Chapter 290: Two Tigers Lock in Combat

After rescuing Li Luo and clearing out the surging Other Beasts, Jiang Jiang Qinge and her group quickly returned to the high wall of the stronghold.

As for the other Other Beasts, because the Smiling Face Demon and the Three-Tailed Giant Beast had fallen into fierce combat, they had no time to pursue, and after only a brief entanglement they scattered one after another.

Li Luo's return drew everyone's attention.

Whether they were students of the Second Star House or the Third Star House, all of them now looked at the extremely exhausted Li Luo with eyes full of admiration and gratitude.

They all knew very well that Li Luo had saved everyone in this stronghold.

If he hadn't taken the enormous risk to carry out a plan that everyone considered a fantasy, then all of them would probably have already been torn apart and devoured by those Other Beasts.

Everyone knew that if they could truly return safely to the Sacred Profound Star Academy this time, Li Luo's reputation within the academy would surely surge because of this.

And the academy should also give him commendation and rewards.

From now on, Li Luo would be a genuine figure of renown within the Sacred Profound Star Academy.

Jiang Jiang Qinge helped Li Luo to a stone block on the high wall to rest, and only then did the crowd gather around.

"Li Luo, you're really something, you actually managed to lure the Three-Tailed Giant Beast over here, how did you do it!" Tian Tian said, her beautiful eyes shining with wonder as she gazed at Li Luo, sighing in admiration again and again.

Li Luo pondered and said: "The moment it saw me, it chased me relentlessly. I suspect it was jealous of my looks."

Tian Tian let out a snort of laughter, and the others also showed smiles. In the past they might have thought Li Luo was just thick-skinned, but now they found him genuinely funny—completely double standards.

"It's a good thing the captain insisted on bringing you along for this Purification Mission. If you hadn't been here, I'm afraid we would all have died here."

Senior Qiu Bai also sighed and said: "As expected, the captain is invincible and never wrong. I feel ashamed for having questioned the captain's decision before."

Tian Tian cast him a contemptuous glance—that flattery was far too clumsy.

But then, who could have imagined that the one who ultimately rescued this stronghold from its desperate situation was neither Jiang Jiang Qinge nor Du Ze Duze Honglian, but rather a newcomer entering the Dark Cave for the first time?

Li Luo's performance this time was truly unbelievable.

Bai Bai Mengmeng and Student Xin Fu also squeezed their way over.

The girl's pure and sweet little face was full of worship as she said: "Captain, from today on, you are my idol at the Sacred Profound Star Academy."

Li Luo humbly waved his hand.

Student Xin Fu beside him also sighed: "Captain, the moment you left the stronghold, I had even picked out an epitaph for you. But it's fine, something like that will always come in handy someday."

Li Luo's face darkened, and he fixed Student Xin Fu with a hostile stare—was this kid cursing him?

If you can't speak properly, then learn from Bai Mengmeng.

But at this moment, waves of grateful and well-meaning voices kept coming from all around, so Li Luo had no choice but to ignore Student Xin Fu, that jinx, and greet them with a smile.

Du Ze Duze Honglian stood at the outer edge of the crowd, arms crossed over her chest, watching the scene with cold eyes. Li Luo's popularity and reputation were clearly soaring at this moment.

However, regarding this popularity and reputation, even though Du Ze Duze Honglian and Li Luo were on opposing sides, she couldn't find any fault with it.

Because this was something Li Luo had traded his life for.

The courage and boldness within it were truly remarkable.

Previously, Du Ze Duze Honglian hadn't really taken Li Luo seriously. She had only regarded Jiang Jiang Qinge as her greatest rival. But after this stronghold crisis, the danger level she assigned to Li Luo in her heart suddenly shot up.

Compared to the dazzling, sharp-edged Jiang Jiang Qinge, this young manor master of House Luolan Manor appeared unusually low-key and unremarkable, but in terms of actual danger, he was no less than Jiang Jiang Qinge.

No wonder the situation in House Luolan Manor had gradually stabilized over the past half year or so since he appeared.

They had previously thought it was Jiang Jiang Qinge's doing alone, but now it seemed Li Luo had also contributed greatly.

Du Ze Duze Honglian's eyes flickered, and in the end she said nothing. Li Luo had rescued the stronghold this time, so in a sense, she owed him a personal favor.

Of course, turning enemies into friends was impossible, because the difference in their positions meant they could only ever be enemies.

The commotion on the high wall continued for quite a while, until finally a violent explosion of energy came from the distant stronghold, and only then did those gazes shift toward the frenzied battlefield in the distance.

Li Luo, who had rested for a while, also stood up and came to the edge of the high wall, looking out at that place with Jiang Jiang Qinge and the others.

There, two inhuman beings—a fierce beast and an Other Beast—were locked in a fierce slaughter. Wild energy and dark, sinister power of malice constantly crashed against each other, and the resulting commotion had torn the plains outside the stronghold into a scarred, riddled mess.

