On the other side!
Ye Cangtian attracted most of the stone figures.
While constantly evading, he eliminated the pursuing stone figures one by one, collecting over ten crystal stones.
He then found a dilapidated house and changed back into Xuan Qi's attire. Now that the stone figures in the Dragon Group's area were all dealt with, there should be no danger.
Therefore, Ye Cangtian had no intention of returning, and instead resumed Xuan Qi's identity.
It had to be said, Xuan Qi's identity was quite useful here. Even if something went wrong, the Dark Association would ultimately take the blame.
As soon as he walked out of the broken house, Ye Cangtian's expression suddenly changed. Through the wall, he heard chattering noises.
One female voice was quite familiar; it sounded like Xuan Liu's.
Ye Cangtian thought for a moment, then hid himself to see what was happening.
Adjacent to him, separated by a wall, was a dead-end alley.
Xuan Liu was leaning against the wall at the back of the dead-end alley. Normally, with her strength, it would be easy for her to scale this wall, but now, with a dagger embedded in her calf, it was impossible.
"Xuan Liu, surrender! You can't escape!"
"Hand over all the crystal stones, and then serve us well. Perhaps we'll let you die a quicker death!"
A Chunin said with a wicked smile, his eyes filled with evil.
She had no chance of escape now, and she was another voluptuous woman. If he didn't indulge himself properly, he felt he would be letting himself down.
"Hmph! Come if you dare!"
"Even if I die, I won't let you succeed!"
Xuan Liu looked at him coldly, holding the dagger horizontally across her chest, ready to fight.
She had already decided that even if she died, she would take him down with her!
Rattlesnake Mercenary Group? The Shinobu?
Hiding in the dark, Ye Cangtian finally got a clear picture of the situation. To his astonishment, the Shinobu and Rattlesnake were targeting the Dark Association.
After all, along the way, except for an ambush by a Genin in the瘴气森林 (Miasma Forest), he hadn't encountered such a situation.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian managed to find a plausible explanation.
Perhaps the Shinobu feared the Dark Association becoming too powerful, making it difficult for them to contend with later, so they wanted to weaken the Dark Association's strength...
Ye Cangtian's guess was mostly correct.
However, the Shinobu and the Rattlesnake Mercenary Group's actions this time were not meant to confront the Dark Association head-on.
They had three Earth-level powerhouses present, and a direct confrontation would yield no benefits. They were self-aware enough to know this.
Their original plan was to dump Xuan Liu's corpse in the area where the Bright Hall operated, thereby inciting conflict between the Dark Association and the Bright Hall.
However, regardless of the specific reasons, in Ye Cangtian's opinion, the Shinobu were playing with fire.
They had already offended the Bright Hall before, and now they were killing Xuan Liu and framing the Bright Hall.
If this matter got out, it was likely that the Dark Association and the Bright Hall would temporarily set aside their grievances and eliminate them first.
As he pondered this, seeing the Shinobu slowly advance, preparing to act, Ye Cangtian hesitated for a moment before finally revealing himself.
"Yo, isn't this the beautiful Xuan Liu?"
"What's wrong today? Why are you in such a sorry state?"
Ye Cangtian leaned against the wall, teasing Xuan Liu mockingly.
Xuan Liu turned her head and saw him, a flicker of surprise flashing in her eyes. This person was from the Dark Association; she finally had help and might be able to save her life.
But when she looked at the mask he was wearing, her heart sank to the bottom.
Earlier, facing Humphrey, he had bolted. Moreover, she had confronted him afterward, which had soured their relationship considerably...
Who knew if he was just waiting to watch a good show or if he would turn and leave immediately!
Thinking this, Xuan Liu turned to look at Ye Cangtian and said, "Xuan Qi, you don't need to gloat. If you want to see me make a fool of myself, you've succeeded today!"
"Now I just ask you, for the sake of our working together, are you willing to save me!"
"Save you! Of course, I'll save you!"
"But I have a condition!"
Ye Cangtian smiled teasingly and continued, "As long as you take off your mask afterward and let me see your face, and then split half of the crystal stones with me, I'll save you!"
