Chapter 79: The Moment of Action

At this critical moment, Du Yuan and Rui Xiang set aside their differences and joined forces to search. However, Qian Ye’s concealment was too perfect, and no matter how hard the two formidable figures tried, they could not pinpoint his location.

Qian Ye’s lock-on became intermittent, clearly indicating that their search had threatened him. But this was of little use, as Qian Ye could still launch an attack in the instant he was detected, so Du Yuan and Rui Xiang remained on high alert.

Du Yuan and Rui Xiang exchanged a glance and continued their search.

In this vast, complex, and desolate region, the three began a long and arduous test of patience and primordial force consumption. Qian Ye needed to maintain the threat to the two, which inevitably drained his resources. Though his expenditure was relatively lower, Du Yuan and Rui Xiang were both at the seventeenth rank, far surpassing Qian Ye. In terms of primordial force, they were confident they would prevail.

A night passed in the blink of an eye.

Du Yuan’s breaths grew slightly labored, while Rui Xiang’s face appeared somewhat pale. Even with their advanced cultivation, staying vigilant all night had left them extremely weary. Yet, until this point, Qian Ye’s sporadic lock-ons persisted, and his concealment remained flawless.

Du Yuan let out a long sigh, his brows suddenly furrowed. Just as he straightened up, he hunched over again. In that brief moment, he sensed another lock-on, but it disappeared once he resumed his defensive posture.

Once again, Qian Ye had executed his move flawlessly, giving no hint of his position.

Du Yuan gave a wry smile and said, “Is this Qian Ye really only at the thirteenth rank?”

“Absolutely! I nearly caught him; how could I be wrong?”

Du Yuan shook his head, “If not for my preconceived notions, I would rather believe he is at the sixteenth rank, or even the seventeenth.”

Rui Xiang remained silent for a moment before saying, “Even if that’s the case, let’s not talk about it now.”

But Du Yuan ignored him and muttered, “Truly, boundless potential.”

Rui Xiang’s expression turned grim, and he grunted, speechless. At such a young age, Qian Ye’s thirteenth-rank cultivation was already rare. More impressive was his incredibly pure primordial force, promising a bright future, and his possession of powerful secret techniques. Such a person, if he became an enemy, should be eliminated immediately. Otherwise, once Qian Ye matured, there would be no choice but to flee.

Du Yuan sighed, “We have no way out now. The best course of action is to do everything possible to kill him. Director Rui, where exactly is Song Zining?”

Rui Xiang frowned, “What do you have in mind?”

“It’s simple. Use Song Zining as bait to lure Qian Ye out and eliminate him.”

Rui Xiang’s heart raced. After a long pause, he asked, “Are there no other options?”

Du Yuan sighed, “Do you have a way to find Qian Ye? If so, then there’s a solution.”

“But Qian Ye is exceptionally skilled in evasion. Don’t forget, he has escaped from the Wolf King more than once. If he senses danger and decides to run, we might not be able to stop him.”

“As long as he shows himself, we can keep him here.”

Rui Xiang probed, “Are you thinking of seeking help from the Wolf King? That’s not feasible. The Wolf King was severely injured and will need at least a month to recover.”

Du Yuan said, “I will request the Lady to intervene.”

“Lady…” Rui Xiang looked at Du Yuan with trepidation. The Lady was always mysterious and low-profile, and almost no one had seen her in action. Yet, her primordial force purity was almost at its peak. Given enough time, she would certainly reach the rank of a divine general.

Rui Xiang hadn’t expected Du Yuan to have a connection with the Lady, and to be able to call upon her assistance.

Du Yuan was always cautious and would not exaggerate. When he said the Lady could handle Qian Ye, he was certain. In terms of actual combat power, if Qian Ye did not flee, both Du Yuan and Rui Xiang were confident they could defeat him. But the battlefield is not a dueling arena. Qian Ye’s gun was immensely powerful, capable of a guaranteed kill, and he could retreat swiftly, evading even the Wolf King. Such a person was the most terrifying existence on the battlefield, a deterrent far beyond mere combat strength.

Both Du Yuan and Rui Xiang knew well that, without the support of Chaocheng, constant supplies, and rest, prolonged confrontation in the wilderness would mean certain death for them.

However, Rui Xiang seemed hesitant and unwilling to commit. Du Yuan didn’t force the issue, and the search went on. It now came down to who had the stronger will and who made the last mistake.

Yet, remembering Yu Mingkang’s description of Qian Ye, neither Rui Xiang nor Du Yuan felt as confident.

At that very moment, less than three hundred meters away, Qian Ye lay hidden among a pile of boulders, intently watching Du Yuan and Rui Xiang, who strolled like casual pedestrians. Qian Ye’s breath was steady, his energy full, completely unlike the exhausted state Du Yuan and Rui Xiang imagined.

Had they seen Qian Ye in this state, they might have immediately returned to the city, requesting Luo Bingfeng or the mysterious woman to take over. Unfortunately, they did not see him.