Every violent collision made everyone's eyelids twitch.

That kind of power was truly domineering to the extreme.

"How's it looking? Who's going to win?" Li Luo asked.

Jiang Jiang Qinge watched for a while and said: "The Three-Tailed Giant Beast has a great advantage. This spirit beast's strength is quite extraordinary. The previous rumors that it was attempting to break through to the Marquis rank don't seem entirely false. From the very start of this battle, it has been suppressing the Smiling Face Demon."

"And although the Smiling Face Demon is a Greater Calamity Other Beast, in terms of pure frontal combat power, it's still somewhat inferior. On top of that, the Smiling Face Demon had previously used its Origin of Malice to break through the stronghold's Purification Light Shield, which cost it a great deal. Now that it's fighting the Three-Tailed Giant Beast, it's suffered considerable losses."

In the end, she concluded: "If nothing unexpected happens, the Smiling Face Demon will ultimately be defeated by the Three-Tailed Giant Beast."

"However, although the Three-Tailed Giant Beast has the advantage, if it wants to kill the Smiling Face Demon, it should also pay a considerable price."

Li Luo's eyes flickered slightly at this. It matched his initial prediction. The outcome he most hoped for was one dead and one wounded.

And once the Three-Tailed Giant Beast was injured as well, the sealing talisman in his hand would be able to come into play.

How exciting.

Under Li Luo's anticipation, time gradually passed, and the battle between the Three-Tailed Giant Beast and the Smiling Face Demon grew increasingly intense and bloody.

Both sides poured out every means at their disposal, completely seeing red with killing intent.

The earth was a scene of devastation. On the Three-Tailed Giant Beast's massive body, one after another vicious wounds appeared, deep enough to expose bone, while black energy flowed through the wounds, eroding flesh and blood.

The Smiling Face Demon's situation was even worse. On its burly, small-giant-like body, claw marks had nearly torn its body apart. If Other Beasts weren't inherently twisted and grotesque, these wounds would probably have been enough to take its life.

But even so, at this point it had been thoroughly grievously wounded.

The Smiling Face Demon's cervical spine had been shattered by the Three-Tailed Giant Beast, and it stood with its body twisted. The power of malice flowing through its entire body had become extremely weak at this moment.

But its gaze remained locked on the Three-Tailed Giant Beast with boundless fury.

It had been about to claim its prize today, but at this most critical moment, this beast had ruined everything.

Hee hee!

The Smiling Face Demon let out a piercing shriek, emitting a strange laughter. As its laughter spread, the countless Other Beasts around it also began to stir, as if driven by something, suddenly rushing over at high speed.

It seemed they were about to launch a group attack on the Three-Tailed Giant Beast.

The Three-Tailed Giant Beast let out a furious roar, its crimson beast-eyes glaring at those Other Beasts, and on its massive body, it seemed as though flames were beginning to burn.

A terrifying, ferocious might erupted.

Under such ferocious might, even those aberrations faltered for a moment, but their charging speed did not slow; instead, it suddenly accelerated.

Then, like a black flood, they surged straight past both flanks of the Three-Tailed Giant Beast...

The target they charged toward was actually not the Three-Tailed Giant Beast, but the heavily wounded Smiling Face Demon!

Judging by the posture, it didn't look like they were there to heal the Smiling Face Demon's wounds.

The Smiling Face Demon, as if sensing something, immediately let out a furious, raging howl, and the eerie smile on its face gained a hint of panic.

But its howl had little effect. The aberrations swarmed in rapidly. Even as wave after wave was slaughtered by the Smiling Face Demon, under the relentless tide they finally became a black flood that engulfed it.

Immediately after, a shrill, agonized roar rang out.

Li Luo and the others could only watch helplessly as the Smiling Face Demon—previously invincible—was torn apart right then and there by those aberrations.

Some aberrations scooped up the Smiling Face Demon's shredded flesh and blood, then fled into the distance.

It was like a grand feast.

Li Luo and the others watched and couldn't help swallowing hard. This was the backlash from the aberrations... The Smiling Face Demon had originally possessed the ability to suppress those low-level aberrations, so it could force them to obey its commands.

But after being gravely wounded by the Three-Tailed Giant Beast, its oppressive aura began to weaken.

Its body, instead, became a treasure coveted by the other low-level aberrations.

And so, the backlash finally erupted.

Under these fearless, death-defying charges, the low-level aberrations ultimately tore apart this Great Calamity-class aberration alive.

The flood of aberrations that had filled the field of vision quickly vanished at this moment.

The entire world between heaven and earth became empty once more.

Yet no one in the stronghold actually cheered at the sight.

Because they all saw that, as the Smiling Face Demon was torn apart, the Three-Tailed Giant Beast—its entire body covered in gruesome wounds—slowly turned around.

Those crimson beast pupils, brimming with endless ferocity, were cast toward the stronghold.