Chapter 262: Enemy and Ally Numbers Change

The old man now looked at Lu Xingzhou as if he were a deity. Lu Xingzhou had only arrived at the glacier yesterday, and until dawn today, he had simply been diligently performing the medicinal herb trial. He had only been truly involved in this incident for a maximum of three hours. While many of those involved knew only a fraction of the truth, he seemed to have observed the confidential discussions of all parties from beginning to end. His judgments were precise, and he had even prepared two contingency plans. Even his final assessment that he possessed communication methods was correct.

Consequently, any other judgment he made carried extremely high persuasive power, such as his statement that Gu Zhanting would try to silence them when the time came. Whether Gu Zhanting would actually silence them was unknown to anyone. Even if Gu Zhanting himself stood there at that moment, he couldn't be sure what he would do in the future. So, Lu Xingzhou's statement was essentially a malicious speculation aimed at intimidating the old man. Of course, the actual likelihood of it happening was indeed very high, making it highly convincing.

"But..." the old man muttered dejectedly, "It's no use contacting him now. He's certainly lurking nearby, observing for the right moment himself. He won't act just because I call him."

"You are the central figure in this matter, better able to grasp the intentions of all parties than those observing remotely, and your advice carries significant weight. You just need to tell him that if he doesn't act, Si Han won't turn to attack your Sect Master either. If they drag this out any longer, Long Qinghuang will be the first to crumble, and if she retreats, all their efforts will be for naught. Tell him to act quickly."

The old man took out his communication artifact and input the message right in front of him.

At this moment, Long Qinghuang's battle was indeed challenging. She was only slightly inferior to Ye Tinglan, not by much; a decisive victory would likely take a day and a night of fighting. However, with Si Han and his Bone Dragon attacking from two sides, Long Qinghuang clearly couldn't withstand the assault. Her battle line was continuously retreating, appearing to be barely holding on. In reality, she could have called upon a peak first-rank demon expert for assistance, but she never did. This was precisely to lure the enemy step by step.

If Ye Tinglan were to feel victory was assured and Si Han suddenly turned against her, Ye Tinglan would never expect to be ambushed by the very person she came to rescue, making it highly probable she would fall. Such powerful experts are difficult to kill, but merely injuring Ye Tinglan and forcing her to recuperate for several years, like Gu Zhanting, would count as a great success in this campaign. The ideal scenario was to lure Ye Tinglan into using an attack that required soul entanglement, making it difficult for her to attend to other matters. At that moment, the Bone Dragon, fighting alongside Ye Tinglan, would suddenly turn. In that instant, Ye Tinglan would undoubtedly be in an extremely vulnerable state. Then, the ambush by the old zombie from the Great Qian imperial family would launch a surprise attack, and even if Ye Tinglan had three heads and six arms, it would be difficult for her to escape unscathed. However, Ye Tinglan remained very cautious and never presented a suitable opportunity.

Just as Long Qinghuang intended to launch a soul attack to provoke Ye Tinglan's counterattack, a sword light, like a rainbow, streaked across the evening afterglow, heading straight for Ye Tinglan's back! Ye Tinglan remained unfazed, but Long Qinghuang was stunned. This was clearly not the optimal moment to strike. Why was the ambusher attacking now? Ye Tinglan had plenty of room to maneuver at this point! But since the attack had been launched, she naturally had to cooperate, otherwise all her previous efforts would be wasted. Her continuously retreating figure suddenly stopped, and an incomparably furious draconic might burst forth, directly striking Ye Tinglan's chest. Simultaneously, Si Han, who had been fighting alongside Ye Tinglan, steered his Bone Dragon to suddenly crush down on Ye Tinglan.

Ye Tinglan's expression showed no joy or sorrow, but Lu Xingzhou's urgent telepathic message flashed through her mind: "Foolish woman, don't easily entangle your soul with others. Beware of sneak attacks, beware of Si Han." In that moment, she understood everything, and her heart was filled with extreme disappointment towards Gu Zhanting. The instant the three attacks simultaneously reached her, Ye Tinglan's body dissolved into specks of starlight, scattering into the void. All three assaults missed, colliding with each other instead, creating an earth-shattering explosion.

Lu Xingzhou's telepathic message also reached Long Qinghuang's ear: "Go." Ye Tinglan's figure had already appeared behind her, and her calm voice spoke: "Your Majesty, the Demon Empress, you've been fooled. Did you really think they would conspire with the demon race to kill me? Right now, aren't you trapped in an encirclement by three humans?"

