Chapter 231: The Battle’s Third Party

Everything was under control.

The reason for Zhu Ge’s sigh was that there were some things he was unwilling to face.

Or perhaps, he would rather have been wrong.

“Brother Zhu, this is no time to dwell on such things,” Yan Liyuan said with a sigh of his own. “Hongmi Immortal may be dead, but since the Red River Dragon Python is trying to devour the Locust Demon Crown Prince, we still have a chance!”

“Exactly! It’s a dog-eat-dog fight. When two powers clash, one is bound to lose—or maybe even both!” Su Feibai snorted. “Stop dawdling. Get ready to kill those two and make a name for ourselves!”

Guan Julan’s eyes also filled with anticipation and excitement.

Zhu Ge nodded and immediately turned his focus to the situation in the sky.

BOOM!!!

The Red River Dragon Python in the sky had bound the Locust Demon Crown Prince and was now plummeting toward Six Paths Valley.

The Red River Dragon Python was crimson all over, as if formed from red silt. Each of its scales resembled a piece of red sandstone etched with mysterious patterns.

Though called a dragon python, it was actually covered in scales, with whiskers and horns on its head, but no feet.

If it grew a pair of feet, it would become a divine dragon.

If it grew a pair of wings, it would become a Teng Snake.

But if it had both feet and wings, it would be called an Yinglong.

ROAR—

Just then, the Red River Dragon Python roared at the sky, unleashing waves of infrasound. In an instant, all the Spiritual Qi within a ten-thousand-mile radius was drained dry.

At the same moment, Zhu Ge pushed the Fungus God Destruction Array to its absolute limit.

Tendrils of mycelium shot upward, instantly enveloping the Locust Demon Crown Prince.

But in the next moment, the Locust Demon Crown Prince shrieked. Two locusts flew from his chest and drilled straight into the Red River Dragon Python’s body.

Those two Great Realm locusts were more like puppets than living creatures.

Under the Locust Demon Crown Prince’s control, one shot up into the Red River Dragon Python’s head, while the other descended to tear apart its lower body.

But just then, the sky turned dark once more.

An inky, greenish black.

“Tch… I thought you’d made some progress over the years, Red River Dragon Python. I didn’t expect this.” The Plague God Sparrow’s voice was contemptuous and arrogant.

High in the sky, the Plague God Sparrow appeared, its wingspan stretching several hundred meters.

Compared to its previous form, the Plague God Sparrow’s body was now suffused with various green auras, a mixture of tyrannical and savage power interwoven with a sense of divinity and sanctity.

This was the Plague God Sparrow’s true body!

“Haha, this Red River Dragon Python really did try to pull a fast one!” the Locust Demon Crown Prince laughed. “Plague God Sparrow, you guessed right. Let’s team up and kill it!”

Despite being bound by Zhu Ge, the Locust Demon Crown Prince remained completely unfazed.

Zhu Ge had also discovered that he couldn’t kill the Locust Demon Crown Prince directly.

Because the Locust Demon Crown Prince was no longer human in the complete sense of the word!

Every time he “killed” the Locust Demon Crown Prince, a patch of locusts would die, but the Crown Prince himself remained unharmed.

This meant that as long as the Locust Demon Crown Prince’s swarm existed, Zhu Ge could not kill him.

‘What a hassle…’ This was the first time Zhu Ge had ever fought a Great Realm being.

Both the Plague God Sparrow and the Locust Demon Crown Prince displayed unparalleled combat strength.

A single casual strike from the Plague God Sparrow required Zhu Ge to use his Dawn Intent just to counter it.

And the Locust Demon Crown Prince was even more troublesome—he was basically unkillable.

At this moment, Yan Liyuan and the others couldn’t help but grow tense.

“That Plague God Sparrow was playing dead this whole time?!” Guan Julan said in disbelief. “I thought… I thought Zhu Ge had already killed it!”

