Chapter 165: Dawn (Combined 10,000 Characters—Request Subscription)

Inside the Star-Picking Tower, a branch of the Crimson Star Palace's main hall.

When another hour had passed on the water clock, Star Lords Zhang Zhen and Du Tingyun impatiently turned to Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao and said, "Grand Master Cheng, it's time to push the positions."

Cheng Yuexiao glanced at the water clock, then infused his spiritual sense and star force into the Six-Golden-Wheel before him.

Before he could even activate it, Zhang Zhen and Du Tingyun stared at him with urgency.

These two Star Lords had reason to be impatient.

According to the Six-Golden-Wheel's display, one of the Star Palace disciples had grown alarmingly close to a disciple of the Chen Guo Dao Academy.

Clearly, he was about to catch up to that Chen Guo Dao Academy disciple.

The outcome was about to be revealed!

Though they could not communicate with disciples inside the Zi Feng Star Region, the position display alone could reveal the general result.

If, after this long, the positions of the Chen Guo Dao Academy disciple and the Star Palace disciple remained overlapping, it was nearly certain that the Chen Guo Dao Academy disciple had been captured by one of the Star Palace disciples.

That would be the first major victory!

Of course, other possibilities existed.

If a disciple had died, his life aura would vanish, and his position would no longer appear on the Six-Golden-Wheel.

By now, all disciples had been inside the third-tier Zi Feng Star Region for over half a day, and every disciple's position had already been displayed on the Six-Golden-Wheel.

One look would tell.

If one Chen Guo Dao Academy disciple was missing, that meant one kill!

That would set a strong tone for this Selection War.

And it would strike a heavy blow to Cheng Yuexiao's morale and confidence!

The Blood Star Pact remained unchanged, but the rules governing the Selection War had shifted repeatedly under Cheng Yuexiao's insistence.

Originally, only one Type-A plan existed.

The most direct, the most brutal.

Each of the two Star Palaces would select one favored genius disciple from the Chen Guo Dao Academy and take him away for cultivation.

Whether to nurture or destroy him was left entirely to the two Star Palaces.

Naturally, neither Star Palace would nurture an enemy—except for one exception, all other disciples were rendered useless.

Destroyed.

But over the past twenty years, Cheng Yuexiao had repeatedly altered the Selection War rules through duels during several grand assemblies.

He not only added the Type-B plan, but also reduced the number of Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples offered under the Type-A plan.

Now, under the Type-A plan, each Star Palace could select only two Chen Guo Dao Academy geniuses to take directly.

The Type-B plan offered seven slots, but required Star Palace disciples to conquer Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples.

If conquered, they were taken.

If defeated—meaning they could not be subdued—the selected disciples remained at the Dao Academy.

Both Star Palaces would then lose the disciples they had originally chosen.

Typically, Cheng Yuexiao chose the Type-B plan only when he felt confident—in other words, when he had strong faith in his disciples' strength.

That was also why both Star Palaces had sent their top-tier Star-Forge disciples this year.

During the thirteen years the Type-B plan had been in place, the Chen Guo Dao Academy had chosen it six times: once a catastrophic defeat, with only one of seven disciples returning alive, while six Star Palace disciples returned alive.

Twice they suffered major defeats: only two of seven Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples returned alive, while five Star Palace disciples returned alive.

Once they won narrowly: three Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples returned alive, but only four Star Palace disciples survived.

Twice they won small victories: four Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples returned alive, while only three Star Palace disciples survived.

Wins and losses were mixed, but overall, the Chen Guo Dao Academy suffered heavier losses.

Yet in truth, Cheng Yuexiao's stubbornness and ruthlessness had made the Star Palaces increasingly wary.

Because if the Type-A plan was enforced, the Chen Guo Dao Academy would immediately lose four top-tier genius disciples.

But if the Type-B plan was enforced, while the Chen Guo Dao Academy might lose even more top geniuses, the Star Palaces would also suffer losses.