Above the blood core, the Book of Black appeared and disappeared, occasionally infusing a thread of vital blood into the core. In the recent battle, Qian Ye used Vitality Seizure in the final moments, enabling him to sustain the fight and defeat Yu Mingkang. The excess vital blood, which he couldn’t absorb, was absorbed by the Book of Black and now replenished his spent resources.

With the Book of Black, Qian Ye’s endurance far exceeded expectations, making him practically invincible below the rank of a divine general.

Qian Ye was now a hunter, patiently waiting for the prey to exhaust themselves before striking. Patience was something he never lacked.

Within five hundred meters, engaging with two formidable figures was like dancing on a knife’s edge, constantly at risk of exposure, and Qian Ye had to maintain the lock-on, increasing the difficulty tenfold. Yet, as the day wore on, Qian Ye made not even the slightest error. This process honed his combat skills, refining his concealment, movement, and ambush tactics.

Time slipped by, and the intense sun bore down, causing the ground to emit scorching heat waves, making everyone dizzy and disoriented.

As he locked onto Rui Xiang once more, Du Yuan suddenly stumbled, his protective primordial force fluctuating. For ordinary people, this might be negligible, but for Qian Ye, Du Yuan, and Rui Xiang, it was a critical flaw.

Qian Ye’s hands trembled almost instinctively, and the muzzle of Burying Heart shifted imperceptibly, redirecting its aim from Rui Xiang to Du Yuan.

In that instant, Du Yuan, sensing impending doom, changed his expression dramatically. His body morphed into a blur, attempting to evade the fatal shot. Rui Xiang, on the other hand, leaped back, trying to distance himself from Du Yuan to avoid being caught in the crossfire. Simultaneously, he glanced toward Qian Ye’s hiding spot, now aware of his presence.

In that split second, a flash of insight surged through Qian Ye’s mind, forcing him to halt the shifting gun. A beam of light shot out, tracing a graceful arc, heading towards Rui Xiang.

Rui Xiang’s face twisted in shock, and he shouted, “Old fool, you betrayed me!” He leaped, disappearing into a swirling mass of black and white energy.

The next moment, a swirl of black and white energy appeared a hundred meters away, and Rui Xiang emerged from it. This void-jump-like technique was his ultimate evasion move. As Rui Xiang leaped out, relief and dread filled his face, while a flicker of disappointment crossed Du Yuan’s eyes.

Just as the beam of light was about to miss, it suddenly turned, plunging into the dissipating black and white energy, re-emerging above Rui Xiang and descending!

Terrified, Rui Xiang screamed, tucking his knees and twisting his body desperately.

The light beam grazed him, drawing a large splash of blood and sending a severed leg flying. With a horrific scream, Rui Xiang fled towards Chaocheng, not daring to look back.

Fortunately, the light beam dissipated, having exhausted its power. Another strike would have been fatal.

Du Yuan, his face slightly pale, watched the severed leg fall from the sky. The leg was lifeless, resembling wood or stone, irreparable unless immersed in an ancient blood pool. But where in the Neutral Zone would such a pool be found? Thus, Rui Xiang abandoned the leg in his escape.

At this point, Qian Ye emerged from the rocks, addressing Du Yuan, “Thank you, Elder.”

Du Yuan replied, “No need to thank me; I merely wanted to draw you out.”

Qian Ye said, “Now that I’m here, why don’t you act?”

Du Yuan sighed, his voice filled with desolation, “What’s the point? You still have the strength to escape. Sigh, I am old, so very old.”

Though Qian Ye was drained, his energy remained stable, indicating he still had fighting power. Clad in heavy armor, Du Yuan knew he couldn’t catch Qian Ye and saw no sense in futile effort.

Qian Ye put away Burying Heart, saying, “I cannot kill you now. Out of respect for the opportunity you provided, let us end this battle. Until dawn, I won’t make a move, and you can clean up. After that, everything resumes. But let me warn you, our next encounter may not be as favorable for you.”

“Halt!” Du Yuan called out, his voice cold, “Youthful arrogance. Do you think I am not your match? Dare you to a duel to the death?”

Qian Ye, undaunted, calmly pointed to the ground, “This is a battlefield, not a dueling ground. On a dueling ground, many in Chaocheng could defeat me, but here, in this vast wilderness, anyone below the rank of a divine general will fall to my gun!”

His words were resolute, exuding dominance.

Du Yuan, unable to refute, was seized by anger and a sudden rush of blood, causing his vision to go dark. Drawing on his experience, he maintained composure, using his primordial force to suppress the surging blood.

He cast a deep look at Qian Ye, then turned and walked away as if nothing had happened. Qian Ye did not pursue, leaving only after Du Yuan’s figure vanished.

Upon entering Chaocheng, Du Yuan could no longer hold back, spewing a mouthful of black blood.