"Heh, an uninvited guest has arrived. Xuan Qi, what do you say?"
Yuwen Chengji sneered and then looked towards Ye Cangtian.
He appeared completely unfazed by the prospect of fighting them both.
"Then what's the point of fighting! Even if I win against both of you, you'll probably say I won unfairly. I'm leaving, and we'll settle this another day!"
Ye Cangtian smiled. He was already looking for an excuse not to fight Yuwen Chengji to the death, and Nancy's appearance provided him with the perfect reason.
Seeing Ye Cangtian turn and leave, Yuwen Chengji shrugged at Nancy and then turned to leave as well.
He wasn't interested in women, at least not until he defeated Xuan Qi...
...
After parting ways with Nancy and Yuwen Chengji, Ye Cangtian continued his search for the Dragon Group and the others.
He encountered many mixed factions and killed over a dozen stone figures, but found no sign of them.
*Bang, bang, bang...*
After searching for an unknown amount of time, Ye Cangtian suddenly stopped. Rumbling sounds echoed from nearby, indicating a fierce battle in progress.
He cautiously approached, and after a short while, Ye Cangtian spotted two figures.
One of them was human, wearing a long red robe. It was Humphrey, the Red-robed Archbishop.
The other was a stone figure, but it was entirely different from the ones he had encountered before.
Its armor was majestic and imposing, resembling that of a general. The long sword in its hand was identical to the precious sword he had seized, and it emitted a faint aura.
So strong...
Watching the two fight, Ye Cangtian felt a surge of shock. A stone general was able to contend with an Earth-rank expert without being at a significant disadvantage.
Humphrey, on the other hand, was not in good condition. He had sustained some injuries and was greatly depleted, suggesting the battle had been ongoing for a long time.
"Kid, why aren't you coming over to help?"
"If I die here, your next target will be that thing."
Just then, Humphrey also spotted Ye Cangtian lurking in the shadows and quickly called out.
He himself found it difficult to deal with the stone figure. If someone could distract the stone figure's attention, it would be much easier.
"Heh, you can play by yourself. I have no such inclination!"
Ye Cangtian said with a playful smile. He had no intention of intervening.
Humphrey had previously robbed and pursued him, creating a deep enmity between them.
If he were to help him now, after defeating the stone general, he would likely become the man's next target.
Rather than that, he might as well sit back and watch the tigers fight, perhaps becoming the final beneficiary.
"Kid, if you don't come and help, believe it or not, I'll destroy you right now!"
Hearing Ye Cangtian's words, Humphrey knew what he was thinking, and a murderous intent flashed across his face.
"Idiot, can you even escape right now? And you still want to kill me? What a joke!"
Ye Cangtian said disdainfully. He could clearly see that the man was locked in a fierce battle with the stone general.
Although he had the upper hand and could spare some attention, it would be quite difficult to disengage from the fight to deal with him.
Unless he lured the stone general over, but then again, if he could lure it, wouldn't he also retreat?