Especially those two narrow defeats—losing four geniuses had hurt the Star Palaces deeply.

So whenever Type-B was proposed, both Star Palaces took it extremely seriously.

Every combatant was carefully selected within the allowable range.

They aimed to crush the Chen Guo Dao Academy—or even annihilate it!

If such crushing defeats continued for a few more rounds, they could break Cheng Yuexiao's spirit and shatter the Chen Guo Dao Academy's will.

Then the academy would dare not choose Type-B again.

After that, the two Star Palaces could gradually weaken the Chen Guo Dao Academy generation after generation, over decades—once their top-tier combat strength collapsed, the consequences would be glorious.

And these two Star Lords were so tense for another reason.

While the two Star Palaces could freely choose eligible candidates, there remained one minimum requirement for this Selection War.

The Tianyang Star Palace required no more than one disciple lost; the Cangming Star Palace required no more than two.

Simultaneously, at least five Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples must be killed.

Only losses exceeding those of the Type-A plan could truly strike Cheng Yuexiao.

Thus, whether Du Tingyun or Zhang Zhen, both were impatient now.

To be honest, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao himself was equally impatient.

In the instant he activated the Six-Golden-Wheel, his fingers trembled slightly.

Because what followed would be wave after wave of devastating news—only the number would vary!

Others might not understand, but for a teacher, having to sacrifice his academy's most gifted disciples every year—whether destroying them or sending them to die—that agony, that torment, was beyond ordinary comprehension.

The next instant, under Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao's activation, golden and crimson light dots began to emerge on the Six-Golden-Wheel.

The moment seven golden dots fully appeared, Grand Master Cheng Yuexiao and Left Sacrificial Master Meng Yanhui both relaxed visibly.

They both exhaled in relief.

All were still alive!

But in the next instant, joy surged in their eyes!

Great joy!

Six!

Only six crimson dots!

This meant one Star Palace disciple had perished.

The cause could vary—he might have been slain by a Dao Academy disciple, or by a foreign beast in the third-tier star region—but any reduction among Star Palace disciples was a major boon for the Chen Guo Dao Academy.

The two Star Lords stared at the six crimson dots, disbelief etched on their faces.

Only half a day in, and a Star Palace disciple already dead?

That couldn't be possible!

Especially this time—they had struck incredible luck: Cheng Yuexiao had drawn the Zi Feng third-tier star region that the Cangming Star Palace had repeatedly failed to conquer, and they had smuggled in an outside tactic.

Under normal circumstances, their disciples could never possibly be killed by foreign strongholds.

"Grand Master Cheng, has the Six-Golden-Wheel been fully activated?"

Zhang Zhen doubted it, because under current conditions, the only possible cause of a Star Palace disciple's death was being slain by a Chen Guo Dao Academy disciple.

And the intelligence they had painstakingly obtained on the Dao Academy, used to match opponents, had ensured their disciples held overwhelming superiority.

Under normal circumstances, none of this year's Dao Academy disciples had any chance of killing a Star Palace disciple!

But…

Hearing this, Cheng Yuexiao's face broke into a faint smile; he pushed more star force into the Six-Golden-Wheel, making its starlight flare violently.

Yet no matter how hard he pushed, the number of crimson dots representing Star Palace disciples remained six.

"I'm pushing the positions!"

As he spoke, Cheng Yuexiao felt more at ease than ever before.

Advantage!

For the Chen Guo Dao Academy to gain such an advantage after only half a day—this was the first time in thirteen years!

How could they not rejoice!

Du Tingyun and Zhang Zhen, however, wore grim expressions.

To begin the war in such a disadvantageous position—this was unprecedented for both Star Palaces.

"Star Lord Zhang, your 'Broken Feather' tactic—is it truly effective?" Du Tingyun asked, his doubt growing.

"Absolutely effective—unless the ruler of the third-tier Zi Feng Star Region has changed. And just a month ago, our Star Palace conducted a trade with the ruler of the third-tier Zi Feng Star Region, Zi Hao!