From the moment he saw Xuan Liu, Ye Cangtian had been curious about her identity. He felt a strange sense of familiarity, which was why he wanted to see who she really was.
"You're taking advantage of my predicament!"
"Besides, that's clearly two conditions!"
Upon hearing this, Xuan Liu instantly became furious.
It was known that the identities of members of the Dark Association were mostly kept secret. If she revealed her true appearance, it would be equivalent to handing her life over to him.
Moreover, even with that, the other party was still not satisfied, actually demanding half of the crystal stones.
Those crystal stones were earned with her life; how could she bear to part with them?
"Heh heh, whether it's one or two, my conditions remain unchanged. You choose!"
Ye Cangtian smiled mischievously and paid her no mind.
"You!"
Seeing his firm attitude, Xuan Liu trembled with anger.
At that moment, the Chunin on the other side finally recovered his senses.
"Hey, hey, hey, are you two flirting over there!"
"Do you not take me seriously at all!"
"And you, you idiot, stop spouting nonsense. Neither of you will get away today!"
The Chunin, named Tōmon, flashed a ruthless look on his face. With Xuan Liu's leg injured, she had basically lost all combat effectiveness. Handing her over to the Genin and mercenaries beside him was enough.
As for the remaining Xuan Qi, he was confident he could defeat him.
In his opinion, Ninjutsu was invincible in duels of the same level. Moreover, he not only knew Ninjutsu but also excelled in strength!
"Heh heh, I've never seen a mere bug court death like this!"
Ye Cangtian was amused by the other party's words.
The next moment, he leaped up, directly blocking in front of Xuan Liu.
Then, he smiled mockingly at the Shinobu members and said, "Little bugs from the Shinobu, why are you hiding out here instead of in the gutters? Since you have the courage to come out, die!"
"Haha, what big talk!"
The Chunin 'Tōmon' was instantly amused by Ye Cangtian. He waved his hand, and along with his subordinates, they charged forward.
Bang, bang, bang...
A series of muffled sounds ensued. Before 'Tōmon' could get close, having mixed into the crowd, he saw his charging companions being sent flying back by the opponent with his bare hands.
Damn it! I'll fight with all I have!
The screams filling the ground made 'Tōmon''s eyes redden. He gritted his teeth fiercely and charged again, his fist, as big as a sandbag, striking out.
Bang!
A muffled thud sounded, and 'Tōmon''s burly body flew backward like a cannonball.
He spat out a mouthful of blood, his face filled with disbelief.
He thought, how could this Xuan Qi, merely a Xuan-level steward of the Dark Association, possess such monstrous strength?
He was the one who excelled in strength; among the experts of the same rank in the Shinobu, no one could match him.
However, in their previous clash of fists, the opponent had not only shattered his fist but also caused internal injuries, making him feel as if his organs were burning. How was this possible!
"Little bug, this punch is your punishment for all your foul language."
Ye Cangtian flashed in front of Tōmon, a wicked smile suddenly appearing on his face, then he extended his large hand.
With lightning speed, he grazed Tōmon's face.
Tōmon froze on the spot. He had thought the opponent was going to end his life.
He raised his hands to block, closing his eyes, awaiting the arrival of death. After all, the opponent's speed was too great, and he knew it would be difficult to block.
But he never expected that the attack would land on his face with a feeling like a gentle breeze, causing him no harm. This truly perplexed him.
"Heh heh, little bug, she's my companion after all, and I can't just stand by when you hurt her."
"That last move was just me taking revenge for her."
Pfft!
As Ye Cangtian's voice spread, Xuan Liu behind him was so angry she almost vomited blood.
You bastard! You're definitely doing this on purpose!
In Xuan Liu's opinion, that move by Ye Fan was worse than not fighting at all, and he didn't need to say those damn words. Doing it intentionally now was clearly aimed at her, to humiliate her!
Just moments ago, she had been rejoicing in her heart that the Shinobu had angered Xuan Qi, prompting Xuan Qi to step in and help.
Now, her heart was filled with curses for Xuan Qi, and she wished she could flay Xuan Qi alive!