The old man from the Great Qian imperial family and Si Han felt a jolt in their hearts, inwardly exclaiming how formidable she was. Long Qinghuang could never fully trust the Great Qian imperial family to cooperate seamlessly with her, so she maintained a degree of caution. Ye Tinglan's seemingly prescient escape from the encirclement appeared to prove everything. A single sentence caused the alliance to crumble, making genuine cooperation impossible again. At this moment, it actually seemed better to besiege the Demon Empress. If they could truly wound her severely, that would be another kind of victory.

But before their thoughts could fully form, as Ye Tinglan spoke, Long Qinghuang let out a long cry, transforming into a hundred-zhang golden dragon that smashed through the encirclement and ascended into the sky. Her dragon roar echoed through the clouds: "Humans are indeed the most untrustworthy! The feud between us will be settled another day!" The two were slow to react and couldn't stop her. Ye Tinglan appeared to try to intercept, but in reality, she twisted her slender hand and heavily struck the old man from the Great Qian imperial family: "Who are you, sir? Why hide your face behind a mask?" The old man's mind was still in turmoil. The shifting alliances and enmities changed in an instant, a situation most people's minds couldn't keep up with. He merely blocked the attack passively and silently.

Long Qinghuang led her followers away without any pressure. Her dragon eyes looked down, spotting Lu Xingzhou gazing up at the battle. Her gaze was incredibly complex, a mixture of hatred and something else unknown. A gust of fierce wind swept over Lu Xingzhou and his disciple, seemingly intending to carry them away amidst the chaos. Ye Tinglan even stopped fighting the old man from the Great Qian imperial family. She swiftly intercepted the gust of wind, placing herself in front of Lu Xingzhou.

Long Qinghuang asked, "Chen Yu... are you coming with me?" Lu Xingzhou silently retreated further behind Ye Tinglan, answering with his actions.

"Good, very good, Chen Yu. I'll remember you," Long Qinghuang's gritted voice faded as the demonic energy retreated eastward. Combining this with "Chen Yu's" final "Go" prompt, Long Qinghuang finally understood that Ye Tinglan's seemingly prescient evasion wasn't due to the Great Qian old man's actions, but rather, like herself, she had also received a warning from Chen Yu. This man had rendered all her arduous struggle pointless. She hadn't acquired the dragon bone she desired, nor had she successfully plotted against Ye Tinglan. He had sided with Tianyao Holy Land all along! Yet, he had ultimately warned her as well. This left her feeling extraordinarily conflicted.

"Upon returning, the first thing you will do is investigate! Find out Chen Yu's origins, and mobilize our forces hidden within Great Qian. Whoever captures Chen Yu alive and brings him back to the Demon Realm will be handsomely rewarded!"

Compared to the demon race, who had exhausted themselves for nothing, the more tragic figure was Si Han, Lord of Tianshuang Kingdom. His involvement in plotting against the Tianyao Saint Lord aside, the Bone Dragon he commanded was also something the old man from the Great Qian imperial family desired to seize. The original plan was to turn against him and seize the dragon after the battle, but now the situation was very troublesome. Ye Tinglan was unscathed, and a group of high-ranking Tianyao Holy Land figures were watching menacingly. The old man from the Great Qian imperial family realized he could do nothing. He looked left and right, then stomped his foot in frustration and vanished. A Transcendent-grade master was, after all, a Transcendent-grade master; if he wanted to escape, no one could stop him.

Ye Tinglan's gaze finally fell on Si Han: "Lord Si, do you have anything to say?"

Si Han was merely a peak first-rank expert. Having relied on the Bone Dragon to participate in such a Transcendent-grade battle, he was already exhausted. His reply was weak: "This matter was orchestrated by the Qian Emperor; I merely cooperated. You and I belong to different nations. Regardless of who is weakened, the demon race or Tianyao Holy Land, from my perspective, I welcome it. What's the problem? I didn't plan it. Every wrong has its source, every debt its debtor. Don't blame me for your internal strife within Great Qian."

Ye Tinglan remained noncommittal, simply asking, "What did he offer to make you cooperate? Help in subduing this Bone Dragon?" Si Han implicitly agreed. It was to help him obtain this Bone Dragon. With the help of this Bone Dragon, he could easily suppress the various sects in Tianshuang Kingdom, transforming the alliance-based nation into a unified one. In other words, Gu Zhanting had even betrayed his own elder. The imperial elder had essentially come for the Bone Dragon, unaware that Gu Zhanting had already sold it to Tianshuang Kingdom.