Yesterday, I personally contacted the ruler of the Zi Feng Star Region regarding this matter!" Zhang Zhen affirmed.

"Can you still reach him now?"

"No, the communication disturbance is too great. When Grand Master Cheng wasn't at the Star Gate, we could still contact him—but now, there's no way." Zhang Zhen said.

"What exactly is happening? How did the opening turn out like this?"

As Du Tingyun puzzled, he scrutinized the light dots on the Six-Golden-Wheel again.

Instantly, he was stunned once more.

On the Six-Golden-Wheel, besides one golden dot and one crimson dot appearing extremely close,

Four golden dots were nearly overlapping.

Four Chen Guo Dao Academy disciples had gathered together.

Meanwhile, the Star Palace side also had four disciples grouped, but they were paired off—two by two.

This only deepened the worry!

And this was precisely why Cheng Yuexiao was pleased.

He knew Xu Jin's Crimson Scale Heart Armor was working.

It was truly worth giving away a Crimson Scale Heart!

In the eastern region of the Purple Wind Star Domain, Xu Jin was racing at high speed toward Ji Hongli's location.

Whether to save Ji Hongli was not up for debate.

He had accepted a Crimson Scale Heart from the Grand Master; he must do something in return.

He needed to get close and assess Ji Hongli's condition.

See what kind of desperate situation Ji Hongli was truly in.

Then make a decision.

If he had the ability to save her, Xu Jin would find a way.

If he lacked the ability, Xu Jin would not risk his own life!

So many people were waiting for him to return.

At seventy percent of his maximum speed, Xu Jin could cover two thousand li in one hour.

Two hours later, through the Crimson Scale Heart's resonance, Xu Jin was already very near Ji Hongli.

Half a quarter-hour later, near the location indicated by the Crimson Scale Heart's resonance, Xu Jin found no trace of Ji Hongli.

But he discovered a massive force of alien troops.

A dark, overwhelming alien army had completely surrounded a pond.

Quickly, Xu Jin located this pond on his map.

It was called Flowing Gold Pond.

Not very large—about five hundred meters in diameter.

But now it was fully encircled by alien forces; upstream, where the water entered, Xu Jin used his invisibility technique to sneak over and saw traces of powerful star arts.

The upstream flow had been forcibly diverted.

The incoming water now poured into a massive artificial pit, spreading across the surrounding land.

At the lowest edge of the pond, a huge breach had been blasted open; alien soldiers were using brute force to dig deeper channels, and the pond's water level was slowly dropping.

Suddenly, Xu Jin realized: Ji Hongli must be hiding within this pond.

At the pond's edge, a young man Xu Jin recognized vaguely was sharing a drink with an alien of the Fourth-Rank Nascent Star realm.

The two were chatting merrily!

As Xu Jin slowly approached, he recognized him.

Tian Lie, the supreme prodigy of the Heavenly Sun Star Temple's Star-Casting division, already at Star Refining Sixth Layer.

Tian Lie's primary focus was Fire Star Art; Ji Hongli's was Water Star Art.

The purple-winged alien accompanying Tian Lie was a Seventh-Layer Nascent Star powerhouse.

In addition, there was one Fifth-Layer Nascent Star expert, and five Fourth-Layer Nascent Star beginners.

This... was truly a desperate situation!

After assessing the situation, Xu Jin couldn't help but smile bitterly.

The alien forces surrounding him numbered roughly five thousand.

Most were Wind-Feasting Sixth and Seventh Layer, or Star-Casting realm; fewer than a hundred were Star Refining realm.

But this number—

"At this rate, by tomorrow morning, the pond's depth will drop below twenty meters. Within twenty meters, that woman won't be able to hide!"

"Then, it will be her time to die," said the Fourth-Layer Nascent Star Seventh Layer purple-winged alien, Zi Yang, raising his cup to Tian Lie with clear flattery.

