Coming back to this place again, she was stunned. Now, searching for the Soul-Swapping Pearl in this endless desert of yellow sand was going to take a lot of effort.
"For now, we can only search bit by bit. The Soul-Swapping Pearl doesn't have intelligence, but when I first encountered it, it was moving. So, we've got no choice but to comb through slowly. There's no other way."
After saying that helplessly, Liu Lanyi dove into the yellow sands and began her search. Song Wanníng could only follow her. She spread her divine sense, sweeping through the boundless desert in search of any trace of the pearl.
…
On the other side, the formation's energy had already dropped by half. The attacks had stopped, leaving behind only the trapping effect.
Gong Ye stood within the formation, his body battered and covered in bruises, his face pale and exhausted. For the past half month, he'd endured constant attacks, hardly able to catch his breath, let alone rest. His mind had been stretched to the breaking point.
Even though he'd crossed over into this world, he still held on to his past-life habits. Every so often, he needed sleep to relieve the pressure in his heart.
But after going a month or two without sleep, the fatigue was crushing him. He sat down, his expression dark, eyes fixed on the formation, calculating how he could break free of it.
Liu Lanyi had only ascended from the lower world, so how in the hell did she know such a profound formation? He couldn't figure it out.
Beside him, Hua Kongque lay weakly on the ground, completely drained of strength. Over these days, it was only thanks to the man beside her who'd shielded her from most of the attacks that she hadn't died already. Her Primordial Soul hadn't healed yet, and without him, she wouldn't have lasted. She raised her eyes to Gong Ye, and a strange warmth stirred in her chest.
This man was tall and imposing, his cultivation deep and unfathomable. From any angle, he was the finest of the fine. When she was at her most helpless, he'd stood by her side. If only…
A trace of light flashed in her eyes, and she began imagining the wonderful days that might lie ahead. But then she looked at her own pitiful state, and her hatred for Song Wanníng flared once again. If not for that woman, how could she have been so humiliated when meeting Gong Ye?
He would've fallen for her at first sight!
While Hua Kongque was lost in resentment, Gong Ye suddenly received a message talisman.
The moment he listened, his aura changed completely.
Killing intent erupted, impossible to suppress.
Hua Kongque looked at him in confusion. "Beast King, what's wrong?"
Her face was full of concern, worried he'd run into trouble. But for some reason, when Gong Ye turned his gaze on her, the emotions hidden in his eyes made her shiver with fear.
"Beast King, why… why aren't you saying anything?"
Being stared at like that made her scalp go numb. She forced a smile, though inside she was trembling. She was a proud woman, yet right now her heart was a jumble of nerves and, strangely, a faint thrill from being the focus of the man she admired.
Gong Ye's eyes grew colder, killing intent leaking through no matter how hard he tried to suppress it. He curled his lips into a faint smile. "The Peacock Clan has joined hands with the Serpent Clan and they're attacking my Bai Yao Palace."
The short sentence froze Hua Kongque where she sat.
"That's impossible!"
She blurted out instinctively. She'd never heard of such a thing before leaving home.
But when she met Gong Ye's half-smile, her certainty began to waver.
Her father often included her in clan discussions, but she'd rarely taken interest. And this time, she'd been away for so long because of the Beast King's Map auction that she truly had no idea what had happened lately.
"I… I can message my father. I'll tell him to withdraw this decision…"
Her voice was panicked. Gong Ye's gaze was simply terrifying.
This wasn't how he'd looked at her before!
She tried to push herself up, but her face turned paler by the second. A muffled groan slipped out as a mouthful of blood surged up her throat.
Gong Ye looked at her without a trace of pity.
Too many women liked him.
Hua Kongque was nothing special. He'd saved her only because she was Song Wanníng's enemy.
But now she'd become his enemy as well.
"Heh…"
A low laugh slipped from his throat. The next instant, his hand shot out, a massive palm descending toward her skull. It was one thing for Song Wanníng to scheme against him, but for the Peacock Clan to ally with the Snake Clan? That was intolerable!
He would start with Hua Kongque and deliver the Peacock Clan a bloody warning!
"No!"
Sensing the overwhelming killing intent, Hua Kongque's face went pale. She unleashed her Five-Colored Divine Light, trying to absorb every bit of energy she could. But her damaged Primordial Soul had long since weakened the light. Against Gong Ye, she didn't stand a chance.
Watching his palm fall, she couldn't even move, only stare in despair. In that instant, Hua Kongque gave up all hope. Her eyes were filled with regret and heartbreak. She never thought she'd die by the hand of the man she loved.
Boom!
The palm struck without mercy, no miracle to save her. Her body exploded into a bloody mist, her Primordial Soul shattering with it. Only scattered chunks of flesh and drifting blood remained, dyeing the earth crimson.
Gong Ye's gaze held no emotion, only surging hatred.
The Peacock Clan dared to plot against him? Then they could wait for his wrath!
He began hammering the formation with brute force, desperate to break free.
Bai Yao Palace was in danger, and he had to return immediately!
…
At that moment, on the battlefield where the Peacock Clan was striking at Bai Yao Palace, the clan's patriarch suddenly coughed blood and fell from the sky as if struck by lightning.
"Patriarch, are you alright?"
"Patriarch, what happened?"
The beast cultivators rushed forward, their faces full of panic.
But the patriarch didn't seem to hear them. He forced out another mouthful of blood and cast it into the air.
In the next moment, a bloody vision formed overhead: the scene of Hua Kongque being smashed to pieces by Gong Ye's palm.
Pfft!
The patriarch's fury and grief overwhelmed him, blood spilling again as his body trembled within a terrifying aura.
The gathered cultivators fell silent, disbelief written across their faces.
After a few breaths, they finally came back to their senses.
Murderous intent erupted, eyes blazing red.
"Gong Ye dared to kill our young mistress? Kill him!"
"Yes! Bai Yao Palace and the Peacock Clan are enemies of blood! We'll kill Gong Ye and avenge the young mistress!"