"Whether you were the mastermind or just cooperated, your sneak attack on me just now was real. If I don't retaliate, wouldn't the world think my Tianyao Holy Land is easily bullied?" Ye Tinglan stepped forward coldly, forming a hand seal with her slender fingers. The Bone Dragon, which could withstand a head-on confrontation with Long Qinghuang for a long time, now shrieked in agony under this simple hand seal. The phosphorescent flames in its eye sockets flickered, seemingly about to extinguish. Long Qinghuang was purely a power combatant, while Ye Tinglan was a Dao cultivator. Dao cultivators possessed a whole array of methods specifically designed to counter such "undead creatures."

Si Han, both angry and anxious, cried out in alarm, "No! Have mercy!"

Just then, the sun set, and the crescent moon reflected on the cold river. As the Bone Dragon shrieked and struggled, a roaring sound came from underground again, very similar to the seismic vibrations when the Bone Dragon first emerged from the river. It seemed something else was stirring beneath the ice. "Crash!" The already deeply collapsed ice layer collapsed further. Many people, caught off guard, fell downwards, and the groaning Bone Dragon also began to sink. Lu Xingzhou and A'Nuo couldn't fly, and being unprepared, they too had no choice but to fall.

Si Han's exasperated expression suddenly turned to terror: "This isn't some underground creature emerging from the ice! The residual power from the battle was too strong, causing the spatial rifts hidden beneath the glacier to surge chaotically! Everyone, get out of here! If you fall into a spatial rift, no one knows if you'll be able to get out!" As he shouted, Ye Tinglan had already abandoned the Bone Dragon and rushed directly towards the falling Lu Xingzhou and A'Nuo. As he fell, Lu Xingzhou first grabbed A'Nuo and threw her upwards: "Save A'Nuo first!" Ye Tinglan caught A'Nuo with one hand, and with an unknown technique, instantly sent her hundreds of miles away. Then she continued downwards, grabbing Lu Xingzhou's hand. Just as she was about to use the same method to send him out, a rift flashed nearby. Ye Tinglan inwardly cursed, instinctively shielding Lu Xingzhou with her body. Spatial turbulence could tear people apart, and the current Lu Xingzhou simply couldn't withstand it! The next moment, both of them vanished simultaneously beneath the ice. In the midst of the chaos, no one even noticed that the Sect Master had disappeared.

Si Han, amidst the chaos, found the Bone Dragon again and was about to leave with it when a black shadow silently flashed behind him, stabbing a sword into his back. The exhausted Si Han could not evade it. He barely managed to avoid a vital spot, but blood spurted from his back. He turned to see the black shadow wearing the classic mask of the Yama Palace – it was none other than the Eastern Ghost Emperor, Ji Wenchuan.

Ji Wenchuan placed a hand on the Bone Dragon's forehead. The phosphorescent flames in the Bone Dragon's eyes flickered, and it seemed to calm down under his touch. Then, he shattered the surrounding ice, and with the Bone Dragon, ascended into the sky with a roar: "Good thing I previously acquired methods from the Corpse Yin Sect. Many thanks for your generosity, Lord Si. I'll gladly take this Bone Dragon, hahahaha..." Si Han spat out a mouthful of blood, almost fainting to the ground.

Ji Wenchuan flew straight south with the Bone Dragon: "Old Lu is still smart; he knew that by hiding until the end, there might be scraps to pick up... Who would've thought that with so many Transcendent-grade masters vying for it, the Bone Dragon would end up in my hands, Old Ji's." Before he finished speaking, he saw a small figure on the glacier below running and crying: "Master, Master..." Ji Wenchuan was dumbfounded: "A'Nuo, why are you here? Isn't your master with you?" A'Nuo cried loudly: "Master just fell under the ice, and the old woman is saving him." Ji Wenchuan let out a breath: "With the Tianyao Saint Lord rescuing him, what are you afraid of?"

"What do you know..." A'Nuo wiped her tears, "Since I was born, there hasn't been a single moment I've been this far from Master..." Ji Wenchuan pulled her onto the Bone Dragon: "Your master will eventually find a wife, so you can't cling to him all the time, can you? Though this prospective wife is a bit... outrageous. Tell me, should I report this to the Yama King?"