"Probably. But we must strengthen night watches tonight—she might try to escape under cover of darkness!"

"Hahaha, I only hope she doesn't stay hidden!"

"If she dares to surface early, I'll capture her tonight and deliver her to your tent to serve you, Master Tian!" Zi Yang laughed.

"Hehe, if Master Tian truly desires it, that wouldn't be unacceptable. Ji Hongli is, after all, a beauty of Chen Guo."

"If Master Tian truly intends it, then when the water level drops tomorrow morning, I'll personally capture her!"

"Day or night makes no difference!" Zi Yang grinned.

"Hahaha, indeed!"

"Filthy beasts!"

Instantly, a water dragon surged from the pond, striking the two men.

Zi Yang merely waved his hand—the water dragon shattered instantly. His back wings flared, and he crossed sideways above the pond, slamming his palm downward, sending a hundred-meter-high wave crashing up—but he caught nothing.

"The water is deep! Our Purple Wing clan is heavily hindered by water currents. Please, Master Tian, wait a little longer," Zi Yang said, glancing at his wings.

With his Seventh-Layer Nascent Star cultivation, he could force himself underwater if he wished.

After all, the target was merely a little girl at Star Refining Fourth Layer.

But once underwater, his power would be severely restricted; his most prized Thunder Star Art would be unusable, and his speed greatly diminished.

Meanwhile, that little girl, who specialized in Water Star Art, would gain tremendous strength in water.

Even he might suffer heavy losses.

So better to be cautious.

Wait until the water level drops, then deal with her.

"I understand! If she weren't able to hide using water currents, she'd be no match for me at all—she wouldn't have troubled Lord Zi Yang," Tian Lie laughed.

"Naturally, naturally!"

"But I wonder—when will your prince next launch an offensive against the Purple Wind Star Domain?" Zi Yang asked softly.

"I don't know, but within one or two years, there will surely be another campaign. And with my cultivation, I will surely join the next one!"

"Lord Zi Yang, rest assured—I've promised you, and I will fulfill your wish then!"

"If the Purple Wind Star Domain is conquered and a new king is installed, a loyal and earnest lord like you will be the top choice."

"If it remains unconquered, even a little cooperation from me will bring you endless benefits," Tian Lie smiled.

"Good, good! Come, drink heartily!" Zi Yang raised his cup generously.

Hearing just fragments, Xu Jin had pieced together most of the situation—though some parts remained speculation.

Tian Lie could so easily mobilize the alien forces of the Purple Wind Star Domain because of the Heavenly Star Temple's previous several offensives against it.

Though they hadn't conquered it, they had gained much, planted many spies, and terrified many Purple Wing aliens.

Otherwise, Zi Hao, lord of the Purple Wind Star Domain, would never have issued a token or given orders.

Watching Tian Lie and Zi Yang drink and laugh, Xu Jin fretted: how could he rescue Ji Hongli?

One plan after another surfaced, only to be discarded by Xu Jin.

Almost all clever schemes had no chance of success.

Only one plan held any possibility—but it was impossible to execute.

That was using Lao Qi's Concealment Seal—but both had been used up at Thousand Leaf Island. If he'd had one, he could have given Ji Hongli one to hide her aura and slip away secretly.

His invisibility technique could only conceal his own form and aura—it couldn't affect others.

This made Xu Jin regretful.

When he returned, if time allowed, he must learn to craft seals.

This was the powerful survival path he had carved out for himself.

By crafting powerful seals himself and then nurturing them, their power would multiply.

When facing powerful enemies, if one seal wasn't enough, use ten; if ten weren't enough, use a hundred—bomb them to death!

For special seals like the Concealment Seal, Xu Jin could also craft them—in critical moments, their effect would be tremendous.

After half an hour of deep thought, Xu Jin found no clever way to rescue Ji Hongli.

As for a direct rescue—

That Fourth-Layer Nascent Star Seventh Layer purple-winged alien was an insurmountable obstacle.