“The Plague God Sparrow is a great deity. As long as a single one of its shrines exists, it cannot be truly harmed.” Yan Liyuan shook his head. “It seems this borderland is full of hidden masters. We’re already caught in the middle of it.”

For them, this journey was a mission from their sects and families, but it was also a personal opportunity.

It was just that opportunity and crisis could easily transform into one another.

Handle it well, and it was an opportunity that could send them soaring to new heights. Handle it poorly, and it was a crisis that would cut them off from the resources of Nanyue Mianhuang forever.

“So what?” Su Feibai’s expression was disdainful. “We are prodigies. If we’re afraid of every little thing, chasing only external gains without strengthening our own hearts, how are we any different from beasts?”

“Well said!” Guan Julan roared with laughter, hands on his hips. “How could those morons who just left possibly understand that inner strength is the only path to greater heights!”

The two of them were brash and unrestrained, feeling that the supposed benefits of Nanyue Mianhuang were nothing compared to achieving clarity of mind and purpose.

The other two felt the same way.

BANG!!

The mycelium entangled the Locust Demon Crown Prince and the Red River Dragon Python, while the Plague God Sparrow hovered nonchalantly in the sky, gazing down below.

“It’s waiting. Waiting for the Locust Demon Crown Prince and the Red River Dragon Python to die so it can devour both their bodies in one fell swoop.” Yan Liyuan’s brow furrowed.

He then looked at Su Feibai, Guan Julan, and the others. “Everyone, Brother Zhu is holding down two Great Realm beings here. It’s time for us to give our all and execute the Plague God Sparrow.”

“You got it! I’ll take the lead!”

“No problem. But Brother Yan, you can’t move. I’m afraid that after I go all out, Su Feibai or Guan Julan might rob me.”

“Bullshit! When have I ever robbed anyone? Su Feibai is the one who’s robbed *me*, okay?”

“Alright, enough nonsense! I’m going up!”

The group exchanged nods, and after a few more words, they shot into the air one by one.

Spiritual Artifacts, Yuan Artifacts, precious medicines, treasured pills, Spiritual Clothing, and spiritual armor emerged from their bodies one after another.

These people were clearly well-equipped. Since they were going all out, it was only natural for them to use every trick up their sleeves.

“Oh? Prodigies?” The Plague God Sparrow’s voice dripped with scorn. “A few juniors… you really think I’m afraid of you?”

The next moment, the Plague God Sparrow let out a long cry, and a powerful green aura erupted from its body.

This plague aura was unlike any normal kind. Su Feibai materialized a Jade Great Saber, but before it could even get close to the mist, it corroded and melted into a green, purulent liquid.

Guan Julan met a similar fate. The raindrops she summoned, each as heavy as a lake, were all dyed green. As they fell to the ground, they made a sizzling “TSSSSSS” sound, their poison clearly potent.

At the same time, the Plague God Sparrow’s plague aura rapidly expanded from its body, forming a gigantic sphere that enveloped the entirety of Six Paths Valley.

“Using a bit of my ‘Shi’ to take down a few prodigies like you isn’t a bad trade.” The Plague God Sparrow chuckled, flapping its wings.

And just then, Yan Liyuan finally made his move.

“The people are the most important, the state is secondary, and the ruler is the least.” Golden light shone from Yan Liyuan’s body as a proud, spectral figure appeared on the horizon.

It was the figure of a scholar, gazing up at the sky with his hands clasped behind his back, exuding a natural sense of pride and power.

Upon closer inspection, the scholar’s face was clearly that of Yan Liyuan.

“True Intent?” The Plague God Sparrow’s wings continued to beat, but its tone grew more serious. “I didn’t realize you possessed such talent. The Human Race is truly superior to my Demon Race.”

“A pity. If your manifested True Intent could form a ‘Da Shi’, I might not be your match. But you are merely in the Third Realm. How could you possibly condense a ‘Da Shi’?”

“Perish!”

The Plague God Sparrow opened its beak and spat out a long, green stream of energy that shot like an arrow toward the massive phantom scholar in the sky.