Under normal circumstances, Xu Jin couldn't defeat him.

With his current strength, he could kill single opponents at Nascent Star Third Layer or below.

Against two, it would be doubtful.

And there was still another Fourth-Layer Nascent Star Fifth Layer alien expert.

What about luring away the pursuers?

No.

Xu Jin would almost certainly die.

"Fine. First, let me meet Ji Hongli."

Under cover of night, the invisible Xu Jin silently slipped into the pond.

Since the alien army had been draining the pond continuously, this slight ripple drew no attention.

But before entering the water, Xu Jin had already sent Ji Hongli a message via the Crimson Scale Heart: "I've arrived. I'm about to dive in—don't attack me."

If he dove in directly and she attacked him, then the enemy discovered him, the trouble would be enormous.

The instant he entered the water, silent ripples curled around him. Xu Jin was about to counterattack when Ji Hongli's voice reached his ears: "Brother Xu, it's me."

"Don't resist—I'll take you down below."

Soon, the ripples carried Xu Jin deep into the pond's depths.

After sinking about thirty meters deep, a cave appeared on the wall of the pond.

"Senior Xu, I'm already trapped. Why come down here yourself?"

Through the watery wall, Ji Hongli, though lamenting, had her eyes filled with delight.

After all, Ji Hongli was just a girl of seventeen or eighteen. No matter how calmly she accepted death, no matter how strong she seemed, she couldn't help being afraid!

"Originally, you had a very good chance of surviving and returning. But now, you're trapped here too—"

As Ji Hongli was speaking, she suddenly noticed Xu Jin's face turning crimson, his limbs thrashing wildly—and then she realized what was happening.

She lunged forward, trying to expand the water bubble shielding her, the one that let her breathe underwater, but her strength was limited; the bubble she could maintain was barely enough for herself.

Xu Jin's limbs began flailing uncontrollably.

Ji Hongli suddenly thrust her arms forward, wrapping him from behind in a tight embrace—and instantly, her water bubble enveloped both her and Xu Jin.

In that same instant, Xu Jin resumed breathing.

"Damn, I nearly drowned!"

Xu Jin gasped for air.

The immense water pressure and the feeling of suffocation were terrifying.

Even with his cultivation, he couldn't last long underwater.

No wonder Tian Lie and Zi Yang dared not enter the water.

Of course, the real reason was that this pond was extremely deep.

They'd only reached halfway after thirty meters.

At fifty or sixty meters deep, even a cultivator like Ji Hongli, skilled in water-star arts, could vanish inside—and they'd have no way to reach her.

If only there were underground waterways—if there were, Ji Hongli would've escaped long ago.

"How are you holding up? Any injuries?" Xu Jin asked.

"When Zi Yang and Tian Lie were chasing me, I was badly hurt, but I used two low-grade star-healing talismans—I've mostly recovered," Ji Hongli said.

"Senior Xu, by the way, how did you sneak down without being noticed? Can you sneak back up the same way? If you can, you should leave right away!"

"Otherwise, we'll both die here—and the Grand Master will be heartbroken!" As she spoke, the girl hugging him from behind trembled slightly.

In her eyes: fear, despair, and yet, hope.

At this moment, Ji Hongli's emotions were overwhelmingly complex.

She hoped Xu Jin would leave.

She also hoped he would stay.

"It's dark outside. I have a star-talisman that hides my aura, so I slipped down. If I leave, they shouldn't notice." Ji Hongli, startled and terrified, added, "Senior Xu, you should leave quickly."

"If the water level drops too low, escaping from under the eyes of those fourth-rank experts outside will be impossible!"

"No rush. I'll leave a little later."

Hearing this, Ji Hongli's expression grew even more complex.

A savior had arrived—and yet was still leaving. It made Ji Hongli ache deeply.

"But before I go, we must devise a way to rescue you!" Xu Jin said.

Hearing this, Ji Hongli, who had been filled with despair, instinctively tightened her grip on Xu Jin—but she said, "Senior Xu, this is a dead end. Don't bother trying to save me."

"If you have a method to hide your aura, leave while you can."

"It's a pity my star-talisman slots are already full—if they weren't, I could've learned your talisman. Maybe then I'd still have a chance to escape!" Ji Hongli said.

"That's true."

She spoke the words, but Xu Jin knew clearly: even if he could transfer the Gui Cang Star Talisman, it would be useless.

Because his stealth star-art was a complete set—learning just one talisman wouldn't help.

Xu Jin told Ji Hongli everything about the situation outside: the enemy's strength, the surrounding terrain—and then began actively discussing escape strategies with her.

During the discussion, Ji Hongli was also very engaged.

She was only seventeen or eighteen—the prime of youth—who would willingly die?

Throughout this time, Ji Hongli held Xu Jin tightly.

Gradually, Xu Jin felt her body heat, the firmness of her chest—quite substantial.

Especially her long, slender legs, now curled around his waist from behind to fit within the water bubble—strong and graceful, making him feel strangely unsettled.

But such thoughts passed in an instant.

The main focus remained on finding a way out.

What Xu Jin didn't know was that Ji Hongli's face had turned redder than her red robe; her breath was hot, and the scent of Xu Jin's breath was growing increasingly pleasant.

Eighteen years old—and never before had she been this close to any man.

Not even her father.

Especially not with her initiating it.

But this stirring of emotion was suppressed half an hour later, as their words grew fewer and fewer.

Every method they could think of offered no possibility of escape!

Every plan they tested showed that if Xu Jin was discovered, he would die for sure.

But this was only normal speculation.

Xu Jin had his own idea.

If all else failed, he'd have to use the Dawn Talisman.

Would the cultivated Dawn Talisman be enough to kill Zi Yang, a fourth-rank Star Condensation Seventh Layer expert?

But this plan had to be kept secret from Ji Hongli.

Yet Xu Jin hesitated: once two people know something, it's no longer a secret.

For example, the elixir cultivation method—he could tell Ning Yuchan, and if exposed, he could claim it came from the Huoxuan Star Region, tied to the Red Scale Heart.

But bringing a fourth-rank talisman into a third-rank star realm was a violation of cosmic rules—if leaked, Xu Jin would be utterly destroyed.

Unfortunately, the Grand Master's Parent-Child Heart Demon Talismans were already used up.

"Senior Xu, let's chat a bit," Ji Hongli suddenly said.

"Chat? About what?"

Only now did Xu Jin realize how terrified Ji Hongli truly was.

This was clear from how she trembled when she first hugged him.

"Tell me about yourself. What was your childhood like?" Ji Hongli asked.

"My childhood?"

Xu Jin froze. He didn't know what life was like in this world as a child—but that didn't stop him from fabricating his past life's memories.

"When I was in elementary school, my teacher was terrifying. We had tons of homework every day."

"Me too. I was bad at studies. My master would hit my palms, my mother would hit my palms, and if my father found out, he'd make me skip meals. Only my grandfather protected me."

"Sounds the same. But when holidays came, it was great! A bunch of kids would run out and play, eat everything, sometimes so much we had to sneak back home..."

Ji Hongli looked envious. "I had holidays too—but even then, I stayed inside the mansion. But when I entered the National Academy, I felt like every day was a holiday..."

Hearing this, Xu Jin sighed inwardly: Ji Hongli's childhood was an alternate-world version of intense child-rearing.

It seemed every world had its pressure-cooker parenting.

Time slipped by quickly. When a streak of starlight pierced the pond, casting a shimmer of light, Ji Hongli suddenly gasped, "Oh no! The starlight—it's past midnight!"

"Senior Xu, you must leave now!"

"Once it's light, you won't be able to slip away!" Ji Hongli urged.

Though she urged him to leave, her arms clung tighter.

This made Xu Jin marvel: she was just an eighteen-year-old girl—and yet she had the willpower to face death so calmly, urging him to escape alone. Truly remarkable.

This only strengthened his resolve to find a way to save Ji Hongli.

And just then, Xu Jin had already devised a plan to rescue her.

The key lay in those two cultivated fourth-rank Dawn Talismans.

If they worked, their chance of rescue would rise dramatically.

If they didn't...

"Alright, time really is short!"

Hearing this, Ji Hongli's expression turned bleak. This man—still leaving.

Even though she'd told him to go, her heart...

"Pay attention. If there's chaos on shore, and I'm exposed, I'll dive in immediately—remember to save me!" Xu Jin said.

Instantly, Ji Hongli was stunned. Her arms, just loosened, clamped back around him. "Senior Xu, don't do anything foolish! Trying to save me like this will kill you!"

"Don't worry—I have some confidence."

"No! Where's the confidence? Forget me! Just run!" Ji Hongli's emotions were utterly torn—every word felt untrue.

She hoped he'd flee. She also hoped he'd stay and try to save her.

Her mind was a storm of contradictions.

Her entire heart now rested on Xu Jin—her joy, sorrow, anger, and hope all hinged on his choices.

This half-night's experience had been more turbulent than the first half of her entire life.

Her emotions rode a rollercoaster.

In just half a night, Xu Jin had left an indelible mark on her heart.

"I'm your senior. Listen to me! We don't have much time. Before dawn, I must find a way to get you out—or there won't be another chance!" Xu Jin declared firmly.

"Senior Brother Xu!"

In the next instant, Ji Hongli's voice suddenly choked up; she tightly embraced Xu Jin from behind, pressing her hot forehead against his neck—this was the boldest act she had ever done!

"Listen to me!"

One minute later, Ji Hongli brought Xu Jin to within ten meters of the water's surface, then watched as he slowly rose to the surface and vanished.

Then came the tense wait!

After going invisible, Xu Jin stood on the shore, letting the water drip off his body before moving.

First, he circled the pond while invisible.

Xu Jin noticed that at night, about one-third of the aliens were on guard, while the rest had set up tents and begun resting.

Of course, only officers could enter tents to rest; ordinary aliens, even when resting, simply lay down where they stood.

Xu Jin's original plan had been to sneak up to the Zi Yang, a fourth-rank Nascent Star seventh-layer alien, launch a surprise attack, and lure him into the water to see if he could create an opportunity to kill him.

But now, Xu Jin suddenly changed his mind.

In the next instant, the invisible Xu Jin silently slipped into a tent where a sixth-rank Star Refining alien officer was resting.

His soul force crept upward like vines.

Wen Meng!

In an instant, the sixth-rank Star Refining alien officer sank into deep slumber.

The invisible Xu Jin leaned close, driving a dagger sharply through the officer's eye into his brain, twisting violently, while his other invisible hand clamped over the officer's mouth.

The officer trembled once—and died without a sound.

Star Refining aliens posed some threat to Xu Jin, especially in chaos; eliminating one meant one less threat!

Next, Xu Jin slipped into tent after tent: first using Wen Meng to plunge them into deep sleep, then driving his dagger straight through their eyes to shatter their brains.

Ten.

Twenty.

Forty!

In one and a half hours, Xu Jin killed sixty-three Star Refining aliens using this method.

Because it was deep night, no one noticed.

As for the others, soldiers stood beside them, making it hard to act.

Currently, only two tents remained viable targets.

The two officers resting inside were Zi Yang and Tian Lie.

Neither was likely asleep; both were probably cultivating.

If Zi Yang weren't nearby, and Tian Lie had fallen asleep, Xu Jin could have used the same method.

But in a state of cultivation alertness, it was much harder.

A direct ambush wouldn't work either.

Under these conditions, the chance of failure was too high.

Xu Jin waited in silence.

Since the great battle began, Xu Jin had never lacked patience.

What Xu Jin didn't know was that Ji Hongli, beneath the water, had already grown disappointed.

Or rather, despair had once again engulfed her.

She and Xu Jin had agreed on only half an hour.

But now, nearly two hours had passed, and dawn was only an hour away—still no movement.

Xu Jin had probably fled alone.

"That's fine… at least he won't be dragged down with me…" Ji Hongli said, voice bleak.

Time quickly reached dawn, nearing the Mao hour.

At that moment, one-third of the alien officers who had been on drainage duty all night began yawning and leaving the downstream area, shouting as they walked, "Everyone up! Shift change! Shift change!"

The sound instantly made Xu Jin realize he was about to be exposed.

But he also realized an opportunity had arrived!

In an instant, Xu Jin plunged into the water and swiftly submerged himself at the essential route leading to the tent where the mass officer deaths had occurred.

Simultaneously, he activated the Red Scale Heart to send Ji Hongli a message: "Get ready!"

Upon receiving the message, Ji Hongli froze in shock.

Then she burst into tears of joy!

The bleakness vanished from her little face!

"Dead…!"

"Someone! Come quickly! Someone's dead!"

"Someone's dead!"

The discovery of so many corpses—especially Star Refining officers—sent the alien army into instant chaos!

Almost simultaneously, Tian Lie and Zi Yang opened their eyes.

Tian Lie, wary, dared not move.

But Zi Yang instantly leapt up and charged toward the tent where the officers had died.

In the very moment he rushed forward, his heart suddenly jolted.

As he looked up, a terrifying bolt of lightning, as thick as an arm, struck him directly.

The moment his protective starlight flared up, the lightning poured down upon him.

The sensation of being drenched in lightning was excruciating.

As Zi Yang's wings snapped shut to shield himself, they were instantly reduced to ash.

But his body remained unharmed.

In the next instant, a burst of flame erupted from before him.

Zi Yang roared, spewing lightning from his mouth to disperse Xu Jin's Flame Explosion, while locking onto Xu Jin's position.

At the moment Xu Jin unleashed the Flame Explosion, he activated Flying Star Step and surged without hesitation toward the center of the pond.

There, Hongli was waiting to meet him.

Several roars erupted as six fourth-rank Nascent Star beings simultaneously chased after Xu Jin.

But the fastest were Zi Yang, Nascent Star seventh-layer, and another fifth-layer Nascent Star from the Zi Yi clan.

They caught up almost the instant Xu Jin entered the water.

But at that very moment, Xu Jin shattered the fourth-rank Dawn Seal he had cultivated in his hand.

Instantly, brilliant white light exploded across the water's surface, as if dawn itself had descended.

Everything was being incinerated by this dawn light!

The two Nascent Star mid-to-late-stage strongholds at the center of the dawn emitted piercing screams; the fifth-layer Zi Yi clan member, at the last possible instant, wrapped himself in his purple wings and fled with all his strength.

His wings were both his speed and his ultimate survival tool.

As the wings burned away completely, the fifth-layer Zi Yi clan member finally escaped the dawn's range—but half his body had vanished.

Zi Yang, whose wings had already been destroyed by lightning, screamed horribly as he plunged into the water.

When he hit the water, his head was half gone, his body half gone.

Water tendrils, like silk threads, reached out the moment the dawn exploded, swiftly dragging Xu Jin beneath the surface, shielding him from the dawn's damage.

The instant he entered the water, Ji Hongli clung to him like an octopus, squeezing him so tightly he could barely breathe.

As soon as he entered the water, Xu Jin was clamped tight by Ji Hongli like an octopus, so tightly he could barely breathe.

The moment Ji Hongli's waters enveloped him again and he could speak, Xu Jin quickly said.

In the next instant, the water tendrils she controlled reached out once more, dragging Zi Yang's corpse back beneath the water.

In the next instant, the water currents controlled by Ji Hongli reached out again, dragging Zi Yang's corpse back beneath the surface.

(End of chapter)